by Griff Hosker
I smiled as I heard them practising their French phrases. They had all taken it to heart. I think it did Sharp good to hear them massacring the language. It made his French sound much better.
Lieutenant Commander Teer was edging the ship as close to land as he could without grounding her. His new lieutenant would have to stand much further out. When he was satisfied he left his trusty bosun with the wheel and joined us at the side where the longboat was being lowered. This was the same sized boat as we would be using for the civilians. I was pleased that we all fitted in comfortably and there was no danger of water entering. I knew that civilians would be more likely to panic in such a situation.
We pushed off and the four seamen began to row us towards the beach. We were aided by the incoming tide, and soon the bottom ground on to the sand. The sailors left first and spread out in a defensive line and then the soldiers clambered, somewhat less skilfully over the side. The boat pulled off without a word and we were left on the beach in France.
Chapter 16
I led with two of my men, Seymour and Jones, and one of Teer’s sailors. It was easy to find east as the sun was setting behind us. The dunes seemed to spread out forever. It reminded me of Egypt- without the heat of course. The sand sapped the power from your legs and I knew, that for cavalrymen used to riding, this would be exhausting. When we reached the end of the dunes I waved my hand to flatten the others to the ground. The road lay ahead. The green on either side showed where the sand ended. It was the main coast road but I hoped that, at night, it would be quiet.
As soon as Captain Austen joined me I left and headed south along the road. I had planned to leap frog all the way to Dunkerque. Each group would wait until the following group had arrived and then move on. It gave all of us added security. Within a mile or two we had reached the first houses and I halted behind the wall of a quiet looking farm. It was set slightly off the road and seemed deserted. It would make a good point of reference for our return.
Once again I left when Percy arrived. The four of us walked along the road even more cautiously. There would be more houses soon and, more people. Suddenly I heard the sound of a horse coming from the direction of the town. We dived into the ditch which ran alongside the road and lay there. I risked a glance upwards as the man rode by but he appeared not to have noticed us.
There had been some stagnant water in the ditch and when we emerged we were wet and rather aromatic. I saw the other three grinning in the dark; it was a lark to them. I now began to recognise buildings. I could see the tower of the town hall in the distance and knew where I was. There were no massive walls in the harbour but they did have guns there to prevent enemy ships entering. Lieutenant Commander Teer had been relieved that my plan did not require us to run that gauntlet. It did mean, however, that there would be some soldiers close to the harbour.
I turned to Sergeant Seymour. “Wait here. I need to get my bearings.”
“What if someone comes?” I could hear the fear in the sailor’s voice.
Seymour said drily, “Say you are lost!”
I slipped away and headed across the road to the port area. It was much busier than the quiet back street in which my men waited. I could see people sniffing as I went by. The ditch water had been pungent. It meant that people avoided me which was good. I kept my head down. If they thought that I was a down and out then so much the better.
Keeping my head down almost proved to be my undoing for a soldier suddenly thrust his musket across my chest. “Where are you going sunshine?” he stepped back as he got a whiff of my clothes. “Phew you don’t half stink.”
I played my indignant card. “I was looking for the prefect of police. A horseman ran me down as I was coming into the city. I wish to make a complaint.”
The soldier laughed. He pointed down the street. “The police station is at the end of this road, just past the barracks for the gunners.” He noticed my stained uniform, “Old soldier?” I nodded. “Just watch where you are going next time.”
“Thank you sir and sorry.”
I waited until he had entered the house and then I turned and retraced my steps. Percy was there along with his group.
“You had us worried.”
“I just wanted to find out where the barracks were.” I pointed behind me. “It is just down there. Wait until the sailors reach you and then follow us. We’ll be going down there.” I pointed and then took my men down an alley to the left. We were now heading away from the busy, populated areas and towards the monastery which was now less than a mile away. It was quiet as people were settling down to their evening meals behind closed doors and curtains.
The houses thinned out again and I had the men crouch down by a wall until the others joined us. It took about twenty minutes for Sergeant Sharp to finally arrive with his group, the last ones in the column. “A problem, Sergeant Sharp?”
“A couple of horsemen came behind us and so we hid in the ditch.”
Seymour said, “So you’ll stink the same as we do. If we get separated sir we can always smell each other out.”
“Thank you, sergeant. Now we are less than a mile away. We will stay together until I can find somewhere for the sailors to wait.”
I could not remember all the places along the way and I would have to decide if there was a suitable hiding place closer to the old monastery. In the end I found one which could not have been better. It was a barn next to a burnt out farm. I suspected the farm had been damaged by the French army when we had fought here and driven the English north. It was ironical really.
I gathered the others around me. Jonathan now had his sailors with him while the horsemen were back with their own officers. “I will send a runner back if I need you. If I fail to find them there then we will return and we will seek them elsewhere.”
We had spent some time on the ship working out where else they could be held. I deduced that the only places where such a large number could be held would be in the hotels in the town and they were almost on top of the barracks. All of us were praying that my guess was correct and they would be here in the monastery.
