Dogfight

by Craig Simpson

  The tips of my fingers finally brushed against the cold metal of the tobacco tin. A tingle of thrill ran through me. I lifted it out and zipped it up safely in my anorak pocket. Replacing the floorboard, I drew the rug back. I rose from my knees. ‘OK, let’s go,’ I said.

  Loki had picked up one of my navigation charts and the small torch I kept beside my bed. He shone the narrow beam over it. ‘I’m surprised they didn’t confiscate this, Finn,’ he said.

  I took a look. ‘That’s the copy I made of Father’s route to Britain.’

  ‘England doesn’t seem that far away, does it, Finn?’

  ‘No.’ My brain was fizzing. We had the maps. It was all down to us now. Could we get them out of the country? Then what Loki had just said finally sank in and I was struck with a sudden brainwave. ‘Loki, I’ve just had the craziest idea ever. Remember that squadron badge we saw? The penguin holding a telescope? Well, the more I’ve thought about it the more certain I am that Dieter’s the Penguin. It all makes sense. And that means he’s on our side. He’ll understand how important these maps are. We could ask him to fly us to England in his Heinkel.’

  Loki burst out laughing. ‘You’re crazy. We don’t know who the Penguin is, Finn. Not for sure. Go running to Dieter with that ridiculous plan and you’ll be heading straight back to the fortress. We both will. Just because Dieter’s squadron badge has a penguin on it doesn’t prove anything.’

  ‘Look at the facts.’

  ‘What facts?’

  ‘Well, one, I reckon Dieter and Hans wanted us to see the battleship. I think it was all deliberate. Even if we’d not asked to go that way, I think they’d have flown over her.’

  ‘That’s not a fact. That’s a leap of faith! What else?’

  ‘These,’ I said, pulling the aerial photographs from Jack’s bag. ‘These seal it for me. I mean, how did he get hold of them? They must’ve been taken by someone flying over the Foettenfjord. And who flies reconnaissance missions in this sector of Norway every day? Dieter and Hans. The Penguin and the Telescope.’

  Loki whistled. ‘OK, that’s more convincing. But it could’ve been one of the other pilots.’

  ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Think about it. Put all the evidence together. Dieter seems to hate the Wehrmacht, SS and Gestapo. And he put in a good word when I was arrested. And don’t forget he and Hans lied to their squadron leader. It must be him.’ I now desperately wished I’d had the chance to ask Anna if she was working with Dieter – if she knew that he really was the Penguin. Last night she’d arrived home very late and I hadn’t had a chance to ask her since flying with Dieter.

  My friend raked his hands through his hair, rubbed his cheeks and then blew a huge sigh. ‘I’m not totally convinced, Finn. Of course, you might be right, but can we take the risk? Think about it. What if we’re wrong? We can’t just go marching up to Dieter and ask him straight.’

  I was one step ahead of him. ‘Of course not, Loki. I’m not that stupid. We’ll talk to Father Amundsen. He knows who the Penguin is. So if I’m right, we can get him to make contact with Dieter and set it up.’

  ‘And if you’re wrong, we’ll stick to our Plan B and head for the border?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘OK.’ Loki folded the chart and put it into Jack’s briefcase alongside the photographs. ‘We’d better avoid the streets, Finn. Best if we ski cross-country. I’ll borrow your sister’s skis. Maybe Oslo can give us a tow.’

  Recalling how Oslo had already hauled me until he dropped from exhaustion, I replied, ‘I think he’s done enough for one day.’

  We turned to go. Almost as an afterthought, I grabbed my flying jacket. It was lying on the floor. I put it on underneath my anorak. I don’t know why I picked it up. Maybe deep down I knew I might not return to this house, my home, for a long time. Maybe never.

  Chapter Twenty

  A Very Dangerous Penguin

  BREATHLESS, AND HAVING negotiated the checkpoint on the Bakke Bru, we reached the old town and the Hospitalskirken and approached the huge oak doors. It was eight o’clock. Organ music boomed from inside, along with the shrill voices of a congregation in full song. I hesitated. I was in two minds. ‘Do you think we should enter, Loki?’ I asked. ‘I mean, should we hide somewhere, and wait until everyone has left?’

  ‘I don’t see why we shouldn’t go in, Finn. We can wait at the back.’

