CHAPTER II: Make Your Move
-America-
"Arthur, I swear there's something about her." Why couldn't he just believe me for once? I massaged my temple out of aggravation and impatience.
A short chuckle came through the line. It had no mirth. "So you mean to tell me that you saw a girl and you don't know why, how, or what is so special about her, but she just is? And we should drop and risk everything in order to figure out the answers to all these questions? Just because you 'felt' something? Honestly?"
"Uh, yeah!"
"This is a whole new level of stupid for you, Alfred. I thought this. . . Nazi ordeal made you a little more rational." His voice was strained. "I also told you to use this line in case of dire emergencies, so the others don't find out about it."
I guess I was going to have to pull this card. Never thought that I would have to use it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Wow I hated my life. I let out a breath, knowing that these words went against everything I stood for. Namely, irritating the crap out of England. "I felt magic. I could feel something that was definitely supernatural. Magic."
Arthur choked on the tea he was probably drinking. "Excuse me? What was that?"
I groaned, not wanting to repeat myself. "Magic, okay? I said it. It's the only way I can explain it."
A laugh came through the other line. "I'm writing this conversation down, by the way. This is too good. Alfred F. Jones, admitting to magic? What a truly momentous occasion."
"Hey! I'm not admitting to magic. I'm just saying that it was the only way to explain the vibe I got from her. It was definitely up your alley."
Arthur scoffed. "You know what that is? Admitting to magic." He pointed out in a definitive tone.
"Whatever." I said, clearly dejected.
There was a pause. I just heard his breathing, in and out, in and out. A nervous energy seemed to fill the line. "You are positive? And you are willing to risk it all on this girl?" His voice was serious and I knew he wasn't playing around. Good, finally he believed me.
"Yes. I swear to you there is something about her. Like a destiny or fate or something. I wouldn't be calling you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure. Plus there isn't that much to lose anyway. I need to get her to you so you can work your fake magic and figure this all out. It may be our only way out of this mess."
"I thought we just came to the conclusion that magic wasn't fake-"
"Not the time, Arthur!" I said, raising my voice. He got quiet. "Look, I don't know how much time I have left. I think the question we should be asking is if you are ready to risk it all."
Arthur paused, and I was nervous with apprehension. A sigh came through the telephone. "I am just desperate enough to try it."
"Good," I replied, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's strange though, she's one of the ones in college."
"Really? She's very lucky."
"Yeah well that depends on who you ask."
England got back to the matter at hand, knowing what I was talking about. "But how are you going to pull this off? You aren't exactly in the most influential of positions after what you've pulled."
"Dude, I have it all figured out. I just need you to be ready at Heathrow tomorrow. She'll be there."
"Have you even spoken to her yet? She will not just come to London willingly, and leave whatever family and life she may have."
"We'll see about that. She had just seen the wrath of the regime in full force. She wants to leave, and if not, I will- persuade her."
"It's not like England is a safe haven either." Arthur's voice became distant and removed. "They ravaged London. It's a wasteland of its former self."
I closed my eyes, reliving my own nightmares of The Fall in 1946. I still don't know how the Germans managed to pull it off. Everything was leaning my way. The bombs, the casualties. How did they do it?
Arthur snapped me out of my reverie.
"I will be there tomorrow. Good luck, Alfred."
"She will be on that plane. I promise you. Thanks, Iggy. She's the key, I just know it."
He didn't have the heart to chastise me for using that nickname he hated so much. The line went dead.
Well, it's now or never.
-Rhea Warner-
The comfort of the bed in my dorm and the soft tapping of rain on the windowpane gave me no solace after Cassia's death. It had only been two days, but I had to continue going to class. No one could outwardly show me sympathy because the rumors of spies got out and after the death, everyone was being extra careful about what they talked about and with whom. Plus I was sure that many of my peers agreed with the Nazi rationale anyway. Suffice it to say, I did not have the government internship anymore, to my great relief. I would not have been able to work there. Not after what they did to me. Not after what they did to Cass.
The cherry on top of the whole ordeal was that only one person had outwardly expressed their condolences to me: Claus. When I was dragged back to campus by the SS, he was manning the gate with a look of shock on his face. I had made eye contact with him for a half second, my head was hunched over and I probably looked like hell. As I was paraded back in a particularly humiliating way, people just stared at my predicament. After I was left back in my dorm room a couple hours later, someone knocked on my door. It was close to midnight and I new that I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I looked out the peephole and saw it to be Claus. What was he doing? I didn't open the door. "What do you want?" I asked, not caring about my kind facade of self-preservation that I usually wore in front of the Germans.
