“I’d need to know what you have in mind before I could judge the risks involved.”
Rogers nodded towards his colleague Westphal who lit a cigarette before he started talking.
“You’ve got one radio operator and by courtesy of British SOE you can call on one more operator but only in real emergency. Our information is that the nearest German direction-finding unit is in Orleans, and it’s only there on detachment from Paris for one week a month. There’s a map on the wall behind me and you’ll see that I’ve put pins in where you have informants and I’ve used cotton to link them back to your base.” He shrugged. “It’s crazy. Not your fault. If you hadn’t done so well acquiring people it would have got you by. But right now we’re wasting valuable time and valuable sources.” He put down his cigarette in a glass ashtray. “How does most of your information come back to you?”
“By telephone. Sometimes by couriers where they have travel permits. But mainly telephone. One contact to another and eventually back to me.”
“You only use your radio back and forth to London?”
Malloy nodded. “Yes.”
“How long did it take you to recruit the key people you’ve got now?”
“Eight, nine months. I’m still looking for more.”
“And they’ve all kept their jobs so that they can pass you information?”
“No. They kept their jobs because they need jobs. If they felt that passing me information endangered their lives or their jobs they’d stop contacting me.”
“They’d surely be willing to join the Resistance full time? Some of them.”
For long moments Malloy was silent. Then he said, “I’m afraid you don’t understand the situation in France. Most people see the Resistance as a provocation to the Germans which only causes trouble for the civil population.”
“So what motivates the people who you have recruited?”
“Politics.”
“Explain.”
“Most of them are obeying the orders of political parties so that they can claim power when France is liberated.”
“Which parties are these?”
“Mainly the communists but there are a few socialists among them.”
“You mean you’re using Commies as your informants?”
“I’m not interested in their politics. All I want is their cooperation.”
Westphal leaned back in his chair, looking first at Rogers and then at Williams.
“Were you guys aware of this?”
“No.” It was Rogers who answered him.
“What about you, colonel?” said Westphal. “Did you know?”
“I didn’t know. But I’m not surprised. I go along with Malloy. Their politics are their business. If they’ll help us win the war—good luck to ’em.”
Mike Wallace said quietly. “If I could perhaps intervene. Our policy in SOE is to accept communists so long as they are not controlled by anyone except us. Some of our best resisters are communists.”
Williams said, “I suggest we ignore the politics—at least for now— and carry on talking about the brigadier’s plan.”
Westphal looked at Rogers who shrugged noncommittally and Westphal said, “OK. This is what I planned. How long would it take you to recruit six full-time couriers who could be trusted?”
“I’ve no idea. Some months. Two, maybe three.”
“Too long. I need your stuff coming back to me by March.”
“Why March?”
Westphal ignored the question. “Money no object. Whatever it takes.”
“What about additional radio operators?”
“Two. Trained and French speaking. French-Canadians.”
“When are they available?”
“Right now.” Westphal paused. “We’d like to suggest that you place one of them somewhere near Chartres and one very near to Paris.”
“It would be risky for both of them. The Gestapo and the SD and the Abwehr are very active in Paris.”
“We thought you should move to Paris to control them.”
“Why all the sudden expansion and the hurry?”
“You work it out for yourself. Keep it going for two months and that’s enough.”
Malloy looked at Wallace but his face was impassive.
“OK. When can I see these two?”
“Tomorrow morning here. OK?”
Malloy nodded.
As Wallace walked back with Malloy to the Dorchester he said, “Don’t take too much notice of Rogers’ and Westphal’s views on communists. You’ve got to remember that they’re soldiers not intelligence officers. They’re career officers and I guess they see things in black and white.”
Malloy didn’t hide his anger. “In that case maybe they should stay out of other people’s business.”
“Are you happy with what they’re suggesting?”
“Of course I am not.”
“Tell me why?”
“It’s being done in too much of a rush. It’s not properly thought out. It could be a complete shambles.”
“In a way it’s a tribute to the work you’ve done.”
“How come?”
“When the invasion comes, information on German troop movements and supplies will be vital. Your operation really could save thousands of lives.”
“So why didn’t they come up with this months ago?”
Wallace sighed, “Until you had shown what could be done it wasn’t part of the game.”
“So why is getting this in place by March so important? Why the mad rush?”
“Think about what you’ve just said and you’ll come up with the answer. Anyway, tomorrow we’ll go over what you feel you need. They meant what they said—money’s no problem. Think about it.”
The two French-Canadians were a pleasant surprise. They were brothers and had lived in France until they were teenagers. Tough, and competent radio operators, they gave him his first ray of hope that the plan might work. It was agreed that they would wait for two weeks so that Malloy could find them safe-houses, one near Paris and one near Chartres before they came over.
He had a final working meeting with Kelly. Williams was already on his way back to Washington, and one of Kelly’s sergeants gave him a long briefing on the German order of battle in France.
Two days later he parachuted from a Hudson and was picked up by Parish and four of his men. The plane circled again and dropped
