Tanner continued to peer through his binoculars. Anna sat behind him on a loose rock. A cool breeze drifted over the knoll but it was warm, even there. A few small patches of snow remained, but otherwise tufty grey grass now sprouted between the pines and birches.
'And Chevannes?' said Tanner at length.
'He's been quiet. Barks orders occasionally, but that's all.'
'As long as he doesn't get in my way, I'm not bothered,' said Tanner. 'He's done enough damage.'
'It's since the professor spoke up on your behalf. That undermined his authority. He doesn't want to say anything now that might lead to another clash.'
'Hm,' said Tanner. 'I'll still need to watch him tonight.'
They were silent for a while, then Anna said, 'Jack, do you think it'll be all right? The crossing? We were lucky last time. I wonder whether we will be again.'
'We'll be fine.'
'Good God,' she said, exasperation in her voice. 'Don't you ever get frightened? How can you be so calm all the time?'
'It's just a front,' he said. 'But we will be fine, I promise.' It was a promise he knew he was in no position to make. Where the hell was Sykes? Over the years, he had learnt to trust his intuition but with Sykes missing he was beginning to wonder if it had let him down. He looked back at the town. Nothing stirred. How many troops were down there? It was hard to say. Fifty? Eighty? More? So long as the enemy weren't expecting them there, and so long as no more troops arrived in the meantime, all would be well. But there was no Plan B. It was the town or nothing. He trained his binoculars on the trucks parked next to the church, and in them he saw their chance for freedom. Whatever happened, they had to take one. It was as simple as that.
'Trust me,' he said. 'It'll be fine.'
By six o'clock, Tanner was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his outward sangfroid, although he knew that to betray his mounting anxiety would be a grave mistake. Having returned to the seter, he now busied himself cleaning his rifle and the Spandau once more, and hoping the others did not notice his near-constant checking of his watch.
At around twenty past six, his corporal finally appeared.
'Well?' said Tanner, hurrying to him.
Sykes grinned. 'They're there. A company, maybe two, of mountain troops.'
'Ha!' said Tanner, laughing. 'We were bloody right, Stan!'
'You were right, Sarge.' 'Good work, Stan. Bloody good work. And you weren't seen?'
'No. Zellner's with them, though. And they've got searchlights - small ones, but lights all the same. Brought accumulator packs and everything.'
Tanner grinned. 'Perfect. And you were right all along,' he whispered. 'There is a spy.'
'I've got the nose for it, Sarge. I tell you what, you watch my back and I'll watch yours. Cos together, I reckon, we make a good team, you and me.'
Tanner slapped the side of the corporal's arm. 'You've done well. I owe you.'
The final hours were interminable. At half past nine, accompanied by Chevannes and Larsen, Tanner left the knoll for the last time. The town was as quiet as ever, the troops, it seemed, billeted in the town's houses and the trucks still parked next to the church.
'It looks calm,' muttered Chevannes. 'And you've seen nothing, Sergeant, to make you think they're up to anything?'
'No, sir. Apart from the truck and staff car earlier, there's been no movement.'
'I saw nothing, either,' said Larsen, 'and the crossing is nearly six kilometres away. No one from the town will hear or see us rowing across from that distance.'
'Jerry doesn't seem to have bothered pushing further west, sir.'
'Apart from the truck you saw earlier, Sergeant.'
Tanner shrugged. 'Probably just reconnaissance.'
Chevannes nodded. 'Bon.'
They walked in silence back to the seter, where the rest of the men were waiting outside, wearing German tunics, field caps and black-leather webbing. Tanner followed quickly, rolling his jerkin and battle blouse into the bottom of his pack. He had already transferred most of his explosives into his haversack and gas-mask bag. Having wedged his tin helmet into his pack, he placed the last two packs of Nobel's 808 on top.
When they were ready, Chevannes looked at his watch. 'Three minutes past ten,' he said. 'Let's go.'
Tanner, heart pounding, glanced at Sykes. 'Actually, sir, I'd like to say something.'
A flash of irritation crossed Chevannes' face. 'What, Sergeant? Be quick about it.'
'I don't think we should cross the lake after all.'
Chevannes and the Norwegians looked equally aghast. 'What?' said Chevannes, angry now.
'I don't think we should cross the lake,' Tanner repeated. 'I think we should go through the town.'
'Have you gone mad, Tanner?' said Chevannes.
'No, sir.' Say this right, he told himself. Don't muck it up now. 'I'm sorry, sir. It's just that there are only about fifty or so men in the town. They're not expecting us. We can climb down to a spot above the bridge and watch for an hour or so. I reckon we can take out the guards quietly enough, then march up to those trucks. You speak good German, sir, and so do the lieutenants here. At night, when all is quiet, they wouldn't suspect a thing.' He could see some of his men nodding now.
'Except that every German soldier for a hundred miles seems to know about us.'
'I'm sorry, sir. I hadn't considered it before, but as we were walking back from the knoll...' Chevannes was rubbing his chin. Good. Indecision again. 'The thing is, sir,' Tanner continued, 'it's the far side of the lake that's bothering me. We're going to have to climb up and over the mountain, which will take time. I don't suppose we'll be followed again, but those trucks are just sitting there. This time tomorrow we could be in Andalsnes.'
Chevannes bit his bottom lip and glanced at Larsen and Nielssen.
'I think there's something in what Tanner says, sir,' said Nielssen. 'I've had a look down on the town today and I'm certain they're not expecting us. I think it's a risk worth taking.'
'I'm not so sure,' Larsen said. 'We know the coast is clear at the crossing. Going through the town seems to me too big a risk.'
'We need M/T straight away,' said Tanner. 'The crossing will hold us up. For all we know our boys might be about to evacuate. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced we should head straight down the hill and go through the town. In any case, they wouldn't think we'd have the nerve. That's precisely why we should do it. Fortune favours the brave, sir.'
'I could walk ahead,' said Anna. 'See whether the coast is clear.'
'That's not a good idea,' said Larsen. 'There's bound to be a curfew.'
'I think we should do it, Henrik,' Nielssen said to Larsen.
'Me too,' said Tanner. 'Come on, sir,' he said to
Chevannes. 'We can do this. Those trucks are just sitting there. It'll be dark, we're wearing German uniforms - it'll work, I know it will.' Come on, Chevannes.
'Let me think—' said the Frenchman.
'No,' said Larsen. 'We should stick to the original plan.'
Now, Tanner thought. 'Why, sir?' he said, stepping towards Larsen. 'Do you know something we don't?'
'What do you mean?' Larsen's eyes darted briefly, almost imperceptibly, to either side of him. But Tanner saw.
'Exactly that, sir. Are you hiding something from us?'
Larsen shifted his feet. 'No - of course not. Whatever do you mean, Tanner?'
'What the hell are you talking about, Sergeant?' Chevannes frowned.
