One advantage of the fog was that the spotlight which covered the area around the emergency tunnel exit, and which so often gave them trouble, was going to be completely ineffective for once.
Klink had ordered extra patrols outside the perimeter, but a little careful investigation with Schultz had confirmed that the guards appointed to this duty were not performing it with any particular degree of enthusiasm or thoroughness, and Hogan was satisfied that the level of risk was minimal.
As soon as Schultz had been and gone, Carter headed off. Hogan went with him as far as the emergency tunnel exit, and checked by periscope.
"Can't see a thing," he observed. "Be careful out there. Don't get lost."
Carter scowled at him. "You think I can't find the Aalenau Bridge? It's easy. Straight out of the tunnel and turn right."
"Left, Carter."
"Yeah. That's what I meant. Left."
Hogan sighed. Maybe he should have taken LeBeau's advice. Well, it was too late now. "Okay, get going. Good luck."
Carter disappeared up the ladder, and Hogan returned to the barracks. It never occurred to him that anyone would be skulking in the darkness of the first side passage, so he didn't look. As soon as he was safely past, LeBeau slipped out and ran to the ladder.
The mist folded around him as he came above ground; he tumbled out of the exit and crouched beside the tree trunk, momentarily disoriented. There was no sign of Carter in any direction. For a few seconds, LeBeau wavered; then he straightened up, and set off resolutely to the left, towards the Aalenau Bridge.
Presently the mist began to thin, but the absence of any moon meant that visibility was still poor. Straining his eyes, LeBeau soon found a shadow of movement just ahead. He recognised Carter's slightly awkward gait, and with a sense of relief set about following.
It wasn't far to the rendezvous point. Jakob should have already been there, but apparently he'd been delayed. Carter took up a position just on the near side of the bridge, sheltered by the trees but still able to see anyone approaching. Keeping him in sight, LeBeau remained in the thicker growth on the other side of the road, shivering as the cold air worked through to his skin.
Twenty minutes passed, then another twenty. Jakob hadn't appeared, and Carter and LeBeau, separately and independently, were both getting anxious. It wasn't always possible for their contacts to arrive punctually, but this was taking too long.
They would not get back before the next barracks check, and any expectation LeBeau might have had of getting back to camp without being missed was long gone.
From his vantage point, LeBeau saw Carter move out towards the edge of the road and look in both directions. He nearly broke cover himself, to give Carter the reprimand he deserved for being so careless, but he held back, and shuffled a little to the side, so Carter wouldn't see him.
There was nobody on the road. Carter took a couple of steps further along, and LeBeau tensed, every nerve straining to find the danger he was sure was there.
He was so focused on watching for any threat to Carter that he didn't notice the faint rustle of movement behind his own back. Nor did he feel the blow to the back of the head that sent him into immediate darkness.
The sound of his fall reached Carter, who instinctively leapt back into the bushes, his eyes scanning the undergrowth on the other side of the road. He stayed immobile for almost a minute, but hearing nothing more, he began to relax. Probably just a bird, or maybe a rabbit.
The guy wasn't coming, that was obvious. This whole excursion had been a waste of time. With a deep sense of ill-usage, Carter headed for home.
He took a good look around after he crossed the road. The noise he had heard, a few minutes earlier had made him a little uneasy. At first he couldn't make out anything in the darkness; but something caught at the edge of his vision, something lying on the ground at the base of a tree. He moved closer, squinting. Then he threw all caution to the wind, and flung himself down beside LeBeau.
"Oh, no," he stammered. "Oh, jeez, no, Louis."
LeBeau was lying face down, unconscious. Why he was even out here, Carter didn't bother to ask himself. He dragged off one of his gloves, and pressed his fingers against the pulse point of LeBeau's neck, but couldn't find anything. His own heartbeat was too loud. All he could feel was that LeBeau's skin was smeared with something warm and sticky, and he almost stopped breathing himself as he realised what it was.
He groped in his pocket and found his flashlight, but the illumination it gave did nothing to reassure him; the light was too feeble and too artificial. It just showed him what he already knew was there; the trickle of blood from the wound on the back of LeBeau's head, and the absence of any sign of life.
"Oh, please, LeBeau," Carter muttered. "Please, don't..."
He took a deep breath, and tried to think rationally.
LeBeau was badly injured, that was obvious. He needed to be got back to camp. But it was a head injury, and Carter was pretty sure he shouldn't try to move him without help. Yet he couldn't leave him. Someone had done this to him; they might still be hanging around. Even if they weren't, by the time Carter got back to camp and returned, LeBeau could die. Assuming he wasn't already...
"Oh, jeez," said Carter again, almost in despair.
A sudden noise among the trees broke across his attention, and he crouched low over LeBeau's prostrate body, instinctively protective even if it was too late. For almost a minute he stayed motionless, listening. There was no further sound.
What would you do, Louis? Carter straightened slowly. He knew the answer to that question. He could either stay with LeBeau, and hope that sooner or later, someone would come looking for them, and that LeBeau would live that long; or try to carry Louis home himself, probably doing more harm than had already been done. Or he could leave his friend here alone, and go as fast as he could for help.
There wasn't really a choice.
He took off his jacket, and spread it over LeBeau. It was cold on the ground; he needed to be kept warm.
"Stay here, Louis," Carter said, his voice breaking in the middle. "Just stay here, that's all. I'll come back real soon."
Then he scrambled to his feet, and set off at a run in the direction of home base.
