The Wings of Love
1 Chapter VIII
Leo was in a good mood while returning to their tent. He whistled softly, but when he saw Cole coming from the campfire's direction, he stopped and called to him:
"Hey, Cole? You all done with this plan of yours?"
In reality, he felt like talking to someone about his newly found happiness, but Cole was not really receptive, as he practically ignored him and entered the tent without a word.
Leo frowned, wondering about this. When he entered in turn, he found his friend opening his pack roughly, tossing his effects aside until he found what he was looking for. He pulled a bottle out of the pack and immediately unscrewed the lid. Without paying any attention to Leo, he stared at the bottle for an instant before putting it to his mouth and swallowing, to Leo's estimate, the equivalent of two drinks in one gulp.
"Huh, long night I see?"
Finally, Cole turned to him with a bitter expression, already bringing up the bottle for another helping.
"Yeah," he simply said, before taking almost as large an amount of the amber spirit.
"You know," Leo replied, with a frown, "if you go on like this, you'll be drunk in no time."
Cole glared at him before sitting heavily on his blanket, still cradling the bottle.
"Not a moment too soon…"
"That bad, hey?"
Cole did not even deign look at him, his expression growing bitterer by the moment. Even as Leo watched, appalled, Cole swallowed more of the whisky.
"Ok, that's enough. If you continue like this, you won't just be drunk, you'll be dead. This stuff could kill you, you know that?"
Leo made a move to take the bottle away, but Cole pulled it out of his reach with an impatient gesture.
"I wouldn't be that lucky…" he grumbled, his voice already slurred by drunkenness.
Leo sat beside him then, very concerned:
"Well, whatever this is, it seems to me you need to talk about it…"
Cole sneered at him, but without much conviction.
"I'm not in the mood for your "I told you so" Leo…"
Leo frowned more severely at this, surprised at his friend's defeated attitude.
"Come on, Cole. All you have to do is get off your butt and go talk to her," he said, as he easily guessed that it was related to their conversation of the previous night.
Guilt spread over his friend's expression, while he gave a quick glance toward Leo. Turning away, he said bitterly.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Leo sighed impatiently:
"Well, by all means, stop hugging this bottle and enlighten me…"
Cole hesitated only slightly:
"Nothing new…Just me being a bloody asshole, that's all…"
"Wow, that's harsh, isn't it?" Leo exclaimed.
"It's only the truth," Cole replied flatly, as he was bringing the bottle to his lips again.
This time, Leo grabbed it and took it away from him. Cole scowled at him, but his protest didn't last long.
"Ok now, what did you do?" Leo asked when he saw that Cole was calming down.
In a falsely casual tone of voice, Cole answered:
"I just made sure that Phoebe would never talk to me again…congratulate me! I got what I wanted, haven't I?"
Leo watched him in puzzlement, while distractedly wiping the bottle's neck and taking a sip of the strong liquor himself.
"It can't be that bad?" he said at last.
As Leo was letting the bottle drop to his lap, Cole grabbed it back.
"Trust me on this. I did a bang up job…if you only could have seen her face…"
He grimaced painfully before bringing the bottle to his lips again.
"You know what," Leo said, "I won't even ask what you did. But I'll ask you this. How do you really feel about her?"
It took a long moment before he got an answer from Cole. So much so that Leo began to believe that Cole had not heard the question. He was about to ask again, when Cole turned to him with more pain in his eyes than he had ever seen in him.
"How about I lost a part of my soul tonight?"
Leo opened wide eyes at this. However, his friend did not even notice this, as he lied down on the blanket and looked away. Leo was astounded. He thought that Cole had some obvious feelings for the young nurse, but he never believed that it ran so deep. However, now he somewhat understood his earlier attitude. He knew that a man like him would be afraid of getting lost to another.
"There's got to be a way to repair whatever it is you've done."
The defeated tone of his friend's voice gave him a chill.
"Nope! Trust me on this. Now, if you could please let me drink myself to sleep, I'd be grateful," Cole added, resolutely keeping his back to him. Leo knew that there was no point in trying to reason with him now. He was not about to drop this however. He just thought that it would be a better idea to wait until things became clearer, and Cole was sober.
As he lied down on his own blanket, Leo realized that he had not told Cole about Piper. Right then, he felt a pinch of remorse at his own happiness.
The next morning, Cole woke up with the worst headache he ever had in his life. By his side, the accursed bottle was lying almost empty. For a moment, he tried to remember what had made him do this, as only the pain occupied his mind. Then he suddenly did, and the headache didn't seem so bad anymore. However, he also realized something else. The night before, seeing her moving away from him, along with Clay's attitude throughout the following hour, gave him the impression that the ground was positively crumbling beneath him. Nevertheless, he was not the kind of man who gave up that easily. It was not in his nature, and that morning he only remembered. He got up with a renewed conviction. He would do everything that he could to win her over. This new resolve brought a weak but definite smile to his lips. He had not noticed, but Leo was observing him.
"Hey, what changed," this one asked with a hesitant smile of his own.
Cole turned toward his friend, somewhat mortified by his display of weakness the night before.
"Huh, well…let's just say I decided I gave up too easily…"
Leo' smile brightened at this. "That's more like you. You scared me, Cole… For a while there, I thought that someone had kidnapped you and put this pale copy of you in your place."
A wave of pain exploded in Cole's head, and as he turned to Leo with a grimace, he replied:
"If it's ok with you, the next time I get like this, knock me down. It'll hurt less." "You can't say I didn't warn you," Leo replied mockingly. He was still relieved to see his friend with a more positive attitude.
"Wait here. I might just have what you need."
Cole watched him going dubiously, but the headache came back full blown at this point, and he closed his eyes to try dulling the pain. When he reopened them, Leo was shoving a nasty looking drink in front of him.
"What the hell is that?"
"Suffice for you to know that it'll be of help for your hangover. Drink all…"
Cole eyed the mixture reluctantly.
"Really," he asked hesitantly.
"Hey, I'm the doctor, remember?"
Cole gingerly took the glass from Leo and slowly brought it to his lips.
"Come on, all at once. You weren't so hesitant when you imbibed all that whisky last night…"
Cole glared at Leo, but even that gesture hurt, so he brought the glass to his lips, closing his eyes, and with a grimace of disgust, swallowed it all. Immediately afterward, he looked as if he was going to throw up, and Leo gave him an amused smile.
"Now, let this work for a moment," he said, ignoring the face Cole made him.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Cole finally managed, half reproachful, half amused.
In spite of his doubts, after a few minutes, he began to feel better.
"She's at the fire having some breakfast, and Clay isn't with her," Leo said then, noticing his friend's uncertain stare toward the tent's opening. Cole barely reacted, but Leo knew that he heard.
"If I were you though, I'd throw some water on my face, and shave."
Cole brought his hands to his cheeks and felt the stubble with a grimace.
"Right," he said, although he was obviously tempted to go out at once.
By the time he got to the campfire, Phoebe was already preparing to leave, and he hurried by her side. She avoided looking at him altogether, while rinsing the plate in a basin.
"Miss Halliwell," he questioned hesitantly.
Rather than answering, she noisily put the plate on a pile, and turned resolutely away.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," he called.
Phoebe stopped and half turned toward him, still not meeting his gaze.
"Captain Turner…I have no time for your games, so if you don't mind, let's keep the chit chat to a minimum in the future."
Before he could reply, she was already on her way.
"Hum," he grumbled to himself, "this is gonna be more difficult than I thought…"
Leo startled him at this.
"What? Your charms didn't work on her…"
The slightly mocking tone of voice didn't escape Cole.
"You'll see. She'll come around," he still boasted, half convinced.
