Neumann pretended not to notice and continued toward the village. He leaned forward over the handlebars, elbows thrust out, and cycled furiously up a small hill. He reached the top and coasted down the other side. The track was hard with the previous night's freeze, and the bicycle rattled along the deep ruts so viciously Neumann feared the front tire might break loose. The wind eased and the village appeared. Neumann pedaled across the bridge over the sea creek and stopped on the other side. He laid the bicycle in the deep grass at the edge of the track and sat down next to it. He lifted his face toward the sun. It felt warm, despite the crisp air. A squadron of gulls circled silently overhead. He closed his eyes and listened to the beating of the sea. He was struck by an absurd notion--he would miss this little village when it was time to leave.
He opened his eyes and spotted Dogherty atop the hill. Dogherty removed his cap, wiped his brow, and waved. Neumann called, "Take your time, Sean." Then he gestured at the sun to explain why he was in no hurry to move. Dogherty climbed back onto the bicycle and coasted down.
Neumann watched Dogherty; then he turned and looked at the sea. The message he had received from Vogel early that morning troubled him. He had avoided thinking about it but he could avoid it no longer. The wireless operator in Hamburg had transmitted a code phrase that meant Neumann was to conduct countersurveillance on Catherine Blake in London. Countersurveillance, in the lexicon of the trade, meant he was supposed to follow Catherine to make certain she wasn't being followed by the opposition. The request could mean anything. It could mean that Vogel just wanted to make certain the information Catherine was receiving was good. Or it could mean he suspected she was being manipulated by the other side. If that was the case, Neumann might be walking straight into a very dangerous situation. If Catherine was under surveillance and he followed her too, he would be walking side by side with MI5 officers trained to recognize countersurveillance. He would be walking right into a trap. He thought, Damn you, Vogel. What are you playing at?
And what if she was being followed by the other side? Neumann had two choices. If possible, he was to contact Vogel by wireless and request authorization to extract Catherine Blake from England. If there was no time, he had Vogel's permission to act on his own.
Dogherty coasted across the bridge and stopped next to Neumann. A large cloud passed before the sun. Neumann shivered in the cold. He stood up and walked with Dogherty toward the village, each man pushing his bicycle. The wind gusted, whistling through the crooked headstones in the graveyard. Neumann turned up the collar of his coat.
"Listen, Sean, there's a chance I may need to be leaving soon, in a hurry."
Dogherty looked at Neumann, his face blank, then looked forward again.
Neumann said, "Tell me about the boat."
"Early in the war I was instructed by Berlin to create an escape route along the Lincolnshire coast, a way for an agent to get to a U-boat ten miles offshore. His name is Jack Kincaid. He has a small fishing boat in the town of Cleethorpes, at the mouth of the River Humber. I've seen the boat. It's a bit of a wreck--otherwise, it would have been seized by the Royal Navy--but it will do the trick."
"And Kincaid? What does he know?"
"He thinks I'm involved in the black market. Kincaid's into a lot of shady things, but I suspect he'd draw the line at working for the Abwehr. I paid him a hundred pounds and told him to be ready to do the job on short notice--anytime, day or night."
"Contact him today," Neumann said. "Tell him we might be coming soon."
Dogherty nodded.
Neumann said, "I'm not supposed to make you this offer, but I'm going to anyway. I want you and Mary to consider coming out with me when I leave."
Dogherty laughed to himself. "And what am I supposed to do in bloody Berlin?"
"You'll be alive, for one thing," Neumann said. "We've left too many footprints and the British aren't stupid, as much as you'd like to believe they are. They'll find you. And when they do they'll march you straight to the gallows."
"I've thought of that already. A lot of good men have given their life for the cause. My brother did. And I'm not afraid to give mine."
"That's a lovely speech, Sean. But don't be a fool. I'd say you bet on the wrong horse. You wouldn't be dying for the cause, you'd be dying because you engaged in espionage on behalf of the enemy--Nazi Germany. Hitler and his friends don't give a damn about Ireland. And helping them now isn't going to free Northern Ireland from English oppression--not now, not ever. Do you understand me?"
