by Carly Smesh
He spent the day reading, and glancing at his watch. 'I'm acting like a kid on his first date,' he realised. He left instructions at the reception desk to have the Ford washed and polished, before going to his room to change.
He pulled up by her block of flats. The doorway had little labels of the occupant's names, he scanned the list finding her name at the bottom against flat twelve, and pressed the button.
Her voice came over the speaker, "Shaun, the door should be open come on up, I'm at the top."
He heard the click of the door and opened it, entering a wide corridor with plants strategically placed along it. A stairway was to one side, but at the end of the corridor was a lift. He entered it and pressed twelve.
On exiting the lift he found there was only one door with the number twelve on it. He pressed the door bell and the door flew open, revealing Sharon.
She smiled. "Come on in, I'm running a little late and need to finish my makeup," as she drew him into the room. "There's drinks on the cabinet there. You can you make one for yourself, and I'll have what you have," she said leaving him to go into another room.
It was a large lounge with a mixture of traditional Egyptian and European furniture that all seemed to match. A large cream coloured settee and two matching armchairs surrounded a low, brass coffee table of Egyptian design. One wall contained bookshelves that were crammed with books. In another corner stood a modern radio with a record player to one side, underneath were piles of records. He found the drinks cabinet and was surprised to find Vodka amongst the wide selection of drinks available. In the small fridge at the side of it he found the tonics and an ice bucket. He poured out two and took them over to the coffee table, leaving hers on it, he took his over to the book shelves.
The books covered a multitude of subjects. Some were written in Hebrew, others in Arabic whilst he noticed German and French titles amongst them. Shaun was slightly amazed at the sheer volume of the books on display.
"Most of them are Daddy's." A voice said behind him. He turned and she was standing there beside the coffee table. She was wearing a pale blue sheath cocktail dress with a halter neck, she wore no jewellery except for gold studs in her ears. Her hair had a black velvet band to hold it in place behind her head. Her eyes had a sparkle in them as she looked at him,
"So do you approve? Do I pass inspection, Sir?" she asked with a chuckle.
He smiled, "An outstanding turnout sailor." And they both laughed.
They moved to the settee and sat down. "I hope you like vodka, but you did say you would have what I had."
"No its fine, it's what I drink in any case. Daddy manages to get a few cases of it from his connections."
"So your father lives here with you?"
She smiled "It's really Daddy's flat, and I live with him. But for the last month he's been sleeping at headquarters, what with all the preparations ready for the offensive."
"Do you get to see much of him then?"
"Oh yes, in fact I had lunch with him today. Amongst other things, we talked about you, or I should say the raid."
Shaun's eyebrows lifted, "Oh, I trust you defended me, I'm really quite nice once you get to know me."
She laughed, "You fool, and Daddy was quite impressed at the way you did it. He had the full report on the mission."
"Well that's all history now," he murmured.
"I don't think so, he wants to talk to you about it, along with Bobby, Bill and Tim. You'll be getting an invitation to see him in a day or so."
"Oh I wonder what about," he murmured.
"Well wait and see, I don't know about you but I'm starving," she said with a chuckle.
The restaurant was at Giza set back from the road, it took Shaun forty minutes navigating his way through the busy streets to reach it. They had to climb stairs to reach the entrance of the restaurant which was situated at the top of the building. Part of it opened up to the outside with awnings to protect from the sunlight, a small dance floor was situated at one end where a four piece combo were playing.
Sharon asked the headwaiter for a table outside near to the dance floor, he smiled and directed them both to their table, presenting the menus at the same time. He asked if they would like something to drink. Shaun nodded and was presented with the drinks book.
After studying it, he selected a vintage Champagne. "As it's a special evening I think that would be appropriate," he said to the wine waiter.
Sharon looked surprised at him, "What's so special about it?"
