“Hardly, though I am going to pop out for a bit of supper,” Bill said, tucking away his identification. “Is Montclair still in his office?”
“Yes, sir.” The man moved out of the way. “He’s been there all afternoon.”
Bill nodded and continued down the hallway until he reached the corner office at the end. He knocked once, then reached for the handle when he heard the command to enter.
“Hallo Bill,” Jasper said, looking up from a sheaf of papers spread over his desk. “You’re still here? I thought you would have gone for dinner by now.”
“I’m just going now,” Bill said, advancing across the office. “I just received word from Jian.”
“Good! How is she?”
“Safe, for now. She’s in the mountains near Trondheim. She said the Germans have taken the city and are advancing through the country.”
“She’s in the mountains, eh?” Jasper sat back. “Is she alone?”
“No. The translator is with her, and so are several Norwegian soldiers. They got separated from their regiments, more than likely.”
Jasper frowned thoughtfully. “How did she manage to team up with soldiers? Not that it’s not convenient, but it seems like awfully good luck.”
“Not as lucky as it seems,” Bill said wryly. “The translator’s brother is in the army. I’d guess that she went looking for her brother.”
The frown on Jasper’s face cleared and he nodded. “Ah, that makes much more sense. Do we know anything about the brother? Can he be trusted?”
“That I don’t know. Let’s hope so.”
“Yes. Well, at least she is safe for now.” He stood up and went over to the wall where an over-sized map of Norway had been hung next to one of Denmark. “She’s outside Trondheim, you say?”
“Yes, but if the Germans have secured the port and the city, there is no possibility of her getting through,” Bill said, joining him in front of the map.
“No. No, you’re quite right. It’s out of the question.” Jasper studied the map for a moment. “I’ve spoken to the Lord of the Admiralty. He’s assured me that the Marines will arrive in Namsos by the 14th, and the captain of the cruiser taking them has agreed to take her aboard. She’s quite a distance from Namsos, though. Do you think she can make it?”
“I know she’ll do her best, but whether or not she can make it depends entirely on the Germans.”
“Quite so. Norway is mountainous, and that can work in her favor, especially if she’s with soldiers well acquainted with the terrain. The Germans will be slowed down by the unfamiliar mountain ranges. If they’re careful, she just might make it. Once she’s in Namsos, the captain guarantees her safety, as long as our ships get there and take the port before the krauts. When she arrives, have her contact Lieutenant Commander Wheeler. He’s the captain’s right-hand man. He’s been briefed and will get her onboard. They’ll take her to Scapa Flow.”
“Very well. Is there anything specific I should tell her?”
Jasper glanced at him. “Yes. Tell her to stay alive and make that ship on the 14th. If she doesn’t, I can’t guarantee that there will be another opportunity. This is our only real shot to get her out.”
Bill nodded, staring at the map grimly.
“Understood.”
––––––––
Mountains north of Grindal, Norway
7pm
Evelyn grimaced when an icy wind smacked her in the face as she moved out of the trees into an overgrown area that used to be a yard surrounding a crumbling, stone building. They had come across the structure an hour before and, after Erik and the others had scouted the entire area, determined that it was the abandoned remains of what most likely used to be a barn. Foundations of what appeared to be a house weren’t far from the area, through the trees. What had happened to the small farm in the mountains was a mystery, but they were grateful for the meager shelter with the temperature rapidly descending.
Evelyn carried the armful of wood that she had collected to the opening of the barn and went inside, exhaling in relief as she stepped out of the biting wind. Most of the roof to the structure was gone, but the outer walls and back corner still had enough of it left to provide shelter from the worst of the elements. Any hay or straw was long gone, but one of the soldiers had managed to forage enough underbrush to provide something of a cushion for the two women. Anna was in the process of stacking it in the back corner of the structure.
“There’s more, but this was all I could carry,” Evelyn told Erik, dropping her armful of wood onto the ground beside the fire pit he and the others had dug in the center of the barn. “I’ll go back out.”
“That’s fine,” he told her. “There are others out gathering it as well. Rest for a moment.”
“I can’t rest while everyone else is working,” she protested.
“Everything is under control,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll have a fire going soon and Rolf is out hunting for something to cook. There is nothing more that can be done.”
“We have a basket of food that the landlady of the boarding house where I stayed packed for us,” she offered. “It’s not much, some bread and cheese and smoked fish, but it’s something.”
Erik looked at her, surprised. “Your landlady packed you a basket?”
She nodded. “Anna woke her up when she came to warn me and she realized what was happening. She’s very kind. I hope they are all right.”
Evelyn turned away to move to the back of the barn where Anna was trying to make the area where they would sleep as comfortable as possible. She looked up as Evelyn approached.
“It’s not much, but at least we won’t be directly on the cold ground,” she said with a shrug, motioning to the piles of soft spruce branches she had arranged. “If
