The Life That I Have

Chapter 11

Leon and his small band of followers were making plans.

  "Jean-Marc will know we were right when all the little 'misfortunes' stop," Leon concluded.

  There was a general stir of agreement from the small crowd gathered around him. Leon looked around him, his face glowing with pride. For once, people were looking up to him as a leader. Maybe when he was proved right over this and Jean-Marc wrong...

Anya watched, intrigued, through the hedge at François. He seemed to be waiting for someone, and Anya soon saw who...

  A large, black car pulled up on the roadside and a man, who Anya instantly recognized as General von Fredrichs, got out.

  He and François spoke quietly in French for a minute, but Anya couldn't make out what was being said. She clenched her fists tightly when she saw them both give a Nazi salute.

  Anya suddenly began to panic. It would be much harder to follow François back than to follow him there. For a moment, she considered making a run for it, but abandoned the idea after spotting the bulging leather holster on General von Fredrichs' hip.

  Very soon, François was walking back the way he had came, and as before, Anya followed.

  It was at the bottom of the field when she realized she had lost sight of François. Damn! She needed him to guide her home. Quickening her pace, she headed swiftly towards the gate of the field.

  She gave a small shriek when she felt herself being violently pulled back, and the sharp point of a knife being jabbed in her spine.

  "I thought so," she heard François' gruff voice hiss in her ear. "I thought I was being followed."

  Anya broke into a cold sweat when she realized this was the end. Any second now she would feel the sharp point of the knife being shoved into her.

  To her amazement, it didn't happen. Cautiously, she gave an experimental wriggle, but François' grip tightened.

  "We're going for a walk," he said at last. "Don't try anything or I'll kill you."

  "Aren't you– why don't you just kill me now?" Anya sputtered.

  "I think you'll come in handy to my friend at the Gestapo," he replied, leering.

  Anya gulped. A fate worse than death. Torture until she gave away all her friends, then a firing squad.

  With one hand tightly on her wrist, the other spiking the blade into her back, François pushed her towards the cave. But then she realized. He was taking her to the church, not the cave.

  "You'll stay here, tonight. Then tomorrow morning I'll introduce you to General von Fredrichs."

  With one last shove, he pushed Anya unto the vestry. She flung herself at the door leading to the church, but as she expected, it was locked. François gave a horrible, cackling laugh as her locked the other door. She was trapped and alone.

Adele awoke early the next morning. Something was wrong. It took her a moment to place it. That was it! Tippy was there but Anya wasn't. The little back and white dog was standing to attention, ears pricked. This was unusual as Anya was usually with Tippy. Quickly rising, she grabbed her lantern and went in search of someone who knew where Anya was. Rudi? Phillipe? Denise?

Leon was watching out for his prey. At last he saw him and advanced quickly. Drawing his pistol, he strode over to Rudi.

  "Phillipe, did Anya mention to you where she was going?" Adele asked, worriedly.

  "No. Why?"

  "She didn't come back to the cave last night," Adele said, her voice rising. She was fond of that kid, and would hate it if anything had happened to her.

  "Wait a second, though–" Phillipe said suddenly. "She did mention somebody... François– you know– that man who joined quite recently. Gave me a perfect description... when I asked her about i she just clammed up. Said she 'wanted to know him', but I could tell that wasn't it."

  Adele's eyes widened.

  "Yes, she mentioned him to me too."

  "Well, she probably went off with him," Phillipe suggested.

  "No she wouldn't. Not Anya and nor him! No, something's wrong. We've got to find them, Phillipe!"

  "Calm down, Adele. We'll ask around," Phillipe said calmly.

  A man passed.

  "Have you seen Anya?" Adele asked urgently.

  The man looked puzzled.

  "About five foot three, English? With shoulder-length straight brown hair?"

  The man shook his head.

  "What about François?" Phillipe asked.

  The man simply pointed towards the path leading to the church. There, in the distance, they could see the silhouette of a man warily making his way to the church.

Rudi stood against the old stone wall in terror. Before him was a Maquis firing squad, lead by Leon.

  A small group of people were gathering around.

  "Does Jean-Marc know about this?" Dominique demanded, pushing herself through the crowd to face Leon.

  "He ordered it," Leon lied.

  Ignoring Dominique's protests, Leon ordered the squad o raise their guns.

  Rudi closed his eyes. Leon was halfway through giving the second order when he was interrupted by mad cries from Adele and Phillipe.

  "Wait! Wait, Leon! You've got the wrong man!"

  Leon waved his hand at the squad, a silent order for them to lower their guns.

  "Quickly! François has got Anya!"

  Rudi pushed his way forward.

  "Where?" he demanded.

  "The church," Adele panted.

  Rudi snatched a shotgun from another man and slung it over his shoulder.

  "Show me," he said.