"What were your losses?" Corcoran asked.
"Including Colonel Shafto, twenty-three dead, eight wounded. Out of forty. Three's going to be terrible trouble when this news gets out."
"If it gets out," said Corcoran. "London want it kept very quiet. They don't want to alarm people. Just think. German soldiers almost siezing the Prime Minister. And what about Preston and the British Free Corps? Englishmen in the SS. Can you imagine how that would look in the paper?"
"I see what you mean," said Kane. "But it'll be very difficult to keep people quiet."
"In wartime people can be made to do as they are told," Corcoran reminded him. "Meantime, what are you doing about Steiner and the others?"
"Garvey and his men are staying in the area and setting up roadblocks. And the Prime Minister is very heavily guarded. It will stay that way until Steiner is caught."
In the E-boat Koeing read the radio message: "The Eagle is blown".
"It's possible some of them might get away," h said to his crew. "We'll go in as arranged."
Molly had guided Steiner, Devlin and Neumann to a ruined cottage at the edge of a wood. At seven fifteen Devlin and Steiner went to spy out the land. They quickly saw Garvey and his men with two jeeps forming a roadblock.
"Not so good," said Devlin.
"You don't need to go by the road," Steiner said. "You can walk through the marsh to the beach."
"With Ritter's leg?"
"Ritter once walked a hundred kilometres through snow, a bullet in his foot. You'll make it."
"You're not going with us?"
"I think you know where I must go."
Devlin sighed. "Why? You won't get anywhere near Churchill, he'll be so heavily guarded."
"This game we both play," Steiner said. "In the end, do you control the game or does the game possess you? Can you stop if you want to?"
"I don't know," Devlin whispered.
"But I do. Now we must join the others. Say nothing to Ritter. He could prove difficult."
Back at the ruined cottage, Steiner joined Neumann while Molly came outside to Devlin.
"I'm worried about you, my girl," Devlin said.
"You could be in serious trouble from tonight."
She was strangely unconcerned. "Nobody saw me get you out of the church. Nobody can prove I did."
"I haven't thanked you for that," he said.
"It doesn't matter. I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. I love you. That doesn't mean I like what you are or what you've done. I got you out tonight because I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd stood by and let you die."
At twenty past eight the Americans were still there. "I'd better draw away their attention while you slip past," Steiner said. "I'll drive through that road block - wearing your raincoat if you'll let me have it, Devlin."
"Damn you, Steiner, go to hell your own way," Devlin said wearily, taking off his raincoat. "You'll find a silenced gun in the pocket."
"Thank you." Steiner fastened the raincoat to hide his German uniform. "So we say goodbye here." He held out his hand. "May you find what you are searching for, my friend."
"I already have, and lost it," Devlin said.
They pushed the car to where the track started to slope down towards the road.
"Do we go now?" asked Ritter Neumann.
"You, not me," said Steiner. "I'll keep the Americans occupied while you get across. I'll catch up with you later."
"No, Kurt. I can't let you do this."
Steiner said, "Lieutenant Neumann, you've never disobeyed an order of mine. I'm certainly not going to let you start now."
Ritter tried to stand straight. "As the Colonel wishes," he said formall. But as Steiner got into the car Ritter said softly, "Colonel?"
"Yes?"
"An honour to serve with you, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Go now, please. Go now, please. And good luck."
As the others watched, Steiner took the brake off and let the car roll down the track. Once on the road, he started the enging and turned on the headlights.
When Garvey waved a red lamp at him, Steiner slowed right down. "Sorry," Garvey said, "but you'll have to identify yourself." He shone a torch on Steiner's face. Steiner fired just to the side of Garvey, and raced away.
"That was Steiner!" Garvey cried. "After him!"
Devlin said, "Right, let'move." He and Molly helped Ritter over the wall, and they started across the road.
Vereker's old car had no chance against the jeeps. As Garvey drew close, he started to fire. Steiner bent low as bullets hammered through the car and broke the steeing wheel. Out of control, the car crashed through a fence and rolled down a slope. Steiner opened the door and threw himself out. He slipped away through the darkness as the car went into the flooded waters of the marsh below.
Garvey reached the water just as the car sank. He started to take off his jacket, but Krukowski grabbed him. "Don't even think of it. The mud's deep enough to swallow a man whole."
"I suppose you're right," Garvey said slowly, and went back to the jeep to radio in.
"What a way for such a man to go," Corcoran said when a corporal brought the news.
Kane felt a strange sense of personal loss. He said to the corporal, "Tell Garvey to stay where he is, then send a truck to pull the car out. I want Steiner's body. And tell Sergeant Thomas he can cut down the number of guards now."
At the edge of the beach Devlin said, "Will you go now, Molly, while you still can?"
For a long moment she looked at him. Then Devlin pulled her into his arms. Her hands went to his neck, she kissed him with a burning, hungry passion. He pushed her away. "Go now, girl, and God go with you."