"Hum…"
Cole felt like insisting, but he realized that Leo was simply taunting him.
"What kind of friend are you?"
Leo smiled:
"One that doesn't like to see his friend giving up at the first rejection, but still think that you could use some humility…"
"That's not my way…"
"Don't I know…"
Cole was about to protest further when he noticed that Leo was distracted.
He followed his gaze and saw Piper coming their way with a sweet smile.
"Oh, I see that you have made progress, on the other hand…"
He thought that he noticed a little reddening on his friend's cheeks and for a moment this helped him put his own problem aside.
"Hello, Leo," Piper said softly, as she came closer.
Leo cleared his throat, apparently embarrassed in front of his friend:
"Good morning," he still managed.
Her smile brightened, oblivious to his discomfort, and Cole simply watched them with a corner smile. After a moment of awkward silence, Leo eyed his friend severely:
"Shouldn't you be doing something?"
Cole smiled anew, but he backed off then.
"Right. I'll leave you two lovebirds. Have fun!"
Leo watched Cole going with an annoyed expression, but soon returned his gaze toward Piper, still slightly embarrassed. However, by then her attitude had changed. She seemed preoccupied.
"Hum…"she began. "Did your friend tell you of anything wrong happening between Phoebe and Captain Bartlett last night?"
Leo understood that she had no idea on who the real culprit was. He decided that now wasn't the time to tell, as he encouraged her to elaborate instead.
"No, why?"
"Well, I don't like to talk about my cousin's problems. But well, she came in last night crying and really down on men in general. It worries me a lot. And since she was with him when we left, I assumed something might've happened afterward…"
"I couldn't tell you. Cole didn't mention anything about it," Leo lied, while avoiding her eyes. At reflection, he thought best not to get into this any further with Piper.
This one watched him curiously for an instant, as if she had guessed that he was hiding something, but to Leo's relief, she soon dismissed it.
"I guess she'll tell me in time…So," she added, the smile reforming on her lips, "how about breakfast?"
He still wondered what Cole might've done that was so terrible. However, like Piper, he figured that he would find out in time.
"I'm starving," he said then with a smile.
She took his hand at this point and he forgot all about his friend's troubles.
"I still don't like the idea of you being part of this," Leo whispered to Piper, as they crouched in a bush, near the city. From where they were, they could see a patrol walking stiffly, maybe three hundred feet away, and Leo's happiness of the morning had given place to a growing fear for Piper.
"I told you, I'll be careful. Besides, my part in it isn't nearly as dangerous as the others'."
"So you say. I can't even get your back!"
"It makes sense for you to stay behind. If something goes wrong, you might be of use."
"Please, don't remind me."
"Shhhh…" a voice came from the side, while the owner of the voice stayed unseen, hiding just as they were.
It startled Leo. He realized then that all of them must be just as nervous, and for good reasons. It wasn't completely dark yet, and they had to wait another thirty minutes before making the first move. It seemed like an eternity. He saw Piper frown unhappily, as if she felt the warning as an insult of sort, but she still kept quiet. On an impulse, he took her hand and she immediately turned to him with a little smile. Soon however, she turned back toward the city, watching the comings and goings anxiously.
Phoebe, Clay and Cole were hiding practically on the other side of the city. From their vintage, all they could see was the large building described to them by the scouts. Cole had been so bold as to go closer earlier and verify his assumptions about it. He had returned with a self satisfied expression.
"I told you. It's exactly what I thought," he answered Clay's questioning stare.
"I still say that you based everything on a hunch, as per usual. What if you'd been wrong," Clay pursued in a low voice.
"I wasn't," Cole replied dismissively.
Phoebe was angry with herself for the relief she felt at seeing him back. All day, she had tried to avoid him, but in the end, her protectiveness of Piper got her exactly where she didn't want to be. Earlier, when Cole had laid out the plan for them, Piper had tried to volunteer for this. In spite of her reluctance at being close to Cole, Phoebe had reacted immediately.
"No," she had said categorically. "If anyone goes with them, it'll be me."
"Phoebe," Piper had protested, "It's my decision."
"You're the youngest and too impulsive." Phoebe had rationalized then.
Turning toward Cole and Clay, she had reaffirmed her desire to take Piper's place, and they had not been able to find any argument against it. Piper's part in the plan, a simple, if unpleasant, in and out task, still held risk, to Phoebe's displeasure. However, it was nowhere near as dangerous as what Phoebe volunteered for…
For an instant, Cole had wondered if it had to do with him, but he soon was disillusioned on that point. Even now, he couldn't read her face, as he watched her. She hadn't said another word to him all day. His only consolation was that she seemed just as aloof with Clay.
This one was whispering something to him and it took Cole a moment to understand what he was talking about.
"So, that would explain the contingent around the town, I guess…"
Cole turned to him reluctantly and, guessing what he was referring to, he replied:
"I would say yes. But whatever, now it'll serve our purpose abundantly."
"That is, if we don't get blown up ourselves."
Cole looked at Clay irritably:
"Then, we'll have to be extra careful, now won't we?"
Clay grunted, but didn't answer.
Both Cole and Clay were wearing the German uniforms, however uncomfortable they felt about it. They hoped that it wouldn't come into play however, as it was risky since neither one of them spoke a word of German. As there was nothing more that they could do about it, Cole decided to put this aside and tried talking to Phoebe once more, to Clay's obvious irritation.
"Miss Halliwell, I know that you don't feel like talking to me at all, but that doesn't keep me from worrying about you."
Phoebe kept her eyes stubbornly forward, pretending that she didn't hear him.
"There is no reason for you to risk your life." he insisted. "You could watch our back from here."
This time she reacted
"I haven't come all this way to see you two get blown to pieces or shot from this hiding place," she uttered angrily.
"Well, I didn't know you cared so much," Cole replied, slightly amused.
However, she looked at him with such contempt that he flinched:
"This has nothing to do with you personally, Captain. You've convinced us that we needed those vehicles if we wanted to get out of this country alive. This means that you've got to succeed first. And even if I got serious reservations as far as you're concerned, I still recognize that we'll need you with us."
"I see…"
"I hope so," she replied dryly, even as she looked back toward the city.
Cole didn't miss the satisfied expression of his copilot and he frowned unhappily at this.
Phoebe tried her best to forget about Cole's proximity, as she thought of what was to come instead. She was wearing one of the civilian outfits they had taken from the farm in case of need. This was a man's outfit, and she felt ill at ease in it. Yet, she recognized that a skirt wouldn't have been indicated for such an operation.
Even as she watched, another patrol went by, giving her a chill in spite of her resolve. She couldn't help admiring Cole and Clay's apparent lack of fear. For her part, she was terrorized, even if she did her best to hide it. When it was only a plan, it had seemed easy enough, if risky. However, faced with the actual event, she wondered about the imponderable. She jumped when Cole announced at last that it was time. Looking back at them quickly, she saw that they were already standing up and making sure that the patrol was out of sight. Cole turned to her briefly, obviously checking if she was coming, then as she got up cautiously, he resolutely moved toward the large building, soon followed by the other two.
Leo watched Piper with increasing anxiety, knowing that every minute brought them closer to the execution of the plan. Even if he knew the importance of keeping quiet, he couldn't help trying again to change her mind.
"Piper," he whispered. She didn't hear him, and kept her eyes on the city, so he tried a little louder:
"Piper?"
This time, she turned to him questioningly.
"I don't want you to go…"
"Leo," she replied with a sigh, "I thought you understood…I intend to do what was asked of me. You can't stop me…"
"I'm so worried, Piper. We had so little time…"
"I promise you," she interrupted assuredly, "we'll have all the time in the world once we're out of here. I'll be careful…"
She had barely finished her sentence that one of the medics came by their sides. He had been so quiet that they jumped at his arrival.
