A Partisan's Fight - COMPLETED!

Chapter Six

A piece of paper had been tacked to the wall in front of his desk. Aldrik's name had been written neatly on it. He recognized the writing. A short-lived smile faded from his face as he read the letter. He crumpled the note up and threw it at the wall.

"Mina!" He growled, shaking his head irritably. He couldn't fathom why she'd go on such a dangerous mission without him. The nerve of that woman.

"Jyrgen!" He stomped out of his office, heading through the barn. The boy helping him had to be in here somewhere. He'd been more underfoot than usually lately to an annoying degree, yet true to life, he was nowhere when he needed him. "Jyrgen!"

"Sir?" The young boy popped his head around a corner. "You called?"

"There you are." Aldrik muttered, all ready fishing for his next words. "I need to go out of town for a few days, can you keep everything running while I'm gone?"

"Without a doubt, sir." The boy looked a bit concerned for his boss, however.

"Don't worry about me. I just have to help out a friend. I left the keys on my desk for the spare truck in the back. The schedule is there too for running errands and deliveries." He came closer to the boy and put his hands on his shoulders. "I am trusting you with this. You will do just fine."

Nodding, Jyrgen seemed calmer from the encouragement. "How long will you be gone, sir?"

"No more than a few days. I will send word if it ends up being longer." Aldrik began backing away. He had kept his voice steady, but he couldn't deny his rush. He needed to make a stop still before heading out to retrieve Mina.

"Then godspeed." The boy gave him a small smile. "All will be all right here."

Aldrik nodded his approval, turning on his heels and heading for the door. There was maybe only a few hours of daylight left. He had to get a move on. He wasn't sure how much time he'd wasted all ready or how long she'd really been gone. Notes could lie.

He'd tried to avoid his anger and slight panic as he drove up to the abandoned safe house he'd found deep within the woods. The property had been his great great grandfather's and although it was his now, it'd take a team of scholars and researchers to find that it belonged to him. It was the perfect place to stash someone.

He walked up to the door of the hidden cabin, a bag of food in one hand, and knocked three precise times. Waiting a moment, he knocked one final time. He could hear the lock being unfastened and door being peeped open. It took only a moment for the dark eyes to gleam of excitement and fling the door open all the way. He was nearly knocked off balance as the woman's petite ninety pounds crashed into him in an embrace.

He couldn't help but laugh at the exuberance of the woman. "I would ask if you missed me, but the answer is quite obvious, Lotte."

"Do not tease me, Aldrik! I have missed you so much! Please tell me that you are going to stay for awhile." Her dark eyes pleaded with him, but the second she noticed his hesitation she backed up a few steps. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Sighing, Aldrik saw no reason in beating around the bush. "Mina ran off to Rothenburg."

"Why would she do a thing like that? It is not close, and going alone is dangerous." Lotte's confusion radiated in her dark eyes. She just stared at him waiting for him to continue as if she hadn't just interrupted.

"She found a lead on finding her fiancé." The note had been vague, but of that much he was sure. Of all the things that she could have done while he was on his run... He bit back a frustrated grown and focused on the woman in front of him.

"That is wonderful news!" A smile brightened up the woman's face. Momentarily that same smile was gone. "You are not happy about this?"

Aldrik's brows furrowed together. "If it pans out then by all means I hope she finds him, but then what, Lotte? He was captured. We all know that. How do we get him back?"

Biting the inside of her lip, Lotte sighed. She reached over and smoothed a crease in his coat. "One step at a time, Aldrik. That is all that we can take. Whichever way this path takes us, the Lord will lead our way."

Slowly, Aldrik nodded, reminded once again of her faith. The woman was right. "I cannot believe that she went alone. It is too dangerous for a woman during these times. Men are predators. They are dangerous. All it would take is someone to spot her and see her for what she is — a young, vulnerable girl."

"I know that you still see her as a girl, Aldrik, but she is not. She is a woman. She is all grown up. You must remember that or she will grow to resent you." Lotte chided him gently. She slipped her hand down his arm until she found his hand and held it tightly. "I know you feel a need to protect her after her brother passed away, but be careful. She still needs to be able to make her own decisions. You cannot be limiting her. Let her be an adult."

Aldrik heard every word she said, but part of him was fighting those words. He knew she was right, but he felt like backing away was turning his back on Mina too. It was a struggle to know what the right way to proceed was. He didn't want to argue about it right now though. "I do not want to talk about Mina right now, Lotte. I am going to go and find her, so I will be gone for a few days. I just want to spend our time together focused on you, okay?" He pulled his hand out of her grip and brushed it along her face.

Nodding, Lotte smiled and pulled him to the steps. Sliding down, she took her place upon the step. "It feels so good to be outside right now."

Aldrik set the bag of food inside the doorway and joined her. He pulled his coat off and draped it over the woman. He pulled her close to him and stared out at the forest of trees. It was so much more relaxing and freeing then being in town right now.

He had it all right here. A beautiful place to stay, and a beautiful woman by his side. The one and only that he'd love until the day that he died. He viewed her as his equal. Not as his sister. Not as a housewife meant to make him happy. She was the one that he would spend the rest of his days trying to be the best that he could be. She deserved the best from him. He would not stop trying to please her. Ever.