In another pub in Byker, another group of three men were also having a beer. They were ensconced in the back room with their heads down and in quiet but earnest conversation. They addressed each other as ‘comrade’ and spoke of their fight against the capitalist forces. Sean Byrne had Irish ancestry and his family had a history of supporting socialism. Sean was member of the Communist Party and he had been to Moscow. The other two men were members of the Labour Party and avowed socialists. They all worked at Wensley Electronics and one of them, Sam Wilson, worked directly on the radar project. Sean’s reputation kept him off defence projects but also kept him from being sacked. Sam Wilson was speaking. “I’ve managed to cause some delays by taking spare parts from the test areas but we really need to get to the store and remove the whole stock of some parts. They don’t keep many spares at this stage. Getting into the store is the problem. It is too well policed.”
Sean responded. “If you can get to a part called the klystron and sabotage it, there isn’t a spare here at present. If we can do that then we cause a major delay. That part is made elsewhere and it will have to be shipped in from Manchester. If we can do this it will be a victory for our Socialist comrades against the capitalists.” They went on to discuss how they might achieve this. What Sean didn’t tell the other two was that he had received instructions from Moscow to steal the klystron for shipment to the USSR.
In a pleasant suburban house in Harrow, Hamilton was getting changed to take his wife out to dinner. He was often away from home and he and his wife made the most of the time when he wasn’t. Their children were both away at university. He wondered how his wife had put up with his absences all these years but they were happy together. She knew that he worked for the Government but that was all and had patiently accepted that he couldn’t talk about his work. On Monday he would be heading north to do some ‘inspections’, as he had put it. He had finished his time with the RAF as a squadron leader and accepted an offer to work for the Department of Defence but actually in MI5. She thought it must some sort of inspection/investigation work that took him away a lot and left it at that. They had spent the day working in the garden and it had been a satisfying time for both of them. Hamilton had deliberately switched off from his work, knowing that he would go back refreshed for doing so. Tomorrow they would drive up to Oxford to see their son, their daughter being at Cambridge. He savoured the thought of spending time as a family again. Thinking of where they would eat tonight, Hamilton would have liked to eat at home, being tired of eating out when away from home. However, it was his wife he had to think of now. They had a table booked at a local hotel restaurant which had always had a good cuisine.
Back in Manchester, Major Garasov was also getting changed but to attend a formal dinner. He was changing into a dinner suit and bow tie and disliked the fiddly buttons for the dress shirt. Garasov had to accompany the consul. The dinner was an invitation affair by the English department of the Manchester University, celebrating works of Russian authors. The consul was the keynote speaker for the evening. Like Hamilton, Garasov was putting aside the worries of the week and planning to relax for the evening. Hopefully, there would be some stimulating conversation about Russian literature and perhaps some pleasant female company. On the morrow he would drive out to Todmorden to go hiking in the Pennines. No doubt he would have a ‘shadow’ from MI5 but that wouldn’t worry him. They would both get some much-needed exercise.
***
After a leisurely Sunday (25th) breakfast, the three corporals changed into civilian clothes and headed out of the base in Lance’s car. They crossed to the old Military Road, built from stone taken from the Hadrian’s Wall, and travelled west towards Corbridge. It was also the main road to Carlisle. On the way there, Lance talked about the old Roman remains that had been excavated. The one he thought particularly impressive was Housesteads Fort and like Lance, the other two airmen were impressed with the underfloor heating of the barracks. They turned into the main street of Corbridge and drove through to the western end. A large old stone house was set back from the road and Lance turned into the driveway up to the house. The house was set in well-tended grounds and there was a sense of modest affluence about the place. By the time they pulled up, the front door opened and a tall man in a tweed sports-jacket came out to greet them. He was followed by an attractive lady with greying hair. John and Judith Walton were in their late forties. They had a comfortable, relaxed air about them and greeted the young airmen in a friendly, welcoming way. The lounge was adorned with paintings of the Tyne from different eras and an upright piano was against one wall. They were invited to sit and offered coffee. As they relaxed and exchanged pleasantries, two young women, aged twenty years, walked into the room. They were auburn-haired and younger versions of their mother. The three young men jumped to their feet, Lance grinning at the surprised faces of his fellow servicemen. John Walton introduced his twin daughters, Alice and Anne. They wore blouses and skirts that showed off their figures, to the interest of the young men. Judith suggested that they have a light lunch and then drive out to Housesteads as a group. The young men were invited to stay for dinner afterwards and they readily agreed. As they talked, the front door bell peeled and Anne ducked out of the room. She came back with another young woman of a similar age and introduced her as Margaret Muir. When it was known that three men were to visit, the twins had invited their friend to make up the group. Soon, Judith and the young women left the room to prepare the lunch and left the men to talk. John invited them to go out to the shed to see his pride and joy. It was a 1926 Sunbeam Special — a two-seat sports car with a long bonnet and a massive engine. It looked more like a racing car. The three airmen drooled over it and a lively discussion over its capabilities ensued. A call