Time War: Invasion (24 page)

"You know how important it was to take down Villiers, and still is?"

"It was always our primary mission."

"However important you think it was to victory to take him down, it is just as important for the enemy to end Churchill's life. He is a symbol of resistance in this war. The whole country could come crashing down with his loss," said Hotwell.

Winter laughed once again as blood spewed out onto his white vest.

"This war is already over. You just haven't accepted it yet," he said in spite.

Corwin looked over and lashed out with a rapid back fist into Winter's face that knocked him out cold.

"We could have got more from him," said Hotwell.

"No, we've heard enough. He'll only feed us lies."

"And you are sure this isn't?"

"Pride got the better of him," added Beyett, "I don't doubt that is the truth. And what better time to strike at the country’s leader than when the nation’s forces are occupied by the greatest threat to this land in hundreds of years?"

"But we have to report this!"

"And who would believe us?" asked Vi, "Last time we tried to help, we ended up in here. There’s no chance anyone will listen to a word we have to say."

"What do we do?"

"The only thing we can do, Hunter. The thing we were born and bred to do," Corwin said firmly, "We fight this battle ourselves."

"We are really going to do this? We are going to break out and go for the country’s leader? We screw this timing up, and we'll be seen as assassins ourselves," said Vi.

"And we don't try, and it may already be too late."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Hotwell.

"How do we find out where Churchill is?"

Hotwell sighed as began to think about it and then finally came a glimmer of hope.

"Colonel Williams will know."

"You are sure?"

"Absolutely. He's still in a hospital about half an hour from here."

"We cannot use the same methods on an ally," said Beyett.

"No, Williams knows the sort of people we are. I believe he will trust us, and besides it’s the only shot we have right now. I can’t think of anything else," said Corwin.

He turned back to Hotwell.

"We need transport, and our gear."

"I can get it. It's chaos out there with all this going on. No one will know we have gone for hours. What about him?" he asked, pointing down to Winter.

"Tie him up securely."

"With injuries like that, it could kill him."

"If he dies, he dies," replied Corwin coldly.

A few moments later Hotwell was leading them out and across an open parade ground and into the newer armoury building. He said a few words to the guard and passed through with no resistance at all. All of their equipment was laid out across several racks and tables. But Rane walked past beyond it all and stopped before a massive heavy machine gun lying on a worktop.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Browning fifty calibre machine gun. A fine American weapon that has some vehicle applications, but I can't think you..." replied Hotwell.

But he was silenced as Rane put his hand on the carrying handle attached to the barrel and lifted it off the counter, as if it were little more than an assault rifle in weight.

"Think you can handle that beast?"

Rane nodded to Corwin.

"I hope you know what you're doing. That thing will destroy everything before it."

"Yeah?" Rane asked eagerly.

Hotwell pulled on a set of webbing and began stuffing the pouches with Sten magazines before throwing an additional bandolier of seven onto his back.

"What are you doing?"

"You need me. You know that."

Corwin knew it was true, so he didn't fight it, but he knew the Captain was way out of his element.

* * *

They were on the road once again, and in a single jeep and truck. Hotwell drove the jeep with Corwin next to him.

"When we get there, you let me do the talking, okay? Your people have a tendency to rile people up in a way that isn't all that helpful in these situations.”

Corwin couldn’t help but nod and smile in agreement.

"You really believe what Corporal Winter was saying?"

"Yeah, because it's what I'd do. You're telling me that if you had even the smallest chance of putting a bullet in Hitler's head, you wouldn't take that chance?"

"It's just not the way we work. It’s rather underhand, don't you think?"

"That coming from an intelligence officer? This is war, Captain, not a game."

They pulled up to the hospital and found it was unguarded. Corwin and Hotwell strode inside without a word from anyone. It was a peaceful and quiet facility, but they both knew it would not stay that way for long. Hotwell clearly knew where he was going and led them right to the Colonel's bedside.

"Ah, Captain Hotwell," said Williams as he sat up. But he stopped in shock at seeing Corwin close behind him. Hotwell looked around for a second to check no one was looking. He snapped a quick jab into the Colonel's face and caught him before he fell. He was still conscious but dazed as Hotwell helped him to his feet.

"That's my kind of solution," joked Corwin.

Hotwell sighed.

"I'll be court martialled for it later. Even if we do make this work."

"Cross that bridge when we come to it," replied Corwin.

They passed one of the medical orderlies who looked suspicious.

"Excuse me," began the man.

"Out of the way!" Hotwell ordered.

