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It was dusk and they were now in Gerald's open coupe, having changed vehicles at Aki's. Will felt the warm night air blowing on his face as they travelled through unfamiliar scenery. "Where are we going?"

"To one of the western beaches in the Kahe area, not very far from Pearl City. There's a beach house where we will not be disturbed, we'll be there in a few minutes."

Dusk had turned to darkness and apart from the headlight's of the car Will could just see the clear sky and the occasional twinkling of stars through the tree tops. The area seemed devoid of other buildings, at least close to the road.

 

 

Abruptly slowing down Gerald turned off the main road, and the surface changed from smooth to rocky. They were now travelling at walking pace and down a steep winding incline, which terminated into a circular clearing.

As the car came to a stop Will found himself looking down, over the roof of a beach house and across to the ocean. The moon was full, it's light reflecting from the water, showing up the white capped waves coming into the shore. It was an ideal picture postcard scene. Gerald led the way down a wide wooden stairway to the rear of the house and Will became aware of a gentle breeze coming off the ocean, creating the sweet smell of pollen in the air coming from the bushes on the patio.

Looking at the structure of the house it seemed a far cry from a simple cottage. A long narrow wooden building, no doubt built that way to take advantage of the view. Without knocking, Gerald opened the door and they went inside. He had obviously been here before.

The confines of the small entrance led into an expansive open plan room. Three long comfortable sofas were placed in a semicircle in the centre of the room, served by three large coffee tables. Scatter rugs and occasional tables supporting vases of flowers, and other displayed items, added to the expensive decor. The open area to the far left contained dining furniture and between the lounge and dining areas a large bar jutted out, surrounded by bar stools. But the most overpowering element in the room was 30 to 40 feet of floor to ceiling glass doors that opened out on to a full-length deck, taking full advantage of the ocean view. A tall man was standing by the windows looking out. He turned and approached as Gerald and Will entered the room. His neatly pressed cream trousers, matched a cream, militarystyle long sleeve tailored shirt, from the pocket of which peeked    the corner of a folded handkerchief. Gerald started the introductions and as he offered up his hand Will noticed the nails were manicured,

his grip loose, but not as jelly-like as Gerald's.

His name was Rodney, and as they sat down Will's attention was drawn to the smooth, bryl-creamed black hair, parted on the left side, and his pencil thin moustache. This chap would also do well in the movies, Will was thinking. His mannerisms were not as pronounced as Gerald's but there was no mistaking the fact that he was also homosexual. After drinks had been prepared at the bar the conversation turned to matters concerning the meeting.

 

It was soon apparent that Rodney did not have the open character of Gerald. He was constantly on his guard, at times evasive without qualification, putting him more into the category of Blyth or the Correspondent, and certainly seemed more equipped psychologically for this type of work, in stark contrast to Gerald. A point in time had arrived when Will had to make his position abundantly clear.

"Gerald has probably told you that I am not prepared to stick my neck out, exposing my identity to everyone I come into contact with in that administrative building, it's far too risky. "I don't mind getting into the grounds for you to pass the documents over to Gerald, and you must admit, getting in and out will not be easy."

Rodney's face was deadpan and getting up from the sofa he went over to the other side of the bar to refresh his drink. Will watched him intently, concentrating for signs of a change in facial expression, but non was forthcoming. This man was one very cool character.

"I've thought about it but I can't do what you ask, you will have to go along with the original plan," he remarked, with a distinct and forceful tone in his voice. Will looked across at Gerald and he could see him trembling slightly as the tension started to mount, but he would have to ignore the signs and keep on track.

"I don't have to go along with any plan,"Will replied, with just the right amount of force in his voice "and if you insist, you can forget about any help from me, whatever the consequences."

Rodney walked over to the sofa and sat down, placing his drink on the coffee table in front of him. His face had now changed to a look of annoyance and Will had no doubt that he was the type of person who disliked not getting his own way. Rodney and Will were now at an impasse and Gerald could see what was coming. Getting nervously to his feet he walked over to the glass doors pretending to look out at the ocean, but his only desire was to put some distance however small, between himself and any confrontation. Will picked up his drink and waited for Rodney's response, determined not to break the silence and give him an advantage. He had made up his mind that should no response come he would

stand up and prepare to leave.

