‘Very good.’ Weber continued to speak quietly. ‘You may call him back, Fräulein, and tell him that my instructions are to cut his stripes from his sleeve and burn them, because he will not get them back again. Also, instruct the guard at the de Gruchy estate to enter the house, by force if need be, and place everyone found there under arrest.’ Martine gulped, and left the room. ‘That bitch,’ Weber growled. ‘That unutterable bitch.’
‘Who?’ Joanna asked. ‘The old people must have been Monsieur and Madame de Gruchy. But who could the woman have been?’
‘That bitch Madeleine von Helsingen.’
‘Madeleine? But she is in Berlin!’
‘She is right here in Bordeaux, pretending just to be visiting her parents. She has to be the one who got that warning to the guerillas. I knew it. And now she has seduced Hoeppner. I knew that too. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her.’
‘Oh, come now, Weber. Madeleine is six months pregnant. And she is the wife of his best friend.’
‘Ha! Well, we will have to sort that out after we have cleaned this business up.’ He picked up his phone. ‘Get me Captain Rinteler.’ He tapped his fingers on his desk while he waited, and Roess and Joanna regarded each other with smouldering hostility. ‘Rinteler? Operation Hillock will commence at dawn tomorrow. What? They are ready enough. Of course there will be casualties: we are fighting a war. I will join you at midnight for final preparations. Yes, I will be coming with you. Very good.’ He hung up. ‘Now …’
Martine was back. ‘The de Gruchy guard sergeant is on the line, sir. He confirms that Colonel Hoeppner left the residence just after eleven last night, accompanied by the two senior de Gruchys and another woman.’
‘Stale news.’
‘Yes, sir. But he says the other woman was not Frau von Helsingen, who he has seen several times during her stay at the chateau. What is more, sir, obeying your orders, he broke into the house and found it absolutely deserted, not even a servant, with one exception.’
‘Yes?’
‘He found Frau von Helsingen, bound and gagged and tied to her bed.’
Weber stared at her in stupefaction.
‘Is she all right?’ Joanna asked.
‘I believe so, Fräulein. But she is very angry. She says she has been betrayed by her family.’
‘I must go to her,’ Joanna said.
Weber had recovered. ‘Then who was the other woman? Was the guard able to describe her?’
‘Well, it was dark, Herr Colonel. And she was wearing a headscarf. But he got the impression that she was fair. And he says that she was very handsome. He used the word “beautiful”.’
Weber turned to Joanna.
‘Liane de Gruchy.’
‘What did you say?’
‘That is a perfect description of Liane.’
‘You said she was in Vichy!’
‘She was. She must have left the moment my flight was discovered. It took me four days to reach here on foot. She must have had transport.’
‘And you mean she calmly went to her parents’ house, inveigled Hoeppner into going there for dinner, kidnapped him, and drove across the border?’
‘That sounds like Liane,’ Joanna agreed. ‘And now she has got away again. I would like permission to accompany you, Herr Colonel.’
‘You?’
‘I would like to see the end of this bitch, personally.’
‘Yet again, hell hath no fury, eh? Very well, Joanna, you will have your pound of flesh. Roess, I will leave Frau von Helsingen to you. She will have to be interrogated first, to find out exactly what happened. But as she appears to be innocent of acting against the Reich, you will treat her with the greatest respect, and return her safely to Berlin. Is that understood? Roess? What are you doing?’
Roess was taking off his spectacles and placing them on the floor. Now he stepped on them with great deliberation.
*
Liane looked at her watch. ‘Nine o’clock,’ she said. ‘Stop the car.’ The driver braked, switched off the engine. Liane got out, keeping her tommy-gun, hitherto concealed beneath her cloak, levelled. ‘Now, gentlemen, step down, if you will.’
