The Agent

The Agent

The Agent

 

Don had worked as a traveling salesman, his ground was based in France

 

He was trained as a special pilot; his missions were flown alone in a Lysander painted all black with markings almost invisible.

Most of his missions were done in radio silence, once he left the airfield, he was alone with no human contact, there was no published flight plan.

 

 

On this day he was to take off after sun set and fly at low level to a certain clearing in a wooded area in western France. once in the area, he would pick up a light signal from people on the ground.

 

He saw the signal, turned away to line up to land, his markers were to be some car headlights shining in the direction to land, at the end of his grass runway was to be a single person with a flash lamp.

 

He came in low over the trees then dropped down low over the car, the grass was bumpy: a field not a smooth lawn; he bumped his way to the runway end, where his side door was opened as soon as he stopped, a brief case was thrown in and a person pushed in after it.

 

"Quick, quick sir, we turn you and you go no time to wait the SS are searching they will have heard your engine"

 

The plane was pulled round by willing hands.

Engines on full power he bumped across the grass the plane lifted.

They passed over a line of cars heading to the place they had just touched down.

Shots were fired at them; Some hit the aircraft.

The man in the back spoke in broken English with a pronounced French accent.

"We made it just the others, they vanish quick my papers where do they go"

"Under my seat is a safe, open the door, put in your case, close the door it will lock, then it is armed booby trap do not open again, Whoosh bang"

 

The fuel was going down too fast the fuel tank had been punctured.

He flew on to land now would be certain death, better to take the risk and get across the channel to home soil, to get the brief case to others in England.

 

Across the water he looked for a suitable landing place, an airfield but it was in darkness.

He called them up,

"Dover Field, Dover Field I am Lysander Bravo Zulu Zero Zero Seven, I am out of fuel and require an immediate landing"

 

"The airfield has been under attack we are now closed you cannot land here"

 

"I am out of fuel gauge reads zero I have one special passenger on board I am coming in"

As he spoke the engine spluttered and died, he coaxed the aircraft down as a glider

He was met by military police and arrested

"You have been refused permission to land" �"

 

 "I had no choice it was land here or on the road outside my fuel had run out"

 

They were taken to the guard room and questioned

Don only answered Name, number, and rank.

When asked for his station,  Air Vice Marshall Chestnut.

 

The passenger spoke with a strong French accent He gave his name as Emile to anything else Mr Winston Churchill.

 

They were given no food or drink but taken out for questioning individually, at hourly intervals.

 

At eighteen hundred hours the watch was changed.

 

The new Orderly Officer visited the prisoners,

He was unhappy with the situation two prisoners who refused to give anything but the basic information.

The pilots documents were all correct; the other man was obviously French.

But why did he want the prime Minister and the aircraft definitely had signs of being shot up, but there was no record of that aircraft at any station and the markings were almost obliterated and the safe was said to be bobby trapped.

 

The station CO was under sedation following a traumatic forty-eight hours and wasn’t to be disturbed.

 

Orderly Officer decided to find out more; he looked up the Air Vice Marshal and made contact with his office, a message was to be passed on.

 

 

Two hours past.

 

A convoy approached the station gates; Three staff cars with flags,

 

Three trucks with canvas covers, accompanied by a number of motorcycle outriders.

 

The back of one of the trucks opened and out came a dozen military police, the gates were opened, and convoy came in.

 

From the first car came a high-ranking police officer, An Air Vice Marshal came from the second car.

 

The police officer called over one of the station guards

 

"I am Provost Marshal I want the commanding officer"

 

"He has gone to bed under sedation He hasn’t to be disturbed for twenty-four hours sir"

 

"I am Provost Marshal, when I say I want someone here you bring him"

Turning to his waiting police

"Go and bring the CO to me in his night clothes if you must, I want him here now"

He turned to the awaiting police men

 

"You two go and bring the Officer in Charge of the RAF police on this camp and whoever was in charge last night"

 

 

Air Vice Marshal ordered two of the station police to take him to the prisoners and release them and provide a room for them to be interview

He beckoned to the two men still sitting in the third car to follow.

 

When the prisoners were brought into the interview room

"First thing gentlemen have you had any food since you arrived here?

"No sir" replied Don

"Get me through to the officers mess tell them that Air Vice Marshal Cheshire wants some food for the ex-prisoners, also a room each so they can have a shower and a rest."

 

"Take these two men to the officers mess, tell them to be give the best treatment, Oh, also the civilian only speaks French."

 

Meanwhile the CO and Head of the RAF police had been brought from their respective beds.

 

"Why have I been brought out here? don't you know I have been on duty for Forty-eight hours and I have left instructions that I am not to be disturbed for at least twenty-four hours"

 

Just as AVM Chestnut arrived.

 

"So, you have been working for forty-eight hours! The men you had imprisoned had just landed after being shot at by the enemy.

They only just made your station as their fuel ran out. had you inspected the aircraft you would have seen for yourself the amount of damage.

They were extremely lucky to get out alive.

An aircraft lands with a passenger who does not speak English in an aircraft without, any clear markings, badly shot up and containing a safe which you have been told cannot be opened without knowing the combination.

 

They refuse to give you anything but the basic information and ask to be put in contact with higher officers by name.

 

It is above your level of responsibility and should have immediately been passed over.

You have exceeded your capability gentlemen.

I have left the pilots wife in a distressed state, thinking, wondering has her man been killed or captured and questioned by the Nazis?”

 

“You will be arrested, and court marshalled"

 

Indicating to the police.  

"Take them and lock them in the cells for now until we have debriefed our two men.

 

“Oh, I think those two from the SOE are still waiting in their car; they can go to the offices mess with them, then the special effects guy can deactivate and open the safe, he had better have two of our security guards with him they say the papers re of vital importance"

 

So, the pilot and passenger along with the two SOE men were taken to the officers mess.

 

 “We require two rooms for debriefing your customers, and two of our security men on guard all the time.”

AVM, Chestnut took Don into one room and the SOE took the French civilian, into the other

“I have sent a message to say that you are safe, she will have medical staff to take care of her.”

 

Following the debriefing

‘Bring both prisoners and the orderly officer

Commanding officer and Chief of police. You acted above your level of responsibility The pilot asked for me in person similarly with the civilian who speaks no English but has papers

of vital importance, which we know that he risked his life to obtain, he was requesting no less than the Prime Minister

You are both stripped of your rank and placed under arrest pending a court marshal. Take them back to the jail

Orderly officer: Wing Commander, you acted as it should have been done in the first place. You are now Officer in Command, with a promotion to Group Captain. With immediate effect.  

 

Don can come with me in my car straight home.

The agent will go with SOE

The prisoners in the back of the police truck, suitably handcuffed and seated as far from the rear as possible, we don’t want any unfortunate accidents on the way to the military prison do we.

 

Reviews

[Emunah June.]

This was a spectacular read from start to finish! Wow!

I personally find action to be very difficult to write, and that might be because I lack imagination or just have a hard time with it (hey, more practice for me!) but I absolutely love a good action sequence! You nailed it, I was engrossed the entire time that I read it. You were able to create a really good hero in Don, and how you painted him made it very digestible for the reader.

You have a real talent within this genre, and I will admit, Im a little jealous about how effortlessly you did it! Thank you for sharing this writing with me, it was a thrilling read and much loved.

[petec3638]

Thank you Don was areal person and a good friend