Chapter 51 Chapter 50

Dieter spent the afternoon following Michel's train, stopping at every remote station in case Michel got off the train.He believed that he was wasting his time and that Michelle was just a decoy.But he has no choice.Michelle is his only lead.He feels hopeless. Michel took the train all the way back to Reims. Sitting in the car in front of a bombed-out building next to the Reims train station, Dieter waited for Michel to appear, feeling that he was about to suffer defeat, a sense of doom and humiliation all over him. Overwhelmed him.Where did he go wrong?As far as he was concerned, he had done everything that had to be done—but none of it helped.

What if following Michelle got nothing?To some extent, Dieter should stop in moderation, cut his losses, and interrogate Michel.But how much time does he have?Tonight is a full moon night, but there is another storm in the English Channel.The Allies might have delayed the invasion—perhaps they decided to take the risk in this weather.In a few hours it may be too late. Michel arrived at the train station this morning in a van borrowed from the fresh meat supplier Philippe Molier. Dieter looked around but did not see the van.He guessed that the car was there waiting for Flick Claret to come and pick it up.Now, she could be anywhere within a hundred miles.He scolded himself for not manning the car.

He turned to thinking about how to interrogate Michelle.Gilberta may be the man's vulnerability.She is now imprisoned in a cell at the castle, fearing for her fate.She'll be there until Dieter makes the most of her; then, she'll be sent to a concentration camp in Germany.How to use her to make Michelle speak, and speak quickly? Thinking of the concentration camps in Germany, Dieter had an idea.He leaned forward and said to his driver, "The Gestapo used trains to transport prisoners to Germany?" "Yes, sir." "It is said that you use carriages for transporting livestock, is that true?"

"A cattle cart, sir, good enough for the scum, Communists, Jews, and whatnot." "Where did they get in the car?" "In Reims. The train from Paris stops here." "How often does this train run?" "Almost every day. Leaving Paris in the afternoon, arriving here at about eight o'clock in the evening, if you are on time." Before he had time to think about it, Dieter saw Michelle walking out of the station.Hans Hesse followed in the crowd behind him, about ten yards from him.They approach Dieter along the other side of the street. Dieter's driver started the engine.

Dieter sat down in his seat, watching Michel and Hans. They walked past Dieter.Then, to Dieter's surprise, Michel turned and walked towards the alley next to the cafe in front of the station. Hans quickened his pace and turned the corner less than a minute later.Dieter frowned.Is Michelle trying to get rid of his tail?Hans reappeared from the alley, and looked on both sides of the street frowning.There were not many people on the sidewalks, just a few travelers walking in and out of the station, and the last group of downtown workers rushing home.Hans cursed, and turned back into the alley.

Dieter sighed loudly.Hans lost Michel again. This was Dieter's biggest stumble since the Battle of Alam Haifa, when wrong intelligence led to Rommel's disastrous defeat, which turned out to be a turning point in the North African War.Dieter prayed that this time would not be a turning point in the European battlefield. While he was staring despondently at the entrance to the alley, Michel came out the front door of the café. Dieter's spirit suddenly lifted.Michel got rid of Hans's stalking, but he didn't realize that there was a second shadow here, and it seemed that the situation was not completely out of control.

Michel crossed the road and started running, running back the way he had come, right at the car Dieter was sitting in. Dieter thought quickly.If he wanted to keep up with Michelle and resume monitoring operations, he would have to run too, so he was obviously following this guy.No, it looks like the surveillance is over, and now it's time to arrest Michelle. Michelle ran on the sidewalk, shoving pedestrians aside.With a gunshot wound to his leg, he staggered from side to side, but hurried and fast, and headed straight for Dieter's car. Dieter makes a decision. He opened the car door.

When Michel came close, Dieter got out of the car and let the wide open door block the sidewalk.Michel swerved around the barrier, but Dieter stuck out a leg.Michelle got caught under his feet, and the whole person flew out, falling heavily on the sidewalk. Dieter took out his pistol and pressed the safety.Michelle was stunned and lay on the ground for a second or two.Then he struggled to get his knees to the ground, trying to stand up. Dieter puts the gun to Michel's temple. "Don't move," he said in French. The driver took a pair of handcuffs from the trunk of the car, put them on Michelle's wrists, and shoved him into the back of the car.