The driver got out of the front door, Franz the back. ‘Now,’ Liane said, ‘if I were truly the cold-blooded killer your propaganda machine describes me as, I would shoot you both, now. It would certainly be the simplest thing to do. And it is what you would probably do were the situation to be reversed. But I really only believe in killing when it is necessary.’ She gestured at the hills which surrounded them on every side. ‘You are in the foothills of the Massif Central. The border is about forty kilometres behind you. You should be able to walk that in a day or so. I am sorry I have no food to offer you, but there are streams which will provide you with water. There is a village about ten kilometres down that slip road, but I do not recommend you go that way. I do not think they will take very kindly to a couple of German soldiers appearing in their midst. So I will say goodbye. Oh, one thing more, Herr Colonel. Please remember that my sister had nothing to do with this.’
She got behind the wheel, and Franz clicked his heels. ‘I will make sure she is not implicated, Fräulein. And may I say that I look forward to our next meeting.’
‘I really wouldn’t do that,’ Liane advised. ‘I could be in a bad mood.’ She engaged gear and drove away.
*
‘Do you see what I see?’ Jules asked.
Monterre, seated beside him on the brow of a hill overlooking the distant road, squinted into the morning heat haze. ‘Holy Mary Mother of God! That is a German command car.’ He unslung his tommy-gun.
‘Hold it,’ Jules commanded. ‘Let us see what they want.’
‘They must be mad.’
‘Maybe. Maybe not. Fetch Pierre.’
Monterre looked as if he would have liked to stay, then changed his mind and climbed the hill. Jules watched the car approaching the foot of the hill, and then turn on to the rough path leading up. Pierre arrived. ‘What is it?’ Jules handed him the glasses, and Pierre levelled them. ‘My God!’ Pierre handed them back and ran down the hill as the car came to a halt. ‘Mama? Papa? Liane? But how?’
‘We will tell you up at the camp.’
The entire group gathered to hear, in a mixture of awe and apprehension. ‘But Madeleine!’ Amalie cried. ‘You mean she is on our side after all?’
‘Oh, yes,’ Barbara said. ‘She is a heroine.’
‘What will happen to her?’ James asked.
‘Hopefully nothing, if she acts as well as I know she can.’
‘And Joanna?’
‘The whole thing was her plan.’
‘And you say she’s gone back to Germany?’
‘Well, she’s gone back to the Bordeaux headquarters.’
‘You don’t think she’s putting her head into a noose?’
‘She seems entirely confident.’ Liane squeezed his arm.
‘Don’t you think I worry about her too?’
‘I know you do. And I love you for it.’
‘So when does the plane arrive?’
‘Two o’clock tomorrow morning.’
‘And you’ll take Mama and Papa out?’
‘If that’s what you wish. But leaving you to face the music …’
‘Leaving me to organize our relocation. We’ll leave the moment you take off. So if we’re rising so early …’
*
‘Time,’ Liane said. The camp was stirring.
James put both arms round her waist. ‘Did I ever tell you that I adore you?’
‘So many times that I’ve lost count.’ She kissed him. ‘But I still love to hear it. Let’s go.’
They hurried down the hill, waited until they heard the engine, then lit the flares. Within ten minutes the Lysander was on the ground. Still unable to move very freely, James remained in the tree fringe while Pierre and Henri hurried forward with Jules and Etienne, followed by Monterre and his men, but then he heard Pierre say, as the door was
opened, ‘Good God! I remember you. But what are you doing here?’
‘I have come to collect my boss,’ Rachel said.
James stumbled forward, Liane at his side. ‘What the hell …?’
Brune had also got down. ‘She had permission, Major. Don’t ask me how.’
‘I pulled strings.’
‘Pound Two!’ Liane said. ‘I recognize your voice.’
‘Snap,’ Rachel said. ‘Pound Twelve.’ The two women gazed at each other.
‘Ah,’ James said, realizing that he could be in a critical situation: while Rachel knew about Liane, Liane did not know about Rachel. ‘You’d better meet. Rachel Cartwright, Liane de Gruchy.’
Rachel shook hands. ‘I’ve heard so much about you, mademoiselle.’
‘I am honoured.’
‘But,’ James said, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘I told you. I have come for you. The brigadier gave me permission. We didn’t know how bad you were.’ She squinted into the gloom. ‘You look quite good.’
‘I am perfectly well.’