by Judith from the house brought them back for lunch. It was set on a table capable of seating ten persons. The table and chairs were made of oak and polished to show the grain. John and Judith sat at each end of the table with the young women on one side and the men on the other. It soon became clear that Lance and Anne were interested in each other as they immediately moved to sit facing each other. Dan was placed to face Margaret and Andy to face Alice. It would seem that the women had already made their choices. Dan and Andy were quite relaxed about it. There was a lively conversation over lunch that made everyone feel relaxed and when they headed out to the cars, Alice suggested that Andy travel with her and her parents. The other two young women would go with Lance and Dan. John drove a Rover 12 — a big comfortable car suited for country driving. They headed out to Housesteads and on the way John and Judith talked about their interest in the history of the region. Hadrian’s Wall was the instant ‘attention grabber’ but there was so much more to see and know. They talked of a second wall up in Scotland that was abandoned because it was so difficult to hold. Effectively, Northumberland had been outside of Roman control and the Wall was the northern-most point of the Roman Empire. They talked of Roman camps and villas that lay in the area. The cars pulled up alongside the main road and they walked across it and across a field to the Wall itself. It was clear that the young women shared the interest of John and Judith but not to the same extent. They were proud of the historical heritage of the area but had other interests also. Climbing up onto the Wall, it was impressive. They were told that the Romans used to drive a horse and chariot along the top. From the Wall they were led on a tour of the fort. Alice chatted with Andy as they walked and asked questions about him as she talked about herself. She said that she worked for her father’s firm in Hexham. He was a chartered accountant in practice there with two other accountants. Her sister, Anne, worked for a firm of solicitors, also in Hexham. Alice found out that Andy was from Alnwick and that his father was in legal practice there. She said that she loved hiking and was part of a group that went out on trips to the Pennines and the Cheviots for hikes. Andy talked of his interest in mountaineering. For keeping fit, Alice said that she and Anne attended judo classes in Hexham. She asked if Andy had any interest in th
ose sports. He said he had a little experience through the RAF but didn’t give any details. They chatted on, in between listening politely to John and Judith describing the ruins and talking of events, like the disappearance of the Ninth Legion when it went north of the Wall and never returned. Lance and Anne were similarly interested in all the history and suggested a quick visit to Vindolanda, not far away. Sensibly, John and Judith suggested that afterwards they go to Bardon Mill for afternoon tea and then a walk along the Tyne before returning to their home. The others agreed and they piled into the cars and headed to Bardon Mill. Being Sunday, the local pub was not open for business, having closed at 2.00 p.m., but a tea-room next door was open. Andy found himself being drawn to this young woman, Alice, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Was it the rural atmosphere that he loved or was there something more? He felt it was the latter. To him, this was no ordinary young woman. The afternoon tea over, they headed down to the river bank. John and Judith excused themselves to go and visit a plant nursery, leaving the young people to their own devices. Dan and Margaret decided to go and look at the old church instead of a river walk. Soon Andy and Alice found themselves alone as Lance and Anne dallied by the bank to watch some ducks, an excuse to be alone. They came across some hazel trees and stopped to see if there were any nuts on it. Andy noticed some near the top of one of the trees and climbed up to get them. As he reached them and pulled them free of the branch, Anne yelled to him to throw them down. She jumped to catch them, full of laughter. Andy climbed down and went to look for a stone to crack the nuts open. They found a flat one and then a rock on the river bank. Sitting down they proceeded to break the shells and get the kernels to eat. Handing one to her, she took it and seemed to hold onto his hand, a look on her face that said something more than friendship. He found himself responding, wanting to hold her but refrained. To break the disturbing moment Andy turned and threw the shells into the River Tyne, watching them slowly sink, drifting downstream with the current. They ate the nuts, Andy thinking, ‘This is more than nuts, it’s crazy!’ He had known her only a few hours. As they looked at each other, Andy caught a movement in the tree and, turning, saw a red squirrel looking for nuts. He touched Anne’s arm and pointed toward the tree, putting his finger to his lips for her to be quiet. They grew still and as they watched the squirrel, Alice put her hand on his arm, entranced by the moment. He felt as though an electric current was running through his arm. The moment was broken by shouting. It was Lance calling to them to return. The squirrel disappeared, disturbed by the noise, and the tension broke. Andy helped Alice to her feet and as they started back, she put her hand in his and held it tight. He returned the pressure and looked at her. She smiled as she returned the look, happiness on her face and in her walk. When they neared the others, Alice let go of his hand and put her arm through his. Anne looked at her sister with a questioning look but received no response. The four of them walked back up to where the cars were parked. Dan and Margaret were nearby discussing church architecture while they saw John and Judith walking back with a couple of plants in pots. After a few words of greeting, they got into their respective cars and headed back to Corbridge, Judith using the Roman name of Corstopitum. Sensing something different about her daughter, Judith nudged her husband. John took the cue. “Andy, I used to know a solicitor in Newcastle years ago by the name of Hill. Any relation of yours?”