She turned and ran into the night.
Devlin took the S-phone out of the bag. "Eagle to Wanderer. Come in, please."
In the E-boat his voice sounded quite clearly. Koenig answered, "Eagle, this is Wanderer. What is you situation?"
"Two still in the nest," Devlin said. "Can you come immediately?"
"We're on our way. Over and out."
Devlin and Neumann went through the wirefence and started across the beach. Ritter, every step painful, leaned heavily on Devlin's shoulder, but he never paused. The sands stretched before them, and then they were walking on a centimetre or two of water.
They went on, the water growing depper. It was above their kneew when Ritter groaned suddenly and half fell. "It's no good, Devlin. I can't go on. I've never know such pain." Devlin raised the S-phone again. "Wanderer, this is Eagle. We are waiting for you four hundred metres off shore. Signalling now." From his bag he took a shining signal-ball and held it up.
The tide was rising fast. After twenty minutes the water was up to Devlin's chin.
"It's no good," Ritter whispered. "I can't feel a thing. I'm finished."
"Don't give in now," Devlin said. He started to sing loudly, one hand holding the signalling ball high, the other supporting Ritter.
It was Koenig who saw the light. Three minutes later, the E-boat slid out of the darkness, and Devlin and Ritter were helped on board.
"I am glad to see you both," Koenig smiled. "A miracle."
"The only one this night," said Devlin.
"You are certain?"
"Quite certain."
Koenig stood up. "Then we will go now."
When Rossmann reported that the Eagle was blown, Himmler showed no emotion whatever. "Take two men," he told Rossmann. "Fly to Landsvoort at once and arrest Colonel Radl."
But Max Radl was safe from Himmler. He had died of heart failure an hour earlier.
Juse before nine o'clock Corporal George Watson, a military-police messenger, stopped his motor cycle a few kilometres south of Meltham House. He took out a map and leant down to check it in the light of his headlamp.
A slight movement made him look up. A man in a raincoat said, "Hello. Lost, are you?"
"I'm trying to find Meltham House."
"Here, let me show you," Steiner said.
Watson leant down to examine the map again. The gun rose and fell across the back of his neck. He lay still and Steiner quickly searched his bag. There was only one letter. It was addressed to Colonel William Corcoran, Meltham House.
Steiner pulled Watson into the shadows and reappeared a moment later wearing the messenger's long raincoat and helmet. He took the bag with the letter, started the motor cycle and rode away.
When, at last, the recovery truck pulled Vereker's car out of the marsh, Garvey got the door open and looked inside. "Oh, my God," he said as he realised what the empty car meant. He rushed back to the jeep and seized the radio.
Sergeant Thomas was guarding the gate at Meltham House. He shone a torch on Steiner and said, "What is it?"
"Letter of Colonel corcoran," Steiner said.
Thomas nodded and opened the gate.
Steiner rode up the drive and round to the garden behind the building. In the shelter of some bushes he took off the helmet and raincoat and put on his uniform cap. He checked the Knight's Cross at his throat and moved off on foot, gun ready.
As he paused at the edge of a lawn, a curtain was pulled back and light fell across the grass. He looked up and saw the Prime Minister standing at the open glass door, smoking a cigar.
"How is he?" Kane asked when Corcoran came out of the Prime Minister's room.
"Fine. A last cigar and then he's going to bed."
"He mightn't sleep too well if he heard my news, so I'll keep it till morning," Kane said. "They got the car out of the marsh and it was empty. Which means Steiner may well have got away."
Sergeant Thomas came in. "You wanted me, Major?"
"Yes. When they got the car out, Steiner was missing. We're taking no chances and doubling the guard. Nothing to report from the gate?"
"Not a thing, except that military policeman with a letter for Colonel Corcoran."
Corcoran stared at him. "That's the first I've heard of it. When was this?"
"Maybe ten minutes ago, sir."
"Oh, my God!" Kane said. "He's here!" He turned, gun already in his hand, and ran for the Prime Minister's door.
Slowly, Steiner approached the window. A slight noise and the Prime Minister turned and looked at him.
He removed the cigar from his mouth and said, "Colonel Kurt Steiner, I assume?"
"Mr Churchill." Steiner hesitated. "I regret this, but I must do my duty, sir."
"Then what are you waiting for?" the Prime Minister said calmly.
Steiner raised the gun. The door crashed open and Kane fell through, firing wildly. His first bullet his Steiner in the shoulder. The second caught him in the heart, killing him instantly.
Corcoran entered a moment later. Steiner lay in the pool of light from the open window, the gun still in his hand.
"Strange," the Prime Minister said. "At the last moment, he hesitated. I wonder why?"
"Perhaps that was his American half speaking, sir," Kane said.
The Prime Minister and the final word. "He was a fine soldier and a brave man. See to him, Major."
Among the guests at the wedding of Pamela Vereker and Harry Kane two years later was Colonel Corcoran.
