Blood of Honour

20

But they had not made it. Not yet, at any rate – Tanner knew he would not relax until they were safely at the monastery above Krousonas. As they crested the ridge they now knew so well, Peploe turned off the main Knossos road, taking a rough track that led them through the vineyards to the west of the ruined palace where they had fought just days before. Was it really so recent? Tanner thought, as they bumped slowly along the rocky track. It seemed longer than that – a lot longer. A lifetime ago.

Peploe was taking them south-west, towards the mountains, which even in the darkness of midnight loomed heavily ahead. The countryside was alive once more with the sound of the night: cicadas with their strange chirruping noises. It was still warm: the heat was no longer completely dying each day, but lingering throughout the hours of darkness. No one spoke now, as though to do so would be to tempt the good fortune they had enjoyed so far. And then, from Heraklion, came one last explosion, bigger than any before it, which, even several miles away, was so loud and distinct that the women and the boy started.

‘It’s all right,’ said Tanner, softly. ‘Just one last little message to Jerry.’

Alexis repeated the words to the boy, then touched Tanner’s hand. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

Soon after they reached a stream, and there they left the Snipe, having first filled the engine with loose soil, and made a sling for Vaughan, who had been shot in the arm. It was not far – a three-hour walk at most – but as they moved through the groves and vineyards and climbed into the foothills of the Ida Mountains, Tanner felt overcome with fatigue. The adrenalin had worn off, and the sudden peacefulness, with the night-time beauty of the countryside, bathed as it was in an ethereal glow, contrasted too starkly with the din and violence of the action. He sensed the others felt the same.

When they finally reached the monastery and Alopex was reunited with his wife, son and sister, he wept quite openly, overcome to see them alive. For Mandoukis, however, their arrival prompted an outpouring of despair. Clutching his head and tearing at his hair he was inconsolable.

‘I told him we looked for her,’ Vaughan explained to the others, ‘but she wasn’t there. He said she was in the Sabbionera Bastion, as he’d told us.’

‘But that’s not what Satanas said,’ Peploe reminded him.

‘Poor bugger,’ said McAllister.

‘He’ll need watching,’ muttered Tanner.

In the monastery’s refectory, they were fed, given wine and coffee, then set off on the final stage of their journey, back up to the cave in the mountains.

Tanner slept. He’d dressed the gash on his forearm, changed back into his old uniform of denims, shirt and battle blouse, then with his German trousers and shirt as a pillow and the jump smock as a rug, he had settled down in a soft hollow in the ground he’d discovered a little way from the cave. Almost the moment he closed his eyes, he succumbed to deep, dreamless sleep. When he awoke, Alexis was standing over him with an enamel mug of coffee.

‘Here,’ she said.

Tanner rubbed his eyes, thanked her and looked at his watch. It was after nine; he hadn’t slept that long in ages.

‘Thank you,’ he said, but now sitting up he saw bruises on her cheeks. ‘Are you hurt anywhere else?’

‘It is nothing.’

‘The bastards,’ he muttered.

‘But it is not as bad as the ones my brother gave you.’

Tanner smiled. ‘Nor the ones I gave him.’

‘He will not fight you again,’ she said, returning his smile. ‘I owe you my life, Jack. They would have shot us all.’

‘Not just me, Alexis.’

‘But it was your idea. Giorgis told me. You risked everything.’

‘I couldn’t bear the thought of them taking you,’ he said.

She sat down beside him and clasped his hand. ‘I do not know you at all,’ she said, ‘but still I feel as though I do.’ She lightly kissed his cheek, then stood up. ‘Thank you, Jack. Thank you for what you did.’

Tanner smiled. She left him, and Tanner remained where he was, thinking. Woodsmoke wafted towards him, sweet and soothing – unlike cordite or the dust of explosives. His throat was dry after the night’s fighting, and having drunk the coffee, he reached for his water bottle. He was about to begin cleaning his weapons when Sykes and McAllister joined him.

‘Morning, sir,’ said McAllister. ‘That was quite a bloody night.’

‘It certainly was,’ said Tanner. ‘You did well, lads.’

