“Coming here?” I shuddered at the thought. “Why? Why here?”
“Your father is one of the masterminds behind last year’s Treaty of London. The repercussions are hitting Germany hard,” Alex explained.
“Are you telling me that this insanity is in the name of revenge?”
“No, not completely.” Alex’s eyes darted over the map, before holding my gaze. “Florence, your father is in possession of vital war documents—highly classified information. We could lose many battles, many more lives, even the war, if our enemies get hold of it. Your father was to deliver the documents to the upcoming Security Council in France.”
“Wait…are these documents here at the manor?” I hoped against hope for a negative answer.
“Yes.” Colonel Swinger ran the back of his hand across his perspired forehead. “Somehow, somewhere, information leaked, and the enemy knows.”
I felt as if I had just suffered a great blow to my stomach. “How long do we have?”
“At most an hour,” Colonel Swinger said.
Having had one ear on his telephone conversation and the other on ours, my father hung up the receiver and returned to the desk. “The Germans don’t want me to attend the council, don’t want those documents to be delivered, and so it’s absolutely crucial for us that we do so.”
My father opened a secret compartment on the side of his desk to retrieve a small envelope containing the documents. “Gentlemen, this information is more important than our own lives. General Sterling, I fully trust you to carry out this mission.” My father extended the envelope to Alex. Alex’s face filled with weariness—suddenly, he looked twenty years older.
“Florence, the fastest, safest way to get these documents to safety is to cross the forest on horseback to get to Hurst Castle Fortress. I know the fortress well. I’ve been there several times. From there we’ll board a ship to France,” said Alex.
“The fortress is safe, and it’s only a few hours of sailing across to France,” Colonel Swinger assured. “The truth is that even if you have to wait for a ship, you and the classified information will be safe there.”
“I see,” I said. I understood his words, trying any other route would be suicidal; there were spies and assassins hidden among our own people. Now that they knew where to find the documents, they would stop at nothing to obtain them.
“We have tried to get a message through to Hurst Castle without success—we’ll keep trying. Don’t worry. They will expect your arrival.” Colonel Swinger sounded convincingly optimistic about the success of our mission. I wasn’t so sure.
“General Sterling, one last word before you leave,” my father required.
Obviously wanting me out of earshot, the three men moved away from the desk towards the windows.
I stared at the map on the desk. Nothing made sense, my world stood on quicksand.
An excruciating boom filled the room; I feared my head had just exploded. The unexpected sound produced an expected reaction from me—I screamed in terror. Simultaneously, one of the windows shattered into a million pieces. Small fragments of glass glimmered, like the sparks of a burning fire, traveling at a rapid speed across the room. Colonel Swinger produced a terrible groan and collapsed down to the floor holding his leg. The first shot was followed by a quick succession of gunshots out in the grounds.
Terror froze me in place.
“Get down, Florence!” Alex yelled and sprinted towards me.
“Take cover!” my father cried out. He went down to the security of the floor underneath the window beside Colonel Swinger.
Alex pulled me to the floor behind the desk, shielding me with his body.
The whole house shook under the pressure of the booms that filled the air. My mind struggled to make sense of the chaos. Only a short while ago, I’d been dancing at my wedding. And now my home and all I held dear were under attack.
“We need to move Colonel Swinger to safety,” Alex shouted to my father when the shots had diminished. “Stay down,” he ordered me, crawling away towards the colonel.
Alex lifted the colonel’s upper body off the floor, and my father took his feet.
I raised my head high enough to see the trail of blood that Colonel Swinger’s body left across the office floor. They sat the colonel against the massive desk, opposite to the windows.
“Alex, get Florence out of here!” my father commanded, out of breath.
“Yes, sir.” Alex turned to me. I raised my hand up to Alex’s chest, stopping him from taking me out of the room.
I beheld Colonel Swinger’s pained countenance and bleeding leg, and I felt nauseated. “Will he be all right?”
