The Mersey Daughter (Empire Street #3)(56)



He gazed steadily straight ahead, noticing the rudimentary comforts that Commander Stephens had introduced to the small underground office, where every inch of space was precious: a small tapestry cushion on the back of the desk chair, a slim photo frame on the desk – although he couldn’t tell what was in it from where he stood. He liked his commanding officer – he was a fair man, even when demanding the seemingly impossible. These little human touches reminded Frank that Commander Stephens had a home life too; something he was fighting for, something that kept him going as well as his patriotic duty. He forced his own thoughts not to go down that path.

‘Well, Warrant Officer Feeny, I dare say you are wondering why I’ve called you in here.’ The commander looked at him with interest but gave nothing away.

‘Yes, sir.’ Frank thought there was no point in saying anything more. If he was in for a dressing down, he wasn’t going to give away any ammunition.

‘Let me reassure you, it is nothing to worry about. You may stand at ease,’ the commander went on. ‘It has come to the notice of the higher authorities that you have been performing above and beyond your current remit, Feeny. Your work leading to the detection of the location of the Bismarck back in May was exceptional, and I don’t have to tell you how vital that was to the overall war effort, or what effect its sinking had on morale. Well done, Feeny.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Frank struggled not to breathe out heavily in relief. He’d only done what he was asked to do, and many personnel had been involved in the sinking of the vast German battleship, pride of the fleet, which had been deployed to disrupt the Atlantic shipping routes so important to Britain’s survival. But it was satisfying to hear that his careful plotting and detailed documentation of the results had been recognised. He’d stayed up through the night on more than one occasion, even when on day shift, his eyes itching and his temples throbbing as he’d pored over the reams of information to spot the relevant figures. On a few occasions he’d even been known to loosen his false leg, as it wasn’t designed to be used for twenty-four hours at a stretch. He’d been prepared for sharp glances or offended looks but none had come. People simply accepted it as part and parcel of a dedicated serviceman who would go the extra mile to perform his duty. Yet anyone else in his position would have done the same – and plenty had.

‘You’ve also helped us to recruit one of our most successful new members of staff,’ the commander continued. ‘As you are probably aware, opinion was divided as to whether we should take on personnel from outside the service and bring them into such a sensitive operation. It is fair to say that opinion was even further divided when it came to your suggestion of Mr Daniel Callaghan. But he has surpassed all our hopes, and his being here is entirely down to you, Feeny.’

‘He’s a good man, sir.’ What else could he say? If Frank thought about it, it was very strange to be talking about his childhood friend in this way. But Danny had proved himself, against a fair weight of opposition from above. That was typical Danny – when it came down to it, he didn’t really care what other people thought of him. If he was interested in something, he would throw himself into it. Now all his deep frustration at being unable to fight for his country was being channelled into puzzle solving and pattern detecting for the unit, and everyone was astonished at the results. He was a natural. It was a long way from being a wide boy down at the docks.

‘He is indeed, Feeny. You have demonstrated that you have an eye for spotting particular talent even in unconventional circumstances.’ The man nodded sagely. ‘Which is why I have called you here today. We feel that in addition to your current role, you should take on more training of new recruits. Your manner towards your juniors is calm and encouraging and I have seen the effect for myself. I am convinced you would be an asset in this area. You will therefore be promoted to acting sublieutenant for the time being, and then we shall see how far you can progress beyond that.’

Frank almost gasped aloud. It was less than a year since he’d been made a warrant officer. Now he was being offered the chance to rise further in the ranks, and it was down to his own hard work. He had thought at first when his leg was amputated that his career would be over, that he’d be thrown on the scrapheap and his participation in the war would be finished. He’d loved his life in active service and fighting in the boxing ring, and hadn’t been able to imagine being of any use once all that was closed to him. His heart swelled in pride.

‘Thank you, sir. I would love to train more new recruits. It’s one of the aspects of this post that I enjoy the most,’ he managed to say, when he wanted to dance with joy on the spot.

‘I’m glad to hear it, Feeny,’ said the commander, although they both knew that the decision had been made and – like it or not – that was what Frank would be doing from now on. He had no doubt that this young man would be a credit to him and flourish in the new position. What had happened to him would have broken a lesser man, but Feeny had overcome his physical limitations and never let his disability affect his work. He was just the sort of young officer who needed to be entrusted with such a task. ‘I shall inform my superiors and the process will commence as of tomorrow. Well done. You are dismissed.’

‘Sir.’

Frank saluted sharply and turned to leave. His thoughts were whirring as he made his way down the dim corridor. What would this new position bring? Would he be up to the job? No point in wondering, he told himself firmly; if they didn’t think he could do it, then they wouldn’t have asked. There were many others who would have given their eyeteeth for such a chance. All right, it was still a desk job, and some would say it was a soft option, but it was as good as he was going to get. He’d be a sublieutenant, and that would mean extra money coming in too. He was so lost in his reverie that he almost crashed into a figure emerging from a side door – and saw it was Danny Callaghan.

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