Disclaimer: don't own anything.

Note: Alice seems to get woken up at the start of every chapter. Wow, repetitive. Shrugs oh well.

If you don't get the quote, it's from, when, at the start of the book and/or the film, the five soldiers are being taken to be executed, and the one phrase they all remember and that everyone says to them is 'watch out for the wire'. It's the telephone wire, their only hope of a reprieve or contact with a loved one. Or, of course, for news of the end of the war.

Watch Out For The Wire

Sebastian Japrisot, A Very Long Engagement

The next day, Zhuzhen awoke me around six in the morning.

"Margarite's found something!"

I sat up immediately. Despite not having had much sleep, I was still desperate to get to Domremy. If anything happened it would all be my fault for leaving. Zhuzhen and I met Margarite near the outskirts of town. She motioned to us to be quiet and follow her. We did so. She led us to a helicopter nearby.

Zhuzhen started to say something, but Margarite motioned to him to be quite. Only once we were actually aboard the helicopter – after she'd broken the door open for us - did she speak.

"You wanted quick transport, I found quick transport,"

"At least it's safer than last time,"

She smiled. "Yeah. No complaints about the whole stealing thing, then Alice?"

"No."

"Who did you steal this from?" Asked Zhuzhen.

"It's probably best if you don't know,"

"Ah."

"We just need to get there," I said.

And, a few hours later, we were there. Margarite set us down outside of the forest surrounding the village.

"I can't get any closer," she informed us.

"This is fine," I said. "Just as long as we're here. Now, come on!" I climbed out of the helicopter, swiftly followed by Margarite and Zhuzhen.

Margarite started to say something. "Alice, I…"

"Shhh! There's someone there!" Ahead of me, through the trees there was a platoon of soldiers. German, from the uniforms. They were standing to attention, being given orders.

"We can pick them off one by one," I said.

My hands were slick with sweat. I had never killed before except in self-defence, or defence of my friends. But then this was for the defence of the village. I raised my gun and aimed at the highest-ranking officer there – a lieutenant.

"No!" Whispered Margarite urgently, grabbing my arm. Surprised, I accidentally pulled the trigger. The shot zinged off target, hitting a soldier just in front of the lieutenant I was aiming for.

Margarite and I crouched down automatically. The soldiers were in disarray, looking around wildly for the place the shot came from. The lieutenant barked orders in German, and the soldiers got back into some sort of order. They were looking toward us now. Zhuzhen, in his bright red clothing, was an easy target. Margarite motioned urgently for him to duck down. Luckily he was further back than us, and they hadn't spotted him. He crawled towards us.

I saw the soldier I had hit lying on the ground. Dead. He didn't look any older than Yuri would have been. Shaking, I got a grip on myself.

"I'll set up a shield," I whispered. "If they shoot, the bullets will just bounce off. Zhuzhen, you hit them with magic. You can angle it slightly behind them, can't you? So they'll look back? Then Margarite and I can pick them off from the front,"

"Okay," he said. He began casting. I started concentrating, drawing energy from the bible I still kept in one of the deep pockets on the coat.

"Don't hit the lieutenant!" Whispered Margarite.

"Why not?" I asked, finishing the shield spell.

"I want to take her prisoner," she replied. "She might have some information,"

I shrugged. "Okay, but make sure she doesn't get away,"

"You can always count on me to watch your back, Alice," she said. She started making her way through the bushes.

Zhuzhen finished casting his spell. Behind the soldiers a hole opened up in the ground, and hands came out of it grabbing at them. As they looked back, I shot them. I aimed for the head or the heart, trying to kill instantly. I needed to kill them, they presented a danger to my village, but I didn't want to hurt them. The lieutenant was standing slightly apart from the other soldiers. Zhuzhen cast another spell, aiming to the side of them this time. There were only three left alive now, including the lieutenant, but I needed to reload. Quickly, I did so. Zhuzhen cast another spell, and I shot the two remaining solders. I saw Margarite jump from behind the lieutenant and land on her back. They both fell forward, the lieutenant face first, Margarite across her back. Margarite grabbed the lieutenant's right hand and banged it on the ground in front of them, trying to make her release the sword she was holding.

"There may be more," I gasped to Zhuzhen. "Cover me!"

I ran forward, out of the cover of the trees. I had to step over a body. I held my feelings in. There would be time for regrets later. Aiming the gun at the lieutenant's head, I said, "Freeze!"

The lieutenant froze. She had managed to half twist against Margarite, and to get her arm free, although she had dropped the sword. Stepping forward, I kicked it away from her. While she was staring at me, Margarite grabbed both her arms and twisted them behind her back. As she stood upright, she pulled the lieutenant with her.

