War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 141

Chapter 25

R

ichard was dragging the terrorized boy through the gate when he saw two German soldiers approaching the camp, a boy of fifteen or sixteen wedged between them.

“Let me go! I ain’t no thief. Didn’t steal nothing,” the kicking, punching, and struggling boy shouted at the soldiers escorting him. The two men were too busy keeping the little maniac under control to look up. But Richard didn’t need to see the face to recognize one of them. How could he not?

The broad shoulders, the authoritative gait, and the low but deep voice belonged unmistakably to his former group leader, Obergefreiter Johann Hauser. Richard’s legs twitched, the instinct to take to his heels fighting a fierce battle with rational thought. Somehow, he managed to stay in place, hoping against hope to fake his way out of the situation.

He took a determined step out onto the street, pretending he and Jan weren’t on the verge of being shot at point blank range, while he prayed that Johann wouldn’t look up, wouldn’t recognize him, wouldn’t…

Too late.

The second soldier punched the kicking boy and Johann raised his glance to address the sentry, standing three steps behind Richard and Jan. His eyes locked with Richard’s for one long, agonizing moment. A moment that extended into two, while time seemed to stand still. The flash of recognition passed across Johann’s face, before he tore his eyes off the former friend to the squirming boy he held. An emaciated, filthy boy of eleven years whose body looked the part of an eight-year-old, but whose eyes reflected the immeasurable suffering of the entire Jewish race.

Richard’s heart pounded wildly in his chest.

It’s over.

Caught red-handed. A supposedly dead German and a Jewish boy. There was nothing to quibble over or interpret.

Johann was a good man with morals, not some vandalizing SS pervert who found joy in looting, raping, and murdering. But he still was a soldier, bound to Hitler’s and the Wehrmacht’s rules.

Johann’s eyes returned to Richard, who formed his lips into a silent plead. A barely noticeable nod was the answer, before Johann raised his right hand to salute. “

Sieg Heil!”

“

Sieg Heil

,” Richard answered and stepped aside to let Johann’s group pass through the gate. Then he told Jan, “Hurry, or we’ll be late.”

Cold sweat running down his back, Richard hissed like a steam engine as he tried to put on a calm façade. Together they walked down the block and turned at the first corner. He leaned against the building with wobbly legs, his breath coming in spurts. The poor boy seemed equally shaken, even though he couldn’t have known how close they had been to disaster.

“Jan,” Richard said, crouching down. “How well do you know your way around here?”

“I used to come here with Pa and Ma all the time…before…” Tears started to well in his eyes.

“Can you find your way out of Lodz to your aunt Katrina’s farm?”

“Sure. I’m not little anymore, you know?”

Richard had to laugh at Jan’s eagerness to be grown up. “I know that. And you have done a fantastic job so far. So listen up, it’s important to do exactly as I say, you understand?”

“Yes. Will you now go and rescue Aunt Agni as well?”

“No. I can’t go back to the camp or the sentry will get suspicious.” Richard stopped talking when Jan’s lips began to tremble. “Hey, warrior, remember we left the uniform and ID card of a camp employee for your aunt? She’ll simply put it on and walk out of the gate with her head held high.” Richard wished it would be that easy. There were a million things that could go wrong, but all he could do was wait. “Now for you and me. It’s too dangerous to be seen together. You walk along the main road to the farm and hide in the woods just behind the big field.”

“And you?”

“I’ll get rid of my uniform and meet you there.” Richard paused for a moment before continuing, “If I haven’t arrived by dusk…then there’s no need to wait for me. You make sure Katrina is alone, then sneak to the back door and knock. She’ll let you in.”

“You’re nice, despite your uniform,” Jan said and the compliment warmed Richard’s heart.

“Remember your name is Jan Blach and you’re from up North, looking for relatives here. But better not to be asked in the first place.” He squeezed the boy’s hand for a moment and then slapped his butt. “Now go.”

Jan trotted off and soon disappeared from Richard’s sight. It made sense for them to part ways, but he still itched to go after him and stay by his side – protect him from whatever might come his way.

Richard had stored his peasant clothes beneath a bush on the brink of the woods and hoped they would still be there. The uniform had served its purpose; continuing to wear it would be a liability. He found the peasant garb, changed into it and took the long winding road through the forests back to Katrina’s farm, from where he had sallied forth to his endeavor more than a week ago.

