Tamar Read Online Free Page A

thought. God, these British.
    “The plane will make two passes over the DZ. Five of the containers will be dropped first. If there are Germans there and all hell breaks loose when those go down, we’ll bring you back and try again at a later date. All right?”
    “All right.”
    “On the second pass, the sixth container, the one with your stuff in it, will go first, then you. There’ll be a big reception committee, so don’t get confused. They all know what to do. When everything’s been sorted out, you’ll be taken in two separate vehicles to the Maartens farm. You, Dart, after checking the radio there, will then be taken to your base, which is, um, here.” He poked his pencil at the map. “It’s a shade less than three kilometres outside Mendlo.”
    Lennon gasped and threw his head back so violently that for an instant he appeared to have been shot. He sneezed explosively into his handkerchief three times, and then, as if nothing had happened, continued. “Good. Next thing. The weather people tell me there’s a fifty-knot headwind tonight. That means the flight will take approximately two hours and twenty minutes. You’re going to get bloody cold sitting in the belly of that Stirling. So I’ve brought you these.”
    He reached into his coat pocket and took out two flat metal flasks. “Whisky. Not enough to get you squiffy, but it’ll help keep the heart rate up to scratch.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “Not at all. Now then. These damn things.” Lennon took an ordinary brown envelope from his inside pocket, opened it, and tipped two signet rings onto the map. They were rather chunky, similar in design, and didn’t look new. One was engraved with the letters CB; the other, a touch more fancily, with the letters EL.
    “You’ll know what these are. Here’s how you open them.” He picked up the EL ring. “Just slip your nail in here, see? And then a little twist . . .”
    The engraved panel swivelled to reveal a tiny compartment. A capsule of cyanide nestled snugly inside. Dart leaned forward to examine his suicide pill more closely.
    Lennon cleared his throat and said, “Apparently, the best thing to do is just lick it out with your tongue. It’s a bit fiddly to get at with your fingers. Don’t forget to crunch before you swallow, of course.”
    He snapped the ring shut and wiped his nose again. Tamar slid his ring onto the second finger of his right hand; Dart found that his fitted best on the third finger of his left hand, where normally a wedding band would be worn.
    “How’s that feel?” Lennon asked. “Comfy?”
    The door opened, and an RAF man lugged two parachutes into the room.
    Looking at Dart, Lennon said, “We need a signal from you at 0648 hours tomorrow confirming that you are both in place. We must get that signal. Otherwise, we’ll have to assume that things have ballsed up. If that happens, you are out there on your own. And I think you know what that means.”
    He stood up. “Right then. Flight Sergeant McKay here will help you on with your chutes and check them for you. Take-off in how long, Rory?”
    “Soon as we’re on board, sir.”
    “Super,” Lennon said, rubbing his hands together. It seemed he had something more to say, but he paused awkwardly. “Um . . . Any letters, at all?”
    Puzzled, Tamar said, “Letters, sir?”
    Lennon hid his discomfort in his handkerchief. He busied himself with his nose and then said, “Well, you know. Some of you, some of your colleagues, have left letters with me. For me to deliver. To loved ones, nearest and dearest, that sort of thing.”
    Tamar and Dart looked at him blankly.
    “No? Fine. Excellent. That’s it then, I think.” He held out his hand, and Tamar and Dart got to their feet and shook it in turn. “Good luck. You’ll be fine; I know it.”
    “Thank you, sir,” Tamar said.
    Lennon picked up his briefcase, buttoned his coat, and left. Outside, he began a long bout of violent sneezing punctuated by curses, all clearly