He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear then ran his finger down her jawline.
She shivered, and her eyes widened. His expression was unreadable in the growing dusk. She grasped the straps of her pack and marched forward avoiding Tania’s scrutiny.
They hiked for about fifteen minutes and came to a clearing. The dark shape of a building huddled at the other end of the expanse. Relief was in sight. Emily stepped forward.
Tania grabbed her arm. “Wait. Something is amiss.”
“I don’t sense anything.”
Beside her, Gerard tensed. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Her heart pounded, and her eyes strained to see. Listening to the night sounds, she cocked her head. There…mingled amid the crickets and rustling of animals, who prowled at night…the murmur of voices. A chill swept over her. Outlined against the trees, shadowy figures exited the tiny cottage. The wind carried their words toward her.
“Nein. Nothing…the spies…come here.”
Emily whipped her head toward Gerard and Tania, whose fear and surprise were evident even in the blackness.
The Germans continued to talk. “Should…wait?”
“We’ve…a full day. You remain…we’ll seek the American girl and…bald partner elsewhere.”
“I thought…her husband.”
“Nein. Sources say their marriage…a sham. Part of…disguise. We’ll get them….can’t…far.” The figure turned, and his voice ceased to carry.
A moment later, his underling saluted. “Jawohl.”
Emily wrapped her arms around her middle, perspiration forming at her hairline. Her heart threatened to jump from her chest. If not for Tania’s senses being on high alert, they would have been caught. Breathing jagged, she fought to quell the rising panic.
An engine roared to life. Seconds later, a sedan rumbled from behind the house and drove away, taillights fading as it bumped its way down the narrow road.
Tania crossed her arms. “The location has obviously been compromised.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I must report the situation, but there’s no time. We must push on.” She jerked her head toward the building. “He may decide to patrol. There is another safe house a few kilometers from here.”
Emily’s shoulders slumped. Dear Lord, give me strength to continue. I don’t think I can walk another step, but our safety depends on me.
“How many is a few?” Gerard asked.
“Four.”
He nodded. “Okay, but we wait until he’s moved to the other side of the house before we proceed. I don’t want to risk him hearing us, even as far away as he is.” A moment later, the soldier’s figure disappeared around the edge of the cottage. “Good, he is gone.” He slipped one arm out of the straps of his backpack. “Give me your satchel. I will carry it.”
She hesitated then nodded and allowed him to remove the bag from her back, the weight sliding from body. A breeze ruffled her shirt, cooling the perspiration trickling down her spine.
Gerard slung her pack over his other shoulder. “Better?”
“If possible, it has gotten heavier the longer we’ve trekked.”
He chucked her under the chin. “You must be tired.”
Tania leaned toward them. “It is not my decision. I am just an operative, but I suggest you change your plans and find a church where you can get married for real. You heard those men. They know your identities and your cover story. You must change the details, and one way is to add truth to the lies. I know a priest.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gerard shoved aside the blackout curtains inside the closet-sized room. Murky sunlight seeped through the grimy windowpanes. His eyes burned, but between the adrenaline rush from the near miss with the Germans and the additional kilometers of slogging through the woods, sleep had eluded him. He rotated his shoulders, but the muscles remained knotted.
Was Emily awake yet? Had she managed to get any shut-eye? By the time they stumbled through the door to the safe house, her face was ashen with fatigue, her eyes red rimmed and bloodshot. She swayed on her feet as he led her to an identical miniscule room next to his. A ragdoll had more substance. He’d removed her shoes and covered her with a threadbare blanket, but her eyes remained open, watching his every move as if she couldn’t bring herself to close them.
Tania left without entering after assuring them another operative would arrive at dusk for the next leg of their journey. She’d pressed a paper into his hand that contained the name and address of the church where the priest was friendly to the cause, as she’d put it.
Emily had not replied to Tania’s suggestion for them to marry in actuality, and the emotions that danced across her face were a mixture of wonder, confusion, and something unreadable. She’d been upset when she found out about the ruse as part of their assignment. How did she feel about the proposition to make their relationship real? Over the days they’d been in France, their friendship seemed to have deepened. She was no longer as defensive and had responded to his teasing on several occasions, even going so far as to taunt him in return.
In the past, the thought of entering into matrimony had gripped him with myriad emotions, fear the least of them. Yet no anxiety plagued him when he unfurled the scrap and studied Tania’s scrawl.
He bowed his head. “Dear God, we haven’t been on speaking terms, and I’m beginning to see how wrong I was to walk away from You because of my anger at my brother’s death. I’m sorry about that, and I hope You’ll forgive me. I don’t want to hurt Emily or ruin her reputation back in England, but is this plan from You? You’ve kept us safe thus far without our interference, but I’ve read enough of the Bible to know that sometimes You use unconventional methods to save Your people. Let Emily know what You’d have us do…um, I guess that’s it. Thanks for listening…Amen.”
Warmth enveloped him, and Gerard’s eyes moistened. He didn’t deserve God’s mercy, but apparently He saw fit to grant it. There was no other explanation for the feeling of peace that seemed to fill him from head to foot. His army buddies would think he’d gone soft or even lost his mind. So be it. Over the course of the mission, there’d been too many times they should have been caught and weren’t. Not coincidence. Of that he was sure.
A faint knock sounded, and he blinked. Running his hand over the stubble that had begun to cover his scalp, he opened the door. Emily stood on the threshold, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Her face shone from scrubbing, and her hair was brushed and gleaming. She tilted her head. “Are you okay? You look…different.”
“I am. How are you feeling after your fall?”
“Sore, but the pain is manageable.”
He nodded. “That’s good news. I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Did they leave us anything to eat?”
“There are some potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and eggs. Oh, and a tiny lump of cheese. The vegetables look a little tired, but they’re probably from someone’s root cellar, and we’re blessed to have them.”