said, before looking at Eugene. ‘Are you OK with your background story and the route to Dunkirk?’
‘No problems,’ Eugene said. ‘Me and PT will be ready to meet you back at the harbour near the farm. You’ve got enough of your own stuff to worry about.’
Henderson looked at Paul. ‘Get the chain and the notice, then go open up.’
Henderson climbed behind the wheel of his truck, while PT and Eugene got into the cab of its much more impressive looking companion. Once both engines were running, Paul opened the gate and gave PT a wave as they turned right and charged up the cobbles. Henderson turned left and stopped at the kerb.
Paul quickly closed the gate, then locked it with a hefty padlock and chain before sticking up a cardboard notice and running off to jump in the back of Henderson’s truck. The notice was written in German and read, Gone to lunch, back in 35 minutes.
16:57 Cliffs, near the Farm
Rosie had tied back her hair, put on her best dress and even a dab of lipstick. She strolled along the clifftops, staring out to sea like she hadn’t a care in the world. The tide was way out and a few German soldiers walked along the beach, collecting up the last of the equipment that had been used in the day’s training exercises.
The white cliff tapered down when it reached the pier. Rosie found herself standing close to a German guard post. She looked at the four powered barges and a matching pair of medium sized tugboats painted in military grey before stepping on to the wooden boards of the pier.
A smoking German stepped away from the guard hut. His tone was firm, but not unfriendly.
‘Sorry, my dear,’ he said, using fairly decent French he’d learned while trying to pick up girls. ‘Can’t come any further.’
Rosie had never spoken to the soldier before, but she’d seen him walking up and down the beach. ‘Oh,’ she said listlessly, before cracking a lipstick-red smile. ‘I wasn’t thinking. I’m not at all with it today.’
The soldier took a long puff on his cigarette. He was small but stocky, with prickly black hair sticking out around the sides of his helmet. Rosie guessed he was twenty-one at most.
‘What you all dressed up for?’ he asked.
‘Dunno.’ Rosie shrugged. ‘Just felt like it. There’s to do here except work on the farm. No school, no money, not even petrol to go anywhere.’nothing
‘I’ve got a sister your age,’ the German laughed. ‘She’s the same. When she was ten she tried to run away. Told my mum she was going to Berlin to become a dancer. She got as far as the train station and my dad dragged her home and thrashed her. Me and my little brothers thought it was so funny, because usually only us boys copped it.’
‘Can I have a puff?’ Rosie asked.
The German looked at her like he knew he shouldn’t, but gave her the cigarette anyway. Rosie took the biggest puff she dared and was surprised by the heat of the smoke in her lungs.
‘Haven’t seen your artist brother for a few days,’ the guard noted as he took the cigarette back.
‘He’s had a bad cold,’ Rosie explained. ‘Gone into Calais today to see a doctor. So, are you out here on your own all night?’
The guard pointed towards the hut. ‘There’s three of us. One of us is supposed to be out here on lookout, but it’s dead. Mostly we sit inside and play cards or listen to the radio.’so
‘Sounds boring,’ Rosie said, with a dramatic sigh.
‘Life’s boring,’ the guard laughed. ‘But I tell you something. I’d rather be guarding some nowhere harbour like this than about a million other jobs you can get in the army.’
‘So how long do you have to stay on duty?’
‘It varies,’ the guard explained. ‘It’s supposed to be twelve-hour shifts, but they’re low on manpower, so they put it up to fourteen or even sixteen hours.’
‘So what time do you get off?’
‘You’re a bit young for a date if that’s what you’re driving at. You should be careful – some of the guys in my barracks are animals. They’d get you drunk and try all kinds of dirty stuff.’
Rosie flushed red with embarrassment. ‘I didn’t mean ,’ she gasped. ‘Just … I dunno, making conversation, and I wondered how long you had to go.’that
‘I’m off at eleven,’ the guard said.
‘Right,’ Rosie said. ‘And does anyone bring you hot food or anything?’
‘Nothing as exciting as that,