A Partisan's Fight - COMPLETED!

Chapter Fourteen

The drive back wasn't anything special. Aldrik didn't know what to expect, but the things that had happened were definitely far from expected. He glanced over at Mina. She hadn't breathed a word to him that she didn't have to. It was unlike her. He reached over and scratched Albtraum between the ears before refocusing on the road.

"I have a stop to make on the way back." He could feel her glance at him, but she didn't seem bothered by the statement.

"To check on Lotte?" The words came out of her mouth all too obviously.

Glancing at her, he pulled his gaze back and nodded. "I told her I would let her know when we were back. It will do her some good to see someone other than me."

"I thought you were too scared of her being discovered to bring anyone with you?" The words held little emotion. It was just a phrase equaling a question.

"I do not believe that you would do anything to bring any harm to her, Mina. I should have brought you to see her sooner." He rubbed his forehead. The road was pretty straight in front of them, but bumpy. The truck shook over the bumps, leading to Aldrik scratching his forehead instead of simply rubbing it. He sighed in irritation. "I remember when these roads were smoother."

"Everything was smoother before the war." Mina's words held a suppressed sadness in them. It could only be emotion for the family she had yet to reunite with.

"Mina, I met with a man in Rothenburg." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. Now seemed to be the best time to tell her. Cautiously he let her grab it. He couldn't help but wince at how her eyes narrowed at him.

"Why did you wait to tell me this?" Analytically the words popped out of her mouth. There was no subtlety to her voice.

"There were enough things going on while we were there. There was no need to overwhelm you." He could feel the disapproval in her gaze, but she didn't say anymore. "He said he was your contact."

Mina opened the envelope slowly. Carefully, she pulled open the maps that had been tucked inside. Aldrik peeked over at her. Her expression was hopeful. She actually looked like she could be excited.

"What is it?" He couldn't hold back the question. In spite of holding the information back on her, he still hoped that it was promising news. He'd do what he had to to help her out. If that meant putting their lives at risk then so be it.

Swallowing hard, she finally looked up at him. Tears had filled her eyes. "If this is right, Papa and Rolly are both at the same place. We could get them. We could bring them home."

Choosing his words carefully, Aldrik finally spoke. He didn't want to say too much to get her hopes up, but he couldn't deny that that was the best news that they had received yet. "It has been over a month since they went missing, Mina. I will do everything I can to help you get them back, but I don't want to see you hurt again if things don't turn out the way we hope."

She just stared at him. Finally, she nodded and pulled her gaze back to the papers in front of her. "I understand that, Aldrik. It is inevitable for me not to get hurt, but I cannot move on until I know for a fact that they will not be coming back to me. I have to do this."

Gushing out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Aldrik nodded his agreement. "After we check on Lotte, we will start planning out when we leave. Okay?"

"Thank you, Aldrik." Her words were simple, yet held a depth to them that couldn't be ignored.

He admired her. She had already been through so much, yet she was willing to keep dashing into whatever came her way to find the people she loved. A smile upturned his lips before he pushed it away. She would do the same thing for him if he ever went missing. It warmed him up inside. He'd hate to be the one responsible for hurting or taking him, simply because they'd have to contend with two fiery women that knew no bounds. In many ways Lotte was just as spunky and vengeful as Mina, he just hadn't seen it with his baby sister until now.

The drive back was quiet as Mina focused on the contents of the envelope. She had barely spoken a word the rest of the way. Aldrik didn't mind only because he knew that her mind was being worked. He knew she wasn't sitting there thinking about everything that had conspired. Some color had even returned to her face. She no longer looked broken. Some of the vengefulness was possibly still intertwined in her mood, but she had something to do now. Something that brought hope back to her. And hope led to healing.

"We are here all ready?" Mina looked up from her studies as Aldrik parked the truck.

Something didn't feel right. A low growl rose from deep within Albtraum. Swallowing hard, Aldrik's heart began racing. "Stay here, Mina."

He could feel her gaze sharpen on him. She didn't breathe a word, just nodded.

Cautiously, he pulled himself out of the truck. He could feel the dog on his heels as he walked up to the cabin. The door was cracked open. His hands were shaking as he reached up to push the door open more. His body was tight and his gaze sharp. He could feel his heart pounding nearly out of his body as he let the light filter into the cabin.

He felt his gut drop as he noticed barely any of the food had been taken out of the bag he'd left. It was on the table tipped over. The cabin was empty. There was nobody. No sign of life. He shook his head. Tears burned his eyes.

"Aldrik?" Mina's voice couldn't even shake him from what he was feeling. He could feel her hand on his shoulder, but shrugged away, walking toward the bag of food on the table instead. He began fumbling through it, looking for a sign that perhaps she'd just set it there and had only been taking out what she needed at the moment. It was all there though. Untouched.

His shaky hands pushed their way through his hair. "She is not here." He glanced around for a moment before slamming his fist on the table. He dropped to his knees. "She was here when I left. She...she..."

Pushing the table back, Mina knelt down in front of him. Her hands were gently placed in her lap, her brows knit together. "Could she have just left the cabin? Maybe she is just hiding."

He forced the saliva building in his mouth down his throat. He shook his head. "No...no, I told her not to leave the cabin."

"But maybe..." She was cut off before being able to finish her statement.

"No, Mina! She has been taken!" He looked angry. Panicked. There was no way to remain calm. No way to just push it out of the way. He looked around the room wide-eyed. "Maybe she left a note."

"Aldrik." Mina started off gently. When she was ignored, she clasped her hands around his face, forcing him to look at her. "Aldrik, calm down."

"I cannot, Mina. I promised her that I would protect her. I promised that we would always be together." He was having a difficult time breathing. Rubbing his chest, he pulled his face out of her grip. She was yet another woman he'd failed. Another putting her mark on his soul and ripping him to pieces. "I have to find her. I have to get her back."

"And we will get her back." Hearing her words was like hearing empty promises. It lacked actuality. Words were just that — words. They needed actions to back them up and that had yet to happen.

"I am not lying to you, Aldrik. I will do everything I can to reunite the both of you. Help me get Rolly back and we will find Lotte." Her gaze was just as intense as her words. There was no doubting her seriousness.

"I love her, Mina. I need her." The desperation wasn't just in his eyes, it radiated from his voice. He could feel the pain from deep within him. And it ached! Finding Mina and protecting her had been necessary, but he couldn't stop the feeling that he'd let Lotte down. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.

"I know you do, Aldrik. You would not have gone this far to protect her if you did not. We will find her. I promise you that." In spite of her words being just words, he could feel the genuineness in every word she spoke. He believed her. He had to hold onto that. He had to hold onto hope.