This is the fifth volume of my award-winning Wattpad Featured Story, 'Posted As Missing', an intense adventure/romance set in the turmoil of World War One Europe.
I've grown tired of blood-and-guts war stories, so I've written this series to examin...
David left Sonnenhang mid-morning on Friday, and after changing a flat tyre north of Offenburg, he made fast time to Ettingen where he paused for lunch and to refresh. Not like Greg to be late. Hope it's only the hot woman. He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts as he unfolded his Baden map and studied it, then he pulled out the one of Karlsruhe.
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While he ate, he plotted his route onward. The turn to Rüppurr, then follow the same road to the west side. Past the railway workshops to the Kaserne.Avoid needing to weave through the centre of the city. As he examined the map, he saw the gasworks. Non-strategic, though. Not for munitions. Likely servicing the rail yard and Kaserne.
After his break, he continued northward through Rüppurr, following signs to Karlsruhe. As he rounded a bend past the bleak buildings of the rail workshops, he hit a deep pothole in the road and heard a loud bang and a sharp hiss. "Bugger damn!"
David pulled to the side of the road and got out to see one tyre burst and another flat. Only one spare left. He looked at his watch then at the grey shape of the Kaserne less than a quarter-mile ahead. I'm a bit early, but it'll be too long patching the flat. Could drive like this. He shook his head. No, ruin a repairable tyre. Do it after the meeting.
He took the sample case and the envelopes of papers from his satchel, put them in his pockets and locked the satchel in the boot. A short while later, as he walked along the south wall of the Kaserne toward the gate, he heard a sharp, "Halt!" Two guards stepped from behind the bushes and unslung their rifles. "What are you doing here?"
"I have a two tyre punctures and only one good spare."
"And why does that put you here?"
"I have a meeting in the Kaserne, and to not be late, I decided to walk the rest of the way and do the repair later."
"This is not the way to the Kaserne."
David took the map from his pocket, unfolded it and pointed to a gap shown in the wall. "This is the entrance I was told to use."
"That one is not for public use. Not since the gasworks —"
"Blaumann! You've been warned not to mention this," the older guard reprimanded. "Keep him at gunpoint, I'll go find the Wachtmeister."
After the other guard had trotted away, Blaumann said, "Finally, we catch a saboteur."
Oh, God! How did he conclude that? "Saboteur? I'm not a saboteur. I'm a salesman."
"Then why that accent? And what's the strange clothes?"
