Night Falls on Norway

by CW Browning

  Reaching the trees, she paused and turned to take one last look at the car, pulled to the side of the road.

  “It looks so forlorn, doesn’t it?” Anna asked beside her, following her gaze. “Almost as if we’re abandoning it.”

  “Do you think I’ll ever see it again?” Peder asked, pausing and looking back with them.

  “Perhaps.” Evelyn looked at him and her lips curved. “If anyone tries to take it, they’ll quickly realize why it was left there.”

  “Perhaps it will still be there when you can return with a mechanic,” Anna agreed.

  He nodded and turned to follow the soldiers into the woods. “Perhaps.”

  Evelyn followed, stepping into the trees. As she went deeper into the forest, following the others, she couldn’t help but wonder if she wasn’t now putting nine more innocent people in danger simply by being here. Anna and Peder were the only ones who knew and understood the true danger if Evelyn were to be caught. The others had no idea that they were assisting a woman who was on the SD’s radar. If they did, she doubted they would have been so quick to agree to help them. Erik, especially, would be horrified to think that he had aided a British spy who had put his sister’s life in danger. Yet she had no other choice. She had to find a way out of Norway.

  And she needed them to help her do it.

  Knutshø

  Eisenjager left the small shop behind the petrol pump and walked to his car parked near the edge of the road. The black Volvo had stopped to refuel a few hours before. After a nice chat with the woman behind the counter, he learned that two women and a young man were in the car. One of the women had gone into the shop to pay for the petrol while the other had got behind the wheel. The man, who had been driving when they arrived, stayed in the back seat. The woman seemed to be of the opinion that he was ill because he was hunched in the seat and remained that way even when the car pulled back onto the road.

  Eisenjager didn’t care if the man was ill. What he cared about was that the shop owner had described Jian perfectly. He was on the right road, and they were only a few hours ahead of him.

  Sliding behind the wheel, he started the engine and pulled onto the road, accelerating. The woman had known about the invasion taking place. She had asked him if he had seen anything on the roads and whether or not she should close her shop. It never once occurred to her that he might be German himself. She had accepted his polite explanation that he was Danish, traveling through Norway and separated from his companions. His accent was nothing like a Danish accent, but she hadn’t seemed to notice. Funny how people found it easier to accept a lie than to question a small thing like a strange accent.

  He waited until he passed through the small town and was back in the countryside before pulling the car to the edge of the road and shutting off the engine. Getting out, he walked to the back and lifted the storage compartment, pulling out a deep, square case. He carried it around to the passenger side and got back in, holding the case on his lap. Lifting the lid to reveal a radio, he pulled out a wire with a special adapter on the end and leaned over to pull the cigarette lighter out of the dash. Inserting the adapter into the lighter opening, he turned the key to restart the engine. As the engine came to life, so did the radio in his lap.

  Eisenjager straightened up and lifted out the paddle to begin transmitting a code to the SS unit that had already landed at Trondheim. According to the woman at the filling station, the black Volvo had been going north. The woman who paid for the petrol mentioned trying to reach Trondheim. She obviously had no idea that the Germans had taken it this morning, along with all the other main ports along the western seaboard of Norway. That was all to his own advantage. He had plenty of time to alert the Gestapo and the SD in Trondheim while he pursued them from the south. Once the SD were notified of a British agent trying to escape the invasion, they would work with the SS to ensure that the trio didn’t make it past Trondheim.

  And then he would capture the English spy known as Jian.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ––––––––

  London

  5pm

  The hard soles of Bill’s shoes echoed along the corridor in a rapid tattoo as he hurried towards the radio room. Evelyn had finally managed to make contact. They had rung his office just moments before, as he was preparing to go out and grab a bite to eat. Thank God they caught him before he left. After waiting all day, he would have been very annoyed indeed if he had missed her.

  “Where is it?” he asked, striding into the small radio room unceremoniously.

  “Here, sir.” A young man turned, removing his headset and holding out a piece of paper. “I just finished decoding it.”

  “Thank you.”

  He took the message and scanned it quickly.

  AM IN THE MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF TRONDHEIM WITH ANNA AND NORWEGIAN SOLDIERS SEPARATED FROM THEIR UNITS. GERMANS HAVE TAKEN TRONDHEIM AND ARE ADVANCING THROUGHOUT NORWAY. WON’T MAKE SWEDISH BORDER. AWAITING INSTRUCTION - JIAN.

  Relief flooded through him. She was still safe, at least for now. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, then looked at the young man who had handed him the message.

  “Can I have some paper?” he asked. “I’ll write out a return message.”

  He nodded and passed him a notepad and pencil. Bill took it and moved a few feet away to an empty station. Seating himself, he quickly composed a reply instructing her to stay where she was, glancing at his watch when he was almost finished. He added another line telling her to try to make contact again in two hours, then got up and took it over to the radio operator.

  “Send that immediately, please. How long are you manning this station?”

  “Until midnight, sir.”

  “Good. I’ll be expecting another message in about two hours. As soon as it comes in, I’ll have another message to send. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir. Will you be in the building or shall I call you at home?”

