A/N:
The panting Captain is for Amy! ;-)
~Chapter 6~
Nine pairs of eyes looked at the Captain in shock. Maria shook her head in disbelief, her face turning pale.
Max was the first to speak.
"Are you sure there are three of them?" he asked, looking at Georg. Georg looked up to his friend, and noticed that there was not a trace of Max' usual sarcasm left on his face.
"Yes, I'm sure. Zeller managed to jump aboard along with two of his soldiers. The others didn't make it," Georg confirmed. He looked around at the faces of his children, who were all staring at him, their faces tight with fear.
The Captain took a deep breath, trying to clear his head a little, forcing himself to concentrate. They were trapped. The Nazis would work their way up to the front of the train, and there would be nowhere to hide. He had to think of a plan - giving up was not an option.
As he stared ahead, mind racing, Maria walked up to him and put a hand on his arm. They looked at each other for a moment and the Captain put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. He mouthed "I love you" at Maria, who managed a tight smile in return.
Seconds ticked away and Georg knew the Nazis were getting closer to the front of the train with every tick of the clock. He seemed to reach a decision and took a deep breath.
"All right, everybody, close to the doors," and he motioned with his hand to the children to come closer. His eyes drifted to Maria, glancing at her left side. He knew his idea would cause her even more pain. He swallowed, suddenly feeling sick. But he saw no alternative. He cast his eyes up, offering a quick prayer that his plan would work, and turned around.
"Max?" He looked at his friend. "You take Marta."
Max beckoned to Marta and she moved around Louisa's legs to stand next to him. Georg looked around him and found Liesl's eyes.
"Liesl, you take Gretl." Liesl nodded and took her youngest sister by the hand. She didn't ask what she was supposed to do. Looking at her father, she knew he would explain what his plan was.
Georg felt for Maria's hand and held it tightly.
"I will force the door open," he began, while looking at the door handle. "Once it's open, I'll pull the emergency brake. I'll tell you when the train has slowed down enough to jump. Max, you go first, with Marta. Then the rest of the children and you, Maria," he said, turning to his wife. "I'll come last."
"You can't let the children jump off a moving train," Maria protested, shooting an alarmed look from her husband to the children and back.
"We'll wait until it's slowed down," Georg assured her. "But it takes a while for a train to come to a complete stop. Once the Nazis feel the train slowing down, they'll start moving faster. We won't have the time to wait until the train has stopped completely."
"But it's dangerous!" Maria objected, a trace of panic in her voice.
"Not as dangerous as staying on this train," Georg whispered at her, not wanting the children to hear his words.
Maria sighed. She realised he was right, and did not see any other option either. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
The children were looking at their parents intently. They were relieved when Maria nodded to Georg in agreement, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"We'll manage, Mother," Friedrich told her confidently.
She gave him a tight smile. "I'm sure you will, darling," she told him.
Georg let go of Maria's hand and grabbed the handle of the door.
"Step back," he told Kurt and Brigitta, who were standing close to the door. He pulled hard and the door slid open. The sudden icy wind and noise that entered the carriage made the children take a step back. Trees whirred past in a blur.
Georg tried to get an idea of the landscape. From what he could make out, it was mostly fields and groups of trees here and there. Not many places to hide - but they would have to risk it.
"Hold on," he said, and reached up to the sign that said 'freno d'emergenza'. He pulled the handle down with force. Almost immediately, the sound of screeching brakes pierced the air and they all stumbled to stay on their feet as the train shook while slowing down.
Georg turned his head and peered through the small window in the door that led to the compartments. He could only see a short way down the compartment and he had no idea where on the train the Nazis were. He turned to look outside again. He heard Maria mumbling next to him and when he turned around, he saw she was holding the gold cross he had given her on their honeymoon with one hand, while sending a prayer up into the dark night sky.
The brakes kept squeaking and the train was slowing down rapidly. The Captain exchanged a glance with Max and they nodded at each other.
Max moved to the door, steadying himself with one hand while holding Marta tight with the other.
"Come, dear," he told her gently. "Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight, all right? We'll jump out and then roll along the ground, we'll be just fine!"
