Watch of Nightingales

by Honor Gable

  We take cover behind a clump of downed logs and wait. They're supposed to be ten minute charges, but they don't always work that way. We grasp hands, ears perked for other explosions down the line.

  Fire and smoke reaches for the sky, the roar drowning everything out. We're close enough for the heat to sear across our faces and the force to blow back our hair.

  Lois smooths and adjusts her clothes. "Well, I guess it worked. Let's get out of here. Gun ready?"

  I wave my Sten gun. "Yes. Let's go."

  We don't bother traveling without our powers, wanting out of there before the Germans show up. We speed through the trees, putting plenty of distance between us and the explosion. Sirens already filter through the trees.

  We meet up with Axel and the others much too soon, causing Axel to almost shoot us when we make it to the rendezvous point. "How did you make it so quickly?"

  Lois and I avoid eye contact. We're idiots and cannot make this mistake again. "We're fast."

  His frown deepens, but he doesn't question us. "We have to move. Silently. Germans are crawling over these woods looking for us."

  He takes the lead again, gun tucked into his arm, and we file in behind him, one of the others taking up the rear, our muffled footsteps mixing with the chattering of forest creatures.

  Axel raises his clenched fist. We freeze and crouch low, barely daring to breathe. Cracking twigs and rustling branches shoot terror up my spine. My fingers dig into the cold metal of my gun, my lips moving in silent prayer that I won't have to use it. I force my breathing into quiet regularity, ears perked, searching for recognizable sounds. I don't have the best eyesight, but my ears are rather good. The noises grow closer and trickles of German reach through the leaves and limbs. I catch Axel's attention, signaling for Germans heading from the East. Where we're headed. Right in our path to the village.

  Axel's face tightens with frustration. I struggle to wet my mouth, not liking the steely resignation greying his eyes. I peek at Lois, the cold and blank expression on her face souring my stomach. Axel gives the signal and I jerk the gun into position by my waist. Glimpses of the Germans flash here and there through the trees. I get a good look at one and my breath catches at how young he is. My age probably, his life only beginning. Will I be the one to kill him or he me? Does he have parents and siblings praying for him back home? A girl he wants to marry? A best friend marching beside him?

  I drum my fingers against the side of the weapon and my eyes dart back and forth between the small clearing the Germans where we expect the will come into sight and Axel, as we wait for his order to fire. Each snap of a twig and snatch of voices makes me cringe. Sweat trickles down my back, but I try to ignore it, making no move to wipe it away even though every atom in my body yearns to. My breaths tighten and I want to claw my neck off.

  They're too close now. There's no way to outrun them or hide. We'll be seen any second.

  Axel's arm slices down through the air, and the forest rings with the fire of machine guns. My finger moves to the trigger so slowly it's like I’m under water. My brain screams at me to fire over and over, to squeeze, to help, but my body refuses to cooperate. I want to cover my ears and block out the sounds of death, the screams, the moans, the gunfire. To cover my eyes and block out the sights, the blood, the distorted faces, the hollow eyes.

  All I can do is hunch here and watch as blood sprays from holes in the German's bodies, few of them getting their weapons up in time, unprepared for this vicious of an assault. All I can do is watch as one of Axel's comrades screams and falls to the ground. All I can do is watch as a soldier advances towards me, but I'm frozen, unable to do anything to stop it. All I can do is watch while Lois travels from shadow to shadow, appears behind him, and cuts his throat from ear to ear, his blood spraying so far it splatters over my face, still hot and I would swear pulsing.

  My stomach heaves, but I force it back down. I've already fouled up enough. Let them down, froze. Coward, idiot, pathetic. All those words and more batter about in my mind, castigating me for my weakness.

  With the dead lying all about us and the danger passed for the moment, I struggle to my feet, determined to face their reprimands. I deserve them. I raise my chin and wait, but no one pays me any attention.

