The Oslo Affair (Shadows of War, #2) CW Browning (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

She swallowed and stared into his eyes. Hearing the confidence in his voice and seeing the determination in his eyes gave her strength, and she nodded slowly.

“You’re right,” she agreed softly. “All right. We won’t say goodbye.”

He smiled pulled her close into a warm hug. “That’s my girl.”

Evelyn smiled at the endearment and rested her cheek on his shoulder for a second before pulling away.

“Now I’ve gone and made things maudlin anyway,” she said, forcing a lightness to her voice that she didn’t feel. “Say something diverting.”

“Did you really relieve your brother of fifty quid tonight?” Miles asked promptly.

She blinked, then gurgled with laughter.

“I did,” she confessed, “but he makes it far too easy.”

He grinned. “Remind me never to play cards with you.”

She tilted her head and considered him, a smile playing on her lips.

“Somehow I don’t think you would be as easy to read.”

“Why do I get the distinct impression that you could read hieroglyphics if you so chose?” he drawled.

Evelyn smiled, not answering. She raised a hand to his cheek and stood on tiptoe to press a soft kiss on his lips.

“Take care of your Spitfire, Flying Officer Lacey,” she whispered.

“And you take care of your WAAFs, Assistant Section Officer Ainsworth,” he replied just as softly.

Evelyn smiled and turned to leave the study. As she opened the door, she glanced back to find him leaning against the desk, watching her with an unreadable look on his face. When she met his gaze, he smiled slowly and winked.

As she crossed the hallway to the stairs, Evelyn felt a rush of emotion that she couldn’t understand. She didn’t know what the future held, or what the next few months would bring, but that suddenly didn’t seem to matter. No matter what happened, she knew that she wasn’t alone. Miles would be fighting the same war against the same odds. While he went back to his Spits and training, she would go back to her classified missions, knowing that they always had tonight.

And she would carry the memory of that slow, sexy wink with her into the shadows.

Epilogue

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Berlin, Germany

December, 1939

Herr Renner sat upright with his hands on his knees, waiting. He was dressed in full uniform, not a crease or speck of lint in sight, with his hat placed carefully beside him on the bench. He stared across the entryway at a portrait of the Führer hanging opposite, his face void of any expression. Silence reigned in the waiting area, broken only occasionally by the sound of a telephone in a distant office.

A tall door opened suddenly to his left and a man in the black uniform of the SD emerged. He looked at Renner and stood to attention.

“Herr Obersturmbannführer Voss will see you now,” he announced.

Herr Renner rose to his feet and placed his hat under his arm, turning precisely to go through the door without a word. Once inside, he stopped and clicked his heels together smartly as he raised his arm in salute.

“Heil Hilter!”

A tall blond officer turned from the window, casting a swift glance over him. After a moment of silence, he motioned him to stand at ease and crossed the room to the desk. He took his seat and opened a folder.

“Sturmbannführer Renner, you’re aware that a determination has been made in the investigation of the events that took place in Stockholm on the tenth of November?” he asked, glancing up from the paper in front of him.

Herr Renner didn’t look away from his superior’s face. “Yes, Herr Obersturmbannführer Voss.”

“And you’re aware that you have been found guilty of negligence of duty in allowing an enemy of the Reich to evade capture?”

“Yes, Herr Obersturmbannführer.”

Hans Voss sat back in his chair and studied the other man for a long moment.

“What have you to say for yourself?” he finally asked.

“There’s nothing to say, Herr Obersturmbannführer. I allowed the English agent to slip through my fingers.”

There was another long silence, then Hans Voss stood up and went around the desk to lean against it, facing him.

“You knew how important it was that we detain her?”

“Yes, Herr Obersturmbannführer. I am sorry.”

“So am I, Sturmbannführer Renner.” He was quiet for a moment. “That was our only chance. We won’t get another.”

“With respect, Herr Obersturmbannführer, I disagree,” Renner objected. “The other woman, the Norwegian, she will surface eventually. She can be made to talk. She will lead us to the English agent.”

“No doubt she would,” Hans agreed, “but you misunderstand me. We won’t get another chance because the whole case has been removed from our jurisdiction.”

Herr Renner stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“The SD no longer has any involvement in the affairs of the English agent known as Maggie Richardson. The Abwehr will be taking complete control of the case.”

Renner’s mouth dropped open. “The Abwehr!” he exclaimed. “Why?”

“Because, Herr Sturmbannführer, by your own admission you allowed a girl to slip through your fingers!” Hans’ voice sharpened. “If I thought for one moment you would allow such a thing to happen, I would never have sent you to Oslo. I had all confidence that you could detain her, but I was mistaken. And this is the result. The Abwehr is turning it over to Eisenjager.”

Renner’s face drained of color and he stared at Hans in shock.

“Eisenjager?” he whispered. “The man’s a myth, a legend. He doesn’t exist, surely?”

“He exists, just as you and I do.”

“And he’s going to hunt down the English agent?”

“Yes. So you understand the position you’ve put me in. Himmler is furious.” Hans straightened up and turned to return to his seat behind the desk, the informal portion of the interview over. “You will return to your quarters and remain there for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, a car will arrive to take you to the station. You are being reassigned to Warsaw.”

“Poland!” Renner exclaimed. He immediately stopped his protest when Hans lifted cold blue eyes to his. “Yes, Herr Obersturmbannführer.”

“Do you have any questions?” Hans asked, lowering his eyes again to