CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SOPHIA
The chateau appeared as it always had to her, serene and quiet. Given how many men could be housed there at any given time, it was amazing that it could look so unthreatening, but right now it looked exactly that. Sophia was lying in the grass, straining her eyes as she squinted at the house. It was a beautiful property, and she imagined that before the war the gardens were always manicured, the home and grounds full of people who were employed to keep it looking perfect.
She pushed herself up and leaned against a tree for a moment, her soft palm pushed into the gnarled trunk. She’d learnt to deal with fear, how to process it and put it aside for the greater good, so when it started to pass through her in waves as she stared at the house, she pushed it down, swallowed it away as if the feeling was simply water.
Sophia liked being reminded of what fear felt like, because it stopped her from being reckless, gave her pause to think about what she was about to do. What she didn’t like was when the feeling lingered. The night she’d left Germany, the day she’d fled with Alex, had been the start of her new life, her life without fear or worry or dread; this new life was about getting what she wanted and doing anything within her power to help the Resistance grow and become even better equipped. In the many months since then, she’d worked alongside so many members of the cause, and from the moment she’d set foot on French soil over a year ago, she’d hardly stopped to catch her breath. When she’d started out, she’d kept her head down and done whatever was asked of her, until she ended up losing the members of her cell and had no other choice but to start working on her own. A few months later she’d been shot, and that’s when she’d ended up with Rose.
Sophia pushed away thoughts of the past and made her way back to the others, who were sheltering under a large tree, all seated in the shade. She was hungry, but now that she’d determined as best she could that the house hadn’t been compromised, she wasn’t going to stop. It was time to move, and fast.
‘Everything looks fine down there. I want us to move in now,’ she said.
Rose’s eyes met hers for a moment. It was as if they could communicate without words now; they’d been working together as a team for so long that it was second nature understanding what the other was thinking, what they needed or wanted to do. She glanced at Hazel. Having a new, inexperienced operative joining them wasn’t something she’d wanted or expected, especially when she and Rose had been so effective working together as a twosome.
‘Sophia, you maintain the lead as we approach,’ Rose instructed. ‘I want us all to stay close, hands clear of our bodies or raised if they need to be to show that we’re not hostile. Remember that these men don’t even trust the locals now, nor anyone unknown to them, because things aren’t as they were. With the Germans all over the countryside and coast, it’s harder to know who to trust, who’s faithful to the new rule or the old.’
Sophia nodded and collected her bag from the grass where she’d discarded it earlier, then placed it over her shoulder as she waited for the others to collect their things. When she saw Harry struggling she went to help him, but Hazel beat her to it. She saw the way Hazel smiled at him, a shy, flirtatious smile that made Sophia want to scold them. Harry might be in pain, but she was certain he’d have caught the look Hazel had flashed him.
‘Get a move on,’ she ordered, glaring at Hazel. She felt a pang, wished she hadn’t been so harsh, but seeing them like that, seeing that look and remembering what that felt like . . . Sophia shut her eyes for a second, let herself remember, let herself go back in time.
Alex had made her feel like that all the time, even when they’d been teenagers sneaking kisses and holding hands whenever they could.
She inhaled, slowly, imagining him beside her, talking her through what she was doing. He would have loved this, would have been the first to volunteer to do something, anything, to help, and she almost wished she’d brought him with her. There were plenty of Jewish Resistance members, more than she’d ever expected, but then they had good reason to hate the Nazis and want to go undercover to help to bring them down.
‘Why the frown?’ Alex would say, stroking her shoulder and tickling his fingers all the way to her chin. ‘It doesn’t suit you, looking so cross.’
She’d laugh. He always made her laugh. ‘I’ve got too much to worry about.’
‘Don’t waste time worrying about me. You’ve done enough of that already to last a lifetime.’
Sophia clenched her fists thinking of the way they’d been separated, the way they’d been forced apart, the way he’d been driven to seek refuge and hide in her apartment like a prisoner. She would never understand how he’d managed to stay sane, but he had, and she could only hope that the man she’d left behind would one day find his way back to her. It would be a miracle, but if she didn’t believe, then she wouldn’t be able to keep moving forward and doing the things she needed to do every day. Without Alex in her mind, his words in her head, his face in her memory, she would never have transformed into the woman she’d become.
‘Come on,’ Rose said, touching her back as she passed her, jolting her from her thoughts. ‘Lead the way.’
Sophia walked quickly to get ahead and then set the pace. She could die today, or tomorrow, but at least she knew in her heart that she was fighting for the right side and always had been.
They kept walking, the irregular thump-thump of Harry at the back of the pack the only noise out of place around them. When they were closer, Sophia held up her hands slightly, keeping her head down. She’d walked in like this the last time she was here; she hadn’t even told Rose that the first time she’d arrived with a package she’d been asked for a password by Pierre, the fearsome leader of the French Resistance fighters in the region. At the time she’d known to be scared, but she hadn’t known who he was.
