Red Hawk Rising

were all checked every two hours and at 4.00 a.m. the duty policeman checked on the prisoner, Redfern, alias Enderby. He slid open the viewer cover and peered into the cell but he couldn’t see the prisoner. Concerned, the policeman used the key hanging from his belt to unlock the cell door and opened it, pushing it wide. He saw no-one in the cell and then stepped into the cell to check under the bed. As he moved in, a great weight landed on him and, as he fell to the floor, a hand pushed his head down so that it hit the floor with some force and rendered the policeman unconscious. Berin had noted the width of the cell and found that he could brace himself across the width of it above the door. When the policeman walked in, Berin was able to drop on him. Berin pulled the policeman into the cell and pushed the door to. He took the policeman’s trousers, belt and jacket off and put them on. Then Berin lifted the policeman onto the bed, pulled the blanket over the unconscious figure, went out of the cell and locked the door. He walked quietly down to the office area and noticed the other officer was busy. Looking round he saw the side exit and went out of the building. At that time of the morning, things were quiet and Berin then took the policeman’s jacket off and dropped it against the wall. He left the yard and slipped away down the quiet street. Now he had no documents, no money and no duffle bag. Without those documents he wouldn’t be allowed into the dock to join the trawler. Berin decided that the best thing he could do was to walk to the edge of town and hitch a lift to London. There would be trucks going down. Once in London he could make contact with his own people. Fifteen minutes later he managed to get a lift on a truck going to Scunthorpe and was on his way. The other policeman on duty wondered where his co-duty officer had got to. He went and checked the cells and only saw sleeping prisoners. Checking the station, he couldn’t find him and thought he must have slipped out for some reason. Half an hour later the banging on a cell door revealed what had happened and the alarm was raised.

It was Thursday morning on the 20th October and Commander Rice arrived at the police station to find that he had no-one to interrogate. However, reading the police report, it would seem that they had had a foreign agent in the cell and the previous investigation had been justified. He asked to check the escaped prisoner’s belongings. The passport and driving licence were British and he had a Seamen’s Union membership card. The only other items were changes of clothing and personal toiletry effects. The police had taken fingerprints and photographs of the man. Despite the unshaven look, Commander Rice was pretty sure it was the man he had known as Enderby. He knew that he would need to gather as much information as possible before returning to London. Rice was interested to see Corporal Hill’s name again when reading the statements. He was pleased to note that the police had made a second set of all the documents for MI5. This made it easier. What he would like to know was where he had stayed in Grimsby or Cleethorpes. There was no indication. The local police may be able to turn up some information but he would discuss an approach with Hamilton first. It could be better if one of their agents came up and did some investigation. Clearly, Enderby, or Redfern, had stayed out of sight for a while. Where was he heading with a duffle bag full of clothes and toiletries? Obviously, he was on the move and may have been going to join a vessel in the port. Such were the thoughts of Commander Rice.

At RAF West Sanby, Wing Commander Saxelby, the station commander, and Squadron Leader Dawson were listening to Flying Officer Braidley’s account of the events of the previous evening. Sergeant Rawson and Corporal Hill were not present. There had been a report on the local BBC News of the clash between the trawlermen and the martial arts students and the arrest of a man wanted for attempted murder. The police inspector at Grimsby Police Station had telephoned Wing Commander Saxelby with the names of the RAF personnel involved and that they should be congratulated on their quick thinking which resulted in the arrest of a ‘Wanted’ man. “This Corporal Hill of yours seems to have the knack of being at the right place at the right time,” the station CO said to Squadron Leader Dawson.

“It seems that way, sir,” Dawson replied. “I think that it’s important to keep names out of the press. MI5 will most likely want to pay us a visit and talk to those involved.”

“Fine, but don’t let it interfere with your preparations for the trials,” replied the station CO.

Back on the JSTU, Corporal Andy Hill had to put up with a lot of good humoured ‘ribbing’ by his fellow corporals who knew that he had been at the martial arts sessions the previous evening and heard the local radio news of a brawl between the martial arts students and the local trawlermen. Fortunately, the involvement by members of the RAF had not been mentioned.

***

In the hospital at RAF Nocton Hall, one Corporal Jamie Rogerson received a visitor. He was sitting in a chair trying to read a newspaper. The nurse put her head around the door and said, “Corporal, you have a visitor.” He looked up as Yvonne came into the room and he immediately put the newspaper aside and gave her a big smile. She walked over and gave him a kiss. Looking round and not seeing another chair,