To Earth and Back

by William Boardman

  “Oh, I understand the rationale. I just don’t see how he can do what he does and maintain his humanity without becoming callous.”

  “Well, for one thing, he’s not involved in hand-to-hand combat. Col. Bogie is over four miles up when he drops his bombs. He never sees the people he kills. In a situation like that, it’s much easier to stay detached.”

  “I see your point, but to me, that makes the whole idea of war so much more repulsive.”

  “Yes, though we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Hitler had to be stopped, and this was the only way.”

  “It just seems like a monumental waste, not only in human terms, but in the progress of their civilization as a whole.”

  “I think we...uh-oh.” The com-link popped up on the display showing two anxious five-year-olds standing outside the entrance. Ari looked at Merrick and grinned. “You better run for cover, unless you want to be smothered.”

  Merrick laughed. “I would love to be smothered.”

  “Ah, a brave man—truly admirable.”

  Ari dismissed the barrier, and the girls rushed in.

  “What took you so—”

  “Merrick! Merrick!” the girls screamed, and they dashed across the foyer.

  Merrick scooped them up, placing one on each hip, and they both hugged him tenderly.

  “Where have you been? We missed you,” Jennie said.

  He smiled and turned to Claire, who was patting him softly on the back.

  She sweetly looked him in the eye. “I missed you.”

  Surprised, Ari looked at Claire and back at Merrick. “My, my, what a magnetic personality you have. Even the shy one comes out of her shell.”

  “And what great fun do you two have planned for us today?” Merrick asked, looking back and forth at the girls.

  “Take us to the zoo,” Jennie said in a playful voice.

  “The zoo? Now you’ve got me,” Merrick said. “What zoo?”

  Ari spoke up. “You know, Doc Socal’s specimen wing.”

  “Oh, the zooooooo!” bellowed Merrick as if he’d known all along. “Well, do we have time, big brother?”

  “We do,” Ari said.

  “Then we’re off!”

  Jennie looked up at Merrick. “Carry me on your shoulders,” she insisted.

  Merrick noted Ari’s approval and looked down at Claire, who seemed saddened at being outmaneuvered. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we play a little game to decide which of you I get to carry down to the zoo?” He set the girls down. “Okay, I am thinking of a number from one to ten, and I’ll tell it to your brother. The one who gets closest will ride down on my shoulders, and the one who isn’t closest I will carry when we come back. Is that fair?” He looked into both of their faces. After receiving their agreement, he discreetly showed four fingers to Ari, and the girls made their guesses.

  Claire’s face lit up as Merrick lifted her off the floor. Ari swung Jennie up on his shoulders, and they headed for the door.

  “Now duck, you two,” Ari said. “No bumped heads today.” He looked over at Merrick as they started down the corridor. “What do you say we pick up on Adie next Sunday after worship?”

  CHAPTER 21

  Merrick settled onto the sofa. “I’ll tell you what, I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

  “Well, we’ll see how things go,” Ari said, approaching with a drink, “but we should finish today.”

  Merrick made no effort to hide his disappointment. “Then it’s a sad day for me...”

  Ari took a seat beside his friend and picked up where they left off.“...So, Adie’s grief over her family began to ease, and things were just returning to normal when word came from a partisan unit to the west that a Spanish scout was to pass through the following day. It was mid-September, and Col. Bogie had been in camp less than a month.”

  > > >

  The scene opened in the cave’s main chamber. Commander Bursik was just finishing a conversation with Colonel Bogie and Adie when the scout walked in.

  “Raul, my friend!” the commander called out, walking over to shake his hand. “Good to see you. You look as strong as ever. Why don’t you set your things over there?”

  Raul stepped across the chamber and propped his rucksack and German submachine gun against the wall.

  ———————

  A Spanish Republican, Raul was exiled to France at the beginning of the war. There he entered the Foreign Legion. He later switched to the French resistance and eventually joined the ranks of partisan scouts who gathered and disseminated information across France, northern Italy, and parts of Eastern Europe.

  Raul had a seasoned appearance—hard-faced, deeply wrinkled, and sun-baked. He wore his old uniform from the Spanish Civil War. Though originally dark brown in color, constant exposure to sweat, soil, and sun had faded it to a pale ocher. Leather suspenders were attached to a utility belt around his waist, which among other things held his holstered sidearm. A navy-blue beret, more dirt than cloth, sat back on his head. He wore boondockers for footwear, with canvas leggings.

  During his three years of service, he had become adept at moving undetected through the foothills of the Alps. He spoke several languages with varying degrees of proficiency, including English and German. He hated Nazis with a passion, but enjoyed the company of the Allied fliers he had helped in the past. His wife and children stayed on in Spain, living in the family villa near Gibraltar.

  ———————

  Speaking in English, Commander Bursik introduced Colonel Bogie and Adie, and then asked Raul how things were going in the West.

  “Well enough,” Raul replied. “Americans make progress in Italy. Mussolini soon to lose power. Some talk Allied invasion in west and south France, maybe soon.”

  “And your feelings of the war?”

  “For Germans, time runs out...soon...many die in Russia...bad winter. Allies push east, Russians push west...Germans trapped...one year—they finished...no more.”

