Chapter IV: Gudge’s Mission
How many times had Gudge placed his right hand over his chest in the last few minutes? Too many times, he was sure. Martin had coached him and told him over and over again how important it was to act natural. Trouble was, Gudge always looked nervous in public. He rarely made the trip to the big city. He preferred the simple life on his farm where it was just him and his family. Even going to the neighboring small town to get supplies was out of his comfort level. Thinking on Martin’s brief lessons, he had no idea how to act natural on a crowded ferry which is where he was at the moment.
The letter he was tasked to deliver to the capital was tucked away in his inside jacket pocket and he realized he kept patting his chest so that he could hear the paper and be reassured it was still there. That is something Martin would have absolutely forbidden him to do so he made a conscious effort to stop touching his chest. But then what should he do instead?
He did not want to make eye contact with the other passengers but thought avoiding eye contact might look suspicious. At least, he thought Martin might have told him something along those lines. So, he lifted his eyes and looked around at the others on the ferry. He had made a trip in this area many years before when he had to travel to the city regarding a land dispute. Based on his memory from that trip he could tell traveling in this area had slowed down since prewar times. Martin had mentioned it wasn’t really considered dangerous just not advisable since this area was considered a major gain by both sides. Only one or two women sat on the benches. The only child was an infant held in his mother’s arms who looked as nervous as Gudge felt. The rest of the passengers were men. One looked like he was only about 18 so Gudge didn’t see him as a threat but the older men? Any one of them could be spies. Any one of them could be considered a spy. Gudge closed his eyes tight for a moment. Technically he was a spy at the moment.
He couldn’t tell if any of the other passengers were looking at him specifically. Had he given himself away by his behavior? He looked down and then remembered he didn’t want to look suspicious so he looked up again.
There was a man sitting a few rows opposite him. Was he staring at him? Did he notice anything?
Gudge stood up and walked to the railing. He forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths before he hyperventilated.
He didn’t want to take the ferry at all but Martin insisted it would be quicker. Gudge agreed because he was anxious to return home. He wanted to be done and back home before he even left on the mission. But now, there were so many other people. People that may or may not be watching him. He was a spy so wouldn’t it stand to reason there could be other spies around? Spies that wouldn’t want him to deliver the letter in his pocket? He didn’t want to do this anymore but he knew it was too late. The only way was forward.
The ferry docked without incident and he walked off as soon as he could. He would be in the capital by late afternoon and his mission would be done. Then he could return home to his family. He decided when he did get home, he would go to a different town a little farther away to buy his supplies just to avoid Martin until this horrible war was over. From what little Martin told him, the contents of the letter could bring that about sooner rather than later.
Gudge didn’t want the details and Martin said he didn’t want to share them in case something happened to Gudge. But Martin also couldn’t help but brag about how he was part of this important mission. From what he did say, the letter contained details about a secret weapon: some kind of ship. The weapon or ship, was reportedly already in enemy waters. The navy was bold enough and apparently confident enough to attempt to send it in the river toward the capital itself.
Martin called the mission The Big Hippo which seemed like an odd name to Gudge. He looked up what hippopotamus looked like in a library book. It sure was an odd-looking animal and he had no idea why that name would have been chosen for the mission. But that wasn’t really up to him to decide. All he had to do was deliver a letter. The letter. The letter now in his pocket. It seemed so simple when he accepted the assignment back on his farm.
However the information came to be, Martin’s sources thought it credible enough to send a warning to the president as a precaution. “If it turned out to be true,” Martin summed up, “we will be waiting for them and destroy them. Surely, such a defeat will end it all.”
Gudge doubted everything Martin had said but still agreed to deliver the letter. Now here he was hours away from completing the mission.
“Excuse me sir,” a teenager asked him. It was the same lad from the ferry. “Do you have any handouts I can share with my family?”
“No, sorry,” Gudge said. “I’m traveling by myself.” He closed his jacket a little tighter.”
The teenager nodded as he walked by. Gudge didn’t see that the teenager was not traveling by himself but had a companion. A companion that was walking behind Gudge and walked faster to catch up with him after the head nod. Next thing he knew, someone had grabbed hold of his shoulders and ushered him off the road. Before he was knocked out his last coherent thought was: “They know I’m a confederate spy!”
