Young Lions (34 page)

Sam was stunned. Alice. His own sister. A secret agent from before the War. A real live Mata Hari.

“I was part of an Intelligence cell. We supplied information to headquarters during the Invasion and after the Occupation began. After the Jerries established control over Hereward, Edinburgh ordered us to link up with a Fighting cell.”

“What happened to the Communications cell?” Alan asked.

Alice shrugged. “Wiped out? Captured? Given up? For all that we know, they may still be functioning. Or they may simply be lying low. Maybe they haven’t been ordered to link up with any survivors. Who knows?”

“And then what happened?” Sam asked.

“Our role changed. We were ordered to go deep cover at Christmas. We were ordered to become an Infiltration cell…”

“At Christmas?” Sam interrupted. “When you broke up with Danny Edwards?”

Alice nodded. “Our cell was called a ‘Delilah’ Unit. I imagine that there were many more groups formed up and down the country. Our mission was to seduce and sleep with, if necessary, members of the German Armed Forces for the purpose of gathering information.”

“Norbert Ulrich?” Alan asked.

Alice nodded. “It was too much for one of the girls-she quit. The other two girls and I kept each other going.”

“How are they?” Alan asked the question for Sam.

“One of the other Delilah’s is alive, the other one is dead. She was killed in the firebomb attacks.”

Sam began to cry. He started slowly and gradually built up until his face was covered in tears and his entire body was wracked with convulsions. He was shaking and sobbing and hugging himself with his arms as he rocked backwards and forwards on his heels. He repeated the same words over and over again “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

The Lysander slowed to a halt in the field. Rathdowne helped Ansett to walk to the aeroplane.

Alice, Sam and Alan stood beside the bonfire that burned fiercely as a beacon.

“Remember,” Ansett shouted above the noise of the propeller. “Keep a low profile until we return!”

“Don’t worry!” Sam shouted back. “You can depend on me to keep these two impudent young pups in line. You know what a stickler I am for following orders!”

Ansett smiled and gave Sam the finger.

Sam reciprocated.

“We’ll be back!”

The group watched as the Lysander gathered speed and took off narrowly missing the top of the trees at the end of the improvised runway.

Ansett turned around in his narrow seat and peered down at the ground. There was no sight of Sam, Alice and Alan. It was if the darkness had swallowed them up.

THE END