Sorry. Long chapter. Onward!

Looking back, Lucy Carter could say she held it together pretty well, all things considered. As soon as that man was out the door, she sprang into action.

"Suzy!" Keeping Johnny close, Lucy knelt down and grabbed Suzy's hand, pulling her in front of her. She looked directly into her eyes, trying to look as calm as she could. "I need you to go to the door and tell Daddy that he needs his coat and boots. Stay in the doorway and if that man starts back, run to your room and hide under your bed, okay?" Suzy stared at her with wide eyes and nodded. "Okay. Good. Mommy will be back. I need to grab something."

Lucy stood and hurried to her room. She not-so-gently set John in his cradle and then rushed to the closet. Throwing it open, she stood on her tip-toes and searched the top shelf until she found what she was looking for. She pulled down a rifle. Andrew wanted one in the house just in case he needed to quickly go out and dispatch a coyote or a fox. And, despite his protests that it was an impractical spot, Lucy had insisted he keep it up high in the closet so the girls couldn't get at it. Neither ever expected it would be used against a person.

Ignoring her son's cries, she went to her nightstand, pulled open the drawer and grabbed the loaded magazine. Five shots. She had to make them count.

Her heart raced as she ran out of the room and back to the front door, worrying that it was too late and that she had missed her chance. She made it to the door just in time to see that man get into a car and turn the engine. She didn't think, didn't even really aim, before she let off a shot. She pulled back the bolt to load another round which she promptly fired.

"Focus!" She told herself. She took a deep breath and, this time, used the scope to get a better shot. It was dark, her hands were shaking, but she calmed herself enough to aim at the man's head and fired. She missed her target and felt a surge of panic.

The car suddenly sped forward. Lucy took a step and pulled the trigger again and again and again before realizing only one shot had gone off and she had forgotten to load another bullet into the chamber. She lowered the gun slightly and struggled with the bolt. Was it jammed? What was going on?

Lucy forced herself to take a breath, calm herself, and try again. Lift, pull, push. The bolt cooperated now. She brought the rifle back up. She could barely see the car lights in the distance now, but she let off her last shot anyway, hoping beyond hope that it would reach its target. It didn't.

Dropping the rifle and not bothering with shoes, Lucy ran out the door and raced the her car. The icy ground bit at her feet but that didn't matter. She had to catch up to them, and she would. There weren't all that many places they could go, after all. She suddenly remembered she didn't have keys and was about to turn back to grab them when she realized it would be useless. The tires of her car were obviously slashed and it didn't take much to imagine that that man had anticipated her actions.

Lucy's heart dropped. She turned and ran back into the house. As soon as she crossed the threshold she brought her hands to the side of her head, shaking it. Her knees wobbled and her breath came out in short, quick pants. Grey crept into the corners of her vision and everything, including Johnny's cries from the other room, became muffled. What was going on? What was happening? Nothing made sense to her.

"Mama?" the voice pierced through the fog.

Lucy looked up and stared blankly at Susan and Ila, who had obviously been awakened by the noise. Lucy tried to speak, but her throat was tight and dry. What was going on? What was happening?

"Mama?" Suzy repeated, taking a step forward.

Lucy suddenly snapped out of her haze. She didn't know what was going on. She didn't know what was happening. But there were things that still made sense to her. Her children made sense to her. And right now they needed her.

Taking a deep breath, and then another, Lucy dropped her hands. She tilted her head back slightly and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

"Mama, what's happening?" Ila asked. "Suzy said a bad man took Daddy!"

After taking one more breath, Lucy opened her eyes and looked at her children. "She's right," Lucy said with a steady voice. "But he is going to be okay. Mommy will make sure he's okay. The first thing we need to do is call the police."

Calmly, Lucy turned and picked up her rifle before closing the front door. Then she went into the living room to where the phone sat on a little table beside a chair. The chair that man had been sitting in. Lucy stared at it for a moment before shaking her head and picking up the receiver. She held it to her ear and tapped the plungers a few times before setting it down. The man hadn't been lying. The phone was dead.

Turning, Lucy managed a smile that she hoped was reassuring. "It looks like the phone is asleep," she told her daughters. "We'll have to go to the Pedersen's and borrow theirs."

"But, Mama, what happened?" Ila pressed.

"Mama, I'm scared," Suzy said, her lips trembling.

Kneeling down, Lucy grabbed her girls' hands. "I know you're scared. It's okay to be scared. Ila, a bad man came to the house and to protect us, your Daddy went with him. He wanted to keep us safe. And now we need to be very, very, very brave so we can help him come home, okay? Can you girls be brave?"

The girls looked at each other then back to Lucy and nodded. "I can," Ila said confidently.

"I'll try," Suzy promised.

"Good. Now, I need you to get your coats and boots on. Help Ro– where's Rose?" Lucy looked around for her youngest daughter.

"She's still asleep," Ila said.

That figured. Rose could sleep through an explosion– and had. Not too long ago, Andrew had been mucking around with some chemicals in his workshop out back and had blown out all its windows— and cracked a few in the house. Needless to say, Lucy had not been happy about the damage and the cost to repair it, but she was glad Andy had come out of it all without a scratch. Andrew always claimed to have rotten luck, but the man must've had a guardian angel— or something— watching over him. Whatever it was, Lucy hoped it was with him now.

