The Legion of the Lost Read online

  Dazed-looking men were coming from the cells, some of them in a pitiful state of emaciation, but most showing nothing worse than the unhealthy pallor which their life in the underground prison had created. Some had fully recovered from the mild dose of the gas, and were vivacious and excited; they were marshalled on one side of the passages.

  Stefan said: ‘There are a number of prisoners, of course, apart from our men, but we are to concentrate on the Legion. The others can go free, but will have to take their chance. Listen, Sap! I have arranged for parties of men to be at all the stations and to see that Legion members get on to the trains going to their own countries. In the office upstairs the passports can be handed out. If there is shortage for any particular place, they will have to take a chance, but with the stations guarded by our men it should be fairly safe.

  ‘Afterwards—’ he paused and shrugged. ‘Have you seen enough down here?’

  Drusilla said: ‘Ridzer and Machez?’ in a voice which the gas-mask muffled oddly.

  ‘They are here, and well,’ said Stefan. ‘The office, now!’

  Palfrey went through the next hour in a daze of excitement; all the time he was on the qui vive for any warning from outside, but there was no hint of trouble. The passports were already parcelled for the various countries; the prisoners filed past, and when a coachload for any one station was ready they were led out. Stefan and the men with him, some the Marquis’s agents, some the members of the German underground Movement, worked with a precision which proved how well Stefan had drilled them.

  Men, who could not believe that they had a chance of a new life, were given instructions briefly. They were to hide as soon as they reached their own countries, and after two days to contact the addresses which Palfrey gave them—addresses of the Marquis’s agents. Most of them were reliable, very few might be tainted with treachery. That risk had to be taken.

  But that was ahead of them—

  They went on – men whose eyes glowed at the thought of the new life which stretched before them, given hope for the first time for an epoch. And then, towards the end of the line of over two hundred men who were of the Legion, Palfrey looked up and saw Ridzer and Machez.

  Drusilla sat at his side, handing out the passports, Conroy and Brian were at another desk. The two latter did not notice the men they had started out to find. Drusilla and Palfrey stared at them, slacking for a moment. Then, without speaking, Palfrey waved them on to Stefan, who talked swiftly to them: they were travelling back with the party to England, Palfrey would have plenty of time to linger over this final touch to success.

  Then a wave of uncertainty and apprehension flooded over him.

  They had nearly finished with the men they wanted so much, Stefan was giving instructions to the other prisoners, who would get what help was possible from the local organisations. The stream of men had dwindled, it was nearly over. But they were a long way from the picking-up point yet.

  Then he looked up and saw a youth limping towards him, a pale-faced lad whose eyes glowed and who walked with a pronounced limp. Palfrey started up in his chair. He saw the evidence of brutality in the scars and bruises on that pale face, swallowed hard, and beckoned to Stefan.

  Stefan looked at the lad, and nodded. The club-footed youth joined Ridzer and Machez; he was to go with the smaller party.

  Soon afterwards it was finished. The prison was empty, the ‘delegates’ were either on trains or on the way to the stations, there was nothing more to be done. The air-raid shelter at the big house on the Adolf Hitler Platz would have to remain sealed for the rest of the night, whenever the all-clear signal went, but he did not think there was any fear of anything going wrong with that.

  He picked up his own passport, handed Drusilla hers, tossed Brian’s and Conroy’s to their desk.

  Stefan came up, taking his mask off and saying: ‘We are a little absurd, Sap. We have not needed these things for the past hour! Are you ready? There is a car and an escort of motor-cycles waiting for us, and the streets are still deserted.’

  Palfrey said: ‘Yes, we’re ready.’

  They went through the deserted streets, seeing occasional searchlights groping across the skies. There was little thought in Palfrey’s mind but the fact that Ridzer and Machez were with them in the crowded car, and that the forest was a long way off.

  Yet he did not think, then, that they would fail to get away.

  Unshaven, tired, red-eyed and hungry, Palfrey and Drusilla, Brian and Conroy, with Stefan following like a huge major domo, entered the spacious study of the Marquis of Brett, who advanced towards them with hands outstretched. There had been no hitch; they had arrived in England two hours before. Their charges were being cared for in another part of London, and the crew of the bomber which had brought them from the heart of Germany was, at that moment, voting it a dull night’s work.

