THROUGH HER LENS || Band of Brothers

Prologue

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May 1942

The nervous ticking of a wooden clock above the door to the head office marked the passing seconds.

Judith Sanders felt awful. Her hands were sweaty from the heat and nerves. She was fiddling with the seam of her skirt, trying to distract herself from what might happen when she finally entered the door down the hall.

The door opened, and a busy-looking secretary stepped out onto the floor.

"Miss Sanders?"

Judith stood up, smoothed her skirt, and nodded.

"That's me," she said, beginning to walk toward the office.

Her nerves flared as she passed the other women waiting for their turn. For the last two hours, the door at the end of the hall had opened, the secretary had called a name, and both women had disappeared into the office. Five minutes later, the door would open again. Judith assumed the women who were finished left through a back door, preventing them from revealing what was happening inside.

Well, she was about to find out.

Walking into the dimly lit office, she was greeted by the man behind the large wooden desk.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss...?"

"Sanders," Judith answered. "Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Thompson."

Mr. Thompson was a tall man in his fifties. His remaining hair was gray, and he had wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, making him look older than he was. Judith respected the man. She had heard of his heroic actions in the Great War, where he had saved many of his comrades during combat.

"We don't have much time. Shall we begin? You saw the other women waiting outside, I believe?"

He didn't wait for an answer.

"Miss Sanders, I have seen your portfolio, and I must say, I'm rather impressed," Mr. Thompson said, looking through Judith's folder of photographs.

Judith didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded with a smile that she hoped looked thankful.

"I take it you know where you will be sent?" he asked, raising his left eyebrow.

"I do."

"Well, in that case, I'd like to invite you to join our team."

"What— I mean, I didn't expect this to be so quick," she stammered. She had thought she would have to take some kind of test.

"Well, there was a reason for the portfolio. I just wanted to see the photographer behind it before offering a job," Mr. Thompson said with a faint smile.

"Of course. In that case, I would like to accept your offer."

"Good," Mr. Thompson stood up, and Judith followed suit. "Go with Kelly here; she will give you further instructions," he said, gesturing to the secretary—Kelly—who stood by another door.

Judith shook hands with Mr. Thompson, and he handed her back her portfolio folder. Then she followed Kelly.

Kelly led Judith to a room that looked much more inviting than any other room Judith had seen in the building. Various framed photographs were hung on the walls, and a comfortable seating area occupied the center of the room. The faint smell of old paper and ink filled the air. When they entered, two women looked up from their conversation.

They seemed friendly. The taller one had red hair, braided down her back, with soft features and warm brown eyes that reminded Judith of her mother. The shorter one had dirty-blonde hair, hazel eyes, and the prettiest freckles Judith had ever seen.