Chapter 7

At breakfast Anna and Alex sat together and Cornelia sat next to Manfred, Gerry saw the knowing glances that passed from woman to woman. 'Amazing, ' he thought, 'these women have their own private method of semaphoring their most intimate secrets and the men here don't even understand what's happening. Perhaps Manfred may know but he's so busy eating that he isn't paying attention.'

When breakfast was over Manfred called Gerry aside, "I want you to be present at the meeting in half an hour, I don't want you to say anything, just watch, listen and remember. I'll be covering all of the details of our trip south. Tomorrow you and I will be together most of the day while I teach you the basics."

"Thirty minutes, in the dining room. Okay."

Manfred left the kitchen and Gerry went to Cornelia, "I told you so."

Cornelia pulled him close and whispered, "He was so tender with me but it hurt and I'm so sore today. Thank you for being so nice to me before."

Gerry was first into the meeting room Alex was next.

'Wearing trousers, hmm, so masculine but she's still a desirable woman, ' he thought.

Alex beckoned him to her side, "If there's anything that you don't understand today, make a mental note of it and either Manfred or I will discuss it with you tonight."

Soon the room was full and Manfred sat at the head of the table.

"Please pass your identification cards to me," Manfred said.

Gerry watched as Manfred sorted the identifications and wondered how many he had remembered; he had only occasionally referred to them at previous meetings.

"This will be a detailed test of your memory; I'm going to start with Johan and then he can leave the meeting and rest up."

Johan seemed tense as Manfred asked his first question.

"Give me your name," Manfred asked brusquely.

"I'm Johan Myers."

"Johan when you reply to that question be more positive; if you say 'I am Johan Myers' it sounds like you're acting. Just reply as curtly as I asked, 'Johan Myers'. Say it as if you own the name. We'll do it again."

"What's your name?"

"Johan Myers."

Gerry was surprised at the difference now Johan sounded convincing.

"Where were you born Myers?"

"Near Berlin. A little village Torgebosch."

"No Johan don't proffer information, keep it simple, 'Berlin' is enough."

And so the morning went with each of the eight men being coached on details of a life that they had assumed. Gerry thought that it would be boring but each man was different. He tried to imagine himself as an SS soldier questioning them and concluded that only three of them were convincing enough without coaching.

It was after one o'clock when Manfred signalled Alex and she left the meeting and returned with Anna wheeling the food trolley into the room followed by Johan. Cornelia came in last with coffee flasks. He watched and saw that Manfred was the most hungry. But it was Cornelia who ate the most bread rolls. She was looking for more when there was no more food left.

Gerry smiled knowingly at her and she turned her nose up and looked away.

Manfred stood up and asked Anna to remove the remains of lunch. Cornelia left with her.

"I want to tell you about our trip next week, please listen closely and don't commit anything to paper. If you're unsure of anything that I say by all means ask questions, if something isn't clear to you before Tuesday then see me and I'll clarify it for you. Now, on Tuesday we will have breakfast at six then at seven thirty Alex will drive one of our cars and carry Johan, Pieter and Ludovic with her. There will be another driver who will arrive here at nine and the men from hut one will depart with him. His car is large enough to take the four of you in comfort. You don't need to know any more than that. Rudy from hut one you will ride with Gerry and me and we'll leave about ten thirty."

Anna came into the room and walked directly to Manfred who stood up and moved to the window, they stood close together and as Anna spoke softly to him he nodded now and again acknowledging what she was telling him. Finally he shook his head in dismay and resumed his seat and Anna quietly left the room.

"I'll tell you what that was about when we discuss the other parts of our journey."

Manfred hesitated as if he were looking for the right words to say.

"Do all of you have cold weather clothes to wear? I mean clothing for the mountains. Those of you that need more warm clothing please see me after our meeting and I'll get you what you need."

There was a short exchange between some of the men and then Manfred continued.

"Our destination on the first day will be a location west of Tubingen, slightly south of Stuttgart, where we will meet up with our contacts who will provide us with a concealed camp. Our location here is about seventy miles west of Frankfurt; so a direct drive from here to our first stop would normally take about two hours but we'll be taking the back roads so the distance is much greater."

Johan interrupted, "What are three men doing in Alex's car travelling south?"

"You're travelling to Munich for a conference on Wednesday. Der Fuehrer's minister Schacht has called it to establish how science can assist in streamlining war production. This conference is being held there and I'm sure that you scientists can outwit an ordinary soldier on this subject."

"I'm sure we can," Johan said.

"If you are stopped," Manfred continued, "then let Alex, the driver for hut one or myself do the talking. However, I doubt that we'll be stopped."

"From Tubingen we will travel in a southeasterly direction for about seventy kilometres. Again we will be stopping for two nights. In the early hours of the third day at this stop we had planned to make a dash over the Danube at its closest point to Switzerland, and then across the Rhine the Swiss border."