  We climbed the wooden steps and rested our skis and poles alongside the dozens of others in the rather cramped porch. Loki clutched Jack’s briefcase. Oslo seemed reluctant to go further but I didn’t want to leave him tied up outside in case Anders Jacobsen passed by and recognized him. Placing my hand on the heavy iron latch, I took a deep breath. I realized that now was not the time to be timid or indecisive. I pulled gently on the door. It creaked hideously but it was too late to turn back. We squeezed inside, eased the door shut and stood still. Hundreds of small candles lit the church, creating an atmosphere I can only describe as eerie, almost as if the whole gathering was secretive. Most of the pews were filled. A couple near to the back glanced round but quickly turned their heads again, bowing as Father Amundsen began leading them in prayer.

  Hands clasped in front of him, he stood commandingly tall before the altar, his wild, scary eyes flitting over the dipped heads of his obedient flock. It all looked and felt so very different to the morning I’d delivered the message to him. Back then, our voices had sounded hollow, our words echoing in the emptiness. I edged forward out of the shadows and stood at the back of the central aisle, in full view of him. He spotted me at once but did not react. What now?

  ‘… Amen.’ Finishing the Lord’s Prayer, Father Amundsen quickly drew a cross in the air with his right hand, first the vertical, then the horizontal, his hand deftly waving left to right and finishing off in a flourish that looked rather odd to me until I realized he was actually pointing to a door at the side of the church. From his look of immense irritation, I suppose he thought I was stupid for not understanding at once. I nodded to him and edged back into the shadows. ‘See that, Loki? He wants us to go in there.’ I pointed.

  ‘OK. Lead the way,’ Loki whispered.

  The side room was tiny. On hooks along one wall hung musty-smelling cloaks and gowns. Another door lay on the opposite side. We decided to investigate. Through it, we entered a narrow corridor and made for yet another door at the end. The next room was filled with a table and half a dozen uncomfortable-looking chairs. There was also a sink, a cold water tap and some mugs and bowls. I filled a bowl for Oslo and set it on the floor. Loki dropped onto a chair and put his feet up on the table. ‘I guess we just wait,’ he said.

  ‘I guess so,’ I replied. I made for a small window and peeled back the curtain an inch to peer outside. Thankfully the streets seemed quiet. ‘Let’s hope he doesn’t keep us waiting for too long.’

  Loki wearily rubbed his cheeks until they were pink. ‘Do you feel guilty?’ he asked.

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Not trying to rescue your mother and sister.’

  ‘Of course,’ I replied. I let go of the curtain and sat down. ‘But there’s nothing we can do, is there? Believe me, I know that place. The fortress is watertight. To try to get in would be suicide. And anyway, I’ve been thinking. Without Jack’s briefcase, what evidence do the Germans have? They’ve got nothing on them. I reckon they’ll hold them for a week or two and then let them go. Like they did with me.’

  ‘Let’s hope so, Finn, and that they don’t end up like Mr Naerog.’

  We waited quietly. Oslo settled and quickly fell asleep. Lost in thought, I tried to picture Mother and Anna in their tiny dark cells at the fortress. I knew Anna would cope, somehow. Like me, she’d try to distract herself from the horror of it all by thinking of other stuff; better things, better days. I worried for Mother, though. She’d find it hard – very hard. I said prayers for them. Then my thoughts turned to my grand plan. Could we persuade Dieter and Hans? What if we did make it to England?

/>   The door swung open and a rather rattled Father Amundsen swept in. ‘Thought I’d never get them all to leave,’ he said irritably. He closed the door and glared at each of us in turn. ‘You idiots! I heard about the raids and arrests. You should be hiding somewhere, not out on the streets. And coming here has to be just about the most stupid thing imaginable.’ He leaned his fists heavily on the table and peered into our faces. ‘Let us pray no one saw you. Or else we’ll all be in the Kristiansten Fortress by dawn.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said feebly. ‘But we had nowhere else to go. We thought you could help us.’

  ‘I see. And why would I want to do that?’

  ‘You know we work for the Resistance,’ I replied. ‘We’re in trouble and need help. You’re all that stands between our freedom and the firing squad, sir.’

  He wilted onto a chair. ‘I suppose you want safe passage to Sweden. It’ll not be easy. Like I told Mr Larson only yesterday, your papers still aren’t ready. I’m not sure it’s wise to try.’

  I shook my head. ‘No, that’s not why we are here. Can you contact the Penguin and get him here? Tonight. It’s of the greatest importance. Thousands of lives depend on it.’