There was silence and then, "I'm just really sorry. Can you please open the door? I'm worried and thought you would need someone to talk to." He had probably heard by now about what happened, the televisions were no doubt shoving the murder down everyone's throats.
I could feel my entire body heat up with fury. "And what makes you think that I would want to talk to you right now?" I spat out, absolutely livid. Immediately after my insubordination a slight wave of regret came over me. Was he going to punish me for it? If he really wanted in to my room he could just barge in. He was above me, after all. He could hurt me and do unspeakable things and no one would even bat an eyelash, because no one could. I really shouldn't be arguing with him, for my own sake.
Instead of an angry reaction, I could just hear him breathe, "I'm sorry" in a soft voice and then his footsteps walked away from the door. Tears began to flow down my cheeks again as I slid down the door, not understanding how I was going to get through the week.
A few hours later I had to leave the room to go to the bathroom. It was about three in the morning. When I opened my door, I nearly stepped on a bunch of flowers. White anemones, merrybells, and foamflowers were gathered in a makeshift bouquet. I picked them up with disbelief and my conflicting emotions took over once more. I couldn't help but be a bit thankful that Claus had thought of me, but he was still the enemy. I just didn't know what to think about it, so all I did was put the flowers in water. I hated myself when I began to overanalyze.
I had to tell myself to be strong, but it was something easier said than done. I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had unfolded in the past few days. A pit had since grown in my stomach, constantly reminding me of how hopeless everything was. There was no comfort for me. I could only wallow in my feelings alone and not one person could make anything alright. The painful images of her body crashing to the ground made me shake with sadness and fury. Just like that. One word, and my world was shaken again. She was alive and living with such passion and vitality one second, and the next she was a lump of flesh, to never again see the sun's light or the comfort of a warm fire. Her dreams were cruelly taken from her in the prime of her life.
Tears began to fall on the pillow again. I couldn't stop myself from crying. I tried to tell myself to get a grip, as nothing will change the past. I only had so much energy to put on a passable face while going to class. Other than that, I was a wreck. Tears constantly stained my face and my hair was in tangles. Every time I opened my eyes I saw her empty bed, all of her paintings and colorful wall decorations still in tact as though she was only gone for the night. I felt myself wanting to call my mother but she couldn't be reached, as it would be too risky. James had written to me expressing his concern about my mental health, and I had replied that I was doing all right. What more could I say? I couldn't burden him with any of my problems, especially when he wouldn't be able to help me anyway. The letter would be censored too, everything blacked out that the Germans didn't want him to see.
I twisted in bed and my gaze fell upon the candle that filled my room with a scent that was supposed to be calming. It wasn't.
Suddenly there was a tapping on the window, definitely not created by the rain. I jolted upright, alarmed at the noise and the possibility that someone was outside, and approached the window. What I saw shocked me.
In front of me was the same man who was escorted by the eight guards. The same one who made eye contact with me after Cassia's murder. The one whose eyes were unlike any I had ever seen. I stood there looking like a wreck with my red, puffy and tear stained face, gaping and confused. A common trend when confronted by this man.
"Uh- so are you going to let me in?" came his muffled speech through the window.
I snapped out of my trance and went to wipe my eyes, then hurried to open the window. "Ye- yeah, sorry." Even though common street sense told you to not open your door for a strange man, I ignored that in the heat of the moment. Any enemy of Kauffmann's was a friend to me, and something about his demeanor told me he wasn't going to hurt me. Again, another thing I couldn't explain when I was around him.
He hopped into my room, wet from the rain. He was wearing an old school bomber jacket and his hair was damp and falling in all sorts of different directions. He was calm, and he felt powerful. As if he was a point of strength in this hectic and miserable world.
I was speechless.
After noticing my lack of talking, he decided to start explaining himself. "Look, before you freak out, I am not going to kill you or hurt you or anything like that. I just need you to listen to me." His hands were up, showing me that he wasn't making a move for any weapon.
I should have been a lot more frightened than I was, but all I felt was confusion and curiosity. I nodded slowly, urging him to continue.
He spoke clearly. "My name is Alfred. I'm here as a member of the resistance movement. You aren't safe here, and I believe that you can be useful to our efforts. What's your name?"
It finally dawned on me what was happening and I began to speak, shocked at what I was hearing. "My name is Rhea Warner, but just who are you?"
"I'm Alfred Jones..." he pointed out again.
"No, I mean what do you do? I saw you just the other day being escorted by eight guards. You were clearly under lock and key, and now I see you traipsing into my room through the window like it's nobody's business? What's the deal?" Concern etched my face.
