Resistance

Chapter Fourteen

The décor was quite plain aside from a few pictures of important looking men. There was a desk right in front of her with a young woman who looked in her early 20s dressed in the uniform of the F.A.N.Y.’s. The young woman had red hair that was rolled about her head and the shade was only slightly lighter than her red lipstick. Angelique was quite nervous but she set her shoulders and walked up to the desk.

“Fill out this form and wait over there with the rest.”

The woman didn’t even look up from the paper she was writing she simply held out a form and gestured to a group of chairs were more young women were sat. Angelique looked confused, she didn’t understand what she was supposed to do, she didn’t want to fill out any form she simply wanted to talk to Michel. Harry cut in.

“We are not here to sign up she is here to see somebody. Is that possible?”

He flashed a dazzling smile at the girl and she blushed.

“Oh I am sure it will be who is it she is here to see?”

“Monsieur Michel Claes if you would be so kind.”

The girl smiled at him and picked up the telephone that was sat on her desk.

“Sure, just a minute.”

She put the phone to her ear and dialed a number.

“Ma’am. I have two people down here wanting to talk to that nice French man who came a few days.”

There was a muffled voice on the other end of the receiver, Harry and Angelique couldn’t make out what the other person was saying.

“A Monsieur Claes apparently Ma’am.”

More muffled speech.

“Yes thank you Ma’am I will tell them. Goodbye.”

She replaced the phone on its stand and looked at Harry and Angelique.

“You can go up. At the top of the stairs turn left and follow it round then turn left again and it’s the third door on your right.”

 Angelique thanked her and started walking towards the staircase. Harry stayed behind and turned to the girl behind the desk.

“So what’s your name then doll?”

The girl cast her eyes down.

“It’s Millicent Anderson.”

“That’s a nice name, do most people call you Millie.”

“Uh Huh.”

“Well then that’s what I will call you then. Do you have a phone number Millie?”

Millie nodded and wrote her home number and her address on a piece of paper.

“I am going to call you and take you out sometime. What time do you get off tonight Millie?”

“I finish at 5 but I don’t get home till nearly quarter to six.”

“Well then I will call you at six tonight.”

He bowed his head then ran up the stairs and caught up with Angelique.

“What took you so long?”

Harry laughed.

“Oh nothing I was just arranging some things that’s all.”

“Is that right well come on.”

They followed Millicent’s instructions and arrived outside of a door. Harry knocked and a voice on the other side of the door told them to come in.

Angelique opened the door and stepped into the room. It was quite spacious and had a roaring fire on one side and a long table with leather chairs positioned around it at the other. In front of the fire there were a collection of fabric and leather armchairs, the majority of them were occupied with official looking older men in either suits or uniforms. Sat around the table were her friends apart from Michel and some young men and women some in civilian clothes others in uniforms. As she smiled and made as if to walk across to her friends another door opened on the other side of the table and a man who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties walked in with Michel. The older man took his seat in the empty place at the head of the table whilst Michel smiled at her and enveloped her in a hug before asking her to sit down and taking his place too.

Harry was told to wait outside and he nodded.

“I will wait for you downstairs doll. Let us know when you’re ready.”

Angelique didn’t have to say anything she simply smiled, Harry left and the meeting began.