He looked up at the sky and decided he had two hours of daylight left before the chimney would get too dark to tackle. It was enough time; he needed no more than an hour for the descent. What did press on his mind, though, was how much longer Schafer would remain on the island. It made sense that he would need darkness to cover his departure, but as always, there was no guarantee.
He slipped over the sloping edge, manoeuvred his feet into a good hold and peered over his shoulder. The chimney he had selected opened up about twenty feet to his right and he marked his route mentally before moving out across the cliff. So easy was the route that he was able to use ledges wide enough to virtually walk to the opening chimney. He descended carefully and confidently, knowing his skills had never left him. His only problem on the descent was the nesting birds whose shrieks brought home the risk of having attention drawn to him.
There was little he could do; this moment was in God's hands. The chimney narrowed just before it began twisting and he was able to rest by leaning outwards and propping his back against the wall. He chanced a look round the edge of the chimney and could just see the Nordcaper. A few feet lower and his view would have been blocked by the corrugated roofs of the whaling station.
Then he heard the sound of running feet. He knew it had to be Schafer and his men. Billy prayed he was not going to be too late to board the catcher. There were voices and shouts of command. He had no way of knowing what was happening. He just gritted his teeth and continued the descent of the chimney.
Schafer and Kretschmer reached the Nordcaper as Billy was resting in the chimney. The guard had seen them running towards the catcher and moved quickly from the languid position he had adopted.
"Leutnant Brenneke?" Schafer asked as he strode up the gangway. The guard pointed forward. Schafer ran towards the bridge and flung himself up the ladder. Brenneke had heard the commotion and was walking out on to the bridge.
"Have you seen the fire?" Schafer's words spun out in a blur of desperation, uncharacteristic of him, but so important were the papers to him that he feared he might lose them at this eleventh hour.
Brenneke's calm, assured voice came back at him. "I have despatched men to fight it, Hauptsturmführer. I have also brought the ship to readiness. We can leave whenever you are ready."
"Good man." He was breathing heavily from his run down the side of Blue Whale Mountain. "They stand little chance of putting the fire out though." He held the box up. "I have the papers Jochen, just as I said." He checked his watch and looked round at the darkening sky. "We must leave soon, before the British authorities are alerted to that damn fire. Have the men brought back."
Brenneke saluted and went aft to the crew quarters. He ordered two men to summon the others, including the two guards he had placed on the schoolhouse. He then remembered the old woman they had on board. He went to her cabin and opened the door. Old Fergie lay dozing on the bunk. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He stepped back and closed the door.
"We must put her off before we sail," he said to Schafer when he returned to the bridge. "It would be act of callousness to leave her on the ship when we board the submarine."
Schafer grinned. "I admire your sense of fair play, Jochen. I am sure Kretschmer would approve." He tapped the oilskin box. "But I am in a generous mood and will concur with your wishes. She will be put ashore the moment we sail. "I have arranged a pick up," he went on. "The submarine will be in position at zero, zero, fifteen hours." He breathed in deeply, and puffed out the breath explosively. "There is nothing that can stop us now," he added cheerfully.
"It must not be allowed to, sir," Brenneke answered solemnly. "The destruction of Churchill's empire lies in those papers. We have to get them back to Germany." He paused, thinking of something else. "Sir, you haven't reconsidered the wisdom of using the Nordcaper to rendezvous with the submarine? We could still use the lifeboats instead."
Schafer shook his head. "If the Royal Navy shows any interest in that fire, they will be in the area. That will put us all at risk. Once we are rid of this ship we can sink it; deprive them of a valuable asset. The rendezvous is ten miles out, so you see Jochen, if I were to recant, it would be too late. No, we carry the destiny of Germany on this ship."
*
Billy waited until it was almost dark before slipping out of his hiding place in the whaling station. He held himself very low, cutting down his visible profile. He knew now what he intended to do, and he did not expect to survive. He regarded this act of selflessness quite philosophically but promised himself that if there was a faint chance of pulling through, he would take it. While there was life, there was hope, he kept telling himself.