“It may have been my father,” Andy replied. Questions and answers established that John and Andy’s father had known each other in their younger years of practice. John said that he would like to renew the contact and Andy said he would give the details when they got back to the house. In the back seat, Andy felt Alice squeezing his hand. Clearly, she was happy at the news. For Andy, it was all happening too quickly. In one sense he was elated but in another he wanted to get out of the car and disappear.
Back at the house, John opened the drinks cabinet and the men opted for a beer while the ladies opted for sherry. The ladies headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner while the men talked. John asked them about shooting and they all replied that they knew how to. “Good,” he said, and took them through to his study and showed them his gun rack. John said that he went out after rabbits and pigeons mainly. Occasionally he had been invited to a “shoot” for grouse but preferred the local wildlife. The rack contained a single and a double-barrelled shotgun, as well as a .22 rifle and an old Lee-Enfield .303. The young men were all familiar with the .303, it being a service rifle. John suggested that they come back one day and they’d go out looking for rabbits and pigeons. He said that Judith did a brilliant job of cooking them and they were good eating. There was a discussion on the different ways they had each tried to catch rabbits, with varying degrees of success. At a call from Judith, John suggested that they all wash before dinner and led them to a bathroom with towels laid out. It was a friendly, almost boisterous dinner and the time passed quickly. At 8.30 p.m. Lance suggested that they had better head back to base. As they were saying their goodbyes, Alice gave Andy a folded sheet of paper and told him to contact her. While it was a formal goodbye, the look Alice gave Andy was far from formal. The young men got into Lance’s car and he reversed out of the drive, the Walton family and Margaret waving them off. They headed back, all keeping quiet for a while, deep in their own thoughts. It was a day to remember. Later, they would discuss the day and the relationships.
***
Andrei Garasov had started his day feeling quite elated. The previous evening’s dinner at Manchester University had been a great success in more ways than one. Despite the Cold War between their nations, there was a respect for the cultural heritage of each. The consul’s speech had been well received and the informal discussions afterwards had been stimulating. Garasov had been seated next to a senior lecturer who lectured on Russian authors. They shared a mutual admiration for Tolstoy, not just for his literary ability but also for his social achievements. Dr Janet McLaren was not the old grey-haired lecturer in tweeds that one tended to imagine but an attractive brunette in her early thirties. Her doctorate had, in fact, been on the social consequences of the writings and practice of selected Russian authors. Coupled with her other degrees, she was an accomplished academic but with a social conscience, preferring to be with a ‘red-brick’ university to the older and more famous ones of England. Toward the end of the evening, Janet, having found out how he planned to spend the Sunday, had asked Andrei if she could join him on his hike in the Pennines on the morrow. He was pleasantly surprised and readily agreed. Janet had said that she lived near Stockport and suggested that he get a train to Stockport and then they drive out in her car. Andrei had agreed with her as it could mean they would not be as easily followed. He was happy to change his plans on where to hike. The consulate driver dropped him off at Piccadilly Railway Station and he caught a train to Stockport. Janet was waiting at the station and he joined her in the car and they headed out to Edale. They hiked up to ‘Kinder Scout’ and then on to ‘The Peak’. Conversation slowed as they climbed up to each peak and picked up again on the downward slopes. Following the ridge towards ‘Featherbed Top’, they decided to turn east and follow the burn down to the Snake Pass Inn for lunch. The interest in each other grew as the day wore on. Driving back to Manchester, Janet invited Andrei to her home for a meal but he suggested that they go to a Chinese restaurant that he knew. Before getting romantically involved, Andrei would have Janet checked out in case she was linked in to a British intelligence agency. He needed to be careful in his position. Janet understood his reticence about dinner at her home so soon in the friendship. Since she had suggested going out with him for the day, he had a right to be cautious. They ate at a restaurant not far from the university and the evening passed pleasantly. Andrei suggested that he get a taxi from there to the consulate, where he had rooms. This would avoid her being put on record by those who kept watch on the consulate. Janet gave a wry smile and wondered at the thought of being on the records of British or American intelligence.
Driving home, she giggled at the thought of being branded a ‘Mata Hari’ but pleased that Andrei suggested they meet again. Major Andrei Garasov let out a deep breath of satisfaction as he was let into the consulate. A pleasant memory but tomorrow would be another day.
Red Hawk Rising Page 8