Hans appeared again, with a look of disappointment on his face. "What happened?" "He went in through the back door of the Sports Café and came out through the front door," Dieter explained. Hans breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then what should we do now?" "Follow me to the station." Dieter turned to the driver and said, "Do you have a gun?" "Yes, sir." "Keep watch on this man. If he tries to run away, shoot him in the leg." "Yes, sir." Dieter and Hans walked quickly towards the station.Dieter grabbed a man in a railway uniform and said: "I want to see the station master immediately."

The man looked unhappy, but still said, "I'll take you to his office." The station master wore a black coat over a waistcoat and striped trousers, worn thin at the elbows and knees in an elegant old-fashioned uniform.Even in his own office, he wears a bowler hat.The menacing Germans frightened him. "What can I do for you?" he said with a nervous smile. "You are going to wait for a train from Paris to take the prisoner this evening?" "Yes, usually at eight o'clock in the evening." "The train is here, you let it stop at the station and wait, you wait for my news. I'm going to take a special prisoner on board."

"Okay. But if I can get written authorization..." "Of course, I'll arrange that. What do you usually do for prisoners when the train arrives?" "We hosed the cars sometimes. It's all cattle cars, you know, no toilets or anything, which is quite unpleasant to be honest, though I'm not going to judge—" "You don't need to brush the car tonight, understand?" "certainly." "Are you doing anything else?" The man hesitated for a moment and said, "Not anymore." He is a little guilty.Dieter has seen it. "Say it, it's okay, I won't punish you." "Sometimes the people on the railroad take pity on the prisoners and give them water, which is strictly forbidden, but—" "Don't give them water tonight." "Understood." Dieter turned to Hans and said, "I want you to lock Michel Clarette in the police station, lock him in a cell, and come back here at the station to see if they have carried out my order." "Yes, Major." Dieter picked up the phone on the station master's desk and said, "Give me the Chateau Saint-Cécile." After the call was connected, he said he wanted to find Weber. "There's a woman named Gilberta in the cell." "I know," Weber said. "A pretty girl." Dieter wondered why Weber sounded so smug. "I would like you to send a car to take her to Reims station. Lieutenant Hesse is here, and he is in charge of her." "Okay," Weber said, "wait a minute, don't hang up please?" He held the receiver away from his mouth, spoke to someone in the room, and ordered Gilberta to be taken out of the cell.Dieter waited impatiently.Webb is back on the line. "I've arranged it." "Thank you--" "Hold on. I have news for you." That's why he was so elated. "Go ahead," Dieter said. "I have captured an Allied agent here." "What?" Dieter asked, a lucky break. "When?" "a few minutes ago." "My God. Where?" "It's right here at the Church of Saint-Cecile." "What exactly is going on?" "She attacked a militiaman, and three of my able-bodied young men happened to see it. They apprehended the criminal calmly, and she had a Colt automatic." "You mean 'she'? So the agent is a woman?" "yes." I understand now. "Jackdaws" in Saint-Cécile.The castle is their goal. Dieter said, "Listen, Weber, I think she's part of a group that's planning to attack the castle." "They've tried it before," Webb said, "and we gave them a beating." Dieter struggled to control his impatience. "You did a good job, so they may be more cunning this time. I would like to suggest that you sound the security alarm, send two guards to stand guard, search the entire castle, and interrogate every non-German person in the building." "I have issued a similar order." Dieter didn't believe that Weber had thought of raising the security alarm, but it didn't matter, as long as he did it now. Dieter quickly considered whether to revoke the order concerning Gilberta and Michel, but decided to proceed as before.He had to interrogate Michelle that night anyway. "I'm going back to Saint-Cecile right now," he said to Weber. "You can do whatever you want," Weber said curtly, implying that he could handle it properly without Dieter's help. "I'm going to interrogate this new captive." "I've started the interrogation. Sergeant Becker is on the offensive against her." "My God! I've got to make her clear enough to talk." "Of course." "Please, Webb, this is very important and there is no room for error. I beg you to let Becker rein in it until I get there." "Okay, Frank. I'll tell him not to go too far." "Thank you. I'll get there as soon as possible." Dieter hung up the phone.