Her heart began to pound faster than ever. It was all starting to make sense. The Snigsons were spies! Why else would they be surveying the railway so carefully? They weren’t engineers – yet they had all these photographs and they’d been out and about taking notes. Everything she had overheard the brothers say seemed to have something to do with the railway tracks. They were up to no good, for sure. But this wasn’t just a few black-market sausages or an unlicensed pig: this was maps and photographs and documents.
Edie shivered as she remembered what Perky had said yesterday: “Hitler would love to bring the railways to a standstill… Without trains the whole bloomin’ country would grind to a halt.”
She’d laughed at him for sounding like an old man. But it didn’t sound funny to her any more. It sounded terrible … and true. The Snigsons had maps and photographs showing exactly where the railway lines ran. Britain’s enemies would pay good money for documents like that. The brothers would get rich – and Hitler would get vital information. The German Luftwaffe would know exactly where to drop their bombs.
Edie wriggled her feet, trying desperately not to make a sound. She had been lying still so long she had pins and needles. But she knew what she had to do – even if it meant risking her own life, even if she might expose Karl’s hiding place. She had to stop those documents falling into the wrong hands. The Snigsons were clearly waiting in the old carriage for some sort of secret meeting to hand over these maps and photographs. Edie had to get the papers away from here before that. She only had a few minutes left to act.
“Shh!” She put her finger to her lips to warn Greta to stay still and quiet one last time. Then she slipped out from under the seat and crawled towards the table. She snatched the map in one hand and the satchel in the other. Papers and photographs went flying everywhere as she staggered on to her shaky legs and bolted for the door.
“Oi!” Len Snigson leapt up from the bench.
“Stop!” roared Donny as she scrabbled to open the door.
“I know what you’re doing … and I won’t let you,” cried Edie. She had no real plan – she just knew she had to get away and take as many of the papers with her as she could.
She scrambled outside and began to run.
“Got you!” She was only halfway across the log drawbridge when Donny Snigson’s hand grabbed her collar.
“Like a rat in a trap!” sneered Len as his brother dangled her in mid-air by the scruff of the neck.
Papers and photographs fluttered down into the ditch below.
“What are you playing at?” Len was so close he almost spat in her face.
“I’m not afraid of you,” roared Edie, even though her legs were shaking as they dragged her back inside the carriage. “I can stand up to you all by myself.” She hoped Gus would understand and keep out of sight. But even if he got the message, Greta did not.
“Stop, you big bully! Put Edie down, right now,” she yelled, scrambling out from her hiding place and hurtling towards Donny like a tiny charging bull.
“Well, well, well! So there’s two of you, is there?” Len picked her up under one arm as she squealed and kicked. “Sit there, little’un, and shut up!” He plonked Greta down on the row of seats she had been hiding under. Donny pushed Edie down beside her.
“There’s three of us actually,” Gus crawled out from under the bench at the other end of the carriage.
Edie groaned. She should have known he’d never leave her and Greta to face the Snigsons by themselves. She just hoped that Karl would have the sense to stay hidden.
“Leave Edie and my sister alone,” said Gus, drawing himself up to his full height and standing with his hands on his hips.
Unfortunately, he only came up to Len Snigson’s chest.
“Ha! It’s the little lad too,” sneered Len.
Edie leapt to her feet, but Donny pushed her down again.
“You’re spies!” she said, clutching the remaining papers and pictures as tightly as she could. “That’s what you are!”
“Spies?” Donny gave a nervous laugh.
“What makes you think that?” Len’s face gave nothing away.
“These,” said Edie, waving a fistful of photographs. “And all those maps of the railway. I heard you. You said you were going to get rich. You’re going to sell them to the enemy. ”
“I heard you too,” said Gus. “That’s why you been surveying the tracks. Not just today, but for weeks. We’ve been watching you, you know.”
“Oh, I do know,” said Len coolly. He took a cigarette from his pocket and rolled it between his fingers.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
“You’re laughing at us!” cried Edie. “How dare you.”
“Because you’re going to look daft in a minute, lass, that’s why. We’re not spies,” he said. “You’ve got it all wrong. You can ask Colonel Crowther if you like. We’re taking all this information to him.”
“Colonel Crowther’s not even here,” said Edie triumphantly. She wasn’t falling for that trick. “He’s gone to London, as I expect you very well know.”
“Has he now?” said Len. He lit the cigarette and took a deep puff. “In that case, I’d like you to tell me summit.” He pointed out of the window. “Who’s that, up yonder?”
Edie gasped.
Colonel Crowther was striding along the bank towards them.
“Colonel!” She felt a great rush of relief. “Thank goodness you’re here,” she called, darting to the door. She thrust the pile of photographs and papers into his arms. “You need to look at these documents, Colonel. The Snigsons are spies; they’ve been
