The Codebreakers

by Alli Sinclair

  ‘I want you to know I’m not one to rush down the aisle and I don’t want you to worry it’s because I don’t want to marry you. I do. One day. But I can’t do this until the world is at peace, when there’s no more killing, no more hate, no more uncertainty.’

  Ellie took a moment to process his words. ‘One day?’

  ‘Absolutely one day. When it happens, it will be because we’re ready, not because war has hurried us along.’ He gently put his finger under her chin, his eyes searching hers. ‘Is that all right, Ellie? Can we wait?’

  His heartfelt words wrapped around her, confirming what she’d known about herself all along. ‘I don’t want to rush like Maude and Louis. I love what we have and your love gives me the hope I need. Besides,’ she rested her head on his shoulder, ‘I never thought I was the marrying kind. Until I met you, that is.’

  Harry kissed her. ‘Just as well we found each other.’

  ‘Indeed.’ Ellie closed her eyes and committed to memory this feeling of being cocooned in love.

  ‘Well, hello there!’

  Ellie looked up to find Lillian hanging off the arm of Corporal Sam Wesley.

  ‘Ellie!’ Lillian gave her a hug. ‘If I’d known you were coming here Sam could have given you a ride.’

  ‘Hello, Ellie.’ Sam reached out and shook Harry’s hand. ‘I’m Corporal Sam Wesley. Nice to meet you.’

  ‘I’m Flight Lieutenant Harry Kinsman. Good to meet you, too.’

  ‘And I’m Lillian Carter.’ She looked up at Harry. ‘You are tall, aren’t you?’

  ‘Everyone’s tall to you.’ Sam laughed.

  Lillian feigned a glare. ‘Watch it, mister.’

  ‘How do you know Ellie?’ asked Harry.

  ‘Oh, you know …’ Lillian said.

  ‘No, I don’t, that’s why I’m asking,’ Harry joked.

  ‘We work together. We also sleep in the same hut at the barracks.’ Lillian didn’t seem to think stating this was a problem. As long as they didn’t divulge anything about Central Bureau, they would be fine. So why did Ellie feel so nervous?

  ‘You’re a secretary too?’ asked Harry.

  ‘You cannot believe how much paperwork there is.’ Lillian didn’t miss a beat. ‘And it’s rarely interesting. Just the same old thing, day in day out.’

  Harry said, ‘Ellie doesn’t talk about work much.’

  ‘We just do our bit for the war effort,’ Ellie interjected.

  ‘What do you do, Sam?’ asked Harry.

  ‘I’m a corporal in signals.’

  ‘Signals, eh? How do you like it?’

  ‘It keeps me out of trouble.’ He put his arm around Lillian. ‘Every spare minute I have I spend with my girl.’

  Lillian rolled her eyes. ‘He’s such a romantic.’

  ‘And you love it,’ said Ellie.

  ‘I most certainly do.’ Lillian turned to Sam. ‘How about you give me that dance you promised?’

  They waved goodbye and trotted towards the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd.

  ‘They seem like a nice couple,’ Harry said.

  ‘They’re definitely well suited.’

  ‘I haven’t heard you mention Lillian before, yet you’re in the same hut?’

  ‘I guess you and I just talk about other things.’

  Although Ellie had become accustomed to covering her tracks for work, she felt like she was deceiving Harry in some way. How could she move past this? The closer she got to Harry, the more he wanted to know about her life—past and present, work and play. She didn’t want to keep him at arm’s length, yet she couldn’t risk accidentally saying something she shouldn’t. There was a definite line in the sand, and she was petrified she’d overbalance and fall right across it. Jail was not a place she wanted to end up and the last thing she wanted to do was put her country’s safety in jeopardy.

  ‘Here.’ Harry reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded into the shape of a flower. He handed it to her.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Open it.’

  Ellie slowly unfolded the letter and read the neatly written words:

  From the first moment we met, I only had eyes for you. The stars were brighter, the moon more radiant. The birdsong prettier and the days happier.

  You mean the world to me, Ellie.

  With all my love,

  Harry

  Ellie read the words again. Then once more. She looked up. Harry’s expectant look melted her heart. ‘That is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me.’