"It's time," he announced. Even in the low tone of voice, Leo could sense the stress, and it only added to his worries. However, Piper didn't hesitate to follow him out of the bush. Leo watched them going apprehensively, until they had reached the first house, then they fell out of sight.
The civilian clothes fell loosely around Piper, but it suited her just fine. It also allowed her to conceal the Molotov Cocktails she carried. She felt their weight under the overcoat, and it, at once, reassured and scared her. No where in her job designation had she considered using such horrible weapons. Nevertheless, she intended to carry her part of the plan, no matter how squeamish it made her. The medic walked cautiously, sticking to the wall of the nearest house, and she followed his example as her heart was racing from the fear and excitement. Suddenly, even as he was about to turn the corner of the house, he threw himself back, obviously breathing hard. Piper froze, now totally overwhelmed by fear. A few seconds later, they saw a couple strolling by in the street. Piper held her breath, so much so that her lungs hurt. She let out a deep sigh when the couple moved on without seeing them. The medic still signaled her to wait. Behind them, another twosome was coming closer. She recognized Paige and one of the administrative officers. None of them were cut out for this job, yet they had to do it.
Looking back toward the medic, she realized that he had already turned the corner, and she hurried behind him. They knew what they were supposed to do.
Cole and Clay cautiously turned the corner of the building, and, as the scouts had told them the night before, found a number of military trucks parked in front of it. Cole's assumption, from the look of the place, along with the news about the trucks, was that this must be a small weapon factory. One of the vehicles in question was already loaded, and it removed any lingering doubts he might've had. From where they stood, they could see the crates with obvious warnings on them. He smiled when he recognized what he had hoped for. The truck was filled with ammunitions. However, when he started toward it, two guards came out of the building, carrying flashlights. He threw himself back behind the corner, his heart racing. He was at least grateful that there were no dogs, but the element of surprise demanded that they not use their weapons against them. He tensely signaled for Clay to stand down, and this one grimaced in annoyance. They both knew that time was of the essence. The first diversion would come soon, and they had to be ready. Phoebe knew this as well, and when she saw both men hesitating, she made a bold decision.
Before they could do anything about it, she pulled away from the wall and quickly walked in plain sight. Cole and Clay watched her go with appalled expressions, but there was nothing that they could do. Apparently fearless, Phoebe walked toward the guards. Then, when she was certain that she got their attention, she turned away from them and returned toward the two pilots' hiding place. The guards watched her curiously for an instant, and then they followed her as she'd hoped. At the corner, she went on, not even giving a look toward Cole and Clay, while these prepared nervously. As soon as the second guard had gone by, they jumped behind them as quickly as they could. The surprise served the two pilots, as the guards fell to the ground with only a few grunts, while Cole and Clay each held their necks tightly. Picking the weapon from the guard he had neutralized, Clay was the first one to get back up. Cole held on a little longer to the second guard, making sure that he was dead. He still felt bad about this, but too much depended on the surprise for them to risk these guard giving the alarm. Then, he got up in turn, and looked angrily toward Phoebe, on her way back to them.
"What sort of crazy lady are you," he spat, while trying his best to keep a low voice. He didn't think that he'd ever been so scared for anyone in his entire life.
Phoebe, however, only dismissed his reproach:
"Worked, didn't it?"
She saw that he was about to protest further, but she didn't give him the time.
"I did it because we had no time to lose…Maybe you remember that," she pursued snidely, while staring squarely at him.
Reluctantly, he backed off, still mumbling about females screwing up operations under his breath however. Phoebe got most of it and was upset about his ungratefulness. Nevertheless, now wasn't the time to start an argument, as she saw Clay and Cole already on their way to the truck filled with ammunition. Once there, Clay moved on to the next one, carrying one of the crates along, while Cole climbed in the cabin. It didn't take him long to find the keys, which had simply been left in the ignition. He hoped that the other drivers were just as negligent as he started the engine, grimacing for fear of attracting undue attention. Luckily for them, no one came to look, probably trusting the guards to take care of this. Phoebe kept observing from the corner of the building, watching nervously from them to the street leading to the factory.
The second truck's engine roared and moved away. Then, Clay left it running about a hundred feet from the building, coming back hastily, and then climbing in the next one. Meanwhile, Cole maneuvered his own vehicle closer to the building. A low fence came crashing down under the truck's weight and Cole pulled to a stop against the front wall. Even then, no one seemed alerted and it raised his hope that very few people were left in there at this late hour. He didn't like the idea of killing civilians. Not even those manufacturing weapons for the army. Again however, he had to put aside his scruples, as the safety of his own people depended on their success.
Even if she had expected it, Phoebe jumped when she heard the first siren. Looking out, she thought that she could see the telltale's column of smoke from where she stood, although she couldn't be certain. They had cut it very short; as such an event could bring out more of the enemy. However, Cole was already lighting up the Molotov cocktail and preparing to throw it into the truck…
This was the signal for Phoebe to run toward the other trucks, but just at that moment, a car came rushing around the corner. Nervously, she went back to her hiding place, but immediately recognized the futility of the gesture. The newcomer would not be long in realizing that something was wrong. In fact, she wondered if they had not already been discovered. Cole turned toward the arriving car and this time, he pulled his revolver. They were too close to the completion of their task to leave anything to chance.
He lined up the car as this one came to a screeching halt only fifty feet away, the door opening before it had stopped. Cole was ready to shoot and nearly did, but he saw on time that this was no enemy. One of their own was coming out, gesticulating nervously toward him. However, as Cole was beginning to relax, an unknown person came out of the car as well. Cole lifted the gun again, very suspicious:
"Who's with you," he called to the young man.
"Don't worry about him, he's friendly. We've got a problem however."
Already, Cole didn't like the sound of this. Clay was coming back toward him and he pointed to the Molotov still burning in his other hand.
"Maybe you should mind this thing," he told him, while indicating the truck behind him as well.
Cole reacted irritably but used a piece of clothe to extinguish the Molotov.
"We don't have any more time to lose! What is it," he then questioned the young man. He thought he remembered him as Carl, but wasn't too certain.
"I'm sorry Captain, but one of the nurses got caught along with her partner."
Phoebe came around upon hearing this, worried sick about her cousin.
"Which one?" She asked brusquely.
"Mam, I'm sorry, but I think it'd be your cousin."
"NO!"
Cole looked at the Molotov and Phoebe in turn, wondering what would be the best way to handle this. They had planned to pick up the other teams on the way out of the city, counting on the pandemonium caused by all the fires. But the situation had changed. Even if he hadn't been concerned for Piper' safety, the fact remained that there was also a risk they would tell the German about them.
Clay interjected, indicating the unknown man:
"And what about him?"
"He helped us sir," the young man answered. "We might've been caught as well, but he took us in his car and led us here. He barely understands English, but still enough…"
Right then, Paige also exited the car, pale as death.
Seeing her there confirmed the bad news to Phoebe, as they were the only three females participating in the mission.
Without more thought, she went toward Cole:
"You got to do something! We can't leave her here."
Cole was torn at this point. Now that these had been caught however, he expected the patrols to come around at any moment, and this told him what he should do in the immediate.
"Miss Halliwell, we'll do what we can for your cousin. But right now, we have got to complete our mission. Even more so," he added as he was lighting up the Molotov again.
Turning to the young man:
"Do you think that man would mind me taking his car?"
Clay looked at him curiously:
"Why would you need this car?"
"You and…Carl?" The young men acquiesced.
