by Anne Barwell
A couple of doors before the end of a long corridor, Michel and the others were led into an office. Holm sat at his desk, writing something in a thick file. He looked up when they entered and smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to remaking your acquaintance, Herr Lowe, and you too, Herr Schmitz, or whatever your real name is.” He inclined his head toward Arlette. “And where are my manners. Good evening, Fräulein. I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced, despite our correspondence.”
Correspondence?
Michel felt cold. “You’re the traitor?” It couldn’t be true. He’d trusted her. Mon Dieu, they’d grown up together. She was one of his oldest friends. He glanced at her, hoping to see denial and shock on her face. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze.
Holm spoke the truth. Michel felt anger rise in him, the emotions he’d tried to contain all boiling to the surface. He took a step toward her, but the end of a rifle butt across his back sent him sprawling to the floor.
“Why?” Michel struggled to his feet, but only got as far as his knees. “Pourquoi?” he asked her again.
Arlette turned to Holm. “This wasn’t our arrangement,” she said. “You were supposed to leave him out of this. I promised you the rest of his team. I said I’d deliver the English spy.”
English spy? Michel stared at her blankly. They didn’t have an English spy in their group. Surely she wasn’t referring to Liang? He was the only Englishman on their team and had already escaped Holm’s custody once. Liang wasn’t the target, had never been Holm’s target. Why had she promised Holm something that didn’t exist and she couldn’t deliver?
One of the soldiers dragged him to his feet. He stood, trying to steady himself, not just physically but emotionally.
Ken didn’t say anything. He didn’t look surprised, didn’t show any emotion at all.
“Oh, come now, Michel.” Margarete Huber walked into the room. How long had she been standing at the door, listening? “It’s so interesting watching people’s reactions, don’t you think? You’ve always struck me as so stoic, and yet now a simple betrayal shows your weakness.” She smiled. “But I doubt this woman is really your weakness, is she?”
Holm steepled his fingers. “We don’t have time for games, Fräulein Huber. You’ve proved your point about the usefulness of revealing this woman’s betrayal now instead of later. However, she hasn’t delivered what you promised me she would. This is hardly the rest of the team, now is it? After all, we still need the man she is convinced is an English spy.” He chuckled. “It’s interesting what people believe, isn’t it? What was that name he was using again? Ah yes. Kit.”
Michel swallowed. She’d betrayed them in order to deliver Kristopher to Holm? Why? And how had she known his real name? They’d been so careful.
Kristopher had said Liang thought Arlette was sweet on Michel. Was this some kind of misplaced jealously? Could she seriously believe Michel would want anything to do with her after this? Or that Holm would let her go after she’d given him what he wanted?
“I always said if we captured you, we’d soon have dear Kristopher.” Margarete walked over to Michel and looked him up and down. “So predictable, although I’m not entirely sure what he sees in you.” She ran one manicured finger across his cheek. He struggled not to flinch. His stomach churned. She’d touched Kristopher like this and tried to flirt with him. “To each his or her own, I suppose….” She shrugged.
Holm cleared his throat. “Still playing your games, Fräulein Huber?” He nodded toward one of the soldiers, the one guarding Arlette. “Release her. I have a task for her.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t hurt Michel if I delivered the English spy to you,” Arlette said. “Let him go. Please.”
Did she really think Holm would agree to her terms?
“He’ll kill us all,” Michel said calmly. “You’re a fool, Arlette. A traitor and a fool.”
“I am a man who keeps his promises, Fräulein,” Holm said. “I haven’t hurt him. However, you still need to keep your side of our arrangement. If you don’t, I can’t guarantee his safety, or your own. It wasn’t difficult to find out who you are, and once I had, naturally I sent someone to watch and apprehend you. It made sense that you wouldn’t be far from the man you seem so determined to protect, so I told Reiniger to wait until you were together, and an easy target. Your friend, in turn, will give me the man I seek. We are fighting a war, after all. Lehrer is a traitor to his country. I am merely pursuing justice.” He nodded toward one of his soldiers.
