The Life That I Have

Chapter 13

The next morning, Anya awoke earlier than usual. Adele was dressing herself.

  "Oh, you're awake," she said cheerily. "I wasn't going to wake you, but there's an emergency meeting on."

  "About what?" Anya yawned.

  "Something about blowing up a Nazi VIP."

  Anya got out of her blankets, and the two made their way to the 'conference room' where Phillipe, Jean-marc and all the others were already waiting. Anya was disappointed to see Rudi was not there.

  "Adele! Anya! Sit here!" Jean-Marc greeted them cheerily.

  Jean-Marc gave them an overview of the situation. A big Nazi leader would be coming to visit the nearby town, and the Maquis were going to make sure he wouldn't be leaving.

  "He'll be driving along this road here..." Phillipe pointed on the map.

  "And that's where–"

  "Yes. Of course, he'll be heavily guarded."

  "How do you know all this?" Anya asked, impressed.

  "We have contacts..." Jean-Marc said, with a twinkle in his eye.

Adele knew her part. It was easy. All she had to do was to wait until the armored car had driven past, then lie at the side of the road, as if she had been hit by a car. then, hopefully, the car carrying this infamous Nazi would stop. that's when the Maquis would strike...

  Adele felt excitement rise in her as the first truck, full of soldiers, rolled past.

  Quick as a flash, she ran out of the undergrowth and lay in a dramatic position on the side of the small, quiet, country road. In the distance, she could heat the rumble of engines getting closer, closer.

  Very soon, she could feel the road vibrating, and the growling engines became almost deafeningly loud. And then, it stopped.

  "What is it?" she heard a shout in German.

  "I don't know," a voice nearer replied.

  She tensed as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  All of a sudden, she heard a flurry of gunshots. Adele sprang up and started to make a dash to the safety of the trees and the undergrowth. She could hear shouts of pain and anger, but she didn't look back. There was another shot, and Adele fell into the soft, decaying leaves of Autumn, feeling a stab of pain coming from her foot. There were no gunshots now, just sounds of millions of people running. She then felt someone trying to pull her up.

  "Adele, come on!" Phillipe shouted.

  "I can't! It's my ankle!" she screamed.

  "Come on!" he repeated.

  "Oh, Phillipe, I can't! Just leave me alone!" she sobbed.

  He gently put her down.

  "I'm not leaving you!"

  Suddenly, there was the sound of guns cocking, and looking up, they saw they were surrounded by soldiers.

Back at the cave, there was an atmosphere of excitement. News of the success had spread through the people quickly.

  Anya wasn't interested in their triumph, she just wanted news of her friends.

  "Is Rudi safe?" she demanded a man.

  "He's over there." Anya looked and saw Rudi talking to some other people.

  "And Adele and Phillipe?" she asked, calmer.

  "No, sorry, I haven't seen them. Don't worry. We all got a bit broken up getting away," he said merrily.

  But they didn't come.

  Rudi came over to Anya.

  "We did it!" he cheered.

  "Rudi, have you seen Adele or Phillipe?"

  His face fell.

  "No, no I haven't."

  "I'm worried, Rudi."

  "We'll find out."

  But they didn't. The hours passed and there was no sign of either of them. Eventually, after four hours, they went to consult Jean-Marc.

  "I'm afraid it seems clear that they have been either captured or killed," Jean-Marc concluded.

  "How do we find out which?" Anya asked, frustrated at the uncertainty.

  "The practical thing to do would b to go back there and search for any kind of clue." 

  "I'm going right now," Anya stood and started towards the exit.

  "But it's dark. Wait until the morning," Jean-Marc said soothingly. "Try to get some sleep."

  "Sleep?!" Anya asked, her voice rising. "How could I sleep when my best friend could be out there dead or dying?"

  "Anya, he's right. Wait until morning," Rudi said, trying to calm her. "If we go there now we could easily miss something, including a nazi guard."

  Anya understood, although it was not easy.

  "W- Well I'm going to w-wait outside in case they come back," she said, stuttering a little. Without another word, she ran out and took slow, deep breaths of the fresh, crisp night air.

  She heard Rudi come up behind her.

  "I'm just trying to work out," she said without turning, "what I have left to live for. No family, and now even my friends seem to be dropping like Flies. The only thing I live for is the freedom of France. And when that comes, what do I do then? Go back to England?

  "Things might not..." Rudi started, but then stopped.

  There was a silence until Anya said strangely, tonelessly:

  "Did I ever thank you for saving my life? I mean, back at the dance?"

  Rudi, unsure how to reply, said:

  "I'm sure you did."

  "I take it back," Anya snapped, anger in her tone. "I wish you'd have left me to General von– whatever-his-name is!" She stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. I'm being silly. But everything I said was true."