Alfred scratched the back of his head and glanced at the floor. "I used to be a relatively high up government employee working at the international level. Things went pretty bad in this regime, so I made a few comments that The Reich didn't take too well. I was then imprisoned."
"Then how are you here right now, talking with me when you were under maximum security?"
Alfred paused for a moment, then shrugged. "I know my way around the jails. Not too hard to find an escape route."
I let out a loud laugh, really how dumb did they think I was? Alfred looked at me with a perplexed expression at my sudden change in attitude. "You expect me to believe that you just waltzed right out of Kauffmann's grasp? With that amount of security? I'd believe that world peace will happen next year more readily than I would that you just broke out of prison as if it were nothing. Do they think I'm stupid? Sending another spy to test my loyalties? What, now do they have enough evidence to kill me?!" The volume of my voice rose and I became gripped with fear again. "Get away from me!"
Alfred started shaking his head and looked at me with wide eyes, desperately trying to calm down the situation. "No no no, I promise you I am not with Kauffmannn." He took a step towards me.
I lurched backwards and held out my hands, thinking only through fear. "Stop! Get away from me! I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything I swear!" My mind rushed to the thought of my weapon in the bag across the room. My arms were shaking and I lost whatever semblance of a grip that I had on my emotions. My heart rate continued to increase, but before I could make it to the door, Alfred reached out and grabbed my wrist. I stopped instantly, my nerves calming down. I couldn't explain it, but his touch made me calm again. It relaxed all my muscles in a scary way. He felt like home. It was the only show of comfort that I had had in the past couple of days.
He then took another step towards me and, still holding my wrist, looked straight into my eyes. There seemed to be a blazing fire within them as I saw flickers of every emotion. It was unreal, and I couldn't stop looking into them. After a few moments he let go of my wrist.
He took a deep breath, as though what he had just done took a lot of energy. "Now do you believe me?"
Against my better judgement, I nodded again. I have no rational explanation for as to why I felt that I could trust him. I just could, and it worried me.
I went over to sit on my bed, absolutely drained from the engagement. "Why are you here? Why me?" I questioned meekly. I motioned for him to sit in the one chair in my room.
Alfred took a seat and gave a me a beaming smile, relieved that I decided to hear him out. That smile was infectious, and I felt the corner of my lips curling up. He was like a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of a blizzard.
Alfred ran a hand through his hair and removed the glasses that he was wearing. His gaze fell upon me again as he began to explain to me what he really wanted. "I can't really explain it, but I feel as though you could truly benefit the cause. You can be a major player in helping bring down this empire. I know you lost your friend, and I know you're angry." He tilted his head towards her empty bed. "There isn't much you can lose-"
"There is still plenty I can lose," I interjected, thinking about my family and my education.
"But this world can be so much better than it is. Can you imagine a place where people are not persecuted for who they are? Where rations are nonexistent and the stores are always full? We have been shrouded under Nazi rule for far too long. This is your calling. You must help us."
I hated the Nazis as much as the next person, and nothing would give me greater joy than to see the whole Empire burn just like it burned London, and DC, and Warsaw, and Moscow, and all of the other places that it ruined. However I didn't think that I was ready to do that. I had a relatively stable life. My family was safe, and that was more than what many people had. "Why would you think it was my calling, what would you want me to do, and who is 'us'?"
"I want you to fly to London. I have a. . . friend there that can help you. He has more resources at his disposal than I do. I think you should do it because I saw how powerless you were against them when your friend had. . ." He paused as he fished for the right word, ". . .died." There really wasn't a right word, was there? As Alfred finished he looked at me with a gaze filled with apprehension and hope. I started choking on my spit.
"What? You can't be serious? Just up and move to London? You're crazy. I thought you were talking about an inside job from the safety of my dorm room!" I exclaimed, shocked at the proposal. Who did he think I was? Some random stranger comes to my dorm and tells me to go to London?
Alfred let out a snort with no mirth. "The 'safety of your dorm room'? Really? Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but there ain't nothing safe about America anymore. You of all people would know. And now, you're under a microscope, a target. Time's up for passive acceptance. We need to fight back. Empires don't last forever. This one's time has come." It started to sound like he was rallying troops or giving some sort of pep talk.
"As if it is so much safer in London?" I shot back with a new vigor. "I heard what had happened there. Forty percent of its population, decimated! Can you imagine? Forty percent! I don't know what planet you live on, but no where is safe. I just chose the place that is closer to my family and my graduate degree."
Alfred sighed and shook his head, looking at me as if I knew nothing. "Engl-" He cut himself off. "Arthur can keep you safer than I can at this moment. As I said, I said some things that the government didn't appreciate."
