MARIE brushed at her skirt and shifted her suitcase to her other hand. Inside her leather bag, her wireless machine sat hidden under her seamstress materials in a secret compartment. Stern faced and silent solders wearing white leather belts, white ascots, and deadly sidearms stared at her with cold eyes. She had never before even touched a wireless rig outside of the training Quonset hut.
The hangar felt balmy, humid. The seasonal rain had let up only about a quarter hour earlier and the night felt very warm. Shallow puddles covered the tarmac and the sky looked more gray than red with the setting sun. She checked the time for the fourth time in the last few minutes and tried very hard not to tap her foot impatiently. She longed to talk to someone, burn off some of this adrenaline, but the guards clearly had no inclination to make chit chat. Rather they looked as if they hoped she might try to remove the wireless rig from the hangar. Then they could just shoot her and go to bed.
With her wireless, she would hide in plain sight of the Germans who had taken up residence in Occupied France. She would receive information and transmit information, all while having her location triangulated by German soldiers.
Speed was her weapon. The faster she could transmit, the faster she could decode, the less time they had to find her.
She'd made the clothes she wore by hand in order to keep a cover as a seamstress, which would give her the ability and excuse to travel. She'd had to not only learn code, she'd also had to learn how to sew. She'd had a small base for it, but most things she'd learned from scratch. Personally, it had been easier for her to learn the code and how to operate the machine than how to master patterns, stitches, and fine knots.
She and Edward had arrived safely on English soil after a nightmare three-day journey. They hadn't even found a hotel to stay in first, but had gone straight to the British Intelligence offices in London. Edward had explained his background, his training in the police forces before the beginning of the war, their father's lineage, and his skills. He had only offered himself as a recruit, but Charlene had been there attending a high-level meeting and pulled Marie aside to question her.
Edward had protested, rather vehemently, but Marie lifted her chin and insisted that she could fight for her country, too. After two days of them arguing about it, her older brother finally, finally relented. He had pulled her into his arms and, with tears she pretended she didn't see, begged her to be smart, to be careful, and to stay alive.
They'd returned to the offices together, him taken in one direction by a uniformed man, her the other. Surprisingly, they'd encountered each other rather regularly during training, but they did not ever give away that they knew each other. Any personal information, if extracted from the right interrogator, could be a danger to them. It could also be a danger to their father, if he happened to still be alive and well.
Edward hadn't required the same level of training as she. He already knew ships from his time sailing during school, so they gave him a cover as a worker in a dock yard. She didn't know more than that. She didn't know what dock yard on what body of water in what city. Apparently, it was important that she not know. She only knew that when she'd opened the hymnal from the first pew, she'd found a leaf from a bush near his barracks in their agreed upon location. That had been their agreed upon symbol when one or the other of them left the premises.
He'd been gone for over a month now, and she longed to know if he was okay, if he was alive, if he'd discovered anything about their father. Of course, there was no way to glean that information, nor would she dare if she could.
Now she stood in a hangar waiting to board an airplane that would fly her into enemy occupied territory. There, she would practice espionage against the evil giant spider that had cast an inescapable web over Europe and claimed it as its own.
"Well, Temperance. All set to go, then?" Charlene asked, entering through a side door in the hangar.
"I imagine I'm as ready as one can be," Marie confirmed, fingering a button on her blouse.
Faith walked next to Charlene, a jaunty lift to her step as always happened in the moments before she took the pilot's seat.
"You'll do great," Faith offered with her Texas drawl. She patted the side of a well maintained North American Na-16. The nose of the plane bore a painting of a large diamond in the center of a map of Texas colored in the same red white and blue of the lone star state flag. Faith had named her airplane Texas Diamond. "Not enough seats to fly you tonight, old girl. Have to fly that fat girl over there. She's an Avro Anson 652 and just a tad younger but don't be jealous, now. I'll be back before you know it." She looked at Temperance and winked. "I'm going to do my preflight checklist."
Charlene watched Faith stroll jauntily across the hangar and said, "Now we're just waiting on Prudence. She's going tonight as well." As if on cue, the door opened, and Prudence entered the hangar carrying her own leather suitcase. "Ah, there she is now. I suppose I shall not have to dispatch the troops to hunt her down after all."
Charlene accepted a box from Prudence and spoke to her in low tones, then gestured to a table near a wall and said louder, "Please place your cases on this table, ladies. We want to ensure that nothing in there would accidentally give you away."
"You mean other than my wireless?" Marie weakly joked as she set her case on the table.
"Indeed," Charlene said with a smile. She made eye contact with the armed guards. "I think that will be all for now, lads. Perhaps you can wait for me in the smoking area out front."
The senior sergeant saluted crisply and his gravelly voice pronounced a respectful, "Marm!" She returned the salute and they marched out of the hangar.
