Where Eagles Dare

'Two. Southampton. Barge-movement duplicates missing. Three, Plymouth. Time-lock in the naval H.Q. inoperative. We don't know what this means.'

'We can guess.'

'We can guess. Dover. Copy of a section of the Mulberry Harbour plans missing. An error? Carelessness? We'll never know. Five, Bradley's H.Q. guard sergeant missing. Could mean anything.'

'Could mean everything. All the troop movements for Overlord's Omaha beach are there.'

'Lastly, seven OS reports today. France, Belgium, Netherlands. Four demonstrably false. Other three unverifiable.'

'If there was ever any doubt, there's none now.' He spoke without looking up, his eyes gazing emptily into the fire. "The Germans have almost total penetration here -- and we have almost none on the continent. And now this -- Smith and his men, I mean.'

'Smith and his men,' Holland echoed. 'Smith and his men. We can write them off.'

Wyatt-Turner dropped his voice, speaking so softly that the radio operator couldn't overhear.

'And Operation Overlord,, sir?'

'Operation Overlord,' Holland murmured. 'Yes, we can write that off, too.'

'Intelligence is the first arm of modern warfare,' Wyatt-Turner said bitterly. 'Or has someone said that before?'

'No intelligence, no war.' Admiral Holland pressed an intercom button. 'Have my car brought round. Coming, Colonel? To the airfield?'

'And a lot farther than that. If I have your permission, sir.'

'We've discussed it.' Admiral Holland shrugged. 'I understand how you feel. Kill yourself if you must.'

'I've no intention.' Wyatt-Turner crossed to a cupboard and took out a Sten gun, turned to Holland and smiled: 'We may encounter hostiles, sir.'

'You heard what the man said?' Smith switched off the transmitter, telescoped the aerial and glanced across at Schaffer. 'We can pull out now.'

'Pull out now? Pull out now?' Schaffer was outraged. 'Don't you realise that if we do they'll get to Mary inside twelve hours.' He paused significantly, making sure he had all Smith's attention. 'And if they get to her they're bound to get to Heidi ten minutes later.'

'Come off it, Lieutenant,' Smith said protestingly. 'You've only seen her once, for five minutes.'

'So?' Schaffer was looking positively belligerent. 'How often did Paris see Helen of Troy? How often did Antony see Cleopatra. How often did Romeo -- ' He broke off then went on defiantly: 'And I don't care if she is a traitor spying on her own people.'

'She was born and brought up in Birmingham,' Smith said wearily.

'So who cares? I draw the line at nothing. Even if she is a Limey -- ' He paused. 'English?'

'Come on,' Smith said. 'Let's return this radio. We may have callers soon.'

'We mustn't be raising too many eyebrows,' Schaffer agreed.

They returned the radio, locked the left luggage office and were just moving towards the station exit when they were halted by the sound of truck engines and a siren's ululation. They pressed back against a wall as headlights lit up the station entrance. The leading truck came to a skidding halt not ten yards away.

Schaffer looked at Smith. 'Discretion, I think?' 'Discretion, indeed. Behind the booking office.' The two men moved swiftly alongside the tracks and hid in the deep shadows behind the booking office. A sergeant, the one who had organised the search along the Blau See, came running through the entrance,

'Tell the captain. They didn't lie. The Englanders' gear is here!' One of the soldiers left and the sergeant said to the three remaining men: 'Right. Get their stuff out and load it UP-'

'There goes my last pair of cotton socks,' Schaffer murmured

mournfully as their rucksacks were taken away. 'Not to mention my toothbrush and -- '

He broke off as Smith caught his arm. The sergeant had stopped the man carrying the radio, taken it from him, placed his hand on it and stood quite still. He was directly under one of the small swinging electric lights and the expression on his face could clearly be seen to change from puzzlement to disbelief to complete and shocked understanding.

'Kapitan!' the sergeant shouted. 'Kapitan.'

An officer came hurrying through the station entrance.

"The radio, Kapitan! It's warm, very warm! It's been in use inside the last five minutes.'

'In the last five minutes? Impossible!' He stared at the sergeant. 'Unless -- '

'Yes, Herr Kapitan. Unless."

'Surround the station,' the officer shouted. "Search every room.'

'Oh God!" Schaffer moaned. 'Why can't they leave us alone?'

'This won't look so good in my obituary,' Schaffer said dolefully. There was a perceptible edge of strain under the lightly-spoken words.

'What won't?'

'Gave his life for his country in a ladies' lavatory in Upper Bavaria. How can a man R.I.P. with that on his mind?... What's our friend outside saying?'

'If you shut up we might hear.'