He smiled at her, "I've spent five months being eaten alive by flies, having sand in my food and drink and the sun trying to fry my brains. Tonight I'm having a cooked meal with a beautiful girl. I'd call that special, wouldn't you?"
Sharon looked deep into his eyes, "Put like that, yes. Thank you."
She was right about the steaks, they were delicious. Sharon refused a sweet so he ordered coffee and brandy instead. She accepted a cigarette and he lit it for her. "Tell me Shaun, do you have a girl waiting back home?"
He shook his head, "No, this war has taken up most of my free time, in any case it's not wise to get involved with the job we do. What about you?"
Her eyes fell to the table, "There was a boy; we were young and thought nothing could come between us. But we overlooked death. He was killed flying over Malta. I swore I'd never become involved again until this war ended."
He led her onto the dance floor, the combo were playing a Vera Lynn tune 'We'll meet again'. She slipped into his arms, feeling the hardness of his shoulder muscles. She'd noticed his rather muscular body at the pool, the desert had a way of bleaching off surplus fat she knew. In her high heel she was almost as tall as him. An electric shock passed down her spine as she rested her head against his.
They danced to the music of the combo, each locked in their own thoughts.
At the end of the evening he said goodnight at the doorway to the flats. She looked up at him, "Shaun, I've enjoyed our meetings, perhaps a little too much. I don't think we should see so much of each other."
His eyes betrayed his feelings "Sharon I've enjoyed your company, more than you will ever know. Okay I may be killed next week but that doesn't mean I should stop living because it may happen. Rather, I'd like to enjoy what life has to offer right now, but if that is your wish, then so be it."
Her eyes were glassy with suppressed tears, "Please be patient with me, I have a lot to think about."
She lifted up on tiptoe and kissed him on his lips. Then opened the door and was gone.
He drove back to the hotel still feeling her lips on his.
Chapter 13
They found the order at reception the following day. Report to Captain Silverman's office at headquarters at 11am that day.
The four officers presented themselves to the Wren secretary, who made a phone call then indicated for them to go through the door with the sign Captain Silverman on it.
The four walked in and came to attention in front of the desk with their hats under their arms.
Captain Silverman was not in uniform, wearing grey slacks with an open neck shirt. He appeared to be around his mid-forties with a head of silver white hair. His face was lean with skin deeply tanned from the sun. He wore horn-rimmed spectacles, his gaze making you were aware of being in the presence of a very intelligent person.
He looked and smiled, "Be at ease gentleman and grab yourselves a chair," he remarked pleasantly.
Once they were seated he began. "You must be wondering why I called for this meeting, by the way you can smoke if you wish. I've read the report of the raid that destroyed the Axis aircraft. But what I'm interested in, is the reasons for the various actions you used before, during and after the raid, which is not in the report. I understand that you, Captain Ramage, conducted a reconnaissance of the airbase with your patrol. Based on that reconnaissance you based your plan of attack."
Shaun nodded "Yes Sir."
"Would you mind explaining the reason for your plans?"
Sha
un took a deep breath before beginning. "First of all, owing to the distance to target, a route had to be found that allowed a reasonable chance of not being discovered by the enemy. Secondly, we needed to establish the base's routine, in regards to guard changes, aircraft flights. Also enemy gun emplacements, radio office, and barracks."
Shaun glanced at his cohorts, "We spent forty-eight hours checking these aspects out. Thirdly, our escape plan once the mission was completed had to be planned. It seemed obvious to me that if we tried to escape immediately after the attack we would be discovered due to the open terrain. Therefore, I decided that we needed a place to hole up until the heat was off, so to speak. We located a spot further west at Wadi Al-Kuf. A cave we could put the trucks in, and fortunately it contained a source of water. I decided that this would be ideal for creating a cache prior to the attack. When we were sure after nine days the enemy had lost interest in us we returned to base."
The captain had been making notes as Shaun spoke. He looked up and smiled, "Thank you Captain. Would you say your equipment was adequate for the mission?"