"Unfortunately, this plan has been upset by the increased border surveillance in this area; that was the gist of the message that Anna gave me earlier."

Gerry was surprised, 'Anna with intelligence messages, how does she know about border patrols, ' he asked himself.

"We will be modifying our plans when we get to Tubingen. We will have to see what our southern area contacts have learned when we get there. I was going to cover our entire trip today but it looks like we will have to save that until we know more. Any questions."

"What did you mean when you asked did we all have cold weather clothes," Rudy from hut one asked, "I have my winter clothes but you seemed to be saying that we need more than that."

"Yes, important point. Our change of plan for the final leg may mean that we will have to navigate our way through the mountains near the Austrian border. I really hope not. Tomorrow let's meet here for about fifteen minutes and we'll get the right clothing for you," Manfred said.

"Finally for today, I want you to rehearse one another on your new identities, we will have a final rehearsal for a short time prior to dinner on Monday and then again before we leave on Tuesday. Thanks for your time today."

As the refugees left the meeting, Manfred stood and stretched his arms over his head then yawned deeply. He sat down and saw Gerry making his way toward him.

"Manfred, you should get more sleep," Gerry said.

"I'm older than you and you were asleep long before me last night. Just proves that I've got more stamina," Manfred said smiling.

"And I was awake in my bed upstairs, listening to the sounds of satisfied women until all hours of the morning," Alex was smiling but she stared Manfred down. This was a time when pre-marital sex was frowned on and Alex had high expectations for Cornelia but with the death of her husband and the stresses of the war she had modified her view on most things that were dear to her.

Gerry did not think it possible but Manfred looked embarrassed.

As Gerry left the house with Manfred, he stayed him with his hand to his elbow, "Anna's not just a cook is she."

"Do you remember 'anything and everything', Richard's way of being precise. He said it to Anna and me and I'm sure that he said it to you. That's your answer."

"What has happened to Johan, has he been ill?"

"No he was badly beaten by the Gestapo who accused him of sedition simply because he didn't have enough staff to carry on his research work and he complained to the administration. He went too far in his criticisms and he was arrested. Richard got him released because his work has a large impact on what Richard manages. But not before he was badly maltreated. It has taken about six weeks, living here, for him to recover. Richard asked him if he wanted to return to work but Johan said he wanted to leave the country and if possible he wanted to go to the U.S.A."

"Richard can arrange all of these things," Gerry asked.

"No, not everything but he has many connections."

"Who are the other men then."

"They're all from his research unit and we had to be very careful that each man was not linked back to the Gestapo in some way. You know, these men are so dedicated to their science that they are giving up their families to be with Johan. In their position I don't know how I would react."

"A tough decision," Gerry said but he agreed with Manfred.

"Richard said that I lack a knowledge of communications. What did he mean by that," Gerry asked.

"This is a subject that I'll talk about tomorrow," Manfred started walking toward the huts, "it's complicated so let's leave it until then."

As Gerry entered hut two he thought, 'That's the longest conversation I've had with Manfred. Maybe we'll get along okay.'

He dropped onto his bed wondering why the meetings were so draining, it was his last thought until he felt his sleeve being tugged, his eyes focussed slowly then he could see that Cornelia was standing next to his bed.

"Come on sleepy head, it's time for dinner."

Slowly he stood up.

"I've just been teaching Manfred your method of kissing," Cornelia said but she left before Gerry could respond.

Anna had just finished placing the tureen's of potatoes, chicken stew and beans in the middle of the table in the dining room and as she passed Gerry she said, "Blue scarf?" and disappeared into the kitchen. Gerry found himself sitting next to Alex who patted him on his leg.

Tureens of food were the usual way meals were served in Holland and Germany, each person helping themselves to the amount of food that they wanted from the tureens in the centre of the table.

Soon the sounds of cutlery banging against plates were the only sounds in the room. But as they drew near to the end of the meal the chatter of voices grew in intensity.

Again Alex patted him on the leg. "Anna seemed happier today," she smiled knowingly.

Gerry smiled but then compressed his lips and shook his head. 'Bloody gossips!' he thought.

Everyone stayed on drinking coffee after dinner then Manfred joined Alex and Gerry.

"We have a big day tomorrow, would you mind if we get started early; say around seven?" he asked Gerry.

"Fine, that's okay with me, will we eat first or later?"

"Later. Usual breakfast time." Then turning to Alex, "Growing lad needs his food." Then he turned back to Gerry and lightly punched his shoulder.

"If you have a rendezvous with Cornelia later tonight then you may well be hungrier than me," Gerry said with a triumphant smile at Alex.

Alex burst into laughter, "He's quick Manfred; and a match for you."

Gerry excused himself and carrying his coffee cup to the kitchen he found two men with Anna in the final stages of cleaning up. The men hung their drying cloths and returned the dining room.

"More coffee?"

"Please."

"You will come to me later won't you?"

