The Odin Mission

Chevannes shook his head. 'In broad daylight? It would be better to lie up here today, and head off this evening when all is quiet.'

'I agree,' said Larsen. 'Think how far we got last night. If we wait until dark we can drive to here.' He pointed to a spot on Anna's map a few miles west of Vinstra, where the road rejoined the main Gudbrandsdal valley. 'Then we can head over the mountains to Sjoa, west of Kvam, perhaps be there by early next morning.'

Tanner sighed with exasperation. 'Look,' he said, 'it's clear that Jerry knows about the professor. I was already pretty sure of that before I heard about that radio announcement. Think. First we were chased through the mountains. Then last night they were waiting for us to cross at Tretten, and this morning we were given three passes by an enemy reconnaissance plane. Now the Germans have put out a broadcast about us. They're going to be looking for us, and if Sandvold's as precious as I think he is, then they're not going to stop looking until they've found him. We should get going while we've got the chance to keep one step ahead of the bloody Bosches.'

'No,' insisted Chevannes. 'We should lie low until evening, even if that means hiding in the mountains.'

'We should make as much ground now while we have the chance,' Tanner countered. 'Mr Sulheim has offered us his truck. It's sitting there now. Instead of arguing, let's head north, towards the Allies.'

'Sergeant, not for the first time, I would like to remind you that I am the senior officer here, the one in command, not you. And I am ordering us to stay where we are.'

'But this is madness!' said Tanner. 'Do you think those Germans who attacked us last night are going to sit quiet all day? They'll be swarming all over this valley.'

'You were happy enough for us to lie up yesterday,' said Chevannes.

'Yesterday we had no choice. We were exhausted, short of food and had nowhere to go. That's not the case today. We're still reasonably fresh and we have a chance to get a long way north, an option that was not open to us yesterday. Please, sir, I implore you, don't delay. Let's go now, while we have the chance.'

'No,' said Chevannes. 'If the Germans come looking for us today, then fine - we will hide in the mountains and come back down this evening.'

Tanner put a hand to his brow. 'We can't afford to lose another whole day if we don't have to,' he said slowly. 'We have the chance to drive north now, away from the enemy. It's madness.' He turned to Professor Sandvold. 'Professor, surely you see that?'

'How dare you try to undermine me?' shouted Chevannes. 'I have made my decision, Tanner and you will abide by that.'

Sandvold shrugged. 'Both options seem fraught with risk, Sergeant,' he said. 'Please - I am not the one to make such a decision.'

Sulheim now coughed. 'I have a suggestion,' he said. 'I have a seter up in the forest. It's quite a climb but no one has used it in years and it's deep in thick forest. You would never be seen from the air and I don't think any German would find you. I can take you there now. Tonight I will come and get you when the coast is clear.'

'That settles it,' said Lieutenant Larsen. 'We stay here today and head out tonight.'

'If we're still able to,' snarled Tanner.

Larsen turned to him. 'Sergeant, this is not about you and the lieutenant. This is about what is best - best for the professor and for all of us. I am sorry - but I agree with Lieutenant Chevannes.'

So, thought Tanner, that's that. As they went back outside, Chevannes called everyone together. When the men were gathered round him, he said, 'Today we lie up in the mountains. Tonight we continue our journey north in Monsieur Sulheim's truck. Now, vite, we get going.'

Tanner could see the expression on Sykes's face. 'Don't say it,' he growled. 'It's insanity. That man has no brain. Neither does Lieutenant Larsen, for that matter.'

'Isn't it time we left them to it, Sarge?'

'For God's sake, Stan, how can we? Sulheim's not going to lend us his truck without the Norwegians, is he? I tried to persuade the professor but he said it wasn't his place to make a sodding decision. And anyway, I made a solemn vow.'

Sykes nodded doubtfully.

'All right, Stan,' snapped Tanner, 'but what if Sandvold is as important as Gulbrand made out? Think about it. Would these Jerries be after us if he wasn't? It's our bloody duty to do the right thing.' He sighed. 'Look, if you want to try and make a go of it on your own, you and the other lads, I won't stop you. But I've got to stick by him and somehow get him back to our lines, despite that bastard's every effort to stop us. If that means wasting another bloody day, so be it.'

'Don't worry, Sarge, I'm not going to bugger off. I don't like it, mind, but as you say, we have to sweat it out. God knows, though, this place could be swarming by the evening.'

It was largely because Hauptmann Zellner had waited until mid-morning for useless Luftwaffe reconnaissance reports that the fugitives could leave Merit Sulheim's farm safely and make their way across a wooden footbridge, over grey pastures and into the dense pine forest that covered the steep western slopes of the valley. By following a mountain brook they hid their progress and were able to reach the heart of the forest without a trail of tracks in the snow. The seter, when they reached it, was overgrown with young shoots of alder and pine, the entrance and shuttered window thick with ageing cobwebs. As a place to hide, it was, Tanner admitted, hard to fault. A short distance below, a little clearing that offered a good view of the river, road and the cluster of farmsteads that made up the community of Alstad. It was there that Tanner settled to watch any activity in the valley.

A truckload of German soldiers reached the church just before midday, and Tanner watched as they began their search, one by one, of the farms. Eventually another truck of troops arrived and aircraft flew up and down the valley, then over the mountains but, as Sulheim had predicted, they seemed unable to spot any movement in the thick forest below. Tanner wondered whether that morning's old man had squealed. He could see through his binoculars that soldiers were now searching the place. Sure enough, not long after, a number of troops hurried down the track and made for Sulheim's farm. As they reached it, Tanner hardly dared breathe. He hoped Sulheim held his nerve; hoped he'd be as good as his word and not say anything to the enemy troops now swarming over his house and farm. Then he remembered the truck. Surely the Germans would spot it and requisition it. He cursed once more.

Hauptmann Zellner banged his fist hard on the kitchen table. He was pleased to note that not only did the wife flinch but the farmer too. 'I know they were here, Herr Sulheim,' he said, each word spoken slowly and clearly.

'And so they were,' said Sulheim, eyes wide, 'but they left again. I turned them away.'

Zellner stared at him. 'But why would you? They had your fellow countrymen with them. Are you not a patriot, Herr Sulheim?'

'I - that is we - heard the announcement on the radio.

That you were looking for these men. I am a patriot but I love my family more. I didn't want to put them at risk.'

'But you have a truck, do you not?'

'Yes, and they wanted it, but it's not working at the moment.'

'Not working?'

'No - something wrong with the alternator, I think.'

'Did they try to get it to work?'

'They tried but, as I said, it's broken down.'

'Show me.'

Sulheim shot a nervous glance across the room to his wife, then led him out of the house and across the yard to one of the outbuildings where the truck now stood.

'Lift the bonnet,' Zellner ordered. He had no idea how engines worked and called one of his men. In German