Chapter 5
"The Baby", Maria whispered painfully again.
Emily looked worried at Maria, the Captain and the SS-Officers in a state of surprise. Maria gasped for breath and hold to Emily's arm.
"Something's wrong with it...Ouch" she groaned loudly, holding her stomach, but whispered into Emily's ear: "Everything's alright."
"You'd better call a doctor!" Emily yelled towards the SS-Men, while she gave the Captain a conspiring view.
The SS-Officer that had stood behind them put his gun down and longed for Maria's arm. At the same time the Captain grabbed him and Emily got his gun. With a perfect aimed shoot she hit the shoulder of one of the officers in front of them and his gun flew through the cold night air.
"You'd better stay were you are Gentlemen!" "What the hell.You'll never make it. You'd better give up!" "If you don't want me to kill your partner, you'd better lay your guns down." The Captain looked griming at them. At the same time Maria had managed it to get the second gun and gave it to her husband.
She didn't know what had made her doing this, faking a miscarriage. But the idea had suddenly popped up in her mind - and before she knew what she did, she did it. Forgive me, Lord, she thought, please forgive me.
Then everything happened very fast. The sound of shoots sounded through the Burggarten, while the Captain, Maria and Emily ran through the darkness. Emily sometimes stopped and fired back, then caught up with the others again. They soon had left the Burggarten, now running through the streets of Vienna. The steps and shoots behind them got lower, but at the same time the sirens in the city got louder.
"The cathedral." Maria panted. "We got to go to the cathedral."
"But even churches aren't safe in these days. The Nazi's don't care about church sanctuary." The Captain answered.
"Maybe not. But remember the book I read, the one about churches in Vienna? There's an entry to the catacombs in it. They used it during the siege of Vienna."
"Let's hope it's still there." Emily said and they got faster. If they were lucky they could manage it to reach the cathedral fast enough. They already were in the Spiegel Straße again, only 300 metres separated them from their aim. "And let's hope they think we'll try to reach the West-Station to escape from the city, as we had planned it."
"Where should they know from? Where did they know from?" Maria asked, but nobody had an answer.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a car and hided as fast as possible in the next house entrance. A black police car passed them, but luckily nobody of the men inside recognized the three shadows. Two other cars followed the first in quick intervals and they saw a few officers running along at the end of the street, while two others took post at it.
"We'd better separate." Emily whispered.
"Separate?"
"Yes." She got out of her nuns-robe, wearing an elegant evening-robe under it, even her hairs were put up to an impressive hairdo.
"What are you about to do? Going to the Opera?" The Captain scrutinized her unbelieving.
"As a matter of fact, I already was in the Opera. "La Bohème." It was just great. I love Operas." Emily smiled, waving with a program. "The Tenor was just wonderful. You should have heard him."
"Is there anything you don't plan?" Maria asked surprised.
"Father always told me, that if I want to survive in our, well - our business, I got to be prepared for everything. Captain? Is there anybody in Vienna we could ask for help?"
"No." The Captain answered "Wait - Yes. Maybe Max has returned to Vienna. I can't imagine that he stayed in Salzburg after our escape."
"And where to find him?"
"Emily, that's too dangerous. Just let's go to the Cathedral as fast and possible -"
"And wait in the catacombs till somebody gets the Nazi's out of Vienna? Listen Maria, they know your faces, but not mine. It's not dangerous for me at all."
"But they saw you at the Burggarten." Maria protested.
"It was dark, besides they saw me in a nuns dress there. They'll never recognize me in this rig-out. So - where to find this friend of yours?"
"In the Mahlerstraße. Mahlerstraße 53. His name is Max. Max Detweiler."
"Mahlerstraße? Oh, that's next to the Opera, isn't it? What a lucky accident." Emily grinned, "Detweiler, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You two hurry to the cathedral. I'll try to catch up as fast as possible."
"We're only having a little problem." The Captain pointed at the two officers that still stood at the end of the street.
"Oh, them. Don't worry about them. Just look that you two get to the catacombs in whole pieces."
Emily left the entrance and walked towards the officers.
"Excuse me Gentleman." They turned around. "Somehow I got lost. I've absolutely no idea where I am." Emily smiled at them. "You see, I just came out of the Opera and wanted to return to my friend's home - but I guess I must have taken the wrong direction. Would you be so kind to help me?"
