Svetovar inspected Sandrine’s tommy-gun. ‘I didn’t know you knew anything about guns,’ he remarked.
‘I have been practising.’
He looked at Tony, who waggled his eyebrows. He then turned back to Sandrine. ‘This is a German weapon.’
‘I took it from Pavelic.’
‘The Ustase commander?’
‘Yes.’
‘Just like that? He did not object?’
‘At the time, no. Have you any food?’
Predictably she had regained her appetite.
‘Only our rations.’
‘But you can kill a goat,’ she said. ‘You have matches?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then we can make a fire and cook it and have a feast. I am very hungry.’
Svetovar scratched his head, but one of his men said, ‘I will do it,’ and set off up the hill.
Svetovar returned to what he felt was the more important subject. ‘We have heard a rumour that Bernhard has returned.’
‘Yes,’ Sandrine said. ‘He was here last night. His men burned the village. And took Elena.’
‘Bernhard? Well, then, she should be all right. They are friends.’
‘Not any more,’ Tony said. ‘He is turning her over to the Gestapo.’
‘But why?’
‘In his eyes, she is guilty of murder, for killing German soldiers.’
‘Then they will certainly execute her.’
‘I don’t think they will, immediately. They also think she knows the whereabouts of a guerilla headquarters. Probably yours. I have an idea they will interrogate her for a while.’
If only he could get Bernhard’s warning out of his head – that anyone who had been interrogated by the Gestapo would never again be quite human.
‘He said he was going to take her into Uzice. So we may be able to get her back,’ he went on. ‘If we act quickly enough. If your general will help.’
Svetovar nodded. ‘I think he may well do so. We have received orders from Moscow that we must do everything we can to hurt the German war effort, and he was looking for something big to start off with. If we could mount a raid on Uzice, and take one of our people out of the hands of the Gestapo, it would be tremendous.’ He looked at Sandrine. ‘And you? Is Bernhard not your fiancé?’
‘Not any more,’ Sandrine said. ‘I am Tony’s woman now.’
Svetovar looked at Tony.
‘It’s a long story,’ Tony said. ‘I think we should concentrate on getting Elena back. There is a problem. Will your general do it if he knows that Elena is a Croat?’ He frowned. ‘But you are a Croat yourself.’
‘Of course. In our group, there are no Serbs and no Croats, no Slovenes and no Bosnians, only Yugoslavs.’
‘Now there is something I have been hoping to hear since this war started,’ Tony said.
‘But they are all Communists,’ Sandrine suggested. ‘We are not Communists.’
‘Our business is to beat the Germans first, and worry about our politics afterwards,’ Svetovar said grandly. ‘That is what Tito says. Anyway, he is a Croatian himself.’
‘Tito?’ Tony asked. ‘His name is Tito?’
‘No, no. His name is Broz. Josip Broz. But we call him Tito.’
*
It was mid-morning two days later before they reached the Partisan encampment. As with Mihailovic’s camp, this was situated in a narrow valley, but was far better protected from the air by overhanging cliffs. It was also better guarded, by sentries who looked down on them from various vantage points, and was clearly more disciplined; the tents had been pitched in orderly rows, there was a complete absence of women or children, and although there was a flock of goats, these were under guard and prevented from straying by several obviously well-trained dogs.
Josip Broz sat outside his tent, drinking coffee. He was a big, heavy-shouldered man, ruggedly handsome in a square-jawed fashion. He exuded charisma; everything about him suggested that he was a leader of men, in a manner Mihailovic had so sadly lacked. ‘An English officer!’ he declared, shaking Tony’s hand in a powerful grip. ‘I have heard of you, Captain Davis. All Yugoslavia has heard of you.’
‘That’s very complimentary,’ Tony said. ‘I can’t imagine why.’ He felt distinctly inferior at that moment. His beard now stretched down to his chest, and his clothes were in tatters. Tito was both clean-shaven and well-dressed.
‘Because of your attack upon Pavelic’s thugs.’
‘You know Pavelic?’