The seconds ticked by and the sound of Gerald's uneasy shuffling could be heard from across the room, intensifying by the minute. Not being able to contain himself any longer he walked briskly back to the sofa and sat down next to

 

 

Rodney. "Perhaps we can come to some arrangement?" he suggested.

"You've had my decision," Will interjected, "now it's up to yourselves. When you come to your decision let me know, I'd like to go to the washroom."

The washroom was adjacent to the bar and once inside Will quickly looked around the room. Opening a cupboard door over the hand basin he found just what he was looking for - a large glass tumbler. Placing the glass to his ear and against the washroom wall on the lounge-room side, it had the desired effect of amplifying the sounds through the wall and he could hear Rodney's hushed, intense conversation. He was bullying Gerald in no uncertain terms, blaming him for the breakdown of his plan.

Will could hear Gerald's apologetic answers to Rodney's brow-beating and he started to get angry. Flushing the toilet to give warning that he was about to reappear, he returned to his seat now knowing that Rodney was not as cool as he had first thought.

"Have you decided what to do?" Will asked, looking directly at Rodney.

"I fail to see what you are concerned about." The audacity of this man! He must be so egotistical to think that someone would just go along with him, without question. It had only been minutes since the bullying episode with Gerald and Will's anger had not subsided. Rodney's last statement only served to add further fuel to his feelings.

"You must think Gerald and I are stupid! You take documents from a file that you are perfectly authorized to do, put them on a desk that you are authorized to do, and collect them afterwards to put back in the file that you are also authorized to do, with literally no risk to yourself, and you expect us to use a hoax to gain entry to the building, the consequences of which, if caught, could mean at the very least, a jail sentence, and the possibility of them throwing away the key. You really must be mad!"

Gerald once again stood up and made for the viewing deck, stopping at a distance where he could still hear what was being said. "It's all so one-sided,"Will continued, "the risk should be shared. We are prepared to do our bit if you do yours, and that's the bottom line."

Rodney's face was now deadpan again, and apart from the distant sound of the ocean waves and the reoccurrence of Gerald's nervous shuffling, the room was silent. This time Will was not prepared to wait for Rodney to answer, he wanted

 

to bring things to a conclusion as soon as possible. After a few seconds to allow his previous comments to sink in he knew that he would have to keep shocking Rodney until he responded.

"I'd be most upset if you were bullying Gerald into this crazy scheme!" Rodney's face changed instantly to a look that was questioning the very thought that he may have been found out. He moved uneasily on the sofa signifying that the conversation was having an effect and Will followed through, "you are a spy aren't you, a paid one at that, so why don't you start acting like a spy and earn your money?"

Will realized that he had reached a point in time where he had nothing to lose, imparting the final item in his mind that was bugging him. "I can't understand for the life of me why, as a homosexual like Gerald, you're not trying to help him out, instead of putting him into danger." The strain for Gerald must have been paramount. He opened one of the glass doors and went outside on to the deck. Rodney was also mobile, heading back to the bar.

Getting up from the sofa Will joined Gerald on the deck. He was gripping the hand rail to help stop the trembling. The sound of the surf out there was constant, punctuated only by an occasional boom as a large wave broke on to the beach.

"Everything will be fine now Gerald, please come back inside." Gerald followed without question.

Rodney looked up as they entered. He had taken out some plates and put them on the bar, alongside cups and saucers. "Could we discuss the situation over a bite to eat?"

The look of relief on Gerald's face was indisputable. "We'd love to do that," and with a renewed purpose in his step walked over to the refrigerator. "I'll start to prepare the meal."

The meal progressed in a cordial manner with no further confrontation taking place. Will began to relax and enjoy the food, but he couldn't help thinking what the men back at the ship would think if they could take the place of a fly on the wall and observe the proceedings, especially the fact that Will was dining with not one, but two homosexuals! He shuddered at the thought.

Sitting in the lounge over coffee it was agreed that Rodney would meet Gerald at a prearranged time and place in the grounds, where the information would be passed over. How he procured the copied documents would be his concern.

 

 

Breaking into the grounds would provide them with plenty to worry about. Will was satisfied and they prepared to leave.

