Ch. 3: How to get Out?
"Lieutenant, you just told me that I would be free if I told you where he was hiding. I told you more than you need to know so set me free, now!" Maria screamed. The lieutenant had become simply taken by Maria. He became fascinated with her as she spoke. He decided he wanted her to remain on their side.
"I'm sorry miss, you seem to be uninformed. I told you I would set you free if you tell us where he is. You didn't do that. You just told us the general area. So you will lead us to him tomorrow. Now you will come with us and we will clean up that foot of yours." He told her. Maria was scared, but found that she had no other options, but to follow them. They left the Abbey and returned to the Nazi headquarters.
Georg had awoken on the floor of the graveyard with a bad headache. He searched for Maria thought the Abbey when realizing she was gone. He was very upset about it, but he had to get back to the children. With a heavy heart he left the graveyard swearing to return to Austria to find Maria once the children were safe. Georg jumped into the car with his children.
"Father where is Mother?" Gretl asked. Georg's heart broke when he heard his daughter asking him.
"I'll explain once we are safe darling." He told her.
"Okay, I love you daddy." Gretl told him form the backseat.
"I love you too Gretl." Georg told her trying to not make the tears in his eyes evident. The pain in Georg's leg was no match for the pain in his heart he was suffering from. He could not believe what Maria had done for him. She jumped in front of a gun just to save his life. When Georg fully realized she had been shoot when she screamed he had never felt more upset at anyone in his entire life. He wanted to kill Rolfe right then and there for harming the most important thing in the world to him. Yet instead of being overcome by pain Maria had been strong, perhaps even stronger than him. He still thought of her with wonder and awe as he recalled the last word she had spoken to him: God. He did not hear her finish; yet he hoped that God would in fact lead Maria out of the Nazi mess.
He didn't see how she could survive the Nazis because no one else seemed to be able to. Then again thinking back to his earlier thoughts this was Maria. She wasn't the most ordinary woman ever. She had just something extra, something; he didn't know what but something made her always seem like the strongest person in the world in tough situations. Maybe it was the fact that she believed in God so completely that she just held not only her own power, but His as well.
He wasn't sure, but he did know that no one had saved his life more times than Maria. That must be almost the ultimate sign of love. 'She was willing to die for me.' The thought kept racing through Georg's head as he began to climb the Alps with his children to Austria. It just made Georg long for Maria more. He fell deeper in love with her with each passing step as he thought of that. He knew Agathe has loved him, but would she really have done what Maria had done? He didn't think so. Georg continued to walk in wonder, his mind filled with love for his wife.
Maria sat up on the bed that she was on. It was hard and small. It reminded her of the beds in the Abbey. The hospital bed she laid on was a far cry from the wonderful soft beds she had used in the villa. She sat pondering about whether her family was safe. She decided for her own good they were. She hoped they would know she was safe as well. Well she was safe in a way. The Nazis were falling for her tricks at the moment. She was nervous though. Maria knew she needed a wonderful plan to fool the Nazis.
She couldn't come up with much. All she knew was she would lead them to Vienna. Then what? She knew there was no underground railroads or hide out spots for that matter. Or if there were she did not know about them and would never lead the Nazis to a hideout where people were helped anyways. She needed to figure something out fast. An escape would be difficult to do.
Maria thought and thought, but nothing came to her head. She was completely out of ideas. Terrible images of how the Lieutenant looked at her filled her mind. She knew what he wanted and was afraid that she would not get away in time before he tried to hurt her. Maria fought the terrible image out of her head. All she knew was she needed to escape. Sooner than later.
Maria rolled over on the stiff pillows her body was stiff and her foot was throbbing with terrible pain. Maria also thought of the doctor who told her she might not be able to walk fully on the ankle again. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of not being able to walk. She turned over and prayed to the Lord. While she prayed she came up with a brilliant idea that might save her, for a little while at least.