“He’s not a—” Michel felt the barrel of a gun press against his head.
Arlette looked suddenly unsure. She glanced at Michel.
“It’s your choice, Fräulein. I presumed you cared for this man. Obviously I was mistaken.” Holm shrugged. “Perhaps I should kill him now. If you refuse to honor our agreement, why should I keep my promise?”
“Let Michel go, and I’ll deliver the English spy.” Arlette’s voice wavered. “I’ll do whatever you want me to.” Her shoulders slumped. “I was so careful. They shouldn’t have found me… us.”
“A wonderful decision, my dear, although I think it might be for the best if we keep Michel for a while longer.” Margarete smiled. “Standartenführer Holm is quite right. Why should he keep his promise when you haven’t kept yours? However, despite that, he has still offered you another chance. This way there is still a small probability your friend might live. Isn’t that right, Herr Holm?”
Holm stood, walked around the front of his desk, and handed Arlette an envelope. “Deliver this to Herr Doktor Lehrer. A soldier will escort you to Cyrville-sur-Mer.”
“I said I’d give you the Englishman. I don’t know any Doktor Lehrer,” Arlette said. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do.” Margarete nodded toward the envelope. “Just as I’m sure Kit Lehrer can be persuaded to do the right thing and give himself up. Be sure to tell him that we have his close friend.” She gave Holm a nod. “I’ll escort you myself just to be sure that this nice soldier treats you properly. After all, we women need to look out for each other, don’t we?”
The soldier marched Arlette from the room at gunpoint. She glanced back at Michel and mouthed, “Je suis désolée,” but he ignored her.
Kristopher was still free. Whatever the contents of Holm’s note, he had to stay safe. Michel’s life wasn’t important. He wouldn’t let himself be used to… oh God.
The invasion was close. If he could just hold out for a few more days….
“Take him away,” Holm said, “and tell Reiniger to come to my office. I wish to speak with him.”
The soldier saluted. “Yes, Standartenführer.” He shoved his gun in Michel’s back and pushed him toward the door.
Ken started to follow, but Holm shook his head.
“Not you, Herr Lowe. I wish to speak with you. Our conversation was interrupted last time, and we still have much to talk about.” Holm smiled. “You’ve said nothing since your arrival. Let’s see what we can do about that, hmm?”
“We don’t have anything to talk about, Herr Holm,” Ken said. “There is nothing left. It’s all been said.”
Michel turned at the door and caught Ken’s eye. Ken gave him a brief nod. The door closed between them, and Michel was led away.
Chapter Fifteen
“WHERE ARE they?” Kristopher glared at his watch again. It was well past curfew, and neither team had returned.
He and Liang had reached the bush a safe distance from the cottage, stayed there until dark, and then made their way to the church. Esser had left the area shortly before dusk, leaving half- a-dozen men standing guard.
“Stop pacing,” Liang said. “It’s not going to make them get here any faster, and it’s more sensible to save your energy in case we need to make a run for it.”
“Cécile’s keeping watch outside the church,” Nicolas said. “So far it appears as though only the one safe house has been compromised.” He pursed his lips. “If yo
ur friends do not return soon, it doesn’t bode well. Either they have been caught, or they know we’ve been betrayed. I want to know how they’d know. Were they lucky like you were, or—”
“Our friends are not traitors.” Kristopher didn’t want to argue about that now. “Something’s wrong. I know it is.”
“They might be waiting until it’s safe to return,” Liang said. “If the safe house isn’t the only place crawling with soldiers, it would be sensible to find somewhere to hide and stay there for a while.” He glanced over at Théo, who was focused on his radio set. He’d been attached to the thing night and day since the message about the invasion had been broadcast on the BBC. “How well do you know Sébastien?”
“Surely you don’t think he’s a traitor?” Kristopher didn’t know Sébastien that well, but his gut feeling was that he could be trusted.
