Torpedo Run (1981) (32 page)

Sorokin seemed to falter at the mention of his superior’s name.

Devane watched the game pass again to Beresford who said smoothly, ‘Captain Barker has a plan, sir. A commando raid immediately
before
the main assault across the Kerch Strait.’ He gave a winning smile. ‘I hasten to add that the men involved would be your own, sir.’

Sorokin breathed out slowly. ‘And what would be the object of this
solitary
deed?’

Barker moved in. ‘Up to now,
Parthian
has been employed well, but only as an extension of your overall command, so to speak.’

Sorokin blinked. ‘So to speak?’

Barker hurried on, ‘With the result that my small force is being whittled down instead of being retained as a single, vital weapon.’ He gave a slight cough. ‘Which I am sure your chiefs of staff would agree with mine was the intended object, right?’

Devane took another glass from a tray and listened with amazement. Four MTBs, and Barker was discussing them like a cruiser squadron. But it meant that the Russians were worried, far more than Sorokin had ever admitted. Until now.

Sorokin spread his big hands. ‘That has some sense.’ He nodded ponderously. ‘I can understand.’

Barker rocked back again on to his heels, his hands characteristically wedged into his reefer pockets with the thumbs protruding.

‘
Parthian
will execute the raid which I planned. Four boats, under cover of night and with
certain
help from your patrols, a landing force of some one hundred trained men, and we can cause such confusion and disruption behind the main German defences it will give your assault every chance of success.’

Sorokin’s jaw tightened. ‘Not possible. My people have fought and died, starved and suffered to win back our country and crush the fascists once and for all!’

Other officers nearby had stopped drinking and talking to watch the unmatched confrontation.

Barker waited impatiently. ‘Orel does not have the right vessels at his disposal. I do.’ He removed one hand from its pocket and brushed an invisible speck from his sleeve. ‘Furthermore, if Korvettenkapitän Lincke, who is not unknown to you I believe, throws his E-boats amongst your landing craft and supply ships at the moment of attempting to retake the peninsula, your whole campaign may have to be curtailed.’

Devane waited for Sorokin to explode, or smother the little captain who was not even bothering to hide his self-confidence.

But Sorokin bit his lip and then said, ‘
Parthian
, as you call it, will draw Lincke away, is that what you are saying?’

Devane tensed. He should have seen it coming. It was not such a bad plan, provided they could get more MTBs, and that Lincke did not have ideas of his own.

Barker turned and looked sharply at Devane. ‘My study of Lincke’s past behaviour leaves me in no doubt as to his intentions. Lieutenant-Commander Devane here has met with him before, and will back me up.’

Devane stared at him. He could recall exactly how Barker had scoffed at the remotest possibility of Lincke’s new vendetta with
Parthian
, and more particularly, with its new senior officer.

It reminded him too of what Beresford had told him about Barker’s ignorance on the F-lighters. If the war lasted that long, Barker would be an admiral yet.

‘And where is this place you intend to launch your attack?’ Sorokin sounded dangerously calm.

‘My team is working out the final details with the intelligence people. I cannot say too much. We have had reason to believe that the enemy is getting information already from certain Russian prisoners.’ He eyed him blandly. ‘Security is everything, as you will appreciate, I’m sure.’

Devane put down his glass. He did not even notice he had emptied it.

It was incredible. Sorokin had backed down. If Barker’s raid failed, the enemy would be roused and ready for a major attack. If he was refused permission to carry out his plan, the Russians were in worse trouble. Lincke’s flotilla and the other collection of small naval units would see to that.

Beresford said almost humbly, ‘I am empowered to assure you, Captain Sorokin, that everything will be done to help your raiding party achieve success.’ He hesitated, gauging the exact moment. ‘The place we have selected is largely occupied by Russian soldiers who chose to change sides when the German armies were advancing. I would think that your men would have plenty of reasons for –’ He got no further.

Sorokin’s champagne glass shattered in his grip and yet he was oblivious to the pain, to the droplets of blood which ran down the front of his impeccable uniform.

He exclaimed fiercely, ‘Those
swine
! Those soft-bellied scum!’ A vein throbbed on his forehead as if his whole face was overheating. ‘So they are on the Crimea!’ He started down at Barker’s impassive features for a long moment. ‘Then you shall have your wish, Comrade Barker!’