As we left the barn I spread the men out. Jones and Seymour were with me while Sharp and Percy brought up the rear. I smelled wood smoke and stopped. The monastery was up ahead but, equally that could be a guard post. I waved everyone down and then slithered on my stomach along the ditch. Through the hedgerow I spied a small guard post and three National Guardsmen smoking their pipes around a small brazier. There was an entrance in the hedgerow. It looked like whatever gates they had had there had been taken away. They had probably been melted to make cannon. The guard post was just inside the hedge and the brazier in the middle of the road leading to the monastery. It formed a barrier which could be removed during the day. I snaked my way back to the others.
“I have a feeling this must be the place. There are guards there. “McEwen, go and fetch the sailors.” When he had left I turned to the others. “There are just three guards. We need to take them without any noise.”
Percy looked dubious, “That will be hard. How do we get close to them?”
He had a point and I was stumped. Sharp said, “We could always get them to come to us sir.”
“Explain, sergeant.”
“We are wearing old French uniforms. It is dark and they won’t be able to see much. We could pretend to be two soldiers carrying a drunk back. I bet they have comrades not on duty who will be in the town tonight. If Seymour and me carry Jones as though he is rolling drunk and we are a little unsteady too it might fool them. We can make a noise and they will come out of their hut to investigate. If the rest of you are on either side of the entrance then you can overcome them.”
Seymour grinned, “I like it sir, give it a try eh?”
“Very well. I’ll go on the far side. Percy you have the rest of the men next to the hedge on this side.”
We left quickly and I waited until I saw that the three men’s attention was not on the entrance and I slipped acros
s. I had made a sap out of a leather pouch and filled it with sand. I took it out. I saw Percy and the others on the far side and then I saw the three ‘drunks’ staggering along. They were playing the part well. Sharp was using the little French he knew and the others were tunelessly singing French nonsense they were making up. It sounded convincing. As they neared the entrance they all stumbled and fell face down giggling. It was a masterly performance for the guards could not see their faces merely the backs of their uniforms. All they would have seen was three off duty French soldiers who were drunk.
I heard the leader say, “What the…” and they stepped out towards the three laughing. “You three will be on a charge. Come on, get up!”
The three drunks continued to giggle and played at trying to rise, unsuccessfully. As soon as the three guards bent down to help them, we were upon them.
“Quick secure them and gag them. Tie their hands behind their backs and to their feet.”
Lieutenant Commander Teer arrived, “Well done! This is the place then?”
“I can’t see why else they would guard it. Have three of your men put the guard’s hats on and sit with their guns.”
“What if anyone comes?”
“Then the game is up. Let us hope that if anyone does come they just see three guards and don’t look any closer.”
As soon as the men were tied up, and the substitutes sat in their place, I led the rest towards the monastery which was just two hundred yards away. There were lights in the window. Someone was living there that was certain. Had the soldier I met not told me that the barracks were in the town I might have suspected they had used the old monastery for the gunners. The monastery gardens had been neglected and were overgrown. What had been the herb garden close by the kitchen was now a jungle. I headed in that direction as it afforded us some good cover.
Once we were hidden in the herbs I crept forwards to listen at the kitchen window above me. It was late at night but I assumed that there would still be someone there, if only clearing up. There was a light coming from the open door and the window. I was rewarded by the French cook talking to his assistant. “After you have mixed up the dough for the bread for tomorrow you can go to bed.”
“Have the prisoners finished washing and drying the pots, boss?”
“Probably? They have gone back to their rooms anyway. Why do you ask?”
“I saw a tray outside the commandant’s office. It was full of dishes and they had not been picked up.”
“I’ll have that Henri’s bollocks tomorrow. He was supposed to collect them before he went off duty. Well they will have to wait. I’m not doing them. Besides, the commandant is probably giving that pretty young English woman one. Lock up when you have finished. I’m going into town tonight.”
“All right chef but I am leaving that door open until then. It’s hotter than Hades in here.”
“I know but it makes the bread rise beautifully eh? See you in the morning, Charles.”
“Night, boss.”
I waited until I heard a door slam and then stood up. I pressed myself against the wall next to the door. I could hear the dough being pounded against the worktop and I risked a quick look inside. Charles had his back to me. I took out the sap and went quickly behind him. I smacked him on the back of the head and he fell, face down in the dough. I pulled him off. It wouldn’t do to have the poor man suffocate in bread dough.
I ran to the door and waved the others in. I pointed at the cook and two men began to tie him up. I whispered, “There are English here. Our first task is to find and neutralise the guards. Split into groups of two. I’ll take you Seymour. Start with this floor and then work your way up. I think most of them should be in bed by now. Sharp, leave two men here to guard our exit. Jonathan, take your men down the far corridor. Keep it quiet.”