Marta's wide eyes searched for Maria's, looking for assurance. Maria smiled at her in encouragement, and Marta nodded bravely and wrapped her arms tightly around Max. Max pulled her close to him with one arm, using the other for balance. He tried to estimate the speed of the train. Even though they were slowing down considerably, the ground was still flashing by at high speed. He could not risk waiting longer, though.
"One, two.. .. " Max counted, and jumped. As his feet touched the ground he put his other arm around Marta's head protectively. They rolled a few meters and to Georg's enormous relief, he saw them both sit up. That left eight more to jump.
He peered through the window into the carriage again, getting nervous. He urged the boys to the door. "You saw it. Jump, and roll over to lose speed when you hit the ground."
"Yes Father," they both nodded.
Friedrich looked back for a second, and then jumped, without further ceremony. As Kurt saw his brother go, he did not want to stay behind, and went after him quickly. Maria nodded at Louisa, who looked at her questioningly. Louisa exchanged a quick glance with her father and then she, too, jumped. She managed to stay on her feet, as the train was still slowing down.
As Brigitta stood in the doorway hesitating, Georg suddenly saw movement through the small carriage door window.
"Damn!" he swore, and motioned his hand at Brigitta to jump. She looked up at her mother, tears rolling down her cheeks. Maria put her hand on the girl's head.
"You can do it," she whispered encouragingly. Brigitta held her breath, closed her eyes, and jumped.
The Nazis were now running through the last compartment and Maria put her hands on Liesl's shoulders, urging her to jump. As Gretl started to cry, Liesl hesitated.
Georg stood next to the door to the carriage and held the handle down.
"Jump!" he yelled at Liesl as he felt someone pushing against the door from the other side. And just as she did, taking a screaming Gretl with her in her arms, the Captain could not hold the door any longer.
The soldier who had pounded his shoulder against the door crashed to the floor as the door suddenly gave way. While still on the floor, the soldier made a grab for Georg's legs. He missed, and Georg stepped back into the doorway and swung his fist at whomever it was approaching now. He hit the second soldier square in the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crack. The man sagged on the floor, knocked out, and half fell over his comrade. Herr Zeller emerged from behind the falling soldier and lunged at Georg. The first soldier grabbed Georg from his position on the floor, pulling the Captain downward. As he fell, Zeller tried to keep him down by placing a knee in the small of Georg's back and sliding his arm around his neck. Georg gasped at the sharp pain in his back and fought with all his might to get out of the grip of the two Nazis.
Zeller managed to keep the Captain down, but he had not counted on Maria. She flung herself onto him and hammered her fists down on his back with all her might. As her punches rained down on his shoulders and head, Zeller had to let go of Georg's neck and put his arms around his head, to protect himself from the blows she was dealing him.
Zeller stood up while Maria continued pounding and kicking him. Georg felt the weight lift from his back and struggle to overpower the soldier on the floor of the train.
Zeller turned to face Maria, still using his arms to shield his face as much as possible. He grabbed her wrist and used his body mass to force her into a corner. Maria instinctively fought him with all the anger and strength that had been welling up inside her, but he was much heavier and stronger. Pressing her against the wall, he pulled her arm hard to turn her around, so that she was with her back to him. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her tight, trying to stop her from writhing under his grip. The sudden pressure on her ribs made her cry out in pain. Zeller noticed her reaction and his eyes squinted as he realised she was injured. Taking advantage of her pain, he tightened his grip, causing her to gasp for breath. As Zeller slowly turned her away from the wall, Maria felt the cold hard metal of a gun on her temple. She held still, overcome by pain and fear.
On the floor, Georg had managed to overcome the soldier by rolling on top of him. The man had tried to get up and pushed Georg's weight off him, but the Captain scrambled to his feet and cannoned into the soldier. He smashed him into the wall, knocking him out. As this soldier sagged to the floor next to his still comrade, who was still out cold, Georg drew his gun and turned around to help Maria - and froze as he saw Zeller holding a gun to her head.