"Okay, you wake up Rose and help her get dressed to go outside… It's going to be okay, I pr— It's going to be okay." She stopped short of making a promise.

She shooed the girls away and stood up. After taking a moment to compose herself, she followed them into the hall and then veered off into her room. Thankfully, John had fallen back asleep. She envied him for his ignorance.

Quickly she set about getting herself dressed. Her nightgown, warm as it was, wouldn't stand against the cold night. Thankfully, the cold snap— where the temperatures had dipped into the negatives overnight— had ended, but it was still below freezing. As she dressed, she realized Andrew was only in his nightclothes as well. And though it was the least of his worries, she hoped her husband found a way to stay warm.

Once dressed, Lucy made her way back to the front door and was pleased to see her children following her instructions. "Stay here," she ordered. She grabbed her coat, wool hat, and heavy boots from the closet and then headed to the kitchen. From one of the kitchen drawers, she grabbed a flashlight and, after bundling up, went out the back door.

Andy kept the path to the small barn pretty clear of snow, so she had no trouble getting there. Her troubles began once she opened the barn door.

Born and raised in Bismarck, Lucy considered herself a city girl. Growing up, her father had always kept up with the latest amenities, and even during the Depression she hadn't wanted for much. She remembered being horrified when Andrew told her he grew up without indoor plumbing or electricity. In fact, his family home didn't get either until after he had already gone off to war.

After securing a teaching job in Bismarck, Andrew had bought a house on a decent-sized piece of land outside of town. He kept a few animals and a small garden, and leased a field out to a neighbouring farmer. When they got engaged, Lucy realized he wanted her to move there with him after they were married. Thankfully the house had all the modern utilities, but even if it hadn't, Lucy was so in love with him that she would have followed him to Timbuktu. As it turned out, she enjoyed the life of a country wife. Andy taught her how to milk a cow, hunt for eggs, and slaughter a chicken. Thanks to her Victory Garden, she already knew how to tend to plants and, if she did say so herself, did a better job of it than her husband. She even learned how to hunt and was a surprisingly good shot.

The one thing that she could never get used to were the horses. They were big and, in her mind, unpredictable. She had rode one exactly once and decided it wasn't for her. However, Andrew had insisted she at least learn how to drive a sleigh. 'It's not easy! And what happens if there's too much snow for the car and we need to get into town? You need to know how to do it!' Andrew had told her firmly. While she didn't enjoy the lecture, she saw the sense in it and had learn to do that, at least. Now, with her husband kidnapped and her car useless, she found herself grateful for every terrifying moment she had to drive that sleigh.

Steeling herself, she passed the cow stall and went to the horses. Both were wide awake, and making nervous noises. No doubt the sudden gunfire had spooked them. Lucy felt her anxiety ratchet up. But she had to find a way to her neighbour's house, and this was her only practical option.

"Okay, it's okay." She wasn't sure if the reassuring words were for the horses or for herself. Daisy looked past her as if expecting her master to be behind Lucy. "It's just me," Lucy said. She hesitated, but reached out and touched Daisy's nose. She had to admit that Daisy— a beautiful palomino— was sweet, calm, and steady, but that wasn't enough to sway Lucy's opinion of horses in general. The other horse, Chester, was Daisy's opposite with a dark brown coat and black mane. He was young and fiery and he kicked his stall door when he saw Lucy approach. Lucy took a step back. Chester whinnied in triumph, which filled Lucy with a surge of indignation. She wasn't going to let this horse intimidate her. Andrew needed her, and she needed the horse, so it was darn well going to listen to her.

"Listen, you, you're going to listen to me, and that's that!" Lucy said, voicing her thoughts.

It wasn't easy, but Lucy was determined and soon, she had the horses hitched up to the sleigh. She led the horses out to the front of the house. Chester kept trying to nip at her head, but she swatted him away.

After securing the horses to their hitching post, Lucy ran up the front steps. When she entered the house she saw her three daughters dressed and waiting. "I'm going to get Johnny. Go grab some blankets and your dollies and wait for me here, okay."

John was still asleep and Lucy carefully wrapped him in a blanket. Then she placed him in his travel basket. He whined and tried to stretch out of his swaddling, but gave up and stayed asleep. One thing to be grateful for, anyway.

Soon, the Carters were all in the sleigh, driving through the snow to their neighbour's. The girls had all fallen asleep so the only sounds were the swishing of the snow, the jingling of bells, and Lucy's own heart. Although it took some concentration to keep the horses on track, Lucy allowed her mind to wander.

Major Hochstetter.

She had heard the name before, only a few times. Mostly when Andrew was asleep and mumbling to himself. But, every once in a while, he made an appearance in his games with the girls and their dolls, which they had recently received from an old Stalag 13 guard. Major Hochstetter was always a stuffed wolf, and mean as could be, trying to eat the ragdoll heroes at every turn. Of course, the ragdolls always got out of trouble and saved the day.