He swung Barker around by his elbow and bellowed to the room at large. Soon everyone was clapping and cheering, and an infantry major was throwing glasses into the air with crazy abandon.

Beresford explained in a loud whisper, ‘He is telling them that we, his allies, are going to stand shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy.’ He grinned. ‘Very melodramatic, although I think our captain is still smouldering at being classed as a comrade!’

Devane said, ‘What about his plan? Is it really any good?’

Beresford turned and studied him calmly. ‘I’ve no idea. But it could shorten the war on this front.’ He let his words sink in. ‘It’s what you came here to do, remember?’

Devane noticed Lieutenant-Commander (E) Buckhurst on the far side of the room, one arm around a cheering Russian. It was probably as far as any of them could see. Get it over. Return to a navy they understood, or thought they did.

Beresford added gently, ‘Barker wants you with him when he finalizes the plan with his chief, Vice-Admiral Talents.’

Devane stared past him, seeing Dundas and the new lieutenant with the burned hands and the pain in his eyes. Seymour trying to kill himself before his life had really begun. Metcalf excited beyond fear as he had shouted in German through his loudhailer, and all the others in
Merlin
and throughout his little flotilla.

‘So he’s here too?’

Beresford lowered his voice as Barker pushed through the crowd, his face stiff but pleased all the same.

‘No. The admiral is in Cairo. Well, are you on?’

Devane looked at his hands as if he expected to see them shaking. It was all decided. There was no point in fighting the inevitable.

Barker joined them and snatched up a full glass of champagne. ‘Damned Bolsheviks!’ His eyes moved just briefly to Beresford, like a question.

Beresford nodded. ‘Next stop Cairo, sir.’

‘Good. For one moment I thought. . . .’ Barker’s old brisk manner returned. ‘Get it laid on. Mackay can take command here. No sea-time for
Parthian.
’

As Barker hurried across to meet another senior Russian officer, Devane said, ‘You’ve known right from the start, haven’t you? Just as you must realize that
Parthian
stands no chance at all if we hit real opposition.’

Beresford shrugged. ‘Some I’ve known, some I’ve had to guess. It’s my job, just as it’s yours to lead, no matter what the odds might be. It’s never been any different.’

‘It hasn’t, but I thought
you
were different. I was wrong. You use people, they don’t matter to you.’

Beresford grinned uneasily. ‘Here, steady on. Somebody’s got to do it.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me how Dundas got jumped by Lincke? Tell me that Barker had set up my boat, knowing that Lincke would go after it, thinking it was me? Did you bloody well imagine I wouldn’t work it out for myself?’ He looked round the room, hating the faces, the laughter. ‘David lost his hands because of it.’

‘We don’t know for certain. You’re guessing.’ Beresford watched him anxiously, then persisted, ‘But you
will
come to Cairo?’

‘You even used Claudia, didn’t you? You knew I’d go, if only to see her.’ He did not conceal his contempt. ‘It’s partly true, but I
need
to see her, more than ever now. It’ll probably be the last time. But tell Barker not to worry. I’ll get Lincke. Or he’ll get me. Now I’m going back to the base.’

As he turned on his heel Beresford called after him, ‘You’re just tired, John.’

Devane took his cap from a Russian servant. ‘Not tired.
Sick!
’

For a long while, Beresford stood staring at the blackout curtains as if he still could not believe what had happened.

Barker crossed the room again. ‘Trouble?’

‘No.’ Beresford sighed. ‘Nothing I didn’t ask for.’

Barker did not hear him. He stared at Sorokin’s broad shoulders, sensing the excitement his proposed attack had roused.

He had shown them. Others had doubted him after his son had been killed. But he had
known
that given the right moment he would make them all sit up and take notice.

Vice-Admiral Talents was flying specially to Cairo to see
him
. It would be the end of Whitcombe and his kind, and about time too.

He glanced severely at Beresford and said, ‘You look a bit shaky, Ralph. Go to the heads and stick a finger down your throat if need be. I will not tolerate any of my officers being the worse for drink in front of the bloody Russians!’

