by Anne Barwell
Arlette gave him an annoyed look. Michel hid a smile and thanked Sébastien silently. “Good idea,” he said.
THE VILLAGE of Cyrville-sur-Mer wasn’t very big, but it had an active Resistance cell that had made its presence known in the Normandy area. Matt followed Arlette and Sébastien as they led the way to the church. He could see its steeple in the distance, towering over the two-story brick-and-mortar houses.
Arlette paused as they entered the square and shook her head in response to something Sébastien was saying to her. They were speaking French, and he couldn’t follow their conversation as they spoke quickly. While his understanding of the language was growing the longer they were in France, he was well aware of how much he still didn’t know.
“She’s still angry with Sébastien for suggesting she come with us,” Ken said softly from behind Matt. “I can hear it in her voice. Alexandre thinks she is sweet on Michel.”
“He’s not interested in her.” Matt still suspected Michel and Kristopher were together, although he hadn’t said anything to either of them. He’d noticed the glances they gave each other and the way Michel’s expression softened when he talked to Kristopher, but they’d gotten more discreet since Arlette and Sébastien had joined their group. If they were together, it complicated the conversation he still had to have with Kristopher about staying in France. Matt had wondered whether he should broach that subject with Michel first, but he wasn’t the easiest man to talk to.
“You’d think she’d get the hint. He’s made it clear enough.” Ken fell into step with Matt, walking next to him. He kept his voice low, though, so they wouldn’t be overheard, and continued speaking in English. “I hope he’s not making a mistake.”
“You think he should play along with her?”
“No, but he can’t tell her what we suspect is the truth either. If she reacts badly and reports it, they’ll be arrested.” Ken had sounded surprised when Matt had voiced his suspicions about Michel and Kristopher, but a couple of days later had agreed with him. “It’s an impossible situation, and she was angry enough when she found out we hadn’t told her about Holm.”
“She and Sébastien both,” Matt said. “He doesn’t show his anger as obviously as she does, but it’s there all the same. The tone of his voice changes, and he has a twitch above his left eye.”
Arlette and Sébastien began walking again, her shoes echoing against the cobbled street. Sébastien followed a little way behind her, his step more deliberate, and dragging one leg slightly behind him. She kept to the shadows once they’d crossed the square. A couple of villagers gave her a nod, and she replied in kind.
“I hope you’re not suggesting we tell them about our mission.” Ken slowed his pace to keep a decent distance between them and Arlette and Sébastien. Instead of crossing the square, he and Matt walked around the outskirts and took care not to draw attention to themselves.
“That’s not my decision, and even if it were, I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’re working with them because we have no choice, but be careful.” Matt hadn’t made up his mind yet about either of them. Arlette’s feelings toward Michel complicated things, and Sébastien asked too many questions.
Sébastien turned left and headed down a narrow street. He didn’t turn to check that Matt and Ken were still following. A couple more minutes led them to a house near the church. Arlette opened the door and went inside, but Sébastien waited outside for them to catch up.
“This house belongs to the church,” he explained. “It’s often used for meetings.” He ushered them inside.
To Matt’s surprise, there was no one there save a priest who looked up as they entered.
“Bonjour, je m’appelle Père Aubert.” Père Aubert stood and held out his hand.
Matt shook it. “Bonjour, Père,” he said. “Je m’appelle Julien.”
“Marcel,” Ken said, shaking the priest’s hand in turn.
Sébastien said something to Père Aubert in French. Aubert nodded and smiled.
“Welcome to our village,” he said in halting German. “My apologies. My German is not good.” He was an older man, at least in his sixties, with his hair graying at the temples.
“I don’t suppose you speak English, Father?” Ken asked hopefully in English.
“A little,” Aubert replied. He held up his thumb and forefinger, then narrowed the distance between them to about half an inch. “A very little.”
Probably as much as Matt spoke French, if that.
“Merci,” Matt said. “Can you tell him not to worry about it?” he asked Sébastien, “and thank him for his help.”
Sébastien nodded and said something to Père Aubert in French. The priest nodded and smiled. “Merci,” he said.
It appeared as though they would have to rely on Arlette and Sébastien to translate. As soon as he was able, Matt would organize for Michel to meet Père Aubert and confirm the information he’d been given matched what he was supposed to have been told. Liang too was fluent in French, and could be helpful in speaking directly to those helping them. Any report reaching Holm that a Chinese man had been sighted might alert him to their presence, but if Liang only spoke to those who knew they were there anyway, it wouldn’t be too big a risk. It would be worth it too, for ease of communication.
Given Holm most likely suspected they were in the area, they’d all need to keep out of sight. Not just because of that, but to prevent questions being asked about how they’d avoided the Service du Travail Obligatoire. They’d chosen Cyrville-sur-Mer as a location in part because there were only a couple of Germans posted nearby. Both of them had gone to Caen for the day, so it was safe for Matt and the others to be out in public. If they were stopped by the local Gendarmerie, they had papers feigning an injury to excuse them from their duty.