  When they were sitting down, and Christian was proffering sandwiches and coffee, Brett looked at them from his desk, smiling a little and reminding Palfrey of Dross.

  ‘There just isn’t anything to say,’ said the Marquis quietly. ‘When I knew about Hilde, and the fact that you were obviously watched on all sides, I thought the best we could expect was to see some of you back. Now—’ he paused. ‘Well, why should I try to talk?’

  ‘No reason at all!’ said Palfrey, smiling. ‘Our turn to talk!’ He ate and drank and talked at the same time, of von Lichner and von Otten and all that had conspired to help them, of the organisation in Berlin which had been so prompt and ready to set everything aside and help them. Of Stefan, who smiled a disparaging disclaimer—

  And then, in the middle of his story, Palfrey fell asleep.

  In the days that followed they felt a tinge of sadness for what happened in Berlin. Reports reached Brett, from time to time, of the capture and execution of some of the men who had tried to hide in Berlin, and of the fact that whole districts had been combed for the insurgents. Gradually, as time passed, the picture grew clearer. The organisation remained, the enemy reached only the fringes of it. Day after day, men who had made their contacts successfully with the Marquis’s agents were brought to England; day after day the Allied Governments were strengthened for their post-war tasks.

  Not all, but most arrived safely, and with a party from Denmark was a little child. Palfrey heard of it, and went with Drusilla to see her.

  It was Lissa, still wide-eyed and grave. She had wanted her uncle to come with her, she said, but he had preferred to stay at home. He had left Wylen with his wife, because the Germans had talked of going there. She did not know where he was, but one day he would come to see her; she was sure of that.

  ‘Yes,’ said Palfrey. ‘Yes, of course he will!’

  But he was not sure; his heart was heavy for the legions of brave folk who remained. Much had been done, more would be done, but until it was all over there could be no peace in his heart, no safety for them. The others, he knew, were eager to be at work again. After a few days they met at Palfrey’s flat and decided to approach the Marquis.

  Palfrey, knowing that they were right to want to go on, looked across at Drusilla; soon afterwards they were walking through Green Park, with heavy autumn clouds driving above their heads. Streams of traffic were passing within sight, aeroplanes droned overhead. Palfrey contrasted London with Berlin, and felt a deep thankfulness. Then, as they neared Brett’s house, he said: ‘A long way from Penzance, my sweet!’

  ‘And all there was at Penzance,’ said Drusilla. ‘Sap, we’ll have to start again, soon. I can’t wait indefinitely. I’ve been more on edge, more scared, since I came back, than I was all the time on the continent.’

  Palfrey smiled and tucked her arm under his.

  ‘Yes. Odd, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘So have I!’

  Series Information

  Published or to be published by

  House of Stratus

  Dates given are those of first publication

  Alternative titles in brackets

  ‘Th
e Baron’ (47 titles) (writing as Anthony Morton)

  ‘Department ‘Z’’ (28 titles)

  ‘Dr. Palfrey Novels’ (34 titles)

  ‘Gideon of Scotland Yard’ (22 titles)

  ‘Inspector West’ (43 titles)

  ‘Sexton Blake’ (5 titles)

  ‘The Toff’ (59 titles)

  along with:

  The Masters of Bow Street

  This epic novel embraces the story of the Bow Street Runners and the Marine Police, forerunners of the modern police force, who were founded by novelist Henry Fielding in 1748. They were the earliest detective force operating from the courts to enforce the decisions of magistrates. John Creasey’s account also gives a fascinating insight into family life of the time and the struggle between crime and justice, and ends with the establishment of the Metropolitan Police after the passing of Peel’s Act in 1829.

