Chapter 29
H einrich’s driver jumped to attention and opened the door of the Mercedes-Benz as soon as she appeared. She had requested to meet Heinrich in a small alley off the Grand Rue rather than leave the shop with him.
He respected her desire to be discreet, whilst at the same time being extremely persistent about her going with him.
She had considered saying she had a prior engagement.
Getting so close to him was about as dangerous a scenario as she could imagine, but it was also the ideal method to gather intelligence with his blessing.
The car’s front fender bore a Wehrmacht eagle as if it had been designed especially for Heinrich Adler, and her nerves clattered as she glanced around, worried that someone might see her.
It could be a pair of eyes peering out from behind the curtain of a house, or someone watching her from a distance.
Even in a side alley, it would be impossible to evade notice when she joined an SS officer in his military vehicle.
The inevitable assumption would be that she was a collaborator, and a sense of shame clung to her even though it wasn’t true.
She was relieved Jack couldn’t see her now and decided she would give him the strictly potted version of events when she returned to London.
Lizzie couldn’t allow herself to entertain the possibility that she might not return to London and be in the safety of Jack’s arms again. The thought was unbearable, and in his role as her commanding officer, he had drummed into her the need to keep her mind on the successful outcome.
Heinrich was a handsome, charismatic man, and he greeted her with undeniable charm. ‘Thank you for coming,’ he said, his eyes bright.
‘Thank you for inviting me,’ she said, her lips curving into a modest smile.
The game had begun. He clearly wanted her, and she must keep him at arm's length whilst indulging him enough to get the information she needed.
It was like walking a tightrope, and the adrenaline flooded through her as she settled back against the cool leather seat, and the car weaved through the narrow streets of the walled city and out the gate.
‘We will begin at St. Servan and visit the Cité d'Aleth fortress,’ he said.
Lizzie could barely believe what was happening. That was the fortress her uncle had instructed her to photograph because it would be an integral part of the fortification.
Heinrich made polite conversation as they drove through the modern area of St. Malo.
His behaviour was faultless, and he acted as though they were on a professional outing, not touching her or taking advantage of their proximity in the back of the car.
After a short drive along the coast, they pulled up outside Cité d'Aleth and he said, ‘Our plan is to transform this eighteenth-century fortress. As soon as the measurements are complete and we have received the final reports from the surveyors and engineers, we will commence construction work.’
Lizzie cleared her throat. ‘Are your plans for the fortress based on what you have seen in the reports so far?’
Heinrich withdrew his silver cigarette case and offered her a cigarette. They smoked as he talked about his vision for the construction. ‘Few people know this, but as you are working on the project, I may rely on your discretion, yes?’
Lizzie assured him he could, her heart pumping fast as she waited for what he might disclose.
‘We aim to build an underground command complex with subterranean installations, the likes of which the world has never seen. The scale of the construction will be over 1.5 km long and the walls two meters thick. The tunnelled complex will comprise an underground rail track, a telephone communication exchange, a radio station, a water reservoir, powerful generators and more. We will be completely self-sufficient, and it will be a magnificent feat in German engineering that will protect our soldiers from aerial attack and bombardment. I predict after we win this war, people will flock from all over the world to witness the wonder of our military engineering.’
Lizzie turned cold, and goosebumps covered her skin, but she listened closely and committed every word to memory. There was no possibility of taking photographs or notes. The intelligence the SOE needed would depend entirely on her remembering every critical word of this conversation.
‘What a clever idea. Did you think of it?’
He straightened his shoulders and looked every bit the epitome of the blond bird of prey his name depicted.
‘Let’s just say, I’ve always thought on a grand scale, and the Führer’s orders are to build an impregnable line of defence to stop any possibility of an invasion from our enemies across the Channel. That’s what I mean to build for him.’
Lizzie made suitable comments and gestures to coax him along and show how dazzled by his brilliance she was, even as her stomach swirled with a mixture of dread and excitement that she was a first-hand witness to the creation of the very plans she had been sent to St. Malo to extract.
‘I’m sure the Führer will be impressed when you win the war, and he will reward your ingenuity accordingly,’ she said, praying fervently that no such day would come to pass.
‘You are most kind. I am pleased you can appreciate the scale of the vision and the challenge of such a massive construction. It really is a rare woman who can discuss such topics. I imagine it’s being around Monsieur Beaumont that has piqued your interest.’