‘I still can’t quite believe we got out alive,’ said McAllister. He was a small lad, still not quite twenty, but stockier now than when Tanner had first known him – many of the boys were better fed in the army than they had been back home in the working-class areas of Leeds and Bradford, the recruiting heartland for the Yorks Rangers. McAllister had been in the Territorial Battalion along with Hepworth, Chambers and Bell when Tanner had first known them. They were not Territorials now, though. Tanner reckoned they were as good as any regular soldiers he had ever known.

‘As I always tell you, Mac,’ said Tanner, ‘surprise is one hell of an advantage. We knew exactly when we were going in and pretty much what we were going to do.’

‘Glad you did,’ said Sykes. ‘I thought we were making it up as we went along.’

‘Improvising, Stan, we were improvising.’ Tanner chuckled. ‘But we knew we were going to set off some pretty big bangs. Now Jerry hadn’t really got a clue what we were up to. Someone had got a scent of something, but they were looking for Cretans and they certainly weren’t expecting loads of bloody great explosions. It’s amazing what you can get away with if you’re prepared to brazen it out. By the way, Stan, what were you doing with that truck as it passed? I saw you crouch down beside it.’

Sykes grinned. ‘I was quite pleased about that one,’ he said. ‘I saw the store box hatch was open so I put in a block of TNT with a black time pencil on. It was barely moving so it was quite easy. Ten minutes after I done it – boom!’

‘You sly old bugger,’ said Tanner, taking out a cigarette. ‘How’s Captain Vaughan this morning?’

‘He should be all right,’ said Sykes. ‘The bullet broke his arm, though.’

‘Have they got it out?’

Sykes nodded. ‘He’s been stitched up and dressed, thanks to that Jerry first-aid kit. Mr Liddell’s still not so good, though.’

Tanner looked at him. Oh, yes?

‘His fever’s gone but he’s still pretty ill. Seems to be asleep most of the time.’

‘Should pull through now, though,’ said Tanner. ‘Bastard better had.’ He took out his oiler, phial of gin, rag and pull-through.

‘I’ll tell you one thing, though, sir,’ said McAllister. ‘That Alopex. He’s not as tough as he likes to make out, sir, is he? A grown man like that and he was blubbing like a baby.’

‘It’s these Mediterranean types,’ said Sykes. ‘They’re an emotional bunch.’

‘I’d rather have him blubbing than knocking ten rounds out of me,’ muttered Tanner, and felt the scab above his eye. ‘He’s got a hell of a fist on him.’

‘Talk of the devil,’ said Sykes. ‘Here he is now.’

Alopex climbed up towards them, black beret on his head, bandolier around his waist, wearing his supple black leather boots and pantaloons. ‘I need to speak to you alone, Tanner,’ he said.

Tanner clicked his tongue, and stood up. ‘Give us a moment, will you, lads?’

When they had gone, Alopex embraced him. ‘What you did – I cannot thank you enough. How could we have ever been enemies? I misjudged you.’

‘Forget it,’ said Tanner.

Alopex now drew out his knife, and Tanner took a step backwards, alarm on his face. But Alopex laughed, held out his palm and drew a small cut across it. He then took Tanner’s hand and did the same. Tanner flinched, but Alopex took both their hands and clasped them together. ‘Once enemies,’ said Alopex, his face solemn, ‘but now blood brothers. This,’ he said, releasing his grip and holding up his hand, ‘is the blood of honour.’

Tanner nodded. ‘And your wife and son – they were not harmed?’

‘My son, no. But those sons of whores struck Nerita and Alexis. What kind of a coward does that?’

Tanner said nothing.

‘His name is Balthasar,’ said Alopex. ‘Oberleutnant Balthasar.’

‘The women told you this?’

Alopex nodded. ‘They heard his men say it. Balthasar and his men are camped in the valley to the south of Gazi.’

‘Don’t go after him there,’ said Tanner. ‘It’s like I said. He captured your family to lure you out. I’m sure of it. But you’ve got them back now, so don’t ruin it by falling into the trap. He’ll be expecting you.’

Alopex wiped his moustache, then put his hands on his hips. ‘At night, though, maybe we could go down.’

Tanner shook his head. ‘You might kill some of his men, but you won’t get him. Be patient, Alopex.’

The Cretan smiled and clapped him on the back. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘you are right. And we must try to get you off the island. Hanford has gone to Yerakari. He’ll be back here tomorrow, hopefully with news. Much as we could do with you and your men, you are not Cretans. This is our battle now.’ He turned to leave, but Tanner called him back.

