Darkest Hour

walking out into the road he could just see the booted feet; a pause, then the man turned left towards the first truck. Where was the other? Tanner looked again. Must be under the arch.

Now was the moment. Deftly, he got to his feet, waited until he heard the guard walk almost level with him on the far side of the Opel, then moved towards the other end. He crouched, listened, then dashed from the last bit of verge to the edge of the arch and clicked his tongue against his teeth.

As he had hoped, he heard movement - boots on stone and, a second later, a guard stepped out of the shadows. Tanner leaped at him, holding his right forearm tight against the front of the man's throat, preventing him making a sound, and with his left plunging the bayonet into the man's side and through his kidney, killing him instantly. He dragged him clear of the archway as the dead man's weapon clattered to the ground. He dropped him and grabbed the short-barrelled weapon, then heard the first guard walk back quickly.

'Hans?' called the guard. 'Sind Sie gut?'

'Ja, ja,' Tanner replied, put the weapon back on the ground, took several quick paces to the end of the truck, waited for the man to pass, then stepped out into the road. The guard had barely time to realize someone was behind him before Tanner had yanked back his head, arm over his throat, and stuck his bayonet into the German's side. Noiselessly, the man went limp, and Tanner carried him to the grass verge and laid him down.

Now he edged back towards the arch and peered round it. The yard and farm seemed still. He waited a moment, straining his eyes. Thicker cloud had covered the moon and it was dark in there. He could only just discern the shape of the vehicles and buildings even though his eyes were fully adjusted to the night light. He wondered if anyone had been posted in the tower, although he guessed the trucks would be almost out of view for someone up there. Surely men would be in the stables and outbuildings, though. Had someone heard anything? It was time to get a move on.

He ran back to the others. 'We're clear for the time being,' he whispered. 'The trucks are empty. Mac and Billy - jump into the tail of the second rather than going to the far side of the road.'

'Sarge,' mouthed McAllister.

'And, Hedley, you come with me and Hepworth,' he whispered, tapping Verity. 'Hep, there's an MG on our vehicle. Get on it right away. All of you, get to your positions as quietly and quickly as possible. Go along the grass verge, not the road. And no one start their engine until I give the signal.' He turned to Sykes. 'What do you think?'

'I've got a packet of Nobels ready,' he murmured.

'All right,' said Tanner. 'Mac and Billy go first, then Kay and Dusty.'

He followed Sykes to the archway. His heart was pounding and his mouth tasted as dry as chalk, but his head was clear. Sykes looked at the doors, and both men pushed themselves back against the outer wall.

Tanner glanced round, saw McAllister and Ellis jumping on to the back of the truck, and Hepworth climbing into the six-wheeler. Christ, the noise. They'll wake the whole sodding lot up.

Sykes was now pulling one of the wooden doors. 'Get the other one, Sarge,' he hissed.

The ageing hinges creaked, causing Tanner's stomach to lurch and his heart to hammer even harder. Sykes now had the packet of explosives in his hands and was pulling out a length of fuse. Tanner watched for a moment, then hurried back to the two bodies. He liked the look of the weapon he had taken and rummaged through the first man's ammunition pouches. He found half a dozen narrow metal magazines. Then he patted the man's pockets, hoping he would feel what he was looking for - cigarettes - but when he tried to take them he realized the man was wearing a smock over his tunic and had to delve inside to reach the breast pocket. As he pulled out the cigarettes he noticed an embroidered skull and cross- bones on the right-hand side of the collar. Glancing back, he saw Sykes motioning to him frantically to hurry to the truck.

Nodding, Tanner felt in his pocket for his reamer. Then, with one hand on the spare wheel at the side, he jumped up into the open cab and felt around the dashboard, trying desperately to find the ignition and starter.

Suddenly he heard voices from inside the yard and, at the same moment, as the moon emerged from behind the clouds once more, he found what he was sure was the ignition, down to the left of the steering-wheel. More voices. Damn it, damn it, come on! Fumbling with the reamer, he pushed it into the ignition and pressed the small round button above it. The engine burst into life as shouts rang out inside the yard. A moment later the gates were pushed violently open and several soldiers appeared. In the thin light, Tanner could see their surprise and horror. Behind him, the machine-gun now opened fire, the deafening noise making him jump. Then McAllister's Bren was spitting bullets from the truck in front, small stabs of orange fire blindingly bright in the dark night air. Immediately the men at the gates crumpled to the ground.

'Go!' Tanner shouted. 'Go! Go! Go!'

One engine started, then another. Behind him, he was conscious of Kershaw moving forward in the fourth truck, past his own vehicle. Shots cracked out - where from? Tanner sensed pandemonium now inside the farm as he felt down to his right for the handbrake. Where the hell was it? He fumbled blindly.

'Get moving, Sarge!' Hepworth was shouting. 'Get bloody moving.'

Another shot whizzed past his ear - must be from the stables- and pinged off the metal dashboard. Sod the handbrake, he thought, put his foot on the clutch, rammed the gearstick into first and lurched forward, inching out past Sykes's truck. Why hadn't the explosion gone off? And then he saw Sykes leap out of his cab, engine running, and dash to the gate. Come on, Stan - get out of there - and realized that the first truck hadn't moved.

'Bloody hell,' he muttered, moving alongside. 'What's the problem?' he yelled to Bell.

'I've dropped my reamer,' said Bell.

Damn! Tanner jumped from the cab as McAllister's Bren continued to rattle behind, leaped into Bell's truck and, taking his torch from his trouser pocket, shone it at the floor - there was no need for secrecy now. He saw the reamer almost immediately and, leaning against Bell, pushed it into the ignition, yanked it upwards and pressed the starter, just as Hepworth opened fire once more with the German machine-gun.

'Sarge!' shouted Hepworth. 'We've got to go - now!'

Tanner glanced back and saw Sykes moving out, arms waving, urging them forward.