A Partisan's Fight - COMPLETED!

Chapter Fifteen

Planning things out and preparing the things that were needed to bring with took longer than expected. It didn't take much to set either one off. Mina had enough that she was dealing with on her own, but dealing with Aldrik's unstableness was more challenging than she had anticipated. She'd been thankful that Jyrgen had agreed to take over the runs for Aldrik. There was no way that she was going to let him go half cocked into the containment camps looking for Lotte. It just wasn't going to happen.

"You have been sick every day this week, Mina. How are we going to do this if you can barely keep anything down?" Aldrik had been more observant and more protective since what had happened with Lotte. Not hearing any word of what could have happened was brutal.

"I will be fine. You just worry about keeping yourself together." Cleaning off her mouth, Mina tossed the rag she used on an empty bucket. He was right though. She didn't know what was going on with her. She'd been having the hardest time keeping any food she ate down. They couldn't wait any longer though. There'd been no new word about Rolly or her papa. They had to stay on track.

"If anything happens to you..." His voice held the concern that had always been there. It was just more emphasized now then it had ever been.

"Aldrik, if we do not do this now, we may never get them back. We have to leave tomorrow. We will not get another chance." Squaring her shoulders, Mina didn't back down. This had to happen. They'd all ready spent weeks preparing and getting in the right mindset. There wouldn't be a better time to go.

"We can only take the truck part of the way, then we have to hitch rides and walk the rest of the way. It is not going to be easy." He warned, cautiously watching her.

"I never thought it would be. I am ready for this. Are you?" She couldn't hold back the intensity in her stare as if it would prove his readiness. She needed him by her side. She wasn't at all sure she could do this without him.

"Mina, if getting your family back means getting Lotte back to me somehow, someway, then yes, I am ready for this. I will not fail you."

Those words held Mina throughout the rest of the day and into the next few weeks of traveling. It was brutal. True to his word though, Aldrik had her back. He kept her strong, reminding her of the constant end game. Between that and her stubbornness, they pursued the search. Working their way through enemy territory to find a camp that may have the answers and people she needed was the easy part and even that had its risks and challenges. The hard part would be on their way back with or without what they had come for and not having the resources telling them what routes were safe to travel upon. They had taken the weeks necessary to reach out to contacts and listen to the chatter needed to safely complete this journey and even then there was no ensuring they'd make it there safely.

"We shouldn't have made this trip." Aldrik had just put out their morning fire. It was disappointing to see the flame go out and take its warmth with it, but also a necessary feat to continue on their journey.

Watching him carefully, Mina continued packing up her blanket and tidying her pack. "Why do you say that?"

He looked at her pointblank. "You know why."

Swallowing hard, Mina avoided eye contact. "I did not know."

"I get that you are new to the whole pregnancy thing, Mina, but how did you not know? How did you not suspect?" Aldrik had been the first to say the P word. Neither of them had breathed it even when she had begun to put on a little weight.

Honestly, Mina hadn't wanted to admit it. She wasn't sure how to take the news, let alone share it with anyone. She covered up her shame with anger. "Because I did not want to believe it, Aldrik! I did what I did to the man that put this baby in me to stop him from doing that to anyone. I do not want his bloodline to be carried on, and now... now here I am!"

Laughing in frustration she threw her arms up in the air. "I am the one carrying his baby! So, to answer your question, Aldrik, I suspected I was with child. I just did not want to believe it." With that she stuffed her blanket in her pack with a force that couldn't be matched by anyone. When her efforts proved to not work well, she shoved the pack to the side and stood up, hand on her head, trembling in anger and the shock of the reality officially placed in front of her.

Swallowing hard, Aldrik walked over to her. "Mina."

She stared at the ground. There was no reason to look up at her friend. No reason to see the pity in his eyes for the shame she all ready felt.

"Mina, look at me." He repeated stubbornly.

She could feel him behind her. She could feel her eyes filling with tears. Turning around, she barely could make eye contact.

"Mina, you are one of the bravest women I know. You should not feel ashamed for any of this. You are carrying a baby... a life that you have the ability to mold and shape into the person he or she should be. That man, the father, has no influence over this child. He might be the reason why you are pregnant, but you will be the reason why the child will grow into someone amazing. That is your responsibility. There is nothing shameful about that." The intensity in her friend's eyes was refreshing. It had been lacking since Lotte's disappearance. Aldrik was back.

A small smile flowed into Mina's face. She wasn't going to risk losing that part of Aldrik by mentioning that she noticed him coming back to her. She reached up and rubbed the side of his face. The appreciation for his words was present in her eyes. The moment was healing.

Steeling herself up, Mina took a step back and grabbed her pack. "We are almost to that camp if my calculations are correct." She looked up at him after tying her blanket underneath the pack instead of trying to stuff it in. The exhaustion had been pushed to the side, leaving room for only a cunning desire to get back her loved ones. She used her shame to fuel her violent, ready to act side. It was time. "Let's go get my family."

A dangerous smile lit up Aldrik's face as he threw his pack over his shoulder. He nodded his approval, clearly satisfied that Mina was back on her game. "Let's do this."

The rugged hike commenced. There were plenty of trees, brush, sharp inclines, and rocks to make the rest of the trip harsher, but they were thankful for it. The rough terrain provided the cover they needed to sneak up to the camp that supposedly kept the POW's they needed to find. They were both prepared for whatever came their way. Weapons in hand. Albtraum's keen sense keeping them from stumbling upon someone they didn't need to.

Mina couldn't deny the excitement rushing through her veins. She was prepared to find those that she loved. She couldn't think of them as no longer being alive. They were this close. The truth had to set them free. She needed the extra hands on their side if she were to make sure Aldrik got Lotte back. Every piece of this puzzle had to come together. It was just that simple. Yet oh so complicated and intricate.