Dogherty said nothing.
"And there's something else you need to ask yourself. You may be willing to sacrifice your own life, but what about Mary's?"
Dogherty looked up at him sharply. "What do you mean?"
"Mary knows you were spying for the Abwehr and she knows I was an agent. If the British find out about that, they're not going to be happy, to say the least. She'll go to prison for a very long time--if she's lucky. If she's not lucky, they'll hang her too."
Dogherty waved his hand. "They won't touch Mary. She didn't have any part in it."
"It's what they call being an accessory, Sean. Mary was an accessory to your espionage."
Dogherty walked in silence for a while, thinking over Neumann's words.
Finally he said, "What the hell would I do in Germany? I don't want to go to Germany."
"Vogel can arrange passage for you to a third country--Portugal or Spain. He might even be able to get you back into Ireland."
"Mary will never go. She'll never leave Hampton Sands. If I go with you, I'd have to go on my own--leave her behind to face the bloody British."
They arrived at the Hampton Arms pub. Neumann leaned his bicycle against the wall and Dogherty did the same.
"Let me think about it tonight," Dogherty said. "I'll talk to Mary and give you an answer in the morning."
They went inside the Arms, empty except for the publican, who was behind the bar polishing glasses. A large fire burned on the hearth. Neumann and Dogherty removed their coats, hung them on a row of hooks next to the door, and sat down at the table nearest the fire. There was only one thing on the menu that day, pork pie. They ordered two pies and two glasses of beer. The fire was incredibly hot. Neumann removed his sweater. The publican brought the pies a few minutes later, and they ordered more beer. Neumann had helped Sean repair some fencing that morning, and he was starved. The only time Neumann looked up from his plate was when the door opened and a large man stepped inside. Neumann had seen him around the village and knew who he was. Jenny's father, Martin Colville.
Colville ordered whisky and stayed at the bar. Neumann, finishing the last of his pork pie, glanced up at him at regular intervals. He was a large powerful man, with black hair that fell into his eyes and a black beard flecked with gray. His coat was filthy and smelled of motor oil. His huge hands were cracked and permanently soiled. Colville drank the first whisky in one gulp and ordered a second. Neumann ate the last of his pie and lit a cigarette.
Colville finished the second whisky and glared in Neumann and Dogherty's direction. "I want you to stay away from my daughter," Colville said. "I hear you two have been seen together around the village, and I'm not happy about it."
Dogherty, through clenched teeth, said, "Stay out of it, mate."
"Jenny and I spend time together because we're friends," Neumann said. "Nothing more."
"You expect me to believe that! You want to get under her skirt. Well, Jenny's not that kind of girl."
"Frankly, I don't give a damn what you believe."
"I put up with her hanging around Paddy, here, and his wife, but I won't put up with the likes of you. You're no good for her. And if I ever hear about you two being together again"--Colville thrust out his forefinger at Neumann--"I'll be coming after you."
Dogherty said, "Just nod and smile and be done with it."
"She spends time with Sean and Mary because they care about her. They give her a pleasant, safe home. Which is more than I can say for you."
br />
"Jenny's home is none of your affair. Just keep your nose out of it! And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay the fuck away from her!"
Neumann crushed out his cigarette. Dogherty was right. He should just sit there and keep his mouth shut. The last thing he needed now was to provoke a fight with a villager. He looked up at Colville. He knew the type. The bastard had terrorized everyone his entire life, including his own daughter. Neumann relished the opportunity to put him in his place. He thought, If I show him what it's like, maybe he'll never hurt Jenny again.
He said, "What are you going to do, hit me? That's your answer for everything, isn't it? Whenever something happens that you don't like, you just hit someone. That's why Jenny spends so much time with the Doghertys. That's why she can't stand to be around you."
Colville's face tightened. He said, "Who the fuck are you? I don't believe your story."