Making his way up the stairway from the rear patio Willstood, taking one long final look at this most beautiful place, together with it's breathtaking view before finally getting into the car. He was thinking of his mother again and how thrilled he would be to bring her here.

The sound of Gerald's footsteps running up the stairway broke into his thoughts and within minutes they were back on the main road heading towards Pearl City. During the trip back to the ship Gerald told him that he had taken time off from his job to deal with the forthcoming situation, and wanted the following day to arrange a few things, but mainly to gather some information. Before leaving the car Will felt that he had to say at least one thing about that confrontational evening, and looked directly into Gerald's face to get his full attention.

"Gerald, you must stand up for yourself, don't let people push you around. They will only lead you into the sort of trouble that you won't be able to handle. Always remember, Rodney is just as vulnerable as you are, and you should take advantage of that, as and when required. Just remember one most important thing, if you don't protect yourself, your father may become vulnerable."

Gerald nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are perfectly right." "Then do it for your father's sake. See you the day after tomorrow, right here."

Will did not look around as the car did a "U" turn in the road disappearing in the direction of Honolulu. He collapsed onhis bunk completely exhausted from the day's events.

The next day was a welcome break from the clandestine affair that had been dominating Will's time. He accepted an invitation to go ashore and tour downtown Honolulu. He was compelled to keep his attention focused throughout the day and consequently, other matters were largely forced to the back of his mind, providing a welcome relief.

They had walked for hours, eventually getting back to the ship quite late. No messages had been left, something that Will always expected with some anxiety, so the day ended as normally as it had begun, which was a pleasant change.

Next day, rather than stay on board for breakfast, Will consumed a quick cup of coffee and made himself a fried egg sandwich to eat ashore. Leaving the ship early, he had decided to walk around the coast adjacent to the harbour and find

 

a suitable spot to have his sandwich, prior to meeting Gerald. He was aware that the days were now quickly passing by, and he would soon be losing the opportunity of being able to just sit quietly with grass and trees around.

Looking across the bayat the hills beyond brought back memories of the Firth of The Clyde in Scotland, and he allowed his mind to wander to thoughts of home closing his eyes to get a more vivid picture, when suddenly a familiar voice abruptly brought him back to reality.

"Hi there, Will." It was Gerald and Will sprang to his feet, thinking he was late for the meeting.

"Am I late? Sorry Gerald."

"No, it's me that's early. I happened to spot you from the road up there," he said, pointing back up the hill to where Aki's pick-up was parked in a pull-off.

"We can talk here if you like."

The spot was ideal with not a soul in sight. Gerald was upbeat, which was unusual for him. He had all the information necessary to go forward with the job and was now waiting for Will to tell him how they would get in and out of the grounds. He had sketches of the building positions, relative to the high fence surrounding the grounds with a note showing where he would meet Rodney. The main gate was the only way in or out. Will looked at the map.

"This is a piece of dynamite you're carrying around, if you get caught with it there would be a lot of questions asked. We'll need to go up there today and look around the perimeter, but before we go we will have to get rid of that map. Are you acquainted with the place where you have to meet Rodney?"

"Yes, and I can burn the plan in one of the picnic places on the way."

About half-a-mile from Pacific Headquarters Will asked Gerald to stop and park the car. "We'll walk from here and then go round the perimeter looking for the best way in." Gerald looked across at Will.

"The place is immense, it may take us all day." "Whatever it takes."

Checking out the perimeter proved to be tedious. A narrow dirt road ran parallel to the fence for a short distance and then veered off, leaving no other option but to take to the countryside to keep track of it. A couple of hours had gone by with no sign of a place suitable for entry and Gerald was getting despondent, but after a further hour Will spotted a change in the fence structure.

 

 

It was an ideal spot with trees and shrubs both on the outside, and in. A large tree branch, during recent times had fallen on the fence and bent two of the upright posts in opposite directions, making it a bit easier to climb in and out. Looking beyond the trees into the compound, the ground cleared into grassy banks and gulleys, deep enough to walk along without being seen. Yes, this was the place. Will turned to Gerald.

"How far is it from here to the meeting place?" "At least a quarter of a mile."

It would be impossible to check out the rest of the terrain as it was well inside the compound. An occasional Military Policeman had been seen walking around, but out in the open, and well away from the fence.