"There's no getting away this time, Captain," Zeller hissed at him. He slowly tightened his grip on Maria's waist and Georg saw her face contort in pain. She bit her lip, not wanting to grant Zeller the pleasure of hearing her cry, but silent tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Let her go," panted Georg. He was bent over, glaring at Zeller with barely contained rage. His shirt had been torn open in the scuffle and from a scrape on his temple a drop of blood, mixed with sweat, ran down his face. He took a step towards Zeller and Maria, having to use every inch of control not to lunge out at Zeller.
"Stop right there, Captain," Zeller told him. " Put your gun on the floor and then turn around and put your hands on the wall. If you co-operate, I might not have to kill your lovely wife here." As she felt his wet breath on her temple, Maria turned her head away in disgust.
Georg gave Zeller and icy stare, before shifting his look to Maria. She looked away from him, trying not the show how much she was hurting. She did not want to be the reason for him to surrender. But Georg saw how her tear- streaked face had gone grey in pain and fear, and he realised he had no choice. He dropped his gun, which spun across the floor, and slowly turned around.
"Very good, Captain," commented Herr Zeller.
Maria looked at her husband. Their eyes met for a short moment before she looked away in pain and defeat.
Zeller lowered the gun and nudged Maria in the ribs with it, motioning for her to step forward. Still holding her tightly, he walked up behind the Captain. He moved the hand that held the gun to the side of Georg's head.
"Now, you step aside," he told Maria, hissing into her ear. He pulled her aside before letting go of her arm. As he gave her a last push, his free hand moved to the Captain's wrist.
Maria fell to her knees at the push sideways, but Zeller paid no attention to her, assuming she was in too much pain to even stand up anymore. Instead, he made the Captain face the wall, holding him with one hand, the other hand holding the gun to Georg's head.
***
"Will you be able to walk?" Max asked Brigitta, who'd sprained her ankle while jumping off the train. She nodded a bit hesitantly and tried to stand on it again. She wobbled as she shifted her weight onto her injured foot, but she nodded more convincingly.
"I'll manage," she said.
"Good." Max rubbed his hands nervously and looked around at the seven faces, which were looking up at him in anticipation. Apart from a few bruises and Brigitta's ankle, they had all survived the jump remarkably well. But -
"Uncle Max, where are Father and Mother?" asked Louisa.
Max looked over his shoulder along the train track. He could just see the train standing still in the distance, but there was no trace of Georg and Maria. They hadn't jumped, and he did not like any of the explanations he could think of. Finally, he just shook his head. He wanted to go and check on the situation, but he did not want to take the children for fear of what they might find. On the other hand, he could hardly leave them alone in the middle of an Italian field somewhere.
The sound of a gunshot echoing through the night air put an end to his thoughts.
"That was a gun!" shouted Friedrich.
The others turned to him or Max in shock. Then, as one, all eight of them ran in the direction of the train.
***
"You made a good effort, Captain," Zeller told Georg, while pushing him even harder against the wall. "But as you see, nobody escapes their duties in the forces of the Third Reich, not even an Austrian hero such as yourself."
Before Georg could retort, Maria made a grab for Zeller's ankle. From her position on the ground she did not manage to pull him down, but for a moment Zeller stumbled and had to pull the gun away from Georg, flinging his arms to maintain his balance. Georg immediately took advantage of Zeller's lapse in concentration, and plunged his elbow backwards into the Nazi's ribs. Zeller doubled over and dropped his gun. Seizing the opportunity, Maria scrambled across the floor to Georg's gun and grabbed it.
Georg turned around and moved toward Zeller, but he had already recovered from the blow to his ribs, and took a swing at the Captain. He hit him across the jaw, sending Georg stumbling backwards. Georg needed a second to regain his balance, almost tripping over one of the unconscious soldiers. But before Zeller could take advantage of the situation and attack Georg again, they heard Maria's voice.
"Stop right there, Herr Zeller," she said, voice slightly wavering.
She had stood up and was pointing Georg's gun at Zeller, who was standing in front of the open doorway. He stopped his movement as he saw Maria. Georg noticed how she was trembling and moved toward her, meaning to take over the gun from her, but kept his eyes on Zeller.
