Cast No Shadow
Dragan Kelly Book 1
Peter Alderson Sharp
Cast No Shadow
Dragan Kelly Book 1
BY
Peter Alderson Sharp
Copyright © 2021 Peter Alderson Sharp
Bark at the Moon Books
All rights reserved
Publishers note: This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and for effect. Any resemblance to actual persons, either living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Cover design by Francessca’s PR and Designs
Formatting by Tammy
Proofing by Johnny Bonbon
Contents
Summary
Part I
Sea Wolves
Interrogation?
The Enigmatic Sybilla
To the Mountain
Sybilla’s Story
Russia
Heavy Water
Our Russian Friends
An interview with the Commodore
Commando!
Part II
Dieppe
Disaster
Part III
Raid
Norway Again
Assault
Part IV
Cauchemar
Rockets
Invasion
Part V
The Quest
A Chance Encounter
McFarlane Calls
Havana
Peregrine
To the Mountains
Old Comrades
Skadi
Escape from Grense
Down River
Decision Time
Berlin 1950
Shadow of Evil: Dragan Kelly Book 2
Also by Peter Alderson Sharp
Summary
The first in an action-packed spy series introducing Lieutenant Dragan Kelly.
It is 1942.
HMS Visigoth has been torpedoed off the coast of German occupied Norway. Sole survivor Lieutenant Dragan Kelly finds himself behind enemy lines, unsure who to trust. The Norwegian resistance share rumours about a mysterious Nazi plant where an Armageddon weapon of terrifying power is under construction.
Should Kelly escape to Russia or stay and investigate it?
And what of the stunningly beautiful but enigmatic resistance fighter Sybilla? Kelly falls in love with her, but is she all she claims to be?
Inexorably, Kelly is drawn into the murky world of espionage making unlikely friends and powerful enemies as he goes, learning bleak secrets and uncovering dark truths.
But all the time he dreams of being reunited with Sybilla.
If Kelly finds her, will he caress her?
Or kill her?
An action packed second world war espionage adventure featuring new hero, Dragan Kelly. If you're a fan of Robert Harris, Ken Follett and Clive Cussler, you won't be able to put down this compulsive historical thriller.
Part I
The War
Sea Wolves
Second Lieutenant Dragan Kelly RN gazed out from his lookout position on the port beam of the frigate HMS Visigoth. Lights from the Norwegian village of Grense shone out to sea, twinkling in the frost. He ached with longing, thinking about the people in the buildings, warm and snug in front of a blazing fire, perhaps getting ready to go to bed. He was home sick.
It was the worst possible night for a convoy. Although bitterly cold, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the moon was full. Of necessity, the convoy had anchored in Volokovaya bay on the Russian side of the border to ride out the previous day’s storm. They had slipped away under cover of darkness and were now crossing into Norwegian waters, ready to steer northwards to circumnavigate Varangerhalvoy.
The German submarines had already picked up their scent.
Kelly was tense; a knot had formed in his stomach. Another merchantman had been picked off by the Sea Wolves and he could see it burning on the starboard horizon. Being on the extreme left of the convoy, he felt particularly vulnerable, too damn close to shore.
There had to be some way of combating this menace. All this talk about an echo system seemed to be coming to nothing. The destroyers at least could sweep and use depth charges in a defensive fire role when they were in high-risk areas. Frigates just seemed to be there to make up the numbers. Deterrence they called it. They carried depth charges of course, but the remit of the frigate was to stay snug to the merchantmen at all times.
At least there hadn’t been too much ice this time. The run from Archangel could be hair-raising in more ways than one. Kelly glanced to his right where the Skipper, Lieutenant Jack Conran, had emerged from the bridge and had joined him at the lookout point. Kelly sensed his nervousness. Conran was as unhappy about this part of the voyage as he was.
“Bloody cold one!” Conran muttered and Kelly nodded.
Conran turned and popped his head back into the bridge to answer a query about course direction, and then re-joined Kelly at the lookout. They stood together and stared silently at the almost invisible inky black sea for a while without speaking.
“What’s that?” Conran exclaimed, pointing sharply into the air, a few degrees off the port beam.
“A light!” responded Kelly excitedly.
He blinked and it was gone.
It had been a weak light, about the diameter of a torch face.
Kelly thought for a moment. The bastards surely could not be dim-witted enough to hoist a periscope at night if they had a light on in the sub. He had a grudging respect for the German submariners. They were arrogant and ruthless, but they were immensely brave. They certainly weren’t stupid.
As he watched, the light came again. “There it is again, Skipper!” Kelly exclaimed. “Three points off the port bow and moving due east.”
Conran responded instantly, calculating aloud. “Sound action stations! Steer 165! Full speed! Prepare depth charge!” He spat out his orders and Kelly relayed them with equal crispness and urgency.
He could see it more clearly now. It was definitely a periscope lens displaying light from below.
Suddenly it disappeared.
“Bugger! They’ve seen us!” Conran hissed in anger. “Steer 100.”
Conran was confident he could intersect their course using dead reckoning with the stars for direction and the speed of the ship to calculate distance.
Kelly, however, was concerned at the speed at which they were approaching the Norwegian coast. Didn’t the Germans have a sub base in this area? God!
“Skipper—”
“I know. I know!” Conran cut him off. This had to be a trap and he had