"Let's get back to the car Gerald, but take particular note on the way back for the best way to leave in case we need to hurry."

Gerald looked uneasily at Will. "Do you expect trouble?"

"It's always best to be prepared." Gerald fell silent and Will guessed by the look on his face he was already getting butterflies in his stomach.

It was Tuesday and Rodney had given the go-ahead for Friday. There was nothing else to do, so Gerald dropped Will off at the usual place near the ship, which was only a short distance away, making his return earlier than usual.

Passing the stairway to the captain's quarters on his way back to his cabin Will could hear raised voices, dominated by the deep bellowing voice of the captain. Some poor devil's in trouble, I wonder what it's all about? He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Have you heard Will, there's a row going on between the skipper and the military?"

"No, I've only just got back."

"It's been going on since mid morning and they are all up there now. If the skipper has his way and he usually does, the charter will be broken and we'll be out of here, quick smart!"

Will felt numb and confused, all sorts of things were flashing through his mind. "When will we know?"

"The radio officer has been in touch with London for instructions. We should know anytime now."

Will sat in his cabin. There was nothing he could do until he knew what was

 

going to happen, and the short waiting period proved to be torturous. It had been about an hour since he had first heard about the possible changes. "It's all over, we sail for Sydney, Australia, on Friday!"

Will panicked. He didn't know where Gerald lived but he could probably find Aki's place if he took a cab, and then he suddenly remembered the card Gerald had given him with the photo shop's directions on it and the words he had once said to him, "if ever you are in trouble contact Aki." Foraging through a small carved wooden box where he kept his valuables, he was more than relieved to find that he still had it.

He hesitated. This would be an ideal opportunity to turn his back on the whole thing, it would not be his fault and it was very tempting, but Gerald's face kept surfacing and his conscience came to the forefront. The telephone number on the card was for Aki's restaurant and Will hurriedly left the ship to find the nearest telephone. Aki was there, his happy voice on the other end gave Will a boost.

"How soon can you get in touch with Gerald?" "Usually within the hour. Is it urgent?"

"Yes, very urgent Aki. I need to see him right now, could you tell him I'll wait for him at the usual place."

"Don't worry Will, I shall keep trying until I get him."

Will had been back to the ship to collect some items and then walked to the spot where he usually met Gerald, but before he had the chance to get worried about whether he would make contact Gerald's white coupe appeared. Will jumped into the front seat. "Find a place where we can talk."

Darkness had by now descended and Gerald soonfound a place to park. "We have a problemGerald, the ship's charter has been broken and we leave on Friday morning."Gerald's face took on a look of despair and Will hastened to put him out of his misery. "Just let Rodney know that we will have to do it one day earlier, on Thursday. Tell him to meet you at the arranged place, we will wait there all day if necessary, to give him plenty of opportunity, and be at Aki's place tomorrow evening. I will phone you there."

Back at the ship Will began to have doubts but he pushed them aside. If things failed it would be out of his control but at least, he would have had a go. They would have to come up with something else, after the ship had sailed.

He had one last day to himself before sailing, and he intended to make use of that by revisiting Waikiki beach, Diamond Head, and other places in the vicinity before leaving.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Gerald picked up Will at the usual meeting place and they drove to a prearranged spot to park Aki's pick-up. It was dark and still as they made their way through the countryside to where they would get over the fence. Standing quietly at the spot, no sounds of movement could be heard and Will clambered up the leaning fence post over to the other side, followed by Gerald. So far so good, and keeping to the perimeter of the grounds with the fence in sight, they walked without speaking for about fifteen minutes. Gerald raised his hand for them to stop indicating that they were now near Rodney's meeting place.

"We have to go deeper into the compound," Gerald whispered, and within minutes the dark shapes of buildings became visible, surrounded by trees and shrubs. "I have to wait here until I see Rodney come out of that building," he whispered again, pointing to the building nearest to the shrubbery. His voice was wavering, he was probably scared stiff.

Will was amazed how easy it had been to get this far without incident and he crossed his fingers, hoping his luck would continue. Dawn began to break and they moved deeper into the bushes to avoid being seen. It was difficult to keep comfortable sitting on the ground, Gerald's legs were trembling, making a rustling sound. Will lifted his own knees up to his chest, indicating that he should do the same thing to quell the noise.

