****
The time passed slowly, but finally, after what seemed like many hours, Gabby heard someone approaching. She knew they were well hidden, but she was relieved when she heard Dai say, “It’s me. I’m coming in.”
They all gathered around him, and he laughed. “Well, you’re not always this glad to see me.”
“Did you find the man to help us, Dai? The man with the boat?”
Dai sobered and shook his head. “He almost got caught. I went to the local pub and listened in on some conversations. Apparently, someone told the Germans about him, and he left. If they had caught him, they would have shot him.”
“So what do we do now?” Liza asked tremulously.
“I’ll have to steal a boat.”
“Do you know how to operate one?” Dalton asked dubiously. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”
“If I don’t, I’ll soon learn.”
“When will you go?” Gabby asked.
“I’ll wait until tomorrow after dark. That should give us enough time to meet the sub at midnight.”
Gabby wondered the same thing that the others did. What if the submarine’s not there? But she said only, “It’ll be all right. Come, you must be starving.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Outboards and Inboards
Glancing toward the west, Dai decided he had waited as long as possible. The thin edge of the sun was still visible, but the shadows had fallen, and he knew he would have to make his move if they were going to make their rendezvous with the sub. He had figured the time closely and knew it would take about an hour to get back to where he had left Gabby and the others. Returning to the harbor would take even longer. He had no way of knowing whether the sub would be there, but he had made a grim resolve to be off the lighthouse well before midnight in case the sub arrived early.
The smell of the sea was strong as he walked along the edge of the beach. A few small dories were tied to docks, but the larger boats were down closer in a curve of the harbor. The town lay behind it, and he could hear the sound of music faintly coming through the falling darkness. Overhead, the seagulls were circling, hopeful for any scrap of food, but he did not glance up, and soon they flew away. The lapping of the waves at his feet made a sibilant sound, and he wished that the moon were not so bright. Total darkness would have been better for this kind of work.
He reached a boat that caught his interest, but when he saw that there was no motor, he moved on quickly. His knowledge of motors was more toward automobiles, but he had taken vacations several times where he did run both large outboards and inboards. The boats in this harbor, he knew, would be fishing boats, for this town was not a holiday port.
The music grew louder as he approached the edge of the town, and he froze as he saw two figures in the darkness about twenty meters ahead walking along the shore. He moved quickly and silently away, taking refuge behind a shed. As they got closer, he could see that it was a man and a woman with their arms around each other, and he waited until they passed on down the beach.
Returning to the shoreline, he reached a line of boats and began checking them. The first boat would have served perfectly, but it was chained and locked to a pier. The next boat was too large for him to handle, and just as he moved to the next, he suddenly froze, hearing voices in the distance. He paused to determine where the voices were coming from and then saw that it was a group of three people making their way down the beach. Dai drew back into the darkness, taking refuge in the shadow of a beached dory. As they came closer, he could hear them speaking Dutch.
“If the fishing doesn’t pick up soon, I’m going to buy a farm.”
“You couldn’t be a farmer. It’s too much work.”
“Nothing’s more work than fishing. You should know that.”
The three men argued the matter, and Dai watched as their flashlight bobbed away, headed toward the town. As soon as the voices were completely inaudible, he slipped down to the boat and was relieved to see that it was simply tied with a heavy line. Scrambling aboard, he went at once to the stern and found that it had a single propeller. He pulled his flashlight from his pocket and made his way to the wheelhouse. He studied the controls and decided that they seemed simple enough, and he was tempted to try to start the engine. He hesitated but then decided, I’ll have to be able to get this thing started later tonight, and I’d better know how. He manipulated the controls, threw the switch, and the engine burst into life at once. He let it run for only seconds before shutting it down.
He turned the light off and stood there waiting, but only the silence washed back from the town. A few gulls flew over, making their raucous calls, and then there was nothing.
It’ll have to do, he thought. I hate to steal a man’s living, but I’m running out of options.
****
When Dai returned to the woods where he had left the others, they descended on him immediately.
“Did you find a boat?” Dalton asked.
“Did anyone see you?” Gabby asked.
“Are there any soldiers in the vicinity?” Liza asked.
“I did find a boat, and no one saw me, and I didn’t see any soldiers. Now we need to hurry. We’ll leave everything here except the canteens.”
“Shall we take the blankets?” Liza asked.
“No, we’ll leave it all here.”
“What about the boat?” Dalton asked. “Do you think you can operate it?”
“Well, I started it,” Dai answered.
Dalton had more concerns. “Can you find the submarine in the dark?”
“I’m hoping they’ll find us. Let’s get moving. We’ll have to hurry.”
****
“Are these all the reports, Glassner?” Erik demanded.
“Yes, sir. They just came in.”
“Is there anything in them?” Erik was shuffling the papers in his hand nervously. His anger had been replaced by bitterness.
“Nothing much, sir.” Glassner shrugged. “Just the usual traffic on the roads.”
Erik suddenly paused and held up one paper. “What’s this?”