He crossed the pub in a few quick steps, took hold of the table, and threw it out of the way.
"You're mine--and I'm going to enjoy this."
Neumann got to his feet. "Lucky me."
A small knot of villagers, sensing trouble, gathered outside the pub around the two men. Colville threw a wild right hook that Neumann avoided easily. Colville threw two more punches. Neumann avoided them by moving his head just a few inches, keeping his hands protectively around his face and his eyes locked on Colville's, staying back on the defensive. If he tried to move close enough to land a punch, Colville might be able to grab him with his powerful arms and he might never get away again. He had to wait for Colville to make a mistake. Then he would go on the offensive and end this thing as quickly as possible.
Colville threw several more wild punches. He was already out of breath and laboring. Neumann could see frustration building in his face. Colville reached out his arms and charged like a bull. Neumann stepped quickly to the side and tripped Colville as he stormed past. He landed facedown with a heavy thud. Neumann moved in quickly, as Colville was rising to his hands and knees, and kicked him twice rapidly in the face. Colville raised a heavy forearm, absorbing a third blow, and scrambled back onto his feet.
Neumann had managed to break his nose. Blood streamed from both nostrils into his mouth.
Neumann said, "You've had enough, Martin. Let's stop this and go back inside."
Colville said nothing. He stepped forward, jabbed with his left hand, and unleashed a powerful roundhouse right. The blow landed high on Neumann's cheekbone, splitting the flesh. Neumann felt as if he had been hit by a sledgehammer. His head rang, tears flowed into his eyes, his vision blurred. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and thought of Paris--lying in the filthy alley behind the cafe, his own blood running into the puddles of rainwater, the SS men above him, kicking him with their jackboots, beating him with their fists, their pistol butts, wine bottles, anything.
Colville unleashed another reckless punch. Neumann crouched, then pivoted and kicked sideways, landing a savage blow on Colville's right kneecap. The bigger man screamed in agony. Neumann rapidly kicked him three more times. Colville was crippled; Neumann wondered if he had dislodged the kneecap. Colville was also terrified. He had obviously never encountered anyone who fought like Neumann.
Neumann kept moving to his right, forcing Colville to put weight on his damaged leg. Colville could barely remain standing. Neumann thought his opponent was finished.
When Neumann's back was toward the pub, Colville shifted all his weight to his good leg and lunged. Neumann, surprised, couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Colville smashed into him and drove him back against the wall. It was like being hit by a speeding lorry. Neumann struggled to regain his breath. Colville raised his head viciously, catching Neumann beneath his chin. Neumann bit his own tongue and blood poured into his mouth.
Before Colville could strike again, Neumann raised a knee into his groin. Colville doubled over, groaning deep in his throat. Neumann raised his knee again, this time into Colville's face, shattering bone. Neumann stepped forward, raised his arm, and drove his elbow downward into the side of Colville's head.
Colville's knees buckled and he collapsed, barely conscious.
Neumann said, "Don't get up, Martin. If you know what's good for you, stay right where you are."
Then Neumann heard screaming. He looked up and saw Jenny running toward him.
That night Neumann lay awake in his bed. He had slept for a while but the pain had awakened him. Now he lay very still, listening to the wind beating against the side of the cottage. In the distance he could hear the rush of the waves against the shoreline. He did not know the time. His wristwatch was lying on the little table next to the bed. He rose onto one elbow, reached out for it, groaning with pain, and looked at the luminous face. Nearly midnight.
He fell back onto his pillow and stared at the ceiling. Fighting with Martin Colville was a foolish mistake. He had endangered his cover and the security of the operation. And he had hurt Jenny. Outside the pub, she had screamed at him and beat her fists against his chest. She was furious with him for hurting her father. He had just wanted to teach the bastard a lesson, but it had all back-fired. Now, lying in bed, listening to the confused rhythm of the ceaseless wind, he wondered whether the entire operation was doomed. He thought of Catherine's warning on Hampstead Heath: Some things have gone wrong. I don't think my cover is going to hold up much longer. He thought of Vogel's order to conduct countersurveillance. He wondered whether all of them--Vogel, Catherine, himself--had already made fatal mistakes.