"You will take the trucks to the rendezvous point," he pursued turning back to Clay, "I'll take the car and go back to see what I can do…"
"No way! This is madness. We've got to save the ones we can," Clay insisted then. "No offense Phoebe, but it doesn't make any sense to risk everyone else. There are still six more people waiting for us to get them out…"
Phoebe was about to protest but Cole interrupted:
"Clay, if they talk…"
His copilot didn't need more but still didn't agree.
"With the mess we're leaving behind, it will take them time to catch up with us anyway. But if we wait for you…"
"No, no need to wait. I want you to pick up everyone, and as soon as it's safe, get out of town. Follow the plan and get to the border. I might still be able to catch up with you if all goes well…"
"I still say it's madness," Clay protested, albeit weakly.
Cole ignored this too, and turned briefly toward the young man.
"As for your friend, Carl?"
"It's all right with him. Anyway, he wants to come with us. As a matter of fact, he has a favor to ask…"
"Clay'll deal with it," Cole interrupted, as he lifted his arm, ready to throw.
"Now I suggest that you run," he added, cutting all protests. He couldn't help looking at Phoebe however, who had kept curiously silent throughout this exchange. He caught her watching him with a puzzled, if still worried expression.
"What are you still doing here? Go! Now!" Cole said imperatively.
Clay and the others were already running toward the trucks, while Phoebe still hesitated.
"Miss Halliwell, you have to get out of here…I promise you that I'll do my best to get your cousin back."
Phoebe nodded apprehensively and was about to go after the others, when the door to the building opened, letting two more soldiers out, obviously alerted. Cole, realizing the danger to Phoebe and him, didn't waste any more time and threw the Molotov in the back of the truck. Then quickly, he grabbed Phoebe's arm and pushed her toward the car, whose door was still opened. A barrage of bullets rained by the car, just as he was putting it in gear… However by then, the soldiers had realized the danger since the fire was rapidly spreading in the back of the truck. Cole gave a quick look toward the other vehicles, and saw that they were now moving away. He turned the car around, speeding away after catching a glimpse of the soldiers running scared themselves. The first explosion shook the car almost off the ground, but it wasn't to be the last. Even if they managed to get to a safe distance, their ears still rang from the repeated detonations. Phoebe looked back, and even from a ways, she could see flames high in the air emanating a thick smoke. It didn't take long for emergency vehicles to come their way, but as they had surmised, they were not stopped and no one tried to verify who they were. They sped up toward the other side of town, where they could see more fires burning. In spite of the mishap, the result was very satisfying. They noticed people running in the streets while many more were getting to their vehicles and fleeing the city. With luck, all this agitation would give his team the cover they needed to get out, no questions asked. At this point of his musings, Cole spotted an alley and entered it abruptly, almost hitting a wall in doing so. Phoebe nearly passed out after being thrown against the windshield. Then, she gave Cole an irritated look when they finally came to a halt.
"Where did you get your driver's license?"
Cole turned toward her with an answer ready, but he changed his mind when he saw how scared she looked.
"I'm sorry I had to get you into this," he uttered sincerely.
"But you should've gone with them right away."
"Right," Phoebe answered, looking outside the car as if she expected the whole Reichswehr to fall upon them at any moment.
"We're safe for now," he added, trying to sound reassuring.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Phoebe uttered nervously. "How are we supposed to help Piper?"
At the moment, Cole had no idea how exactly he was going to do it. He only knew that he couldn't leave them behind without trying to save them. However, Phoebe being with him complicated things. He had made this rash decision that them, being his responsibility, he had to risk everything to go after Piper and her partner. It had never included risking Phoebe's life in the bargain.
"So," she insisted.
He bit his lips pensively, not looking at her. Then he replied:
"I want you to stay put. Don't show yourself to anyone, and if I'm not back in an hour, you go alone. A woman by herself, even in men's clothing, should not attract their attention. Particularly not tonight…"
To support his argument, another explosion, this one much louder than the preceding ones, resounded. Even from the distance, it shook them.
"Well, I think that the factory must be burning by now. If I'm ever going to have a chance at getting them back, it's now."
Phoebe had let him say his piece and it actually surprised him. However, as soon as he was done talking, she grabbed the doorknob.
Seeing this, he questioned irritably:
"Where the hell do you think you're going? Didn't you hear a word I said?"
Keeping her hand firmly where it was, she turned to him with an air of determination.
"I heard every word, but I'm not staying here."
Cole closed his eyes, breathing deeply at this.
"Miss Halliwell, I won't have you take any more risk that you have to."
"Captain," she replied just as strongly, "It's my life and my cousin. I'm going with you! Besides, you might need me."
"For what?" he asked too harshly.
She didn't answer, and instead got out of the car first. Cole rolled his eyes at her bold attitude, but couldn't find anything more to say in order to keep her there, short of knocking her out. For a moment, he entertained the thought of actually doing it…
Reluctantly, he joined her outside the car instead.
"You're insane, you know that," he still uttered irritably, as they started toward the main street.
"No more than you are…" she simply affirmed.
He stopped for an instant, watching her going and wondering if he should get angry with her. Yet, in spite of the adverse situation, deep down, he couldn't help being glad that she was with him. No matter that there was no affection in their exchanges, they were still talking.
Phoebe was walking ahead and forcing herself not to look back. The Captain confused her thoroughly. On the one hand, she saw him as this insensitive playboy, with no regard for her feelings or anyone's feelings for that matter. Then, all of sudden, he was willing to risk everything to save those two people, even against incredible odds. What she hadn't told him and wouldn't, was that she had another reason for having stayed behind. As worried as she was about Piper, she had also been petrified at the idea that he could be hurt or worse. Just the same as she had felt in the cave. The realization of this had made her angry with herself, but she couldn't help it. Whereas she had convinced herself that she hated him until that moment, everything changed afterward. She still couldn't see herself trusting him completely, but she couldn't bear the idea of never seeing him again. Those contradicting ideas were floating in her mind and distracting her. So much so that when she arrived to the main street, she didn't see the danger. A group of soldiers was running toward their position. She'd have bumped into them if Cole hadn't pulled her back and pinned her against the wall, to her utter annoyance. She tried to protest, but he put his hand on her mouth firmly. Only then did she hear the sound of heavy boots coming their way quickly. As they came in front of the alley, one of them stopped and looked in their direction. Cole took a split second decision then and bent toward Phoebe, kissing her passionately. If at first, she was angry about it, she still didn't push him away for fear of the soldier's reaction. However, she had to admit to herself that she was easily taken in that kiss. For a short instant, she felt like in the forest, as if the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving them blissfully alone. Then, the soldier broke the moment:
"(Who goes there?) Wer geht da?"
They heard the imperative voice, but didn't understand a word he was saying. At any rate, Cole didn't let go of her, pretending not to have noticed him.
"(Soldier, you are needed! And what the hell are you doing?) Soldat, du wirst gebraucht. Und was zur Hoelle machst du?," he exclaimed in disgust when he thought that he saw Cole kissing another man.
His exclamation caught the attention of the other soldiers, who had been waiting only a few feet passed the alley. They slowly came back toward it, as the first soldier took a few steps toward Phoebe and Cole.
Sensing this, Cole pulled the gun out of his belt, ready to shoot. She felt his gesture and her heart skipped a beat. Then, she heard the safety being removed, and worried that the sound would carry to the soldier, even if it was unlikely considering the agitation nearby. Cole left her lips and looked directly at her, trying to impress on her that she should run away.
However, her expression told him more than any words that she would not. Earnestly, and as he prepared to defend the both of them, he realized that he had seen what he wanted to see in her eyes, just now that they probably would both die at the hands of these soldiers…
He half turned toward the newcomer, while still concealing the gun between Phoebe and him, when a loud voice startled all of them:
"Hans!"
