A gunshot rang out from somewhere, echoing against the enclosure of the trees. The sniper gave out a loud groan and fell dead. Alex had found the hunter.
Utilizing the sudden disturbance, I attempted to escape, but my captor was too quick. Roughly pulling me to my feet, he wrapped an arm around my neck and dragged me backwards. I gasped for air—my hands grasped his arm trying to loosen his grip.
“The more you writhe, the faster you’ll asphyxiate,” his cold voice said. It wasn’t a threat; it was happening as he spoke. I was choking, my throat burning inside out. The strength left my body as rapidly as the oxygen did, leaving me with no choice but to stop struggling.
“The game is over. Come out,” he yelled. Using his free hand, my captor took out a pistol from his holster. He shot twice upward into the air and then placed the burning muzzle on my temple. I shrunk at the heat on my skin. “Come out or she dies!” He laughed harshly, yet nervously. There was no sign of Alex.
He backed close to a tree and tightened his arm around my neck. An immense amount of pressure rushed to my head, and my vision went black around the edges. “Show yourself!” he shouted.
“Let her go!” In my stupor, Alex’s voice seemed so distant, yet his proximity must have startled the soldier, who stumbled backward, still holding me tight.
“Drop your weapon, now, or she dies!”
Alex’s furious stare pierced the soldier’s eyes like a dagger. A lot closer than I had imagined, he stood for several moments, his brow furrowed, rifle aimed at us, deciding how to proceed.
The soldier contracted his arm around my neck. I felt my head swimming. I fought the heavy veil of drowsiness. I had to stay conscious.
“Stop!” Alex said. Slowly he started lowering the rifle to the ground, never losing eye contact with the enemy.
Abruptly, the soldier released my neck and shoved me away. I hit the ground hard, holding my throat in my hands. I coughed and choked, the air burning as it entered my nostrils.
Alex rushed to my side. “Florence, are you all right?” he asked, helping me off the ground. I nodded in reassurance; no words would come out until the pain subsided.
Exerting myself to stabilize my senses, I looked around. The question invaded my mind, why had the soldier let me go? It was too dangerous to do so. We all knew that Alex had only dropped the rifle—surely, there was a pistol tucked in his clothes, along with other weapons. And why had Alex given up so easily? True, he was concerned for my safety but surrendering himself wouldn’t help either of us.
But the explanation for both of their actions soon came into view. From among the trees, like silent snakes slithering towards us, soldiers started to emerge. We were outnumbered and encircled by a considerable amount of weapons pointed straight at us. At gunpoint, they forced us into a small clearing.
The soldiers moved back from us, giving way to a man in black who swiftly galloped into the clearing to circle us like a vulture ready to dive on its victims. The look in his eyes chilled me. Although I knew nothing of this man, I instantly recognized the wickedness he projected. Here was a man who took pleasure in the suffering of others.
“Krause.” Alex bit off the name as if it left a vile taste in his mouth. “What do you want with us?” Alex furiously cried out. It was apparent he knew the German.
“We have unfinished business, general,” Krause said in a slow, raspy voice, his English surprisingly clear. He came to a stop in front of us.
Alex positioned his body slightly in front of mine to shelter me from Krause. His hands turned into fists. “Very well then—let the girl go, and we’ll settle this like men.”
Krause let out a terrifying laugh. “The famous General Sterling is trying to fool me!” He dismounted his horse with such roughness that involuntarily I held my breath for an instant. “Do you think that I don’t know who she is? This pretty lady, General Sterling, is a lot more valuable to me than you are.”
The soldiers said something in German which I didn’t understand in word but comprehended it all too well in the unbridled excitement in their eyes.
“I’ll kill you if you touch her!” Alex charged at him in anger, just to be suppressed by a few men. They pinned his arms behind his back to search him. Taking his weapons, they moved Alex away from me. I stood all alone like a baby gazelle surrounded by hungry hyenas—their eyes bore into me, their mouths gaping, flashing their vicious smiles.
