Debut for a Spy (34 page)

There were exclamations of surprise and disbelief, but I told them most of the story, leaving out any reference to Marijke, and only necessary bits of my involvement with intelligence. I explained how they had gotten the plane aboard, and they started to tie the pieces together.

“That whooshing sound two nights ago. I thought it was part of the fumigation. Now that I know about this, I realize it was a jet engine,” said Choppy.

“
In Montreal I saw them putting steel plates and rolled-up mesh down number 6 cargo hatch. I'd seen the mesh before – it's the same kind of stuff used for landing strips in the bush. One big tank went down as well – possibly the jet fuel,” said Lofty.

“
Wot do you want us to do, Guv?” asked Ben.

“
I'm going to try to fly it off the ship, but I can't do it alone. There are two guards on at night, armed with machine pistols. I'll need help getting some tools to get the cover out of there. The aircraft is probably tied down, so a bolt cutter may be needed to cut the anchoring cables. Then I need someone to throw the breaker for the starter bottles which are lashed to the rail when I give the signal from the cockpit. And 35 seconds later, I lift off and fly away.”

The stunned silence was broken by Taffy with his Welsh lilt.

“Wouldn't it be easier if you just clicked your red shoes together, picked up Toto, and went back to Kansas?”

The laughter broke the tension.

“When, Guv?” asked Ben.

“
Tonight. Sunrise is about 0400, so it'll have to start by 0300. I want to grab it in darkness, but I want daylight to fly it by. My navigation is terrible. I figure we'll have been sailing for about 26 hours, and if our speed has been 20 knots we're going to be 520 knots from England. That's more than the plane can do, so I've got to figure out a place to head for, possibly Spain or Portugal.”

“
I've become quite chummy with a couple of deck officers,” offered Choppy. “They know I was in the Royal Navy, so they've taken to bragging a bit about their seamanship. I'm certain I can get exact information from them about our speed and location. And I always carry charts with me aboard ship, so I can give you a map and help with a course.”

“
I can get tools,” said Dusty. “I'm always borrowing them to work on my drums. I'll tell them I'm doing a major overhaul.”

“
That's perfect,” I exclaimed. “Now I don't have to worry about getting my hands on that stuff. What I'd like you to do this afternoon is have a look at the tarp, the aircraft, the starter tubes, the electric box, and anything else that I might have missed. Remember what has to be done: guards out of the picture, tarp and frame clear, tie-downs off or cut, electric switch on, starter hoses unplugged.

“
I suggest you stroll around one or two at a time, and don't stare for very long. You decide who should do what. Oh, the guards are my problem, by the way.”

“
'Ow you gonna do that?” asked Dusty.

“
I'm working on it. Think hard about this. You could get hurt by helping me, possibly killed. You could also be arrested by the Soviets. As soon as I'm off, you've got to get out of there to save your skins. If you want to stay out of it I'd certainly understand. But I need to know now.”

“
We're in, David. Besides, someone's got to look after you Kneller Hall types, and who better than the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy?” commented Choppy.

“
Thanks, Chaps,” I said. “I'll check with you later to see if there are any questions which have come up.”

I went up to Marijke's cabin.

“Hi. I'm sorry I had to ask you to leave, but I wanted to talk to them about helping me get that plane off the ship, and I don't want anyone to find out that you even knew about it.”

“
What did they say?”

“
They all said yes. I thought about it while I was rehearsing and it seemed as if it was worth a try. They've all been soldiers or sailors, so they've got a good idea of what we have to do.”

“
If you do this I want to help.”

“
No, you can't. There's a good chance that they'll be seen, and if they are they're in trouble. If you were seen, you'd be dead, and your father and grandfather under suspicion. We can't afford that.”

I took her by the hand and we walked to my stateroom to sit near the windows. Marijke's cabin was on the inside of the ship, and she didn't even have a porthole to look out. I put my arm around her, holding her tightly, and kissed her. She had a troubled look on her face.

“What's wrong, Marijke?”

“
I don't know when I see you again.”

“
Surely when you get back to England after the cruise.”

“
I don't know. If I ask for different job, then maybe they don't send me back to England. They only want me there for one reason, and now I don't do it.”

I hadn't considered this. Suddenly I realized that this might be the end for us, unless she were able to stay in the West. The idea sent a chill through me.

“Marijke, stay with me. I've already talked to someone who says it can be arranged.”

“
How I do this? Tonight you fly in airplane.”

“
Come with me! It'll be a tight fit, but you don't weigh very much. The engine will lift us out. How about it?”

“
Yes! I want to do this. But… what happens to my family? I must think on this very much today. I don't know how to answer.”

“I won't pressure you, Marijke. We can talk about it this afternoon. I love you.”

We held each other and kissed, and yet the fear of losing her was a specter on my shoulder. Suddenly she pulled away.

“Oh, I almost forget. We must have lunch with Vladimir Nalishkin and Tatania Voronov. They wish you to meet some of the people who try to start Soviet cruise project. Is this agreeable?”

“
I'd prefer to be with you alone, but I suppose we'd better play the game today. What time?”

“
Now.”

Now became later.

*

It's difficult to concentrate on other people's interests when you have a major preoccupation of your own. What made lunch even more exasperating was that everything had to be translated back and forth because of me
– I was the only one who couldn't speak Russian. Volodya and Tatania were at their charming best, with Marijke translating for most of the committee, none of whom knew me from a hole in the Siberian ice. Still, having heard that I was a 'famous' entertainer, they were very courteous.