1 Chapter VIII
Leo was in a good mood while returning to their tent. He whistled softly, but when he saw Cole coming from the campfire's direction, he stopped and called to him:
"Hey, Cole? You all done with this plan of yours?"
In reality, he felt like talking to someone about his newly found happiness, but Cole was not really receptive, as he practically ignored him and entered the tent without a word.
Leo frowned, wondering about this. When he entered in turn, he found his friend opening his pack roughly, tossing his effects aside until he found what he was looking for. He pulled a bottle out of the pack and immediately unscrewed the lid. Without paying any attention to Leo, he stared at the bottle for an instant before putting it to his mouth and swallowing, to Leo's estimate, the equivalent of two drinks in one gulp.
"Huh, long night I see?"
Finally, Cole turned to him with a bitter expression, already bringing up the bottle for another helping.
"Yeah," he simply said, before taking almost as large an amount of the amber spirit.
"You know," Leo replied, with a frown, "if you go on like this, you'll be drunk in no time."
Cole glared at him before sitting heavily on his blanket, still cradling the bottle.
"Not a moment too soon…"
"That bad, hey?"
Cole did not even deign look at him, his expression growing bitterer by the moment. Even as Leo watched, appalled, Cole swallowed more of the whisky.
"Ok, that's enough. If you continue like this, you won't just be drunk, you'll be dead. This stuff could kill you, you know that?"
Leo made a move to take the bottle away, but Cole pulled it out of his reach with an impatient gesture.
"I wouldn't be that lucky…" he grumbled, his voice already slurred by drunkenness.
Leo sat beside him then, very concerned:
"Well, whatever this is, it seems to me you need to talk about it…"
Cole sneered at him, but without much conviction.
"I'm not in the mood for your "I told you so" Leo…"
Leo frowned more severely at this, surprised at his friend's defeated attitude.
"Come on, Cole. All you have to do is get off your butt and go talk to her," he said, as he easily guessed that it was related to their conversation of the previous night.
Guilt spread over his friend's expression, while he gave a quick glance toward Leo. Turning away, he said bitterly.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Leo sighed impatiently:
"Well, by all means, stop hugging this bottle and enlighten me…"
Cole hesitated only slightly:
"Nothing new…Just me being a bloody asshole, that's all…"
"Wow, that's harsh, isn't it?" Leo exclaimed.
"It's only the truth," Cole replied flatly, as he was bringing the bottle to his lips again.
This time, Leo grabbed it and took it away from him. Cole scowled at him, but his protest didn't last long.
"Ok now, what did you do?" Leo asked when he saw that Cole was calming down.
In a falsely casual tone of voice, Cole answered:
"I just made sure that Phoebe would never talk to me again…congratulate me! I got what I wanted, haven't I?"
Leo watched him in puzzlement, while distractedly wiping the bottle's neck and taking a sip of the strong liquor himself.
"It can't be that bad?" he said at last.
As Leo was letting the bottle drop to his lap, Cole grabbed it back.
"Trust me on this. I did a bang up job…if you only could have seen her face…"
He grimaced painfully before bringing the bottle to his lips again.
"You know what," Leo said, "I won't even ask what you did. But I'll ask you this. How do you really feel about her?"
It took a long moment before he got an answer from Cole. So much so that Leo began to believe that Cole had not heard the question. He was about to ask again, when Cole turned to him with more pain in his eyes than he had ever seen in him.
"How about I lost a part of my soul tonight?"
Leo opened wide eyes at this. However, his friend did not even notice this, as he lied down on the blanket and looked away. Leo was astounded. He thought that Cole had some obvious feelings for the young nurse, but he never believed that it ran so deep. However, now he somewhat understood his earlier attitude. He knew that a man like him would be afraid of getting lost to another.
"There's got to be a way to repair whatever it is you've done."
The defeated tone of his friend's voice gave him a chill.
"Nope! Trust me on this. Now, if you could please let me drink myself to sleep, I'd be grateful," Cole added, resolutely keeping his back to him. Leo knew that there was no point in trying to reason with him now. He was not about to drop this however. He just thought that it would be a better idea to wait until things became clearer, and Cole was sober.
As he lied down on his own blanket, Leo realized that he had not told Cole about Piper. Right then, he felt a pinch of remorse at his own happiness.
The next morning, Cole woke up with the worst headache he ever had in his life. By his side, the accursed bottle was lying almost empty. For a moment, he tried to remember what had made him do this, as only the pain occupied his mind. Then he suddenly did, and the headache didn't seem so bad anymore. However, he also realized something else. The night before, seeing her moving away from him, along with Clay's attitude throughout the following hour, gave him the impression that the ground was positively crumbling beneath him. Nevertheless, he was not the kind of man who gave up that easily. It was not in his nature, and that morning he only remembered. He got up with a renewed conviction. He would do everything that he could to win her over. This new resolve brought a weak but definite smile to his lips. He had not noticed, but Leo was observing him.
"Hey, what changed," this one asked with a hesitant smile of his own.
Cole turned toward his friend, somewhat mortified by his display of weakness the night before.
"Huh, well…let's just say I decided I gave up too easily…"
Leo' smile brightened at this. "That's more like you. You scared me, Cole… For a while there, I thought that someone had kidnapped you and put this pale copy of you in your place."
A wave of pain exploded in Cole's head, and as he turned to Leo with a grimace, he replied:
"If it's ok with you, the next time I get like this, knock me down. It'll hurt less." "You can't say I didn't warn you," Leo replied mockingly. He was still relieved to see his friend with a more positive attitude.
"Wait here. I might just have what you need."
Cole watched him going dubiously, but the headache came back full blown at this point, and he closed his eyes to try dulling the pain. When he reopened them, Leo was shoving a nasty looking drink in front of him.
"What the hell is that?"
"Suffice for you to know that it'll be of help for your hangover. Drink all…"
Cole eyed the mixture reluctantly.
"Really," he asked hesitantly.
"Hey, I'm the doctor, remember?"
Cole gingerly took the glass from Leo and slowly brought it to his lips.
"Come on, all at once. You weren't so hesitant when you imbibed all that whisky last night…"
Cole glared at Leo, but even that gesture hurt, so he brought the glass to his lips, closing his eyes, and with a grimace of disgust, swallowed it all. Immediately afterward, he looked as if he was going to throw up, and Leo gave him an amused smile.
"Now, let this work for a moment," he said, ignoring the face Cole made him.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Cole finally managed, half reproachful, half amused.
In spite of his doubts, after a few minutes, he began to feel better.
"She's at the fire having some breakfast, and Clay isn't with her," Leo said then, noticing his friend's uncertain stare toward the tent's opening. Cole barely reacted, but Leo knew that he heard.
"If I were you though, I'd throw some water on my face, and shave."
Cole brought his hands to his cheeks and felt the stubble with a grimace.
"Right," he said, although he was obviously tempted to go out at once.
By the time he got to the campfire, Phoebe was already preparing to leave, and he hurried by her side. She avoided looking at him altogether, while rinsing the plate in a basin.
"Miss Halliwell," he questioned hesitantly.
Rather than answering, she noisily put the plate on a pile, and turned resolutely away.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," he called.
Phoebe stopped and half turned toward him, still not meeting his gaze.
"Captain Turner…I have no time for your games, so if you don't mind, let's keep the chit chat to a minimum in the future."
Before he could reply, she was already on her way.
"Hum," he grumbled to himself, "this is gonna be more difficult than I thought…"
Leo startled him at this.
"What? Your charms didn't work on her…"
The slightly mocking tone of voice didn't escape Cole.
"You'll see. She'll come around," he still boasted, half convinced.
