A Very British Ending (Catesby Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

pilots. Catesby had first heard the rumour via a bribed and honey-trapped Soviet cipher clerk in East Berlin – and later had the information confirmed by a piece of used toilet paper. Soviet troops on exercise in East Germany were not provided toilet rolls and had to use whatever paper was available – training manuals, code books and unit rosters. The beshitten paper was an intelligence treasure trove and Catesby employed a small army of scavengers to collect them up under cover of foraging for mushrooms. At first, Catesby had been sceptical about the cipher clerk’s info, but an excrement-covered page from a Soviet flying manual resolved his doubts. The page contained a list of Korean-language flying terms spelled out phonetically in Cyrillic characters – just the sort of thing a Russian pilot pretending to be a Korean pilot needed. Catesby reported his find to London who quickly decided not to share it with Washington. They didn’t want to give an excuse to trigger-happy US generals. World War III was not in Britain’s national interest.
    Catesby listened to the American’s footsteps echoing around the U-boot bunker. He suspected that Fournier was an actor playing a role he didn’t much like – and working for people he secretly despised. Fournier’s diaries had revealed more than his secret sex fantasies for a member of his own family. At one point, probably after a late-night drinking session, Fournier had written a comment about the PAPERCLIP war criminals that he was supposed to be helping escape – Hang them all! Perhaps Kit wasn’t as reluctant about handing one over as he pretended.
    The sound of muffled voices and footsteps jolted Catesby backto the business at hand. He was now in a cold sweat. For the first time he was sorry that he had got involved – but it had to be done. The silhouettes of the two men appeared like one-dimensional cut-outs against the light from the hole in the roof. Fournier was speaking to the war criminal in bad German explaining that Père Roux was going to take him away in a boat to a ship that was embarking for Cartagena. Catesby touched his Roman collar and tried to put on a priestly air as the two stumbled across the rubble towards him.
    The German spoke first in French, ‘Good evening, Father.’
    Catesby answered in German. ‘Have you got your passport?’
    As the German reached into his pocket, Catesby addressed Fournier in English: ‘You can leave us now. Everything is taken care of.’
    Catesby listened to the echo of Fournier’s receding footsteps as he left the bunker. He turned to the German. If the German had been perturbed by hearing Père Roux speak English, he didn’t show it. He held up a passport. It carried his own photograph, but the name and details were false.
    ‘I’ll need that,’ said Catesby. ‘It is best that you have as little contact with the crew as possible – and important that none of them see your passport. It will be safe with me.’
    The German handed over the document. Catesby would have a close look at it afterwards. He wanted to see how good the Americans were at forgeries.
    ‘Are you coming with me?’ said the German.
    ‘No.’
    It took the German a second to realise that a revolver was pointing in his face. ‘What are you doing?’
    ‘I’m taking you to the boat. I’ve heard you are a dangerous man.’
    ‘This is nonsense.’
    ‘Turn around and keep walking until I tell you to stop.’ Catesby didn’t want to have to drag the body through the bunker. ‘It isn’t far.’
    The German stumbled through the rubble for thirty paces. There was a sound of flowing water.
    ‘Don’t fall in,’ said Catesby.
    They had come to a massive man-made channel that diverted water from the Weser into the bunker. It was where they had intended to launch and hide the completed submarines. The German had reached the edge and was staring into the abyss at the fast ebbing dark water.
    ‘Kneel down,’ said Catesby.
    ‘There isn’t a