I caught Tatania looking at Marijke and me several times, as though she were sensing something between us, and yet we were completely dispassionate during the meal. That worried me, for if I got away with the aircraft it might be hard for Marijke to prove that she knew absolutely nothing about it.

Most of the talk centered around the committee's desire to institute a Soviet cruise line, and I found myself being asked opinions on topics about which I had none, so my answers were vague at best. Toward the end Nalishkin leaned over to speak.

“
David, my friend, the captain has asked me to invite you to the bridge. He thought you might be interested.”

“
Yes, I would be. When?”

“
In half an hour. Marijke will accompany you to translate.”

At least on the bridge I might pick up some useful information.

*

We were escorted to the captain's day room on the bridge by a junior deck officer. We sat while he informed the captain that we were there. He arrived promptly.

“Captain Nicolai Brezovic, Mister David Baird,” said the junior officer, and this was about as far as he could go without an interpreter. Marijke was introduced in Russian, and it was easy to see that the good captain had an eye for the ladies. We had our traditional shot of vodka, and then we went up to the wheelhouse on the navigating bridge.

This was certainly no rudimentary sailing ship. We were shown the gyro compasses, the magnetic standard and steering compasses, the Synchrostep electric telegraphs, the steering telemotor transmitters, the Decca 45 radar, the Decca navigator, and the Kelvin Hughes echo sounder. There were special balanced windows, two of which had clear view screens. The wheelhouse was spotless, with a studded rubber floor. My vision of a wheelhouse had always been of Tugboat Annie.

The radio room confirmed what I had thought. Right behind the wheelhouse, it would have been impossible for an interloper to get in there and use the radio, even if the operators had been lured away. And the complexity of the equipment was another story. Marconi Globespan transmitters and Atlanta receivers, rigged for both telegraphy and radio-telephone communication on three marine bands. All transmitting power could also be linked into the Reliance emergency transmitter. On the right of the radio room was the massive Pye public address and sound reproduction system, the most comprehensive unit ever installed aboard ship. It would have taken an hour just to figure out the right buttons. I did learn something in the chart room. Casually I asked, through Marijke, what our track was and what speed we were traveling, and our present position was proudly pointed to by the navigating officer. I was surprised and delighted to find we had only been sailing at 15 knots, and our present position was 47 degrees 15 minutes latitude, 8 degrees 6 minutes longitude. From our intended track, provided I could find out our average speed, I'd have a pretty good idea where we were in relation to land. I might have a chance.

Naturally we had more vodka in the captain's day room, and Marijke told me that the captain would be honored if the two of us would sit at his table for dinner that evening.

“Please tell Captain Brezovic that I accept his kind invitation, and that he does me honor.”

We took our leave, making our way back to the sun lounge for a cup of tea and some biscuits to offset the vodka. We were sitting by ourselves, and it was easy to talk.

“You learn something there, David?”

“
Yes. We'd never have gotten away with the radio room, for one thing. But I know where we are, and I'll be able to get a pretty good fix on where we are at 03:00am in the morning. And I learned that our dear captain couldn't take his eyes off you. I think that's why we're invited to dinner – it's nothing to do with me. If I don't get off the ship, he'd probably have me clapped in irons for the rest of the cruise so he can make advances to you.”

She smiled, but I sensed and saw her dilemma.

“03:00 am. That's when you go?”

“
Yes.” I told her why. “Are you still thinking?”

“
Yes.”

It was after two-thirty, and I did want to meet the band to see what they had come up with. Marijke said she would like to rest for a while, so this seemed like a good time. I left her at my stateroom
– she wanted to sit by the windows – and checked in at the Empress lounge. Dusty, the drummer, was doing some maintenance.

“
I thought I better make it look good after all the kit I borrowed,” he muttered. “Look at this lot – bolt cutter, wire cutters, utility knife, pliers, hammer, screwdriver set, and wrench set.”

“
That's great, Dusty. Where are the others? We should have a little conference.”

“
I'll chase them up. We'll 'ave to jaw someplace else. This room'll be crawling with stewards setting up and cleaning. Why don't we meet in the first class library on the prom deck? We'll bring some 'dots' to make it official, and since all the books are in English it's not very likely they'll 'ave much activity.”

“
Okay, sounds good. 20 minutes?”

I filled the time in by strolling past the rail where the aircraft was situated, pausing for a moment to see if anything had changed or if there was any unusual activity. Everything was quiet, nothing seemed different, so I kept going rather more quickly than I would have liked. I didn't want to be obvious.

The library was on the promenade deck between the Empress room and the drawing room, at the head of the main companionway to the entrance way. It was paneled, book-lined, and set up as a reading room as well. Dusty had been right, and there was no one there. The Soviets seemed mainly interested in the rooms where there was food and drink at all hours, in the swimming pool on E deck, and taking in the sun. The band had taken over the library, putting a 'closed' sign on the door, and spreading music sheets out on two tables pushed together.

“
Well, how did you make out?” I asked, taking a seat.

“
We've got some ideas,” offered Ben. “First of all the tarpaulin. Lofty's pretty sure it's the same kind they use in England which they use for a portable garage. If it is, then the 'ole thing goes together like an accordion.”

“
You're pretty sure, Lofty?”

“
As near as can be without going right up to it. From what I can see the release is on the bow end, which'll be the nose of the aircraft. Two of us should be able to undo the rope, then pull it, and the thing should fold up – canvas, frame, the lot. Shouldn't take more than a minute once we've found the release. Failing that we'll cut the rope and it'll work the same way.”