War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 298

Chapter 17: Tom

T

om had been mulling over a plan on how to get to Kleindorf and look for Ursula. Since the Potsdam Conference was over, he received regular leave days and most of his colleagues used them to either visit family back home or explore Germany. Despite its dilapidated condition, the country still had beautiful places to go, especially in summer and at the coast. But Tom wasn’t interested in exploring. He needed to find Ursula.

One Friday night he sat in a bar with his American friend Mitch, who talked about his latest trip to the Alps. That’s when it hit him between the eyes. Mitch would be his ticket to Kleindorf.

“Another beer?” Tom asked and, upon the other man’s nod, gestured for the bartender to bring another round.

“Say, when are you flying into Munich again?”

Mitch glanced up, a big grin spreading across his face. “Next week. Got me a beautiful Fräulein there. Can’t leave her alone for too long.”

“Did you cut ties with Irene?” Irene was the Berlin girl Mitch had been laying.

“No need. They both know I’m just in it for the sex. I’m simply not a one-woman guy.”

Tom shook his head. He definitely

was

a monogamous guy, hadn’t even looked at another girl since he’d met Ursula. “And they’re okay with that?”

“Sure. It’s not that they don’t enjoy it. But I suspect they’re more interested in the presents I bring them.” Nylons, cigarettes, chocolate, even a loaf of bread were coveted items in occupied Germany and young, pretty girls would often lower their moral standards for those who could provide them. Tom didn’t judge them, but he felt a twinge of sadness that the girls felt the need to do so.

“About Munich.” Tom returned the conversation to the topic burning on his tongue. “Could you take a passenger along?”

Mitch gave him a questioning look and asked, “You have a burning desire to see Munich?”

“Hmm.” Tom took a long drink of his beer.

“You really have to come up with a better explanation if you expect me to take you.”

Tom nodded and then lowered his voice, “It’s about a woman.”

“Ah, so you changed your mind about the Fräuleins. But why Munich? Aren’t there enough peachy dolls around here?”

“It’s not just any woman.” Whether Tom wanted to or not, he had to bite the bullet and tell his friend the truth. “It’s the one who smuggled me out of the country two years ago.”

Mitch put his beer bottle onto the bar with a loud thud. “Holy shit! You kidding me?” Since Tom offered no answer except for a shake of his head Mitch took a while to process the information. “I can’t believe this. That’s nuts. Downright nuts. You a lovesick puppy still pining for that girl… do you even know whether she’s still alive?”

Tom looked around to make sure nobody was within earshot and said in a low voice, “I went to her flat and her sister told me where to find her.”

Mitch’s face froze into a mask of incredulity and he downed the rest of his beer, ordering another one. “Man, you know what this is? Fraternization. This isn’t a bit of hanky-panky the higher-ups will turn a blind eye to. You’re in deep shit.”

“I know.”

“Man, I really shouldn’t take you to Munich.” Mitch ran a hand through his cropped hair.

“Please. I must see her.”

Mitch stared into Tom’s eyes, still shaking his had. “You’re nuts. Crazy nuts.”

“Come on. Nobody will be the wiser. And even if someone finds out, you can always say I didn’t confide in you.” Tom waited with bated breath for Mitch’s answer.

“Okay. Give me a few weeks. I’ll make the arrangements. But no word about the why to a living soul, you hear me? Tell everyone you’re going hiking in the Alps.”

“Thanks, mate. I owe you one.”

Two weeks

later he walked up to the Tempelhof airfield used by the USAAF. Mitch was already waiting for him at the main gate and nodded in greeting, “Morning, Mitch.”

“Right back at you. You have your identification?” Mitch asked.

“Always.”

“Good. Just follow my lead. And remember you want to go hiking.” Mitch led them into the guardhouse where he handed over his military identification and signed the logbook. “Hey, John. This is my passenger, Squadron Leader Tom Westlake from the British Royal Air Force.”

The NCO on duty took Tom’s identification, transcribed his name and rank into the record book and then showed Tom where to sign his name.

“Have a good flight,” the NCO said as he handed back the ID card.

Mitch lifted a hand in greeting and then strode toward the aircraft parked at the edge of the airfield. Tom matched him stride for stride. “The guy seemed quite friendly.”

“Yeah, if he wants to be. But he’s also a stickler for the rules. You definitely don’t want him getting wind of this woman.”

“Got it.”