He guessed that Schafer would wait until it was dark enough to slip his moorings before moving out to sea, but as he approached the flensing plane, Billy heard the unmistakeable sound of the boat’s engines. He killed the panic inside him and the sudden urge to rush into the water, but continued his chilling crawl along the sloping concrete of the flensing plane until he was able to lower himself into the cold, bone chilling water.
His breath locked in his throat as the icy ring moved up his body until it reached his armpits. He pushed away from the flensing plane, pulling gently but powerfully at the water, angling in towards the stern of the catcher.
He was about twenty feet away when he heard someone on the gangway that sloped on to the quayside. He stopped and moved only his legs, keeping his head above the water. He heard the scraping sound of wood on concrete and realised they were on the point of sailing. As he made a move to push forward he looked up and saw the old woman, Fergie standing bewildered on the quay. She was looking directly at him!
Billy could have died. For a moment he felt the hand of capture reaching out as he waited for the old woman to make a sound or show some reaction that would draw attention to him. He held his breath and waited but the sound never came; Fergie just looked at the catcher and turned away, shuffling along the quayside towards the little road that led back to the schoolhouse.
He pushed on and swam on his side, stroking hard in the water as the sea turned to a churning phosphorescence, boiled up by the revolving screws. As he moved alongside the boat he could see the grey hull moving away from the quayside, which made him pull harder. He reached the prow of the catcher but the rope wasn't there! He couldn't believe it. His heart sank when he thought the Germans must have seen the rope and lifted it clear of the water. He beat his fist ineffectually against the hard, steel spine of the flaring bow and then he saw it. The action of the bow swinging away from the quay had made the rope move round the edge of the hull. Billy's relief at seeing it still there was so immense that he almost shouted for joy.
He used the edge of the bow to push himself towards the rope, reaching it in one kick. He gathered the rope to him and locked his legs round it. He waited, giving himself time to collect his breath and gather his thoughts.
The Nordcaper was well clear of the quay and moving out into open water when Billy began the short climb up to the edge of the gun platform. He knew the risk here was enormous; any man on the open bridge would be looking forward. If Schafer had chosen to place a lookout on the gun platform, that would add to the risk and he would almost certainly be seen. He had no choice; he could not go through the sheave because it was too small; he had to climb up over the edge of the gun platform.
He pulled himself up on the rope, drawing his feet up beneath him. He locked them together and straightened his body. He reached up for the sheave and locked one arm round its curved edge. Still retaining his grip on the rope with his feet, he reached up and curled his fingers over the leading edge of the gun platform.
Stretching a little more he locked both arms so that he virtually held the upper part of the sheave and the hard edge of the gun platform in a vice-like embrace. Then he relinquished his grip on the rope and swung wildly as he kicked with his feet to gain purchase inside the mouth of the sheave.
The catcher began to dip its nose as it reache
d the open sea and Billy could feel the first chilling fingers of spindrift licking up at his back. Soon the bow would be dipping sharply into the swell, threatening to wrench him from his precarious hold and send him plummeting to his death in the cold waters of the Atlantic.
The muscles in his back began to sing out in agony as he struggled for that life-saving hold in the sheave. Twice he managed to get the heel of his boot on the curved edge and twice he had slipped.
He could feel his grip weakening on the gun platform as the pain reached into his fingers. Each time he jerked his body to get his foot into the sheave, so he had to cling tighter to the ribbed floor of the platform.
Billy could see failure looming up before him and he lunged again with his foot for the opening. It went in and down hard, scraping against the smooth edge. But it was in and he was able to relax a little, allowing his leg to take the weight of his body, taking the strain off his tortured arms.
He waited for just a few moments, summoning up the will and mental strength to climb further. It meant withdrawing his foot in order to push against the sheave. He pulled his leg out; bringing his foot up until the sole of his boot was on the rounded edge. Then he pushed, straightening his leg and the upper half of his body until it was clear of the gun platform. He brought his other arm up and heaved himself up and forward, slithering gratefully beneath the protective bulk of the harpoon gun.
