Love is the death of me

by Dick Hardman

  Peter yanked open the rear door, pulled out the gut shot man and shot him again, through the head, as he hit the road. He leaned in and dragged Andrzej out, by his handcuffs

  ***.

  Already back at their vehicle, Anna covered Peter and Andrzej while opening the car doors. Andrzej dived in the back, followed by Anna. Peter was barely in, next to Henryk, when he accelerated away.

  Anna and Peter looked back. The bystanders surged from the shadows, towards the dead MI5 team. A perfectly executed rescue, his team had done well.

  Peter gave Henryk directions. They now had to dump this car and pick up another from the selection Peter had made earlier that day. The purpose of coming out tonight was still his main priority.

  “Andrzej, we need to get those handcuffs off. Anna, can you deal with that?”

  “I am picking the locks now,” she confirmed.

  “I will want Andrzej to take over the driving, because he has no dark boiler suit, and no weapon.

  “Henryk, Anna, we will get another car, and drive across the city to Hatton Garden. Then we have to do two smash and grabs of the best jewellery we can find. I am praying the police will be tied up with the first raid, while we do the next one a few streets away.

  “It looks like we will need the help of the criminal underworld, to finance the main mission. The forged money is just not enough, and has been devalued too much. It has become the subject of close scrutiny by everyone and we cannot take the chance of using it.” Peter lied convincingly.

  “I take it the three of you are prepared to go along with this?”

  They all agreed, it was necessary.

  “Peter, I don’t feel so good. It just hit me. I have just killed people.” Anna was going to struggle with the guilt, unless he could talk her round.

  “Did you know any of them?”

  “No. Of course I did not, but they were people, real people with loved ones and families who cared for them.”

  “What do you think would have happened to Andrzej, as soon as they discovered he was a spy?”

  “They would have hung him I suppose, or perhaps turned him against us.” Anna was not going to accept what she had done was the right thing to do, under the circumstances. Tonight was not the time to hold a discussion over morality in wartime.

  “Pull yourself together Anna, look at Andrzej and be grateful he is safe with us.” Andrzej put his arms round her and pulled her close.

  “Thanks for doing your bit to save me. I was wondering if you would be joining me on the gallows. I was sure you would walk in any moment and be caught.” He gently kissed her lips, and she hugged him back.

  She would come to terms with what she had done, soon enough.

  The robbery. Nearly midnight 20th December 1943

  The pitch black streets were deserted. The large Rover saloon rolled along almost silently, past the rows of shops, its engine ticking over in second gear. The dim light from the downward pointing headlight shrouds, reflected up from the road. There was just enough stray light to make out the individual shops.

  “Ok Henryk, pull up by this jewellery shop.

  “Anna and Henryk come with me.”

  Peter removed a small package, from a haversack that had been resting by his feet, in the front passenger foot well. The team immediately recognised it as a small explosive charge.

  “Anna, place this charge under the padlock that holds the security shutter to the ground anchor. It should break the shutter free and shatter the window. Take a bag each, and fill it with the display pieces of jewellery. We will have about half a minute to get what we can and then leave.

  “Andrzej, take my pistol. You will take over the driving. Keep anyone pinned down, by shooting near them, and then get us away.

  “Are you all ready?”

  The team seemed shocked at what they were about to do, but it appeared to be simple enough, so they murmured their agreement.

  The three of them strolled along the pavement, peering in through the shutters at the beautiful creations on display. Jewels of every kind glittered with outstanding brilliance, illuminated only by the weak light from their shielded torches. Peter pointed out the key pieces and explained that those must be taken first, then get any other items in the remaining time.

  “Don’t waste time by taking watches.

  “Off you go Anna, make us proud.”

  Peter and Henryk moved away to safety, as Anna slipped the charge under the stout padlock. The explosion could only go sideways and up, and with such force that even the printed label on the charge would be etched into the steel of the padlock.

  She lit the short fuse and dashed for cover in a doorway.

  The instant the bang occurred, they ran back to the shattered window, dust and debris raining down behind them. Henryk heaved the remains of the security screen to one side, and the three of them plundered the shop.

  When Andrzej called them, they all raced back to the car and hurtled off into the night.

  Peter directed Andrzej along several narrow side streets and parked out of sight. With the engine ticking over, and the lights out, they listened, as more and more sirens grew increasingly louder. The occasional dim glow of headlight on the road from the police cars passed by their hiding place, but that was as close as they came.

  Peter removed another charge and several grenades from the haversack, then handed the charge to Anna. Next he transferred the jewels to the empty haversack. They would be needing the bags again.

  ***

  Checking his map, Peter instructed Andrzej to drive on normally. He directed him to park near another jewellery shop, in a neighbouring road.

  “By now the police will have cordoned off the area and the roads will all be blocked, which makes the next robbery rather tricky. We are obviously still inside the cordon, and getting out will be a test of your driving skills, Andrzej. Once we are through, we will be pursued, so be prepared for a frantic chase.”

  He showed Andrzej the route he had planned, and stressed it was vital he followed it, no matter what.