  ‘The Baron’ Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  Meet the Baron (The Man in the Blue Mask) (1937)

  The Baron Returns (The Return of the Blue Mask) (1937)

  The Baron Again (Salute Blue Mask) (1938)

  The Baron at Bay (Blue Mask at Bay) (1938)

  Alias the Baron (Alias Blue Mask) (1939)

  The Baron at Large (Challenge Blue Mask!) (1939)

  Versus the Baron (Blue Mask Strikes Again) (1940)

  Call for the Baron (Blue Mask Victorious) (1940)

  The Baron Comes Back (1943)

  A Case for the Baron (1945)

  Reward for the Baron (1945)

  Career for the Baron (1946)

  Blood Diamond (The Baron and the Beggar) (1947)

  Blame the Baron (1948)

  A Rope for the Baron (1948)

  Books for the Baron (1949)

  Cry for the Baron (1950)

  Trap the Baron (1950)

  Attack the Baron (1951)

  Shadow the Baron (1951)

  Warn the Baron (1952)

  The Baron Goes East (1953)

  The Baron in France (1953)

  Danger for the Baron (1953)

  The Baron Goes Fast (1954)

  Nest-Egg for the Baron (Deaf, Dumb and Blonde) (1954)

  Help from the Baron (1955)

  Hide the Baron (1956)

  The Double Frame (Frame the Baron) (1957)

  Blood Red (Red Eye for the Baron) (1958)

  If Anything Happens to Hester (Black for the Baron) (1959)

  Salute for the Baron (1960)

  The Baron Branches Out (A Branch for the Baron) (1961)

  The Baron and the Stolen Legacy (Bad for the Baron) (1962)

  A Sword for the Baron (The Baron and the Mogul Swords) (1963)

  The Baron on Board (The Mask of Sumi) (1964)

  The Baron and the Chinese Puzzle (1964)

  Sport for the Baron (1966)

  Affair for the Baron (1967)

  The Baron and the Missing Old Masters (1968)

  The Baron and the Unfinished Portrait (1969)

  Last Laugh for the Baron (1970)

  The Baron Goes A-Buying (1971)

  The Baron and the Arrogant Artist (1972)

  Burgle the Baron (1973)

  The Baron - King Maker (1975)

  Love for the Baron (1979)

  Doctor Palfrey Novels

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  Traitor’s Doom (1942)

  The Legion of the Lost (1943)

  The Valley of Fear (The Perilous Country) (1943)

  Dangerous Quest (1944)

  Death in the Rising Sun (1945)

  The Hounds of Vengeance (1945)

  Shadow of Doom (1946)

  The House of the Bears (1946)

  Dark Harvest (1947)

  The Wings of Peace (1948)

  The Sons of Satan (1948)

  The Dawn of Darkness (1949)

  The League of Light (1949)

  The Man Who Shook the World (1950)

  The Prophet of Fire (1951)

  The Children of Hate (The Killers of Innocence; The Children of Despair) (1952)

  The Touch of Death (1954)

  The Mists of Fear (1955)

  The Flood (1956)

  The Plague of Silence (1958)

  Dry Spell (The Drought) (1959)

  The Terror (1962)

  The Depths (1963)

  The Sleep (1964)

  The Inferno (1965)

  The Famine (1967)

  The Blight (1968)

  The Oasis (1970)

  The Smog (1970)

  The Unbegotten (1971)

  The Insulators (1972)

  The Voiceless Ones (1973)

  The Thunder-Maker (1976)

  The Whirlwind (1979)

  Gideon Series

  (Writing as JJ Marric)

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  Gideon’s Day (Gideon of Scotland Yard) (1955)

  Seven Days to Death (Gideon’s Week) (1956)

  Gideon’s Night (1957)

  A Backwards Jump (Gideon’s Month) (1958)

  Thugs and Economies (Gideon’s Staff) (1959)

  Gideon Combats Influence (Gideon’s Risk) (1960)

  Gideon’s Fire (1961)

  A Conference for Assassins (Gideon’s March) (1962)

  Travelling Crimes (Gideon’s Ride) (1963)

  An Uncivilised Election (Gideon’s Vote) (1964)

  Criminal Imports (Gideon’s Lot) (1965)

  To Nail a Serial Killer (Gideon’s Badge) (1966)

  From Murder to a Cathedral (Gideon’s Wrath) (1967)

  Gideon’s River (1968)

  Darkness and Confusion (Gideon’s Power) (1969)