  “What? Oh no. I’ll be in my office.” He started to turn away, then changed his mind. “Actually, I’ll wait to see if there’s an immediate reply.”

  The young man nodded and put on his headset, turning to the radio before him. He set the message Bill had written out on a clipboard and proceeded to tap out the code.

  Bill watched him, his lips pressed together. It was just plain bad luck that Evelyn was caught in Norway right now, but it did drive home to him the need to get her fully trained on sending radio transmissions back to London and, more importantly, using the code process that they had in place for agents overseas. The basic code she was using now was sufficient enough to get the job done, but it was far from secure. If the Germans knew what to look for, they would break it in no time.

  He just had to hope and pray they weren’t listening for outgoing transmissions yet.

  “It’s done, sir.”

  Bill nodded and waited. When ten minutes had passed with no reply, he laid a light hand on the man’s shoulder.

  “Thank you. Let me know as soon as the message comes in later.”

  He nodded and Bill turned to leave the small room. He started down the corridor, then slowed as he changed his mind. Turning, he went in the opposite direction until he reached the stairs. He ran up them lightly, pulling out his identification for the guard at the top.

  “Evening, Mr. Buckley,” the man said, glancing cursorily at the offered ID. “Are you getting ready to leave for the day, sir?”

  “Hardly, though I am going to pop out for a bit of supper,” Bill said, tucking away his identification. “Is Montclair still in his office?”

  “Yes, sir.” The man moved out of the way. “He’s been there all afternoon.”

  Bill nodded and continued down the hallway until he reached the corner office at the end. He knocked once, then reached for the handle when he heard the command to enter.

  “Hallo Bill,” Jasper said, looking up from a sheaf of papers spread over
his desk. “You’re still here? I thought you would have gone for dinner by now.”

  “I’m just going now,” Bill said, advancing across the office. “I just received word from Jian.”

  “Good! How is she?”

  “Safe, for now. She’s in the mountains near Trondheim. She said the Germans have taken the city and are advancing through the country.”

  “She’s in the mountains, eh?” Jasper sat back. “Is she alone?”

  “No. The translator is with her, and so are several Norwegian soldiers. They got separated from their regiments, more than likely.”

  Jasper frowned thoughtfully. “How did she manage to team up with soldiers? Not that it’s not convenient, but it seems like awfully good luck.”

  “Not as lucky as it seems,” Bill said wryly. “The translator’s brother is in the army. I’d guess that she went looking for her brother.”

  The frown on Jasper’s face cleared and he nodded. “Ah, that makes much more sense. Do we know anything about the brother? Can he be trusted?”

  “That I don’t know. Let’s hope so.”

  “Yes. Well, at least she is safe for now.” He stood up and went over to the wall where an over-sized map of Norway had been hung next to one of Denmark. “She’s outside Trondheim, you say?”

  “Yes, but if the Germans have secured the port and the city, there is no possibility of her getting through,” Bill said, joining him in front of the map.

  “No. No, you’re quite right. It’s out of the question.” Jasper studied the map for a moment. “I’ve spoken to the Lord of the Admiralty. He’s assured me that the Marines will arrive in Namsos by the 14th, and the captain of the cruiser taking them has agreed to take her aboard. She’s quite a distance from Namsos, though. Do you think she can make it?”

  “I know she’ll do her best, but whether or not she can make it depends entirely on the Germans.”

  “Quite so. Norway is mountainous, and that can work in her favor, especially if she’s with soldiers well acquainted with the terrain. The Germans will be slowed down by the unfamiliar mountain ranges. If they’re careful, she just might make it. Once she’s in Namsos, the captain guarantees her safety, as long as our ships get there and take the port before the krauts. When she arrives, have her contact Lieutenant Commander Wheeler. He’s the captain’s right-hand man. He’s been briefed and will get her onboard. They’ll take her to Scapa Flow.”

  “Very well. Is there anything specific I should tell her?”

  Jasper glanced at him. “Yes. Tell her to stay alive and make that ship on the 14th. If she doesn’t, I can’t guarantee that there will be another opportunity. This is our only real shot to get her out.”

  Bill nodded, staring at the map grimly.

  “Understood.”

  ––––––––

  Mountains north of Grindal, Norway

  7pm

  Evelyn grimaced when an icy wind smacked her in the face as she moved out of the trees into an overgrown area that used to be a yard surrounding a crumbling, stone building. They had come across the structure an hour before and, after Erik and the others had scouted the entire area, determined that it was the abandoned remains of what most likely used to be a barn. Foundations of what appeared to be a house weren’t far from the area, through the trees. What had happened to the small farm in the mountains was a mystery, but they were grateful for the meager shelter with the temperature rapidly descending.

  Evelyn carried the armful of wood that she had collected to the opening of the barn and went inside, exhaling in relief as she stepped out of the biting wind. Most of the roof to the structure was gone, but the outer walls and back corner still had enough of it left to provide shelter from the worst of the elements. Any hay or straw was long gone, but one of the soldiers had managed to forage enough underbrush to provide something of a cushion for the two women. Anna was in the process of stacking it in the back corner of the structure.