‘We have met. The next time we do, I will kill him.’
‘Me too,’ Sandrine said.
She stood beside Tony, looking hardly less bedraggled.
‘You are the French journalist,’ Tito said.
‘Yes. Am I famous too?’
Tito grinned. ‘Indeed. How do you know Pavelic?’
‘He raped me.’
‘I see. Well, we will have to find somewhere for you to live for the time being.’
‘I will stay here.’
‘There are no women in this camp.’
‘Then I will be unique. I am unique.’
Tito looked at Tony.
‘She can fight as well as any man,’ Tony said.
‘Perhaps. But a woman—’
‘I am not a woman,’ Sandrine pointed out. ‘I am his woman.’
Again Tito looked at Tony.
‘I will be responsible for her,’ Tony said. ‘She has suffered a great deal, and she has killed Germans. I cannot let her go off by herself.’
Tito considered, then shrugged. ‘If she stays, she is, as you say, Captain, your responsibility. But also, if she stays, she will be regarded as a man. If we suffer, she suffers. If we are overrun, she fights or dies like the rest of us. I cannot, and will not, spare one man to protect her.’
‘I do not need protecting,’ Sandrine said. ‘Just leave me my tommy-gun.’
Tito gave a brief smile. ‘You are welcome to it. Captain Dravic, will you issue Mademoiselle Fouquet with a tent.’ He glanced at Tony. ‘For two. And a ration card. Captain Davis, I wish to talk with you.’
Sandrine looked at Tony, who gave her a quick nod and a reassuring smile. She followed the captain out of the tent, and Tito gestured Tony to one of the folding camp chairs, then seated himself. An orderly poured them both coffee, while Tony took in his surroundings: secretaries were seated at desks within the tent, apparently busy; orderlies hurried to and fro; there was even a small hand-operated printing press, clacking away as it turned out reams of paper. Tony had to suppose this was mostly Communist propaganda.
‘You are from the embassy in Belgrade,’ Tito said.
‘That is correct. Unfortunately, I was not at the embassy when they received orders to pull out.’
‘So you have been operating on your own. Carrying on a one-man war against the Germans.’
‘That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Colonel Broz. I did take on Pavelic and his thugs, but that was to save my own skin. And those of my companions.’
‘Have you been able to contact your erstwhile comrades?’
‘I haven’t had the means. I imagine I’m on the “missing, presumed dead” list.’
‘We must try to remind them that you are still alive.’
‘Can you do this?’
‘I think so. We are in radio contact with Alexandria. I will inform them that we have found you.’
Tony remembered how Mihailovic had refused to use his radio for fear of giving away his position. But obviously a great deal had happened in the two and a half months since he had last seen Mihailovic. ‘Is it important? To you?’
‘Yes, Captain. It is important to me, and my people. I understand that it is impossible for us to receive any physical help from your people at this moment, at least not until Greece has been regained—’
‘Say again?’ Tony interrupted. ‘Are you telling me that Greece has been lost?’
‘Did you not know? Your British troops have been driven out and Greece has surrende
red. The entire Balkans are now under Nazi control. You have also been defeated in North Africa, and there is even talk that Cairo may be indefensible. Things are very bad.’
‘So it seems,’ Tony agreed. ‘But surely the Russians—’
‘According to the German reports, the Soviet army lost well over a million men in the first week of the campaign, and casualties are continuing at a frightening rate. The Germans are confidently predicting that they will have Moscow well before the coming of winter.’
‘Surely that is all propaganda.’
‘It may be. However, the German claims are not at this time being denied by the Soviet government, at least as regards casualties. The only good thing that has come out of it is that your government seems prepared to help the Soviets.’
‘Yes,’ Tony said drily.
Tito grinned. ‘You do not approve of them. Of Communism.’
‘It is not my idea of what’s best for the world, Colonel Broz. But, like my government, I am prepared to help anybody who will fight the Nazis.’
‘Then there is no cause for a quarrel between us. I can use a man like you, Captain Davis. Svetovar Kostic tells me that you served in France.’