"Hum…"
Cole felt like insisting, but he realized that Leo was simply taunting him.
"What kind of friend are you?"
Leo smiled:
"One that doesn't like to see his friend giving up at the first rejection, but still think that you could use some humility…"
"That's not my way…"
"Don't I know…"
Cole was about to protest further when he noticed that Leo was distracted.
He followed his gaze and saw Piper coming their way with a sweet smile.
"Oh, I see that you have made progress, on the other hand…"
He thought that he noticed a little reddening on his friend's cheeks and for a moment this helped him put his own problem aside.
"Hello, Leo," Piper said softly, as she came closer.
Leo cleared his throat, apparently embarrassed in front of his friend:
"Good morning," he still managed.
Her smile brightened, oblivious to his discomfort, and Cole simply watched them with a corner smile. After a moment of awkward silence, Leo eyed his friend severely:
"Shouldn't you be doing something?"
Cole smiled anew, but he backed off then.
"Right. I'll leave you two lovebirds. Have fun!"
Leo watched Cole going with an annoyed expression, but soon returned his gaze toward Piper, still slightly embarrassed. However, by then her attitude had changed. She seemed preoccupied.
"Hum…"she began. "Did your friend tell you of anything wrong happening between Phoebe and Captain Bartlett last night?"
Leo understood that she had no idea on who the real culprit was. He decided that now wasn't the time to tell, as he encouraged her to elaborate instead.
"No, why?"
"Well, I don't like to talk about my cousin's problems. But well, she came in last night crying and really down on men in general. It worries me a lot. And since she was with him when we left, I assumed something might've happened afterward…"
"I couldn't tell you. Cole didn't mention anything about it," Leo lied, while avoiding her eyes. At reflection, he thought best not to get into this any further with Piper.
This one watched him curiously for an instant, as if she had guessed that he was hiding something, but to Leo's relief, she soon dismissed it.
"I guess she'll tell me in time…So," she added, the smile reforming on her lips, "how about breakfast?"
He still wondered what Cole might've done that was so terrible. However, like Piper, he figured that he would find out in time.
"I'm starving," he said then with a smile.
She took his hand at this point and he forgot all about his friend's troubles.
"I still don't like the idea of you being part of this," Leo whispered to Piper, as they crouched in a bush, near the city. From where they were, they could see a patrol walking stiffly, maybe three hundred feet away, and Leo's happiness of the morning had given place to a growing fear for Piper.
"I told you, I'll be careful. Besides, my part in it isn't nearly as dangerous as the others'."
"So you say. I can't even get your back!"
"It makes sense for you to stay behind. If something goes wrong, you might be of use."
"Please, don't remind me."
"Shhhh…" a voice came from the side, while the owner of the voice stayed unseen, hiding just as they were.
It startled Leo. He realized then that all of them must be just as nervous, and for good reasons. It wasn't completely dark yet, and they had to wait another thirty minutes before making the first move. It seemed like an eternity. He saw Piper frown unhappily, as if she felt the warning as an insult of sort, but she still kept quiet. On an impulse, he took her hand and she immediately turned to him with a little smile. Soon however, she turned back toward the city, watching the comings and goings anxiously.
Phoebe, Clay and Cole were hiding practically on the other side of the city. From their vintage, all they could see was the large building described to them by the scouts. Cole had been so bold as to go closer earlier and verify his assumptions about it. He had returned with a self satisfied expression.
"I told you. It's exactly what I thought," he answered Clay's questioning stare.
"I still say that you based everything on a hunch, as per usual. What if you'd been wrong," Clay pursued in a low voice.
"I wasn't," Cole replied dismissively.
Phoebe was angry with herself for the relief she felt at seeing him back. All day, she had tried to avoid him, but in the end, her protectiveness of Piper got her exactly where she didn't want to be. Earlier, when Cole had laid out the plan for them, Piper had tried to volunteer for this. In spite of her reluctance at being close to Cole, Phoebe had reacted immediately.
"No," she had said categorically. "If anyone goes with them, it'll be me."
"Phoebe," Piper had protested, "It's my decision."
"You're the youngest and too impulsive." Phoebe had rationalized then.
Turning toward Cole and Clay, she had reaffirmed her desire to take Piper's place, and they had not been able to find any argument against it. Piper's part in the plan, a simple, if unpleasant, in and out task, still held risk, to Phoebe's displeasure. However, it was nowhere near as dangerous as what Phoebe volunteered for…
For an instant, Cole had wondered if it had to do with him, but he soon was disillusioned on that point. Even now, he couldn't read her face, as he watched her. She hadn't said another word to him all day. His only consolation was that she seemed just as aloof with Clay.
This one was whispering something to him and it took Cole a moment to understand what he was talking about.
"So, that would explain the contingent around the town, I guess…"
Cole turned to him reluctantly and, guessing what he was referring to, he replied:
"I would say yes. But whatever, now it'll serve our purpose abundantly."
"That is, if we don't get blown up ourselves."
Cole looked at Clay irritably:
"Then, we'll have to be extra careful, now won't we?"
Clay grunted, but didn't answer.
Both Cole and Clay were wearing the German uniforms, however uncomfortable they felt about it. They hoped that it wouldn't come into play however, as it was risky since neither one of them spoke a word of German. As there was nothing more that they could do about it, Cole decided to put this aside and tried talking to Phoebe once more, to Clay's obvious irritation.
"Miss Halliwell, I know that you don't feel like talking to me at all, but that doesn't keep me from worrying about you."
Phoebe kept her eyes stubbornly forward, pretending that she didn't hear him.
"There is no reason for you to risk your life." he insisted. "You could watch our back from here."
This time she reacted
"I haven't come all this way to see you two get blown to pieces or shot from this hiding place," she uttered angrily.
"Well, I didn't know you cared so much," Cole replied, slightly amused.
However, she looked at him with such contempt that he flinched:
"This has nothing to do with you personally, Captain. You've convinced us that we needed those vehicles if we wanted to get out of this country alive. This means that you've got to succeed first. And even if I got serious reservations as far as you're concerned, I still recognize that we'll need you with us."
"I see…"
"I hope so," she replied dryly, even as she looked back toward the city.
Cole didn't miss the satisfied expression of his copilot and he frowned unhappily at this.
Phoebe tried her best to forget about Cole's proximity, as she thought of what was to come instead. She was wearing one of the civilian outfits they had taken from the farm in case of need. This was a man's outfit, and she felt ill at ease in it. Yet, she recognized that a skirt wouldn't have been indicated for such an operation.
Even as she watched, another patrol went by, giving her a chill in spite of her resolve. She couldn't help admiring Cole and Clay's apparent lack of fear. For her part, she was terrorized, even if she did her best to hide it. When it was only a plan, it had seemed easy enough, if risky. However, faced with the actual event, she wondered about the imponderable. She jumped when Cole announced at last that it was time. Looking back at them quickly, she saw that they were already standing up and making sure that the patrol was out of sight. Cole turned to her briefly, obviously checking if she was coming, then as she got up cautiously, he resolutely moved toward the large building, soon followed by the other two.
Leo watched Piper with increasing anxiety, knowing that every minute brought them closer to the execution of the plan. Even if he knew the importance of keeping quiet, he couldn't help trying again to change her mind.
"Piper," he whispered. She didn't hear him, and kept her eyes on the city, so he tried a little louder:
"Piper?"
This time, she turned to him questioningly.
"I don't want you to go…"
"Leo," she replied with a sigh, "I thought you understood…I intend to do what was asked of me. You can't stop me…"
"I'm so worried, Piper. We had so little time…"
"I promise you," she interrupted assuredly, "we'll have all the time in the world once we're out of here. I'll be careful…"
She had barely finished her sentence that one of the medics came by their sides. He had been so quiet that they jumped at his arrival.
