Chapter 26: Two Spies, Cold Coffee, and Smokes
Once everyone was out the tree tunnel, the men started meandering to their different places to restock, undress, and return to their bunks. Newkirk sat in his sewing room elbow on his sewing table, occasionally, his eyes wondering over to the guest cot near the curtained off area. Smoke twirled lazily around Morrison's head as he stared quietly up at the dirt ceiling wearing a contemplative look. As Newkirk was about to return his sewing, Morrison sat up and asked, "How long have you been doing this, Newkirk?" Morrison's eyes captured the young corporal's gaze and held it tight like a cat holds a ball of yarn.
Newkirk quickly recovered and answered jauntily, "Morrison, I don't know what you're going on about it." He smiled gently and then took a puff on his fag.
Morrison sat up on his cot and proceeded to reach for the coffee that was on the table next to the cot. "Ugh! This coffee stinks." He grimaced as he downed the last of the vile liquid.
Newkirk laughed softly and shook his head. "I know it's bad because I made it. Louis is the coffeemaker around here, except when we get in late. Then, I make the battery acid that passes as coffee."
Morrison's eyes twinkled a little but turned serious as Newkirk turned back to his sewing. "Newkirk, I asked, how long have you been doubling up on Hogan?"
Newkirk turned swiftly on the Morrison, was up off his stool, over to the cot with his pencil sharpener at his throat before he seemed to collect himself. It was the reaction that Morrison was trying to provoke. "Long enough, I guess…" he muttered lighting another fag.
"I'm not accusing you of collusion with the Germans. You know better than that; your reaction was a gut reaction and that is dangerous in our line of work. You need to choose one or the other, Newkirk."
"I noticed one thing, mate, you 'aven't asked who it is that I am."
"I have an idea, but I really don't want to know. My question is this: are you going to tell Hogan? And if not, are you going to choose? Because you, need to choose one or the other. It's getting more and more dangerous out there, and the longer you drag this double identity out, the more danger you bring on your friends' doorstep, hunter." With that, Morrison went back over to his cot and pulled the curtain closed shutting down the conversation whether Newkirk was finished or not.
Newkirk stubbed out the cigarette he was working on, cleaned up his sewing area, climbed the ladder up the barracks, and moved stealthily towards his bunk with the intention of going to sleep or at least lie awake until roll call. However, when he got topside, he remembered his decision to tell Hogan earlier that week and went straight to the colonel's door, tapped lightly, and entered when he heard a whispered, "Enter."
"Colonel," he whispered as he entered the commander's quarters.
"Is something the matter with the guests, Newkirk?" Hogan asked quietly, knowing that something had been on the corporal's mind.
"No, sir. I just need ta tell you something', sir. It's very important and can't wait til morning."
Hogan got up from his bunk and sat at his desk while he motioned for Newkirk to sit on the recently vacated bunk. After making himself comfortable, Newkirk blurted, "I'm Nimrod."
Hogan stared at him for a few seconds without saying anything. Newkirk started to feel uncomfortable and again repeated, "Really, sir; I'm Nimrod."
Hogan just stared.
Newkirk stood up and walked over to Hogan and said, "It's the bleedin' truth, it is, guvnor! I'm not jokin', an' I can prove it! Follow me!"
Newkirk left the room a little more loudly than he entered, waking Carter and Louis in the process. They see Hogan following a fuming Newkirk back down into the tunnels where Kinch is manning the radio having returned for his shift before roll call. Kinch looked up to see Newkirk moving hurriedly down the ladder towards the radio with Hogan following shortly on his heels. Hogan still hadn't said anything. He did, however, seem tense and took a cigarette from Kinch's pack on the radio table. He nods for Kinch to move aside as Newkirk reaches for the radio tuner, switches the dial to his own frequency, and cleared his throat, "Nebuchadnezzar? Come in. Nebuchadnezzar? Come in," he paused.
There was the tell-tell crackle and then the expected, "Nebuchadnezzar, here, old boy? We're here, and we're still waiting for that opening day you said would be arriving in the area. So far, no show has arrived in town, old man; however, we did find out about the meat packing plant you mentioned. It was soured by the boogie men while you were getting breathing room."
All the eyes in the room and on the ladder bore down on Newkirk. He was very aware of all the extra people, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He'd deal with the consequences after he was off the radio. "So, the dealer is on this end is bad…this is what I thought. I will deal with it. After this delivery, I will be shutting down operations on this end. Out." He ended the transmission before "Nebuchadnezzar" could object. He looked Hogan dead in the eye and said, "Believe me now?"
Hogan returned his gaze earnestly and said, "I suspected as much."
AN: BOOM!