‘Briefly. I was wounded in May last year.’
‘Still, you have served. Too many of our people have not seen combat. And your credentials are enhanced by the way you took on Pavelic. I will put you on my staff. But more importantly, when we contact your people, you will tell them that we need their help. As I was saying just now, I understand that they cannot help us with men, but they can fly in munitions and arms, surely.’
‘If they have any to spare,’ Tony said. ‘Their first business must be to defend Egypt and the Canal. After England, of course. And it appears that any surplus will be needed in Russia.’
‘We will not ask for very much. We have a good opportunity here, to strike some hard blows at the Axis. The Germans attacked us with overwhelming force, and we were not well led—’
‘And not all of your people were prepared to fight,’ Tony could not help interjecting.
‘That is true,’ Tito agreed equably. ‘This is not yet a nation, Captain. Perhaps this war will help to make it so. But as I was saying, having overwhelmed us with the greatest ease, the Germans now seem to regard us as a cowed and beaten people. And of course, they need most of their strength to deal with Russia. Thus the great majority of the army that invaded us has been withdrawn. We have a splendid opportunity for doing them much harm. But to do that, we need modern weapons, and ammunition. Will you help us to obtain these things?’
‘Certainly,’ Tony said. ‘But there are a couple of points to be taken into consideration.’
‘Yes?’
‘Firstly, it would be more correct, and more likely to be responded to by London, if the appeal were made on the instructions of General Mihailovic.’
Tito frowned. ‘Why?’
‘Well . . . he is the ranking Yugoslav officer still in the field, is he not? In fact, he regards himself as the de facto government of Yugoslavia at the moment. Or has that too changed? What has happened to King Peter?’
‘He escaped the country, and I believe is in England.’
‘Then no doubt he has formed some sort of government-in-exile.’
‘I imagine he has,’ Tito said without great interest. ‘It can have little effect on us here.’
‘Then Mihailovic is right when he claims to be the state, here in Yugoslavia.’
‘There are many people who would dispute that,’ Tito said. ‘It all depends on how he intends to lead. Thus far he has done very little.’
Tony nodded. ‘I assume he is trying to maximise his forces.’
Tito snorted. ‘That is nonsense. A guerilla war, which is what we must fight, is best carried out by small but dedicated groups. They attract less attention, can coalesce and then separate at will, and if they meet with disaster, it does not involve the whole movement. Believe me, Captain, I have experience of this.’
Tony raised his eyebrows. ‘You have fought in a war?’
Tito gave a shout of laughter. ‘Hasn’t everyone? I began my military career in the Austrian army, in 1914. Croatia was governed by Austria then. I fought against the Russians, would you believe it? But that was Tsarist Russia. They were even worse led than were we. But by their very numbers they gained some victories. In one of those I was taken prisoner. I spent some years in a Russian prison camp. That, my friend, is not an experience you ever wish to suffer. I was still there in November 1917. The Bolsheviks let us out, but there was nowhere to go. So I joined the Revolution. It was that or starve, eh? Besides, I had read some of Lenin’s work – it was freely distributed in our camp – and I understood that his was the way of the future. The only way.’
‘It’s a point of view,’ Tony murmured.
Tito did not take offence. Instead he grinned. ‘One with which you do not agree. It is something we must argue, when we have the time.’
‘And that was your war.’
‘That was only the beginning. I fought in the Great Civil War – now that was a war. I must have pleased my employers, because then I was sent back here to organise the Yugoslav Communist Party.’
‘And got yourself outlawed.’
‘That would have happened anyway, given the characters of men like King Alexander and Prince Paul.’
‘You approve of Alexander’s assassination?’
Tito shrugged. ‘Perhaps that too was inevitable. I do not approve of the men who did it, who would have us submit to rule by Fascist Italy. But there was nothing I could do about it, save keep the party in being as best I could, and wait. I knew my time would come. So did Moscow. But they wanted me to keep my hand in. So they sent me off to another war. I fought for the Republicans in Spain.’