  Sport, Heat & Scotland Yard (Gideon’s Sport) (1970)

  Gideon’s Art (1971)

  No Relaxation at Scotland Yard (Gideon’s Men) (1972)

  Impartiality Against the Mob (Gideon’s Press) (1973)

  Not Hidden by the Fog (Gideon’s Fog) (1975)

  Good and Justice (Gideon’s Drive) (1976)

  Vigilantes & Biscuits (Gideon’s Force) (1978)

  Inspector West Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  Inspector West Takes Charge (1942)

  Go Away to Murder (Inspector West Leaves Town) (1943)

  An Apostle of Gloom (Inspector West At Home) (1944)

  Inspector West Regrets (1945)

  Holiday for Inspector West (1946)

  Battle for Inspector West (1948)

  The Case Against Paul Raeburn (Triumph for Inspector West) (1948)

  Inspector West Kicks Off (Sport for Inspector West) (1949)

  Inspector West Alone (1950)

  Inspector West Cries Wolf (The Creepers) (1950)

  The Figure in the Dusk (A Case for Inspector West) (1951)

  The Dissemblers (Puzzle for Inspector West) (1951)

  The Case of the Acid Throwers (The Blind Spot; Inspector West at Bay) (1952)

  Give a Man a Gun (A Gun for Inspector West) (1953)

  Send Inspector West (1953)

  So Young, So Cold, So Fair (A Beauty for Inspector West; The Beauty Queen Killer) (1954)

  Murder Makes Haste (Inspector West Makes Haste; The Gelignite Gang; Night of the Watchman) (1955)

  Murder: One, Two, Three (Two for Inspector West) (1955)

  Death of a Postman (Parcels for Inspector West) (1956)

  Death of an Assassin (A Prince for Inspector West) (1956)

  Hit and Run (Accident for Inspector West) (1957)

  The Trouble at Saxby’s (Find Inspector West; Doorway to Death) (1957)

  Murder, London - New York (1958)

  Strike for Death (The Killing Strike) (1958)

  Death of a Racehorse (1959)

  The Case of the Innocent Victims (1959)

  Murder on the Line (1960)

  Death in Cold Print (1961)

  The Scene
of the Crime (1961)

  Policeman’s Dread (1962)

  Hang the Little Man (1963)

  Look Three Ways at Murder (1964)

  Murder, London - Australia (1965)

  Murder, London - South Africa (1966)

  The Executioners (1967)

  So Young to Burn (1968)

  Murder, London - Miami (1969)

  A Part for a Policeman (1970)

  Alibi for Inspector West (1971)

  A Splinter of Glass (1972)

  The Theft of Magna Carta (1973)

  The Extortioners (1974)

  A Sharp Rise in Crime (1978)

  ‘The Toff’ Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  Introducing the Toff (It’s the Toff!) (1938)

  The Toff Goes On (1939)

  The Toff Steps Out (1939)

  Here Comes the Toff (1940)

  The Toff Breaks In (1940)

  Salute the Toff (1941)

  The Toff Proceeds (1941)

  The Toff Goes to Market (1942)

  The Toff Is Back (1942)

  The Toff on the Trail (short stories) (1942)

  The Toff among the Millions (1943)

  Accuse the Toff (1943)

  The Toff and the Deadly Priest (The Toff and the Curate) (1944)

  The Toff and the Great Illusion (1944)

  Feathers for the Toff (1945)

  The Toff and the Lady (1946)

  Poison for the Toff (The Toff on Ice) (1946)

  Hammer the Toff (1947)

  The Toff in Town (1948)

  The Toff Takes Shares (1948)

  The Toff and Old Harry (1949)

  The Toff on Board (1949)

  Fool the Toff (1950)

  Kill the Toff (1950)

  A Knife for the Toff (1951)

  A Mask for the Toff (The Toff Goes Gay) (1951)

  Hunt the Toff (1952)

  Call the Toff (1953)

  The Toff Down Under (Break the Toff) (1953)

  Murder Out of the Past (short stories) (1953)

  The Toff at Camp (The Toff at Butlins) (1954)

  The Toff at the Fair (1954)

  A Six for the Toff (A Score for the Toff) (1955)