“Follow me.” Sébastien opened what looked like a cupboard door and knocked on it with a staccato pattern. The rhythm sounded familiar, but Matt couldn’t place it. Sébastien then pulled back the shelves, which were full of linen, to reveal another door behind it leading to steps. Matt followed Sébastien down into a room with no windows. Although it was well hidden, it also had the potential to become a trap.
He wondered if the room had once been a basement of sorts. A lone uncovered bulb provided enough light to see by, but it didn’t quite reach the corners of the room, leaving shadows skulking there that Matt decided he didn’t want to think about. He shivered, dismissing memories that were better left in the past where they belonged.
Two tables at right angles took up the center, with a collection of mismatched wooden chairs around one of them. The other held a radio set. Ken walked over to it immediately, examined it quickly, and then gave Matt a thumbs-up signal. Once they got the introductions out of the way, he’d want to use it.
Sébastien must have noticed Matt scanning the room. He smiled. “There is a trapdoor in the corner,” he said. “Don’t worry. We have no intention of being caught like rats down here.”
“Good,” Matt said, although he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Crawling through a tunnel to escape Reiniger once had been enough. He still felt embarrassed about how he’d reacted to the dark, enclosed space, but wasn’t sure he’d cope with it any better a second time.
Two men and a woman looked up as they entered. They were all a little younger than Matt and Ken but not by much. Arlette was already in the room talking animatedly with the woman. The conversation died as soon as she saw Sébastien.
What had they been talking about? Matt wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
The woman stood and held out her hand. “Bonjour, je m’appelle Cécile.” She indicated the men with her. “Nicolas and Théo.”
Matt shook hands with her and then with the men. “Bonjour,” he said. “Je m’appelle Julien.” He introduced Ken. “Marcel.”
Cécile nodded, then turned to Arlette.
“Cécile is our courier,” Arlette explained. “Nicolas, her husband, is very good with explosives. Théo is our radio
operator. They do not speak much German, so it is better if Sébastien and I interpret. There are others in our group, but we do not all meet at the same time. It is safer that way.”
“Yes, it is,” Matt agreed. “Once Marcel has contacted London, we’d like to work out how we can help you while we’re here.” They’d not sat idle while making their way across Germany, and this would be no different. He, Ken, and Michel had skills and experience that could be useful to the Resistance. Kristopher wouldn’t be happy being left out, but he was too valuable to risk in the field.
Arlette nodded and presumably translated what Matt had said. Nicolas replied in French and smiled. “All help is gratefully accepted,” she said. “They’ve lost a few men and women over the past months.”
“Contact your superiors,” Sébastien said, “and then we will go from there.” He said something to Théo, who hesitated, but then after Sébastien repeated whatever it was he’d said, he took Ken over to the radio set. “He is very protective of it,” Sébastien explained, “but I promised him you’re experienced and will give it the respect it deserves.”
“Merci,” Ken said. He sat down, examined it for a moment, then smiled. “He built this?” Sébastien nodded. “Tell him I’m impressed.”
It was a shame Ken and Théo couldn’t speak directly. It had been a while since Ken had had someone to talk to about his passion for radios. Matt followed along as best as he could, but despite his background as a mechanic before the war, his knowledge about the specifics of how to build a radio was limited. Perhaps Liang could translate for Ken so he and Théo could at least have a conversation of sorts.
As soon as Ken began tapping out the coded message, Matt turned away. He wasn’t about to hover, and he knew Ken didn’t appreciate it when he did. Ken would tell him what was said, and in the meantime, he’d do his bit to distract their new friends from listening in too closely.
“Is our lack of French going to be a problem?” he asked Sébastien. “We understand more than we speak, but it is limited. Benoit’s French is better than ours, though the language is new to him too. Alexandre is fluent, so perhaps he could help to save you and Arlette from having to continuously translate for us. He also doesn’t have much in the way of field experience, so doing that would work better too.”
“I figured he didn’t.” Sébastien looked thoughtful.
Liang had already told Matt about the conversation he’d had with Sébastien in the truck. If he wanted to think Liang carried the information they needed to get out of France, that was fine with Matt.
“Does Benoit have any field experience?” Arlette asked. “I’m guessing not, but I’m sure we can find something he can do.” She paused for a moment. “I wouldn’t have thought he was Jewish, but then appearances can be deceiving, and no one is what they seem in this war, are they?”
She was fishing for information, which Matt wasn’t prepared to give her. Better to let her think Kristopher was a Jew they’d helped escape from Germany. “Not always,” he agreed.
“We’re going to be here at least a couple of weeks.” Ken got up from the radio and walked over to Matt. “London says we are to wait for further instructions, but it may be a while. Meantime we are to help the local Resistance in any way we can, but….”
Matt guessed what was coming. “We keep the parcel safe and out of sight?”
“Yes, and they will organize extraction. They are sending someone to collect… it, so our mission is almost complete. He or she will be arriving next week with the supply drop.” Ken shrugged but didn’t comment further, although Matt had a fair idea what he was thinking.
When Ken had contacted London after Matt had been captured by Holm in Berlin, he’d been told that getting Kristopher and the information he carried to the Allies was the priority. Matt, and by extension the rest of the team, was expendable. Liang had already confirmed the validity of the formulae, so he was no long needed either.