  ‘I promised I would write, no matter what.’

  She shook her head. ‘I meant write when you’re away.’

  ‘Whether I’m with you here or miles away, I will write—that’s my promise from now on and I’m a man of my word.’

  Ellie looked into his eyes and said quietly, ‘Mr Kinsman, I would very much like to kiss you.’

  ‘Miss O’Sullivan, I would very much like that.’

  Ellie leaned in. He was so deliciously close. Her body tingled with anticipation.

  ‘Enough of that, you two.’

  Ellie and Harry broke apart. An Australian digger had his arm around a GI and a Dutch soldier stood next to them, swaying to the left then right. Their grins were of men who had downed a few beers too many.

  Harry shook hands with the Australian. ‘It’s been a while, Patrick. How are you doing?’

  ‘Great,’ he slurred then slapped the GI on the back. ‘This here is my mate, Sergeant Leonard Cooper. He’s from the United States of America. And this is Aart Visser, a Dutchman who isn’t flying.’

  ‘I am no ghost ship,’ said Aart with a thick accent.

  Harry laughed and took Ellie’s hand. ‘This is the beautiful, intelligent and kind-hearted Elanora O’Sullivan, the woman who has captured my heart.’

  Heat rushed across Ellie’s face. She knew how Harry felt but for him to say it with such confidence in front of other men endeared him to her even more. He was a man she could love forever. Oh hell, she already did.

  Leonard, who didn’t appear to have had as much to drink as Patrick, reached out and shook Harry’s hand. He nodded politely at Ellie. ‘It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.’

  ‘You can call me Ellie.’

  ‘Ellie, it is a pleasure,’ said Leonard.

  ‘It is my pleasure, too.’ Aart gave a curt nod and broke into a friendly grin.

  Ellie sat and the men followed suit. Patrick slumped in the chair next to Ellie, his eyes half closed.

  ‘How do you like Brisbane?’ she asked Aart.

  ‘It is beautiful. I like the weather.’

  ‘Have you been here long?’

  ‘Six months,’ Aart said.

  ‘A few months for me.’ Leonard leaned forward.

  ‘Have you found it very different from home?’ she asked.

  ‘I am not used to two seasons,’ said Aart. ‘Humid and dry.’

  ‘It does take some getting used to,’ she said. ‘What about you, Leonard?’

  ‘I’m currently camped at Ascot Racecourse which isn’t exactly The Ritz but it does the job. Before we arrived in Australia the army gave us a handbook on your culture. It’s supposed to help us adapt but I’m not sure if it has.’

  ‘Really?’ she asked.

  Patrick jolted awake. ‘G’arn tell ’em what’s in it, cobber.’

  ‘Slang, for starters.’ Leonard glanced at Patrick who had fallen asleep once more.

  ‘Arvo,’ said Harry.

  Leonard grinned. ‘Afternoon.’

  ‘Sheila,’ Ellie said.

  ‘Means lady,’ said Leonard.

  ‘Wowser,’ Harry said.

  Leonard scratched his head.

  ‘It is what the Americans call a stuffed shirt.’ Aart smiled.

  ‘Did they give you a handbook as well?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘No. I learned from our digger over there who is sleeping like a wombat.’ Aart nudged Patrick with his foot.


  Patrick woke once more and struggled to keep his eyelids open.

  ‘Please excuse me for a moment.’ Leonard got up and walked towards the men’s toilets.

  Patrick fell asleep again and Aart and Harry sipped their beers and watched the dancers.

  ‘Piss off, ya bloody Yank!’

  Ellie looked over to find an Australian soldier shoving a GI in the shoulder.

  The American rolled up his sleeves. ‘Go home to the outback, mate.’

  An Australian naval officer stepped between the two men and placed an arm on each of their chests.

  ‘Come now, gentleman,’ he said loudly. ‘Let’s not spoil this evening with unnecessary fighting. We’re on the same side in this war.’

  ‘They come over here and take what they want—including our women!’ the Aussie yelled. His mates patted him on the back.

  A shorter, rounder Australian aimed an accusatory finger at the cluster of Americans. ‘You lot waltz in here with your money, flashing it around and fooling our women into having sex with you.’