Herr Zeller was looking at Maria in disdain. "My, my, look at the Baroness," he sneered, looking from her face to the gun and back. "I'm finding it hard to believe that a woman who wanted to become a nun could ever fire a gun." The look he gave her was utterly condescending.
Maria didn't respond, but the gun shook in her trembling hands.
Suddenly, Zeller bent forward and picked up his gun. Georg was anticipating action from Zeller and dove at Zeller's feet, but Maria saw he would be too late. As Zeller brought the gun up in the direction of her husband, Maria did not hesitate. She pointed, and pulled the trigger.
The crack of the gun echoed through the train.
The expression on Zeller's face turned to utter surprise. He touched his shoulder, and when he brought his hand in front of his face, he looked at the blood on his fingers in disbelief. His other hand went numb, and his gun fell to the floor again. He looked up at Maria, who was staring at him. For a moment, their eyes locked.
"I guess I was wrong, Baroness," Zeller mumbled. He took a few steps backwards, and fell from the train, which was now standing still.
Georg turned to face Maria.
She had fallen to her knees, gun still in her hands. She looked at it in horror.
"I shot him.. .." she mumbled. She dropped the gun and looked at Georg.
"I shot him," she repeated, fear and utter disbelief in her voice.
Georg knelt next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
You had no choice," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You saved my life."
And as he kissed her again, he felt her collapsing in his arms. All the emotions of the last day, her fear and pain seemed to well up inside of her like a flood, and her body shook as she let her tears run freely. Georg sat down on the floor of the train, pulled her into his lap, and held her. As he stroked her face and kissed the top of her head, his eyes glistened while he stared into the dark night.
***
~Epilogue~
Georg watched Maria from a distance, as she stood against the railing of the ship. The coast of Spain faded away on the horizon until there was nothing to see in all directions but the grey waters of the Atlantic.
He walked up to her and slipped an arm around her shoulder. She rested her head against her husband without a word.
They stood in silence for a while, looking at the ocean. Georg stroked Maria's back softly, knowing the turmoil that must be going on in her head.
"I could have killed him," Maria said suddenly.
Georg looked aside to his wife's face. She had regained a bit of colour, the fresh sea air was doing her good. But she had not spoken about their ordeal since they had boarded the ship in Genua, two days ago. Georg had not pressed her - he knew she would open up to him when she was ready.
"But you did not," he answered. "It was only a flesh wound."
She turned to face him. The expression in her eyes was one of torment.
"I could have," she emphasized. "I'm.. .. " She motioned helplessly with her hands, at a loss for words to describe her emotions.
Georg pulled her to him and stroked her back, trying to comfort her. He remembered how he'd felt after shooting a man for the first time: shocked, confused, and angry that circumstances had brought him to pull the trigger at another human being. To Maria, her sensitive, loving nature must make it a hundred times harder to deal with.
"I know. And what makes it the hardest, is that you don't regret what you did," Georg whispered into her ear. "Because you know that you didn't have a choice."
She pulled her head back and looked at him, surprised at how well he understood. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'd do it again! I mean, I know it was wrong, but I could not let him shoot you.. .." she shook her head in painful confusion.
Georg reached up and touched her cheek, wiping away a tear.
"I know how you feel, Maria," he said, seriously, looking her in the eyes. "I know how confused you must be. But I'm grateful that you saved my life."
"Me too," she said, a tiny smile showing through her tears. "But I'll have to learn to live with what I did."
"You will," Georg said, confident in her strength. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. Again, they looked out at the sea for a while, holding each other close.
After a while, Georg said: "Come," and took her hand. He led her across the deck to the other side of the ship, and pointed at the sea.
"Do you see that?" he asked.
Maria turned to him, puzzled.
"It's the ocean," she stated.
"Not exactly," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "It's the direction we're going in, Maria. We're going forward, we can leave our pasts behind us. Can you see it?"
Maria looked at the ocean again. Across the wide body of water lay America, where they would begin a new life.
"Yes, I can see it," she whispered. "It's our future."