‘I’m sorry about Mandoukis’s wife.’

Alopex took off his beret and rubbed his brow. ‘I am sorry too,’ he said. ‘I feel his pain.’

‘Don’t take this the wrong way,’ said Tanner, ‘but you will watch him carefully, won’t you?’

Alopex sighed and sat down beside him. ‘I have known Mandoukis all my life. His younger brother is one of my oldest friends – he was with the Cretan Division as well. Both our brothers are now prisoners of the Germans. I still do not understand why they were abandoned – but there it is. I understand what you are saying, Jack, and if I were you and did not know him, I would wonder the same. But I cannot believe he would betray us. I simply cannot. You should have seen him fight at Heraklion.’

‘Then I’m sure I’m wrong about him,’ said Tanner. ‘But keep your eye on him, eh?’

‘Of course,’ said Alopex, standing up and leaving Tanner to clean his weapons. Tanner watched him go, then began stripping his Enfield and rubbing it down with oil. Blood dripped from his cut hand into the breech and he cursed. Alopex had paid him a great compliment, but he wished the Cretan had not made such a dramatic gesture. With the gash over his eye, the nick on his arm and the bruising to his face and back, he felt quite knocked about as it was without the need to lose any more blood.

Tanner had kept his own close watch on Mandoukis. The man had seemed quite broken, keeping away from the others, and barely speaking a word. In the evening he had hardly touched any food, instead retreating to a corner of the cave where he had remained. Later, Tanner had glanced at him before heading off to his hollow in the ground. Mandoukis had not moved all evening.

Tanner had lain awake for a long time, thinking. At some point, however, he had drifted off to sleep, but now, as someone shook his shoulder, he was suddenly awake.

‘Tanner!’

It was Alopex.

‘What?’ whispered Tanner. ‘What the hell is it?’ He was sitting up now, feeling for his rifle.

‘Mandoukis,’ said Alopex. ‘He is leaving.’

‘We should follow him.’

‘I agree. I have two of my men ready. Quick, we must go now before we lose him.’

Grabbing his rifle, Tanner quietly followed Alopex to the track that led back down through the ravine where his two men were waiting. The three Cretans spoke in whispers, then Alopex said, ‘He’s a hundred metres or so ahead. We must hurry.’

They moved as quietly as they could but the night air was still and it seemed to Tanner as though every step would alert Mandoukis to their presence. It was dark, but the great canopy of stars and a quarter-moon gave a faint, creamy glow. It was enough for them to see where they were going – and to reveal Mandoukis as the track led him around a spur and silhouetted him against the sky.

‘I warned the sentries,’ Alopex whispered to Tanner. ‘They pretended to be asleep. I think it is better to follow him.’

‘I’m sorry, Alopex,’ said Tanner. ‘I had hoped I was wrong.’

‘Maybe we still are. This way we will know.’

A couple of times Mandoukis paused, seeming to listen, then continued. He emerged from the end of the ravine, but instead of walking down past the monastery and into Krousonas, he cut across country, through the olive groves above the village. Now that their eyes had become more accustomed to the night light Tanner, Alopex and the andartes followed him easily.

Having skirted Krousonas, Mandoukis rejoined the track, but instead of following the path to the mountain villages of Korfes and Tilisos, he took the road that led to the valley below.

The German camp, thought Tanner. Briefly they lost sight of him as the road curved, but then they saw him again, and then at last, a few hundred yards further on as they neared the base of the valley, they saw, glowing dimly, the pale cream canvas of the German tents nestling between the olives.

‘Mandoukis,’ whispered Alopex, ‘I can hardly bear to believe it.’

‘We need to be careful,’ said Tanner. He unslung his rifle, gripping it in his hand.

Moments later they heard a sharp German voice cry, ‘Halt!’ ahead. Pressing themselves into the side of the road, they heard Mandoukis call in response. More German voices and then one man was moving towards the Cretan. Tanner could just make out that Mandoukis had his arms in the air.

‘We’ve got to kill him,’ whispered Tanner, bringing his rifle to his shoulder.

‘No,’ said Alopex, pushing the barrel away. ‘Let me.’