"Of course, Madam" The Officers glanced at each other. "But why didn't you use a cab?"
"Actually my friend lives just next to the Opera and after that emotional performance of "La Bohème" - it always makes me cry, you know, I just wanted to get some fresh air. And now -", Emily sighed helpless.
"Where lives that friend of yours?"
"In the Mahlerstraße"
"Oh, then you're really absolutely wrong, Lady." One of the officers smiled at her. "You must go back, and then -"
Emily interrupted him. "Would you mind to accompany me? You see, all this officers running through Vienna, the Sirens -"
"Actually we got the order to hold that post."
Emily put on her most innocent, frightened face. "Please, Gentlemen."
"Well, it's not that far and - "The officers looked at each other again "Why not?"
"Oh thank you, thank you very much." Emily beamed "That way, right?"
"Yes."
As Emily and the two officers passed them, Georg and Maria pressed themselves at the door. Georg took Maria's hand and looked at her. Again he asked his self, why he had allowed her to come with him. Why he even had started that enterprise. They had real problems, whole Vienna seemed to search for them, this time it wouldn't be easy to escape and he still didn't own a Penny. What a mess, he thought angrily, and all for nothing. Nothing.
When Emily and the Officers were out of sight Georg whispered "We'll run. It's not that far. Don't look to your left side; don't look to your right side. Just run, okay?" He gave Maria an encouraging look. She nodded. "Okay."
They got out of the entrance and ran towards the Cathedral. The sirens, the shouts and steps of Officers still filled the air.
As they arrived at the Stephans-Platz, it was filled with people. "The mass" Maria remembered. "It must be over." They got slower and tried to look like two nuns on their way to a last night-prayer. A few officers stood at the square, too, but as there were a few nuns at the place they didn't interact. As inconspicuous as possible they entered the Cathedral. There were still a few people inside, so they could move almost freely towards a side wing.
"Where's that entry?"
"In one of the confessionals" Maria pointed at the other side of the cathedral.
"Okay. We almost got it, Maria. We almost got it." Slowly they moved towards them, nodding at some other nuns and finally vanished in one of the confessionals. "We better wait till they close the cathedral. I don't know how loud it will be to search and open that entry. Are you alright, Maria?" She nodded.
Maria and Georg sat in the confessional, listening to the sounds of the cathedral, calming down. Maria realized that Georg still hold her hand. She even couldn't figure out anymore which were hers and which were his fingers. She sighed, but turned her head away when Georg looked at her. Both felt the warmth of the other, although nothing but their hands touched.
The sounds of the cathedral got lower, only a few people were still praying. The Captain felt the need to say something to his wife. She was so brave at the Burggarten, he thought, maybe braver than me.
"It was a great idea of you, Maria." He whispered.
"Mmmh?" she looked at Georg
"To fake that you're pregnant" He smiled.
"To fake -", Maria said almost not audible. "Georg. I didn't fake anything in the Burggarten. I mean of course I did in some way, but -", she stopped and hold her breath.
"But what?"
Maria looked at the points of her shoes, taking all her courage. There was no other way but to tell him, she couldn't remain silent anymore.
"I am." She whispered.
Georg did not understand.
"You are what Maria?" He looked at his wife, suddenly feeling all his love for her. She had come to Switzerland with him, without even to ask what their future may be. She accompanied him back, she was just there at his side as she always had been, trusting him, loving him and he had treated her like a silly, little girl.
But she isn't. She's a wonderful, intelligent woman, he thought. Carefully he stroked a strand out of her face. Maria felt the soft touch of his hand, and took it. She laid her face in his hand; warm shudders ran through her body. She had forgotten how wonderful his touch was, how much she enjoyed it.
"I am pregnant, Georg." She finally said, feeling relief and anxiety at the same time.
"But - I mean, you -"Georg looked at his wife. "Why haven't you told me?" he asked, knowing the answer at the same moment. He could have kicked his self for his silliness.
"You are really pregnant?"
"Yes." Maria nodded, staring at the wooden wall of the confessional, waiting for his reaction.
"That's wonderful, Maria. Just wonderful" he smiled.
"Is it?"
"Of course it is!" Gentle he took her chin, intending to kiss her, but just a second before their lips met, a harsh voice sounded.
"Search the cathedral!"
