Part 29 (1/2)

Benny stepped forward, looking out of place in her movie-star outfit.

'I'm Professor Bernice Summerfield, these are my friends Christopher Cwej and Roslyn Forrester. Lieutenant, there's been a mistake - these people may look strange, but they are on your side.'

Reed stepped forward, and couldn't keep his eyes off Benny. 'I know. I work with Cwej and I'm engaged to Roz.'

Chris and Benny looked at each other.

'No, really, he is,' Roz insisted, look at the ring.'

The British soldiers had let go of Chris, and Reed grasped his hand and welcomed him back. A second later and Reed was briefing Cwej and Forrester, leading them a little way away from Benny. The archaeologist tiptoed after them. 'We've arrested von Wer. He flew in on this.'

'But that's how the Doct-' Roz jabbed her heel down hard on Chris's foot.

'The Von Wer from the photograph?' she asked.

'The very same. It looks like you were wrong for once.

We caught him underneath this plane, carrying a set of plans, a million Reichsmarks and a signed confession. Kendrick's taken him to SID HQ.'

Benny had already guessed. Roz caught her eye and nodded.

'Anything else?' Forrester asked.

Reed nodded grimly. 'They're going to bomb Guernsey.'

'No!' Benny shouted.

Reed whirled to face her. 'I don't like it myself, Miss Summers, but the Cabinet don't have any choice.'

Chris grasped his shoulder. 'They are trying to bomb the airstrip where this was built?'

'Yes.'

'It's not in Guernsey. We need to find Kendrick.' Reed stared at him for a moment, then the two men ran off together towards Whitehall.

Benny faced Roz. 'And we have to find the Doctor.'

'He's at SID HQ.'

'Where's that?'

Roz grinned. 'It's where those two are jogging to. Just under a mile away.'

Benny groaned. 'Couldn't we grab a taxi?'

Roz nodded. I've got a staff car waiting.'

Reed and Cwej caught up with Kendrick as he was about to step into his office. The admiral was beaming, and he ushered them both into the room. It was the first time that Chris had been here. The office was small and the oak-panelling and blackout curtain over the window made it even more claustrophobic. As with every other room in the building, maps and reports littered every surface. A scale model of a battles.h.i.+p took pride of place on the desk.

'It's good to see you back, Lieutenant.' Kendrick shook Chris's hand. The two lieutenants were still out of breath from their run. Chris couldn't waste any more time, though.

'Sir, I have heard from Lieutenant Reed that you intend to bomb Guernsey tonight. Hartung isn't based there; the Luftwaffe have a camouflaged airstrip just outside Granville.'

'We bombed the -'

'Sir, this is a different airstrip, one that you don't know about.'

Reed had found a map, and he brought it over. 'Show us, Cwej,' the lieutenant suggested.

Chris ran his finger over the map. The Gerard farm was marked on it. It was easy enough to trace the escape route he and the Doctor had used - back from the farm, through the wood, along the stream. On this map, an old one from before the war, there was still a farm on the site of the camouflaged airstrip. The country lane leading from Granville to this farm was marked. Chris estimated the position and drew a circle around it, carefully avoiding the Gerards' land.

'Send the bombers there, three miles or so to the south.

There are no ground defences - they don't need them if no one knows that they are there. Everything is underground, though.'

Kendrick tapped the map. 'We've not even had a whiff of this from our agents in France, Cwej.'

Chris was insistent. 'I broke into the base on two occasions, sir. The n.a.z.is had been testing Hugin and Munin there for months. You've received reports about mysterious flying objects. You know that Hartung is in the area.'

'For G.o.d's sake, Admiral, call Bomber Command before the raid on Guernsey,' urged Reed.

Kendrick picked up the phone.

'Open up the door,' Forrester ordered.

The young private did as she asked. Roz followed Benny into the cell. The Doctor was sitting at the end of his bed, in the lotus position. He was stirring a mug of tea.

'Look at that,' said the Doctor crossly, holding up the spoon. 'What use is only one spoon? Oh, Benny! You found my umbrella.' He took it from her, hugging it joyfully.

'Hartung is dead,' said Benny softly. 'I saw his body in the morgue. He died on March the second at St Jaonnet.'

'When Hugin exploded,' the Doctor muttered under his breath. 'But...'

It was the first time that Roz could ever remember the Doctor looking surprised. It disconcerted her.

'So this has all been for nothing, hasn't it?' Benny suggested.

The Doctor put down the mug. He was deep in thought.