She recoiled, thinking about the way he’d shoved the butt of his gun to her chin, not caring that she was a woman. An enemy was an enemy, and it was clear how ruthless Pierre was from that very first encounter. When she’d insisted there was no password, he’d thrown her down and yelled for someone else to come for her, until she’d been quick enough to think of something to change his mind. There was a whistle, one she’d had to learn before to get the attention of rural fighters deep in a wooded area where she’d been tasked with couriering arms and supplies almost a year earlier, one of her first assignments after she’d landed in France. She’d pursed her lips and softly whistled the tune, then paused and done it again. When he’d burst out laughing and held out a hand, she’d taken it reluctantly, until he’d pulled her hard into his body and kissed her on both cheeks before letting her go again.
‘So it’s true. Our little fox still lives, she’s not a legend,’ he’d said triumphantly, referring to the name she’d been given for her many successful covert missions to blow up enemy lines.
Sophia had insisted she wasn’t worthy of the title, but he’d made a fuss of her and invited her in, interested in the information she’d brought him, written into the silk lining of her skirt, and the package she’d kept carefully hidden in her purse during her travels.
She doubted Pierre would still be here now – he was too important to be in one place for long – but her memory of his blatant brutality was a warning for what could come as they entered.
Sophia was starting to grow concerned at how easily they were approaching the house, wondering if in fact everyone she knew was gone, until she heard a noise in the distance. She sniffed the air, her senses alert, aware that the men who lived here all smelt like they hadn’t bathed in at least a year.
‘Stop,’ she murmured, holding her right hand up high to alert her group.
A man suddenly appeared, rifle cocked, and she smiled, thankful to recognise him. She didn’t know his name, but she did know his face.
‘Fox,’ he said, nodding.
‘We need somewhere to stay,’ she said quickly, gesturing to the others. ‘This is the rest of my circuit. Our house was compromised. We moved before they had a chance to find us and we haven’t been followed.’
‘Who’s he?’ the man asked.
She glanced back at Harry and noticed how terrible he looked. His face looked pained and his skin was slick with sweat.
‘He’s British RAF. We rescued him after a plane crash, and we couldn’t get him on the last shipment with our other packages,’ she said.
‘Get inside. We’re still pretty full in there, but we’ve lost a lot,’ he said. ‘They’re on to us, in more ways than one, and we’re short on supplies.’
Sophia had thought as much. ‘What do you need?’ she asked as they walked to the front door.
‘A damn good radio operator,’ he said without hesitation. ‘Ours have all been taken out.’
‘We happen to have one, and she’s the best you’ll find,’ Sophia told him, pointing to Hazel and watching as she held up her hand. She’d been hard on her since she’d arrived, she knew that, but right now Hazel was valuable to the cause and she was going to stand by her, at least in front of the others. She knew part of her problem was the jealousy slowly simmering inside her at no longer being Rose’s closest ally, not that she’d ever admit it to anyone. ‘Tell her what you need and she’ll do it. We even have our own radio with us.’
‘You still our best courier?’ he asked her.
Sophia smiled. ‘I’m the best at everything I do,’ she said confidently.
‘Then we have a job for you. For all three of you.’
She had a sinking feeling in her stomach for some reason, but she didn’t let her concern show on her face. She nodded. ‘Of course. And him?’ Sophia asked. ‘You’re fine with him staying here until we can find a way to get him out safely?’
‘If he keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t die on us, he’s fine. But he’ll have to figure out a way to make himself useful.’
Sophia knew that was the best she could expect. ‘Fine. Now let’s go in and get this radio set up, and then you can get someone to tell our operator exactly what it is she needs to communicate.’
A new man leaned against the doorjamb once they’d all gone in, his face and hair dirty, his skin tanned dark. Once he had a shower and cleaned up, she imagined he’d be handsome, but right now he simply looked exhausted.
‘Where’s Pierre?’ Sophia asked.
His face turned to steel. ‘Gone. I’m the new Pierre.’
Sophia let the words sink in, the fact that someone as strong and committed as Pierre had been taken out.
‘And you are?’ she asked.
‘Mathieu,’ he said. ‘Once we get comms with London, we should have a new delivery of arms within days. Without it, we’ll all be gone,’ he said, before turning and walking away. ‘We’re waiting for a broadcast, a warning, so get your girl on the radio and don’t let her off it.’
Sophia nodded before slowly turning on the spot and looking at the house she was standing inside. The rooms were full of men. They were definitely in the minority.
‘I’ll find somewhere for Harry,’ Rose said to her, ‘check him over and make him comfortable, and you and Hazel can get to work.’
Sophia touched Harry’s shoulder as she passed him, returning the smile he was giving her, and walked side by side with Hazel to find someone who could explain what they were here to do.
‘How long will it take you to set up?’ Sophia asked, anxious to get their transmissions out as quickly as possible.
‘I’ll work as fast as I can, but it’d be easier without you breathing down my neck!’ Hazel replied as she opened her case.