‘He isn’t really,’ Liane said. ‘When you get him home, Miss Cartwright, put him to bed.’
‘I shall do that, mademoiselle. And do please call me Rachel.’
‘So who’s minding the shop?’ James asked. The meeting had gone off far better than he could have expected. So far.
‘Don’t ask. I’m hoping we’re going to be getting rid of him.’
‘Well, let’s get up to the camp and you can bring me up to date. Brune, you’d better come up as well.’
‘Will do, Major. Just as soon as we have the old girl properly covered up.’
He joined them an hour later, just as the sky in the east was beginning to lighten. The group were seated around the fire, drinking wine, and Rachel had met Amalie and Moulin and Henri and the senior de Gruchys, and had an explore. ‘Reminds me of when I was a girl scout. And you live like this all the time?’
‘We have been very comfortable here,’ Liane said.
‘James never struck me as the sort of man who would enjoy camping out.’
‘That depends who I’m camping out with.’
‘And now you’ll have to find a new home,’ Rachel said, a trifle acidly. ‘I hope I’ll be able to visit you again.’
‘We’d like that very much, once we’re relocated. You must give her permission, James.’
‘Ah …’ The sky was lightening.
‘I hear aircraft,’ Amalie said.
*
What am I doing? Joanna wondered as the aircraft bumped to a halt. What am I going to do? They had to be warned. But how. She jumped out of the doorway at Weber’s shoulder, looked left and right. To either side of her there were men, armed with tommy-guns, squads carrying the two mortars. Then she looked at the trees which surrounded the field. She wondered if Brune was down yet. There was no sign of his machine. Perhaps he had come and gone again … with James and Moulin, and the elder de Gruchys? But situated as they were, at the foot of the hill, it was going to take the SS a good half an hour to assemble and begin their assault: Weber was relying on the fact that no one knew they were coming this early. Half an hour. And half a mile.
She moved apart from the men as they lined up, checked her weapons: she was armed with both tommy-gun and Luger pistol, but neither was loud enough to alarm someone at half a mile. Most of the men in front of her had strings of grenades in addition to their firearms. No one was paying much attention to her; none of them had any clear idea of why she was along. But now a sergeant came towards her. ‘Come along, Fräulein. We must hurry.’
The rest of the men had already moved off up the hill. ‘I am ready, Sergeant,’ Joanna said, stepping against him. He turned in surprise, and she plucked a grenade from his belt, drew the pin and hurled it into the backs of the advancing troops. The sergeant gave a shout and reached for her, but she had already drawn her pistol, and shot him through the heart at close range. As he fell, she plucked another grenade from his belt, let it fall, then she threw herself to the ground beside him.
In front of her pandemonium raged. At least one man had been killed in the explosion, and several injured. Officers and NCOs barked commands. And Weber, who had been at the head of his men, hurried back, demanding explanations. ‘Back there, Herr Colonel,’ someone shouted.
Joanna was slowly sitting up, rubbing her head. ‘What happened here?’ Weber demanded.
‘This man suddenly went berserk,’ Joanna panted. ‘He threw a grenade at his comrades, then drew another. I tried to stop him, and he threw me to the ground. Then I saw he was about to throw the second grenade, so I shot him. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.’
Weber gazed at her for several seconds. ‘Have I fucked it up?’ she asked.
A captain stood beside them. ‘Shall we abort. Herr Colonel?’
‘Abort?’
‘The guerillas will have been alerted,’ he replied.
‘We cannot abort,’ Weber said. ‘So they have been alerted. We outnumber them by more than three to one. The assault will commence now. Get your men moving.’
‘Heil Hitler!’ The captain hurried off.
Weber pulled Joanna to her feet. ‘You stay close to me.’
‘Can you forgive me?’
‘There is nothing to forgive. It was not your shot that will have alerted the enemy. And you acted correctly in executing this traitor.’ He kicked the dead body. ‘Now we must finish the job.’
*
‘That was a grenade,’ James snapped. ‘They’ve come in early. Monterre, get everybody up and here.’