  My face lights on fire, and I join in the struggle to hide the bodies and weapons. I swallow back a mixture of bile and tears as we strip them from their outer uniforms, the blood already congealing and sticking to their skin. I hate touching them, their already cooling waxy skin and their vacant eyes staring at me.

  Hollow men.

  We can't go into the village carrying the guns or the uniforms, but one of the men takes both and heads back a kilometer or so to hide them in some brush. They can return for them later if they need them.

  Axel and the others seem to want a moment alone with their fallen comrade, so Lois leads me to a nearby stream and we wash our blood soaked skin until pink and gleaming again. I’m tempted to say something to her about my failure, but the words won't spill from my lips. It seems no one noticed. Everyone was too busy killing Germans themselves to wonder how anyone else was doing.

  Watching the red swirl and fade away down the stream spews vomit from my mouth, the horror finally catching up to me. My stomach keeps purging itself until I'm as hollow as the dead.

  Lois jumps to her feet, opening her sack. “Here. Eat a bit of cheese, it’ll get the taste out of your mouth.”

  My stomach settles at the first bite.

  We rejoin the others, our pace quicker this time, wanting plenty of distance between us and the wreckage we left behind.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  AUDREY

  There is no way it only took us nine kilometers to get here. My legs are killing me. The house where Rivka and I brought the cache from our airdrop with that handsome driver looks different in the light of day. I can't believe it was only hours ago we were dropping them off. It seems like a lifetime ago. I'm so tired.

  There's a strange smell, like burning metal. So strong I almost taste it.

  Rivka stops us right in time, throwing her arms out and hissing, "Get down."

  We drop to the ground, hiding behind bushes and tree trunks. And watch as the Gestapo drives away. My exhaustion is gone, my blood pumping hot through my veins, my brain screaming about the threat. My grip on the gun tightens and I raise it, but the fellow next to me claps his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. I scowl at him, aching to pull the trigger. He shakes his head again, his grip on my shoulder tightening. I almost shoot anyway, just to show him I'm not following his orders. Rivka has better luck on my other side, her big brown eyes wide and imploring. Fine. We'll let the Gestapo get away with whatever horrors they've just committed.

  Rage burns me up from the inside. I didn't realize it would be all hiding and skulking in the shadows, never taking the Germans head on. Always darting in from the side and back out again. It's not my style.

  I thought we’d have a bigger mission, something to turn the tide of the war. But no, we weren’t trusted with such a task. We’re still an experiment. They want to see how we do before injecting real soldiers with the meteorite. The real soldiers will get to win the war, the glory, the fame.

  My legs shake, and the muscles in my spine seize. I want to shift my position to take away some of the strain, but no one else has moved. And I won't be the first. How long are we going to wait here? The Gestapo are long gone. We need to find out if they found the supplies. How did they know to come to the safe house? Is there a traitor?

  Bile burns my throat at the thought. What kind of situation have we been dropped into?

  At last there's a collective shift in our group, and we file from the woods, keeping our heads low and guns high. Being out in the open with the late morning sun beating down on us is unnerving. I guess I'm getting used to watching from the dark.

  The morning is quiet, no birds or other creatures making any noise. It's creepy. The Gestapo must have run them off. I keep
a steady chatter in my head to drown out the quiet, and to keep from worrying about what we're about to find.

  We check the barn first, stepping around overturned equipment and empty canisters. My gun falls to my side. They found everything. The men with us curse loudly and race towards the house, giving up stealth. Giving in to the panic. It spreads to Rivka and me and we follow them. My stomach churns. What are we going to find?

  We find death.

  Four people, shot to death and left to rot.

  Bastards.

  Three of them are girls my age and one older lady. Murdered.

  Did they even know what we hid with them?

  I shouldn't have lowered my gun.

  My eyes are on fire, and I can't look away from their crumpled bodies. The blood caked on their faces, the floor stained red. I have to snap out of it. This isn't the first time I've seen death. And it won't be the last.

