Blood Red City (42 page)

*   *   *

‘It does sound like the place we found in Crete,' Brinkman agreed.

‘And either the hatchway you saw has been opened, or the Vril intend to open it.'

‘Releasing thousands of the buggers,' Green added. ‘Millions.'

‘That would tie in with the stories about opening the gates of hell and awakening vengeful gods, or whatever it was,' Sarah said. ‘But how do we stop it – assuming this is a prophecy and it hasn't happened already?'

Brinkman's phone rang, and he gestured for Miss Manners to answer it. ‘Unless it's urgent, I'm not here.'

She lifted the receiver. ‘Colonel Brinkman's phone, Miss Manners speaking.' She listened for a moment, then covered the receiver his her hand. ‘Wiles,' she said quietly. ‘I think you'd better speak to him.'

‘So I'm a message service now am I?' Wiles said as soon as Brinkman took the phone. ‘Not like I've anything else to do, now, is it?'

‘I'm sorry,' Brinkman told him, ‘but I have no idea what you're talking about.'

‘I'm talking about a message picked up by several of the Y Stations, that's what.'

‘What of it?' Brinkman asked, nonplussed.

‘Well, I can't think why it was passed straight to me, but let me read it to you. This was received at nine-seventeen GMT today. And it reads: “FAO”, that means “For Attention Of”, by the way.'

‘Yes, thank you, I did know that.'

‘Well, that's a start. Anyway, it says: “FAO Dr Wiles.” That's me, by the way. “Tell Ollie”, and I assume that is you, “Tell Ollie we are off to meet his shepherd friend most urgently. All help appreciated. Guy and Leo.” And for the record I have no idea who this shepherd is.'

‘It's all right,' Brinkman told him. ‘I know who he is.'

‘Oh? A codename is it?'

‘No, he's a shepherd.'

‘Well that's clear as mud then,' Wiles said. ‘I've sent a copy down to you by motorcycle, as Eleanor assures me that's the quickest way. There's a bit more, but it's just dates and times which may make more sense to you than to me. But the whole thing is so cryptic I assumed it must be urgent.'

‘It is,' Brinkman agreed. ‘Thank you. You may not appreciate it, but if you get any more messages like this, please do pass them on as soon as you can.'

‘Oh, it's all right,' Wiles said. ‘I'm just a bit miffed that it sounds like some people are having more fun than I am.'

‘So what was that about, sir?' Green asked as Brinkman hung up.

‘I think we were right: what Jane saw is related to our excursion to Crete. That, by a rather roundabout route, was a message from Mr Davenport and Major Pentecross.'

‘Really?' Sarah's excitement was obvious. ‘Did they get to Stalingrad? Where are they now?'

‘I'm afraid I have no idea,' Brinkman told her. ‘But I know where they're going.'

 

CHAPTER 42

Hoffman had returned to Wewelsburg from Russia, Guy and Leo Davenport travelling with him. Rather than risk getting into the castle again, they waited in the shed where Hoffman had a radio set hidden – and from there sent a cryptic signal they hoped would get to Brinkman without making much sense to anyone else who intercepted it. Now in SS uniforms, they had travelled with Hoffman back to Crete.

‘The whole area is off limits now,' Hoffman told them. ‘Nachten was flown back to Berlin for treatment. He broke some ribs and an arm, nothing too major. But he's still at Wewelsburg, recovering. I persuaded him I should come back to Crete to check on how his man Grebben is doing. Lucky for us, Nachten left instructions that no one is to go back down into the Labyrinth until his return.'

They spent as much time as they could going over the plan time and time again. It wasn't perfect – no plan could be. But there didn't seem to be any realistic alternative.

‘Will you have time to get away?' Davenport asked Hoffman.

‘Does it matter if I live or die?' he asked. ‘It doesn't to me.'

‘We'd hate to lose you,' Guy told him.

Hoffman did not reply.

So far as Mihali was aware, it was the fuel depot they were interested in. Hoffman insisted on a full inspection of the facility as soon as they arrived in Crete, taking Guy and Leo with him. Having seen everything they needed to, Guy and Leo slipped away from the quarters they had been given on the edge of the fuel depot, and headed for where they hoped to contact Mihali.