Charlene opened their luggage and looked through the clothes, ensuring that the bags contained no uniquely British items. She checked labels on clothes Prudence had packed and made sure nothing seemed out of sort.
While she did her work, Marie looked at her friend. She wondered, again, why someone of Prudence's obvious aristocratic background would even consider this type of service. Of course, she would never ask such a question. Instead, she took the woman's hand.
"I am glad we're going in together," Marie said.
"As am I." Prudence squeezed her hand. "I am somehow very much less anxious knowing we'll be in the same area."
"Everything looks good. Spit spot," Charlene announced, snapping the latch on Prudence's bag. "When Faith lands you must disembark very quickly. She'll come in with no lights, but the sound of the motor is something we can't disguise. If it wasn't for your wireless, Temperance, you'd parachute in. The equipment is too delicate to risk a bad landing." She pulled the bags off the table and returned them to the women.
Temperance grinned. "Right. So, if I were to die parachuting in, you could get a new girl, but wireless rigs are important."
Charlene raised an eyebrow and with a single nod said, "Bob's your uncle. Now, your contact will meet you at the air strip. Assuming they received the message transmitted in code on the radio programme. If not, then you will be baptised by fire, as they say."
"Do you want me to signal when we arrive?" Marie asked.
"Your contact will take you to Praetorian, the director of that region, provided he hasn't been compromised at the same time as the wireless operator you're replacing. Praetorian doesn't know to expect you. He's flying blind at the moment. We've been hiding communication in radio programmes, but we have no guarantee he's receiving them. Once you're there, accept any communiqué he needs to send, then go secure yourself and transmit all at one time." Charlene handed them each their identification cards. "These should withstand the most rigorous inspection."
Faith ducked under the nose of the plane and shot them a thumb's up. "She's a fat girl so I'll eat up some runway getting airborne, especially with the wet out there. She has a lot of wing so I'm guessing she'll fly about like driving a boat. And I'm not terribly happy with the shape of that back tire but it's in spec. Barely. So, I guess we're all set, Major. Prudence? Temperance? Grab your saddle bags and climb aboard." She grinned. "Let's get this show off the ground."
"Ladies, be smart and be safe. Always. Godspeed."
Marie held out her hand and Charlene took it. "Thank you for believing in us."
"You've no idea," Charlene said, warmly squeezing Marie's hand. "I look forward to your return."
THE twin engine Avro Anson 652 aircraft looked new inside though it had apparently rolled off the line the year before. This aircraft had not been modified for combat. It had been intended for reconnaissance and courier work mainly on this side of the channel and had only recently been painted OD Green. However, the interior remained bright factory yellow and smelled clean. They didn't feel cramped inside and they each spread out a bit after Faith got them airborne.
Marie looked at her friend Prudence, who sat on the uncomfortable flight seat, strapped in tight. She had her head turned away, obviously deep in thought. Occasionally, she rubbed the empty space on her left ring finger, as if remembering a ring that once adorned it.
Clearly, Prudence had no intention of chatting the flight away even if she felt inclined to shout over the sound of the engines. Knowing how scared Marie personally felt, she didn't blame her. She wished she could escape inward and get lost in some thoughts. Whenever she did, though, all she could think about was the night they had left her father behind.
"Hey ya'll!" Faith shouted over her shoulder. "We're getting our feet wet!" Marie knew they had just crossed the shoreline and now flew over the English Channel toward Occupied France. "When we get our feet dry again, we might meet some Archie." When they crossed into France, they might become the target of some antiaircraft artillery fire. "Might want to go ahead and make sure you have your parachutes handy now. Though at this altitude, they wouldn't do much good anyway. Still, never know."
The parachutes were useless below 500 feet. Even given the best of chances, the canopies would likely never get full should they have to bail out. Somehow, none of this worried Marie. Somehow, she knew God had put her exactly where she needed to be for now.
One of the worst parts about this mission would be the inability to check on her father. She could only do her part to see to a swift end to this awful war. Then she and Edward could go home. Thoughts of her family kept her occupied until Faith's cry of "Feet dry!" startled her.
By some miracle, they never came under antiaircraft artillery fire and no fighter aircraft chased them down. The light above switched from red to yellow. Faith started bringing them in for a landing. They'd have to disembark very quickly. The longer Faith kept the plane on the ground, the more likely they would be found out and the mission would be over before it began.
She clenched her hands together and bowed her head. "Please God," she whispered, but nothing else came out. Please keep me safe, please keep me from being detected, please make me smarter and wiser and faster than them. All of those thoughts collided in her mind until all she could manage was a mumbled, "Please," praying that God would hear what her heart cried out rather than what her mouth did not.