Monterre hurried off. ‘Where can we go?’ Liane asked. ‘We can’t. Once we’re in the open we’re done.’
‘But if we stay here …’ Moulin said.
‘They have to come to us, in our chosen position. One determined and well-placed defender is worth ten attackers. And we have one immense advantage: as they are acting illegally, they cannot take the time to starve us out. If they want to destroy us, they have to carry the cave by assault. Right. Monterre, get your men inside. Each side of the entrance.’ He surveyed them. ‘Now remember, do not show yourselves unnecessarily, and do not waste ammunition. Fire when you see a clear target. Ladies, to the back.’
‘I can fight,’ Liane said.
‘And I,’ Rachel said.
‘And you will. But let the men handle the first assault.’
‘What am I to do?’ Brune inquired.
‘Keep out of the line of fire. We need you to fly the old girl.’
‘It’s the old girl I’m worrying about.’
‘Well, don’t. They can’t possibly know she’s there.’ A shot rang out, and then another. James turned to see the shadowy figures coming through the trees. ‘Take cover,’ he called, and took his position just inside the doorway.
‘Isn’t he terribly exposed?’ Rachel whispered.
‘He can take care of himself,’ Liane said.
‘I suppose you and he have done this before, often.’
‘I have, several times. Only once with James, though. But we’re still here. Haven’t you?’
‘I have never been shot at in my life.’
Liane squeezed her hand. ‘It can grow on you.’ She winked at Amalie, also clutching a tommy-gun. ‘She’s never seen action either. But I’ll bet she’s looking forward to it.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Amalie said.
*
‘Cease that shooting,’ Weber told Captain Korlovy. The captain gave the order, while Weber studied the cave and the hillside through his binoculars. ‘You have been in there,’ he said to Joanna. ‘Tell me about it.’
‘It is a rabbit warren. There are several inner compartments. And there is a well,’ she lied. ‘They can stay in there for a considerable time.’
‘I did not come here to besiege them,’ Weber said. ‘Is there another entrance?’
‘No.’
‘Very good. Korlovy’ — the captain had rejoined them — ‘it will have
to be a frontal assault.’
Korlovy had also been studying the position. ‘It will be costly, Herr Colonel. If those men are well armed, and resolute …’
‘I doubt their resolution; they are bandits, not soldiers.’
‘Some of them, perhaps all, will have served in the French army.’
‘Then they are used to losing. What arms do they have?’ Weber asked Joanna.
‘Tommy-guns, pistols and grenades.’
‘Heavy machine-guns?’
She hesitated. But she had to tell the truth, just in case the Germans did manage to get inside. ‘I did not see any.’
‘Very good. Captain, bring up your mortars. There will be a five-minute bombardment to soften them up. Then you will fire a barrage of smoke and tear gas grenades. Under that cover we will go in. Give the orders.’
‘Yes, Herr Colonel. Do we take prisoners?’
‘No male prisoners. But there are two de Gruchy sisters in there. I wish them alive. Liane de Gruchy certainly. The Führer wishes her to be publicly executed.’
‘Will we know her, sir?’
Weber looked at Joanna. ‘She is a very good-looking blonde,’ Joanna said. ‘But I will be with you to point her out.’ She could do nothing more, and if they did manage to capture Liane arrive, that was her best chance of saving her. As for the others … She felt sick.
‘Carry on, Captain,’ Weber said. ‘Put on your gas mask,’ he told Joanna.
*
‘When will they come?’ Pierre asked, crouching beside James.
‘When they are ready.’
‘Do you know, after Dunkirk, I never supposed you and I would ever fight shoulder to shoulder again.’
‘Not so soon, anyway,’ James said. ‘Here we go.’
He had seen the flash, and a moment later a shell smashed into the cliff face, above the entrance, bringing down a cascade of stones and small rocks. The guerillas moved, restlessly. ‘Artillery!’ one gasped, and James remembered that none of these men had ever fought a winning battle against the Germans. In fact, being mostly Communists, they would have been the first to run away, under orders from Moscow.
The Game of Treachery Page 23