I stared back at him, incredulous. "What about my family and my job? I just leave all of that to join some resistance group that I know nothing about? You've got to be crazy! I'd be putting them at even more risk."
Alfred straightened up in his seat. "Your family is in danger all of the time, just as every single person is in this country. It is your job to help fix it. Just as soldiers go to war for their country, you have to go to war for me- and, err. . . America."
I couldn't believe what this guy was saying. "So now you are deciding to put the entire fate of a nation on me? No thanks! Someone else can be the hero. I just want to live my life and stay as far away from the government as possible."
"And how well is that going for you?"
I froze on the spot. Anger bubbled up inside of me, and I couldn't hold in my fury at everything that they had done. "How dare you! You come into my room and insist that I drop everything for some resistance movement that will never work, and then you have the nerve to bring up my best friend who just got murdered three days ago? I'm not going anywhere with you," I spat back. This whole situation was completely infuriating. Of course I wanted this regime to be knocked down, but I couldn't just give up the things that were closest to me.
Alfred seemed physically pained when he spoke. "I know what Kauffmannn is planing to do. He is getting more and more reckless. The more time we waste doing nothing, the more people he gets to kill. And it's not just him. So many other leaders feel the same way." His voice changed from serious to pleading in the matter of an instant. "I need you to come with me. You are an intelligent student, going to an elite university. You have fresh anger, rightfully so. You can make a difference. You are already a target after the ordeal with your friend, might as well help us out. Kauffmannn likes to kill for the fun of it. Makes him feel powerful. The guy totally has a superiority complex." His attempt at a joke flew right past me as I continued to stare in disbelief as Alfred pointlessly tried to convince me to leave. It wasn't happening.
Sensing how I wasn't going to budge, he closed his eyes. "I overheard something while I was captive, and it doesn't look good for you. "
My heart jumped, and I decided that then was a good moment to grab my gun from under the third folded shirt in my drawer. My body was shaking. Alfred was looking off in the distance as I spun around, aiming down the barrel at his head, point blank.
As my quick movement got his attention, he looked at me with knitted eyebrows. He didn't look nearly as scared as I thought he would.
"Tell me everything you heard," I said in a deathly low tone. I tried to steady my shaking hands.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Fear was not an emotion that was in his voice.
"Tell me!" I demanded.
He put both his hands up. "Look, he is planning something big, on you. He isn't going to let you get away with anything. He's going to come after you in a few weeks, right after your fear has died down. You need to leave. Just take this as your way out. Not many get this chance."
"But I didn't do anything wrong!" I screeched, anguish drenching my voice. I gripped the gun with white knuckles.
Did Alfred's pupils almost turn red? He was trying to make me understand, shaking me into comprehension. His composure slipped a bit. "Do you think he cares? He's the same guy who burns babies alive just because they have trisomy twenty one. You're just another drop in the bucket, sweetie. And there are a lot of buckets."
I closed my eyes, wishing this whole exchange was over and that I could just sleep until this nightmare ended. I didn't know what to do. Part of me told me to go to London. I had to go to London, didn't I? I couldn't risk death. If I was somehow the key to getting rid of Nazi rule, I had to do my very best to make that happen. However, most resistance movements in the past went up in flames, literally. Clearly the whole 'keep your head down' mentality wasn't working. Fear nearly paralyzed me at the thought of imminent death. When The Reich has their sights on someone, they don't stop hunting. "How long would I have to stay in London?" My voice was shaking even though I tried my hardest to stay strong. I put the gun down.
Alfred's eyes lit up. "Arthur will see what you can do, and if after he tells you what is going to happen you want to leave, you will be on the first flight back to DC. Promise." He gave me a hopeful, almost pleading smile.
"I don't think I can come back to DC if Kauffmannn's putting a bounty on my head." I let out a deep breath. "I'll do it." I didn't know why I said that. I didn't know how I went along with it, but there was some inexplicable feeling that made me think that this was the right path. Was it because I was in grave danger if I stayed? Maybe. I just silently prayed that I was making the right choice. It was high time I stepped up and did something about the injustices. I was already in peril. We all die, so maybe I can die making a difference. How long did it take? Did I need to see my best friend get murdered to propel me on this path? Maybe. But I had just convinced myself that I will try to take down this system if it is the last thing that I do.
Next thing I knew, Alfred jumped out of his seat like a little kid. The tension from just a few moments ago had evaporated. "Thank you, Rhea. I knew I could convince you! You're going to love England- and Arthur's house. It's pretty awesome. He's really nice too! Well, as long as you don't make fun of his tea or his funny accent or his-"
"When am I leaving?" I cut him off.