The dates and times they had put in the message to Brinkman had been of necessity vague, and they had no way of knowing if the message had even got through. But Mihali was waiting for them at the edge of the wooded area where he and Guy had hidden to observe the depot almost three months earlier. He raised his eyebrows as he saw the uniforms they were wearing.

‘I suggest you delay your plan for twenty-four hours,' Mihali said when Guy and Leo gave him an edited version of what they intended.

‘Why's that?' Guy asked.

‘Our mutual friend Ollie Brinkman is due to arrive tomorrow evening. Organising my people at short notice won't be easy, and what you're asking requires some skill. My chaps are better at blowing things up, and to be honest I'm not sure why you're not just setting explosives.'

‘There's something under that area of rock that we need to make sure is destroyed,' Leo told him. ‘Just blowing up the fuel depot won't do it.'

Mihali nodded. ‘I see. We haven't noticed any construction in that area, but maybe they tunnelled through from the fuel depot or under the cliffs.'

‘Maybe,' Guy said. Neither he nor Leo were ready to tell Mihali that it wasn't a German installation they were targeting.

Explaining why they were staying on for another day at the facility was a potential problem. But Hoffman simply asked to see the paperwork relating to fuel transfers for the past six months. It didn't take him long to come up with a list of difficult questions and demands for further information. The depot supervisor was relieved when Hoffman offered to stay an extra day while the administrative staff sorted out what he wanted.

‘The last thing either of us want is for me to report back, and to be told I missed something and have to return,' Hoffman said. ‘Better to be thorough now, and then we can leave you in peace.'

‘And some time in the next twenty-four hours,' Guy added, ‘we shall want to test your emergency evacuation procedures. There will be no prior warning, except that I shall require you to sound the alarm at a time I specify, of course.'

‘Will the evacuation include Hauptsturmfuhrer Grebben's men?' the supervisor asked nervously.

‘It will,' Hoffman told him. ‘But if you prefer, I shall inform the Hauptsturmfuhrer myself of the exercise.'

It was clear the supervisor certainly would prefer this.

*   *   *

Guy was not surprised at the reaction when they met Grebben. The Hauptsturmfuhrer had requisitioned a hut on the edge of the facility, close to the shelf of rock where the entrance to the Labyrinth was hidden.

‘My orders from Standartenfuhrer Nachten are to stay here, sir,' he told Hoffman.

Guy and Leo kept to the background and made no comment. Leo, of course had little idea what was being said, though Guy followed the discussion easily.

‘Well, now I am giving you fresh orders,' Hoffman replied.

Grebben shifted uncomfortably, aware that his own men were watching too. ‘Can I ask the purpose of this evacuation exercise?'

‘It is to make certain that this facility can be evacuated effectively in a timely manner, that is all.'

‘And why is an assistant to the Reichsfuhrer-SS so interested?'

Hoffman waited a few moments before he answered, allowing Grebben to wonder if he had perhaps gone too far.

‘You have been down into the Labyrinth,' Hoffman said at last. ‘You have seen what is down there. Do you really need to ask why we might have to clear this entire area as rapidly as possible?'

Grebben did not reply. A nerve ticked rapidly at the corner of his left eye.

‘When the alarm sounds,' Hoffman went on, ‘you and your men will take part in the drill, and evacuate this area along with the other personnel. Is that clear, Hauptsturmfuhrer?'

*   *   *

They waited in the middle of nowhere. The fields were bordered by woods on one side, the ground rising to rocky mountains on the other. It was the perfect landing zone, well away from any habitation. The plane was flying high, so as not to be heard, and with a light wind there was a danger of drifting. But right on schedule, Guy spotted the three pale parachutes floating down towards them.

‘Has Brinkman done this before?' Guy wondered.

‘Who knows,' Davenport told him. ‘The colonel keeps himself to himself rather. I think Green's seen a lot of service though. Wouldn't surprise me if he hasn't made a few drops in his time.'

The two men came down at the edge of the area, close to the woods. The third parachute landed nearby – a wooden crate of equipment attached to it. With the help of Guy, Davenport and Mihali, Brinkman and Green detached themselves from their 'chutes, and bundled them up and out of sight.