Krause approached Alex. He placed his mocking face inches from Alex’s as he spoke.
“I don’t think you understand the severity of your situation, general. Let me help you put it into perspective.” He slammed his fist into Alex’s stomach, then his face. Alex struggled to keep his body firm under the raw force of the blows, but his head swung back and forth at the violent punches.
Instinctively, I ran towards Alex, only to be restrained by the soldiers. I wrestled with them quite uselessly. “Stop, right now. Stop!” I yelled in desperation.
The pounding paused. “Let her go,” Alex said, spitting blood out with each of his words.
“Listen to the brave General Sterling!” Krause taunted. “Very touching, but not convincing.” He resumed the beating, appearing to find a perverse pleasure in it.
“Please stop!” I shouted, feeling the soldiers’ grasp around my arms like chains.
Krause rubbed his hands. “I’ll tell you what we are going to do,” he said to his men. “We’ll take care of Miss Contini first.” He smiled and looked at Alex. “Forgive me, it’s Mrs. Sterling, isn’t it? Surely, that’s the only way to break the haughty general.”
“You bloody coward!” Alex spit and cursed at Krause. With one swift movement, the soldier beside Alex buried his elbow into his head. Alex opened and closed his eyes a few times trying to remain conscious.
“There must be a good reason for you to have fled into the forest.” Krause studied Alex’s reaction to his words for a moment. “Yes, a powerful reason for you to abandon a battle—shall we find out?” He searched the inside pocket of Alex’s clothes and retrieved the classified information. “I was right!” He briefly looked at the papers. “General, your mission ends here.” He laughed triumphantly as he placed the envelope inside his own pocket.
A deceptive, momentary sense of relief filled me when Krause moved away from Alex, only to fade when he positioned himself in front of me.
“We’ll spend some time together,” Krause said in my ear. His disgusting breath on my skin turned my stomach.
“I’d rather die first!”
“If that’s what you want.” Abrasively taking the rifle from a soldier, he aimed it at me.
“No—stop!” Alex shouted. “She has nothing to do with this!” Summoning an incredible amount of strength, Alex almost freed himself from the two men that restrained him. A gut-wrenching pain invaded my whole body as I saw a third soldier grab Alex’s hair and pull his head back, bringing him to his knees.
“I’m impressed, general. Your resilience is admirable.” Krause turned to Alex. “You make my decision extremely difficult. Your coherency has changed my mind once again. You are correct. She doesn’t have anything to do with this after all. I came here to kill you—let’s get it over with. I will then have my fun.”
“No! No! Don’t hurt him!”
“Don’t make her watch this evil!” said Alex. Krause prepared his rifle.
“You can’t hurt him—my father will hang you! You wretched beast!” Rage possessed me, and I cursed the Black Rider in the foulest way the English language had to offer, words which I had never used before.
Alex threw a sharp glance at me in shock, undoubtedly fearing for my life if I continued to antagonize our captor. “Florence, stop—stop!” he urged, but I ignored him.
“Silence her!” Krause ordered.
Pulling my head back onto his chest to contain me, a soldier covered my mouth with his dirty hand.
Krause repositioned himself, his rifle inches from Alex’s head.
Alex lowered his h
ead to avoid my gaze and gritted his teeth; I could almost hear his thoughts: the pain of having failed to save me was more devastating than the death that awaited him.
“You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment. This will be a pleasure, General Sterling.” Krause threw a glance of satisfaction at me, and placed his finger on the trigger. I looked at Alex and felt his love for me run through my veins. “Don’t! Please! Don’t!”
Silence filled the air. My heart stopped beating… I waited for the single shot that would end Alex’s life along with the light in my soul.
The violent blast rang through the trees, followed by multiple shots. Krause fell to the ground like a bag of lead. His eyes rolled back, his body produced a violent jerking motion, and then it went completely still. A stream of blood flowed from his wounds.
Alex’s disconcerted eyes found mine. He was still alive.
