Happy thanksgiving, everyone, by the way. No warnings for this chapter except that it waxes melodramatic toward the end, as does the final chapter. Please R&R, and enjoy!

To be willing to march into Hell for a Heavenly cause…

Louisa wondered how much longer it would be, but she didn't dare ask. Instead she shifted slightly against the hard wall of the truck and tried to ignore the aching in her back.

Heike turned around from the passenger seat to smile sickeningly at her. "Not enjoying the ride, my dear?"

She refused to answer.

He tsked, but said nothing, and she stared out the back of the truck. The scenery was pretty. The rifles pointed at me don't help the view terribly much. Still, she drank in the sky and the smell of the forest. Who knew if she'd ever see it again?

Her whole body was sore and bruised from being chained and bounced around so long, and she had a headache from the constant stress of trying not to think about the future. The convoy slowed to a stop, and once again she held her breath, trying not to admit the shock of fear that went through her every time she thought they might have arrived.

She heard a man in front, asking for papers. For a second she thought she could imagine Robert's voice, but of course that was impossible. He was probably still at Stalag 13, carrying out business as usual. She turned back to the inside of the truck to find Heike's face not three inches from hers. Louisa gasped in surprise.

He motioned the guards to leave, then took one of her cuffed hands and rubbed it down his cheek. "You see, Louisa, they are trying a rescue, but it will never work, because we are ready for them. They think you are in the lead truck, and that is where they will focus their efforts, but you are actually back here. We are waiting for them; when they try to get you out we will round them up like the pigs they are, and catch a suspected double agent as well. In the meantime, we have time to waste."

She strained as far away from him as she could, but that was less than a foot with the chains around her ankles and his hand on her arm. His arm started to encircle her waist, and she slammed back hard against the wall, causing him to wince. His expression of pain turned into a sneer as he drew back. "Would you like to see what is happening to your friends, Louisa?" He called two guards, who marched her out of the truck and to the side of the road. She watched with growing dread.

She hadn't been mistaken. Even with his disguise and gruff German accent, she could tell it was Robert stopping the convoy. He was speaking to the Captain and appeared to be confident. Everything was going according to plan. She wondered whether or not he knew about the ambush, but she doubted it. Heike had been pleased with himself; he had probably changed plans once the convoy was already moving.

She thought about warning him, about calling out, but he was too close. While he was going down the line of trucks asking for papers the soldiers were casually walking around. It didn't look like he noticed he was being surrounded. Robert! she thought desperately, silently screaming at him while she tried not to stare too hard, get out of here! But he didn't notice.

Heike was watching her. "You know him, Louisa?"

"No," she started to say, then thought better of speaking and simply shook her head. What good was it? They both knew Robert was underground. Maybe he would figure it out and get away before it was too late. Maybe he would change his mind and decide she wasn't worth it. Maybe… but she knew he wouldn't, and even while she wanted him to get as far away as possible, Louisa couldn't bear to have him leave her alone again. Maybe it was selfish, but she couldn't help it. She was scared.

She was still fighting with herself when she saw another shadow slipping up to the lead truck. A pang went through her when she saw the man. He was going to walk right into the laps of the soldiers waiting inside. He may have prepared to fight three or four, but there were at least eight waiting inside. He glanced around; no one had seen him yet. And then he turned toward her, and she let out a short gasp as her face went white.

It was Emil.

No. No! She didn't realize she'd screamed it until after he looked up. She wanted him to disappear, but he didn't. He headed straight for her. Any further encouragement was cut off as Heike looked at Emil and then pulled her to him and cut off any more of her screams by kissing her full on the mouth. She could imagine Emil's face hardening as he sprinted straight toward her. Nothing would keep him away now. Louisa watched as the soldiers leaped out of the truck behind him. Emil must have heard them behind him, because he pulled out his Lugar and started shooting for all he was worth.

The whole convoy erupted into gunfire and shouting as the soldiers immediately focused all their attention on Emil, who was running straight for Heike now, murder burning in his eyes. Heike pushed her away and turned to smirk at the agent as Louisa fell back onto the ground.

One of the soldiers tried to block Emil, and without stopping the agent punched the young German. The man's head snapped back hard, and Louisa could hear the crack as his neck broke. A week ago she would have been horrified, but now she hardly cared. He was almost there… just a few more yards to go…

Suddenly a shot, indistinguishable from the din, rang out behind him, and everything went into slow motion. Emil wasn't hit hard, but he was thrown off balance, and he was going too fast to regain it. She watched, unable to help, as he twisted, arms thrashing, ankle twisted, foot kicking at the air, and fell, unable to get up again before the black-uniformed soldiers were swarming all over him. Even Heike left her side to gloat over his victory. She lay there, unable to pull herself up.

She heard a sound behind her and whipped her head around sharply to see Robert motioning her to hush. She closed her eyes, wondering how she should feel, but she was too confused to know. She heard a quiet scrape and then her handcuffs fell off with a small clatter. She watched him as he worked. "I thought you left."

A muscle jerked in his cheek, but his face remained emotionless. "I wouldn't leave you."

"You disappeared. I thought –"

"Later." Without looking up he motioned to where the Gestapo guards were still focusing on Emil. The chains on her ankles finally came loose, and he quickly pulled her away from the clearing. She looked back to where Emil was being hauled up by two guards. He was fighting as hard as he could, but it was obvious he couldn't get away.

Christoph tried to stand but failed, groaning and falling heavily to his knees. He looked at the other two. "I'll cover you; I won't be able to get away anyway. Georg, take Louisa away. Emil would never forgive me if something happened to her on my watch!" She felt Georg's hand on her shoulder, turning her gently away from the area. As the soldiers got closer Christoph started to return fire, and Georg took her elbow and started to pull more urgently.

She still couldn't move; she turned back toward Christoph. "We'll come back for you! I promise!" In the gunfire she wasn't sure she could be heard, but it was no use now. She saw him suddenly jerk back as a bullet drove into his chest.

The image was still vivid in her mind. What would she do without either of them to laugh with and talk to and tease? Last time she had promised to come back – and she hadn't. This time she knew she couldn't help. From what she'd seen only Robert and Emil had come after her, and there was no way to rescue Emil with only herself and one man. All three of them knew there was no way they could promise to come back – but she wanted to anyway.

As Robert attempted to get her away from the area unnoticed, she turned back toward Emil. The soldiers had discovered her missing, and now about half of them had fanned out looking for her. Emil was left chained to a tree, several of the guards still clustered around him. He was looking straight at her, a slight smile on his face.

Her vision was blurred, and she blinked back the tears determinedly as she tried to say goodbye. There was so much she wanted to say. I've never been unfaithful. I won't run off with Robert as soon as you're gone. I've never really cared for anyone but you. I can't believe you'll be gone. Do you know how much I'll miss you? A million things rushed through her head, but she didn't have time for any of them, and so she decided on three words that came as close as possible to saying it all. "I love you."

He must have read either her lips or her eyes, because he nodded slightly. And then, as a shout came from the soldiers, he mouthed "good-bye" and moved his hand slightly. She swallowed and turned away, looking over her shoulder as Robert pulled her away. She looked as long as she could, then finally turned and followed him away.