Mihali helped Green open the equipment crate and they split the contents between them.

‘We need to get moving, sir,' Guy told Brinkman. ‘We start at first light.'

Brinkman nodded. ‘You'd better tell me all about it on the way.'

*   *   *

The easiest and quickest way back into the facility was through the fence. The first light of dawn was breaking across the sea in front of them as they reached the edge of the woods. The hole they had cut back in July was still unrepaired, the fence folded back into place so that it didn't show.

‘They obviously don't inspect the fence very often or very well,' Brinkman said as they reached it.

‘I'll tell Hoffman,' Leo told him. ‘He can make an official complaint. I expect there's a form he can fill in.'

A complication was that the area below them, around the rock shelf, was now patrolled by Grebben's SS men.

‘They'll be gone soon when we set off the alarms,' Guy said. ‘Hoffman's ordered them to evacuate with everyone else.'

‘Just so long as they do,' Green said. ‘If not, then it could get interesting.'

The metal pipeline running round the edge of the rock shelf and then off to the jetty was obvious.

‘Leo and I took a look yesterday,' Guy told the others, ‘as best we could, without it being obvious what we were doing. Anyway, there seems to be a valve about halfway along that section there. Probably for venting air or drawing off excess fuel if they need to clear the pipe.'

‘Or if that doesn't work, you may have to just make a hole in it,' Leo added. ‘Without sparks flying, of course.'

‘I still think we should just blow the thing up,' Mihali told them.

‘Not an option, I'm afraid,' Brinkman said. ‘You can never guarantee success, of course,' he went on, ‘but this seems to be as good a plan as we could put together under the circumstances. Good luck to everyone, and hopefully we'll meet back at the drop zone in a few hours.'

Mihali and Green folded back the wire and Guy and Leo squeezed through the gap in the fence. Brinkman passed Guy a small backpack, which he slung over his shoulder.

The SS patrol had passed a few minutes ago and was out of sight, so they should be safe for a while. Even so, they hurried down the slope, putting as much distance between themselves and where they had come through the perimeter as possible. It was fully light now, but if Grebben's men saw them, they would assume Guy and Davenport had come from the fuel facility.

Hoffman was waiting behind one of the huts, close to the largest of the two main fuel tanks. Together they made their way along to where a network of pipes joined together in a complicated junction of valves and flow controls before entering the tank.

‘Your people ready?' Hoffman asked.

‘They're ready,' Leo told him. ‘As soon as Grebben's men are out of the way they'll get to work on the pipe.'

‘I need to get down there before they open the valve,' Hoffman said.

‘Are you all set?' Guy asked.

Hoffman pulled back the cuff of his jacket to show the inert bracelet Davenport had given him clamped to his left wrist. From his pocket he produced the axe-head. ‘There's just one other thing I need.'

Guy slipped the small backpack off his shoulder and handed it to Hoffman, who opened it to check the contents. He placed the axe-head inside, and closed it up again.

‘Thank you,' Hoffman said grimly. ‘Now I'm all set.'

 

CHAPTER 43

The alarm was like the wail of an air-raid siren. It cut through the early morning air, easily audible at the edge of the wood where Brinkman was waiting with Green and Mihali.

‘Right on time,' Green said, checking his watch.

Some of Mihali's men were in position further along the perimeter, out of sight but ready to give covering fire if it was needed.

‘So far, so good,' Mihali said, watching the fuel depot through binoculars. ‘There are people leaving, in rather a hurry. I guess they think it's a real emergency.'

‘The SS men are heading back to the depot too,' Brinkman said. ‘We'll give it a couple of minutes, just to be sure there are no malingerers.'

All the activity was concentrated on the far side of the facility. People hurried to designated safe areas, and trucks ferried staff further away from the huge fuel tanks. Mihali led Green and Brinkman back down to the fence, pulling it open to let them through.

‘I'll stay here so I have a clear view of the whole area. If I see any activity, I'll fire a warning shot. If nothing else, that should draw the enemy away from you.'

‘Remember Hoffman, the SS major, will be coming this way in a few minutes,' Brinkman said. ‘Don't shoot him by accident, he's with us.'