Free Men of War (2013) by John Schettler Page A

It’s also a rather dark feeling to think the history may now be playing
out in a way it was never meant to—at least from the perspective of the men
aboard Geronimo . As you suggested earlier, they have a unique position
of knowing what happens in the decades ahead. Why, they’ve most likely
got boxes and boxes of files on it all—enough to fill a thousand libraries.
Should we be vigilant? Of course we must, but here’s the rub, sir…How do we
know if anything has been changed, and what effect it might have had on the
course of events? We don’t sit on the top of the hill like they do. We just see
this particularly unpleasant gully we’ve blundered into with this bloody war. ”
    “Good
point, Turing. We might ask the Japanese if they feel their plans have been
changed by this ship. I think we both know how they would answer.”
    “Right
sir, but we don’t know what was meant to be, or what may have changed.
Was America meant to declare war in September of 1941? This ship had an awful
lot to say about it. It’s very frustrating, sir. Think of it like a good book
we’re set to revise. We want it all to turn out well, with our Ts crossed and
Is dotted. Yet here we are stuck in the early chapters. What we need now is
some way of knowing how the story was supposed to end, yes? Only then can we
decide what to do about this particular chapter and the men that live in it.
Some changes may be for the good as we see it. Suppose this Dieppe raid was a
bloody disaster? In that light its cancellation may weigh in as a benefit. Does
that make any sense, sir?”
    “It
makes a good deal of sense. As I say, you are a man of some imagination. But I
don’t think we could ever take that look ahead in the story to see how things
turn out—not unless we manage to get our hands on this ship and take a ride
with them when they pull their next disappearing act. I mean…well they must go somewhere ,
don’t they?”
    “Yes,”
Turing sighed. “They must go somewhere, only where? Getting a man on board that
ship would be no easy task. It’s vanished again. You seem to get on fairly well
with this Russian Admiral. If this ship ever does return why not call him up
and have another chat?”
    The
phone rang, jarring and insistent as every phone can be when it isn’t expected
or wanted, but coming on the heels of Turing’s last suggestion both men had the
odd feeling that it was to be a call of some importance. Tovey nodded and
Turing lifted the receiver.
    “Hut
four, Turing here…. Yes… Yes… I see… he said what? You’re certain of this? At
Gibraltar? Yes, of course! Send him at once, on the very next plane if you can
do so safely. Otherwise we’ll handle the matter from Hut 4. Very good. Thank
you, gentlemen.” He hung up the phone, his eyes alight with some surprise.
    Admiral
Tovey could see the hint of a smile on his face now. “Some news, Professor?”
    “My
God… that was MI6 out of Gibraltar. They picked up a man who may have something
to do with Geronimo . We may not be able to get a man aboard that ship
any time soon, Admiral, but we may just have a man from that
ship—sitting in an interrogation room under the Rock at this very moment!”

 
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    The
car drove quickly along the narrow winding roadways carved in to the Rock,
down from Sentinel Hill to Queens Road and then along Ward Way to turn north up
the eastern coast towards the North Front Airfield. The field itself was a
narrow rectangular strip that cut across the isthmus north of the Rock and
extended out onto the bay, supported by limestone quarried out of the Rock
itself over the last three years. The small airfield around it could support up
to 100 fighters and several squadrons of twin engine Hudson Bombers, enough air
power to provide a strong defense, yet also a highly vulnerable target from any
hostile force to the north.
    If
Spain had ever thrown in with Hitler, their artillery could have made short
work of the field,