As the plane began descending, she looked up and caught Prudence staring at her. As soon as their eyes met, her blonde friend said, "I'm beginning to wonder if this was a wise decision after all. Do you suppose it's too late to change my mind?"
With the bark of a laugh, Marie said, "I think I know what you mean. The worst part is the unknown. If I only knew what waited for us…" The plane shuddered and Marie gripped the side of her seat. "Of course, we may not have to worry about it."
The plane shuddered again and suddenly hit the ground hard. Then, it rose off the ground, and hit again, staying down this time. They heard Faith shouting, "Graceful as a bull in a china shop!"
Marie felt her body strain against the restraints as Faith hit the brakes and brought the metal beast to a stop. The second there was no more forward momentum, Marie and Prudence both unbuckled from the canvas straps. They grabbed their bags just as the copilot rushed from the cockpit area to the door. He pushed it open to the nighttime of countryside in Occupied France.
As Marie walked past the cockpit, Faith turned her head and yelled, "God be with you two."
Marie shot Faith a thumbs up then climbed out of the plane, followed closely by Prudence. Before Prudence even had both feet fully on the ground, the copilot had secured the door and Faith started taxiing away.
Marie looked around her, peering into the darkness, but didn't see anyone among the trees bordering the open field. "Come on," she whispered, "let's get away from the noise of the plane."
Holding their bags, they ran toward the tree line. Faith's plane flew safely out of range and the silence of the night settled around them. Marie leaned against a tree and listened, waiting.
"I wonder where we should go," Prudence said, looking around.
"I think we ought to give it just a minute," Marie said. Just as she said that, she heard the snap of a twig. Heart beating furiously, she turned toward the sound, the wireless in her hand suddenly feeling like it weighed five hundred pounds.
From behind the trees, three men appeared. They dressed simply, overalls and cotton shirts, looking like farmers. "Où avez-vous de deux venez?" The tallest in the group spoke in French, asking where the two of them had come from.
Marie licked her lips. "Avalanche," she replied in French, using the code word given to them by Charlene.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Two women?"
Prudence stepped forward. "What is the return word?"
One of the others answered. "Pigeon."
Prudence nodded. "Very well, then. Kindly take us to Praetorian."
"Things must be going pretty badly out there if they're sending us two girls," the tall one spoke again.
Marie stepped toward him, until the toe of her leather shoe hit his boot. "It can and will go badly right now if you don't get us away from this field. Now, like Prudence here said, we need to talk to the Red Wolf."
He clearly didn't like it, but he didn't argue anymore. His companion reached for Marie's suitcase, but she pulled it back. "I can pull my own weight," she said. "How far to where we're going?"
"Thirteen kilometers. We'll stick to the woods until we just can't anymore. The further we are away from the noise of the British airplane, the better." The third man spoke for the first time. "Best step quickly. I want to get there within three hours and we have to get the pig."
He turned and started walking. Marie fell into step immediately behind him, with Prudence right behind her, and the two other men bringing up the rear. Marie had never been briefed on anyone with a code name of Pig and so she felt complete astonishment when the three men came to a halt and produced an actual pig on a leash. The pig grunted and snorted and the shortest man took the leash in hand and resumed his march.
They walked through the woods for at least four kilometers, maybe more. The lead man walked with confidence, as if he maneuvered through the French woods in the dead of night all the time. Every once in a while, the pig would root in the soft soil near the roots of a tree and the men would stop and look all around.
At the third such stop, Marie asked, "Why are we waiting for your pig?"
The tallest man peered at her with a look of stark astonishment. "He is finding truffles!"
Of course. If the Nazis caught them in the woods in the dead of night, they could explain that they were hunting for truffles. Likely they even had a few truffles hidden away in their clothes to bribe their way out of any sticky situation.
Marie expected to feel tired after the first hour, but she didn't. Her nerves spurred her energy, and she had to hold herself back to keep from running past the man and encouraging him to go faster. If she were completely honest, the short breaks while the pig rooted around also helped. She saw Prudence appeared to be in as good of a shape as she.
When they finally stepped out of the woods, they walked along a dirt lane. The night was silent around them. Marie trotted ahead to catch up with the man who led them. "What happened to the last wireless?" She couldn't help but ask.
"At first, we didn't know. Information still came and went through normal channels. Someone on the inside got a message to us that they had him in the prison. We still don't know how long they were impersonating him before that." He looked her up and down. "I imagine it's smart to bring in a girl. Be a while before they reckon you're the new operator."
With a wry smile she said, "I suppose that's the plan."
He pushed his hat a little further back on his head. "Wouldn't want to be you when they catch you, though." He held his hand up as a signal to stop. The group immediately complied, and Marie and Prudence followed the lead of the men and stepped off the lane and into the dark wood line.
