Thomas nodded.

“Good for you, Mouse,” George said. “What about you, Thomas? You still going back to Dover?”

“As soon as they will let me.” Thomas dreaded the thought of going home without James, but once the war ended, he couldn’t leave his parents and sisters faring for themselves any longer.

“And I suppose you’ll be heading back to that fancy school of yours,” George said, dealing Frederick new cards.

“If my father doesn’t lock me in my room for the rest of my life,” Frederick replied.

“What about you, George?” Charlie asked. “Will you go back to London?”

“No. I’ve seen enough of London. Think it’s about time I check out some of the rest of the country.” He smiled at Thomas. “I hear there might be work for someone with my skills in Dover.”

“Absolutely,” Thomas said, returning George’s smile.

“Wherever we go,” Charlie said, “we should make a pact to meet up again.”

“That is a fine idea, Mouse!”

“When should we plan to meet?” Thomas asked.

“How about a year after the war ends?” George said.

“Better make it two,” Frederick said. “Hopefully by then I’ll be done with whatever punishment my father doles out.”

“Two years from the day the war ends it is,” George said. “We’ll meet and celebrate the Great War being over and having survived it.”

“Where should we meet?” Charlie asked.

George waved away his question. “Details. We’ll figure that out after the war.”

“So we’ll meet up two years to the day after this war ends, which, if our mission succeeds, could be tonight.” Frederick extended his arm over the middle of the table. He leaned in and whispered, “It will be a secret soldier reunion.”

Charlie placed his hand atop Frederick’s. “Count me in.”

“Me too,” Thomas said, putting his hand on Charlie’s.

George added his hand on top of the pile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Mole and Boomer returned to the dugout as George finished collecting his winnings from the others.

“Time to pack up, chaps,” Mole announced. “Command wants all tunneled dugouts in a four-hundred-yard radius of the mines evacuated before zero hour. Grab your things and head up top to wait for the show, but stay away from the front-line trenches. They’ve ordered all men out of the trench dugouts within a two-hundred-yard radius until after the mines fire.”

“Why?” Frederick asked. “Do they expect the blasts to collapse our trenches?”

“No one really knows what to expect,” Boomer said, shoving his army blanket into his kit bag. “Nothing like this has ever been attempted before, so they’re being extra cautious. Stay out of the infantry’s way. As soon as these mines blow, they’ll be going over the top. It’s best you find a spot in the support or reserve trenches to watch. Understand?”

The boys nodded.

“What about you and Mole?” Thomas asked. “Won’t you be in danger at the top of the shaft?”

“I have faith in our tamping,” Boomer said, jamming his feet inside his boots. “We packed an additional three yards of sandbags in the gallery. It’ll hold.”