Major Weissman signalled to the men he had brought with him, and four guards came in and started rifling through Marcus’s office and scattering files.
Marcus sat coolly on the edge of his desk.
‘If you need any help, to know where things are or where they need to go back to,’ he spat out, the sarcasm undeniable in his tone, ‘I can be of much more help to you than just this bombastic display.’
Major Weissman ignored him, marching up and down the office, tapping his hands behind his back.
The searchers found and pulled out copies of photographs that were filed away of different reconnaissance flights that had been captured on film and splayed them out on the desk for Weissman to see, but the one from the day before was not there.
All at once, the pilot entered the room and saluted, summoned by Weissman himself.
He swivelled and glowered at the young man.
‘Captain, tell me what you did yesterday.’
‘I did a reconnaissance mission to take photographs of the enemy aircrafts and ships.’
‘And what did you do with those photographs?’
‘I had them developed downstairs as instructed, Major.’
‘And then?’
‘I brought them here to this officer.’
‘And I had them sent on to your commander,’ said Marcus defensively. ‘Did you not receive them?’
‘I did not sir.’
‘Who did you send with the photographs?’
‘I was commissioned to do that,’ stated Vivi, a slight tremor in her voice.
All eyes turned to her, and Marcus looked at her with great concern.
‘Search her office,’ snapped Weissman.
The soldiers ran in and started to pull her room apart. It didn’t take them long to find the photographs in the budget file. She cursed herself, maybe she should have destroyed them, though she had feared that their absence would raise more suspicion. She had just hoped to delay them for a few days to the give the Allies a chance.
‘Did you hide them in this file?’ demanded the Major, barrelling over to her.
Vivi came up to her full height, refusing to be intimidated by the bear of a man. ‘It was a mistake, sir.’
‘Arrest her,’ snapped Major Weissman to the guards as he looked at the pictures.
Weissman stared at her, the anger burning in his eyes, as a guard handcuffed her and led her away to a cell.
Hours later, Vivi was seated in an interrogation room. Weissman swaggered about the space, asking her questions over and over again. After a while he ordered Vonstein to join them. Marcus looked distraught. He was caught between wanting to serve his country and saving the woman he loved. Weissman bore down on her again.
‘Are you working for the enemy?’
Vivienne denied it over and over again, prepared to die for her cause.
Weissman lifted his hand and struck her across the face.
She looked across at Marcus, signalling to him with her eyes that she was prepared to take the fall and for him not to react. His fists were balled and she could see it was taking all of his effort not to blow his cover and defend her. Vivi knew it was the only way. There was still much to do. If the Allies had set sail, Marcus would need to be at his post to give them as much time as possible, as much chance to complete their mission.
‘I strongly disagree with this,’ growled Marcus.
‘You disagree with the fact she works for the Resistance, or that I am dealing with a crime, sir? It appears, Major Vonstein, you have bad taste in women. Or are you working with her?’
Marcus responded with disgust. ‘How dare you accuse me of what you imply? I have nothing to do with what has happened.’
Weissman swung around and confronted Vivi again. ‘Then we will have to get more persuasive in our tactics.’ He balled up his fist.
Vivienne looked at Marcus and could tell it was going to be too much for him. She spoke up.
‘I worked alone. I used Major Vonstein. I saw that he had an attraction to me. I pretended I had an attraction to him and used him to do what I needed to do.’ And switching to her native British, after speaking German for so long, she smiled and said, ‘Long live the King.’
Pulling back his hand, Weissman slapped Vivi across the face. The force of it was so brutal Vivi thought she would die, and it took her a moment to catch her breath and regain her equilibrium. As she reeled back, she could see it took all of Marcus’s strength not to react.