Code Red (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 15

Getting in and out of Gabarret would be risky. The small plane, carrying Waverly to her new destiny, landed in a remote field just before midnight. She hid in woods till dawn, making her way on foot to the railway station. She was still some miles from Gabarret. Lucien was there to meet her. A member of the resistence, like Valerie, he had been moved to the village after her disappearance to search for the hidden information. He would accompany Waverly, sitting apart on the train so not to link them. SOE had created false papers with a different name she would travel under. If anyone stopped her on route, her assumed identity was that of a secretary, offered work in Toulouse, visiting an uncle before she started the new job. The house where she would be staying was owned by another member of the resistance who had been alerted to their arrival.

The only problem was being recognised. She would stay in the village, despite the danger. It had been many years since she lived in Gabarret. She was older, her hair longer, she would be there no more than 24 hours max. She would be discreet in her movements, moving only when the streets were empty. Hopefully, not long enough in the village to raise suspicion, SOE calculated. Yet, someone in the village might see her, recognise her. It was a risk they needed to take.

Once in Gabarret, Waverly was to send one message to say she had arrived and was safe. She would send a second message once the tunnels had been searched. The signal if something went wrong was 'Code Red.' Lucien would provide the radio. She was taught how to send coded messages. From translating, she now was the one sending them. She sent her first message on arriving in Gabarret:

Location met. Cover held. W4N.

The person decoding the message was confused. 'W4N' didn't fit the standard pattern. Alan showed the message to Nicole. She laughed. So Waverly.

Early next morning, she and Lucien made their way out of the village to the tunnels. The entrance was overgrown with brambles. Completely hidden. Easily missed if you didn't know it was there. They could just make out where someone had cut a small gap, wide enough for one person to crawl through.They assumed this must have been Valerie. They stood in the entrance, the wind moving in the tunnels making the familiar wind chime sound Waverly remembered from her childhood. Lucien lit a lamp.

They moved off in search of whatever Valerie had hidden. Waverly had been correct. Without personal knowledge of the tunnels, it would be extremely easy to get lost. She seemed to know her way instinctively, making turn after turn as she felt the walls for the notches they used as signposts to navigate their way. Turning a final corner, they entered a small chamber. The place where Waverly had stolen a kiss from Valerie. Lucien shone his lamp over the space in search of whatever Valerie had hidden. It was difficult to make out anything in the dim light. Suddenly, Waverly spotted a bulky leather folder wedged in a slit in the wall. Pulling it out, she opened it.

A full instruction manual, notes, detailed plans of the new coding machine, along with the missing information on the codes Alan and Nicole had been attempting to work out were inside. They needed to get this information to Station X.

Making their way out of the tunnels, they ran to the village, slowing just before they entered the streets, checking no one was around, walking some distance apart. She was almost at the house. A woman opened her front door. A teacher from the school Waverly attended. She looked at Waverly, a look that said she thought she recognised her. She said nothing as Waverly passed. Waverly had taken a few steps. "Is that you, Waverly?"

Out of instinct, Waverly turned slightly at the mention of her name, enough to confirm to the woman it was her. She carried on walking. One leak. One slip. The woman had been in two minds to call in what she had seen. War changes people. Fear destroys friendship. Self survival becomes paramount. She knew Waverly had moved to England. Why was she in Gabarret? Why didn't she stop?

It was too risky to stay in the house. Lucien entered at the rear so as not to be seen. Waverly told him about the woman. He needed to move her immediately to another location, a restaurant in the village where Lucien pretended to be working. It had a cellar where she could hide until Lucien figured a way to get her out of the village. She would be safe for now, but she was in great danger. Lucien's quick thinking had bought Waverly some time.

As he returned to the house, he could see two vehicles outside, the man pretending to be Waverly's uncle talking to an officer, shrugging his shoulders. Lucien saw him being taken away in one of the vehicles. Several uniformed men exited the house carrying Waverly's suitcase. They hadn't found the radio. He waited until the coast was clear, entering the house at the rear to retrieve the hidden radio. His message:

Code Red. Information found. Waverly hidden.