Georg and Maria walked for what seemed to be an eternity in silence. The street they were on was filled with empty crates and bins. The Captain kept looking around him, expecting someone to jump out in front of them at any moment. He kept making sudden stops to be assured that the path ahead of them was safe.
Every so often, he felt Maria's tense breathing. Despite his earlier fears, he was glad she was with him; as always, her company somehow seemed to lighten his mood. In spite of her welcome presence, part of him was worried for her safety. He knew that he was not to be injured, but Zeller's off-hand remark about the "woman" with Georg left little doubt in his mind that they would almost enjoy shooting her. He reached back for her hand, the need to touch her suddenly overcoming him.
"I hope the children are alright," Maria's whisper broke the eerie silence.
Georg looked over at her and squeezed her hand. "Max is a genius when it comes to thinking on his feet," he told her. "The children are safe on the train."
"I'll feel better once we're together again," she sighed.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I will too," he said and looked at her, smiling. "I'm glad you're with me, Maria."
Her breath caught in her throat at the admission. She knew what her presence was costing him. Yet she was relieved he wasn't alone. She squeezed his hand in return. "Me too.I don't think I would have been able to manage being on that train without you."
A noise broke their calming repartée. Again ducking into cover, Georg and Maria remained still, listening for any indication of what the cause of that noise might be.
The terrifying sound of footsteps thundered closer to them. Maria held her breath, afraid to make any noise. Looking at her husband, she saw the strong but cold calculation return to Georg's face as he prepared himself for whatever the Nazis were about to bring them. She searched for an escape, such as the alley that had seemed to come from providence the last time they were so close to the Nazis. She closed her eyes and prayed they would be missed.
"We know you're near, Captain," Zeller called out, surprising them both. "And that you're not alone. Why don't you just end this game of cat and mouse and I might pass up this escapade as training for my soldiers."
Maria looked frantically at Georg. "How?" she mouthed.
He shook his head, staring at the other end of the street. The Nazis didn't know they were in this street exactly; they would have had it surrounded if they did. They just knew that they were in the area. From what Georg could deduce, there were only a few soldiers with Zeller. He must be getting tired, Georg thought. Tired, or desperate.
"You won't be able to escape the city, Captain," Zeller continued.
Maria felt Georg tense, and she tried to calm her nerves. They were just baiting them; she knew that, but the threat to her family made her shudder despite herself.
"I wonder who you're with, Captain," Zeller called out after a moment. "Could it be your wife? Is she praying hard? You're going to need it."
Georg continued to stare at the other end of the street. If they ran for it, they could easily lose them in the woods. They had reached the outskirts of town. Only a few more blocks, and they would be out of the city.
"We found our unconscious comrade in an alley, Captain," Zeller said. "You know that negates any protection my orders might have concerning how you are to be treated. We don't take too kindly to someone injuring one of our own."
There was a deafening silence. Georg and Maria remained unflinching in their spots. He wasn't about to reveal their position and put Maria in danger. If they just waited a few minutes longer, then they would possibly be in the clear to run away unnoticed. They watched as Zeller stood in the same spot for an eternity, scanning the shadows for their whereabouts.
After a few torturous minutes, they heard a soldier approach. "We've spotted some people a few streets over, Sir," he reported.
Zeller scanned the street again and then looked at the officer. "Show me," he instructed, and they made their retreat.
Georg remained in his spot a few extra minutes, patiently waiting to be completely in the clear. When he was sure that they were safe to move, he looked over at Maria. Offering her a small smile, he squeezed her arm. "Let's go," he said.
They slowly started to walk towards the end of town. The journey was getting increasingly more difficult due to the constant stops and quick ducking, but they were making progress.
Maria wasn't sure which was more harrowing: the actual journey, or the toll the experience was for her husband. She knew that it was difficult for him to concentrate on keeping them both safe, and it would have been easier for him if he was alone, as he had initially planned. At the same time, she was glad she was with him so he wouldn't have to face his escape alone. Her heart broke for him, as he tried to balance his hatred for the Nazis and his desire to ease her spirits. She looked heavenward in a quick prayer for their safe departure out of the city, but more importantly, for his peace of mind.
After a few blocks, they could see the outline of the forest. Georg looked at Maria and she was almost relieved to see that his smile seemed a little more genuine for the first time that night. "We're almost out of the city," he said, his eyes warming.
Before she could respond, two figures appeared at the end of the street, blocking their path.
"Not yet," one of them said as both drew their guns.
