Franz Mizel sat in another interrogation cell. This was better than he had visited. The walls were stone. The table and chair was attached to the floor by bolts. A single electric light bulb illuminated the whole drab room.
It was cold. He pulled his coat around him. His breathe gave off a fine mist. He had been waiting hours. He knew this was an interrogation tactic. Cold, no food or drink. Silence. He had been through this many times. The silence was broken by the door being opened. The inspector he had spoken to before entered the room and sat opposite him.
“Grim room. My, it’s cold. Would you like me to move you to somewhere more amenable? Just say the word. It can be done.”
“I am fine. I am not bothered by this,” Franz replied.
“I know that you will not break. Better men than me have failed. You will follow the sergeant major to the gallows. I can see from your expression you did not know. Yes, O’Carroll was hanged this morning for treason. It was not a pretty sight. You will be brought before a military tribunal this afternoon. It will be inevitable that you will hang tomorrow morning.”
“I do not fear death. I have lived with it since I was a youngster in Poland. It matters not who does the deed; Russian, German, Polish or English. The only thing that matters is that you lived well. I do regret the demise of the sergeant major. He did not deserve to die like that. He was an innocent. He was caught up in a situation beyond his abilities. I truly believe he only wanted to save his wife. What will become of her, I wonder?”
“You are a rum character. You show empathy toward an individual, while plotting to kill thousands of innocents.”
“In a revolution, there are casualties. You must expect that. I cannot expect you to understand.”
“Oh, but I do. I am not ignorant of what happens in the world. I will do everything to stop your revolution. I will not shrink from killing all who come to my country to harm my people. But I believe you are a rank hypocrite. You speak of high-minded principles, yet you financed your attack from, probably the most reactionary country in the world; Germany.”
“I was tricked. It is not my fault. You cannot blame me.”
“Who else must I blame. You are the leader. You planned the attack, which will, if successful, allow the Kaiser to occupy England and its colonies. What will happen to your anarchist friends if that happens?”
Franz knew the truth of what Arthur was saying. The Germans would round up all of the anarchists and revolutionaries in England and perhaps Europe.
“There is nothing I can do. It is out of my hands. It is too late. The plans are too advanced to stop. I will not betray my comrades. I will die. No more questions.”
“Yes, you will die, knowing that you have issued all your comrades with a death sentence. Think about that. I despise you. You are a coward.”
Arthur left the room, leaving Franz to ponder what was said.
“Any luck?” Jonas asked.
“I am not sure. I think I got through, but I am worried. He seems to know that his revolution is doomed. He appears to accept it. He wants to die.”
After two hours, a young constable approached Jonas and said, “Sir, the prisoner wishes to speak to you.”
“Which one?” Jonas asked.
“The foreign gentleman, sir.”
“Find Inspector Middleton. As soon as possible.”
After speaking to Mizel all night, the plan was exposed. Mizel was candid. He gave names, addresses of all of the baron’s men, hiding places and fellow travellers. He refused to name the anarchist involved.
Within the next week, raids were undertaken at the addresses given by Mizel. The results were disappointing. A few anarchists were arrested but they knew nothing of the planned attack. Some propaganda was taken. Underground flyers exhorted the faithful to be ready for the coming revolution. However, the police noted that the flyers were printed some years previously.
The press picked up on the raids. The general line was that the authorities were trying to ensure that troublemakers were controlled before the coming celebrations.
The streets around Tower Bridge were decked with union flags, bunting and new barriers. Army sentry posts were set up in strategic areas. Patriotic photographs of the royal family appeared in the windows of loyal subjects throughout London.
The bridge was adorned with huge flags and bunting. Workmen could be seen scrambling over the girders. Painters were touching up the crest on the bridge. Teams of sweepers were cleaning the roads leading to the bridge and Tower. Venders from all over the country were arriving to find a suitable space to sell their wares to the crowds expected for the big day.
The police quietly rescued Mary-Jane. The two men holding her knew nothing of politics, they were local thugs hired to do a job.
Brendan and Mary-Jane were reunited the next day. They left for Clacton and her sister’s home. After a week, Brendan was returned to London. His part of the bargain had to be paid.
Brendan was expected to re-join the conspirators. Jonas and Arthur were not sure that he would be allowed back in. Both thought that he would be killed as an informer. However, if he succeeded, they would, again, have an important line into the attack. If he failed, so be it. He was a murderer, after all.
Liam Cartney stood between two police officers in a dingy corridor. He was resigned to his fate. A door opened and the light streamed out. For a minute, Liam was blinded by the light. He heard a stern voice command, “Prisoner, quick march.”
Liam recognised the man who entered the corridor. Brendan O’Carroll marched out, followed by two guards. Brendan waited as the guards cuffed his hands. They stood aside as Liam was marched into the room and the doors closed.
Liam stood in a courtroom. There was no jury. The tribunal members entered. An officer said, “All rise.” The members took their seats. The tribunal were all high-ranking officers in the army.
The chairman, an officer from the General Staff, addressed the prisoner.
“Liam Cartney, you have been found guilty of treason. I sentence you to be hanged by the neck, until dead. Take the prisoner away.”
Liam was unceremoniously marched out of the courtroom. He was shocked by its brevity. He knew that his life was over. The guards were uninterested in the proceedings. Liam asked the guard nearest him, “When?”
“Now, you’re going to the Tower, where you will be executed immediately.”
The guards led Liam to a waiting army lorry. He was helped into the back. He sat opposite Brendan. They looked at each other. They were left alone for a minute as the guards changed.
“I am to be hanged,” the sergeant major said.
“I know, me too,” Liam replied.
“I don’t deserve this.”
“None of us do,” Liam said.
“I shall not die by the rope. I intend to run. A bullet in the back is preferable to the hangman’s noose?” the sergeant major said.
“And I shall help you.” Liam smiled.
A guard shouted at the prisoners, “No talking.”
Brendan began to twist the cuffs. His wrists began to bleed as he continued to try to open them. He had to stop when a guard climbed into the back of the lorry. He was armed with a rifle. He sat as far as possible from the prisoners.
The guard looked at the prisoners, then satisfied that they would be no problem, relaxed. The lorry started to move forward.
“Corporal, how long to the prison?” Brendan asked.
“Half an hour. Now, no more questions.” The guard seemed irritated.
“My rank is sergeant major. A bit of respect wouldn’t come amiss.”
“You were a sergeant major, you’re my prisoner now. So be quiet. If I have to come over there, you’ll regret it.”
Brendan laughed, “Yeah, you and the Kaiser, no doubt.”
The guard stood up, he held onto the swaying truck and moved towards the prisoners. He brought up the rifle butt to hit Brendan, who moved away from the guard. The corporal advanced. This was what Brendan had hoped for.
As the rifle butt was swung towards Brendan’s head, he quickly moved aside. He grasped the butt and pulled it and the guard toward him. The man was not ready for Brendan’s speedy tactics. With a twist of the butt, the rifle was pulled from his hands. Brendan quickly hit the man in the stomach. Liam jumped forward and pinned him to the ground, his hands over the prone guard’s mouth.
Brendan placed his hands around the neck of the corporal and squeezed. Liam rummaged in his pockets for the keys to the cuffs. He quickly released his hands. Brendan let the guard fall. Liam unlocked Brendan’s cuffs. Brendan cuffed the corporal and pushed a gag into his mouth. They both waited for the lorry to slow down. Liam moved the tail cover on the lorry. He noted that they were in the Strand.
He saw crowds of people, but no escort. Both men waited until the lorry slowed down at traffic lights and quickly jumped off the back, into the throng of people.