Those dolls were always getting into some sort of mischief, or pulling off dangerous and exciting missions. Lucy had always dismissed it all as pretend, or as some sort of wish fulfillment— how Andy had wished his captivity had gone.

But what if it hadn't been pretend? What if there was some truth in those silly games he played with the girls?

Lucy remembered the letter from Schultz that had been attached to the dolls. 'But I cannot say anything of that. Even though I know nothing- nothing - I was sworn to secrecy. We will both be dead long before anyone ever hears of it.' She had been curious while Andrew had read the letter but hadn't followed up on it. Just what were they sworn to secrecy about?

Throughout the years, Andrew had said some strange things about his captivity. When pressed, he always had some sort of explanation. For instance, he had mentioned the local hofbrau, as if he had been there on several occasions. 'Oh, after a work detail, Schultz would take us there,' he'd say. 'He said it was to reward us, but it was just because he liked beer!'

Another time he had been working on a crossword puzzle.

'Say, what's a three letter word for a hat named after a city?'

'Fez.'

'Fez?'

'Yes, it's a kind of cylindrical cap with a tassel on it.'

'Oh yeah. I think Newkirk made one for Kinch for his trip to Paris. He used the red velvet curtains from Klink's quarters for it. Boy, was Klink mad when he found out! But what kind of a man has velvet red curtains? Klink was-'

'Did you say Kinch went to Paris?'

Andrew had just blinked at her. 'Oh. No. His Trip to Paris was the name of a play we put on in the Rec Hall. LeBeau wrote it. It was kind of saucy!'

And there was an alarming amount of times where he said he had nearly blown himself up.

'Um, yeah. I was trying to make a still for Newkirk. I guess I didn't have what it took to be a moonshiner!'

Countless other remarks made over the years now had Lucy reconsidering just what she knew about her husband. Even the conversation that night between Hochstetter and Andrew left her puzzled.

'It must be real hard to be a war criminal.' What had made Major Hochstetter a war criminal, and how did Andy know he was?

'The Major and I have been through this song and dance before.' Just what did that mean? What dealings had Andrew had with him before?

The Major wanted Colonel Hogan. But why? Andy had told enough stories about how Hogan and his crew had made their Kommandant's life miserable but where did this Hochstetter fellow fit into that? It sounded like he wanted revenge, but for what?

And why had Hochstetter called Andrew 'Sergeant'? Lucy knew about the SNAFU with his rank, but hadn't that been resolved by the time he was shot down? So why did the Major refer to him like that? Now that she really thought about it, wasn't it strange that Andrew and Colonel Hogan were the only officers in a camp full of enlisted men?

A puzzle, years in the making, now swirled around Lucy's mind. Her brain went around in circles and couldn't settle on any answer that made sense. Now, more than ever, she wished she had asked more about Andrew's time in the war, instead of settling for just what he was willing to share. If she had, she might have more pieces to put together and this whole thing would make more sense.

Was he… No. That was ridiculous. But it was all starting to add up in her mind. Was Andrew… were the others… some sort of commandos?

From a prisoner of war camp, though? It was too ridiculous to entertain. But was there even a camp to begin with? She had seen the picture on the mantel countless times, so she knew some sort of camp had existed. But where? Had he even been a prisoner? Who was Andrew Carter? Did she even know the man she had been married to for six years?

She was confused. And, suddenly, a horrible thought entered her mind. What if they had somehow been in league with the Germans? She remembered what Andrew had said about Schultz. 'Now hold on a minute. He may have been wearing the wrong uniform, but Schultz was one of the guys. A pal.' Just what kind of prisoners considered their guards, friends? The kind who just wanted to survive so got along to get along? The kind who had turned traitor? It wasn't the first time Andrew had made some sort of similar remarks about his captors.

But what did it all mean?!

The Pederson's farmhouse was close now, cutting off Lucy's mad scramble for answers. Lucy stopped the horses in front of the house and, not bothering to wake her children, she hopped out of the sleigh. It was then she realized how much her body ached, reminding her that it hadn't been that long since she had delivered a baby. She ignored her discomfort and climbed the stairs to the house. She knocked frantically on the front door.

"Henry? May? Open up, please!" she yelled as she pounded on the door. "Henry? It's Lucy! Are you there? Wake up!"

It took a few minutes, but eventually she heard some noise on the other side of the door. The porch light turned on just before the door opened a crack. It swung open a second later. Henry Pederson looked at her with surprise, which quickly shifted into concern.

"Lucy? Lucy Carter? What's going on? Is everything all right?" He looked past her to the sleigh. "Where's Andrew?"

"He's— A man came and took him!"

"What? What man? What did he want?"

Suddenly, Lucy remembered that she had left Hochstetter's instructions on the mantel. She knew she could explain the situation without it, but that small oversight was all that was needed to send the stress of the night rushing over her. Losing all the composure she had held onto so bravely until now, Lucy covered her face and started to cry hysterically.

Stunned, Henry hesitated. But then the old man put his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Shhh. It's going to be okay, there," he said as he stroked her head. "May! May! I need you! Shhhh. It's okay, now."

It wasn't okay. Until her husband was safe and he was the one holding her, nothing would be okay.