The Spy (English short story)

The Spy

Thursday 17th of September 1940, Paris

5:11 a.m.

"May I come in?"

"Sure."

"..."

"You don't have to lock the door. I won't run away."

"May I offer you one?"

"Thank you."

"Why you?"

"Why me what? Why am I here?"

"No. Why woman as you smokes?"

"Good question."

"So?"

"It keeps me alive."

"Really?"

"Yes. The smoke. It shows I'm still breathing."

"Oh."

"Why are you here?"

"I do this for everyone, who -"

"No, you do not."

"But, -"

"You'd like to know the truth, won't you?"

"No, I -"

"You want to see the spy. Chief commanders don't die on daily basis. Especially not by women's hands."

"But, -"

"..."

"How?"

"How what?"

"How did you do it?"

"You've read my files."

"Yes, I did."

"So?"

"If it had been the truth, you would have been dead already."

"Give me another cigarette."

"Here."

"..."

"You are right. The smoke has something -"

"Ad arrived in a new military hospital on the France coastline, then. What's wrong?"

"Ad?"

"Oh, you Germans! The first air force, Captain Adalbert Laurel."

"You do not have to salute."

"Pardon."

"So, you had been deployed on him. It was publicly known that your people were -"

"He loved me."

"Sorry?"

"He felt in love with me."

"With you?"

"I beg your pardon."

"Stop laughing. Captain Laurel was respected fighter. His wife has been making charity collections for -"

"..."

"What are you laughing about?"

"Ad loved me. We left together."

"I don't understand. Captain Laurel -"

"May 1940. In France have been built new hospitals due to conflict with Britain. I worked as a nurse in one of those houses, then. It was secret German's plan how to gain as many captives as they could. Many RAF pilots ended confined on our beds. Captain Laurel arrived in a first control group."