‘Be quick then,’ said Tanner. It was hard to see them. Dark shapes – that was all. He glanced at Alopex. Don’t miss, he thought. Up ahead the figures seemed to be moving, but then Alopex fired, the single shot cracking out sharply, the report echoing around the narrow valley. Had he hit the man? Tanner couldn’t be sure, but voices were shouting in alarm and then he heard Mandoukis jabbering. Professing his innocence, thought Tanner, bringing his rifle to his shoulder. He fired, wildly, blindly, but already a machine-gun had opened up, a rapid brurp that sent lethal darts of tracer pulsing towards them.

Alopex hissed an order to his men but not before one cried out and collapsed on the road. Tanner felt bullets hissing past him, smacking into the dirt road, as he scrambled up the bank and among the olives above them. He glanced around and saw the heavy shape of Alopex dive into the cover of the tree-lined hillside.

‘Keep moving!’ whispered Tanner, as a flare whooshed into the sky above them. It burst and crackled, bright magnesium lighting the ground around them.

‘The sons of whores!’ hissed Alopex, a few yards away, as they pushed through the dense olives. More machine-gun fire rang out, bullets thudding into the tree trunks. Tanner’s chest was tightening as he fought his way through, ducking under branches, gasping for air, legs throbbing as he climbed up the slopes through the thick grass. Another flare burst above them but, glancing back, he saw they were now out of any direct line of fire. Away to his left he glimpsed Alopex and one of his andartes.

‘Are you all right?’ he called.

‘Yes,’ came the reply, but then he heard the faint thwack of a mortar followed by its hollow whine and flung himself to the ground. A second later the shell exploded thirty yards ahead. He was on his feet again now, climbing to his right, away from where the mortar had landed. The hollow whine rang out again and he flung himself face down once more, his hands over his bare head. This time the explosion was closer, so that earth and grit showered down on him. As the rain of debris stopped, he glanced around. The light of the flare was dimming but he saw that Alopex and his andarte were still with him. He got to his feet and, a short distance above, spotted a small rocky outcrop. He pointed to it, saw Alopex nod, then scrambled towards it as yet another mortar whistled down, crashing into a tree, which split, sending not only soil into the sky but also woodchips. Diving behind the safety of the rock, Tanner clutched his head. Moments later, Alopex and his andarte were beside him.

‘You were correct,’ said Alopex, as he gasped for breath. ‘They were ready for us.’

‘Are you all right?’ asked Tanner, as another mortar whined into the sky.

‘A piece of wood in my arse, that’s all. But I had to leave Andreas.’

The mortar exploded twenty yards below them, but although they pressed themselves against the rock, they were safe from any flying shrapnel. As the clatter died down, Tanner listened. He could no longer hear any voices. The second flare had faded, so they were in darkness once more, their eyes struggling to adjust.

‘Wait a moment longer,’ whispered Tanner. He was expecting to hear another whoosh of a flare, but there was nothing. ‘Let’s move,’ he said, after several minutes had passed. Carefully, quietly, they began climbing through the grove once more, their legs swishing through the long grass. Cicadas chirruped around them and Tanner paused to wipe the sweat from his eyes, his breathing still heavy. A short while later they reached the higher road that joined the mountain villages, and turned towards Krousonas, the village glowing dimly as it nestled in the cradle of the mountains.

Tanner paused to drink from his water bottle, then cupped his hand and splashed his face, his heart still hammering. Damn it, but that had been close.

‘How could he have betrayed us?’ snarled Alopex. ‘How could he?’

‘They still have his wife,’ muttered Tanner. Not for the first time, he regretted their failure to find her the previous night. He wanted to lash out at Alopex, to yell at him for being so stupid. Damn it! Tanner knew he should never have allowed Alopex to take that shot – he should have killed the man himself while he had had the chance. No – they should never have allowed Mandoukis to reach the Germans in the first place. What had they been thinking? He should have been made to prove his innocence, not allowed to betray his guilt, and locked up out of harm’s way. We’ve been idiots, thought Tanner. And Mandoukis was still a dead man. Even if they did not shoot him there and then – even if he survived a long incarceration – his people would not forgive him for what he had done. Tanner doubted Mandoukis would be saving his wife either. The damn bloody fool. Damn it, shooting Mandoukis would almost have been a mercy killing. But instead of lying dead on the road, Mandoukis was now spilling all he knew to the enemy.

Tanner sighed wearily and slung his rifle across his shoulder. How much Mandoukis could reveal, only time would tell.