"Tomorrow. You will leave out of Dulles tomorrow at nine in the morning," Alfred said as a matter of fact.
I raised my eyebrows, astonished at how quickly this was happening.
"Don't worry," Alfred was quick to support himself. "Everything is payed for."
I shook my head. "It's not that for which I am worried. It just seems like it is happening so quickly. It's already eleven."
He stood up from the chair and shook his head with that infectious smile on his face. "Things gotta happen fast when you're saving the world and being the hero. Just write some letters to them and I'll mail them to your folks when you leave. And wow, Iggy will love you. You speak almost as uppity as he does."
I shot Alfred a glare. He immediately raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry. Shutting up now. I have to go anyway. A car will be waiting for you on campus tomorrow at 8:15. I will be there as well. Just be ready for then. You can sleep on the flight."
"8:15? Isn't that a little late for a 9:00 flight?"
"Nope! You'll be okay, just trust me on this one, Rae." He then made his way to the window and opened it to climb out. "I will see you in the morning. Get some shut eye while you can." Alfred then gave me a huge grin and waved to me as he exited.
What just happened? So in a matter of fifteen minutes I was going to London, working for a resistance group, and trusting a man that I had never met before? ...And did he just give me a nickname? I guess so. My brain could barely process it. The one good thing about it was that I had forgotten about Cassia and this man had managed to make me smile. Twice. I didn't know what adventure would await me in London, but at this point, I've already seen so much death and evil that maybe a little travel and an uprising would be nice for a change.
I couldn't really sleep because I kept thinking about what would await me in the morning. I told myself that I was doing the right thing, that I could make a change in the world. The candle on my bedside flickered, and suddenly the scent was more calming than it had ever been.
The next morning I woke up at six am with barely three hours of sleep to hold me together. I had to grab some heavily caffeinated coffee in order to keep my eyes open. I started the process of packing, which was perhaps even harder than deciding that I would go on the damn trip. How much should I pack? I had no idea how long I was staying. I concluded that it was better to overpack then under pack, and made sure to include the pictures I had of my family. Warm clothes, bathroom supplies, makeup, shoes among other items began to fill my suitcase. I packed as much that would fit into the bag. Lastly I made sure to pack my gun. It was my father's. My mother and James wanted me to have it to protect myself in dire situations. Even though guns were outlawed when the Nazis came to power, the Americans had plenty of them to begin with anyway, and my father wasn't giving his up for anyone.
I pulled the solid black gun case out and put it in my main bag between the layers of clothes. I felt a little safer that it would be with me. I had to be stronger now, even more so than I was three days ago. This was war.
At eight I decided to start meandering down towards the entrance where the car would be waiting. As I walked along the path, a couple of students looked at me with confusion. I told one of them that I was going on a trip to London to see a relative. People didn't ask too many questions because they understood that I had been through a lot, and would have needed a break from everything here.
Waiting for me was an expensive large black car. As soon as Alfred caught sight of me he bounded out and went in for the hug. He smelled so comforting, like a crackling fire on a cold night. Again, his touch made me a little more calm about the adventures the next few weeks would bring. "Yay, you're here!" he proclaimed, as if I was going to change my mind.
"I'm not backing out that easily. Shots haven't even been fired yet," I remarked, trying to make use of the lighter mood and crack a joke.
Alfred's smile just got the slightest bit more solemn. "Yeah." He looked up at me. "I promise you'll be safe in England," he reassured me. He wanted me to trust him. The driver then hopped out of the car and put my bag in the trunk. Alfred opened the door to the backseat for me. The car soon started off down the drive, away from the university. An odd feeling came over me that made me feel that when I come back, everything will have changed.
There was a divider between the driver and us that Alfred put up. He then turned to me, a grave expression plagued his features. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. It had a telephone number written in it in a sort of quick style of handwriting. "This is for you, in case you ever find yourself in danger. Call me, and I will send help as quick as I can."
"Okay. . . But if I was in danger across the Atlantic, how could you help me?"
Alfred put the paper in my hands, and looked at me in the eyes. "Trust me. I will help you."
I nodded once. He was having me put a lot of trust in him that I wasn't sure I was willing to give.
The next thing he pulled out from his pockets was a long simple silver chain with a silver star as the pendant. My brows raised and my eyes widened slightly. A necklace? This guy was really trying to hit it off quickly...
All of a sudden a huge cacophony of raucous laughter came over him. "Oh, Rhea, it's not like that. It's just a little gift to remember me by, that's all."