  ‘Out of the question,’ he snapped.

  ‘We know who he is,’ Loki added. ‘We know it’s Oberleutnant Braun.’

  ‘And we know that Hans Tauber is the Telescope,’ I said, brimming with unfounded confidence.

  Father Amundsen’s eyebrows climbed his forehead in surprise. ‘How on earth did you—?’

  I interrupted him. ‘Never mind. Can you get him here tonight? Please. We must speak with him. We can’t call on him at the seaplane base. It would be too dangerous.’

  Father Amundsen threw up his arms in confused exasperation. ‘I don’t know if … it may be possible but … this is madness. Why? I must know why.’

  Loki threw me a glance. I nodded. He pushed Jack’s briefcase across the table. ‘This is why,’ he said.

  Father Amundsen opened the briefcase and studied the photographs and maps. ‘Where did you get these?’

  ‘Never you mind,’ Loki replied.

  ‘Do you know what these are?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ I said.

  When he got to the map Jack had marked with a circle and question mark, I leaned over and pointed to it. ‘See that?’ I said. ‘Bald Eagle was right. That is where they’re hiding the battleship.’

  Gaping at us, Father Amundsen evidently had a dozen questions forming on his lips.

  ‘We’ve seen the battleship with our very own eyes,’ I added. ‘Dieter took us up in his new Heinkel. That’s why these maps just have to get to London without delay. There’s little time. Who knows when she’ll set sail again. And once she’s gone, a raid will be pointless. These maps will no longer be useful.’

  Father Amundsen rose abruptly to his feet. ‘Wait here,’ he said. He reached beneath his robe and produced a key. ‘Lock the door after me and don’t let anyone in unless I’m with them. And be patient. I may be gone some time.’

  It was almost midnight before we heard footsteps in the corridor. Oslo heard them first, lifting his head and growling to warn us.

  A gentle knocking drew me to the door. ‘Who is it?’ I whispered.

  ‘Me. Father Amundsen.’

  I turned the key and opened the door. Father Amundsen stepped in, Dieter on his heels. Dieter looked calm, in control. He removed his cap and placed it on the table. ‘Thank God,’ I said. ‘Thank you for coming.’

  He didn’t waste time with niceties. ‘Let me see those maps,’ he said. Loki handed them to him. Dieter studied them a moment, but I realized he’d seen them before.

  ‘We must get them to England,’ I said. ‘Or else it’s all been for nothing. Can you help us? You and Hans.’

  He turned to face me. ‘Just what exactly is it that you want us to do?’

  I swallowed hard. Here goes, I thought. Our crazy plan. ‘Fly us to England.’

  He fixed his gaze on me.

  ‘Please! It’s the only way. We know who you are. We know you’re the Penguin. We figured it out. We guessed you took these photographs and gave them to Bald Eagle. We know you’re on our side.’

  He put down the maps. ‘I see. Well …’ He rubbed his chin as if deep in thought. ‘I’m afraid flying you out of here simply isn’t going to be possible.’

  His words felt like hefty blows to my stomach. I stood up and pleaded with him, begged him.

  ‘Stop,’ he said firmly. ‘It’s not possible, and I shall tell you why. Sit down, Finn. Sit down!’

  I sank onto a chair.

  ‘You are quite right about one thing. My code name is Penguin. And Hans is the Telescope. But you’re quite wrong about us being on your side. Quite the opposite in fact.’ He reached for his holster and drew his pistol.

  I gasped and Father Amundsen stepped back and pressed against the wall. I didn’t understand. ‘What do you mean? The opposite?’

  ‘You’re a double agent, aren’t you?’ Loki hissed.

  I looked at my friend in shock, then looked back to Dieter, and then Father Amundsen. Dieter didn’t deny it. It was true. We’d fallen into a trap. We’d been duped and our trust was completely misplaced. We were dead men.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Saluting Oslo

  MY HEAD SPUN. It made no sense. ‘I don’t get it,’ I said. ‘If you’re a double agent, then why take those photographs? Why give them to Bald Eagle?’

  A grin broke out on Dieter’s lips. ‘Yes, I can see why you’re confused, Finn. A double agent’s job is a difficult one. It was necessary to prove myself to London, and providing help to Bald Eagle convinced my operators that I could be trusted. That I was an effective, reliable agent.’