To be continued..
"The Baby", Maria whispered painfully again.
Emily looked worried at Maria, the Captain and the SS-Officers in a state of surprise. Maria gasped for breath and hold to Emily's arm.
"Something's wrong with it...Ouch" she groaned loudly, holding her stomach, but whispered into Emily's ear: "Everything's alright."
"You'd better call a doctor!" Emily yelled towards the SS-Men, while she gave the Captain a conspiring view.
The SS-Officer that had stood behind them put his gun down and longed for Maria's arm. At the same time the Captain grabbed him and Emily got his gun. With a perfect aimed shoot she hit the shoulder of one of the officers in front of them and his gun flew through the cold night air.
"You'd better stay were you are Gentlemen!" "What the hell.You'll never make it. You'd better give up!" "If you don't want me to kill your partner, you'd better lay your guns down." The Captain looked griming at them. At the same time Maria had managed it to get the second gun and gave it to her husband.
She didn't know what had made her doing this, faking a miscarriage. But the idea had suddenly popped up in her mind - and before she knew what she did, she did it. Forgive me, Lord, she thought, please forgive me.
Then everything happened very fast. The sound of shoots sounded through the Burggarten, while the Captain, Maria and Emily ran through the darkness. Emily sometimes stopped and fired back, then caught up with the others again. They soon had left the Burggarten, now running through the streets of Vienna. The steps and shoots behind them got lower, but at the same time the sirens in the city got louder.
"The cathedral." Maria panted. "We got to go to the cathedral."
"But even churches aren't safe in these days. The Nazi's don't care about church sanctuary." The Captain answered.
"Maybe not. But remember the book I read, the one about churches in Vienna? There's an entry to the catacombs in it. They used it during the siege of Vienna."
"Let's hope it's still there." Emily said and they got faster. If they were lucky they could manage it to reach the cathedral fast enough. They already were in the Spiegel Straße again, only 300 metres separated them from their aim. "And let's hope they think we'll try to reach the West-Station to escape from the city, as we had planned it."
"Where should they know from? Where did they know from?" Maria asked, but nobody had an answer.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a car and hided as fast as possible in the next house entrance. A black police car passed them, but luckily nobody of the men inside recognized the three shadows. Two other cars followed the first in quick intervals and they saw a few officers running along at the end of the street, while two others took post at it.
"We'd better separate." Emily whispered.
"Separate?"
"Yes." She got out of her nuns-robe, wearing an elegant evening-robe under it, even her hairs were put up to an impressive hairdo.
"What are you about to do? Going to the Opera?" The Captain scrutinized her unbelieving.
"As a matter of fact, I already was in the Opera. "La Bohème." It was just great. I love Operas." Emily smiled, waving with a program. "The Tenor was just wonderful. You should have heard him."
"Is there anything you don't plan?" Maria asked surprised.
"Father always told me, that if I want to survive in our, well - our business, I got to be prepared for everything. Captain? Is there anybody in Vienna we could ask for help?"
"No." The Captain answered "Wait - Yes. Maybe Max has returned to Vienna. I can't imagine that he stayed in Salzburg after our escape."
"And where to find him?"
"Emily, that's too dangerous. Just let's go to the Cathedral as fast and possible -"
"And wait in the catacombs till somebody gets the Nazi's out of Vienna? Listen Maria, they know your faces, but not mine. It's not dangerous for me at all."
"But they saw you at the Burggarten." Maria protested.
"It was dark, besides they saw me in a nuns dress there. They'll never recognize me in this rig-out. So - where to find this friend of yours?"
"In the Mahlerstraße. Mahlerstraße 53. His name is Max. Max Detweiler."
"Mahlerstraße? Oh, that's next to the Opera, isn't it? What a lucky accident." Emily grinned, "Detweiler, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. You two hurry to the cathedral. I'll try to catch up as fast as possible."
"We're only having a little problem." The Captain pointed at the two officers that still stood at the end of the street.
"Oh, them. Don't worry about them. Just look that you two get to the catacombs in whole pieces."
Emily left the entrance and walked towards the officers.
"Excuse me Gentleman." They turned around. "Somehow I got lost. I've absolutely no idea where I am." Emily smiled at them. "You see, I just came out of the Opera and wanted to return to my friend's home - but I guess I must have taken the wrong direction. Would you be so kind to help me?"
