The lord and the major started to speak at the same time. Crockatt deferred to Hankey. “Your calling this meeting preempted discussion before we could fully analyze the situation,” Hankey said, “but we’re talking about saving the Boulier network. Doing so would advance our combined missions by preserving a proven asset. If in the process we rescue the family, so much the better. If anyone deserves to be rescued, they do.”
“And what about my point that neither MI-9 nor SOE is operational yet?”
“That’s only a matter of filling positions in both organizations,” Hankey said. “Our missions are defined, the hierarchy established, and we are now in recruitment and training phase. Besides, this is a war. The enemy didn’t wait on our convenience or when we were fully prepared to launch their attack.
“We have the assets. I know that you, that is MI-6, are in touch with new groups forming in the south of France, the very ones who alerted us that young Jeremy Littlefield was on his way here. He sits just outside the door because of them, and he’s left wondering what the bloody hell is going on. They already know him and trust him.”
Hankey stopped talking, a look of realization dawning on his face. Glancing across at Claire, he saw an expression of horror in her eyes. She held her hand in front of her mouth to throttle a gasp. Standing next to him, Paul sucked in his breath.
“Are you suggesting that we send that lieutenant back in there?” Menzies asked. He too seemed taken aback at the implied suggestion.
“I suppose I am,” Hankey replied, “although I hadn’t had that notion before I said it. He’d have to volunteer, of course.”
A pall descended over the room. Menzies was the first to speak.
“Essentially what you are proposing,” he told Hankey, “is to send a battered evader from Dunkirk who has not yet recovered back into the combat zone to conduct a potential suicide mission. He’s untrained, and he’s emotionally attached to an objective that’s different than the one you propose. That’s what this boils down to. He’s after saving that family, and you want to save the network. Succeeding in one might preserve the other, and his support would come from two sections of British intelligence that are not yet operational. Is that accurate?”
Hankey did not immediately speak, but then he bobbed his head. “You’ve sized it up, John, although with the assets at your disposal, I expect that you’ll provide whatever additional support we need. Is that accurate?”
Menzies’ eyes narrowed, but he nodded slightly.
“This mission can serve as a signal to the Free French that we fully intend to support them throughout this war,” Hankey added.
Claire fidgeted while the discussion took place. She suddenly blurted, “No.”
All eyes shifted to her. “You can’t ask him to go back in. You saw him. He still looks wretched from what he’s been through.”
Silence.
“He’ll go,” Paul said quietly.
Attention switched to him. He looked across at Claire. “You know he’ll go. We won’t be able to keep him away. He already knows something’s up, and he’ll put two and two together. Lord Hankey is right. He’s the key to overcoming the trust factor, and for that reason alone, he’s the best man to go. If we wait longer, the Bouliers could be dead, and their network demolished.”
The room remained quiet for a few moments, broken again by Menzies. “The prime minister will want to know about this mission. It won’t go forward without his approval. We’ll have to mount a simultaneous disinformation campaign to protect Bletchley as a source.” He looked across to Claire, and his expression softened. Then he spoke to Paul. “Bring him in, and let’s hear what he says.”
A knock on the door interrupted the discussion. When it opened, a clerk hurried in and handed a note to Menzies. He read it quickly and dismissed the messenger.
“Gentlemen, Miss Littlefield,” he said, “if we are going to do anything, we’d better move. We just received word from Marseille. Bergmann just made his first arrest.”
Twiddling with a pencil, Menzies looked directly at Claire. “I have one more stipulation for securing my cooperation.”
46
Jeremy’s reappearance before the group assembled in John Menzies’ office was short and concise. Paul had gone to the door and summoned him. As he entered, Claire made her departure. She turned her face as she passed by him. Neither brother sat down.
“Lieutenant Littlefield,” Menzies said, directing his gaze at Jeremy, “I understand all the particulars. Your brother can fill you in. I have one question for you: would you volunteer to go back into France to save the Boulier network?”
Without hesitation, Jeremy replied, “I would do anything for the Bouliers. When can I leave?”
Menzies broke a rare smile. “I appreciate your zeal, but you need to understand a subtlety. The objective is not to save the Bouliers, although if you succeed, that is a likely outcome. Your mission would be to keep the network intact that Mr. Boulier put in place and that helped you and others escape and evade across France. Is that something you’d agree to do?”
“Without hesitation, sir. How soon can we get underway?”
Menzies remained silent for several moments and then turned to Crockatt. “Major, this mission falls in your purview. I won’t speak for Lord Hankey, but I suspect that if any ancillary blowing-up needs doing, his section will be happy to oblige.
“I’ll get to the PM, brief him, and request priority across the services. The mission must leave no British fingerprints. To save the viability of Bletchley, it should look like a purely French partisan operation. And, you’ll need other backing. For starters, you’ll need air support of some kind to get our man over there.” He indicated Jeremy with a jut of his jaw. “Any questions?”
There were none.
“Well, then,” Menzies said, finality tinging his voice as he redirected his attention to