  The leader blocks the awful sight. "We have to get you two to the next safe house. And make sure that hasn't been compromised too."

  "Who could have tipped them off?" I fold my arms across my chest, trying to stay still and seem professional. Even while I want to scream at him for trusting a traitor.

  He sighs and pat his pockets. "I don't know. Most of our network knew you were coming and bringing supplies with you on the drop. Even if they didn't know we were bringing it to this house, they could have guessed. These girls were part of our network. They helped get British airmen out of the country." He unearths a cigarette, and I barely keep myself from ripping it from his hand. His eyes shine a little too brightly, but he blinks to clear it and lights his fag.

  "I'm sorry."

  "It's a damn shame. But come. We have to get to the rendezvous with your team and I need to inform Axel."

  What if Axel already knows?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  VIOLA

  Axel raises his fist in the "stop" signal. My heart stutters. More Germans? "We should be at the rendezvous in ten minutes."

  The news flows energy through my veins. After the past twenty-four hours of traipsing through woods or bumping about in the back of trolleys, it'll be nice to maybe have the chance at a bed. We travel through the last stretch of woods, the sun already starting to peek over the horizon, to a small clearing with a large stone house covered in vines. It reminds me of Dot's home. Will I ever see it again? There are two more barn-like buildings behind it even bigger than the house.

  Axel's lips quirk at our dumbfounded expressions. "They're farmers. Paris is a forty minute bike ride from here and they take their wares twice a week into the city to sell them. Or, they did. It's gotten harder for them since the occupation with the Germans taking everything. We're going to leave you right here, don't want more people to see our faces. It's safer that way. Forget our names, forget us. I hope we don't meet again."

  Lois snorts. "Feeling is mutual."

  Axel laughs. "If you need us—and I mean really need us, you know where to find us."

  The two men fade back into the woods, sight and sounds from them disappearing in seconds. We share a nervous glance and make our way up to the still house. An older man opens the door. "May I help you?"

  I give the code phrase. "Yes. We were hoping to buy some lavender." Please don't say you're out.

  He nods. "Of course. Come on in, we have a great crop this year."

  The grip on my heart releases. If he'd said they were out, it meant danger and we'd have to go to Paris alone to the next safe house. It would've meant Audrey and Rivka weren't here. It would've meant we were all compromised. It would've meant failure.

  The man waves us inside. "I'm Julien. Your comrades are still asleep. My wife's making dinner which you're welcome to. Nothing fancy, just eggs and porridge."

  Our stomachs grumble at his words and he chuckles. "Come on."

  A woman in her late fifties sets plates on her thick, rustic wood table. She looks up with a smile of greeting when we enter. "Hello there. Glad you made it here safe."

  We murmur our pleasantries.

  "You two look exhausted. Have a seat, I'm sure the others will be awake and down soon. I doubt you'll get a chance to sleep since you need to get to Paris, but try to rest now."

  Footsteps on the floor above signal someone coming down. A man emerges first, rubbing sleep-heavy, hazel eyes. The wireless operator. Our pianist. He greets us, his French accent unable to completely hide his British origin.

  Lois hears it too judging from her frown. "Why don't you fill us in a bit? We were told very little back home."

  "Let's wait until everyone's down. It won't be long, and this is better told over a full stomach." He sits down and helps himself to some food.

  Lois scowls at his words, but footsteps descending pause whatever she plans to say. I grin wide at the sight of Audrey and Rivka, a little more strain melting away. Quick hugs all around and we settle in at the table, eggs seasoned with lavender, garlic, basil, and bland porridge shoveled in mouths. It's a while before anyone speaks.

  We share the horrors of our time apart, aghast that so much has already gone wrong. The thought of a traitor is worrisome. The only people I know I can trust are my fellow Nightingales.

  After planning for our journey to Paris, Hugo leaves. The rest of us idle about, waiting for our turns. Audrey and Rivka are next. I wish we could travel together instead of separating again.