"Sprechen sie Englisch?" I asked. It was the only German I knew.

"Yes," she answered. "Who are you?"

"We're asking the questions," said Margarite. "Are there any other soldiers following you? Any back up?"

"Why would I answer that?"

"Partly because you're honest, and partly because my friend over there can be a little trigger happy,"

"N-No, there's no back up. We were only meant to subdue the village,"

"Let's head to the cathedral," I said, keeping the gun aimed steadily at the lieutenant's heart. "We're out in the open here,"

It worried me a little that I was now the sort of person who would think to aim for the heart rather than the head. There was logic to it. Even if I missed, I'd still hit something.

"Yes," answered Margarite. "Come on," she said to the lieutenant, dragging her back. I motioned to Zhuzhen to follow us.

We headed through the woods to the village. I didn't keep my gun trained on the lieutenant, but I didn't put it away. I hoped she wouldn't make a break for it. Margarite clearly wanted her alive, so if she ran I'd be forced to aim for somewhere painful but not deadly.

Zhuzhen stayed behind us. I felt the energy of his Ogre Flame dance. I guessed he was burning the bodies.

When we were halfway to the village, Blanca and Geppeto came to meet us.

"What happened?" Asked Geppeto.

"There was a platoon of German soldiers in the woods," I said. "Hang on a moment," I looked towards the lieutenant. "What languages do you speak?"

"English, German, and a little French," she replied.

That was annoying. I was hoping she didn't speak French. That was the only language Geppeto, Margarite and I all knew. At least she didn't speak Chinese. That meant that Margarite, Zhuzhen and I could speak in secret. Assuming she was telling the truth. I don't like to be distrustful of people, but it was obvious why she would lie.

In French I said, "I had a feeling something was wrong here, so I came back. We found the platoon in the woods, so we took them out. We've taken the lieutenant prisoner because Margarite wants to question her,"

My reply was a little stilted, mainly because exhaustion was setting in. Also because I kept thinking of those bodies in the woods. None of them wanted to be killers. Most were old, but one only looked around seventeen, eighteen. And of course there was the other one, the first one. Only around twenty-five.

"We're taking her to the cathedral," I said. "So we'll be harder to ambush,"

"Makes sense," Geppeto replied. "I was trying to hold them off with toys,"

"Hmm?"

"Wooden Lions and so on. I controlled them and got them to attack, but I fear they were more annoying than deadly."

"Oh," we had reached the village by now. Geppeto addressed the villagers in rapid french, explaining all that had happened, while Margarite, Zhuzhen – who had caught up by now - and I all headed to the cathedral. When Zhuzhen stepped forward out of the trees the lieutenant looked surprised. Then she nodded to herself. "I thought there was another – ow!"

Margarite had pinched her. "Shut up," she said.

Once in the cathedral, Margarite pulled a pair of handcuffs out of her pocket. She snapped one onto the lieutenant's left wrist, then ran the chain around one of the pillars in the cathedral before snapping it onto her right wrist.

"Why did you want to take her prisoner, Margarite?" I asked in Chinese.

"Because we can't let her report back to the German army,"

"I mean instead of killing her,"

"I thought you didn't like killing?"

"I don't! I mean, why her?"

"Because she's the lieutenant. And there aren't enough females in the military,"

I gave up on that line of questioning. I got the feeling Margarite was purposefully avoiding my question, but I trusted her. If she wasn't telling it was for a good reason.

She had purposely stopped me killing the lieutenant for a reason. A reason important enough to nearly get us caught for.

"Is there anyone who'll come looking for you?" asked Margarite of the lieutenant.

"People will wonder what happened to the platoon,"

"The bodies have been burnt," supplied Zhuzhen.

"So, will anyone come looking for you?" Asked Margarite again.

"If no remains are found, I imagine so, yes. Or if my body isn't found. But we were ordered to capture the village, so…"

Margarite turned to me. "Looks like we're safe for now," she said. "It'll take a while for them to start to worry about the platoon. But we'll need a guard here and at the town entrance for the foreseeable future," She looked at me. "Zhuzhen and I will take first watch," she said, softly. "Sleep, Alice,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You look completely exhausted," her brow furrowed. "Are you feeling okay? You're don't feel ill or anything, do you?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired," I said, slightly surprised, although pleased at her concern.

"Rest! We'll wake you later. You've got second watch on the cathedral,"

"D'accord,"

I left the cathedral, and, immediately on my return to Geppeto's house, fell into bed. I was too tired to do anything more.