‘Bullshit, you fucker. You’re as treacherous as your filthy father.’

‘My father? What has my father got to do with this?’

Jung lunged at Schmidt, twisting the rope around his neck.

‘I’ll do the same to you.’

Schmidt was stronger and wrenched himself free. His eyes widened in horror and anger.

‘What have you done to my father?’

Jung could feel it again, the beginning of the beguiling madness and blood lust. Not here, though, not with naval officers on hand.

‘You’ll find out – if you live long enough. But for that to happen, you had better start talking. Where did you drop them, the girl, the man, and the woman?’

Schmidt was grim-faced. ‘Tell me about my father.’

Jung lashed out with the rope, catching the skipper’s head with a savage blow.

‘Talk, damn you! Where did you take them. I know you took them to Sweden – but where exactly? Talk or I throw your dirty crew overboard, one by one.’ He looked around, saw an elderly deckhand and grabbed him by the arm. ‘This one to begin with . . .’

Schmidt was still reeling from the blow to his head. But he managed to throw his arms around his friend and workmate.

‘No, kill me, but don’t harm Klaus. He has done nothing wrong – nor have any of us. You will not harm a single member of my crew.’

Jung hit Schmidt again, full in the face, breaking his nose and spraying blood. The skipper fell at his feet, still desperately clutching hold of his crewman’s legs to protect him. But Jung had the edge now and dragged the hapless Klaus away from his skipper, prying him free from the frantic fingers – then pushed the elderly trawlerman to the side railing and heaved him over. He fell without a cry, plunging into the icy water with a dull splash.

Alerted by sounds of an altercation, Kapitänleutnant Flettner emerged from the trawler wheelhouse where he had been examining the Harald’s log. He saw the crewman go over and shook his finger at Jung.

‘That’s enough of that. We are the Kriegsmarine and we prize our honour dearly. We are not thugs.’

Jung glared at him. ‘You make the bastard talk, then.’

The captain turned to the other members of the trawler crew.

‘Fish your friend out of the sea if you would.’ He picked up Schmidt from the deck. ‘Are you all right, skipper?’

‘I’ve had worse injuries.’ He spat a tooth onto the deck with a mouthful of blood. ‘This swine says he has hurt my father.’

‘Well, he’s not going to hurt you. Come, Herr Jung, put your gun away. We are going to allow these men to go about their business. You are a disgrace to my country. I will return you to Germany and it is my heartfelt desire that I never make your acquaintance again.’

‘No,’ Jung said. ‘Not Germany. I have another idea.’

Chapter 25