He lay still, gasping for air and feeling the spray falling lightly on to his exposed flesh. There had been no voices or shouts of alarm and Billy thanked God that Schafer had not posted a forward lookout.
He rolled over on to his belly and crawled towards the canvas shroud covering the rope locker. He drew a knife from his pocket and cut through two of the lashing cords. He put the knife back and slipped under the canvas shroud, feet first, belly down.
As he dropped on to the lower deck he fell back against the winch. If there was any pain he was unaware of it. He looked up. Standing in front of him, looking quite stunned and frightened, was Ailie.
She threw herself at him and held him tight, letting herself be drawn deeper and deeper into Billy's strong embrace. He felt a surge of relief because he had made it and his beloved Ailie was safe. All he had to do now was summon up more reserves of courage, and stop Schafer getting back to Germany.
*
Maura Lucas died that evening. She fell into a peaceful sleep and succumbed to her injuries beside a distraught Callum. He wept quietly as Doctor Kristen pulled the blanket over her head. There had been nothing he could do. Nothing anybody could do.
They all felt a consuming grief. It was strange and unwholesome to them, stemming from their feelings of guilt and shame. One by one they shuffled past to pay their last respects, solemnly making a sign of the cross. They lit oil lamps with matches Billy had brought for them, and prayed for her soul.
A sound at the end of the schoolroom intruded into their grief. They looked round as the door swung open and old Fergie appeared in the doorway. She looked so frail and old. The weak light from the lamps barely touched her as she reached for support.
Reevel went to her quickly and helped her to a seat. He looked back at the open door. There were no Germans, no bawling Schafer or bombastic Kretschmer.
Doctor Kristen pushed his way through the people gathering around her. He laid his hand on her shoulder. "Are you well? Did they beat you?"
"I'm well," she answered. "They didn't beat me. They just kept me shut away."
"And have they gone?" The question was unnecessary but in their sensitive minds it seemed quite unbelievable.
"They're away in the catcher. I watched it go."
Reevel straightened. "Then we are free. We can call young Billy from his hiding place. He must be told about his mother."
Fergie grabbed his hand. "What about his mam?"
Reevel laid his hand over hers. "The Lord has taken her from us Fergie. She gave her life for our island." He nodded towards her covered body.
Fergie got up and walked over to the coarse shroud. She pulled it back and looked down at Maura's peaceful face. Her tears dropped on to Maura's soft cheeks. She passed her fingers gently over the cool skin, brushing the tears away. "Watch over your Billy, lass. He still carries the fight. Bring him home safe."
Kristen reached forward and pulled Fergie away. He replaced the blanket over Maura's face. "What did you mean about Billy?"
"I saw him in the water. He was swimming towards the catcher," the old woman told them.
Reevel shook his head sadly. "Young Billy could never board that catcher without help. He'll come back here soon."
Fergie pulled her shawl tighter. "I went back. I saw Billy in the water and walked away. Then I went back."
She laughed. It was a dry cackle. "My old woman's curiosity; I wanted to see if Ailie had dropped the rope from the sheave."
Callum's head lifted, his attention riveted on the old woman. Fergie spoke directly to him. "Your lass is quite a girl, Callum Macdonald."
Callum's old face wrinkled into a frown. "Maura said my lass had drowned. The German shot her because she was trying to escape…" His words tapered away and a new light came into his eyes.
"She's a canny lass, Callum. I don't know what silliness she got up to, but she told Maura she was going to drop a rope from the sheave for Billy and she did; I saw young Billy clinging to it before the catcher was clear of Mullach Bay."
"Then she's alive," Callum said. "My lass is alive."
Fergie's scrawny face moved up and down rapidly. "Aye, but for what? Her and young Billy are on that catcher and they're in terrible trouble."
"They're in God's hands, old woman," Callum answered testily. "And he means to look after them. He'll bring them back, you'll see."