  ‘Hey!’ shouted a busty blonde. ‘Watch your mouth.’

  Another GI stepped in front of the woman and got in the face of the Australian. ‘Apologise.’

  The Aussie raised his eyebrows then looked away.

  ‘Apologise.’ The American’s tone held menace.

  ‘I’ll say what I bloody well please.’ He crossed his arms. ‘You Yanks can’t fight. We know you drop your weapons and run away from the Japs. And’—he was on a roll—‘we don’t segregate our Black soldiers by making them stay south of the Brisbane River!’

  ‘And what about the treatment of Aboriginal people? Your government won’t let them vote or be classified as citizens.’ The American lowered his voice, his gaze steely. ‘Your White Australia policy made it near impossible to let our Black troops into your godforsaken country—and they are fighting on the same side as you. If they’re good enough to die fighting for the Allies, then they’re good enough to be let into your country.’

  Harry stood, his fists clenched. Ellie grabbed his wrist and shook her head.

  ‘Oh yeah?’ The digger shoved his finger under the American’s nose. ‘You lot fornicate with our women in public—you have no decency! Where’s the respect? The women can’t see what you Yanks are, but we can.’

  The blonde woman from earlier planted her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at the Australian. ‘If you think women are that easily fooled then you are the joke.’

  An American naval officer stepped in front of the loudmouthed digger. ‘Apologise to the lady and every other woman in this room.’

  The Australian jutted out his chin. ‘Leave your grimy hands off our women and go and find something else to play with.’ His gaze fell on the officer’s crotch then he looked up at the officer and cocked an eyebrow.

  The American officer pushed the Aussie digger in the shoulder and the Australian naval officer who had tried to break it up earlier got knocked to the floor. More Americans and Aussies joined the melee. Fists connected with faces and stomachs, abusive words filled the air and the orchestra stopped playing. The band leader yelled into the microphone for everyone to come to their senses but the cacophony drowned out his pleas.

  Harry grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘But …’ She stood on tiptoe to try to get a glimpse of Louis and Maude, but the dance floor and surrounds were crowded with men fighting and women trying to pull them away as they screamed at them to stop. Patrick and Aart had already bolted. Leonard was nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Ellie, come on.’ Harry tugged her hand. ‘You don’t want to get caught up in this. Remember the Battle of Brisbane?’

  She looked over the heads of the brawling men. How could this happen again? Hadn’t they learned anything? The Battle of Brisbane had lasted for two days after a couple of Aussie diggers stood up to a US MP when he’d harassed a GI to show his leave pass. The situation had escalated and Americans and Australians had banded together to fight the MPs, with civilians caught up in the fray. When an MP shot and killed an Aussie, five thousand people had joined the riot, causing public areas to be closed and businesses to shut down.

  Ellie looked around one more time. Louis and Maude appeared to be long gone. ‘All right, let’s go.’

  Harry gripped Ellie’s hand as he moved ahead of her, elbowing his way through the jostling bodies. A drunken lad of about seventeen lost balance and landed on Ellie, ripping her from Harry’s grip. She crashed onto all fours on the wooden floor, her hands and knees smarting. Oblivious, the young guy got up and staggered away. Ellie tried to stand but found it impossible with the force of bodies pushing and shoving. A polished shoe with a hard heel landed on her hand and she yelped in pain. Clutching the nearest person she could, she latched on to a bulky bloke and hauled herself up.

  ‘Harry!’ she yelled into the chaotic throng.

  Even if he was nearby, he would never hear her over the shouting.

  A small gap appeared in the crowd and she made a beeline, using her elbows to clear a path. She forced her way over to the double doors where a steady stream of people surged through them. Breaking free of the bottleneck, Ellie bolted down the street, surrounded by men and women fleeing like a pack of hunted roos. Her feet pounded the footpath, her chest tight, her eyes blurry. A girl who couldn’t have been more than sixteen toppled over and Ellie reached out and caught her before she smacked onto the gutter.

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘I’ve lost my brother,’ the girl sobbed, her whole body shaking.

  ‘I’ll get you home safe, don’t worry.’ She gently urged the girl to keep moving. ‘I’m Ellie.’

  ‘Shelagh.’ Her voice cracked.