He looked apologetically at Will, but there was nothing he could do about his nerves. At full light, activity in the area started to become evident but it was only occasional, and no Military Police showed up. How fortunate they were to have everything so quiet, but Will was praying that Rodney would appear so that they could get on the move. The sound of rapid gunfire suddenly broke the silence, followed by more of the same.

Gerald rolled over on to his face covering the back of his head, his whole body was now trembling. He's never been under fire before Will guessed, and placing his hand on his shoulder shook him to gain attention. Gerald turned over, a look of fear on his face.

"There's got to be a small firing range nearby and they are probably checking out their guns and having shooting practice before the offices open. Just try and stay calm."

Gerald sat up but he didn't look too good, the gunfire had disturbed him and he was having a job to cope. "Pull yourself together, Rodney could come at anytime and you must be ready." The firing continued for a short while and then ceased.

Gerald had hardly recovered before Rodney walked out of the building and across the lawn. Will couldn't believe it. There was no one else in sight! It was obvious that he would not be able to hang around and Will prodded Gerald into action. Within seconds the transaction had taken place. Scanning the area once again for signs of life and seeing none, Will turned to Gerald. "Let's get out of here!" Even though they were still inside the compound and at risk, Will felt somehow relieved that they were moving again.

Keeping out of sight in the deep gulleys, they cautiously made their way back. Gerald was leading the way, his head bent slightly to keep out of sight, but his homosexual mannerisms were still prominent and they looked more pronounced from behind, especially the gyrating hips. Will smiled to himself as he followed, but the smile was unexpectedly wiped from his face as a strange voice called out. "Halt, who goes there?"

Will raised his head slightly to see a soldier some distance away. Gerald was frozen to the spot, his head moving around in an erratic frightened manner and Will was expecting him to panic. There was no time to waste, their entry point was not far away and there would be plenty of cover to hide their escape.

"Run Gerald, run like hell!" and Will pushed Gerald physically into action but it seemed hopeless. He couldn't run, it was as though his legs were detached from his body. Two yards, ten yards, fifteen yards, and the sound of gunfire broke out. The bullets were kicking up dirt on the ridges of the gulley above their heads in rapid succession. He's got a machine-gun! and he could hear Gerald, his fright now becoming vocal.

Rounding a bend Will realized that it would take them in the direction of the soldier, but it was too late to change his mind. He was standing about thirty to forty paces ahead, waiting for them.

Gerald raised his hands above his head waiting for some instruction. "Walk towards him," Will whispered, "but let me do the talking."

As they walked closer Will could see the soldier looking directly at Gerald, he had a bemused look on his face. It was that walk of Gerald's and he had recognized it's implication.

"What are you doing here?"

"Our car broke down on the road," Will replied, showing him the palms of his hands that were dirty from clambering over the fence, "we thought the fence was around someone's house and climbed over to try and get help."The soldier started to relax, he was only about Will's age.

"Do you live around here?"

Gerald broke into the conversation. "Yes, in an apartment downtown."

The soldier nodded. "I'll have to get you checked out, you're on military grounds, but the area is restricted so I can't take you to the main building." He pointed to a small hut under the trees in the opposite direction to where they had entered. "I'll put you in there until I can get someone to see you."

The door slammed behind them and the padlock snapped shut. Will could hear the soldier's footsteps leaving the scene and knew that some time would elapse before anyone returned, due to the distance from there to the main building. He was amazed that this young soldier had not asked more questions, and at least performed some preliminary search. Seeing Gerald, he had probably concluded that their explanation was genuine. Gerald slumped down into the corner, but Will shocked him back to reality. "Get up, we've got to get out of here, quick smart!"

The hut was very small, only about 6 ft x 6 ft at the most and it was standing on bare ground. Will guessed it would be a place for a guard to get out of any bad weather during his rounds. It reminded him of the garden shed back home and he set about pushing and shoving to look for any movement and he found plenty.

"Quick Gerald, help me dig out the soil, enough to get a grip under this wall," Will shouted, as he frantically attacked the soil with his hands. He had no time to consider Gerald's state of mind, he just kept pushing him to work harder.

