The Life That I Have

Chapter 10

Once again, the Maquis were gathered around (the now improvised) table. Jean-Marc, Dominique, Adele, Phillipe and many others were all present. Anya was too busy helping Denise and Father Yves in the church.

   "We obviously have a collaborator, or even a spy in our midst. We need to find out who it is, fast," Dominique stated, matter-of-factly.

  "How?" Adele asked.

Anya had taken a break for a few moments. After deeply inhaling the fresh air, she looked out over the fields for a moment. She watched lazily as a man crossed the field. He's being positively furtive, she thought.

  Suddenly, she snapped to attention. He was acting strangely. Creeping around the borderline hedgerows, occasionally looking behind him as though to make sure no-one was following him.

  Anya had been studying the geography around the cave, and she knew that the directing he was heading in would eventually lead him to the main road. She tried to make out his features. Average brown hair, with the beginnings of a beard. Just then, she heard Denise call for her. Tearing herself away, she went back into the church.

  "Today is Thursday", was the sentence that greeted her,

  "So?"

  "In three days time it's Sunday", Father Yves explained.

  Anya understood now. They were in a church. There would be mass held there on Sunday.

  "We need to get the men into the caves. I'm afraid to say, there won't be many to take. The ones brought here were the worst, and most of them have died," Denise said.

  Anya wondered how she could be so callous about it.

  "When shall we start moving them?"

  "Tomorrow, first thing."

Later that day, Anya was on the lookout for Phillipe. She wanted to ask him about the man she had seen earlier. At last she found him, eating a sandwich in the shade of a large beech tree. She strolled over casually to him.

  "Phillipe, could you help me identify someone?" she asked, acting as though it didn't really matter.

  "Why?" he asked through his mouthful.

  "Because... I want to know", she said, throwing him a conspiratorial grin. She had decided to keep her true purpose away from Phillipe, knowing his hot temper: Phillipe would go out and shoot all men with brown beards he could lay his hand on.

  After hearing Anya describe him, Phillipe thought for a moment.

  "Sounds like the man who joined last month. François, I think he's called."

  After thanking him, Anya was just leaving when Phillipe stopped her.

  "Anya... I was wondering..." he said slowly, "...if– has Adele ever mentioned me?"

  Anya tried to suppress her smile.

  "Well, she has mentioned you..." she said slyly as she ran off back towards the cave.

In the cave, the discussion had reached it's 'guess who' point.

  "Well, isn't it obvious who it is?" someone said.

  "Who?"

  "Our Nazi friend, Rudi Hein of course," called a man named Leon.

  Jean-marc frowned. he did not like Leon. He was power-mad.

  "What proof do you have?" asked Dominique.

  "He's a Nazi! Isn't that enough?"

  "No, it's not enough. And besides, he's not a Nazi, he's German. the two things are entirely different," Adele chipped in.

  Jean-marc decided he wouldn't trust Leon as far as he could throw him.

That night, as Anya and Adele were making themselves comfortable in their little alcove, Anya asked Adele:

  "Do you know a man called François? I believe he's quite new."

  "I know him in passing. Never spoken to him personally, though," Adele said sleepily. Anya herself was too sleepy to give a reply.

  It felt like she had only been asleep for a few minutes when Anya woke up. It was dark, even darker than usual in the cave. She fumbled around for a few seconds until she found the matchbox, and after striking a match, Anya looked at her watch. Five-thirty.

  Quietly, she lit the oil lamp and staggered into her clothes. She had promised Denise that she would help with moving the wounded men from the church. The plan was that Father Yves and Anya would transport one man and his bedding at a time to the cave, where Denise would be waiting to make them comfortable. Then Anya and the Father would go and fetch the next man. There were twenty-six men to be moved from the church, so it would take the best part of the day.

Leon had been watching Rudi like a hawk. What a fool Jean-Marc was. Wasn't it obvious to him? Hein was the traitor! he knew it. He felt it in his bones.

  Today he was going to do something about that spy, once and for all...

Anya collapsed outside the cave in sheer exhaustion. The last man. At last that terrible task was over!

  The warmth of the sun on her face was sending her slowly to sleep.

  A man passed her as he walked out of he cave. Lazily half-opening one eye, Anya saw a black jacket, brown hair– and a beard!

  Jumping awake, she watched François as he walked down the hill and through the field, getting further away from the cave. When he was far enough, Anya bolted up and quickly started to follow him.