There were now five pairs to search the monastery; I hoped that would be enough. The monastery was a labyrinth of corridors. I took my half and we went along cautiously trying doors. We found that they were mainly store rooms. It was nervous work, slowly opening a door and not knowing if there were guards inside. We came to the first stair case. It was narrow. I took out my stiletto. I listened at the door at the top. I could hear nothing. I was aware that Percy and Jones were behind me. It meant we had four men should there be trouble ahead. I slowly opened the door and peered through. There was a guard at the end of the corridor on a chair. He looked to be asleep. I turned to Seymour and mimed creeping along the corridor and striking the man. He nodded. I stepped aside and Seymour slid slowly and silently along the wall of the corridor. He was a born assassin. He never took his eyes from his victim and he moved stealthily. He did not rush the last few steps, which might have alerted the guard, he just strode up to him and stuck him a blow on the side of the head. The only sign that he had done anything was a drop of blood from his forehead.
The three of us leapt from concealment. Seymour was already trussing the guard up and I looked along the corridor. There was a carpet and this looked to be the better part of the monastery. I spied a tray; it had to be the commandant’s quarters. I pointed to Seymour and signalled him to watch. I took the other three to the room with the tray of food outside. Jones cheekily picked up a piece of sausage and began to eat it. I listened at the door. I could hear the sound of copulation. From the female sobs I gathered that it was not consensual. I slipped the door silently open and moved inside. The room was dimly lit by a candle. A huge bloated being was lying on top of, what looked like a young woman, who was struggling.
I stepped up behind him, pulled his head back and stuck the point of my stiletto into the side of his neck. “One word from you and I will kill you. Now get off the bed.” I could see the terror on the face of the pretty young woman lying beneath him; she could have been no more than eighteen years old. I began to become angry. I jerked back on the man’s head and heard the sound of water. He had wet himself. I pulled him upright. I wanted to pull my knife across his throat and end his life. I knew that I needed information from him first.
“Jones, tie his hands but don’t gag him and leave him naked.” I kept my knife on his neck. Percy had managed to gather the girl’s dress and hand it to her whilst averting his eyes. “We are English and we are here to rescue you. How many of you are there?”
She had regained her composure and she stood close to me. She was tiny. She glared at the commandant and then pulled her hand back and slapped him so hard that I was certain they would hear the noise in Paris. “You can kill this pig now for me, sir.” She turned to face me. “There are a hundred and fifty of us left. They moved a hundred yesterday.”
“How many guards are there?”
She looked confused, “I don’t know, they all look the same to me.”
I put my mouth next to the commandant’s ear. “How many guards? And before you lie if you do not tell me the truth then I will castrate you here and now!”
He was already white with fear and his eyes widened even more. “I will tell you; please don’t hurt me. There are three men at the gate and ten more on the corridors. Two at each end.” I was quickly calculating; we had taken out the three guards at the gate and one on this corridor. We had nine left to go.
“Jones, keep your dagger in this man’s back. He is coming with us.”
“But sir my clothes, my dignity.”
“You lost all rights to dignity the moment you abused this young girl. Besides, I think it might keep you a little less likely to escape.”
We picked up Seymour and climbed the stairs. We had a better idea now of where the guards were. It looked like there were two staircases with two guards at each end. Using the commandant as a shield we stepped out on to the next corridor. The two guards giggled and stared at the naked commandant; they did not seem to see the rest of us. Before they knew it, Seymour and Percy had leapt at them and knocked them out. They were soon trussed up.
“Where are the hostages?”
She pointed along the corridor. “This floor and
the one above.”
“Percy, you and the girl go and wake the civilians. Tell them to keep quiet and to take only what they can carry. Have them gather here in the corridor.”
“How can we escape sir? There is a town and a garrison.”
I smiled, “And I only have sixteen men but luckily for you one of them has a ship. Help the captain to keep the men quiet please.”
She leaned up and kissed me, “I will and thank you.”
“Jones, keep the commandant here. He may be useful again.”
We slipped up the stairs. We had a little luck. The guards there were standing with their backs to the stairs playing a game of tossing coins at the wall. They both fell to our saps. It was going well and I hoped that Lieutenant Commander Teer and his group were having the same success. There was a worry niggling at the back of my mind about the cooks and the others in the monastery who would work there. I had to focus on the job in hand; so long as we didn’t make too much noise we might escape.
When we had trussed them I went to the first door. It was locked, “Seymour, search the guards, they must have keys.”
He came back jingling a set of keys. I saw that there were just three different keys. The first one opened the door. A lazy, laconic voice moaned, “What is it now? It’s bad enough you serve us pigswill and give us rock hard beds without waking us at all hours of the morning.”
I opened the door. “Sorry to disturb you sir. I am Captain Matthews of the 11th Light Dragoons and we are here to rescue you.”
His wife’s head popped out of the bed and gave a little squeal. I put my fingers to my lips. “If you could refrain from making any noise and pack just what you need we will try to get you to safety.”