"Of course, but Manfred has a big day lined up for me and..."

Anna put her arms around his waist, "I'm not wanting strenuous activity, I would just like to be with you and share some quiet intimate time with you."

"We would do that anyway. I like being with you."

Cornelia came into the kitchen, "Looks romantic, Anna with her hips pushed close against the magician. You two had better cool down or I'll have to throw a bucket of cold water over you."

Anna pulled away, "Look young lady, if you start screaming and frightening me tonight then it's me that will be throwing cold water."

Cornelia was smiling, "Well," she humphed and with her nose in the air she left the kitchen.

Gerry smiled, "She's becoming quite theatrical isn't she."

"It's sad that she's spent so much time in this isolated place, I think that Manfred will good for her though. Talking with her today I can see changes in her." Anna peeked into the dining room and saw Cornelia walking into the hallway toward her bedroom.

"Aside from being sore you mean," he asked.

"Well the magician has become a gossip too. Did she tell you that she was sore?"

"She talks freely with me."

"You're easy to talk to. I just saw Cornelia going straight to bed?"

It was after ten and the men had returned to their huts, Alex stood on her toes and pulled Gerry's head down, her blue eyes sparkling she put her full lips against his and held him in the chaste kiss for many seconds.

"It's too bad there isn't two of you. Goodnight. Oh, remember you have an early start tomorrow."

Alex walked quickly to the stairs on her way up to her bedroom.

Anna had been by Gerry's side and was watching closely, "I feel sorry for Alex, she has no one to hold her close and comfort her."

When Gerry did not know what to say he kept quiet; it was no different now as he remembered an old Dutch saying that his father had taught him, 'A still tongue makes a wise head.'

He took Anna by the hand, "We don't need the blue scarf tonight." He led her down the hall to her room.

Gerry knew what Anna wanted so he undressed quickly and slid under the covers. He watched Anna disrobing, his mind awash with erotic thoughts, he held his arms open as she came to the bed. As she slipped under the covers she put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly then she put her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me about Holland," she asked.

"Before or after the war started."

"Before."

"I come from Amsterdam so I can only tell you about that city. Let me tell you about the unusual things, the city has eighty-eight canals and they are arranged in semicircles each gets longer the further away you go from the center. A greater part of the country is below sea level and dykes hold the North Sea at bay. The buildings in Amsterdam have unusual facades. With only four or five different facades many of the houses facing the canals look the same. There are two unusual buildings. One is only a few metres wide, all the way up for four storeys. There's an historic building whose entrance has the head of a Negro on one side and the head of a Negress on the other. This building was the headquarters for slave traders two hundred years ago. An awful reminder of our past."

"History repeats itself doesn't it," Anna said sadly.

"Yah." Gerry became silent then he realised that since they were both becoming morbid he wanted to change the subject.

"I noticed that when you interrupted the meeting today you had news for Manfred about problems about the final stages of our trek. How did you get that news?"

"You were thinking that I'm just a cook, weren't you, well Alex and I are also running the base communications here. We have scheduled times to talk to others on our network."

"You have a transmitter and receiver?"

"Yes, the equipment was built by my brother-in-law. He stole a German army set and built them from the components. Only he built it to operate on frequencies below those used by the military. And he made it small and easy to hide."

They heard Cornelia and Manfred only once but their voices and Cornelia's moans were highly attenuated.

While they had been talking Gerry was idly playing with Anna's nipple, she was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on what she was saying and as she tried to gather her thoughts she pushed her hips forward compressing Gerry's cock between their bellies.

"Does it worry you that I'm not circumcised?"

"I'm not an orthodox Jew and I don't believe in the old fables."

"Is Alex Jewish?"

"Good heavens no, at least I don't think she regards herself as Jewish. What made you think that?"

"Cornelia told me that her father was Jewish and he was killed in Berlin."

"That's true a mob set fire to his shop and as he tried to escape he was overcome and burned to death."

"It's my stupid mouth again..."

"No, you need to know these things. You know I didn't notice that you weren't circumcised, I've only ever seen the magicians wand fully extended," Anna said her voice lyrical and then she giggled.

They talked on quietly but the heat and tension was building between them, soon they were kissing hungrily and as Gerry moved down her body she held his head and looking into his eyes, her face serious and questioning, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Of course I'm sure, I enjoy giving you pleasure."

He rested his head on her soft smooth belly he noticed the slight marks on her skin and he wondered fleetingly what they were. As he continued down he twisted until he was between her legs and when he looked up he couldn't see the apprehension on her face in the darkness. He pointed his tongue and licked in between her lips covered in her lubrication. His tongue moved up until he came to the satin smooth skin under her erect clitoris. He circled it, avoiding contact with the sensitive tip then he licked down until he came to her perineum and as he licked up again she moaned and her head dropped down to the pillow, her apprehension replaced by a fiery longing for penetration.