Several of the German soldiers dropped like flies to the ground. Under heavy fire, the remaining soldiers ran for cover, leaving us to fend for ourselves. In the midst of the commotion, Alex ran toward me and pulled me down behind the security of a fallen tree.
“Stay down!” Lying on his stomach beside me, Alex reached for the rifle of a dead soldier.
The shots came from every direction. I was almost sure I felt the heat and pressure of the bullets as they flew past me. While Alex opened fire next to me, I covered my head with my hands and did the only other thing I could do: pray.
After what felt like an eternity, but couldn’t have been more than minutes, the shots became sporadic, until all noise subsided. Alex was still on guard, firmly aiming the rifle. “It’s all right. Stay down. It’s almost over,” he whispered.
We waited. “What’s happening?” I asked, managing to control my shaky voice.
“They’re surrendering.” Alex still didn’t lower the rifle.
“General Sterling! Where are you?” a familiar voice called.
“Over here, Captain Frankfort,” Alex called back. How Thomas had found us, I had no idea, but I was grateful for the miracle. “Stay down. Wait here,” Alex cautioned me before he walked out into the open. I raised my body to a sitting position.
Not far from me, in the center of the small clearing, British soldiers had the few surviving German men on their knees.
Among our rescuers, I caught sight of Thomas’s flaming red hair. My eyes filled with tears to release the tension. My emotions were in chaos—horror at the scene of death, relief to be alive, gratitude that I had not lost my husband of less than a day.
“Captain Frankfort, it’s good to see you,” Alex said.
“Where is Florence?” Thomas anxiously inquired.
The cold forest ground couldn’t contain me any longer. Before Alex could answer, I stood up on badly shaking legs, but my voice was strangely calm. If I’d been thinking clearly, I’d have realized I was in shock, but as it was, I was pleased I wasn’t slipping into a fit of vapors. If I hoped to be a suitable wife for Alex, I couldn’t fall to pieces now. “I’m here, Thomas.”
“Florence, I was so worried. Are you hurt?”
“No, captain, she is fine,” Alex answered edgily. He swiftly moved to my side and put his arm around my waist. “Florence, it’s over. We are safe.”
Thomas looked at Alex’s beaten face and said, “I’m sorry we took so long.”
“You were right on time, Captain Frankfort,” assured Alex. “Have your men collect the scattered weapons, count the dead, and search the trees for our bags.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And prepare to interrogate the prisoners.” Alex’s tone was cold—angry.
“Sir, if I may ask, their leader seemed to have recognized you. Do you know who he was?” Thomas motioned toward the dead man.
“Oskar Krause,” Alex answered, his jaw clenched. “He’s been to the New Forest, before the war started. He knew exactly who we were.”
“He is under General Richter’s command, right?” Thomas asked.
“Yes.” Alex turned to me, “Richter is a powerful German general. Krause was his right-hand man. This was a brazen move by the Germans, and I fear it won’t be over until we’ve neutralized Richter.”
Alex took back the envelope from the dead man’s pocket. His mission wasn’t over after all.
20
~ A Beacon of Hope ~
A group of soldiers left for London with the prisoners, the extra horses, and Oskar Krause’s body as evidence. Alex and I rode south with Thomas and the rest of his men.
The gravity of the hunt in the forest started to descend gradually upon my understanding, and I marveled that we were still alive. Instinctively, my hand touched the sore skin on my neck, and memories bombarded me; the desperate run for our lives, the indescribable brutally of our enemy, and the terror and suffering that had filled me when Krause almost took Alex’s life.
I shook my head in dismay. Even though our assumptions had been confirmed by the prisoners, the audacity of the German soldiers was hard to believe. Their plan had been masterfully designed, and it had almost succeeded.
The Germans hijacked the Belgian vessel to reach the shore near the New Forest. Once on land, they helped themselves to horses from local farms. They planned to assassinate General Contini, retrieve the classified information, and return to the ship under the cover of night. But the arrival of Colonel Swinger along with Forte Radici’s secret tunnel had foiled them somewhat.
