Code Red (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 14

The day started like any other. Waverly and Chrissy busy with their translations, Nicole busily working on something at her desk. Alan entered the hut. A low murmur announced his presence, causing Waverly to look up. He stared at her, without smiling, moving to Nicole's desk. He spent some moments whispering to her. She looked concerned, her eyes directly on Waverly. Waverly realised whatever Alan was saying involved her.

She wondered if their secret had been revealed. That someone other than Chrissy had guessed what was going on between them. What if someone had seen them together? What if someone had simply sensed something was going on between them? There were a lot of clever people at Station X. Someone may have put two and two together. Or, in this case, one and one. Nicole beckoned for Waverly to approach her desk. "We need to go to the main house, now."

They headed to the board room. A group of male officers were huddled round a table near the window, deep in discussion, failing to notice three people entering the room. "Are you certain the church has been searched thoroughly?"

"Lucien looked everywhere. He found nothing."

"If we don't get that information Station X is sunk."

Alan announced their presence. "Gentlemen, this is Miss Earp. She may be of assistance."

An elderly officer looked up. "Ah, good, Miss Earp, so pleased you could join us. We have a bit of a situation. A large military facility has been built not far from the village of Gabarret. A new system for sending coded messages is being developed there. One Alan has been trying to figure out with information he has already received. But we are missing key pieces of the puzzle. We've intercepted messages that say launch of the new system has been brought forward. It goes live shortly."

He paused, pondering how to summarise the sequence of events that led to this moment. "A member of the resistance, Valerie Massenet, spent months gathering critical information. It was hidden in a secret location only she knew. She was about to send directions to that location. Now she is missing. We never received those directions. We need to get our hands on this information quickly. With your knowledge of Gabarret, you might be able to shed some light."

"But, I know Valerie. She was my friend."

The elderly officer scanned Waverly's face, taking in what she had said. "She mentioned the word 'Chimes' in her last message. Those in the village we could ask do not know what this means. We assumed it might be shorthand, perhaps her word for the church, given its bells. We searched, but can find nothing. We're at a loss."

Waverly knew exactly where Valerie had hidden the information. "It's not the church. It's the tunnels. There's an abandoned mine. Few in the village know about it. We found the entrance. It became our playground for Valerie and me. We called it the Chimes, because of the sound the wind makes inside."

The elderly officer nodded. "Excellent. Lucien can search the tunnels. Waverly can direct him from here."

"He won't find our secret chamber. There are miles of tunnels. Valerie knew the information would be safe until she or someone she trusted with directions retrieved it. I would need to see, to feel those tunnels again to remember the route we took."

Alan was quiet, pondering a thought, one he wished he didn't have to consider. He had no choice. If she was the only other person who knew the layout of the tunnels. If the information was hidden in those tunnels, as Waverly suspected, they had to get her there fast. He looked at Waverly. "We need to get you in."

Waverly looked nervously round the room. This was her moment. "I'll go."

Nicole was silent. She knew she couldn't say anything in front of the other officers. Inside she was screaming. She motioned for Alan to step outside. "No. Absolutely No. She's not going. She doesn't understand the risk. She's been sheltered here. She won't survive in the field. It's too dangerous. Alan, please, send me instead."

"I don't want her to go either. But, we are up against time. One person for the good of many."

Nicole looked at Alan as if he had stabbed her through the heart. The words left her mouth. "I choose one person. Waverly. To hell with the many. Alan, she is my world. Do you understand?"

Alan understood. "I'm sorry Nikki, you do not have a say in this. We send her in."

They returned to the room, Nicole ashen in the face, Alan crestfallen. The group were already discussing with Waverly how best to get her to the destination. She smiled as they entered, not realising what she was letting herself in for.

The mission would be co-ordinated by Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose purpose was to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe. Few people knew of SOE's existence. Those who were part of it were known as 'Churchill's Secret Army.' She would fly from RAF Tempsford, a secret airfield used exclusively by SOE to drop supplies and agents into Europe. It was a forty minute drive from Bletchley. She would be flown to France. A field operative would meet her and take her to the village. She would spend one night at a house, search the tunnels the next day, rendezvous with a plane to take her home.

She would need to undergo training over the next few days, requiring her to go with SOE immediately to their base near the airfield. Nicole asked Alan to find them a private room to say their goodbyes. The look in Waverly's eyes told Nicole she was scared. There were tears. Sad tears. Nicole desperately wanted to hold onto Waverly, never let her go. She had promised her she wouldn't. The danger she was about to face broke her heart. How could she let her go, alone, into a situation from which she might not return? They hugged, kissed, cried, said they loved each other.

Nicole watched as the car Waverly was in swept out of Station X.