The Iron Storm by CW Browning (classic literature books TXT) 📕

That was another problem. He’d been buying time by feeding them information about the female spy that they were so anxious to catch. Heaven only knew why. As far as he could tell, she hadn’t caused any real damage to the Third Reich. In fact, she hadn’t done anything more than what several other agents had done, and the Abwehr wasn’t desperate to capture them. Not yet, anyway. What was so special about this one?

He shook his head and pulled up the collar of his coat as a brisk wind whistled down the street. Spring was here, but the nights still held a chill from the water. Or perhaps it was simply that he was trying to ward off the chill of knowing that he had to pull a miracle out of his hat if he was to find those blasted plans.

Curse Robert Ainsworth! Where had he stashed the damn things? He had looked everywhere, even Ainsworth Manor. His lips pursed suddenly as a thought entered his head. He had checked Ainsworth Manor, yes, and had found nothing. But he had only searched the Study and the Library. They were the two most likely places, after all. They were Roberts domains when he was alive, so it only seemed natural to assume he would have hidden them there. But what if he had put them somewhere else? What if they were somewhere else in the large, sprawling country estate? The very fact that they hadn’t come to light yet was proof enough that, even though he hadn’t located them, neither had anyone else. Wherever Ainsworth stashed them, they were still safe. Of that Henry had no doubt. Neither did Berlin, or he wouldn’t still be free and alive.

Piccadilly was bustling with traffic when Henry reached it a moment later, his mood significantly lighter. He would go back to Ainsworth Manor and do a more thorough search. It would be tricky because Madeleine was still in residence, and so was her sister-in-law, Aunt Agatha. But with a bit of planning, and a bit of luck, it could be done. And it would be done.

He had to find those plans.

Chapter Eighteen

Evelyn picked up her purse from the floor of the car and set the brown bag of food down, her eyes never leaving the group of men coming towards them. As she did, the clouds shifted in the sky and the moonlight shone over the field, highlighting the group. Almost unconsciously, Evelyn sighed in relief at the absence of military uniforms.

“Oh thank God!” Jens breathed beside her. “I thought for one insane minute that the Germans had beaten us here!”

She glanced at him, her smile mirroring his relief. “So did I!”

“But why are they carrying guns?”

“Let’s find out,” she said, reaching for the door handle.

“Marie!” he exclaimed, grabbing her arm. “You can’t mean to get out!”

“It’s that, or we stay here like cowards, waiting to see what happens,” she replied briskly, shaking off his hand and opening the door. “I’d rather find out sooner rather than later.”

She got out of the car and gripped her purse firmly in her left hand. She knew from practice that she could have her gun out and ready to fire in seconds as long as she kept it in that hand, but she really didn’t anticipate needing the weapon. Her body was a weapon in its own right. Sifu had made sure of that. She eyed the group as they stopped a few yards away from the car, staring at her. An uneasy silence fell over them for a tension-filled moment, then Evelyn took a deep breath and pasted a bright smile on her face.

“Are we trespassing on your field?” she asked, speaking the upper-class Parisian French she knew so well. “We pulled off to eat something. We’ve been driving for thirteen hours, you see, and we were absolutely starving!”

As soon as she began speaking, a figure pushed between two of the taller ones and strode forward, shaking off the hand of one of the towers she’d shoved out of the way.

“Mon vieil ami!” A woman’s voice exclaimed and the figure rushed forward with her hands outstretched. “Why it is you! As soon as you began speaking, I knew!”

Evelyn gasped as the woman grasped her hands and the moonlight slanted across her face.

“Josephine!” She laughed and gripped the woman’s hands, leaning forward to kiss the air beside her cheek. “But what are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?!”

Josephine Rousseau laughed and threw her arms around her in a warm embrace.

“Oh that! It’s a long story. But what are you doing here? Of all the strangest places to see you again! But then again, perhaps not.” She turned and looked at the four men gathered behind her. “It’s quite all right. This is an old friend of mine, and certainly not a German spy. This is...”

Josephine stopped abruptly and looked at Evelyn in some confusion. Without missing a beat, Evelyn held out her hand to the closest man to her with a smile.

“Marie Fournier,” she introduced herself.

“Marc Altier,” he said gruffly, shaking her hand.

“This is Luc, Mathieu, and Andre,” Josephine said, indicating each man in turn. “They are friends of mine.”

“It’s very nice to meet you all,” Evelyn said with a smile. She turned and motioned Jens out of the car. “I’m with my friend. We’ve just come from Brussels.”

“Brussels!” Josephine gasped. “You were there? How is it? What’s happening?”

“It’s not good. The Germans are bombing all the bridges and communication towers ahead of the troops, and hitting buildings in the cities in the process. A building was hit up the street from my hotel, and another on the corner near Jens’ apartment building.” Evelyn turned as Jens came around the front of the car. “Jens, this is my dear friend Josephine! Josephine, this is Jens Bernard.”

Jens nodded and held out his hand, smiling sheepishly. “We’re not destroying your field, are