Shaun looked at the others and frowned. "The equipment we used was what we always use, with the exception of the Browning .50 calibre machine guns. We had three of those on three of the trucks. The .50 Cal Armour Piercing Incendiary rounds were probably the reason for the success in that it pierced the fuel tanks of the aircraft, and the incendiary ignited the fuel."
"Had you been issued with them?" The Captain asked.
Shaun's face went red, "No... not exactly, Sir. We tend to find things that help us do the job."
The Captain chuckled, "So I am led to understand. The reason for my questions is that the SAS have carried out similar raids against aircraft, but use bombs to do the job. But that takes time and increases the chances of discovery. According to your report, your action took twenty-five minutes to destroy 76 aircraft. That was a bold move to use your guns to destroy them. What prompted that decision?"
"I'd have to say the surprise element, Sir, and that the guards were Italian. It may have had a different outcome if they had been German." Shaun replied.
The Captain sat back in his chair and smiled at them, "Thank you gentlemen, I expect you all could use a drink round about now." He rose to his feet and made his way to a cabinet. "I have scotch, gin or vodka, what will it be?"
Once they were back in their chairs with a glass in their hands, the Captain continued, "What I'm about to tell you is top secret. I'm empowered to create a special unit to carry out raids on Axis instillations and transport. This unit would not be engaged in road watching, rather it will be engaged in taking direct action against the enemy. The unit will be fairly small initially until it has proved its worth. All the members must be volunteers. I don't have to tell you that the work will be hazardous. You gentlemen, due to the success of the raid you carried out, and the manner in which you performed that raid, make you obviously suited for the job. I realise that you would have to talk to the other members of your patrols if you are interested in joining this unit."
Shaun looked at the others, trying to gauge their reaction to what the Captain had just said. "I can only speak for myself, Sir, but I would be interested, but I would need to speak to the other members of my patrol."
Bobby spoke up, "Like Shaun, I would be interested, but would need to speak to my blokes too, Sir."
Tim and Bill followed saying the same thing.
Captain Silverman smiled, "Your commanding officer, Captain Frazer, said you would be interested in joining. By the way Lieutenant Dole, your promotion to Captain has been approved, congratulations. Well gentlemen, speak to your patrols and let Captain Frazer know the outcome. We will speak further once we know the score. Thank you all for coming today."
With that the meeting ended and they filed out.
Back in the hotel bar, they discussed it amongst themselves. All were of the opinion that the job would be more exciting than the dreary road watching duty.
Chapter 14
Two days later, Shaun had a message from reception. A Miss Silverman would be at the hotel that evening at eight and wondered if he would join her for a drink.
She was wearing a yellow summer dress with a cardigan hanging on her shoulders when she walked through the doors. Happy to see her again, he led her to a table in the corner of the bar and ordered vodka and tonics for both of them.
He sat still, lighting a cigarette as he waited for her to speak. He could see she was wrestling with what she had to say.
Finally she spoke, "Shaun, I know you must be wondering why I wanted to see you tonight, especially after what I said the last time we met." She took a deep breath before continuing, "You see, I work for my father in his office, so I'm aware of what he has in mind for you and the others. I know the missions you may have to carry out will be extremely dangerous. Shaun, I couldn't go through the heartache I went through with Peter's death again. That's why I said what I said. It would be very easy for me to fall in love with you, but I know I mustn't."
Shaun just looked at her for a few seconds before replying. "Sharon, I know I am in love with you, and I've never said that to any girl before. Death is always on the cards during a war, it comes with the territory. But we can't keep thinking about it, otherwise we would have no future to think of, and I would like to have a future with you Sharon."
Her face crumbled, "Shaun, you are making this difficult for me. I'm desperately trying not to become involved."
He reached over and took her hand, "Sharon, you became involved when you kissed me."
A tear formed in her eye as she squeezed his hand, "I know I did... I was foolish. I have to leave in a moment, I'm meeting Daddy for dinner." She rose up from her chair gathering her handbag.