The two men finally gripped the bottom rail of the wall. "Lift Gerald, lift as hard as you can!" and Will felt the side of the hut move, some six inches higher "more, more!" Will shouted. He could feel his head and arms bursting with the strain as they lifted it to a height of two feet. "I'll hold it, you go outside and keep it up for me to get out."

Will took the strain as Gerald disappeared under the gap. Feeling Gerald's pull, Will quickly dropped down and rolled outside just as Gerald let go and the hut fell back into position.

They ran the short distance to the fence where they had entered as though their very lives depended on it. Scrambling over, Will took off in the direction of the car but this time in a wide circle to avoid the roads. He could hear Gerald panting some distance behind and sighting the car through the trees Will stopped, allowing Gerald to catch up. There were no signs of traffic or anyone walking.

"Have you still got the documents?" "Yes."

"Then get down to the car and drive the long way round to Aki's." Gerald looked puzzled. "Aren't you coming?"

"No, we must split up. If they do look for us, and I don't think they will, they will be looking for two men."

"What are you going to do?"

"Forget about me, I can look after myself better on my own, but remember what I told you after we left Rodney's the other night. Don't let anyone push you around anymore, now get going!"

Gerald turned to walk away, when he must have suddenly realized as Will did, that they would not see each other again. He turned, there were tears running down his face. "Thanks Will," and Will watched until the wagon turned and disappeared down the road out of sight.

The thought that he could still be pursued shocked him back to reality, but now that he was on his own it was as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The more distance he put between himself and the military headquarters the more confident he felt, but learning from his previous experience at Chesapeake Bay and Aden, he kept off the roads as much as he could until he recognized the built-up area in the approaches to the harbour where the ship was tied up.

He felt the urge to stay away from the ship until dark, but came to the conclusion that he would probably be safer there as the military would be more likely to search the surrounding countryside, having no reason to go aboard. Preparations were in progress for the next day's sailing, and the deck hands were too preoccupied with their work to notice Will coming aboard.

By now, Gerald would be at Aki's and in safe hands and for all parties concerned, it was over. There was just the waiting period until they sailed early next morning.

Will showered and changed into clean clothes. Apart from a small sector of the crew, most everyone would be ashore until late, having a last fling before sailing. Lying on his bunk he tried to relax but found it impossible. His escape from the military grounds was too recent, the events kept flooding back into his mind and it would continue for the rest of the day. Finally, feeling the effects of the culmination of all that had happened, he wearily retired to his bunk hoping to get a good night's sleep.

He awoke to the sound of the ship's engines starting up, and by the time he managed to get up on deck they were on their way past Pearl Harbour. Will sat astern, watching the Honolulu skyline recede into the distance, his mind torn between two conflicts.

He would have enjoyed more time in Hawaii, but the assignment would have still been dominant, so it was probably a good thing that the ship had sailed earlier than expected.

The ship headed south west bound for New Zealand where it would be dry docked for repairs to a damaged hull. Each day got hotter as they approached the equator but the daily routines were far from taxing, giving plenty of opportunity to get the trauma of the Hawaiian assignment behind him. It would be two to three weeks sailing and another couple of weeks or so before the repairs would be effected, finally allowing them to sail home to England via the notorious Cape Horn.

Will experienced to it’s full extent an apt name for this part of the world “The devil’s cauldron.” Day after day of mountainous seas was like living in hell until the ship rounded “the horn” through Drake’s Passage and headed north for home. They were still only halfway through the journey but conditions were now more tolerable.

World war 2 was now over and Will was discharged back into civilian life. The economics of Europe had been decimated by the war. Large volumes of army, navy and air force personnel swelled the work force entering into an environment that had hardly started to change over from war production to commercial enterprise. It was obvious that it would take some years for the country to get back to some stability, consequently, Will knew that he had to make a profound decision and without delay.

 

During his overseas service he had visited Australia and met a family there. They had offered him sponsorship should he wish to emigrate after the war. Whilst waiting for confirmation he met and married his wife Dorothy, and they now found themselves poised to travel by ship to Melbourne, Australia, a journey of some seven weeks.

The last few months were spent living with Will’s parents. They were happy times until the embarkation date got closer and the knowledge that Australia was a world away and the hope of returning, only a slim possibility.

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