don't know. You don't think maybe we're becoming overly suspicious?'
'I don't know. I still think those Stukas arriving was odd. No buzzing around beforehand. They came straight over. Knew exactly who we was and where ... Sarge?'
'I'm thinking, Stan, if any one of us could have had the time to make some kind of signal.'
Sykes shrugged.
Tanner said, 'I suppose someone could. Unlikely, but possible.'
'So?'
'We keep this to ourselves and watch everyone - the Norwegians at any rate.' They walked on in silence, Tanner deep in thought. It seemed so fantastical, yet there was no denying that the enemy did seem to have been second-guessing their movements. A result of logical thought processes and aerial reconnaissance, or a more sinister source of intelligence? My God. It hardly bore thinking about.
The sun had disappeared, casting the valley in deep shadow. A shiver ran down Tanner's back, whether from the cold or the suspicion that the corporal might be right, he couldn't say.
Chapter 17
They reached the bridge safely. A sliver of moon appeared, but the valley was dark and still. Although an occasional light twinkled from the farms and houses round about, not a soul stirred. Once again, Tanner was struck by how far away the war seemed, yet only a dozen or so miles to the south-east a two-day battle had been fought. He could still smell the whiff of woodsmoke on the night breeze, but he knew that was as likely to be from a home fire as the blazing forest near Kvam.
They crossed the bridge, Tanner cringing at the sound of the studded boots on the wooden struts. They were bunched up now, walking together so they didn't lose one another. 'Keep together, boys,' Tanner told his men, and to Sykes he added, 'Don't take your eyes off those Norwegians. No matter how dark, keep within arm's reach.'
They walked in silence along the soft verge that ran close to the northern bank of the Sjoa river to deaden the sound of their footsteps. Even so, Tanner sensed they were dragging their feet; he was too. Every step seemed harder. His shoulders ached, his knees hurt, his calves burnt. In the faint creamy night light, he could see that Sandvold was almost falling asleep as he stumbled on.
'Sir,' he said to Chevannes, 'we should stop soon.'
Chevannes snorted. 'And this from the man who never thinks we should rest at all.'
'I need to rest,' muttered Sandvold. 'I cannot go much further.'
Chevannes lit a match and squinted at Anna's map. 'We're near Heidel, I think.'
'Yes,' agreed Anna. 'It's not much, a few houses and farms, that's all.'
'Very well,' said Chevannes, 'we will look for somewhere to rest for a few hours. A hut, a farmhouse, a barn. We can try to find food in the morning.'
For once Tanner found himself agreeing with the Frenchman and only a short distance further on a farmhouse loomed, set back from the road. It was dark, with no light showing, but in the drive and the yard there were signs of vehicle tracks.
'Larsen, go and have a look round,' said Chevannes, as they clustered at the open gate. Larsen, with Nielssen accompanying him, walked forward cautiously. Tanner glanced round his men, dark shadows all, leaning against the gate, most so tired they could barely stand.
When the Norwegians returned, the news was good. 'It's empty,' said Larsen. 'Someone's been here recently, though.'
'Sergeant,' said Chevannes to Tanner, 'organize guards. The rest, follow me into the house.'
'Hep, you can take first watch with me,' said Tanner.
Hepworth groaned. 'Sarge, why's it have to be me?'
'Would you rather be woken up in an hour? This way you get it over and done with.' He leant his machine-gun against the gate. 'Now, stay here and watch the road.'
'Where are you going, Sarge?'
'For a nose round. I won't be long.'
Tanner watched the others head into the house, then walked quietly towards the farm. There were two barns and several other outbuildings, while to the back a shallow field rose steadily towards the patchily wooded valley sides. The house, he noticed, was shuttered, and effectively so - only the faintest light could be seen from within.
The smell of woodsmoke again. A wisp now floated from the chimney. Good, he thought. They've found some scoff. His stomach groaned.
Back at the gate he found Hepworth leaning against it, his head in his arms.
'Hep,' he said, 'wake up.'
'Hm?' said Hepworth. 'Sorry, Sarge ...'
Tanner left him and, taking his machine-gun, walked across the road. There was only one way the Germans could come, he reasoned, and that was from Sjoa. He had his rifle and the MG set up on its bipod. The night was so quiet that if any vehicles approached he knew he would hear them a long way off.
Satisfied that should there be any sign of the enemy he could raise the alarm and get everyone hidden in the woods behind the farm, he sat down on the bank, listening to the water hurrying over the rocks in the river below and thinking of what Sykes had said earlier. He felt sure it couldn't be Sandvold, yet the professor had been in Oslo during the first days of the occupation and had admitted to him that he had been reluctant to leave. Perhaps the story of his mother was a lie. Perhaps he was working for the Nazis after all. Then he considered Larsen and Nielssen. Again, it was possible, but seemed so unlikely. If one was a spy, he could surely have killed the other two and taken Sandvold to the Germans long before they ever reached the Balberkamp.
He thought about Anna. In truth, he'd thought about her quite a lot over the past two days, although it troubled him that he should even consider her as a spy. Yet there was no denying that she had been very keen to help them - perhaps overly so. But if she was a traitor, how was she passing on information? She carried a rucksack, but was it big enough for a wireless? Tanner wasn't sure. And what was her motive? He shook his head. It didn't make sense.
And, of course, there was Chevannes. No one, in his view, had done more to hinder them at every turn. And yet it couldn't be the Frenchman - of that he was sure. Maybe it really was just paranoia.
Sleep. That was what he needed. Sleep and food. Perhaps he'd be able to see the situation more clearly after that.
An hour later Sykes and Bell relieved him and Hepworth.
'Go on, Sarge. Get inside,' Sykes told him. 'We found a whole load of tins of Maconochie's and a few bottles of vino too. There's no doubt about it, some of our boys were here not so long ago.'
'Probably till this afternoon,' muttered Tanner. He shook Hepworth awake. 'Wakey, wakey, Hep, you useless sod. Time for some food.' Hepworth grunted then staggered after him.
Inside, Tanner found Chevannes and Nielssen sitting at the table, one empty and a further half-drunk bottle of wine between them.
'Where's the professor?' he asked.
'Upstairs,' said Chevannes, pointing above his head. 'Don't worry - he's safe, and sound asleep.' His eyes