"Colonel Williams is not fit to leave his bed," protested the orderly.

Hotwell stopped and squared off against the man.

"Don't you know what's going on out there? The Colonel is needed urgently. You'll have plenty more patients to deal with before long. Now stand aside!" he barked.

The man was intimidated and did as he was told as they carried on.

"Nice work," said Corwin.

"You can add that to a long list of shit that is going to be piled on top of my head."

Corwin took the delirious Colonel off his hands when they reached the vehicles, and carefully lifted him into the back of the jeep. He took out his canteen and threw half the contents over Williams’ face. He quickly awoke as the cold water felt almost freezing in the cool night.

"What, where?" he asked before he looked at the two of them and remembered.

"Captain Hotwell, you will return this man to his cell immediately."

"No, Colonel, we have a job to do, and we need your help."

"I am not at liberty to help you!"

"Then you condemn your Prime Minister to death," Corwin said.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by the shock of what had been said. He turned to Hotwell for confirmation, but he only confirmed what Corwin had said.

"A team of highly trained and competent soldiers could well be on their way to assassinate Churchill, even as we speak, Sir."

"And you know this how?"

"Because of Corporal Winter, the man the Germans risked so much to rescue, who has super human strength, and I told you was vital in all of this. The same Corporal you left locked up with us. We got to the bottom of it, but now we have very little time to act."

"And what do you expect me to do about that?"

"You know where the Prime Minister is, don't you?"

"A Battalion commander would not be privy to such information."

"No, but you are, aren't you, Sir?" Hotwell asked.

Finally he gave in.

"I...suppose so, yes. I know where he would be taken at a time like this. But I could never share that information with you, or any one for that matter.”

"Colonel, I saved your life, and all I ask now is that you trust me."

Williams grit his teeth and thought it over. He still looked uncertain.

"Time is not a luxury we have right now," added Corwin.

"Don't make me regret this," he replied quietly.

"All right, we need to get there ASAP."

"Then you'll need a plane."

Hotwell immediately fired up the engine and spun the rear wheels as they got back onto the road.

“Are you really sure about this?” Williams asked, as they tore through the countryside.

“Sure enough to be worried, and do whatever is necessary to be there to prevent whatever might go down,” replied Corwin.

Williams was rubbing his sore face and then remembered how he had arrived at the vehicle.

“You know if you are wrong about this, Captain Hotwell, you’re going away for a long time.

“Tell me about it,” he replied sarcastically.

He no longer seemed to care about his own fate, and that only endeared him further to Corwin.

“You know you don’t have to come with us?”

“Yes I do. However this ends, you are going to need someone to pull you out of the mess as usual,” replied Hotwell.

They reached familiar roads, and Corwin knew they were being taken back to the airfield they had arrived at in the German bomber. He turned back to Williams in the back.

“We need a plane. We can take it by force, or you can ensure we get it without any harm coming to friendlies, so what’s it going to be?”

Williams was shaking his head with uncertainty again.

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“What does your gut tell you?” Corwin asked, staring into his eyes.

He had realised on gut instinct so much in life that he just hoped it would work for someone else now. He could see the Colonel wanted to believe their story.

“An attempt on Churchill’s life? I can believe that, but what you said to the Brigadier, that you are time travellers. I find it hard to wrap my head around it. And hard to believe you as a result.”

“It’s tough to accept, unless you believe that I was telling the truth.”

“And you stand by that? It wasn’t just some wild story, you really stand by that explanation of who and what you are?”

“I do.”

 
He was still shaking his head.

“Any other day of my life, and I’d call you crazy and tell you to bugger off. But we live in desperate days, and so maybe I am just willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. For now.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the airfield and stopped at the main gates. The first face they saw was the Sergeant of the RAF Regiment that had accosted them upon their last arrival.

Ah shit,
he thought.

But the Sergeant soon turned his attention to Colonel Williams and waved for the other soldier to raise the gate and let them through without any further questions.

“Wow, that was easy,” Hotwell whispered as they passed through and onto the airstrip.

They headed for the nearest hangar where they could see a line of C47
Skymasters
.

“We’ll need a pilot,” said Corwin.

“Don’t you worry about that. We’ve got that covered.”

They pulled up beside one of the aircraft that appeared set to go. Several of the ground crew were nearby. They saw the three officers step out of the jeep and didn’t say a word.

“This bird fuelled and ready to go?” Hotwell asked.

“Yes, Sir!” a response came.

“All right, load up!” he shouted across to the others.

Corwin’s squad began piling into the aircraft.