~*~*~*~*~END~*~*~*~*~
~Chapter 6~
Nine pairs of eyes looked at the Captain in shock. Maria shook her head in disbelief, her face turning pale.
Max was the first to speak.
"Are you sure there are three of them?" he asked, looking at Georg. Georg looked up to his friend, and noticed that there was not a trace of Max' usual sarcasm left on his face.
"Yes, I'm sure. Zeller managed to jump aboard along with two of his soldiers. The others didn't make it," Georg confirmed. He looked around at the faces of his children, who were all staring at him, their faces tight with fear.
The Captain took a deep breath, trying to clear his head a little, forcing himself to concentrate. They were trapped. The Nazis would work their way up to the front of the train, and there would be nowhere to hide. He had to think of a plan - giving up was not an option.
As he stared ahead, mind racing, Maria walked up to him and put a hand on his arm. They looked at each other for a moment and the Captain put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. He mouthed "I love you" at Maria, who managed a tight smile in return.
Seconds ticked away and Georg knew the Nazis were getting closer to the front of the train with every tick of the clock. He seemed to reach a decision and took a deep breath.
"All right, everybody, close to the doors," and he motioned with his hand to the children to come closer. His eyes drifted to Maria, glancing at her left side. He knew his idea would cause her even more pain. He swallowed, suddenly feeling sick. But he saw no alternative. He cast his eyes up, offering a quick prayer that his plan would work, and turned around.
"Max?" He looked at his friend. "You take Marta."
Max beckoned to Marta and she moved around Louisa's legs to stand next to him. Georg looked around him and found Liesl's eyes.
"Liesl, you take Gretl." Liesl nodded and took her youngest sister by the hand. She didn't ask what she was supposed to do. Looking at her father, she knew he would explain what his plan was.
Georg felt for Maria's hand and held it tightly.
"I will force the door open," he began, while looking at the door handle. "Once it's open, I'll pull the emergency brake. I'll tell you when the train has slowed down enough to jump. Max, you go first, with Marta. Then the rest of the children and you, Maria," he said, turning to his wife. "I'll come last."
"You can't let the children jump off a moving train," Maria protested, shooting an alarmed look from her husband to the children and back.
"We'll wait until it's slowed down," Georg assured her. "But it takes a while for a train to come to a complete stop. Once the Nazis feel the train slowing down, they'll start moving faster. We won't have the time to wait until the train has stopped completely."
"But it's dangerous!" Maria objected, a trace of panic in her voice.
"Not as dangerous as staying on this train," Georg whispered at her, not wanting the children to hear his words.
Maria sighed. She realised he was right, and did not see any other option either. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
The children were looking at their parents intently. They were relieved when Maria nodded to Georg in agreement, taking his hand and squeezing it.
"We'll manage, Mother," Friedrich told her confidently.
She gave him a tight smile. "I'm sure you will, darling," she told him.
Georg let go of Maria's hand and grabbed the handle of the door.
"Step back," he told Kurt and Brigitta, who were standing close to the door. He pulled hard and the door slid open. The sudden icy wind and noise that entered the carriage made the children take a step back. Trees whirred past in a blur.
Georg tried to get an idea of the landscape. From what he could make out, it was mostly fields and groups of trees here and there. Not many places to hide - but they would have to risk it.
"Hold on," he said, and reached up to the sign that said 'freno d'emergenza'. He pulled the handle down with force. Almost immediately, the sound of screeching brakes pierced the air and they all stumbled to stay on their feet as the train shook while slowing down.
Georg turned his head and peered through the small window in the door that led to the compartments. He could only see a short way down the compartment and he had no idea where on the train the Nazis were. He turned to look outside again. He heard Maria mumbling next to him and when he turned around, he saw she was holding the gold cross he had given her on their honeymoon with one hand, while sending a prayer up into the dark night sky.
The brakes kept squeaking and the train was slowing down rapidly. The Captain exchanged a glance with Max and they nodded at each other.
Max moved to the door, steadying himself with one hand while holding Marta tight with the other.
"Come, dear," he told her gently. "Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight, all right? We'll jump out and then roll along the ground, we'll be just fine!"