“It’s just a scratch, dear.” Colonel Swinger managed a weak smile. “Sorry, general, I miscalculated their arrival time.”
“There’s no way we could’ve known for sure, colonel. Sit tight and I’ll be back for you,” my father said hurriedly. “Alex, Florence, let’s go!”
Alex got to his feet and pulled me out of the office into the hall.
We were safe for the moment; there were no windows here.
Mrs. Allerton appeared from behind the staircase. “Florence, dear, are you well?” There was alarm, yet also relief in her voice. She dropped the two military bags in her hands to embrace me. “Oh my, you are shaking.” She was also shaking.
“Colonel Swinger is wounded.” I pointed towards the office door.
“I’ll take care of him,” Mrs. Allerton replied.
“It’s too dangerous. The colonel will have to wait,” my father said, and stopped her. “Alex, we must get Florence out of here.”
“Yes, sir, but we can’t expose her to the grounds. It’s too dangerous,” Alex responded. Guarded by the safety of the hall, we stood motionless for a brief moment, assimilating our circumstances.
Outside, the sound of gunfire increased. Almost unconsciously, we shifted farther back down the corridor.
Alex’s reflexes were quick; he flung me behind him and took out his pistol. From the same direction that Mrs. Allerton had appeared, a form emerged from the shadows. My father was next to react, pulling his gun out to point at the figure. Mrs. Allerton quickly positioned her body against the wall.
“Don’t shoot! It’s just me!”
“For heaven’s sake—Mr. Leroy! What the devil are you still doing here?” Mrs. Allerton cried disapprovingly, yet there was a flicker of relief in her eyes. Alex and my father lowered their pistols.
“I’m waiting for you. I won’t leave without you.” Mr. Leroy smiled at Mrs. Allerton.
“You foolish man!” She shook her head.
“I’ll find a way to get her out of here,” Alex said. “Stay here, I’ll scout the perimeter.”
“No, Alex, wait! The tunnel!” my father sputtered out.
“What tunnel?” Alex asked.
“There’s an underground passage in this house that leads deep into the forest.”
“The tunnel,” I murmured to myself. I hadn’t thought about it for years, but it seemed like the answer to our prayers.
“Of course—that’s the ticket!” Mrs. Allerton said.
Mr. Leroy picked up the military bags off the floor. Father took point, and Alex brought up the rear, guarding us as we hastened to the kitchen.
My father opened the door that led to the kitchen’s storage area.
“Very convenient,” Alex observed. He helped my father to lift a large floor rug out of the way.
“An ancestor of ours in Cromwell’s time had it built as a precaution. I merely repaired it from years of neglect. I always had a feeling it may come in handy someday,” Father explained. With a little effort, they removed several wood boards from the floor, revealing a rectangular hole big enough to allow one person at a time down into the ground. The top of a thin wooden ladder was the only visible thing into the dark drop.
“Besides us, no one knows about it,” Mrs. Allerton attested to its security.
“The tunnel travels roughly 150 yards a
nd exits by the hedgerow past the south lawns. That should get you enough cover to get to the protection of the forest. When you come out, keep heading south. Don’t stop until you are far away from here,” my father instructed.
“The farther the better,” Mrs. Allerton emphasized.
“I’ll contact London from Hurst Castle,” said Alex.
“Florence, I trust Alex with your life. Stay together, do what he says, and Florence, trust him,” my father advised, almost pleadingly. “Trust him.”
I nodded to reassure my father, but he didn’t have to worry. I would always trust Alex with all my heart. “Please, promise me you’ll stay alive.” I searched my dear father’s eyes for a spark of hope.
“I most definitely will,” he said reassuringly.
“Don’t you ever forget who you are and how much we love you,” Mrs. Allerton pointed to the silver bracelet on my wrist. When Lucca and I were born, my mother had two identical bracelets made, each with our names engraved on them. The bracelets became a constant reminder that our family’s love would never be extinguished, that it would always live in our hearts.
“You aren’t coming with us?” I choked out the words.