I instantly blushed at the faux-pas I made and my hasty assumption. I probably looked like an idiot. "Oh, that-that makes sense," I flustered. "Thank you."
There was a lull in the conversation as the car made its way to the airport. I looked out the window to the city of Washington DC, with red, white, and black flags flying all around. I looked over to Alfred, who just shook his head. "I can't believe that they did this to my city. Burned it to the ground," he muttered. All of the government buildings from the old democracy had been destroyed. Every one. The monuments, the museums, even The Capitol was gone. I could have sworn that a glimpse of pure hell washed over his face, but it was gone in an instant. He was obviously concealing his emotions. I decided against asking how exactly he got involved with the resistance. "1946. That was one shitstorm of a year."
I shot him a glance. He spoke as if he were there.
Immediately, a veil flooded over his face and he turned to me with wide eyes. It was a bit disconcerting how polar his emotions were from just a moment ago. "Be careful of the food over there, Rae. It's more deadly than any of the other stuff you're going to go through. Arthur is the worst cook."
I laughed and he smiled, happy that he was able to get some exuberance out of me. He continued, "And just don't mention his eyebrows. At all. He hates when people mention his eyebrows."
"Duly noted." I then began to wonder what his eyebrows looked like.
"If he ever says anything bad about me, don't believe him. He's a sore loser."
"What did he lose?" I questioned.
Alfred looked up at me, another flicker of an unreadable emotion (was that amusement?) passed through his face. "A while ago we had a little game of Risk and I won. He's been bitter ever since." Alfred just continued to smile at me while playing with the fur on the same bomber jacket he had worn last night. "But that's Iggy for you. Oh! Also don't call him that unless you don't want to be fed for a week. Well, that actually might be a good thing now that I think about it."
So I may not be fed because of calling him a name? He didn't seem as nice as Alfred was trying to make him out to be. Nevertheless, the stress that I was feeling was melting away. This trip was going to be- exciting. An exciting adventure. Yes.
After a bit more small talk, we pulled into the airport. I looked at the window and was surprised as to what I saw. We were on the tarmac, not the usual drop off area. At least that was what I had remembered. I had only been on an airplane once, flying was quite rare. The car soon pulled up next to a beautiful jet. I gaped at what I was looking at. "How can a resistance group afford this?" I said, motioning to the luxury jet.
One corner of Alfred's lips turned up in amusement. "Like I said, I have my ways, and we aren't just your run-of-the-mill 'let's kill Nazis' group."
Realizing that I wasn't going to get much out of him, I hopped out of the back seat and was suddenly aware at how ill-fit for traveling in this jet I was. I wore sweats, a t-shirt and a hoodie. My dirty blonde hair was pulled up into a bun. "I feel like I should be wearing a dress and heels to fly in this thing. If my mother could see me now!"
Alfred looked down with delight, excited that I was so awed by what was going on. He handed the bag to one of the workers on the plane and they put it up in the cabin. I thought about how insane this situation was. Here I am, from poor student to the only one flying on a $30 million jet. "Aren't we supposed to be keeping our heads down?"
"Rhea, it's called reverse psychology. They are looking for all of the hidden stuff. The people trying to keep their heads down. The more we keep our heads 'up' the more we go undetected! That simple!"
"I hope you're right," I muttered as I started to approach the plane.
"I'm always right!" Alfred replied with exuberance. He then touched my shoulder and signaled for me to stop walking. "Look, don't say anything to anyone, even if they seem to be trustworthy. You are simply going on a vacation to London to meet with a family friend. Don't talk to anyone about it except for Arthur. Do you understand?"
"I hear you loud and clear."
"Good." He then continued walking and lead me up the steps and inside the plane. "He will meet you right when you get off the plane. If he's not there call me. You have the number."
"Sounds good."
"Well you should probably get going now." Alfred came to hug me again. His embrace felt like a home away from home. He then whispered to me, "You are the key. I just know it."
My blood pressure picked up as I comprehended the implications of his statement. I didn't really know this man from anywhere, but I felt a sort of connection with him. He was a source of comfort. "Good bye Alfred. Stay safe now."
He nodded in return and exited the aircraft with a wave. The door shut and the pilot asked if I was ready to leave. A woman was there as a flight attendant to help me get settled in. I sat in a huge, plush leather chair that converted into a bed and looked out the window to see Alfred by the car that took us. I waved out to him and he waved back. The plane started to move towards the runway.
This was it. The point of no return. I was in it now. There was no time to think about what could have been if I stayed. The only thing I could do was accept the future with open arms, and make a difference. I made a command decision that I was going to be tough and strong from here on out. I will win this for us. I will help save the world.
