War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 37

Chapter 11

L

otte arrived home just in time to complete her evening chores – except for milking the cows – with no time to look for Rachel. She was bursting with the need to spread the good news and had to bite her tongue many times during dinner to not tell Aunt Lydia.

She’d already told Uwe too much, despite her good intentions to keep her lips sealed. This wouldn’t happen again, she promised herself. After dinner, she stayed in the kitchen to help clear the dishes, every single fiber in her body aching to dash to the barn. Seconds dragged into minutes, and when everything was finally cleared up, she took to her heels.

In the barn, Rachel and her siblings were anxiously waiting for her in the loft.

“Lotte! I was worried about you. What did Irmhild say?” Rachel asked.

“I have wonderful news.” Lotte cast a triumphant smile and rose to her full height of five feet seven. “There’s a Catholic convent that will accept the four of you in their orphanage.”

She hadn’t even finished pronouncing the word

orphanage

when little Mindel screamed, “We’re no orphans! We need no orphan place! I want to go home!”

Rachel’s shoulders sagged, a petrified expression on her face as she quickly shushed her little sister. “Sweetie, don’t cry. Remember we’re playing hide and seek? Nobody can know we’re here.”

Mindel did her best to dry her tears but continued to sob in a low voice while her two older brothers exchanged glances, clearly indicating they didn’t buy into the hide-and-seek game. They had the bodies of elementary school lads, but their eyes showed the knowing look of adults. Lotte’s heart squeezed.

“Will we get food from the nuns?” Aron asked.

“There will be plenty of food,” Lotte reassured him, but she barely managed not to break into tears herself. The past few years had been brutal on everyone, but just how much more had these children suffered? Mockery. Ostracism. Hunger. And now the loss of their parents and their home.

She took Rachel aside so the others couldn’t hear. “The sooner you leave, the better. Wait until all the lights in the main house are turned off, and then go.”

“How far is it?” Rachel asked.

“Twenty miles. You know the convent in Kaufbeuren, right?”

Rachel nodded.

“I know it seems like a long way, but during the night, you can walk on the road, and no one will bother you. You should be able to reach the convent at daybreak.”

“Mindel will never be able to walk that far. I’ll have to carry her most of the way,” Rachel murmured.

Lotte wanted to offer her bicycle, but that would cause plenty of questions. “You should be fine by the time you have passed the neighboring villages. Beyond that, nobody will know you. And with your papers, you’re just another group of children seeking refuge.”

“I have been to Kaufbeuren before and know where the convent is. I can’t thank you enough, Lotte.” Rachel hugged her, tears of gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad I could help. Please be safe and live a happy life. Maybe you can send me a postcard once the war is over?” Lotte released herself from the embrace and climbed down the ladder to milk the cows.

It was already dark by the time she finished milking the last one, and exhaustion pulled at her. She strained the milk and then sent a final look and well wishes back into the barn.

Go with Godspeed!

Then she returned to the house, carefully navigating in the darkness. She rounded the hedge, her eyes fixed on the lit windows when someone stepped out of the shadows and into her path.

“Ah!” she screamed in fright. “Who’s there?”

A moment later, she recognized Hans blocking her way. Her heart sank to her knees.

Goodness, I hope he’s not here to demand another kiss.

Gathering up all her courage, she said, “Hans, you scared me.”

“Did I?” Hans sneered at her and took a step forward, whispering into her ear, “I told you that you would regret not being nice to me.” When he stepped aside, she noticed two more men standing behind him, and even more beyond.

“Uwe, is that you? What are you doing here?” Her voice almost broke with fear. The way Uwe stood, looking as if he wished to be anywhere but here, caused her breath to catch in her throat. Her eyes darted to the big person taking a step toward her, and she recognized Hans’ father. His menacing stance made one thing clear: this wasn’t a social call.

Her eyes returned to Uwe, silently begging him for help, but he looked away.

Traitor! Miserable piece of scum.

“Fräulein Klausen, I was informed that suspicious things are happening on this farm and I’m here to get to the nub of the matter.”

Lotte trembled with fury and fear, but before she could say anything, Herr Keller shoved her aside and started walking up the same path she’d just come down, several of his minions joining him as they searched the barn. Hans and Uwe followed. Lotte wanted to run into the house and hide her head under a pillow, but to what avail? Maybe she could talk the mayor into letting the Epstein children go?

Some ten minutes later, Herr Keller and the other men exited the barn dragging the four children between them. Loud cries filled the air, but after one of the men slapped Rachel and threatened to shoot them there and then, the screams quieted down to small whimpers.

There was nothing Lotte could do but watch in horror as the four children were dragged away, talk of deportation and filthy Jews filling the air. Uwe appeared by her side, giving her an apologetic glance. But apart from that small gesture, he did nothing but stand by and watch.

Filthy coward.

When Hans returned with a disgusting grin, Lotte couldn’t keep her rage at bay for one moment longer. “You bastard. It’s all your fault. Sending innocent children away!” She raised her fists, drumming them against his chest. He caught her hands with a dirty chuckle and held them high over her head. Lotte struggled. “You…you filthy…wimp. You aren’t even man enough to go off to war. Everyone in our class got drafted, but not you. What did your hideous father do, pull some special strings to keep Mummy’s darling at home?”

A hard slap to her face ended Lotte’s rant. She rubbed her cheek and stared in shock at Hans’ father, who’d probably heard her entire tirade.

“Watch your mouth,” he growled.

“You have no right to treat me like this,” she spat at him.

“Actually, I do,” the mayor answered. “Wait and see.” Then he turned to his son. “Bring her along as well.”

Hans caught her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and despite Lotte’s kicking, punching, and scratching, he carried her towards the police automobile parked in front of her aunt’s house.

“You can’t take me away. I haven’t done anything!” she screamed in the faint hope that someone – anyone – would come to her rescue.

“I’m arresting you just because I can,” the mayor said. “I hope it will prove a valuable lesson to you.”

Valuable lesson? Damn Nazi vermin.

For once, she managed to keep her mouth shut, struggling in earnest to free herself from Hans’ grip. But the more she struggled, the tighter he held her, his grip growing stronger until she could barely breathe.

“I warned you,

Schätzchen,

” Hans whispered in her ear before shoving her into the back seat.

Lotte thought she caught a glimpse of a shadow in one of the upstairs windows, but she couldn’t be sure. Even if Aunt Lydia had seen her, what could she do? Lotte was too angry to cry, but she knew the tears would come later.