Page 60 of Whispers At Dawn
Jack stood and stretched. ‘We had better get organised. We’re to meet Lev in half an hour.’
They dressed in dark clothes and crept out of the big old house silently via the warm kitchen, as smooth as cat burglars stealing away in the night. They wound through the estate and towards the back of the château, part of which was bordered by the woods, where they had agreed to meet Lev.
Lizzie’s heart hammered fiercely as she raced to keep pace with Jack up and down the slopes, but it was more from fearthan exertion. She had always been fit as a girl, riding her bicycle up the steep country lanes in Jersey, and swimming in Portelet Bay, but her fitness had reached a new peak since training with the SOE and undertaking so many missions.
The lead trainer had told the group, ‘Sometimes staying alive is as simple as being able to outrun your enemy. You have to be fit.’
She remembered how he had made them run barefoot cross country, and his face appeared in her mind as they approached the edge of the shadowy moonlit woods. An owl hooted loudly, and Lizzie jumped. Panic spiralled through her and her skin felt like it was coated in sharp needles.
Calm down, she told herself, but her pulse raced as random memories flitted through her mind.
Jack stopped abruptly, signalling for her to follow him as he turned. They entered the woods; their path lit only by the small beam of his torch.
Lizzie’s senses heightened with every step. They had discussed the possibility this was a trap. The authorities could be lying in wait for them. It would take only one informant to have noticed something out of the ordinary and to have alerted the police.
They continued walking slowly until they came upon a large tree and Jack stopped. ‘We’re to wait here,’ he whispered.
The rustling sounds of the woods were amplified by the stark quiet and dark of the night. Lizzie’s eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings, and she saw wildlife darting through the trees by moonlight.
‘How long do we wait?’ she asked.
Her question went unanswered because they both heard footfall on the ground in the distance and reached for their guns. They stood like statues as the sounds approached and they heard the murmur of voices.
This was the moment. They would either see two British airmen with Lev, or they were about to be captured in an elaborate trap. They had made a basic plan to fight back if the latter scenario unfolded, and they had their weapons, but if the authorities caught them, they would be outnumbered. Escaping would be a long shot.
Jack reached for Lizzie’s hand and squeezed it. The seconds passed in an agony of sluggishness until Lizzie thought she might explode with the tension.
Then a wiry figure stepped out and joined them in the hazy torchlight beneath the tree.
Lizzie saw it was Lev and sent up a fierce prayer of gratitude.
‘Did you bring them?’ Jack asked.
‘Yes, of course. I wanted to double check you hadn’t been compromised.’
‘As far as we’re aware, all is secure. We need to get them into the château grounds and out of the way quickly,’ Jack said.
‘Come help us. The wounded one is in a worse state than earlier.’
Jack and Lizzie followed Lev a little way deeper into the woods and found the two airmen waiting. One was leaning against a tree, groaning.
Jack passed him his flask of brandy he had brought specifically for this purpose. It revived the wounded man slightly, and Jack told him he mustn’t make a sound when they entered the château grounds, or it would endanger their lives. ‘Can I count on you?’ Jack asked, his military style taking over and immediately gaining the airman’s respect.
He croaked, ‘Yes, sir.’
Jack nodded and gave the command. ‘Let’s go.’
Jack, Lev and the other airman took it in turns to shoulder more of the wounded airman’s weight.
Jack turned to him. ‘Not a sound, remember.’
They left the safety of the trees and emerged onto the bordering fields of the château. Soon they crossed into the grounds, and Lizzie held her breath. They must be so quiet, none of the staff or Beau would hear them. If they thought they were being burgled, the operation could go horribly wrong in an instant.
Lizzie led the way with her torch shining close to the ground. She raised her eyes to the quarters where the staff slept and was relieved to see no lights shone through the gaps in the shutters.
Foxes whined in the distance, but the more background noise there was, the better to cover the human infiltrators.
Lizzie beckoned to the men, inching along slowly behind her, that all was clear. Eventually, after what seemed like an age, they reached the vineyard cellar entrance. Jack had left it unlocked for easy access. Lizzie pulled the door and the men, panting from the weight of the airman leaning heavily against them down the stone steps, stumbled into the dark cellars.