He walked around the table and took her in his arms and kissed her, he held it for a moment before breaking the contact. She stood there with her eyes closed as a shiver passed through her, "I think it's too late for the both of us," he murmured softly.
She looked at him and gave a little nod. He followed her outside and kissed her again as her taxi arrived.
Chapter 15
Bobby was in the lounge chatting to some infantry officers when he returned inside the hotel.
He beckoned Shaun over to join them and quickly introduced them. They both had dressings on their arms or legs. It seemed they had been wounded and shipped back to the hospital, but due to the numbers arriving for treatment, they had been assigned to stay here at the hotel and report to the hospital to have their dressings changed.
"These chaps were saying we have pushed the enemy back all along the front and that they're in full retreat."
Shaun nodded at the information, "But I wonder what Rommel intends to do about it, he normally has a trick up his sleeve."
They all sat down and Bobby ordered drinks. It seemed that according to the officers, it had not all been smooth sailing for the Allies. "Their 88mm guns are murder on our tanks, our chaps can't get to them with the guns they have. They have to wait for artillery support or the RAF to clean them out."
They talked for a further half hour before leaving. Bobby told him Tim and Bill were out on a date, it seemed Carol, Bobby's girl, was on duty that night. "I'll see her tomorrow night to say goodbye, and then it's back to the bloody sand-fly. How about you Shaun, how's it working out with you and Sharon?"
Shaun hesitated, "It's early days yet Bobby." He said in a noncommittal voice.
After dinner, he went upstairs and began to pack his valise and have an early night.
As he was leaving the dining room after breakfast, a lobby boy waylaid him with a message. It was from Sharon, she wanted him to ring her at the number she had given.
"Second Officer Silverman, how can I help you?" The voice at the end of the telephone answered. "Hello Sharon, I'm returning your message, it's Shaun..."
There was a moment's hesitation, "Hello Shaun, I...I wondered, as it's your last night of leave, if you would like to have dinner with me a
t the flat?
"What are you cooking?" he asked in a jocular voice.
"I thought pasta, but if you would like something else..?"
"I love pasta, especially when the chief is a raven haired beauty," He could hear her chuckling on the other end of the line.
"Pasta it is then, say 8:30? I'm on duty until 6:30."
"Sounds just fine, I'll bring the wine, until 8:30 then." He heard the connection switch off.
***
The door to the flat was open as he stepped out of the lift. On entering the lounge, he noticed her uniform coat thrown over an armchair along with her hat and handbag.
"Make a drink, I'll have one too," A voice cried out from the kitchen, "I didn't get away until 7:30 so I'm running very late... sorry."
He poured out the drinks and took hers into the kitchen. She was in the process of putting the pasta into a steaming sauce pan, alongside other pans that were on the stove. The heat in the kitchen hit him as you walked in. Sharon was still in her uniform skirt and blouse, her hair still in a rigid bun, though a few strands had escaped and were falling across her face. Perspiration covered her forehead.
"Don't look at me Shaun, I look a mess... I wanted so much to be ready for you tonight. This bloody war."
He gently took her into his arms, moving the strands of hair away from her face. "You look stunning," he whispered and gently kissed her. "Now, is there anything I can do to help? I have a boy scout badge that says I can cook."
She looked at him, "Well you can keep an eye on the sauce, stir it now and again but don't let it boil. I'll go and have a shower and be back in thirty minutes."
Shaun opened the window to let the steam out, keeping an eye on the cooking.
She was back in twenty-five minutes wearing a black skirt with a white blouse, her hair brushed out and hanging behind her back. "I've put out the cutlery and odds and sods, can you lay the table please."
He grinned "Yes Marm."
They ate by candle light, her eyes reflecting the candles glow, "How's the pasta?"
"I've cleared my plate, does that give you a clue?" he smiled.