Beresford smiled wearily. ‘I’ll remember that, sir. I really will.’

Outside in the cool, damp air Devane watched a few pale stars.

My darling John
. The words hung in his mind as if she had spoken them from the shadows.

He saw a staff car jerk reluctantly towards him.

He was going to see Claudia. Tell her exactly what she had come to mean, what they would do. . . . He hesitated with his hand on the car door. But there
was
no future now.
He shook himself angrily.
What did you expect? Nobody lives for ever
.

The little villa was soon out of sight, and the sea was waiting for him. As usual.

They sat opposite each other at a small table in the English Tea Shop. The name of the café and its mock-Tudor beams were bizarre when set against the screened windows, the arguing Egyptian traders in the street outside.

Neither of them noticed the contrast, nor the curious stares of some women at another booth.

They held hands across the table, speaking only occasionally as they studied each other as if for the first time.

She said quietly, ‘I knew you would come. If I had gone back to England I would have missed seeing you.’ Her hand tightened around his fingers. ‘I love you so much. We must not be sad.’

Devane thought of the flight to Cairo, the new barrier between him and Beresford. He had waited for
this
moment only. Seeing Vice-Admiral Talents, going over the usual aerial photographs, shaking hands with anonymous staff officers, it had all been a part of the enforced waiting. Now they were here, together, and he could not find the words to tell her how he really felt.

He smiled, and watched the moisture on her upper lip, the way the humid air held a small dark curl across her forehead. She was lovely, and he wanted to throw aside the table and its ridiculous cakes and clutch her body to his. Tell her his fears. Of his longing for her which made the prospect of dying more terrible than ever before.

‘And I love you, Claudia. How have you been getting on?’

She shook her head. ‘It is an office job which I do for the garrison. Easy when you have had to help run an estate.’

Her throat quivered and Devane felt her nails dig into his hand.

‘Dear old Dorset. I wish to God we were there now, together.’ She pushed the sudden sadness aside. ‘Tell me about you, and your work.’

Quite suddenly he found himself doing just that. The café faded away, the street sounds became non-existent. Only her face stayed with him as he told her what had happened to Sydney Home, Harry Rodger and the others. Some of them she had met when Don had been alive. His ‘warriors’, he had called them.

Then she said, ‘After this visit here, you’re going back to something special, something really dangerous.’ She smiled gravely as she studied his features. ‘I
know.
Careless talk costs lives. So does war, my darling. Just tell me this. Is it extra bad?’ Her grip tightened again. ‘You know what I mean.’

He looked at the table, barely able to answer. Like that time with the dying Home whose remaining eye had compelled him to go on, to resist the urge to break down completely.

‘It’ll not be easy.’

He recalled the admiral’s narrow features, another Barker almost. No, there would be little chance of any extra boats. No, they could not obtain even one fitted with radar, not yet anyway. Which implied that it would have been too late anyway.

Devane said, ‘When I got the chance to come to Cairo I was of two minds.’ Still he dared not look at her. Until he had finished. ‘I – I thought it would be unfair to you, after what you’ve already endured. In a way it was selfish, I see that now. I needed you so badly I thought only of myself when I agreed to come. In a day or so I’ll be gone. Even that I could bear if, if I thought. . . .’ He looked up, his voice pleading. ‘Don’t you understand? You’re the one person I love, the one I can’t bear to hurt. Yet when I do one I cause the other.’

She said gently, ‘We shall be together again soon. We must.’ She watched him steadily. ‘Remember the night in that little pub? We knew then. If you asked me to marry you, I would, right here and now if it were possible.’ She freed her hand and reached up to touch his face. ‘We are married now, as far as I’m concerned, my darling.’

‘If anything happens –’

She put her fingers on his lips. ‘Don’t say it. It shall not happen.’

She stood up slowly and smoothed her dress. When she looked at him again there was a new light in her eyes, something almost desperate as she whispered, ‘We can go to my room now. It’s hard to sit still and kill time when I
want you so badly
.’ She thrust her hand through his arm, just as she had that day in London. ‘It’s not far. I share it with another girl. Her husband is with the tanks.’ Her voice shook. ‘We console each other.’ Her step quickened and they were out in the dying sunlight. ‘But she’ll be away by now.’