"It's time," he announced. Even in the low tone of voice, Leo could sense the stress, and it only added to his worries. However, Piper didn't hesitate to follow him out of the bush. Leo watched them going apprehensively, until they had reached the first house, then they fell out of sight.
The civilian clothes fell loosely around Piper, but it suited her just fine. It also allowed her to conceal the Molotov Cocktails she carried. She felt their weight under the overcoat, and it, at once, reassured and scared her. No where in her job designation had she considered using such horrible weapons. Nevertheless, she intended to carry her part of the plan, no matter how squeamish it made her. The medic walked cautiously, sticking to the wall of the nearest house, and she followed his example as her heart was racing from the fear and excitement. Suddenly, even as he was about to turn the corner of the house, he threw himself back, obviously breathing hard. Piper froze, now totally overwhelmed by fear. A few seconds later, they saw a couple strolling by in the street. Piper held her breath, so much so that her lungs hurt. She let out a deep sigh when the couple moved on without seeing them. The medic still signaled her to wait. Behind them, another twosome was coming closer. She recognized Paige and one of the administrative officers. None of them were cut out for this job, yet they had to do it.
Looking back toward the medic, she realized that he had already turned the corner, and she hurried behind him. They knew what they were supposed to do.
Cole and Clay cautiously turned the corner of the building, and, as the scouts had told them the night before, found a number of military trucks parked in front of it. Cole's assumption, from the look of the place, along with the news about the trucks, was that this must be a small weapon factory. One of the vehicles in question was already loaded, and it removed any lingering doubts he might've had. From where they stood, they could see the crates with obvious warnings on them. He smiled when he recognized what he had hoped for. The truck was filled with ammunitions. However, when he started toward it, two guards came out of the building, carrying flashlights. He threw himself back behind the corner, his heart racing. He was at least grateful that there were no dogs, but the element of surprise demanded that they not use their weapons against them. He tensely signaled for Clay to stand down, and this one grimaced in annoyance. They both knew that time was of the essence. The first diversion would come soon, and they had to be ready. Phoebe knew this as well, and when she saw both men hesitating, she made a bold decision.
Before they could do anything about it, she pulled away from the wall and quickly walked in plain sight. Cole and Clay watched her go with appalled expressions, but there was nothing that they could do. Apparently fearless, Phoebe walked toward the guards. Then, when she was certain that she got their attention, she turned away from them and returned toward the two pilots' hiding place. The guards watched her curiously for an instant, and then they followed her as she'd hoped. At the corner, she went on, not even giving a look toward Cole and Clay, while these prepared nervously. As soon as the second guard had gone by, they jumped behind them as quickly as they could. The surprise served the two pilots, as the guards fell to the ground with only a few grunts, while Cole and Clay each held their necks tightly. Picking the weapon from the guard he had neutralized, Clay was the first one to get back up. Cole held on a little longer to the second guard, making sure that he was dead. He still felt bad about this, but too much depended on the surprise for them to risk these guard giving the alarm. Then, he got up in turn, and looked angrily toward Phoebe, on her way back to them.
"What sort of crazy lady are you," he spat, while trying his best to keep a low voice. He didn't think that he'd ever been so scared for anyone in his entire life.
Phoebe, however, only dismissed his reproach:
"Worked, didn't it?"
She saw that he was about to protest further, but she didn't give him the time.
"I did it because we had no time to lose…Maybe you remember that," she pursued snidely, while staring squarely at him.
Reluctantly, he backed off, still mumbling about females screwing up operations under his breath however. Phoebe got most of it and was upset about his ungratefulness. Nevertheless, now wasn't the time to start an argument, as she saw Clay and Cole already on their way to the truck filled with ammunition. Once there, Clay moved on to the next one, carrying one of the crates along, while Cole climbed in the cabin. It didn't take him long to find the keys, which had simply been left in the ignition. He hoped that the other drivers were just as negligent as he started the engine, grimacing for fear of attracting undue attention. Luckily for them, no one came to look, probably trusting the guards to take care of this. Phoebe kept observing from the corner of the building, watching nervously from them to the street leading to the factory.
The second truck's engine roared and moved away. Then, Clay left it running about a hundred feet from the building, coming back hastily, and then climbing in the next one. Meanwhile, Cole maneuvered his own vehicle closer to the building. A low fence came crashing down under the truck's weight and Cole pulled to a stop against the front wall. Even then, no one seemed alerted and it raised his hope that very few people were left in there at this late hour. He didn't like the idea of killing civilians. Not even those manufacturing weapons for the army. Again however, he had to put aside his scruples, as the safety of his own people depended on their success.
Even if she had expected it, Phoebe jumped when she heard the first siren. Looking out, she thought that she could see the telltale's column of smoke from where she stood, although she couldn't be certain. They had cut it very short; as such an event could bring out more of the enemy. However, Cole was already lighting up the Molotov cocktail and preparing to throw it into the truck…
This was the signal for Phoebe to run toward the other trucks, but just at that moment, a car came rushing around the corner. Nervously, she went back to her hiding place, but immediately recognized the futility of the gesture. The newcomer would not be long in realizing that something was wrong. In fact, she wondered if they had not already been discovered. Cole turned toward the arriving car and this time, he pulled his revolver. They were too close to the completion of their task to leave anything to chance.
He lined up the car as this one came to a screeching halt only fifty feet away, the door opening before it had stopped. Cole was ready to shoot and nearly did, but he saw on time that this was no enemy. One of their own was coming out, gesticulating nervously toward him. However, as Cole was beginning to relax, an unknown person came out of the car as well. Cole lifted the gun again, very suspicious:
"Who's with you," he called to the young man.
"Don't worry about him, he's friendly. We've got a problem however."
Already, Cole didn't like the sound of this. Clay was coming back toward him and he pointed to the Molotov still burning in his other hand.
"Maybe you should mind this thing," he told him, while indicating the truck behind him as well.
Cole reacted irritably but used a piece of clothe to extinguish the Molotov.
"We don't have any more time to lose! What is it," he then questioned the young man. He thought he remembered him as Carl, but wasn't too certain.
"I'm sorry Captain, but one of the nurses got caught along with her partner."
Phoebe came around upon hearing this, worried sick about her cousin.
"Which one?" She asked brusquely.
"Mam, I'm sorry, but I think it'd be your cousin."
"NO!"
Cole looked at the Molotov and Phoebe in turn, wondering what would be the best way to handle this. They had planned to pick up the other teams on the way out of the city, counting on the pandemonium caused by all the fires. But the situation had changed. Even if he hadn't been concerned for Piper' safety, the fact remained that there was also a risk they would tell the German about them.
Clay interjected, indicating the unknown man:
"And what about him?"
"He helped us sir," the young man answered. "We might've been caught as well, but he took us in his car and led us here. He barely understands English, but still enough…"
Right then, Paige also exited the car, pale as death.
Seeing her there confirmed the bad news to Phoebe, as they were the only three females participating in the mission.
Without more thought, she went toward Cole:
"You got to do something! We can't leave her here."
Cole was torn at this point. Now that these had been caught however, he expected the patrols to come around at any moment, and this told him what he should do in the immediate.
"Miss Halliwell, we'll do what we can for your cousin. But right now, we have got to complete our mission. Even more so," he added as he was lighting up the Molotov again.
Turning to the young man:
"Do you think that man would mind me taking his car?"
Clay looked at him curiously:
"Why would you need this car?"
"You and…Carl?" The young men acquiesced.