Neumann took stock of his injuries. He seemed to hurt everywhere. His ribs were bruised and tender--every breath hurt--but it appeared he had suffered no broken bones. His tongue was swollen, and when he rubbed it along the roof of his mouth he felt the cut on the surface. He raised his hand and touched his cheek. Mary had done her best to close the wound without stitches--going to a doctor was out of the question. He checked to make certain the dressing was securely in place. Even the lightest touch made his face pound with pain.
Neumann closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He was beginning to drift off when he heard a footfall on the landing outside his door. Instinctively, he reached for his Mauser. He heard another footfall, then the floor creaking beneath the weight of a body. He raised the Mauser and leveled it at the door. He heard the rattle of someone turning the latch. He thought, If MI5 was coming for me, they certainly wouldn't be trying to sneak into my bedroom at night. But if it wasn't MI5 or the police, who the hell was it? The door pushed back and a small figure stood in the open space. Neumann, in the dim light of his open shade, could see it was Jenny Colville. He quietly laid the Mauser on the floor next to the bed and whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I came to see if you were all right."
"Do Sean and Mary know you're here?"
"No. I let myself in." She sat down on the edge of the small bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been through worse. Your father packs quite a punch. But then, you know that better than anyone else."
She reached out in the darkness and touched his face. "You should have seen a doctor. That was quite a cut on your face."
"Mary did an excellent job."
Jenny smiled. "She's had a lot of practice with Sean. She said that when Sean was young, Saturday night wasn't Saturday night unless it ended with a good fight outside the pub."
"How's your father? I think I hit him one too many times."
"He'll be all right. Oh, his face is a mess. He was never very good-looking to begin with."
"I'm sorry, Jenny. The whole thing was ridiculous. I should have known better. I should have just ignored him."
"The publican said my father started it. He deserved what he got. He's had it coming for a long time."
"You're not angry with me anymore?"
"No. No one's ever stood up for me before. That was a very brave thing you did. My father is as strong as an ox. He could have killed you." She removed her hand from his face and ran it across h
is chest. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"In the army."
"It was terrifying. My God, but your body is covered with scars."
"I've lived a very rich and fulfilling life."
She came closer to him. "Who are you, James Porter? And what are you doing in Hampton Sands?"
"I came here to protect you."
"Are you my knight in shining armor?"
"Something like that."
Jenny stood up abruptly and pulled her sweater over her head.
"Jenny, what do you think you're--"
"Shhh, you'll wake Mary."
"You can't stay here."
"It's after midnight. You wouldn't send me out into a night like this, would you?"
Jenny had removed her Wellington boots and her trousers before he could answer the question. She climbed into bed and curled up next to him, beneath his arm.
Neumann said, "If Mary finds you here, she'll kill me."
"You're not afraid of Mary, are you?"
"Your father I can handle. But Mary's another story altogether."
She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Good night." After a few minutes, her breathing assumed the rhythm of sleep. Neumann leaned his head against hers, listening to the wind, and after a few moments he slept too.
45
BERLIN
The Lancasters came at two o'clock in the morning. Vogel, sleeping fitfully on the army cot in his office, rose and went to the window. Berlin shuddered beneath the impact of the bombs. He parted the blackout curtain and looked out. The car was still there--a large black sedan, parked across the street, it had been there all night and all afternoon before that. Vogel knew there were at least three men inside, because he could see the embers of their cigarettes glowing in the dark. He knew the engine was running, because he could see the exhaust drifting from the tailpipe into the freezing night air. The professional in him marveled at the shoddiness of their surveillance. Smoking, knowing full well the embers would be visible in the dark. Running the engine so they could have heat, even though the worst amateur could spot the exhaust. But then the Gestapo didn't need to worry much about technique and tradecraft. They relied on terror and brute force. Hammer blows.