Mitch stopped at the first hangar and talked to one of the mechanics. Addressing Tom again, he said, “We have to wait. They just finished loading the cargo. But we’re cleared to take off in an hour. Wanna grab a bite?”

Tom nodded and they headed to the officers’ mess, where they chose pancakes with syrup and a cup of real coffee.

“Man, you’ve got the good stuff here. We still live on the fake coffee.”

Mitch grinned, stuffing a big piece of pancake into his mouth. “Pays to come from the right side of the big pond. You’re welcome to stop by anytime you want.”

Tom glanced around. The mess looked similar to their own, except for the different uniforms and the annoying chewing-gum-like accent.

“Is the Red Army still giving you trouble?” Mitch asked.

“All the time. There’s constant activity from those bastards and just last week one of them made an emergency landing, pretending not to be able to reach their airfield in Staaken.”

“Isn’t that just a few miles north?”

“Damn well it is. Just a ruse to spy on us.”

“Stalin wouldn’t dare do this here. We’d shoot them sons of bitches down,” Mitch said.

Although Tom wasn’t convinced the Americans would indeed risk a severe diplomatic falling-out over an emergency landing, he liked the idea. The Soviet presence right next to RAF Gatow was annoying as hell. The Ivans seemed to forget on a daily basis that the area had been ceded to the British in exchange for a much bigger area in Spandau.

“Nobody wants to start another war,” Tom said.

“Like hell we don’t. But Stalin sure is asking for it. The ink on the Potsdam Protocol hasn’t dried yet and already he’s doing his best to ratchet up tensions.” Mitch looked at his wristwatch. “We’d better get going. We’ll have to sign you in with the squadron and at the hangar.”

Tom grinned. “Same procedure everywhere.”

“Yep, wouldn’t want some crazy Nazi sneaking onto the aircraft with you.” Mitch completed the security protocol and soon enough they were sitting in the cargo plane headed for Munich.

“Where exactly are you going?” Mitch asked as they both leaned back and admired the dark blue sky. Flying had become so much more pleasurable again since Tom didn’t have to drop bombs on civilians anymore. He occasionally suffered nightmares from his actions, despite his best efforts to block out the results of his sorties.

“It’s a tiny village about seventy miles west of Munich.”

“That’s a long ways, and all for a woman.”

Tom smiled. Ursula wasn’t just any woman.

Mitch turned to look at Tom’s face. “Shit. You’re smitten. I’ve never seen a fella with such a cheesy smile.”

Tom didn’t reply. Mitch might be a good man and good friend, but he had no idea about true love. At least not yet. “When are you flying back?”

“I managed to get twenty-four hours off and stay overnight. Return flight is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Be punctual, because I won’t be able to wait.” Mitch chuckled.

“I’ll do my best. I’m back on duty the day after tomorrow.”

“So you meet her and then what?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I mean… first I have to find her, right? Then I’ll take it from there.” Tom scratched his head; he suddenly wasn’t so convinced about his plan anymore. He couldn’t very well take her with him to Berlin, or even promise any kind of serious relationship. They’d have to hide from both her people and his, and he wasn’t so sure she’d be willing to be his

secret flirtation

. Heck, he himself wasn’t sure he wanted to have an illicit affair with the woman who owned his heart.

His gaze roamed across the landscape below them and he tried to conjure up her sweet face, searching for words to say to explain the depth of his feelings. He shook his head. The nearer the aircraft approached its destination, the harder his heart thundered in his throat.

What if she didn’t feel the same? What if she’d found herself another man? The knot in his stomach tightened and he had the urge to vomit.

Once they landed at the Riem airport in Munich, Mitch secured a ride for Tom all the way to Mindelheim. “Good luck, man, and I’ll see you here tomorrow at five p.m.”

“Sure.”

Tom hopped onto the military vehicle at once eager and reluctant to arrive in Kleindorf. The driver dropped him off at a crossing and pointed his thumb to the left. “That way. Shouldn’t be too far. If you want a ride back come to the town hall in Mindelheim tomorrow before noon.”

“Thanks, mate.” Tom nodded and trotted off. As soon as he reached the village of Kleindorf, he took out a sheet of paper from his breast pocket with Anna’s drawn directions to her aunt’s farm.

His pace slowed down with every step, as if an invisible force dragged him backward. The sensible thing to do would be to forget about her. Seeing her again would only lead to heartbreak – for either one or both of them.

They simply weren’t meant to be together. Not in this world. Not when their countries officially hated each other.