“I’ve worked with Sébastien since we formed this cell.” Nicolas blew his nose before continuing. “I trust him, and Arlette. I haven’t seen Michel in years, and I know nothing about you and your American friends. What proof do I have that you’re not double agents?”
It seemed Sébastien had shared what he’d discovered, which explained why no one from the cell had asked many questions. There was no need to if they already knew.
Théo looked up from his radio. “Sébastien wouldn’t betray us,” he said. Although he spoke French, it appeared he knew more German than he’d let on, or he wouldn’t have been able to follow their conversation.
“Unless we work together, we won’t have to wait to be discovered. We’ll betray each other,” Kristopher said. “Théo, how much German do you understand?” Arlette had implied he knew very little.
“Enough. They transmit in German, after all.” Théo narrowed his eyes. “You know more French than you claim to. I’ve seen you listening to our conversations.”
“I know enough,” Kristopher said. His French had improved a lot over the past few weeks, although he understood more than he spoke.
“Let’s pick a language and stick to it,” Liang suggested. “I can translate in either direction if there are any problems. Perhaps French as we are in France and guests of your cell?”
“I have no intention of speaking German unless I have to,” Théo said.
“Fine, that’s sorted, then,” Liang said quickly, “at least for now. Once our friends return, it would be easier to speak German as their French is not as good.”
“You can translate,” Théo said. He turned back to his radio.
“I think I liked him better when he didn’t say much,” Liang muttered in English.
Kristopher gave Liang a look of disapproval. Just because Théo hadn’t told them he didn’t speak English didn’t mean he couldn’t understand it. Until they discovered who the traitor was, they’d need to be careful.
Had coming to the church been a good idea? What if Cécile had offered to keep watch so she could more easily betray them to the men hunting them? It would be easy to lead their pursuers directly to this room beneath the church. There were only two exits—the stairs and the trapdoor. Easy enough to block off the door at the top of the stairs, and she’d know where the tunnel at the end of the trapdoor led to as well.
Kristopher massaged his temples. Surely if that were the case, she wouldn’t betray her husband? Nicolas would be caught with the rest of them.
“Headache?” Liang asked. When Kristopher nodded, Liang gave him a sympathetic nod. “Hopefully we will—”
A series of knocks at the door interrupted him.
Nicolas put his fingers to his lips, signaling silence, and sprinted up the stairs leading to the church. He rapped a simple rhythm on his side of the door, then drew his gun. A moment later, there was a reply from the other side—a code Kristopher and the others hadn’t been told about.
“Wonderful,” Liang said. “So if it had been us, they wouldn’t have let us in.”
“It’s a wise precaution.” Kristopher swallowed, edging closer to the bottom of the stairs. Please let it be Michel. He had to be all right.
As soon as the door opened, Matt pushed past Sébastien and scanned the room. “Where’s Ken?” he asked. “Have you heard anything?”
Nicolas shook his head. He pressed back against the wall so Matt and Sébastien had room to pass him.
“The Germans were waiting for us.” Sébastien followed Matt down the stairs. He sounded tired, and his shirt was splattered with mud. “We had to walk back and hide in a ditch to avoid a patrol near the safe house. I thought they’d never leave.”
“The other team hasn’t returned yet,” Kristopher said. His stomach clenched. If it wasn’t only the safe house that had been compromised, and Michel was still out there…. Please no. “If Holm knew where you’d be, there’s a good chance he had men waiting for them too.” His voice shook. He forced himself to calm. They could be hiding somewhere, waiting.
“They also knew about the truck.” Matt’s voice sounded husky, as though he was fighting to keep his emotions under control. “What makes you think these men are working for Holm? Cécile told us the safe house was compromised and that you barely escaped capture.”
“If you hadn’t insisted we return here instead of the safe house, we would have been caught too,” Sébastien said slowly.
“Esser was there,” Liang said. “Remember him? He told you he was on his way to report to Holm when he stopped our truck outside Bétheny. Then you said you saw him again at Pont-Audemer when Jacques was arrested. I could have sworn he saw us, although he didn’t call his men. I’m still trying to figure out what the hell he’s playing at.”