Glassner came to stand beside Erik. The two men were standing inside the office, and Glassner had to squint, being slightly nearsighted. “Oh, we ran into a group of four soldiers on a special assignment. One of them was buying supplies while the others rested. I told him we hadn’t anticipated seeing anyone else in the area, but the soldier I talked to said they were just passing through.”
“Did you ask him what their special assignment was?”
“No,” Glassner said tersely, getting irritated over the interrogation. “It seemed innocent enough.”
“Tell me what this soldier looked like.”
“About my height, black hair, kind of a squarish face, cleft chin—”
“I knew it! I just knew it!”
“Knew what, sir?”
“That sounds exactly like one of the people we suspect is traveling with the man we’re after. He works at the same hospital Gabby does—the man’s niece—and he hasn’t reported to work since this whole thing started.”
“I’m a little confused, sir—”
“And you say there were three others with this soldier?”
“Yes, sir, I believe so.”
“And did any of them look like women?”
“I couldn’t say,” Glassner said. “They were too far away, but they were all wearing uniforms.”
“Show me on the map where you were,” Erik demanded.
“It was right here,” he said as he pointed to the small town.
“And this is only a few kilometers from the coast. . . .” Erik said, thinking aloud. “We’ll leave at once. Get a squad ready. See that they’re all armed.”
“They’re ready, sir.”
“Then let’s go!”
****
Gabby was concerned about her uncle. He was breathing hard, for he rarely got any exercise. “Is it far, Dai?” “No, just around the bend there.”
“I don’t think Uncle Dalton can make it much farther,” she whispered.
“He won’t have to. It’s not far.”
The party advanced until they emerged from the pathway that led to the town. “All right now, listen closely,” Dai said. “From here on out I’ll go first. The rest of you follow single file. Nobody makes a sound.” He addressed Dalton. “Can you make it, sir?”
“Yes, I’m all right. Just out of wind.”
“You can rest on the boat. Come along now as silently as you can.”
Dai moved across the open beach until he reached the shoreline, then turned to his left. He glanced back and saw that the others were following him. He dared not show a light, so he whispered, “Stay close.”
He could not hear the music from the city now and knew that it was after ten o’clock. He did not know whether the Germans kept patrols out in this small village, but he could take no chances.
The wet sand under his feet made a slight screeching sound as he moved along, and from time to time, he glanced back to see that the others were following close behind. He had asked Gabby to bring up the rear, but it was too dark to see her.
Finally, he reached the first of the boats and turned to whisper, “All right. Very quietly now. Come closer.”
Dai led them around the curving shore until he reached the boat. “This is it,” he whispered. “Everyone get aboard.”
Dai helped Liza climb on first, and then he gave Dalton and Gabby a hand. He looked around and said, “All of you get in the cabin. I’ll cast the lines off.”
He waited until all were inside and then leaped to the sand. Just as he did, a voice suddenly came out of the darkness speaking in German. “Who goes?”
“Hans Kreigan,” Dai said, giving the first name that popped into his head.
“What are you doing here this late?”
The soldier flashed his light on Dai. “I have to get my engine fixed to be off with the tide,” he said and waited as the German came closer. The German, he saw, had a rifle and held it loosely. “This engine is a pain,” he continued. “It won’t work half the time.”
The German came closer, peering at Dai. He suddenly stopped and said, “You don’t look like a fisherman!” He started to lift the rifle, but quicker than his movement, Dai leaped forward. His fist caught the German squarely in the jaw, harder than he had ever struck a man. The soldier fell backward, but he was still moving, so Dai struck him again until he fell silent. Quickly, Dai grabbed the rifle and leaped back into the boat.
“Who was that?” Gabby whispered, sticking her head out of the cabin.
“Sentry. We’ve got to get out of here now!”
He started the engine and gave a grateful sigh that it started so easily. Maneuvering the controls, he found reverse and backed the boat out into the water. As soon as he was clear of the other fishing boats, he turned and headed out away from the shore.
“But they’ll find him, won’t they?” Liza said fearfully as she and Dalton joined them on deck.
“Yes, and they’ll find this boat missing too, but by that time the sub should be there.”
“I don’t understand how we’ll find them,” Dalton said.
“You see that lighthouse?”
They all peered forward. A dim light flickered, and Gabby said, “Is that the one we’re looking for?”
“It’s the only one on this part of the coast. We’ll be a kilometer off shore exactly even with that lighthouse. I don’t know the latitude or the longitude, but that sub will be looking for us. At midnight tonight we’ll light our lantern so they can see us.”
“What if they’re not there?” Liza whispered fearfully.
Dai did not answer, and the others also remained silent. Gabby came to stand beside Dai and touched his arm. “It will be there,” she said confidently.
He turned to smile at her. “I believe it will.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A Question of Love
As soon as the car braked to a halt, Erik leaped out, followed quickly by Glassner. They had reached Katwijk in record time, and the eight soldiers in the truck piled out and formed a line by the sergeant.
“Who goes there?” A soldier approached with a light on the party, and when he saw the colonel, he gasped and said, “I didn’t—”
“Sergeant, we have reason to believe the fugitive we’ve been seeking is in this area.”