If they survived the next few weeks, they’d be going home. Matt sighed. If London was sending someone to make sure Kristopher left France, their situation had just become even more complicated. He couldn’t put off the conversation he needed to have with Kristopher any longer. A decision would have to be made and soon. They were running out of time.
Chapter Eleven
“GET DOWN!” Michel hissed. He dived behind the shed next to the main station building and crouched low. Beside him, Ken laid a hand on his shoulder, pointed behind them, and shrugged.
Michel cocked his head, silently asking where the hell Sébastien and Nicolas were, but Ken shook his head. The two men had been a couple of meters behind him a moment ago.
This mission from the SOE wasn’t going according to plan at all. It was supposed to be straightforward—blow up a section of railway track to delay supplies being shipped to Caen this next evening. They had received the mission specs directly from London, so they knew it was an important one.
The shed they were hiding behind was part of an old railway station the Germans had taken over, so it wasn’t used by civilians. The station wasn’t always manned, and tonight it was supposed to be deserted. Why were these soldiers here?
“Search the area!” The Oberleutnant in charge barked the order. “You’re looking for explosives and anyone out after curfew.” Footsteps pounded the ground near them. At least six men if Michel had counted correctly. He heaved a sigh of relief as they passed by his hiding place, although it would only be a matter of time before they returned.
Not only were the soldiers here when they weren’t supposed to be, but they knew the Resistance had targeted this section of track that night.
Michel heard a noise to their left. He pulled his gun, ready to shoot whoever came around the corner.
“It’s just me,” Sébastien whispered. He ducked down to a crouch next to Michel and Ken. “Nicolas has gone to check the explosives. I told him not to, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“He’ll either get caught or blown to hell,” Ken said grimly. They were lucky the soldiers hadn’t found the explosives yet. It was only a matter of time before they did. “Either way, we need to stop him. That, and we need to retreat. We can’t risk any of us falling into enemy hands.”
“This mission needs to be completed.” Sébastien started to argue, but Michel voiced his disagreement.
“I agree with Marcel,” he said. “We’ve heard enough to know the soldiers are looking for explosives. For now they only suspect we’re still here, and I’d prefer we didn’t confirm it.”
“I overheard one of them talking just before,” Sébastien said. “They don’t just suspect we’re here. They know we are. Either we have a traitor in our cell, or it’s a very lucky guess we’d target this spot tonight.”
Ken glanced at Michel. “We’ll discuss that later. Michel, you and Sébastien get out of here. I’m going to get Nicolas. Whatever happens, keep going.”
“I’m not leaving you here,” Michel protested.
“Someone has to tell the others we’ve been compromised,” Sébastien said. “Nicolas knew the risks. We all did.”
“We’re wasting time arguing,” Ken said. “We’ve started this, and I want to see it through. Get out of here. Now.”
Michel thought quickly. “You’ll need a distraction.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a stick of plastic explosive. Nicolas had figured they probably wouldn’t need all the explosives they carried, and he’d been right. No point in wasting what could be put to good use next time, he’d said.
“That might work,” Ken said. “What are you planning to blow up?”
“What about this shed?” Sébastien suggested. “Nicolas has set his charges farther down the line, and it’s not as though we’re planning to stay here with those soldiers coming back.”
“Good idea.” Michel nodded. “Sébastien, you head back to the church now so you can pass the information on to the rest of the cell, and I’ll wait just long enough to give Marcel time to get to Nicolas.”
“And for the soldiers to come back around this way,” Ken pointed out the flaw in the plan.
“It’s going to take them at least ten minutes to secure the area. If we do this now, I have at least five before they return, and a couple to get clear.” Michel didn’t miss the dubious look on Ken’s face. “Don’t worry. I’ll set the charge with a long enough delay so I’m nowhere near it when it blows.”
“All right,” Ken said. “Just be careful. Don’t wait for me or Nicolas. We’ll meet both of you at the church.”
Sébastien nodded and slipped away into the darkness. Michel caught Ken’s shoulder before he could leave. “If I’m captured, tell Kit I’m sorry, and make sure he leaves the area immediately.”
“I will,” Ken said. He gave Michel a curt nod. “See you soon.”
KRISTOPHER LOOKED up in surprise when Matt placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him and then sat down on the chair opposite. “Thank you.” He’d wondered why Matt hadn’t volunteered for this mission when he seemed keen to be out in the field. It appeared he was about to find out. “What do you want to talk about?”
“That obvious, huh?” Matt’s voice was light but a little strained. Whatever it was he wanted to discuss wasn’t good.
“Just a little.” Kristopher took a sip of his tea, if it could be called that. Still, it was better than what was masquerading as coffee.
Michel, Ken, and Sébastien had left with Nicolas a couple of hours ago. Liang had gone with Arlette to the church. He’d said he wanted to learn more about the area, but Kristopher had overheard Matt asking him to speak to the members of the Resistance cell directly, as he didn’t need a translator. While Michel trusted Arlette, Kristopher didn’t, but suspected his feelings toward her were colored by her flirting with Michel.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do when it’s time to leave?” Matt asked.