Marta's wide eyes searched for Maria's, looking for assurance. Maria smiled at her in encouragement, and Marta nodded bravely and wrapped her arms tightly around Max. Max pulled her close to him with one arm, using the other for balance. He tried to estimate the speed of the train. Even though they were slowing down considerably, the ground was still flashing by at high speed. He could not risk waiting longer, though.
"One, two.. .. " Max counted, and jumped. As his feet touched the ground he put his other arm around Marta's head protectively. They rolled a few meters and to Georg's enormous relief, he saw them both sit up. That left eight more to jump.
He peered through the window into the carriage again, getting nervous. He urged the boys to the door. "You saw it. Jump, and roll over to lose speed when you hit the ground."
"Yes Father," they both nodded.
Friedrich looked back for a second, and then jumped, without further ceremony. As Kurt saw his brother go, he did not want to stay behind, and went after him quickly. Maria nodded at Louisa, who looked at her questioningly. Louisa exchanged a quick glance with her father and then she, too, jumped. She managed to stay on her feet, as the train was still slowing down.
As Brigitta stood in the doorway hesitating, Georg suddenly saw movement through the small carriage door window.
"Damn!" he swore, and motioned his hand at Brigitta to jump. She looked up at her mother, tears rolling down her cheeks. Maria put her hand on the girl's head.
"You can do it," she whispered encouragingly. Brigitta held her breath, closed her eyes, and jumped.
The Nazis were now running through the last compartment and Maria put her hands on Liesl's shoulders, urging her to jump. As Gretl started to cry, Liesl hesitated.
Georg stood next to the door to the carriage and held the handle down.
"Jump!" he yelled at Liesl as he felt someone pushing against the door from the other side. And just as she did, taking a screaming Gretl with her in her arms, the Captain could not hold the door any longer.
The soldier who had pounded his shoulder against the door crashed to the floor as the door suddenly gave way. While still on the floor, the soldier made a grab for Georg's legs. He missed, and Georg stepped back into the doorway and swung his fist at whomever it was approaching now. He hit the second soldier square in the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crack. The man sagged on the floor, knocked out, and half fell over his comrade. Herr Zeller emerged from behind the falling soldier and lunged at Georg. The first soldier grabbed Georg from his position on the floor, pulling the Captain downward. As he fell, Zeller tried to keep him down by placing a knee in the small of Georg's back and sliding his arm around his neck. Georg gasped at the sharp pain in his back and fought with all his might to get out of the grip of the two Nazis.
Zeller managed to keep the Captain down, but he had not counted on Maria. She flung herself onto him and hammered her fists down on his back with all her might. As her punches rained down on his shoulders and head, Zeller had to let go of Georg's neck and put his arms around his head, to protect himself from the blows she was dealing him.
Zeller stood up while Maria continued pounding and kicking him. Georg felt the weight lift from his back and struggle to overpower the soldier on the floor of the train.
Zeller turned to face Maria, still using his arms to shield his face as much as possible. He grabbed her wrist and used his body mass to force her into a corner. Maria instinctively fought him with all the anger and strength that had been welling up inside her, but he was much heavier and stronger. Pressing her against the wall, he pulled her arm hard to turn her around, so that she was with her back to him. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her tight, trying to stop her from writhing under his grip. The sudden pressure on her ribs made her cry out in pain. Zeller noticed her reaction and his eyes squinted as he realised she was injured. Taking advantage of her pain, he tightened his grip, causing her to gasp for breath. As Zeller slowly turned her away from the wall, Maria felt the cold hard metal of a gun on her temple. She held still, overcome by pain and fear.
On the floor, Georg had managed to overcome the soldier by rolling on top of him. The man had tried to get up and pushed Georg's weight off him, but the Captain scrambled to his feet and cannoned into the soldier. He smashed him into the wall, knocking him out. As this soldier sagged to the floor next to his still comrade, who was still out cold, Georg drew his gun and turned around to help Maria - and froze as he saw Zeller holding a gun to her head.