"Of course, Madam" The Officers glanced at each other. "But why didn't you use a cab?"
"Actually my friend lives just next to the Opera and after that emotional performance of "La Bohème" - it always makes me cry, you know, I just wanted to get some fresh air. And now -", Emily sighed helpless.
"Where lives that friend of yours?"
"In the Mahlerstraße"
"Oh, then you're really absolutely wrong, Lady." One of the officers smiled at her. "You must go back, and then -"
Emily interrupted him. "Would you mind to accompany me? You see, all this officers running through Vienna, the Sirens -"
"Actually we got the order to hold that post."
Emily put on her most innocent, frightened face. "Please, Gentlemen."
"Well, it's not that far and - "The officers looked at each other again "Why not?"
"Oh thank you, thank you very much." Emily beamed "That way, right?"
"Yes."
As Emily and the two officers passed them, Georg and Maria pressed themselves at the door. Georg took Maria's hand and looked at her. Again he asked his self, why he had allowed her to come with him. Why he even had started that enterprise. They had real problems, whole Vienna seemed to search for them, this time it wouldn't be easy to escape and he still didn't own a Penny. What a mess, he thought angrily, and all for nothing. Nothing.
When Emily and the Officers were out of sight Georg whispered "We'll run. It's not that far. Don't look to your left side; don't look to your right side. Just run, okay?" He gave Maria an encouraging look. She nodded. "Okay."
They got out of the entrance and ran towards the Cathedral. The sirens, the shouts and steps of Officers still filled the air.
As they arrived at the Stephans-Platz, it was filled with people. "The mass" Maria remembered. "It must be over." They got slower and tried to look like two nuns on their way to a last night-prayer. A few officers stood at the square, too, but as there were a few nuns at the place they didn't interact. As inconspicuous as possible they entered the Cathedral. There were still a few people inside, so they could move almost freely towards a side wing.
"Where's that entry?"
"In one of the confessionals" Maria pointed at the other side of the cathedral.
"Okay. We almost got it, Maria. We almost got it." Slowly they moved towards them, nodding at some other nuns and finally vanished in one of the confessionals. "We better wait till they close the cathedral. I don't know how loud it will be to search and open that entry. Are you alright, Maria?" She nodded.
Maria and Georg sat in the confessional, listening to the sounds of the cathedral, calming down. Maria realized that Georg still hold her hand. She even couldn't figure out anymore which were hers and which were his fingers. She sighed, but turned her head away when Georg looked at her. Both felt the warmth of the other, although nothing but their hands touched.
The sounds of the cathedral got lower, only a few people were still praying. The Captain felt the need to say something to his wife. She was so brave at the Burggarten, he thought, maybe braver than me.
"It was a great idea of you, Maria." He whispered.
"Mmmh?" she looked at Georg
"To fake that you're pregnant" He smiled.
"To fake -", Maria said almost not audible. "Georg. I didn't fake anything in the Burggarten. I mean of course I did in some way, but -", she stopped and hold her breath.
"But what?"
Maria looked at the points of her shoes, taking all her courage. There was no other way but to tell him, she couldn't remain silent anymore.
"I am." She whispered.
Georg did not understand.
"You are what Maria?" He looked at his wife, suddenly feeling all his love for her. She had come to Switzerland with him, without even to ask what their future may be. She accompanied him back, she was just there at his side as she always had been, trusting him, loving him and he had treated her like a silly, little girl.
But she isn't. She's a wonderful, intelligent woman, he thought. Carefully he stroked a strand out of her face. Maria felt the soft touch of his hand, and took it. She laid her face in his hand; warm shudders ran through her body. She had forgotten how wonderful his touch was, how much she enjoyed it.
"I am pregnant, Georg." She finally said, feeling relief and anxiety at the same time.
"But - I mean, you -"Georg looked at his wife. "Why haven't you told me?" he asked, knowing the answer at the same moment. He could have kicked his self for his silliness.
"You are really pregnant?"
"Yes." Maria nodded, staring at the wooden wall of the confessional, waiting for his reaction.
"That's wonderful, Maria. Just wonderful" he smiled.
"Is it?"
"Of course it is!" Gentle he took her chin, intending to kiss her, but just a second before their lips met, a harsh voice sounded.
"Search the cathedral!"
To be continued..