‘The other woman who should be with you.’
‘She didn’t come,’ David said.
The German frowned, puzzled. He took off his balaclava. ‘Then who leads you?’
Ben said, ‘I dae, ye fuckin’ fat Nazi cunt.’ The tall thin man holding him twisted his arm violently, making him cry out. ‘Commie poof,’ the man spat, and David realized he was British. Eddie and Frank stood still, unmoving. Eddie’s eyes were full of rage but Frank’s were unfocused, looking straight ahead at the sea. David thought, it’s what he’s expected all along and he was right. We’re not going to be able to save him after all.
Sarah said, ‘That’s the man who interrogated me at Senate House. He’s dangerous, David!’
David looked into the man’s face. Under the streaks of charcoal it looked fat and puffy, but the mouth was a thin line and the eyes were clear and questing.
‘Who betrayed us?’ David asked.
The German smiled. ‘I tricked your friend Geoffrey Drax into letting some information drop. But mostly I worked it out myself, with the help of certain radio intercepts.’
‘Geoff? My God. He’s alive?’
‘No longer, I think. He was badly hurt. I am sorry, he was brave.’ He turned and went over to Frank. ‘Dr Muncaster?’ he asked quietly. ‘Remember me?’
‘Yes,’ Frank answered, just as softly.
Gunther nodded at the tall thin man holding Ben. ‘And you’ll remember Inspector Syme, who came with me to the hospital. You gave us a good run. This must have been a difficult time for you, a great strain.’ He spoke sympathetically. David thought, the bastard’s weighing him up for interrogation already.
Gunther sighed. ‘Well, it’s over now, Frank, you did your best. Relax, talk to us a little when we get you back to London, that’s all you need to do.’ He turned to the others and said, ‘Hold them while I search them.’ Methodically, he went through each of the prisoners’ pockets. He found Ben’s gun, and David’s, and handed them to Kollwitz and Kapp. He also dug out the suicide pills. He held them in the palm of his hand, then looked at Frank. ‘You do not have one?’ he asked.
Frank shook his head.
‘They were probably scared he’d top himself the first chance he got, like he tried at the hospital,’ Syme said mockingly.
Gunther turned to Ben. ‘Is that right?’
‘Yes.’ Ben looked at Frank. ‘I’m sorry, pal.’
Frank turned his head, his face working for a moment. ‘It’s okay,’ he mumbled.
‘Right,’ Gunther said briskly. ‘Get them tied up.’ He nodded at Sarah. ‘Start with her. I’ll cover you.’ He took out a gun. ‘Don’t try anything, Mrs Fitzgerald, or I’ll shoot you dead. You’re dispensable, you see. You’ve dyed your hair, haven’t you? You Resistance people, you are always so thorough. Now, keep your hands behind you.’ He produced several coils of strong wire from his pocket.
When her hands were tied Sarah’s captor pushed her roughly down on the pebbles and stood back. Then Gunther turned to Eddie. He had not uttered a word so far but as his hands were tied he said, ‘My father and uncle died in the Great War, they’re buried in Flanders. I’m only glad they took some of your people with them.’ His captor hit Eddie sharply on the side of the head before shoving him down on the shingle beside Sarah and tying his hands. Gunther looked at Frank, David and Ben, each still held with arms pinned behind them. Gunther nodded at Frank. ‘Him next.’ David saw Frank was shaking, breathing fast. Gunther pointed the gun at his leg. ‘I won’t kill you, we need you alive. But if you try anything I will shoot you in the knee.’
David watched as the tall German holding Frank released his hands and took a coil of wire from Gunther. David thought, he and Ben would be next and then it would be over for all of them. The man holding him leaned forward and whispered in his ear, ‘I was with Sturmbannfuhrer Hoth when he interrogated your friend, Drax.’ He chuckled. ‘He is so subtle, a master.’
David turned his head away, looked down to where Sarah and Eddie lay trussed up, the two Germans standing guard above them.
Suddenly two shots rang out, echoing round the cliffs, and both of the Germans staggered and fell. One crashed to the pebbles but the other fell across the prone figures of Eddie and Sarah; David saw a wash of blood spill out over them. Gunther whirled round. ‘Get the prisoners in front of you!’ he yelled to his three remaining men.