Sophia looked down at Hazel, saw how flushed her face was and knew that she’d been too hard on her. Something had changed within her, she’d lost the way she used to trust others, the softness that had made her want to help everyone and anyone when war had first broken out. She took a deep breath and sat down beside Hazel, placing a hand on her wrist. Sophia didn’t have to like her, but she didn’t have to make her job any harder than it already was.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, finding the words almost impossible to say. ‘Let’s just get this information sent as quickly as we can.’
Hazel glanced at her, surprise written all over her face in that one quick look. ‘It’s fine.’
‘It’s not fine,’ Sophia muttered. ‘None of this is fine, but we have to do the best we can and not get caught in the process.’
She slowly took her hand away, liking the warmth that had travelled from Hazel’s skin to her own. It felt like a long time since she’d touched somebody like that, just had the press of her skin to another person’s. Maybe she was starting to lose her mind after so long working undercover.
‘I need to transmit what happened to Josephine, is that correct?’ Hazel asked.
Sophia was impressed at how quickly she was working, the radio appearing operational already as Hazel held one side of her headpiece to her ear.
‘We need Paris to know that the cell in Brest has been compromised,’ Sophia said, her heart starting to race. ‘Then I need you to attempt communication with London, or at least start listening to the BBC.’
Hazel nodded, but it was obvious she was no longer focused on Sophia and more interested in the job at hand. Sophia had known she would be good, of course she had, but still, it was hard to trust someone new when you knew nothing about them, yet your life depended on them. Hazel might be highly trained, but she’d never actually worked in the field before, and that made Sophia nervous.
They sat in silence, Hazel tapping and staring intently at her instruments, and Sophia wondering how much longer they’d be alive. Surely her luck had almost run out? She’d been here much longer than any of the other members she’d met, and maybe she’d just been more determined, had more to prove because she was German, but she’d somehow earned a reputation to equal the top operatives.
After an hour she stood and stretched, silently leaving Hazel and going in search of food. When she returned, she set a cup of tea beside her new operator friend and sat down to sip her own. Rose was going to fix them something to eat, and Sophia wanted to stay close to Hazel in case she needed any assistance.
‘Sophia,’ Hazel suddenly said, her tea untouched and cold at her side by now. ‘You’re not going to believe what I’m hearing. I made communication with London earlier, to relay our message. But I’ve been listening to the BBC since then and . . .’ Her voice trailed off and Sophia watched as she scribbled on her notepad.
‘What have you found out?’
‘I need a moment,’ Hazel said, her focus absolute.
A deep male voice interrupted them, and Sophia turned to see Mathieu behind them. She didn’t trust him – the sharp, cold stare of his eyes unsettled her – but then perhaps that’s how she’d appeared to Hazel when they’d first met.
‘German radar units along the coast are being taken out,’ he said, his voice low as if he didn’t want to be overhead. ‘The Allies should be bombing trains soon, and we’ll be further disrupting supply lines and tankers.’
‘You’ll need us to be part of this?’ Sophia asked.
He nodded. ‘But we need your pretty little girl here to do her job first, otherwise we’ll be going in blind.’
Sophia watched as Hazel turned then, her stare so cold it rivalled Mathieu’s. She felt a little shiver of pleasure surge down her spine. Maybe she and Hazel could become good friends after all.
‘The girl has done her job,’ Hazel said matter-of-factly. ‘Your arms delivery will take place two days from now, and the Allies will be landing in Normandy within the next fifteen.’
Sophia looked between them, trying not to smirk.
‘You’re certain?’ he asked, gaze narrowed.
‘You do your job and I’ll do mine,’ Hazel replied tartly. ‘The message was a poem but it was clear. Within fifteen days.’
He stared at her for a moment and then suddenly mobilised, his boots heavy on the stairs as he disappeared.
‘You’re good,’ Sophia whispered, feeling a warm sense of camaraderie between her and Hazel for the first time as she watched her giggle to herself. She wasn’t going to trust her just yet, but she suddenly wasn’t so opposed to her, either.
‘I’m used to being treated as if women are somehow second-rate to men,’ Hazel said. ‘But just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean I like it.’
‘So you’ve got a reason not to like being second-guessed by a man, then?’ Sophia asked, completely understanding her sentiments.
‘Something like that.’
‘What’s going on up here?’ Rose appeared at the top of the stairs, holding two bowls of what Sophia guessed was going to be soup. ‘Our little operator seems to have got the men downstairs all in a flap!’
They all laughed and Rose sat on the floor beside them after passing them their bowls.
‘Let’s just say she’s already proven herself,’ Sophia whispered, not wanting to disturb Hazel now she was listening in again to her radio.
‘Didn’t I tell you?’ Rose asked.
Rose had her eyebrows raised but she was smiling, and Sophia gave her a quick shrug in reply. But as they sat in silence, the only noise the quiet sipping of soup from spoons, Sophia wondered how long they’d be together. If it was true that the Allies were preparing to land in Normandy, they had a lot of work to do to assist them. The war might finally be close to being over, but that meant even more dangers for everyone working underground.