  “There’s more, but this was all I could carry,” Evelyn told Erik, dropping her armful of wood onto the ground beside the fire pit he and the others had dug in the center of the barn. “I’ll go back out.”

  “That’s fine,” he told her. “There are others out gathering it as well. Rest for a moment.”

  “I can’t rest while everyone else is working,” she protested.

  “Everything is under control,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll have a fire going soon and Rolf is out hunting for something to cook. There is nothing more that can be done.”

  “We have a basket of food that the landlady of the boarding house where I stayed packed for us,” she offered. “It’s not much, some bread and cheese and smoked fish, but it’s something.”

  Erik looked at her, surprised. “Your landlady packed you a basket?”

  She nodded. “Anna woke her up when she came to warn me and she realized what was happening. She’s very kind. I hope they are all right.”

  Evelyn turned away to move to the back of the barn where Anna was trying to make the area where they would sleep as comfortable as possible. She looked up as Evelyn approached.

  “It’s not much, but at least we won’t be directly on the cold ground,” she said with a shrug, motioning to the piles of soft spruce branches she had arranged. “If we spread some clothes over them and use our coats for blankets, we should be all right.”

  Evelyn nodded, eyeing the area with a feeling of dismay. The temperature had dropped significantly and while the stone walls protected them from the worst of the wind, it still howled and whistled through the gaping holes where the roof used to be. Anna saw her face and smiled faintly.

  “Don’t worry. The fire will help a lot, and we can start a smaller one over here as well. You won’t freeze.”

  Evelyn was betrayed into a short laugh. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

  “Both.” She straightened up and looked around the back of the structure. “Why don’t we gather some of these old rocks and stones and put them in a circle? We can set a fire inside them and not risk it spreading.”

  Evelyn nodded and turned to begin gathering the largest rocks she could find. Her feet were throbbing and she didn’t think she would ever get warm again, but moving helped keep her mind off both the cold and her predicament.

  “Marlene, I’m actually getting quite a good signal over here,” Peder called from the other side of the barn where he had settled down with his radio. “I should be able to get through to London again. I’m going to try, anyway.”

  “Thank you!” She glanced at her watch, squinting in the darkness. “It’s been two hours, hasn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  Erik looked over from where he was arranging the wood in the makeshift fire pit.

  “What have you learned about the German troops?” he asked. “Anything?”

  Peder shook his head. “Only that Oslo is occupied and they are moving north and west.”

  Erik nodded and was silent, going back to the fire. Evelyn carried two very large rocks over to set them down near their corner.

  “Once you get instructions from London, we’ll be able to make a plan,” Anna said, dropping a few more rocks onto the growing pile. “Don’t worry. We will get you out of Norway.”

  Evelyn looked at her in surprise. “What makes you think I’m worried?”

  “You look as if you’re heading for the gallows,” she replied with a laugh. “It’s not that bad yet. If we stay in the mountains, we’ll be fine. The Germans won’t come into them until they’ve secured all the low-lands.”

  “Perhaps not, but we have to be on our guard,” Erik said, overhearing. “We’re going to keep guard in shifts through the night. Three of us will patrol the area while the rest sleep. We’ve already discussed it. You will be safe enough tonight.”

  “I appreciate everything you’re doing for us,” Evelyn said earnestly. “Thank you.”


  “It would be done, regardless of whether you were here or not,” he said dismissively. “There is no need to thank us.”

  She swallowed and went back to looking for appropriate stones. Anna’s brother wasn’t very friendly, but she supposed she wouldn’t be either if she’d been separated from her unit in the midst of a German invasion.

  “Don’t mind Erik,” Anna said in a low voice. “He isn’t very happy with the English these days, and I’m afraid he’s not being very friendly towards you. Please don’t take it personally.”

  “I’ll try not to.” Evelyn hesitated, then glanced at her. “Is it because we dropped mines in the waters?”

  “Among other things. He seems to think that the invasion is England and France’s fault, and perhaps it is. But there is no point in blaming anyone now. I told him as much earlier, but he is stubborn.” Anna shrugged. “He will warm up once he gets to know you.”

  Evelyn was silent. She wasn’t particularly bothered by Erik’s coolness towards her, but it was obviously weighing on Anna’s mind. He hadn’t been impolite or rude, he just wasn’t overly friendly, and that was fine. She wasn’t there to make friends. She was there to get out of Norway as quickly as possible, and with the least amount of exposure. If he could help her do that then that was all that really mattered.

  “Marlene!” Peder called to her a few minutes later and waved her over. “I’ve got through.”

  Evelyn went over to him quickly, Anna close behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erik look over sharply, but he made no move to join the small group on the other side of the barn. Peder was listening intently to his headset, one hand pressing it against his ear while the other reached for his pencil and paper. Anna switched on a flashlight and held it over his shoulder to give him light while he was writing, and Evelyn watched as he scrawled an illegible short hand over the page. It looked like a mix of Morse code and his own peculiar brand of coding. Whatever it was, she was very relieved to see it. At least now she would have a course of action to follow that didn’t consist of simply running without a destination in mind.