I, Spy by Rhian Tracey

Author:Rhian Tracey
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800784413
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction
Published: 2023-01-03T17:32:21.208000+00:00

19

‘Robyn? What are you doing out here?’ Her father’s voice made her jump so badly that she nearly dropped the bomb. ‘Why aren’t you inside? It’s not safe!’

‘Dad? Oh, Dad! You’re here! You’re home,’ she cried in relief, spotting Mr Samuels too.

There were no streetlights after dusk. Curtains were drawn, and every light and lantern switched off or blown out. All she could see were the headlights of a vehicle and the smoke still coming from the church in the distance.

‘Are you hurt? Are you injured? We saw the fires and smoke from miles away. It’s like Bonfire Night. Come here,’ her father instructed from the shadows.

‘I can’t,’ she said.

She was desperate to keep running and get as far away from them as possible. At the same time, the urge to hand the bomb to her father and head for home was overpowering.

‘There was no one in the sentry hut by the main gates. All hands on deck, I should think, but we can’t get in at any of the entrances,’ Mr Samuels explained.

‘Fire engines have blocked the gates by the Mansion and the back gates too.’ Her father carried on talking. ‘We thought we’d try this side gate here but it’s no good.’ He rattled it in frustration.

‘Why weren’t you here when I needed you?’ Robyn cried through the bars. ‘Where have you been all this time?’

‘What? Sandringham … Why?’

‘I thought you’d gone to Windsor.’

‘Something happened. Look, it doesn’t matter now –’

‘You were wrong! They bombed us! The noise was … I had to get Joy out. There were fires everywhere. One of the huts collapsed and I didn’t know what to do and …’ She couldn’t continue.

‘Do you know how many bombs fell? What’s the damage? Is your mother all right?’ Her father fired questions at her.

‘I can’t find her! You promised us. You said no one would bomb Bletchley! You said it would never happen!’ Robyn shouted at him. ‘You keep breaking your promises to me!’

‘I’m sorry,’ he started. ‘I didn’t think they would. None of us did,’ he said, coming closer.

‘Get back!’ she warned them, holding the bomb up so they could see it. ‘Stay back!’

‘Dear Lord!’ Mr Samuels said, spotting what she was holding.

‘Oh, hell! Put it down on the ground, slowly now. That’s it, set it there and then step away. Carefully, come to me, steady now. Birdy … Come to me, that’s right,’ her father directed.

She wanted to tell him everything she’d discovered about the bomb, but words failed her. The three of them were in the dark, the men on one side of the gate and she on the other, like in a silent movie. She could hear their breathing, low and heavy. Mr Samuels was coughing, the smoke thick and murky in the air. Her own breath was thin and reedy, her chest constricted and tight now she’d stopped running. I don’t have a bad chest!

Her father inched towards her, as close as he could get. He pressed his body against the gates.

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