“Oh, my dear, I would only slow you down,” Mrs. Allerton responded lovingly.
“They are leaving next,” my father assured, referring to Mrs. Allerton and Mr. Leroy.
“Oui, oui, Miss Contini. I’ll take care of her, don’t you worry,” assured Mr. Leroy.
“General Sterling, don’t fail—bring her back home. That’s an order,” my father commanded.
“Yes, sir. I swear on my life.”
I embraced my father and Mrs. Allerton.
Mr. Leroy handed Alex an oil lamp. Alex started down the ladder.
I looked up at the faces I so dearly loved one last time, before descending into the uncertain darkness.
One more minute in the underground tunnel and I’d have fainted. The narrow confinement of its walls was claustrophobic. The scuffling of unseen creatures inhabiting it, stale air scented with mold and decay, and the thick darkness combined with the lengthy distance of the passage was like walking through the shadow of the valley of death itself. I wondered what types of repairs my father had done to the tunnel, and how recently, because I could not imagine it in a worse condition.
We emerged from the tunnel to a maze of ancient trees. The night was just one shade of black lighter than the tunnel had been.
“Stay behind me,” Alex said, hustling through the low branches.
“This is monstrous,” I mumbled. We were mercilessly scratched, poked, and pushed back many times on our way out of the cluster of trees.
“Are you all right?” Alex was breathless from all the wrestling.
“Never been better,” I joked.
“At least no one would ever guess where the exit is. Come on, my lady, let’s go.”
The relief of having conquered the tunnel was too brief. Intensely aware of the enemy in our wake, Alex assumed a brutal pace, and I was pleased to realize he trusted me to keep up. Amidst our ordeal, Alex was cool-minded, in control of his actions and emotions. His serenity forced me to focus on our task ahead, to forget what I couldn’t change—what I couldn’t accept. We traveled south like haunted shadows under the thick canopy of the treetops. Determined not to hinder our mission, I marched without complaint, although soon my muscles were on fire and I had a stitch in my side. Still, I followed my well-trained husband through the dark forest.
The night was silent; no breeze blew past, no life of any kind was heard, only our rushed footsteps and heavy breathing disrupted the tranquility. It seemed as if the forest, startled by our unwelcomed presence, had suddenly ceased all movement.
With the first glimpse of dawn, the stress of the past hours caught up with me. I started to stagger every few steps, and my head felt dizzy. To our right, I saw that we had been walking along a road but many yards away from it. Staying off the road meant staying out of sight, but it hindered our journey as the grass was thick, the ground uneven, and the trees and bushes seemed to multiply with every step we took.
“How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” I lied.
We both heard it at the same time; a loud, clear sound; a rumbling noise like thunder, coming from the north, which instantly made my weariness disappear.
“Horses!” I cried out, recognizing their familiar sound.
Alex grabbed my hand and broke into a run. We raced through the tightness of the unforgiving path. His long legs were fast and sturdy; I forced myself to keep up with him. The noise behind us grew louder, closer. The horses’ hooves were now distinguishable, beating evenly like the sound of drums on the dirt road. I scanned the fast-moving trees in search of our hunters, convinced I would now see them.
We ran farther into the trees and down into a hollow.
“Get down.” Alex dragged me to the ground. Our situation was too precarious to worry about the niceties. We lay flat, scared of our own breathing.
There was a roar of combined noises; the horses were in close proximity. My heartbeat was loud and out of rhythm, I feared it would give us away.
“It’s all right,” Alex whispered. He placed a comforting arm across my shoulders and let his strength flow into me.
The thundering noise diminished as their march slowed down. Drowned in a sea of stocky wild grass, my body quivered; the horses stopped on the road, right above the hollow.
“Shhh,” Alex mouthed.
The men’s voices were rough and loud. They spoke in a foreign language.
Distinctive loud thumps indicated that some of the riders had dismounted. They shouted to each other in a clear disagreement. Amidst their confusing conversation, two words I clearly understood, separate and distinct, “Contini” and “Sterling.”