  I stare out the window, watching a couple squirrels sneak towards the house, startling at a burst of laughter, and darting back to the safety of the woods. The sun is almost gone for the day, night coming fast. Lois joins me, her presence undemanding and comforting, giving me the strength to say the words I've been unable to.

  "I froze yesterday." The winds sways the trees, loose leaves spiraling down to meet their end on the ground.

  "I know."

  I stiffen, but don't turn from the window. "What if I freeze again?"

  "I'll be there to take care of it."

  My wide and startled eyes meet her calm and determined ones. I expected her to say I wouldn't freeze or they can't afford for me to freeze. I didn't expect this. I could make a thousand excuses and promises. Ones she would probably pretend to believe.

  "Thank you."

  She smiles the saddest smile I've ever seen. "You're welcome." She checks her watch, and hugs me to her side. "Time for the others to go."

  The roar of car engines speeding down the lane towards the house breaks us apart and shatters the one moment of peace and safety. Chairs clatter against the wood floor as we jump to our feet, hearts pounding, breaths shortening. They've found us. We've been betrayed. Again. Hands reach and ready weapons, feet search for cover.

  Rivka grabs Audrey and my arms, jerking us around to face her, keeping her voice low so the others can't hear. "I'm in command of our team, so I want no arguments. Audrey cannot be taken by the Gestapo because they'll discover her powers the moment they hurt her." She rips the bracelet off her wrist with a grunt of pain, blood pooling from the holes the bracelet leaves behind. "Take my bracelet. Lois, like we practiced, carry Audrey as far as you can. Viola can keep up with you. Go to the Paris contact, but be careful. It could already be compromised." She grabs our bags and shoves them into Audrey's hands. If not for the fact she used our real names, I would have no clue she's scared.

  We shake our heads in unison. "No. No, we are not abandoning you."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  AUDREY

  Rivka has clearly lost her mind, thinking we're going to leave her. "You can't be serious. It's not happening." I tighten my grip on the gun. This time no one will stop me from shooting.

  Rivka opens her mouth to argue, but the Nazis are here, their fists pounding against the door. There's no trying to pretend or use cover stories with so many of us gathered here and nowhere to hide. The Gestapo are here to seek, collect, and destroy. There's nothing routine about this. Someone told them to come.

  And when I find them, they’ll die.

  I hurry to
help Julian and his wife push the heavy table against the door. Anything to buy us time. Rivka joins us, her face lined with frustration and fear. I know it's me they're worried about. If I get caught, my powers are impossible to hide.

  But I'm not saving myself by sacrificing the others.

  I'm not running and hiding.

  Using the butt of my gun, I smash the window, ducking down at the gun aimed at me. The shots fly over my head, smashing into a cabinet against the wall. I spin and fire out the window, missing him.

  Damn.

  I take cover again and more bullets smash into furniture. Rivka throws herself down next to me, her face grim. Julian and his wife man the window on the other side of the door. We can't let them breach.

  Together, Rivka and I aim through the window, hitting the closest one. He crumples to the ground, but the other one aims before we can duck down in time. I throw my arms out to make a bigger target so he can't hit Rivka, gasping at the bite and burn of the bullet ripping into me.

  Rivka's face floats above me. Am I on the ground? How did I get there? I don't remember falling.

  It hurts to breathe. Rivka's head distorts and grows to an abnormal size and I can't hear anything over my hear pounding in my ears.

  I try to swallow, but the spit gathers in my throat, refusing to slither down.

  Am I dying?

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  VIOLA

  My entire body shakes, terror seeping from every pore. Lois and I look at each other and she mouths the countdown. On one, we burst from the back door, firing at the Nazis. Lois flickers in and out as she travels through the shadows cast by the trees. Our aim is terrible and they dive behind the car. I'm gone before their bullets can punch into me, trying to get closer to them.