‘She’s coming towards us!’ said Woodman.
‘Good,’ said Sykes, ‘cos I’m getting bored of this already.’
Tanner now saw the boat: it was a caique very much like the one he had seen leaving Heraklion earlier. The two dinghies were only yards apart by the time the vessel drew towards them, and Tanner now saw that Captain Vaughan was standing at the prow alongside another British officer, ready with a rope. A wave of relief swept over him.
‘Alex!’ called Peploe, from the other dinghy.
‘John?’ called Vaughan, incredulously. ‘I had no idea it was your lot. Here.’ He lobbed the rope. ‘Those outside the dinghies, climb aboard. The others stay where you are. We’ll tow you.’
‘We’ve got a wounded man here, sir,’ called Tanner. ‘He’d be better off aboard.’
‘All right,’ said Vaughan, then recognized Tanner. ‘Good God, it’s you!’ he said. ‘Look, bring the dinghy alongside and we’ll get him out of there.’
The dinghy nudged alongside the caique. Woodman and the others in the life-craft carefully lifted Liddell, who groaned and cried out in pain. But Vaughan and one of his crew, a leathery-looking Englishman, took hold of him and hoisted him aboard.
‘Get him in the cabin, Cle,’ Vaughan said to his companion, ‘and give him a shot of morphine.’
Tanner now clambered aboard, pulling himself up with great effort and rolling over the side onto the deck. Getting to his feet, he leaned over and helped Sykes and then Bell up too, before asking Woodman to pass up his kit.
‘Damn glad to get these back,’ he said, clutching his things. ‘We worked hard to get those boots, Stan. I hated the thought of having to chuck them.’
‘I lost my rifle, though,’ said Sykes. ‘We’re going to be a bit short of firepower once we get back on land.’
Tanner patted him on the back. ‘Something will crop up. We’ll be all right.’
The two dinghies were roped to the back of the caique, and then they picked up a third, and finally the two surviving lifeboats. They spent a further twenty minutes sweeping the sea for any more survivors. A further six men were picked up, but many more floating corpses were left in the water.
‘How many men were on the ship?’ Vaughan asked Peploe and Tanner.
‘Three companies, plus the crew. Over five hundred.’
‘And my head count comes to eighty-two. Jesus.’
Peploe swallowed and rubbed his eyes. ‘I just can’t believe it,’ he said. ‘All those men. They were alive half an hour ago and now …’ He shuddered. ‘I’ve lost most of the company.’
‘What happened?’ asked Vaughan.
‘The ship went down in about four minutes,’ said Tanner. ‘She had her back broken.’
‘And the captain?’
Tanner shook his head. ‘A second bomb hit the bridge.’
Vaughan scanned the sky. ‘I’m sorry. But if we want to survive as well, we need to get to land quickly.’ They stepped around the men crammed on the deck and moved over to the bearded, wild-looking skipper, standing beside an ageing Greek sailor at the wheel and the other British officer. ‘This is Commander Mike Cumberlege,’ he said, ‘and Lieutenant Colonel Nick Hammond.’
Peploe looked at Hammond. ‘Pleased to see you again, sir.’
‘Again?’ said Hammond.
‘I attended some of your lectures at Cambridge, sir, before the war.’
Hammond smiled. ‘Well, well, well. I wish we could be meeting in happier times. I’m sorry about your loss.’
‘Thank you for picking us up,’ said Peploe. ‘I’m not sure we’d have all made it otherwise.’
‘We nearly didn’t,’ said Vaughan. ‘We’ve had to leave Commander Cumberlege’s caique in Suda and commandeer this instead.’
‘
‘That doesn’t sound good,’ said Peploe.
‘Might be all right,’ said Cumberlege, ‘if we take her steady. But we’re going to head straight into Limenas. It’s tucked into a headland about twenty-five miles east of Heraklion, it’s – how shall I say? – discreet. I’m afraid it’s way too risky to keep going along this north coast today.’
‘Thank you,’ said Peploe.
‘But tonight we can take some of you on. I don’t see why we can’t try and tow the lifeboats as well.’
‘I do,’ said Hammond. ‘It’s risky enough moving a boat like this at all. As it is, we’ll need to pull in for the day somewhere along the south-east coast tomorrow morning. Then we’ve got to get all the way across the Mediterranean with the engine under enough strain as it is. A small lone fishing vessel is not particularly conspicuous, but one towing two lifeboats most definitely is.’
Cumberlege shrugged. ‘I’m prepared to give it a go. Perhaps we should put it to the men when we get to Limenas.’
‘What’s the alternative?’ asked Peploe.
‘You make your way to the mountains and hole up until things quieten down, or head straight to the south coast and try to take a boat across then. But I should warn you, the south coast is very different from the north. Lots of plunging cliffs and only a handful of places where a caique can get in.’
‘Golly,’ said Peploe. ‘What to do for the best?’
‘Was it you I saw leaving harbour earlier?’ Tanner asked.
Vaughan nodded, then glanced at Hammond. A nod of consent.
‘We’re moving arms and explosives,’ said Vaughan. ‘We brought them from Suda Island at the beginning of the month and they’ve been stored in Heraklion ever since. I was hoping to have them moved a few days ago, but then the town was bombed and the street they were on was blocked. There wasn’t any way of getting them out that night. Instead, we’ve been moving what we can bit by bit.’
‘To Limenas?’ asked Tanner.
‘Yes. The Germans haven’t reached there yet. We’re hoping they still won’t have done.’
‘They’ll be too busy today opening up the airfield and pushing into Heraklion,’ said Hammond. ‘We’ve got a day’s grace, maybe two.’
‘It’s for Satanas,’ said Vaughan. ‘We’ve been moving it up to the Ida Mountains.’
‘And have you got it all out now?’ asked Tanner.
Vaughan shook his head. ‘But it’s booby-trapped.’
The sun was already warm, and the men soon began to dry, white patches of salt appearing on their uniforms. Tanner felt in his shirt pocket for his cigarettes, but the packet was still sodden. He sighed.
‘Here,’ said Cumberlege, passing him a crumpled packet.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Tanner. He was hungry too, but he felt better for the smoke. Crete was getting nearer once more – he could see the headland Cumberlege had mentioned jutting out. It looked serenely peaceful – a beautiful island waking up to a perfect early summer’s day.
The captain’s cousin, Cle Cumberlege, and Lieutenant McDonald emerged from the cabin.
‘How’s Mr Liddell?’ asked Peploe.
‘Asleep,’ said McDonald. ‘The salt water has meant the wound is clean. The bullet also went right through him. We’re pretty sure it’s not hit anything vital.’
‘He should live,’ added Cle. ‘We can take him with us tonight.’
‘What about you, Alex?’ asked Peploe.
‘I’m staying for the moment,’ he said, ‘to help with the resistance. Now that Pendlebury’s gone.’
‘You too, sir?’ Peploe asked Hammond.
Hammond shook his head. ‘No, I’ve been ordered back to Cairo.’
The sky remained clear. Only the faintest of breezes wisped across the sea – enough to help dry the men, but barely strong enough to fill the sails. That was why the caique was being powered by its engine. However, as they drew towards Limenas, it began to splutter, with thick, oily smoke puffing out.
‘Bugger it!’ exclaimed Cumberlege, as the men exchanged anxious glances. ‘Cle,’ he said to his cousin, ‘go