‘And got beaten.’
‘The odds were too great on Franco’s side. He had half a million Italian soldiers fighting for him. We had the International Brigade. Do not misunderstand me. They were brave men. Many of them were British. They fought well. But they were idealists, not professional soldiers. And they were too few. So we were beaten. Now I am being given the opportunity to fight Fascism again. This time we will not be beaten.’
‘Despite German claims?’
Tito grinned. ‘Despite.’
‘And you will begin with an attack on Uzice? It is important to act very quickly.’
‘In the hopes that the Kostic woman may still be alive? If she is not, we can at least avenge her.’
Tony swallowed. However well known she might have become, Elena was obviously just a name, and a statistic, to this man. It was even possible that he might welcome her death, as providing him with a martyr.
‘She is a very close friend,’ he said.
Tito raised his eyebrows.
‘We were engaged to be married,’ Tony explained.
‘You said the Frenchwoman was your woman,’ Tito pointed out.
‘Situations change. Especially when you are a group on the run, seeking what shelter you can find.’
Tito stroked his chin.
‘The point is,’ Tony went on, ‘Elena sacrificed herself because she believes she is still my fiancée. I cannot let her down.’
‘I wonder if you are not something of a scoundrel, Captain Davis,’ Tito mused. ‘But also a brave man. And, I suspect, a ruthless one. Those are all qualities I can use. I would like you to fight with us.’ He gave Tony a quick grin. ‘I will not even thrust Communism down your throat. But there are rules you must obey. Only two.’
Tony waited.
‘The first is that if you join my command, you place yourself under my orders, totally and without exception.’ Another quick grin. ‘I promise you that I will accept your advice, where it is relevant, and even bow to your superior military training . . . where it is relevant.’
‘I accept that,’ Tony said.
‘The second rule is that your relationship with these women you have accumulated must be an entirely perso
nal matter. I am already breaking one of my own rules by permitting the Frenchwoman to remain and to share your tent. I am doing this because I am beginning to realise that it is not possible to keep a force like this in being without some access to feminine companionship. Your Frenchwoman will be a test case, eh? You tell me this woman can fight with men. I look forward to seeing her do this. Women, if they can fight, may well prove to be a valuable recruiting base. But as I have said, they must take their chances and share the hardships. However, in this test case, I must warn you: should your friend reveal the slightest indication of promiscuity, she will be expelled. Do you understand this?’
‘Yes,’ Tony said. ‘And if she is subjected to promiscuity she does not wish?’
‘You will report any such incident to me, and I will deal with it.’
‘That is fair enough.’
‘Equally, however, supposing we manage to regain Miss Kostic, it will be your business to arrange your private life in an acceptable manner. By that I mean that it will not be acceptable for you to share your tent with two women. One of them will have to go, either away from my group, or into the tent of another man in my group. Do you understand this?’
Tony swallowed. But that was a bridge he would have to cross when he came to it. ‘I understand.’
‘Very good. Now, I understand how anxious you are to attack Uzice. I am equally anxious. However, Uzice is a sizeable town and is strongly occupied by the Germans, not to mention units of the Ustase – and of course, that Gestapo detachment you overheard mentioned. It is not a place we can simply walk into, shoot up, extract Miss Kostic, and leave again. It will take careful planning, and as many men as we can muster. I will send some of my people to infiltrate the town and bring us back some positive information as to the situation there.’
‘That is brilliant,’ Tony said. ‘But isn’t it very dangerous?’
‘So is fighting a war. I have also sent a message to General Mihailovic, inviting him to a meeting so that we may unite our forces for this operation.’
‘Will he come? My impression was that he is hostile to both Croats and Communists.’
‘He will come. Only about half of my people are Croats, and only about half are Communists. But I command several hundred men.’ A grin. ‘And one woman, to be sure. This is a sizeable force. United with Mihailovic’s command, we can call ourselves an army. This is an opportunity for success, and glory, and international recognition; he will be unable to resist.’
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