Maria and Georg pivoted and bolted down the opposite end of the road. A gun fired in the air, and the men's shouts sounded through the street. Maria ran ahead, blind terror taking over her actions. She darted to the left out of instinct, and heard Georg follow her. They continued to run down a few more streets. Once she felt that she had lost their pursuers, she stopped and turned, her mouth dropping in fear at not seeing her husband immediately.
"Georg!" she called as loudly as she dared. She exhaled deeply when she caught a movement a little ways down the street. Georg was at the entrance to an alley. He must have stopped to investigate its use as an escape, she thought. He silently motioned for her to come over to him.
Without warning, something grabbed her hand and yanked her backwards. Her back collided with a large figure, and the same hand that had grabbed her moved up to cover her mouth. Another arm went around her waist, clutching her closely.
"Hello, Baroness," a rough voice said as he leaned over to the side of her face. His mouth was close to hers, and the smell of stale liquor filled her nose, causing her to fight from recoiling in disgust. She bit his hand, and he withdrew immediately, exposing her mouth.
"Georg!" she cried, struggling to break free.
The soldier held her closer. "Yes, call for your husband," he sneered. "Then he can watch—"
Instantly, the man was jolted to the side as Georg pummeled into him. Maria crashed to the ground. Jumping up, she ran into the protective shadows. Regaining his footing, Georg stood and punched the man across the face, and the officer collapsed. The Captain stood over the man for a moment, glaring down at him. He kicked him in the stomach, releasing some of the anger he had been holding all night. He paused to catch his breath and looked around in search of Maria.
Suddenly, the cold end of a gun barrel was pressed against his head. He froze and stared forward. He hoped Maria would have the common sense to flee and not try anything rash.
"You shouldn't have done that, Captain," the second Nazi said calmly, unhooking his handcuffs from his belt. "Now that's two soldiers you have to account for."
He was about to cuff one of Georg's hands when a sickening crack echoed in the air, and the man crumbled to the ground. Turning, Georg saw his wife standing over the fallen soldier, gripping a metal rod.
She looked terrified. "Did I kill him?" she whispered.
Knowing that they shouldn't waste time, he offered a comforting smile. He knelt down and felt the man's neck. "No, he's just out cold," he told her. She sighed in relief. He looked at the bar in her hand. "Thanks," he said, deeply impressed.
She placed the bar on the ground and wiped her hands, still looking unsettled at the possibility of killing a man. Georg took her hand and gave it an assuring squeeze.
"Thank you," she said.
"You there!" a voice shouted.
Their attention snapped to a lone Nazi, who was running towards them and drawing his weapon.
"Don't they ever give up?" Georg mused as they darted to a maze of streets. The unexpected sound of a gunshot caused Maria to scream. Georg could feel the wind of the bullet as it barely missed his head and resisted the urge to turn and return fire. They ran faster, entering alleys and other roads as they came upon them, desperate to shake their lone pursuer.
A second loud crack, closer than Georg realized, thundered in the street. Deciding the risk of slowing was necessary, he turned and fired. To his satisfaction, the man crashed down into some garbage cans. Not seeing anyone behind him, Georg turned to catch up with Maria. He took her hand and they ran down an adjoining street in efforts to separate them from the Nazi Georg had either injured or killed.
Once he felt they were safely away, Georg stopped. Maria practically collapsed next to a crate, and he knelt above her. He risked a tentative glance behind the protection of the barrier towards the end of the street.
"I think we lost them," he said, breathless. He sat against the wall and sighed.
Maria made no reply; she wasn't looking at him.
"I knew they were persistent, but honestly," he said, trying to lighten the tense mood. He looked around. "I don't think we should stay here, though. They know we're in the vicinity. And with me just shooting one of them, they're going to be even more dead set on getting us."
Maria still didn't answer. He looked down at her, noticing for the first time the glassed-over shine to her eyes as she stared straight ahead. He could see, even in the dim light of the streetlamps, how pale her face was and how heavily she was breathing. She could not catch her breath.
"Maria?" he asked nervously and took her shoulders in his hands.
She finally looked at him, and his throat tightened at the raw pain he saw in her eyes. He had seen that look before many times in the war. "Maria?" he asked again, his voice starting to shake.
She made no response but looked down at her hand and as she raised it up for him to see. His heart froze when he saw bright red covering it. He snapped his eyes up to stare at her again, and her head slowly rose to meet his gaze. The expression on her face chilled him to the core.
"Oh no," he whispered. "Oh, God, no."
To be continued…