Reevel broke into prophetic talk, happy that Ailie might still be alive, but hanging on to his scepticism: if the Germans had gone, they still had their shattered lives to rebuild.
"I'm going outside," he said. "Even at this late hour I find the prospect of freedom and fresh air an opportunity I do not wish to wait for."
So they all filed out of the shabby little schoolroom, ambling into the wide, empty street and into the ruins of their homes. They stared about them in the darkness, using the light from the moon to find their oil lamps and pick over their belongings. For four days they had known the tyranny of Nazi Germany and lived in the shadow of the wolf. Now they had to rekindle their spirits and rebuild their own lives.
They dispersed in the darkness and only Maura's covered body remained in the school room, alone, lit by two weak, flickering lamps.
ELEVEN
The bow of the Nordcaper dipped into the sea as it rapidly gathered speed through the water, letting the sea break in through the sheave. Billy felt cold and miserable as he listened to the sound of the ship speeding to the rendezvous.
Ailie was trembling from the cold. It penetrated her thin clothing. Billy held her close but it did little to stop the warmth flowing from her.
"I'm scared, Billy," she told him. "Are we going to die?"
The gloom beneath the gun platform was like that of a cold, dark prison cell and heightened her fears.
"I'm scared too, lass," he replied gently. "But we must be brave. We have to stop them."
"I know." She shivered and drew closer to him. "Oh Billy, I'm really frightened."
He put his hand on her face. "Once we start you will lose your fear, I promise you that."
"Have you decided?" she asked.
He nodded. "Aye, we'll open the sea cocks."
She moved beneath him, turning to look up. "We'll sink, Billy."
He grinned. "Aye, that's what I want." He became serious. "Look lass, I've thought about it long and hard. I've no weapons. If I had they would be too many for me, I could not fight them all."
"You did on North Cape," she said firmly.
"It was different. I could hide. Come at them as I wished. I had time." He glanced round the rope locker. "I have none of that here, leas
t of all time. If I figure it right, they are on their way to a rendezvous with a submarine. It's got to be soon."
"Perhaps they are planning to sail all the way to Germany," Ailie said hopefully.
Billy shook his head. "Too risky, they've no defence. It has to be the submarine."
"How do we do it then Billy?"
He gave her a gentle hug. "That's my lass. Now listen carefully. There are three sea valves on the catcher: one below us in the chain locker, one in the engine room and one in the tiller flat. We cannot open the one in the chain locker because it would put the bow down in the water and lift the screws clear. The ship would lose way too quickly. Schafer would know immediately something was wrong."
"But he'll know if we open the other."
"Not immediately," Billy told her. "The catcher will settle but they won't be sure what's happening at first. If we do it right the thing will turn over in about fifteen minutes." He was unable to see the look of profound horror on Ailie's face. "What about us?" she gasped.
"We shall have to make sure we're off before it happens. It will be risky, but I think we can do it." He stood up and took his coat off. He put it round her shoulders. "Your clothes are too light, they may see you. The one thing we have working to our advantage is that Schafer does not know we are here, so he won't be looking out for us. We don't want your clothes to spoil it."
Ailie pulled his coat tightly round her shoulders. It enveloped her. "What do you want me to do?"
He knelt beside her. "Go to the tiller flat. Just forward of the hatch is a locker. There should be a dinghy there. I want you to get it into the water. When you’ve managed that, I want you to inflate it. Do you know how?" She nodded. He wondered if he was asking too much of her. "Good. Check and make sure the dinghy is there first. If there isn't one there, wait until I come. We'll cut the davit ropes on the lifeboats and use one of those. Now, the tiller flat: slide the hatch cover back. It will lock when it’s all the way back. Leave it like that and go down the ladder. The sea valve is on the starboard side. It's a wheel about this big." He held his hands up about four inches apart. "Turn it anticlockwise and get out of that place as fast as you can. Get the dinghy out, there's a painter on it. When you drop the dinghy hold on to that rope, but don't drop the dinghy until the catcher's Taff rail is near the water." He took her hands and held them together. "Do you understand all this Ailie?"
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