His thoughts remained aggrieved, worrying about the safety of Jan, Agnieska, and Magda. A wave of gratefulness poured into his veins when he remembered Johann’s small but momentous gesture. He resolved to thank him properly, one day, if both of them survived this ghastly war. Then his thoughts wandered to Katrina. Beautiful, sweet, intelligent, strong, independent Katrina. If only she’d be able to see past his nationality and open her arms for him again. He’d missed her every single minute of the past week, and with every step he took toward her farm, his emotions grew more intense. Several hours of solitary marching through the dusky forest didn’t help to calm him down. What if…no, it didn’t make sense to dwell on the worst possible outcome. All he could do was to tell her how much he loved her.

Just as he’d been told to, Janusz sat beneath a tree, leaning against the trunk.

“Hey, Jan,” Richard called out.

But the boy didn’t move. When Richard approached him, he noticed the angelic face with closed eyes and a peaceful smile upon his lips. His throat constricted, but the next moment a relieved chuckle left his mouth as he noticed the boy’s chest moving up and down.

He squatted by Jan’s side and put a hand on his arm. “Hey, big boy, time to wake up.”

Jan opened his eyes in shock, then his mouth. Before he could scream, Richard pressed a big hand over his mouth and said, “Shush. It’s me. Richard. Remember, I rescued you from the camp?”

Understanding hit Jan’s dark brown eyes and he nodded.

“I’ll take my hand away now – promise you won’t scream?”

Another nod.

“I wasn’t asleep,” Jan said with an air of importance. “I merely closed my eyes to better listen to the sound of the forest.”

“I know, warrior.” Richard nodded with an equally serious expression. “Now let’s go and surprise your Aunt Katrina.”

Joy and mischief returned to Jan’s expression as they walked across the field into the backyard, past the rabbit enclosure, the hen coop, and the herb garden to the back door. Richard inhaled a deep breath, filled with the unique aroma of thyme, lemon balm, and peppermint. It smelled like Katrina. He smiled and knocked on the back door.

She opened and looked at him, the boy, then back at him, before she broke out into a squeal. “You’re back! And you brought my nephew with you!” Then she threw her arms around Jan, raising him into the air and raining kisses on his dear face.

Jan wrinkled his nose with the righteous disgust of an eleven-year-old treated like a child, but soon saw the futility of his silent protest and wrapped his arms around his aunt. Richard discreetly looked the other way when big tears streamed down the boy’s cheeks, leaving dirty smears in their path. It was only minutes later when she released the boy and wrapped her arms in a tight embrace around Richard.

“I’m so sorry for my cruel outburst, my darling,” she whispered, “Please say you forgive me, or I’ll never have a moment’s peace again.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, my love. Terrible things have happened to you and I understand why you lashed out. Please don’t think of me as a terrible person. I hope you know me better than that.”

“You are the noblest, kindest, most caring person I’ve ever known. The war tends to make our men hard and bitter like it did to Stan and Jarek. But not you, you’ve preserved the kindness of your soul.” Katrina wept with joy, saying, “I love you, Richard Klausen, and those past days without you were hell. Don’t you ever leave my side again.”

“I won’t.” Richard kissed her deep and long, until Jan’s giggle caught his attention. The boy made a slightly disgusted grimace, grumbling something similar to “sappy adults.”

“You both must be hungry,” Katrina said and walked over to the range, fixing a quick meal of leftover boiled potatoes and spinach. When she served each one a plate with a modest-sized portion, Jan’s eyes spilled over with disbelief. “That’s all for me?”

“All this,” Katrina assured him. “And later you can have more.”

Jan emptied his plate within seconds, but when Richard wanted to push his plate over to the child, Katrina said, “No. His stomach isn’t used to that much food. He has to go slow.” She was turning around to pour them water when a flicker of fear crossed her face. “What about Agnieska? In all the excitement, I totally forgot about her.”

“We’ll have to wait,” Richard replied and stood to carry his empty plate to the sink. “If everything goes according to plan, she’ll show up here tonight.”

Katrina didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence before she launched herself into his arms, showering his face with kisses. All the tension left his body like a river flowing toward the ocean. Everything would end well. He was exactly where he wanted to be, with the woman he loved in his embrace. He captured her mouth with his and reveled in her sweet taste, the softness of her lips and tongue, the love and desire coursing through his body.

“Hmm. Hmm,” a deep voice harrumphed into Richard’s ear.

He broke the kiss and stared directly into Stan’s crimson-red face.