As they crouched behind the bushes lining the trees, two German soldiers in a Zundapp KS750 motorcycle complete with sidecar rambled by. As soon as it was gone from sight and they could no longer hear it, the man who led them spit on the ground and shook his fist in the direction the Nazis had gone. Then he waved them forward and they kept walking.
Hours later, as the sun began to lighten the night sky, they turned down a lane that led to an obscure farm house. A younger man, maybe mid to late thirties, emerged through the screen door and onto the porch. He leaned against the porch railing and watched the group approaching.
He did not call out to them, nor did he speak until they all stood in the yard. He looked at Marie and Prudence with serious, tired gray eyes. "Names?"
Marie knew he only wanted code names. "I'm Temperance and that's Prudence over there."
He nodded. "Wireless?"
"That's me."
With his chin, he gestured at Prudence. "You?"
"Courier." She set her suitcase on the porch and shook her hand as if to work out a cramp. "And you are …?"
"Praetorian." With a sharp gesture he pointed to the door. "I have coffee and some eggs. I can make some tea if you prefer." He opened the door and let them precede him inside. The cottage made Marie think of her mother's parents' home — a very simple farm cottage with simple wooden furniture and threadbare carpets on the floor. He led the way into the kitchen, where a coffee pot sat on top of a wood stove. Pointing at the table, he said to them, "Sit. Rest a moment."
To the men he said, "Find any truffles?"
The tallest man nodded. "Three. You need anything?"
Praetorian shook his head. "I got a shipment lined up. Thank you. Your help is more than generous."
"Happy to help, Praetorian. Get us a message if you need anything else." The tall man tipped his hat at the women. "Good luck, girls."
He almost said it mockingly, but Marie refused to bristle. "And to you as well," she replied with a sweet smile.
He likely intended his grimace to pass as a smile. He and his friends took their pig and left, leaving the two of them alone with Praetorian. He set two metal mugs on the table and poured each of them some coffee. In English, he said, "I am relieved to see replacements come in. We're in the process of planning a massive operation, and without communication with London, I didn't know if we'd still be able to pull it off."
"Will I stay here?" Prudence asked.
"You will. I'll sleep in the barn. You will take messages from me. Find the church in town. Leave messages in the hymnal closest to the aisle on the second row. Temperance will retrieve the messages and leave any she has for me from London." He opened a cupboard and removed a heel of bread. "Rationing is tight. I apologize for the scarcity of food but as I said I have some eggs."
"No need to apologize." Prudence tore a small piece off the heel of the bread and offered some to Marie. She followed her friend's lead and only took a small amount.
"Where will I stay?" Marie asked.
"You are single?" he asked. He stared at her like he could see all the way through her, and she fought the impulse to fidget under his look. She wondered how someone so young could look so old.
"I am."
He nodded slightly. "There's a boarding house for single women in town. What is your cover?"
"Seamstress."
He nodded again and sat quietly for several breaths. "I believe that will be perfect. There is a good population in town that would require your services." He bent down and pulled a tray out from under the stove. Using a small stick he pulled out of the wood box, he drew a rough map in the ashes on the tray. "There's a bicycle in the barn. Take that and go this way." He drew and talked, telling her landmarks and directions. "It is eighteen kilometers. Let me see your identification."
She handed him the ID and he opened it and looked at it, looked at her, and looked back at it. "Shouldn't give you any trouble." He handed it back to her. "I'm going to give you a message to transmit. Once you're in your location, it will be up to you to secure places where you can use your wireless. There's a farmer on the way to town who is friendly to our side. He will likely let you use his property sometimes. Stop there on your way and let them know you arrived. Tell them Operation Marquee is still on." He sketched landmarks in the ashes to guide her to the farm.
Marie stood, understanding that Praetorian had just dismissed her. "Marquee. Got it."
"Also let them know that as far as we know, it's been 27 days since capture and to disregard any information received in that time frame."
Marie sucked in a breath, knowing that London thought it had only been 21 days. "Understood."
"Do not ever come back here for any reason."
Marie nodded. "I understand."
"I mean it. I don't care who is chasing you or what is going on. Do not ever come back here." He held out his hand and she put her hand in his. "Godspeed, Temperance."
"You, too, Praetorian." She turned to Prudence and put her arms around her. "Be safe. I hope to see you again."
He did not walk her to the barn. She left him and Prudence in the kitchen and went out on her own. She found the bike where he told her to find it and secured her suitcase to the back of it. As she pedaled off, leaving the farm house behind her, it occurred to her that she'd never felt so alone in her life.
Then she remembered — she was never alone. Whispering to God as she pedaled, she thanked Him for safe arrival and prayed for continued protection.