  As before, Anna placed her explosive charge and the two men took cover. It was at that moment, a police car arriving late from another direction, came racing down the road. The blast caught it side on and it veered off into the opposite shops. Andrzej ran over and shot the two injured men as they climbed out of the wreckage, then returned, ready to drive away. The others completed their robbery, joined him and they drove off down side streets to park in the shadows. They were going to wait it out until the police stopped arriving at the scene.

  ***

  The intense silence was shattered by an air raid siren on the building above them. This was an eventuality for which Peter had not planned and the roulette wheel of chance was spinning. In one respect, the raid would probably help them, but only if bombs fell nearby. However, bombs falling that close could easily mean the end of them.

  As expected, the road blocks had closed off the Hatton Garden area. Peter had planned to head north east back to Gant’s Hill, after he had broken through the cordon and reached Islington. The plethora of backstreets would spread the police so thinly, they would stand little chance of catching them.

  Because of the air raid, all lights were extinguished. It made Peter’s job of navigating very difficult indeed, being unable to see street signs in the torch light. They drove as fast as they dared in the dark, about 15 miles per hour, hoping not to crash into lamp posts or buildings.

  They glided along quietly; the police lurked in the shadows, listening. Even against the distant background whistle of falling bombs, the explosions and anti-aircraft gunfire, the sound of the car was funnelled along the streets to them.

  As they passed the hidden policemen, their position was being reported by telephone, and relayed by radio to the road block ahead.

  “Look out!” shouted Henryk and Peter simultaneously.

  Peter added “there is someone up ahead with a torch, I saw it flick on, very briefly.

  �
�Turn on your lights Andrzej, so we can see what we are up against.”

  The headlights cast a weak beam of light, on the road just in front of the car.

  “Oh my god! There are dozens of police running straight at us. We are driving at barely 10 miles an hour, and they were planning to leap on the car, break in and overpower us.”

  Peter, Horst and Anna fired into the surging mass, scattering them out of their path. Several bodies fell dead in the road.

  Peter yelled out in alarm. “They have blocked off the road. There are two police cars and a Black Maria, nose to tail across the main road.

  “Go right Andrzej. Drive on the pavement. Ram the backside of the police car out of the way, and push past.”

  Andrzej double declutched into first gear, lurched up over the curb and drove the car, engine screaming, as fast as it would go into the parked police car.

  Seconds before impact, Peter lobbed a grenade out of his window, behind them.

  “That grenade should keep them back, they were all closing in behind us.”

  At 8 miles per hour, there was not much of a jolt as they rammed the police car, but the momentum of their car and torque from the powerful screaming engine in first gear, easily pushed it out of the way.

  ***

  “Look out team, the police are here behind the roadblock as well. Hell, they are armed with metal bars and truncheons, they are going to swarm all over us. Lock the doors. Shoot into them as much as you can.”

  Dozens of policemen leapt onto the car, clinging to or lying on every accessible part of it. They were smashing through windows, and scrabbling to unlock the doors.

  “They are wrenching the doors off, Peter.” Anna yelled.

  “Oh no! I can’t see where I am steering… the torches, they are blinding me!” Andrzej exclaimed.

  Henryk fired his last shot. “I need another ammunition clip, Anna.”

  “Here’s two Henryk, I have more. Help me someone, so many arms, they grabbed me through the back window. I can’t fight them all off.”

  Henryk turned and pumped six shots at the limbs thrusting through the small rear window opening, and Anna was freed.

  The policemen were clawing their way in through the openings where doors had once been, on the road side of the car. Fortunately, the nearside was scraping along the wall, so that left only the front, rear and one side to defend.

  As one policeman fell dead, another two appeared to take his place. The team just could not shoot into them quickly enough. Henryk and Peter were shooting, kicking their attackers out of the car, and trying to fend off crippling blows from bars and truncheons.

  “Help me Peter!” yelled Andrzej “they are climbing in through the windscreen opening. I can’t hold them back, and steer as well.” Andrzej was ramming a steel crowbar into their faces, leaving the car to steer itself.

  He changed into second gear, to gain speed and make it more difficult for the attackers to keep up. The overloaded car picked up speed and the fight became even more desperate. Henryk and Anna were kicking, punching and fielding blows, at the same time, pistol whipping heads and hands that lunged at them. They no longer had time to reload, cock and start firing.

  Peter had his back to Andrzej kicking off some of the policemen who were upon him. As his attackers fell out, others grabbed at his thrashing legs. He slid out, deliberately dropping his Luger into Andrzej’s lap, grabbed the steering wheel and hung on, half way out of the car. The police were being dragged along, but they did not intend to let go. As they saw it, their large numbers would prevail.

  ***

  Andrzej yelled out! “Peter, I can’t steer with you pulling on the steering wheel. We are going to crash into the shops, across the road.”

  He was being grabbed and punched by men on the bonnet. Any moment now and their car would hit the other pavement and drive headlong into a shop front.

  Peter realised what was happening and took a desperate chance. He let go of the steering wheel and made a quick grab for the door frame, as he was being dragged out. As both his hands gripped the frame, the wrench practically pulled his arms out of their sockets. Two policemen leapt upon his body and clung to his arms and neck.