“But, Colonel, we’ve searched everywhere.”
“Have you checked the boats?”
“Yes, sir, just before dark.”
“We’ll check them again.”
“Yes, sir! Come this way, Colonel.”
Erik followed the sergeant, and when they reached the harbor, they turned and made their way along the beach. The sergeant said nothing until he practically stumbled over a form on the sand. “Sir, there’s somebody on the ground!”
“Who is it?”
He bent over and said, “It’s Private Mueller.” He pulled the man halfway to a sitting position. “Mueller, are you awake?”
“Is he dead?” Erik said as he knelt by his head.
“No, sir, just unconscious. I think he’s coming out of it.”
“Bring some water in your helmet, soldier,” Erik commanded. One of the privates quickly ran to the shoreline and scooped his helmet full of water. “Pour it on his face,” Erik commanded.
The soldier sputtered and shook his head to avoid the briny water. He blinked into the light and tried to get up.
“Mueller,” the sergeant said, “what happened?”
The man looked at the small group gathered around him. “There was a man . . . in the boat.” He pointed to where the boat had been. “The boat—it’s gone!”
“What did the man look like?”
The soldier reached up and touched his mouth, which was still bleeding. “He was wearing a German uniform. I couldn’t figure out why a soldier would be in a fishing boat.”
“It’s them,” Erik said. “We need to commandeer the fastest boat in the harbor.”
“That would be the one right down there. It belongs to—”
“I don’t care who it belongs to. Can you operate it? Get someone here who knows boats.”
“One of my men is a fisherman, sir.”
“He’ll do.”
Quickly, Erik issued orders to the lieutenant. “I’ll take this boat, Glassner, along with the driver and two others. You and the rest of the men round up as many boats as you can, and we’ll throw a web around the area. There’s only one marker here that can be seen at night.”
“Yes, sir. What’s that?”
“That lighthouse there. So they’ll be making for that, I’m sure. But search the whole area. You take everything in that direction,” he said as he pointed, “and I’ll go the other way. They’re out in those waters somewhere.”
Erik turned his attention to the wounded man. “Do you have any idea of how long you were unconscious? When were you on guard, soldier?”
“I don’t think I’ve been out more than an hour, sir.”
“Excellent. We might still have a chance.”
Erik and the three soldiers quickly made their way to the boat. Before long the engine was sputtering to life, and they were heading out into the choppy waters.
“Head for that lighthouse! Everybody keep your eyes open. They won’t have a light, but the moon’s bright tonight. If we’re on the right track, we should be able to see them.”
As the boat surged ahead, Erik Raeder stood in the bow. His eyes glittered in the light of the moon. “I’ll get them,” he promised himself. “They won’t get away.”
****
All was quiet on the sea, and the moon lit the faces of the party, who were all on deck now, watching for interference.
Gabby watched as the lighthouse flashed its light, moving slowly in a circle, over the ocean. “How do we know we’re far enough out, Dai?”
“I’ll just have to make a guess. The plan was to be a kilometer o
ff shore, but if that sub comes up, they’ll see us.” He had found a lantern and attached it to the top of the mast. It was not a bright light, but if they were in the vicinity, a sub should be able to spot it.
“What time is it?” Liza said nervously.
“Four minutes after eleven,” Dai said, glancing at his watch. “The sub should pick us up at midnight.”
The boat rocked gently from side to side, and the air was cold. “I hear something,” Liza said.
Dai listened intently. “So do I.”
“Is it the sub?” Dalton cried anxiously.
Dai did not answer, but he had seen a dim light approaching from a distance. “No, it’s not a sub,” he said. “It’s a boat.”
“What’ll we do?” Gabby whispered. “Can we outrun them?”
“No, we’ll take the light down, but they’ve probably already seen it, since we’ve seen theirs.”
Quickly, he mounted the mast and blew out the light. “It’s coming quick,” he said as he jumped onto the deck. “I can hear the engines clearly now.”
They all stood frozen, and Gabby tried valiantly to fight down her fear. We can’t come this close and then be lost, she thought. God, save us in this terrible hour!
The light grew larger, and Dai said grimly, “It must be a search boat out looking for us. No fisherman would be out at this time of the night.” He reached over and squeezed Gabby’s arm. “I’m sorry about this, Gabby.”
“It’s not your fault. You’ve done everything you could to try to save us. No matter what happens, we’re grateful.”
“Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe it’s not a German. Maybe it’s a fisherman out late,” Liza said hopefully.
Her hopes were soon dashed when the engines grew louder and then over the water came a loud command in German. “You on the boat, throw your weapons down! You cannot get away! Soldiers, fire if any one of them resists.”
“That’s it,” Dai said quietly as bitterness overcame him. To come so close and then to lose! He had known hard times and bitter moments before, but none quite like this one. He watched as the boat appeared and the German soldiers with their rifles raised became visible. “I’m sorry, Dalton,” he said to the man who now stood at his elbow.
The Gypsy Moon Page 27