  Shelagh clung to Ellie as they navigated the dark streets and crossed Victoria Bridge. The crowd thinned and eventually Ellie and Shelagh were far enough away that the shouting and sirens had faded.

  ‘Where do you live?’

  ‘On Young Street.’

  ‘That’s not too far,’ said Ellie.

  Shelagh nodded and they walked in silence. Ellie worried about what had happened to Harry but right now she needed to help this waif of a girl. They turned down Young Street and arrived at a house with a massive jacaranda in the front yard.

  ‘Do you want me to take you in?’ asked Ellie.

  Shelagh shook her head vehemently. ‘My parents think I’m at a friend’s house.’

  ‘But your brother took you to the dance hall?’

  ‘I followed him.’ She gripped a fence paling. ‘He told me to go home but I talked him into letting me stay because I threatened to tell our parents it was his idea to take me there.’ Shelagh held her head in her hands then looked up, fear in her eyes. ‘This is my fault. I shouldn’t have been there.’

  Ellie placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. ‘When you get a lot of men in a room, they often feel the need to compete against each other, especially when they’re trying to impress a woman. Clashes are going to happen. It’s just unfortunate you were there.’

  Shelagh looked towards her house. ‘My parents are going to kill me.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you in? Give you some moral support?’

  Shelagh’s gaze didn’t leave the house. ‘No. I have to do this alone.’

  The young woman’s courage impressed Ellie. ‘Then I wish you much luck.’

  Shelagh gave Ellie a hug then smoothed down her skirt and unlatched the front gate. She took one tentative step onto the garden path, straightened her back and quietly walked towards the front door. Just as she gripped the handle, the door opened and a woman in a dressing gown and hair rollers appeared, bright light streaming down the hall.

  ‘What do you call this hour?’ Shelagh’s mother’s even tone reminded Ellie of her own mother just before she exploded with anger.

  ‘I’m sorry, Mother.’ Shelagh turned to look at Ellie, who stepped out of the shadows. ‘Ellie helped me—’

  �
�In here. Now.’ Her mother directed her daughter inside the house. She levelled a glare at Ellie. ‘Are you responsible for this?’

  ‘I’m responsible for getting your daughter home,’ said Ellie. ‘She’s a good kid.’

  ‘Hmpf.’ The door slammed, leaving Ellie on the street.

  ‘Can I help you?’ A deep voice came from the shadows.

  Ellie turned to find a lanky fellow crossing the road. He had the same oval face and dark eyes as Shelagh.

  ‘Shelagh’s home safe,’ said Ellie.

  ‘You were at the dance?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He looked up at the house and puffed out his cheeks. ‘I should have brought her back as soon as I saw her.’

  ‘Will she be all right? Your mother was really mad.’

  ‘It will be fine. We’ll be fine. Thank you.’ Shelagh’s brother opened the gate and went down the path and up the stairs to the door. He gave a salute then entered the house.

  Ellie let out a sigh and walked in the direction of the nearest taxi rank.

  She hoped Shelagh’s brother was right and they’d be okay. Although their mother was angry, it was nice she cared so much. A slight tinge of envy crept through Ellie. When would she get to visit her parents next?

  Ellie kicked a stone and it pinged against a wooden fence paling.

  A dark shadow raced across her path and her heart skipped a beat. Her muscles tensed. Her eyes quickly took in possible exits from an attacker.

  The black creature whooshed in front of her once more. It raced up a tree and sat on the branch above, staring at her with glittering eyes.

  Ellie let out her breath. ‘Good evening, cat.’

  She moved on, surprised how easily she’d been spooked.

  A taxi drove past and she flagged it down and gave the driver the address of the barracks. She settled against the seat and stared out the window. Worry for Harry, Louis and Maude crowded in on her. Had they made it out? Had they been caught in the fray and arrested? What about Aart, Patrick and Leonard? Maybe she should stop at a phone booth and call Louis, who hopefully had some news. Would he be home, though? Getting in contact with Harry would be impossible unless she went to his barracks. Not only would it be frowned upon, she could get him in trouble by turning up so late. Ellie’s barracks had a much more relaxed attitude with the women coming and going as they pleased.