  With Peter’s Luger, Andrzej fired silenced shots into the faces of his attackers, blasting them off the bonnet. The muzzle flashes lit up the interior of their car. Spinning the badly buckled steering wheel, Andrzej veered back into the centre of the road.

  Peter was now being dragged towards the rear wheel. One of the men clinging to his arm screamed briefly and let go, as the rear wheel rode over him. The massive lurch threw everyone around, many police lost their grip and fell off the accelerating Rover. Peter had rolled over, now the remaining policemen who still clung onto his body were beneath him, being scuffed and scraped along the road. Realising they would be crushed under the wheel, they let go of Peter.

  “Henryk, grab my belt and pull me in.” Peter yelled. Henryk leaned out and tried to hold him clear of the rear wheel.

  More shots came from Anna. She picked off the remaining police still clinging to the rear window opening.

  In sheer desperation, Peter at last managed to drag himself onto the running board. He pulled himself back into the car and collapsed into the front passenger seat.

  ***

  Andrzej could not see where he was going, both headlights were completely smashed. Policemen ran alongside again, ready to leap back on, attempting to blind the team with their torches, in the hope of causing the car to crash.

  Swerving the car from side to side scattered the police and forced them to drop back. Suddenly they stopped chasing and were heading for the pavement. Peter looked back, relieved to have left them behind for good.

  But yet again, his heart fell through the floor, three pairs of light pools were gaining on them. The police were now taking hot pursuit in cars; the spies were about to be chased down and caught. The police drivers had their headlights, Andrzej did not.

  Peter knew that their position had now been broadcast to every police car in the area and unless they could escape immediately, it would all be over for them.

  “Ease over to the right Andrzej, let one car come alongside.”

  The team could not believe what he was saying.

  Peter felt around in his foot-well, for a grenade, actually the only one left.

  “Hold your speed steady Andrzej, I want him alongside. Do not let him overtake or force you into the kerb.

  “Henryk, Anna, shoot everyone in the car, but not the driver. We want the car in one piece.”

  “What about the following cars?” Henryk yelled.

  Peter was not listening, he was carefully judging the distance and speed.

  Occasionally there was a distant bomb flash, or stray light from the gaining police cars. Otherwise, Andrzej was running blind at 20 miles per hour, with every fibre of his being focussed on staying on the right side of the road, and not driving into the kerb, lampposts or parked vehicles.

  The Wolseley police car was alongside, when Peter released the detonator pin and threw the grenade at the windscreen of the following car.

  The Wolseley swung over and barged into the team’s car, but Andrzej had already countered the move. The huge jolt and crump of mangled metal echoed down the long road. Horst and Anna opened fire at practically point blank range and shot everyone but the driver.

  Swept along in the heat of the moment, the frantic driver just thought he had been lucky, and continued his assault to force the team off the road. His colleagues in the two cars behind would soon mop up these four criminals.

  The grenade exploded inside the following police car. As it swerved the third one ran into it. Instantly, both cars exploded showering shrapnel and flaming petrol over the Rover and Wolseley, still locked together.

  The surviving police driver jammed on his brakes and as the two cars slid apart, Anna and Henryk killed him.

  Andrzej screeched to a halt, everyone leapt out and ran to the coasting police car.
As it glanced the kerb and stalled, the team wrenched the doors open and pulled the dead men out onto the road. Using the heavy police overcoats, Henryk and Anna quickly extinguished the flames on the bodywork of the Wolseley police car. Andrzej got behind the steering wheel and restarted the stalled engine. They were ready to go on the run again.

  With all this going on, Peter grabbed his knapsack and the bags of jewels from the Rover, switched on the interior light and checked for anything his team might have dropped. Satisfied it was free of evidence, they all climbed into the Wolseley and raced off into the night.

  The police radio messages being broadcast to all cars, enabled them to avoid further road blocks in the near vicinity. Soon they were clear of danger.

  “Andrzej, you will have to stay with me,” said Peter.” Your lodgings are no good to you now.

  “By the way, we all owe you our thanks, your skilful driving saved our necks.”

  Andrzej gave a brief smile of appreciation for the complement. He realised he had suddenly grown up, and that maybe the team thought he was a mature adult, at last.

  As they approached Gant’s Hill, they left the police car and walked to their respective homes. The blackness of the night was their friend.

  The aftermath. 21st December 1943

  The police arrived at the scene, and took charge following the team’s dramatic rescue of Andrzej. They pushed the onlookers aside and questioned them about what had happened.

  The dead MI5 agents could be quickly identified by their papers. Just half an hour later Sir Philip Stern received the devastating telephone call from the police.

  “Good evening Sir Philip, Chief Superintendent Thomas Walters here. I am deeply sorry to inform you, but we have just come from a murder scene. Eight of your agents have been shot and killed; we identified them by their papers.”

  “Oh good grief Thomas! Do you know who is responsible?”

  “It appears your team were in the process of arresting a man, by the name of Andrzej Trocki, who was residing at the guest house they raided. A car pulled up just as your men were about to drive away. A male and a female got out, dressed in dark blue boiler suits and shot dead every one of your agents. They rescued Andrzej Trocki and drove away in what turned out to be a stolen car.