"There's no getting away this time, Captain," Zeller hissed at him. He slowly tightened his grip on Maria's waist and Georg saw her face contort in pain. She bit her lip, not wanting to grant Zeller the pleasure of hearing her cry, but silent tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"Let her go," panted Georg. He was bent over, glaring at Zeller with barely contained rage. His shirt had been torn open in the scuffle and from a scrape on his temple a drop of blood, mixed with sweat, ran down his face. He took a step towards Zeller and Maria, having to use every inch of control not to lunge out at Zeller.
"Stop right there, Captain," Zeller told him. " Put your gun on the floor and then turn around and put your hands on the wall. If you co-operate, I might not have to kill your lovely wife here." As she felt his wet breath on her temple, Maria turned her head away in disgust.
Georg gave Zeller and icy stare, before shifting his look to Maria. She looked away from him, trying not the show how much she was hurting. She did not want to be the reason for him to surrender. But Georg saw how her tear- streaked face had gone grey in pain and fear, and he realised he had no choice. He dropped his gun, which spun across the floor, and slowly turned around.
"Very good, Captain," commented Herr Zeller.
Maria looked at her husband. Their eyes met for a short moment before she looked away in pain and defeat.
Zeller lowered the gun and nudged Maria in the ribs with it, motioning for her to step forward. Still holding her tightly, he walked up behind the Captain. He moved the hand that held the gun to the side of Georg's head.
"Now, you step aside," he told Maria, hissing into her ear. He pulled her aside before letting go of her arm. As he gave her a last push, his free hand moved to the Captain's wrist.
Maria fell to her knees at the push sideways, but Zeller paid no attention to her, assuming she was in too much pain to even stand up anymore. Instead, he made the Captain face the wall, holding him with one hand, the other hand holding the gun to Georg's head.
***
"Will you be able to walk?" Max asked Brigitta, who'd sprained her ankle while jumping off the train. She nodded a bit hesitantly and tried to stand on it again. She wobbled as she shifted her weight onto her injured foot, but she nodded more convincingly.
"I'll manage," she said.
"Good." Max rubbed his hands nervously and looked around at the seven faces, which were looking up at him in anticipation. Apart from a few bruises and Brigitta's ankle, they had all survived the jump remarkably well. But -
"Uncle Max, where are Father and Mother?" asked Louisa.
Max looked over his shoulder along the train track. He could just see the train standing still in the distance, but there was no trace of Georg and Maria. They hadn't jumped, and he did not like any of the explanations he could think of. Finally, he just shook his head. He wanted to go and check on the situation, but he did not want to take the children for fear of what they might find. On the other hand, he could hardly leave them alone in the middle of an Italian field somewhere.
The sound of a gunshot echoing through the night air put an end to his thoughts.
"That was a gun!" shouted Friedrich.
The others turned to him or Max in shock. Then, as one, all eight of them ran in the direction of the train.
***
"You made a good effort, Captain," Zeller told Georg, while pushing him even harder against the wall. "But as you see, nobody escapes their duties in the forces of the Third Reich, not even an Austrian hero such as yourself."
Before Georg could retort, Maria made a grab for Zeller's ankle. From her position on the ground she did not manage to pull him down, but for a moment Zeller stumbled and had to pull the gun away from Georg, flinging his arms to maintain his balance. Georg immediately took advantage of Zeller's lapse in concentration, and plunged his elbow backwards into the Nazi's ribs. Zeller doubled over and dropped his gun. Seizing the opportunity, Maria scrambled across the floor to Georg's gun and grabbed it.
Georg turned around and moved toward Zeller, but he had already recovered from the blow to his ribs, and took a swing at the Captain. He hit him across the jaw, sending Georg stumbling backwards. Georg needed a second to regain his balance, almost tripping over one of the unconscious soldiers. But before Zeller could take advantage of the situation and attack Georg again, they heard Maria's voice.
"Stop right there, Herr Zeller," she said, voice slightly wavering.
She had stood up and was pointing Georg's gun at Zeller, who was standing in front of the open doorway. He stopped his movement as he saw Maria. Georg noticed how she was trembling and moved toward her, meaning to take over the gun from her, but kept his eyes on Zeller.
