The Angry Hills - Leon Uris [82]
The captain nodded and crept off. He whispered commands, dispersing his men behind rocks, in the tall grass and in the brush. They formed a ring around and above the cove. The soldiers held their weapons at the ready....
Heisler, Zervos and Chesney moved up the hill a little to gain a better vantage point of the entire area.
“The men moved in well,” Chesney whispered. “I’m positive they were not detected.” He pointed his fat finger toward the southern end of the cove. “They should be coming through there. We had better just relax. There is still an hour to wait.”
The car stopped off the dirt road. A man ran toward it.
“Where are they?” the man asked the driver.
“The two boys are covered on the rear floor. The man and woman are in the trunk,” Ketty, the prostitute, answered.
The man snapped the trunk lid open and assisted Mike and Lisa out. They both reeled dizzily. Ketty uncovered the boys and they ran to their mother.
“I am Meletis,” the man said. “I am to take you to the rendezvous.”
Mike and Lisa grasped his hands. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, we will be in a minute—soon’s we get some air.” Mike went to Ketty. “I’ll always be in your debt,” he said.
“Anything for the Englezos,” Ketty answered. “I’m glad you came to me for help.”
“Come,” Meletis snapped. “We have an hour’s walk and there is no time for farewells. Did you have trouble along the route?”
“There was but one challenge,” Ketty said. “But I have a very convenient pass signed by Herr Heilser, himself.”
“Good-bye, Ketty.”
“Good-bye, my Englezos soldier.”
“We’ll be coming back to Greece some day—with an army that won’t be thrown out.” He kissed her cheek and ran to catch up with Meletis, Lisa and the boys.
They moved up the coastline.
Five minutes before midnight.
The German captain signaled to his men and back to Heilser. Everything was in order. All eyes were on the southern end of the cove. All one could hear was the gentle lap of the sea against the shore and the rustle of the leaves around them.
“Where are they?”
“Any moment now...”
A minute ticked off—two—three...
Chesney nudged Heilser and pointed toward the top of the hill behind them. A light shot out toward the water. It went on and off three times. Heilser’s heart thudded.
“That is the signal,” Chesney said. He squinted nearsightedly at his wristwatch as the seconds ticked off. “At the next signal, everything will be ready.”
A soft stir of movement was heard from the forest behind them.
“They are coming,” Chesney whispered. He kept looking at his watch for a full five minutes then glanced up to the hilltop again. The signal light went on and off three more times.
Julius Chesney grunted as he got to his feet and stretched. “Well, Konrad, the game is over,” he said. Heilser looked up at him, too stunned to speak. “Forgive me, dear fellow. There is a submarine, but I failed to mention that it is on the opposite coast of Greece, a hundred kilometers from this point. If my calculations are correct, Lisa and Mr. Morrison should be boarding it at this very minute.”
“Seize him!” Heilser shrieked. “Seize him!”
“Oh, no, dear fellow. That signal from the hill was for the purpose of moving two hundred gentlemen into position through the forest. Guerrillas, I believe you call them. The second signal indicated that they have your force surrounded.”
The officer came dashing up.
“Herr Heilser, we are surrounded!”
“Order your men to drop their arms, Captain. Resistance is quite useless. You see, I do not wish to die as a Greek martyr and one utterance from me and a mutual friend, Professor Thanassis, will lay down a most dreadful barrage.”
Heilser got to his feet. He looked about him. Spread all over the hill, in the brush and behind trees he could see the rifles of the Greek guerrillas. He looked into the empty cove. His face was white, his lips drained of blood....
“Surrender your force,” he croaked to his officer. He turned to Chesney. “You’ll never get away with