If there had ever been any doubt, it was clear now—they were after us. The longer they searched the area, the more likely they’d find us.
After what seemed like ages to me, one of them barked out something that sounded like an order. The horses huffed and nickered softly as our pursuers moved out. Soon the sound of hoofs was far distant, eventually fading away. My body ached from the rough treatment of the night and now from lying motionless on the cold ground for so long. Tentatively, I started to sit up.
“Shhh. Don’t move,” Alex spoke almost inaudibly.
A long, frightful moment went by.
“Florence,” Alex finally said. “We are being hunted.”
“How do you know?” I whispered.
“I estimate about a dozen horsemen. Three horses were riderless when they left. They are searching the area on foot. They know we are here,” he whispered back. “I think they are on the other side of the road. Listen, we have the advantage of the sloped terrain. We’ll slide down as far as we can. Then we’ll run. I’ll take the bags. All right?”
“Yes.”
“Florence, if we get caught, you run. Do you hear me? You run.” Alex looked at me with a mix of love and desperation. We were in dire straits, and we both knew it.
Slowly, we started sliding down the wild grass in between the trees. The dry dirt, twigs, and debris from the forest’s vegetation was brutal as it pricked my skin. Why hadn’t it rained recently? It always rained, except for the past week of course.
We reached the bottom of the drop.
“Are you ready?” Alex asked.
I nodded. “I’m ready.”
We ran. Not a word was said; we just raced through the hosts of trees. The only noise was the sound of crunching twigs and dry leaves under our feet.
Abruptly, Alex stopped, dropped the bags off his shoulders, grasped my hand, and changed direction. “They’ve seen us,” he hissed breathlessly.
Before I could respond, a figure emerged in front of Alex from behind the thicket. Alex had no time to react before the assailant hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle, knocking him to the ground. Alex landed on his knees; his gaze instantly found mine. T
he soldier followed Alex’s eyes reading the concern for me in his face. In that moment’s hesitation, Alex grabbed the soldier’s rifle and threw himself backwards, using gravity to wrench the weapon from his opponent’s hands. At the same time, he kicked out with his legs, catching the soldier in the groin. With a hoarse cry, the soldier buckled in agony.
“Run, Florence!” Alex ordered.
As I raced away from them, I looked over my shoulder. Their positions reversed, Alex now stood over the soldier and swung the rifle, hitting the man on the back of his head. His limp body collapsed onto the ground.
Alex sprinted towards me, rifle in hand. “Go, Florence, keep running!”
The trees offered the most protection, so I continued to run at full speed through them with Alex close behind. I didn’t turn anymore; I knew Alex was catching up with me. I heard the sound of his boots crashing on the ground.
Suddenly, my head jerked back, my scalp burning with the force of the pull; someone yanked me by the hair, bringing me to a stop. Whatever was left of the beautiful arrangement that Mrs. Allerton had done to my hair was now gone. But my disheveled hair was the least of my concerns as my assailant’s arms wrapped around me from behind.
“Stay still and I won’t hurt you,” he said, in heavily accented English. “Make a fuss and I’ll kill you.” I believed his words; he meant them. Several meters back, I saw a dark shape, hardly visible among the forestation, rifle ready to fire, silently closing in on us.
Alex, I thought. This new figure was hunting Alex. But, where was Alex?
Somewhere along our run, Alex must have seen them. He must’ve stayed back to have the advantage of a good position to surprise them. I needed to distract the soldiers, create an opportunity for Alex to attack.
With all the energy I had left, I struggled with my captor, twisting wildly in his grasp, lashing back with my heels. There was no chance of escaping. He was far too strong. But every moment I could buy for Alex might make the difference.
His arms tightened around my chest with an incredible force, and I screamed in pain, fearing that he would break my bones. Instinct propelled my head backward, hitting my captor in the chin. He swore viciously in German at me and smacked the side of my head. The blow left me stunned on the ground.
Awaken, Shadows of a Forgotten Past Page 28