Scorched Earth - Robert Muchamore Page 0,49

heavy tanks,’ Marc noted. ‘And Henderson’s team might do more damage in Rouen.’

‘Not bad for a few kids setting off on bikes with no plan and a couple of bags of explosive,’ Michel said proudly.

But the mood was less triumphant once they’d all looked through the binoculars. Edith passed them on after the briefest glance and retched on an empty stomach.

‘What’s the matter?’ Marc asked.

Edith smudged a tear. ‘There’s a guy down there with half his face hanging off,’ she said. ‘He’s no older than PT.’

‘Screw him,’ Luc said forcefully. ‘I hope he’s in as much pain as my brother was when the Nazis killed him. If I thought I could pull it off, I’d sneak down there and lob a couple of grenades at the wounded.’

Edith sobbed as Marc spoke furiously. ‘Luc, for once in your life can’t you shut up? We’ve all lost people we love. Your brother isn’t an excuse for you to act like an arsehole.’

Marc and Luc had a long history of kicking off, so PT forced himself between them. Before he could say anything, a boom echoed from the direction they’d just walked.

‘Bet that’s our truck,’ Daniel said. ‘Someone found Luc’s booby trap.’

PT looked alarmed. ‘That means the 108th sent men after us before the Tempests blew the bridge, or the local garrison has been called out from Gournay-en-Bray. Whichever it is, I want as much distance between us and them as possible. So let’s stop the bickering and start pedalling.’

*

The fifteen-year-old railway worker was called Xavier. He was no hard-core communist, just a kid who wanted to fight with his local resistance group. He looked desperate as Henderson grabbed him by the throat and thrust him backwards into a chair.

‘We’re gonna be here for at least a couple of hours,’ Henderson said. ‘If you answer my questions like a good boy it might not be so bad. If you mess me around it’ll get painful, and you’ll still answer my questions in the end.’

To make his point, Henderson ripped a jagged-toothed hunting knife from a sheath clipped to his belt.

‘I don’t like all this,’ Xavier blurted, as his hands trembled. ‘Why do resisters fight each other, instead of the Germans?’

‘Good question,’ Henderson said, giving a smile. ‘You hungry? I’ve got some chocolate.’

Xavier shuddered at the thought. ‘I’m more likely to puke right now.’

‘Forgive me if I lack sympathy,’ Henderson said. ‘But you and your pal tried to shoot my brains out. So what do you work at on the railway?’

‘Station porter,’ Xavier said.

‘You must see a lot of comings and goings, with Gaspard and his friends?’

‘A bit,’ Xavier agreed. ‘But they’re careful. I’m only ever told what I need to know, and usually that’s not much.’

‘Seen a lot of action?’

‘Not a lot. It’s all woodland south and west of the city,’ Xavier explained. ‘I’ve been out there helping when Americans parachute equipment.’

‘Gaspard organises the drops?’

Xavier nodded. ‘He has a radio operator who gets instructions. Gaspard splits what we get with Maquis who live in the forest.’

‘And what does he use it for?’

‘A lot of the others come up with schemes,’ Xavier said. ‘But Gaspard never wants to do much.’

‘The Ghost Circuit notified Gaspard that the 108th was coming. Did they make any plans to slow them down?’

Xavier shook his head. ‘They say it’s not necessary. They say it’s not about if the Allies win the war, but when.’

‘Who’s they?’ Henderson asked.

‘Gaspard and his cronies. They have an unofficial arrangement with the German command. The Germans turn a blind eye to the parachute drops. In return, Gaspard keeps the Maquis out of Rouen and nobody shoots at the Nazis.’

‘So does the resistance do anything?’

‘The railways are our turf,’ Xavier explained. ‘We sabotage trains and steal cargo, but targets in town are off-limits.’

‘So Gaspard’s positioning himself for a big communist uprising?’

‘He wants to be Mayor of Rouen, as soon as the Germans are gone.’

Henderson laughed. ‘Gotta love politicians! Soldiers fight and die less than a hundred kilometres west, and that communist prick’s only worried about winning an election when it’s all over.’

Paul came into the little kitchen as Henderson spoke. ‘Are you hearing this?’

‘Most of it,’ Paul said. ‘I checked with Sam and Joel. There’s no sign that anyone saw us come in here. I reckon we’re OK.’

‘Good,’ Henderson said, then he pointed at the backpack filled with explosives. ‘Any bright ideas on how to sabotage the 108th with that lot?’

‘You might destroy one or two tanks,’ Paul said, as he peered down into the