The plane took off in the rain as the flight attendant brought me some water. The flight was going to be eight hours long. I decided that I was going to catch up on some sleep.
I was awoken by the flight attendant gently tapping on my shoulder. "Miss? Miss?"
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling much more rested than I had previously.
"Here are your immigration forms. Since you are landing in the British territory, you must have your passport complete with the stamp from your chancellery in order to enter the occupied territory."
A wave of panic washed over me like a tidal wave. What passports? I had totally forgotten about passports. I had never been out of America. I went digging through my purse out of desperation. Sure enough Alfred had gotten me a passport. I opened it, incredulous. A picture of me from my high school graduation and a Nazi stamp with the swastika was included. I breathed a sigh of relief. How was he able to do that? And where did he get that picture from? I soon just accepted the fact that there were many things that I did not know about Alfred Jones.
The plane landed and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was in England. England! I was excited like a kid in a candy store. I never thought that I would be able to travel out of the country like this. It was so difficult to do with The Reich in charge of things. I gathered my carry on items and disembarked the aircraft, anxious as to what I was going to find. The pilot took my bag from under the plane and handed it to me. I expressed my gratitude. My eye then caught sight of a man approaching me, carrying an umbrella. It was pouring. So I guessed that some stereotypes were true.
The man had amazingly green eyes. They were just as inexplicable as Alfred's. Alfred and Arthur seemed to be related in some way, if only because of their eyes. He had blonde hair and thick eyebrows, but they kind of worked for his face. He was a few inches taller than me and he seemed to be about just as old as Alfred, maybe a year or two older.
"Rhea? Rhea Warner?" he questioned.
"That's me! And you're Mr. Arthur Kirkland, correct?"
"Correct." He offered his hand and I shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Warner. You may call me Arthur." He put the large umbrella over both of our heads to shield ourselves from the rain.
"And you may call me Rhea. Or Rae. Alfred decided to start calling me by that nickname."
Arthur gave a slight smile and took my bag. "Typical Alfred. So is this your first time to London?"
"It's my first time out of the country."
Arthur looked out to the distance. "I just wish you could have seen London with all of it's former glory." Soon he snapped out if it and realized that it was probably in bad form to dwell on these issues within the first few minutes of meeting someone.
I decided to change the subject. "Uh, so I have my passport and everything, but I didn't completely fill out the immigration forms because I didn't know what to put under the address that I will be staying at."
"Sod those forms."
I looked at him, perplexed. "Isn't that illegal?"
Arthur chuckled. "You're going to have to get used to doing illegal things. Your entire mindset is illegal; plus I have a little bit of a pull here."
"Alfred seemed to have some connections as well," I reflected.
Arthur smirked at my comment. We soon approached a small kiosk that wasn't busy at all. Arthur showed the officer an identification card of some sort. "Rhea, would you be so kind as to show the gentleman your passport?"
I took the passport from my purse and watched as the officer inspected it. He looked up at me and then back down at the document. He then returned it to me and let me through. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know I had been holding.
As soon as we passed the kiosk, Arthur regarded me and said, "Do not say anything during the car ride. I don't know what is bugged anymore. I will ask the questions. Remember: you are here visiting me, a family friend." I nodded, ready to put my espionage skills to their first test.
We approached a huge black limousine with a driver that was waiting for us. He took my bags and put them in the trunk. "We will be going home, Tom" Arthur directed the driver.
"Very good sir." He opened the door for me, and Arthur motioned for me to get in. The car was very luxurious. I had never been in a limo before. The seats went all along the side of the car, and there were a bunch of tiny lights that changed color on the ceiling.
We started driving out of the airport and through the city of London. "The trip to my house will take about an hour and a half, maybe less depending on traffic. I live a bit outside the city."
I nodded in acknowledgement. As the car went into London, I looked out of my window and was appalled by what I saw. It was much worse than DC. Some rubble from the fire bombings back during the war hadn't been cleaned up, even after seventy years. Many buildings sat in ruin, making the whole city look absolutely monstrous. London. This was its fate. There wasn't enough money to fund a cleanup or rebuild, not that the Nazis cared. It wasn't Germany or Berlin. The money was going towards military operations, and straight to Germany. As the car drove past a street corner, I saw a soup kitchen of sorts. Around that, there were at least twenty people sitting on the sidewalks, homeless and poor. Just one street corner! The poverty was evident. This nation, the one that used to be the biggest empire in the world, was crushed. Starving people could be seen everywhere. There was no evidence of anyone trying to ameliorate the situation. The government didn't care. The old tube stations were desolate and crumbling, and there were barely any boats in the river. A sick feeling came over me as I realized that I was the one who just rode on a multimillion dollar jet and is now treading through the ruined city in a beautiful limo. It saddened me, and gave me a feeling of dread that only made my decision to come and help even more sound.
