Lachlan stretched up to standing, and pieces plummeted into place. “What were her options? If she stayed here, her family’s lives would be in danger—or our lives if Kraus came to shore.”
“So she’s returning to Germany?” Yardley’s face contorted. “Whether she’s true or false, Double Cross is at serious risk. All our work. All our double agents.”
“She didnae say she was returning to Germany. She said she was returning to the sea.” Lachlan could see her standing in the heather with the sun turning her hair to gold and her eyes stretching too wide when they found only seven limpet mines in the hut.
His heart froze. His breath. His blood. Somehow he found his voice. “The missing limpet mine.”
“Pardon?”
“Dobbs said they brought eight. You counted seven.”
Gwen gasped. “Do you think she stole one?”
Lachlan squeezed his eyes shut, forced himself to think. “She watched me train. She knows how to use it.”
“Oh no.” Gwen let out a wee sob. “You think she’ll blow up the U-boat?”
Lachlan’s chin dropped to his chest. “Och, Cilla, lass.”
Yardley shook his head over and over. “What if the mine fails? What if she buckles under torture? And what if she is indeeda traitor, and she stole the mine to deceive us? I can’t take any chances. I’m calling for a naval response.” He turned for the door.
“No, sir!” Lachlan grasped the commander’s arm.
Yardley glared at Lachlan. “Under no circumstances must we allow that U-boat to return to Germany.”
“Aye. Aye. But wait.” Lachlan released Yardley’s arm and rubbed his temple. “Cilla wants Kraus to observe the sabotage and send a report to Germany. Whether she’s true or false, she wants that report sent. And it’s in MI5’s best interest that he do so, aye?”
Yardley’s eyes cleared, and he gave a slow nod.
“So, wait. Wait. The explosion is timed for 2200 hours. Time the alert so they’ll arrive fifteen minutes later. If they arrive too early, the U-boat might submerge and miss the explosion at Scapa.”
“If they arrive too late, the U-boat will escape. And remember, we don’t know the actual coordinates.”
Lachlan puffed out a sharp breath. “It cannae be far. My family’s boat was still at Brough when I arrived at 2045 hours. The rendezvous is at 2145 hours. At full speed, the boat makes ten knots. That means the rendezvous is no more than ten miles from Brough.”
“Very good.” Yardley pointed to the door. “St. Clair, return to the station with me. Mackenzie and Reese, observe from the lightroom with Mr. Hall. The RDF will be turned off from 2130 to 2200 hours for supposed maintenance. The rendezvous is probably out of range, but we can’t risk detecting the U-boat before the blockship explodes. The instant you observe the explosion, ring me, and I’ll send the alert and turn on the RDF.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Gwen and Imogene said in unison.
But a great, unfamiliar restlessness built inside Lachlan, undeniable, uncontainable.
He shoved his way out the door.
“Mackenzie! Where are you going?”
“To stop her.” Foolish, hopeless, but he needed to.
43
Cilla steeredMar na Creagover a quiet sea under a starry moonlit sky.
Where was the U-boat? Had she navigated properly? She’d never been trained in navigation and had used only a map and a compass and her watch to plot her route.
What if she’d missed the rendezvous coordinates? Or what if the U-boat was delayed? The fuse on the limpet mine was already set. How awful ifMar na Creagsank and not the U-boat.
She gritted her teeth and scanned the waves and the sky. After Yardley read her letter, he’d certainly send out a fleet of bombers and ships. She hoped he did, in case the mine failed. But not until after she convinced Kraus she was loyal and he sent the message to Hamburg, saving her family.
Cilla twisted her arm until moonlight illuminated her watch dial. The rendezvous time had arrived—and only fifteen minutes remained until the blockship was scheduled to blow up.