Herr Zeller was looking at Maria in disdain. "My, my, look at the Baroness," he sneered, looking from her face to the gun and back. "I'm finding it hard to believe that a woman who wanted to become a nun could ever fire a gun." The look he gave her was utterly condescending.
Maria didn't respond, but the gun shook in her trembling hands.
Suddenly, Zeller bent forward and picked up his gun. Georg was anticipating action from Zeller and dove at Zeller's feet, but Maria saw he would be too late. As Zeller brought the gun up in the direction of her husband, Maria did not hesitate. She pointed, and pulled the trigger.
The crack of the gun echoed through the train.
The expression on Zeller's face turned to utter surprise. He touched his shoulder, and when he brought his hand in front of his face, he looked at the blood on his fingers in disbelief. His other hand went numb, and his gun fell to the floor again. He looked up at Maria, who was staring at him. For a moment, their eyes locked.
"I guess I was wrong, Baroness," Zeller mumbled. He took a few steps backwards, and fell from the train, which was now standing still.
Georg turned to face Maria.
She had fallen to her knees, gun still in her hands. She looked at it in horror.
"I shot him.. .." she mumbled. She dropped the gun and looked at Georg.
"I shot him," she repeated, fear and utter disbelief in her voice.
Georg knelt next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
You had no choice," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You saved my life."
And as he kissed her again, he felt her collapsing in his arms. All the emotions of the last day, her fear and pain seemed to well up inside of her like a flood, and her body shook as she let her tears run freely. Georg sat down on the floor of the train, pulled her into his lap, and held her. As he stroked her face and kissed the top of her head, his eyes glistened while he stared into the dark night.
***
~Epilogue~
Georg watched Maria from a distance, as she stood against the railing of the ship. The coast of Spain faded away on the horizon until there was nothing to see in all directions but the grey waters of the Atlantic.
He walked up to her and slipped an arm around her shoulder. She rested her head against her husband without a word.
They stood in silence for a while, looking at the ocean. Georg stroked Maria's back softly, knowing the turmoil that must be going on in her head.
"I could have killed him," Maria said suddenly.
Georg looked aside to his wife's face. She had regained a bit of colour, the fresh sea air was doing her good. But she had not spoken about their ordeal since they had boarded the ship in Genua, two days ago. Georg had not pressed her - he knew she would open up to him when she was ready.
"But you did not," he answered. "It was only a flesh wound."
She turned to face him. The expression in her eyes was one of torment.
"I could have," she emphasized. "I'm.. .. " She motioned helplessly with her hands, at a loss for words to describe her emotions.
Georg pulled her to him and stroked her back, trying to comfort her. He remembered how he'd felt after shooting a man for the first time: shocked, confused, and angry that circumstances had brought him to pull the trigger at another human being. To Maria, her sensitive, loving nature must make it a hundred times harder to deal with.
"I know. And what makes it the hardest, is that you don't regret what you did," Georg whispered into her ear. "Because you know that you didn't have a choice."
She pulled her head back and looked at him, surprised at how well he understood. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I'd do it again! I mean, I know it was wrong, but I could not let him shoot you.. .." she shook her head in painful confusion.
Georg reached up and touched her cheek, wiping away a tear.
"I know how you feel, Maria," he said, seriously, looking her in the eyes. "I know how confused you must be. But I'm grateful that you saved my life."
"Me too," she said, a tiny smile showing through her tears. "But I'll have to learn to live with what I did."
"You will," Georg said, confident in her strength. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. Again, they looked out at the sea for a while, holding each other close.
After a while, Georg said: "Come," and took her hand. He led her across the deck to the other side of the ship, and pointed at the sea.
"Do you see that?" he asked.
Maria turned to him, puzzled.
"It's the ocean," she stated.
"Not exactly," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "It's the direction we're going in, Maria. We're going forward, we can leave our pasts behind us. Can you see it?"
Maria looked at the ocean again. Across the wide body of water lay America, where they would begin a new life.
"Yes, I can see it," she whispered. "It's our future."
~*~*~*~*~END~*~*~*~*~