David was dragged around, pushed next to Frank and Ben. The three of them faced the promenade, forming a human shield for the two Germans and the Englishman holding them from behind. Gunther ran round behind them as well, feet crashing on the pebbles. Everyone was breathing hard, their breath visible in the cold air. David thought, Natalia’s here, she stayed behind to see us safe and saw the ambush. Natalia, who was a crack shot.
‘How many shooters?’ Gunther’s voice was a furious din.
Frank’s captor answered, his voice with its heavy German accent steady. ‘Only one, I think. I saw two flashes, same place.’
‘I want you to try and get him. I’ll hold Muncaster and cover you as well. Do you think you can do it, Kollwitz? I know it’s open ground.’
The German nodded at the groyne. ‘I can use the moonlight shadow for some cover.’ Turning his head, David saw the man called Kollwitz look at Gunther with cold, clear, fearless eyes.
‘Thank you,’ Gunther said.
David watched as Kollwitz ran to the groyne, zigzagging, crouched over, moving astonishingly fast. He glanced down at Sarah, one dead German sprawled over her, the other beside her. Their guns lay where they had fallen on the pebbles. There was a blotchy darkness on Sarah’s face, which David realized must be blood from the German. She stared up at him, she was breathing hard but her face was set. She gave him a brief nod. Eddie’s face was turned towards the promenade from where the shots had come.
Kollwitz had almost reached the top of the groyne when another shot rang out, echoing over the beach. This time David saw a flash of light from behind the promenade rails. Gunther saw it too; he fired at it instantly. Frank flinched away. David heard a cry from the promenade, a woman’s cry. He sagged in the arms of the man holding him. Gunther turned to Ben, his charcoal-streaked face furious. ‘It’s her, isn’t it, the Resistance woman? You posted her there on watch. That’s two of my men dead, you lying bastard.’
Ben didn’t reply. David watched as the dark, crouched figure of Kollwitz climbed the steps. He saw him walk up and down the promenade, as though he were looking for something, then wave his hands as a signal they were safe. David thought, is Natalia lying up there dead? He saw the dark figure of the German walk back down the steps and towards them. He was carrying another gun as well as his own. He said to Gunther, ‘Looks like you hit him, sir. There was a gun on the promenade and there’s a trail of blood leading to the path to the coast road. A lot, he’s hurt.’
‘She’s hurt,’ Gunther corrected him. ‘It was the woman. It’ll take her time to get back to her people, even if she makes it.’
‘I thought it better not to follow,’ Kollwitz said. ‘She’s harmless now.’
Gunther nodded. He drew a deep breath. ‘Right, let’s get the rest of them tied up. You next,’ he said to Frank, letting go his arms as he felt for another piece of wire in his pocket. Frank stood shivering violently.
And then he started to run. He almost overbalanced on the pebbles but he righted himself and stumbled on, towards the whispering line of the surf. It was surprisingly close now; the tide must be almost full.
Syme, who was holding Ben, laughed. ‘What are you doing, you silly cunt?’
Gunther, though, raised his gun. ‘Stop!’ he cried out urgently. ‘What are you trying to do?’ Frank stumbled on, almost in the sea now. Gunther lowered his pistol, aimed at Frank’s legs, and fired. Frank went down with a groan. Gunther stepped across the pebbles and leaned over him, turned him round. David saw Frank’s face, white with pain.
‘Why did you do that?’ Gunther asked. His voice was irritable, like that of a schoolmaster whose pupil had done something stupid. Frank didn’t reply. Gunther looked at his leg. ‘It’s just a flesh wound,’ he said, his voice reassuring now. ‘We’ll look after you.’ He took off the thick scarf he was wearing and began tying it tightly round Frank’s calf to make a tourniquet. Gunther called to Syme, ‘Come over here, help me get him up. Kollwitz and Kapp, watch the other two.’
Kollwitz stepped into Syme’s place, holding Ben’s arms behind him, as the lanky Special Branch man stepped over to Gunther. Together they pulled Frank to his feet. The German let Syme take Frank’s full weight. Frank stood