“Wait a moment.” Sébastien held his hand up for silence. “Ken is Marcel’s real name? Oui?”
“Oui,” Matt confirmed. Denying his slip now wouldn’t achieve anything. He glanced at Kristopher and Liang. “It looks as though we have a traitor. You’re right, Benoit. This was too well thought out,” he said grimly. “If they were at the safe house too, we have to think about the possibility that the whole mission was compromised. Ken’s team took out the secondary target, so they should be back by now. My guess is that they’re either in hiding or were arrested shortly afterward.”
“I’m sorry,” Kristopher murmured. “I should have listened to you in the first place. I must have been wrong about why you were nearly caught when—”
“Your reasoning was sound,” Liang said, “and we’ve had several successful missions since we started using your tactics. Feeling guilty isn’t going to help anyone.”
“Perhaps now would be a good time to tell us why the SS is after you.” Sébastien moved toward the bottom of the stairs, blocking the way out.
“If our operation has been completely compromised, why isn’t the church already overrun with soldiers?” Matt spoke slowly and watched Sébastien carefully. Did he think Sébastien was going to turn on them?
“My guess is because the traitor has decided to keep this location safe for some reason,” Nicolas said. “Keep himself safe while he betrays the rest of us.” He leveled his gun at Matt.
“We need to work together,” Matt said, shaking his head. He raised his hands slowly in a sign of surrender. “We’re wasting time, and this is probably what our enemies want. Why spend resources finding us if all they have to do is wait for us to make a mistake and reveal ourselves because we’re too busy squabbling?”
Sébastien snorted. “It doesn’t dismiss the fact that someone has betrayed us. I think we need to find them and hand them over. Perhaps even trade them for our own people. After all, this Holm wants your team for a reason.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or perhaps not all of your team? After all, Esser saw Alexandre and Benoit and didn’t arrest them. Perhaps that is because they are the traitors?” He glanced at Matt. “And it was your decision to avoid the safe house. Was that because you already knew it was compromised?”
“That’s ridiculous,” Liang said. “If we were traitors, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation. You’d all be in cu
stody, and the church would be surrounded.”
“You could be waiting for Arlette’s team to return first.” Nicolas had edged across the room as they’d talked so he now stood on top of the trapdoor, blocking the other exit from the room. “Your friend Holm wouldn’t have to worry about finding them later, then, would he?”
“We don’t have time for this,” Kristopher snapped. “I’m not going to stand around arguing while Holm or Reiniger could be doing God knows what to M—our friends.”
Matt stepped in front of Nicolas, and his gun. “My name is Captain Matt Bryant, and I’m part of a joint operation between the SOE and OSS to smuggle important information out of occupied Europe.” He indicated Liang. “This is Zhou Liang, and—” Matt turned to glance at Kristopher. “—Paul Reichel. Ken Lowe is a sergeant in the US Army.”
“Reichel is a German name.” Nicolas eyed Kristopher suspiciously.
“I already told you I was German,” Kristopher said evenly. It was better that Matt hadn’t given Kristopher’s real name. Although they needed these men to trust them, it would be foolish to tell them too much. He moved to stand next to Matt, as did Liang at the same time to flank Matt’s other side. “There are many of us who do not agree with what Herr Hitler and his men are doing. I’m fighting for my country, just as you are for yours.”
Nicolas reholstered his gun. “Arlette is convinced you’re an English spy,” he said, “but I don’t believe her. You’re taking more of a risk claiming to be German, so I’m inclined to think you’re speaking the truth.”
“Thank you.” Kristopher couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that, although they’d achieved this small victory, something was still terribly wrong.
“We can’t tell you the specifics of our mission. It’s classified, but it is very important to the war effort.” Matt lowered his arms. “If this information falls into the hands of the enemy, it won’t matter how close the Allied invasion is. This victory will be a short one, and many people will die.”