  Loki stood up. His fists were clenched. ‘It all makes sense, Finn. Think about it. My father reckoned we had an informer in our midst. That’s why everything was going wrong. First Mr Naerog’s plan failed, then there was the raid on Idur and Heimar’s houses.’

  ‘I placed my trust in you,’ hissed Father Amundsen. ‘You have blood on your hands, Dieter Braun, the blood of good men. I hope your soul rots in hell for what you’ve done.’

  Dieter did not bat an eyelid. ‘Yes, they were all my doing,’ he said calmly. ‘My superiors in the intelligence service, the Abwehr, were extremely grateful.’

  ‘I don’t suppose it was pure chance that the Germans intercepted Bald Eagle’s pick-up, either,’ I spat.

  ‘Correct. Father Amundsen here kindly kept me informed.’

  ‘Why, you—’ Father Amundsen stepped forward but Dieter pointed his pistol at him. The priest froze.

  ‘So why did you put in a good word for me when I was arrested? Why didn’t you just leave me there to fester?’ I asked.

  ‘Maybe I should have done,’ replied Dieter. ‘It might have made things simpler. But it was all part of my attempt to win Anna over.’

  At the mention of my sister, I tensed up. ‘And what about Anna?’ I asked. ‘There I was thinking you two were working together.’

  Dieter shrugged. ‘A fine young lady. Brave too. Of course, I knew she was merely trying to extract information from me. I gave her what I could. The scraps kept her happy and I believe she thought she had me under her thumb. I doubt she ever suspected me of being a double agent. She just saw me as a pilot. I think I was a kind of father-figure to her.’ He looked at me. ‘She’s a good actress, Finn. You should be proud of her. Despite plying her with drink whenever I could, she never let slip anything about the Resistance. She never betrayed anyone.’

  My brain was swimming, but one further question troubled me. ‘Risky wasn’t it, though?’ I said.

  ‘What was?’ said Dieter.

  ‘Letting Bald Eagle complete his job. Supposing he had got out OK, he’d be safely in England with the maps. The raid on the battleship might’ve gone ahead.’

  ‘It was a risk I was willing to take,’ he replied. ‘Had it all gone wrong – had Bald Eagle got the maps ou
t – we could always have moved the ship. I had most angles covered, Finn.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Of course, what I hadn’t expected was that the maps would end up in your hands. That’s why I took you flying. I hoped that once you’d seen the battleship for yourself, you’d make a move and I’d be able to retrieve the maps and photographs.’

  ‘So you always intended to fly along the Foettenfjord?’ Loki interrupted.

  ‘Of course,’ said Dieter, a smile playing on his lips. ‘Now, enough talk. I’m afraid you all have an appointment at the fortress. Sorry, lads. But look on the bright side – you’ll be reunited with your families, albeit briefly. Place your hands on your head and walk slowly out into the corridor. I’ll be right behind you, so don’t try anything stupid.’

  Loki edged his way round the table, his eyes flaming with boiling hatred. Father Amundsen’s face was purple with rage. I reluctantly raised my hands and stepped forward towards the door. Oslo got up and growled. Suddenly Father Amundsen threw himself at Dieter. ‘Run!’ he yelled.

  Oslo began barking loudly. Loki spun on his heels and jumped on Dieter’s back. ‘Grab the briefcase, Finn,’ he shouted. ‘Get out of here!’

  I grabbed the handle of the briefcase but found myself glued fearfully to the spot. Loki had his arm around Dieter’s neck and Father Amundsen had gripped the double agent’s wrist. They struggled, Dieter’s pistol waving about as they fought. All of a sudden there was a deafening blast. Father Amundsen groaned, his grip on Dieter melted, and he slumped to the floor.

  Dieter flung himself backwards with considerable force, sandwiching Loki between him and the wall. Winded, my friend loosened his grip around Dieter’s neck for a second. It was just enough time for Dieter to raise his pistol towards me. Snarling, Oslo jumped at him. Startled into action, I swung the briefcase with all my might, hitting Dieter in the chest. He fell, taking Loki with him. ‘Get going, Finn,’ Loki shouted breathlessly. ‘For Christ’s sake.’

  Oslo attacked Dieter’s ankle, gripping it tightly in his jaws and trying to drag him across the floor. There was no way I could abandon my friend, so I dropped the briefcase and jumped into the action. We all shouted and struggled, punched and grappled, twisting and turning and rolling as our limbs flailed about. Dieter was stronger than I expected. He could match Loki. But not the two of us. But where was his gun?