"You will take the trucks to the rendezvous point," he pursued turning back to Clay, "I'll take the car and go back to see what I can do…"
"No way! This is madness. We've got to save the ones we can," Clay insisted then. "No offense Phoebe, but it doesn't make any sense to risk everyone else. There are still six more people waiting for us to get them out…"
Phoebe was about to protest but Cole interrupted:
"Clay, if they talk…"
His copilot didn't need more but still didn't agree.
"With the mess we're leaving behind, it will take them time to catch up with us anyway. But if we wait for you…"
"No, no need to wait. I want you to pick up everyone, and as soon as it's safe, get out of town. Follow the plan and get to the border. I might still be able to catch up with you if all goes well…"
"I still say it's madness," Clay protested, albeit weakly.
Cole ignored this too, and turned briefly toward the young man.
"As for your friend, Carl?"
"It's all right with him. Anyway, he wants to come with us. As a matter of fact, he has a favor to ask…"
"Clay'll deal with it," Cole interrupted, as he lifted his arm, ready to throw.
"Now I suggest that you run," he added, cutting all protests. He couldn't help looking at Phoebe however, who had kept curiously silent throughout this exchange. He caught her watching him with a puzzled, if still worried expression.
"What are you still doing here? Go! Now!" Cole said imperatively.
Clay and the others were already running toward the trucks, while Phoebe still hesitated.
"Miss Halliwell, you have to get out of here…I promise you that I'll do my best to get your cousin back."
Phoebe nodded apprehensively and was about to go after the others, when the door to the building opened, letting two more soldiers out, obviously alerted. Cole, realizing the danger to Phoebe and him, didn't waste any more time and threw the Molotov in the back of the truck. Then quickly, he grabbed Phoebe's arm and pushed her toward the car, whose door was still opened. A barrage of bullets rained by the car, just as he was putting it in gear… However by then, the soldiers had realized the danger since the fire was rapidly spreading in the back of the truck. Cole gave a quick look toward the other vehicles, and saw that they were now moving away. He turned the car around, speeding away after catching a glimpse of the soldiers running scared themselves. The first explosion shook the car almost off the ground, but it wasn't to be the last. Even if they managed to get to a safe distance, their ears still rang from the repeated detonations. Phoebe looked back, and even from a ways, she could see flames high in the air emanating a thick smoke. It didn't take long for emergency vehicles to come their way, but as they had surmised, they were not stopped and no one tried to verify who they were. They sped up toward the other side of town, where they could see more fires burning. In spite of the mishap, the result was very satisfying. They noticed people running in the streets while many more were getting to their vehicles and fleeing the city. With luck, all this agitation would give his team the cover they needed to get out, no questions asked. At this point of his musings, Cole spotted an alley and entered it abruptly, almost hitting a wall in doing so. Phoebe nearly passed out after being thrown against the windshield. Then, she gave Cole an irritated look when they finally came to a halt.
"Where did you get your driver's license?"
Cole turned toward her with an answer ready, but he changed his mind when he saw how scared she looked.
"I'm sorry I had to get you into this," he uttered sincerely.
"But you should've gone with them right away."
"Right," Phoebe answered, looking outside the car as if she expected the whole Reichswehr to fall upon them at any moment.
"We're safe for now," he added, trying to sound reassuring.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Phoebe uttered nervously. "How are we supposed to help Piper?"
At the moment, Cole had no idea how exactly he was going to do it. He only knew that he couldn't leave them behind without trying to save them. However, Phoebe being with him complicated things. He had made this rash decision that them, being his responsibility, he had to risk everything to go after Piper and her partner. It had never included risking Phoebe's life in the bargain.
"So," she insisted.
He bit his lips pensively, not looking at her. Then he replied:
"I want you to stay put. Don't show yourself to anyone, and if I'm not back in an hour, you go alone. A woman by herself, even in men's clothing, should not attract their attention. Particularly not tonight…"
To support his argument, another explosion, this one much louder than the preceding ones, resounded. Even from the distance, it shook them.
"Well, I think that the factory must be burning by now. If I'm ever going to have a chance at getting them back, it's now."
Phoebe had let him say his piece and it actually surprised him. However, as soon as he was done talking, she grabbed the doorknob.
Seeing this, he questioned irritably:
"Where the hell do you think you're going? Didn't you hear a word I said?"
Keeping her hand firmly where it was, she turned to him with an air of determination.
"I heard every word, but I'm not staying here."
Cole closed his eyes, breathing deeply at this.
"Miss Halliwell, I won't have you take any more risk that you have to."
"Captain," she replied just as strongly, "It's my life and my cousin. I'm going with you! Besides, you might need me."
"For what?" he asked too harshly.
She didn't answer, and instead got out of the car first. Cole rolled his eyes at her bold attitude, but couldn't find anything more to say in order to keep her there, short of knocking her out. For a moment, he entertained the thought of actually doing it…
Reluctantly, he joined her outside the car instead.
"You're insane, you know that," he still uttered irritably, as they started toward the main street.
"No more than you are…" she simply affirmed.
He stopped for an instant, watching her going and wondering if he should get angry with her. Yet, in spite of the adverse situation, deep down, he couldn't help being glad that she was with him. No matter that there was no affection in their exchanges, they were still talking.
Phoebe was walking ahead and forcing herself not to look back. The Captain confused her thoroughly. On the one hand, she saw him as this insensitive playboy, with no regard for her feelings or anyone's feelings for that matter. Then, all of sudden, he was willing to risk everything to save those two people, even against incredible odds. What she hadn't told him and wouldn't, was that she had another reason for having stayed behind. As worried as she was about Piper, she had also been petrified at the idea that he could be hurt or worse. Just the same as she had felt in the cave. The realization of this had made her angry with herself, but she couldn't help it. Whereas she had convinced herself that she hated him until that moment, everything changed afterward. She still couldn't see herself trusting him completely, but she couldn't bear the idea of never seeing him again. Those contradicting ideas were floating in her mind and distracting her. So much so that when she arrived to the main street, she didn't see the danger. A group of soldiers was running toward their position. She'd have bumped into them if Cole hadn't pulled her back and pinned her against the wall, to her utter annoyance. She tried to protest, but he put his hand on her mouth firmly. Only then did she hear the sound of heavy boots coming their way quickly. As they came in front of the alley, one of them stopped and looked in their direction. Cole took a split second decision then and bent toward Phoebe, kissing her passionately. If at first, she was angry about it, she still didn't push him away for fear of the soldier's reaction. However, she had to admit to herself that she was easily taken in that kiss. For a short instant, she felt like in the forest, as if the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving them blissfully alone. Then, the soldier broke the moment:
"(Who goes there?) Wer geht da?"
They heard the imperative voice, but didn't understand a word he was saying. At any rate, Cole didn't let go of her, pretending not to have noticed him.
"(Soldier, you are needed! And what the hell are you doing?) Soldat, du wirst gebraucht. Und was zur Hoelle machst du?," he exclaimed in disgust when he thought that he saw Cole kissing another man.
His exclamation caught the attention of the other soldiers, who had been waiting only a few feet passed the alley. They slowly came back toward it, as the first soldier took a few steps toward Phoebe and Cole.
Sensing this, Cole pulled the gun out of his belt, ready to shoot. She felt his gesture and her heart skipped a beat. Then, she heard the safety being removed, and worried that the sound would carry to the soldier, even if it was unlikely considering the agitation nearby. Cole left her lips and looked directly at her, trying to impress on her that she should run away.
However, her expression told him more than any words that she would not. Earnestly, and as he prepared to defend the both of them, he realized that he had seen what he wanted to see in her eyes, just now that they probably would both die at the hands of these soldiers…
He half turned toward the newcomer, while still concealing the gun between Phoebe and him, when a loud voice startled all of them:
"Hans!"