Lizzie agreed that usually she had no interest in such manly pursuits, but since taking the photographs and listening to Heinrich, she found it compelling. Her heart beating faster at her increasing boldness and the risk that accompanied it, she said, ‘Your vision excites me greatly, Herr Alder.’
‘Heinrich,’ he admonished, but his lips formed a triumphant smile, and she could see she had stoked his ego.
‘Heinrich,’ she said obediently. ‘You must forgive me. I have never been in the presence of a high-ranking military officer like yourself. I confess I’m a little in awe.’
If the SS officer hadn’t been bowled over by Lizzie’s attention before, his enthusiasm blossomed, and he expanded on his plans for the Atlantic Wall construction. ‘I will oversee the entire project. The responsibility is a great honour,’ he added, his silken voice low and serious.
‘You could say you keep the whole of France safe from the English,’ Lizzie ventured, hoping she hadn’t gone too far.
‘That is my mission exactly.’
He preened, so she continued. ‘You don’t think the English will come?’
Then his grey-blue eyes turned to ice, and his deep voice was steel-edged as he met her enquiring gaze. ‘The English will never land in France. I will see to that.’
Lizzie didn’t say anymore, not wanting to appear too eager for the Germans to win the war. He might suspect her of being insincere, and she had to nurture his trust. She’d come too far to risk his displeasure now.
They exited the car, and Lizzie felt the cool sea breeze on her face and was grateful to be out of the confined space.
Heinrich gestured towards the sea and the mouth of the River Rance from their elevated position. ‘From here we control access and monitor the harbour and the estuary. No invasion will be possible on my watch,’ he said.
Lizzie spotted Dinard across the estuary.
Her hair escaped its clip and blew into her eyes. ‘Where are the Channel Islands from here?’ she asked, her voice portraying a slightly dizzy female.
Heinrich pointed out to sea and talked about the German supply routes to the Channel Islands. ‘On a clear day I can sometimes glimpse Jersey. It is a small island with the most beautiful beaches.’
A hard lump formed in Lizzie’s throat, and she had to fight back the prickles in her eyes.
Jersey was her weak spot and always riled her up. This was almost too much to bear, but she had no choice if she wished to get the information the War Cabinet needed for the Allies to liberate her home from continuous occupation.
‘It’s only around 22 kilometres away. Have you ever visited, Rose?’ He continued his torturous commentary.
Her face grew hot again, and she battled to keep herself from betraying the intense feelings raging within her as this loathsome Nazi talked of her island as though it was his property, and she was merely an outsider who might be allowed to visit one day.
‘Many years ago,’ she said, each word like a rock as she forced her response.
‘Perhaps we may visit together. If it is of interest to you, of course? I can’t tell you more, but Jersey features heavily in our fortification plans.’
The enquiring look Lizzie gave him was genuine.
‘The Führer is immensely proud of our capturing the Channel Islands from right under Churchill’s nose. The islands will be part of the Thousand-Year Reich.’ He said the prime minister’s name as if it were a filthy word.
Lizzie’s senses screeched as she experienced an overwhelming symphony of horror. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and an icy rage swept over her.
It couldn’t happen. She couldn’t allow it to happen.
Heinrich was completely oblivious to the reaction his patriotic words stirred in the Jersey girl with whom he was fast becoming more besotted by the minute.
‘Our naval activity protects the islands. Can you believe those English fools left their own islands undefended and completely underestimated us?’
Lizzie did believe it. It was true, but it broke her heart to hear him say it. They had handed the Channel Islands to their enemy on a plate.
He continued bragging about their maritime operations, and Lizzie gazed at the wooden Breton blue and white fishing boats beached on the mudflats exposed by the low tide.
She had been out in a boat like that when she was a child with her family, and the memory of those happy days surfaced, stirring her heartache even more.
The panoramic view and the dominant position the Germans commanded over France, the Channel Islands and the English Channel was a sobering vision.
An alarming thought entered her mind. Was it possible that her beloved island would be used as a key position to help block an allied invasion?
Lizzie’s mood sank lower, but she acted as though all of this was of no great consequence to her and she was enjoying an interesting tour with her new influential companion.
Heinrich touched her arm very lightly, and steered her back to the car, where the driver waited to open the door for them.
‘Come, it is growing cold for you here, Rose. I have more to show you. And then we will have lunch at my villa. I’ve taken it upon myself to ensure you recuperate fully. You shall want for nothing.’
Lizzie shuddered as her stiff lips returned his smile.
He planned to own her too.