My deepest concern now was to find out the outcome of the battle back at home. Thomas said that the reinforcements hadn’t reached Forte Radici at the time he left, so I hoped my father was able to hold on a while longer.
“Their number wasn’t the challenge, it was their surprise attack that gave them the advantage,” Thomas had said. “We had no time to prepare.”
After about an hour, we crossed into the Keyhaven area, a small fishing hamlet near Hurst Castle. “We’ll camp at Keyhaven until the ship arrives. It’s better than having you surrounded by soldiers in the fortress,” Alex asserted with simplicity.
“Hopefully the ship doesn’t delay. I don’t like sleeping in the open.”
“You won’t sleep in the open. I have something in mind.” I wondered what he meant by that, but thought it best not to question him in front of his men.
The atmosphere grew warmer and damper as we neared the sea. Alex and Thomas rode ahead, leading the way. No matter how much time passed, their backs remained tall and strong. My body’s stiffness from the many hours of ordeal only intensified with the ride. I suddenly was having a difficult time keeping balance.
To stay focused, I started to reflect on the things I had left behind. With every minute we rode, I moved farther away from Forte Radici, my family, and my life as I had known it. I was now headed towards a new beginning, a new way of life. Alex turned on his horse and locked eyes with me. A calming feeling washed over my entire body.
“Trust him.” It seemed like ages ago when my father said those words to me, but they weren’t necessary. I already trusted him with my heart and my life. As long as we stayed together, I could endure.
“How are you doing, Florence?” Alex asked over his shoulder.
“I can go a little farther.” It was a lie. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. Alex observed me for a long while. The expression on his face said it all; he knew I needed to rest but that I was too stubborn to admit it. Alex brought his horse alongside mine and handed me his canteen with the most tender look. In that moment, I knew that he loved me enough to respect my desire to make him proud of me. I handed the canteen back, and Alex said, “It won’t be much longer, but we should press on while we still have daylight.”
Lifting my chin, I managed my best soldier impression. “Yes, sir.”
“That’s my lady.” Alex leaned over and gave me a kiss on my cheek before turning to take point again.
“Florence, do you see it? Just beyond those trees.” Alex pointed to something well hidden. Up ahead, an obscure, faint silhouette appe
ared in the distance, mingled among the trees. At first it didn’t look like much, but as we drew closer, the shape grew into a definite structure. “We are here.” Alex came to a halt in front of a rather bedraggled cottage that had seen better days. It looked like heaven to me.
“Search the area—find a good spot to set up camp,” Thomas ordered the weary soldiers.
“It’s not much, but it’s safe. I hope.” Alex extended his arms to help me dismount.
“Better than staying out in the open.” I felt the muscles in my legs burn in pain when my feet touched the ground.
Daylight was rapidly diminishing, giving way to the determined night. Alex secured our horses and from one of the bags, he produced a torch. I stood in the same spot where I had dismounted, still taking in the old cottage. Shut in by trees, the branches of which touched its roof, it was safely concealed.
“I haven’t been here since I joined the army. I’m glad to see it’s still standing—it’s ancient,” Alex said. “I should inspect it to make sure it’s safe.”
“I haven’t come all this way to sit out here,” I groaned with a look that left no doubts I was coming with him. I ambled towards Alex, relieved that my legs didn’t give in.
“All right, if you insist.” He pushed on the stiff door. It screeched in complaint as it slowly parted, sending a sheet of dust flying through the air.
We stepped into a room larger than I had expected. In the semi-darkness, a stone fireplace was visible to our right. Across from the fireplace sat a table guarded by a couple of chairs. Alex shined the torch around the room until he found what he was searching for—a ladder.
“Here, Florence, hold the torch.” Alex lifted the ladder vertical to the wall, attracting my attention to a small square cut in the ceiling. “Do you want to see up there?” he asked, as I shined the light upwards.
“Certainly.”
Awaken, Shadows of a Forgotten Past Page 29