"Damn" I said as I let out a breath.
Arthur glanced back at me with a pained expression on his face that made me want to cry out. In his eyes I could see the full weight of what had happened here. He shut them and breathed in and out, probably trying to forget about the decrepit city. More fuel was added to the fire that was burning inside of me. I would do everything in my power to help these people.
But even if we did succeed, it would take so much money, and so much time to rebuild these places and their economies. We would all be dead by the time that happened.
My eyes glazed over as I tried to think of something else- anything but this awful situation. I pried my gaze from the window and looked to the interior of the vehicle, deciding to focus on Arthur's shoes. I felt sick.
Arthur cleared his throat and I jerked my eyes up towards him. "So how are you liking university?" I could tell that he wanted to get both of our minds off the morbid subject that was our grim reality.
I gave a close-lipped smile. "It's nice. I'm so lucky to be able to go there." I made sure to not say anything that could potentially be misconstrued as being cause for treason.
"What are you studying?"
"International Relations and Global Business. I also enjoy taking French."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Why French of all languages?"
I giggled to myself. "So British people don't like the French! That's kind of funny."
Arthur gave me a half smile and looked down at his hands. "It's not that they all don't like the French. I just have a particular prejudice. In my experience, he- they can be quite rude and overly flamboyant for my taste."
"Ah" I said as I nodded my head. "Wait, so you know someone who is French?"
"Eh. . . yes" he hesitated, recognizing his misstep. "I know one that is quite arrogant and particularly insufferable."
"Hmm." I said. "I've never been to Paris. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower".
"Well maybe you will be able to go in the future. Just, without me." He had a small smile on his face.
"Yes, that would be quite lovely, I think. But maybe if you came along, you would have a better experience?" I posed.
"Perhaps."
After a long and relatively quiet ride, the limo turned off onto a private drive.
"We're here" Arthur announced.
I looked out and couldn't believe what I saw. The home was enormous. We circled around a large fountain, and then the car came to a complete stop on the tree-lined driveway. Arthur got out of the limousine and held the door as he directed his hand towards the mansion. I got out, completely awestruck. I had never seen a home so big in my entire life.
Noticing my amazed expression, Arthur half-smiled, seemingly happy with my reaction.
"Please come." He said as he motioned for me to follow him.
I gasped. "Wait, so where do you work again?" I couldn't comprehend where he could have gotten the money. There was a massive amount of acreage as there were no homes around as far as the eye could see. The driver carried my bags as Arthur escorted me into the house.
"I hope you will find the accommodations to be satisfactory," he said with the slightest tinge of arrogance, while avoiding my question.
I let it slide because honestly, I would probably be a tad smug if I owned this place. I let out a breath filled with disbelief. "I was living in a cubicle at college. Almost anything is a step up."
As I was ushered into the entry way, a grand staircase made of dark wood overwhelmed my vision. It broke off in two segments, one leading to the west wing while the other lead to the east wing. A large marble table was in the entry and a magnificent vase of flowers sat atop it. Roses of orange and white calla lilies were arranged in an opulent fashion. To my right and left I could already see a myriad of hallways and rooms that lead to other parts of the house. Old world detail was added to the decor as tapestries and paintings adorned the walls. A grand crystal chandelier was directly overhead. "Woah," I whispered. The house (if you could even call it that) from the outside looked grand, but the inside showed a true regality that was indescribable.
Arthur then turned to the driver. "You may set Miss Warner's possessions right there. You are free to go. Thank you, Tom." The driver gave a nod and then proceeded to leave. As the door shut behind him, I looked over to Arthur. A wave of excitement and giddiness took over that I couldn't help despite the morbid situation.
"Welcome to your new home, Rhea."
Author's Note:
So I hope you liked this one! We got to see a little more of the very mysterious Nations. I don't think Rhea knows the power they have over her. The first few chapters are set-up, but there are more Nations coming in the near future! This chapter was a bit difficult to write for me, but I think it gives some insight into who the Nations are and what their situation is. The extent of their power will be explored in future chapters. But anyway, there are plenty more chapters to come! Rhea has big parts in the beginning but as the story spreads out we will see the POV shift more often.
Again, reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, message me! I have quite a few more chapters written, so the next one might be up in a month or a little sooner, so keep an eye out!