  “This is good news,” the commander said. “Maybe you return home to Spain soon, yes?”

  # # #

  “This conversation goes on for some time,” Ari said. “I won’t bore you with it, but suffice it to say, Raul continued to pass on news of the war, including the successes and failures of other partisan units he had visited along the way. When he finished, the subject of Col. Bogie’s plight came up. In short, Raul agreed to serve as the colonel’s guide and see him to safety. He estimated two weeks before he would return from eastern Czechoslovakia and that the colonel should concentrate on physical conditioning. Adie agreed to work him harder on the trails.

  “So, when Raul left the next day, Col. Bogie went straight to work on his endurance. However, in less than a week, Raul unexpectedly returned, arriving late in the evening. Aside from the sentries, Commander Bursik and Col. Bogie were the only ones still awake. His news was stunning. The Russians had crossed the Czech border and were heading their way. The commander viewed the news with mixed feelings, and after mulling things over that night, he met with Raul and Col. Bogie the next morning. Here’s how that went.”

  > > >

  The three men walked across the narrow clearing outside the cave and entered the forest. When the commander was sure they were alone, he began. “Raul, my friend, news of Russians is good. Nazis to be forced out.” The commander began to kick at a small stone half embedded in the ground. “But Russians not so friendly sometimes. I think things will go...not so well for two people in camp.”

  Stern-faced, Raul nodded his agreement.

  “What does that mean?” Colonel Bogie asked Commander Bursik.

  “Means Communists hold you for propaganda...you must go—soon.”

  “How soon?”

  “One week,” Raul said, emphatically. “We stay no longer.”

  The colonel looked at the commander with a quizzical expression. “And who is the other person you spoke of?”

  “Adie.”

  “Adie? What
about Adie?”

  Commander Bursik’s expression was earnest. “Russians have bad reputation,” he said, “young women they treat badly...make sport...you know.”

  The colonel’s eyes narrowed. “That is not going to happen,” he said with a certain finality.

  “On this we agree,” the commander said. “Adie must go, too.”

  Raul looked uncomfortably at Colonel Bogie. “Very difficult, I think. This trip not...how you say in America...‘vacation?’ Very difficult.”

  “We’re not leaving without her,” Colonel Bogie said, eyes locked on Raul. “Look, you agree to this, and I will see that you are rewarded for your efforts—that I promise. And I will accept full responsibility for her. She will not be your concern.”

  Raul turned to the commander. “Is she strong? We go many weeks on trail...winter comes. We sleep as we can...barns, empty houses, caves, under trees, even holes in ground. We take food where we find it. Things not pleasant—she must be strong.”

  “She is strong!” Commander Bursik and Colonel Bogie said in unison.

  Raul paused for a moment in thought, eyes on the ground as if working a complex math problem. After some consideration, he gave a quick nod. “Yes, yes—she goes. Bring her out. We must talk.”

  Relieved, Colonel Bogie gave Raul a pat on the shoulder. “You will not regret this.” He headed off toward the cave, calling back over his shoulder, “Give me a minute to speak with her.”

  The colonel walked straight through the main chamber and into the central passage, stopping just short of Adie’s alcove. “Adie! You in there?”

  Adie’s waking response was a little groggy. “Uh-huh.”

  “You decent?”

  “Uh-huh, you can come in.” She turned, sat up, and brushed her hair back. “What’s happened?”

  “Raul’s back...early. Seems we’re going to have company.”

  “What company?”

  “Russian company—they crossed the border in the east. I think they mean to push the Germans out of Czechoslovakia.”

  Adie was now very awake. “Oh, what wonderful news.”

  “Yes, in some respects, but in other ways, not so much.”

  “Why not?”

  “What I mean is, Russian troops have a very bad habit of mistreating women, young women in particular. Do you understand what I mean?”

  Adie’s elation quickly turned to dread. “Yes,” she said, apprehensive.

  Colonel Bogie leaned forward and took hold of her shoulders. “Listen, I’m leaving in a week, and I want you to come with me.”

  Adie’s smile returned. “Is it okay with Commander Bursik?”

  “Absolutely, he was the one who suggested it. But I need you to understand the risks—what you’ll be facing. We’re talking about weeks on the trail—moving every day—all day. It’s almost October, so that means we’ll be traveling right up to the first days of winter. You’ll be sleeping in strange places with little privacy. Food will be scarce, and you’ll be tired all the time. We’ll be dodging German patrols and Nazi collaborators, moving in and out of other partisan camps, and dealing with unsavory people. What I’m saying is, no matter what your decision, there will be risks. It’s just the thought of leaving you behind, well...I want you to come with us.”

  Adie’s face was glowing. “I will,” she said, excited. “And if I don’t get through...yes, it would be unfortunate to have tried and failed. But it would be worse not to try at all.” She paused briefly in thought.

  “What is it?” the colonel asked.

  “It’s just...this reminds me of something my mother once told me.... Back in Berlin, I used to dread piano recitals...worried about making mistakes, I guess. Anyway, I once told her I didn’t want to do them anymore. I didn’t want to risk the embarrassment. Do you know what she said?”

  Colonel Bogie smiled and shook his head.

  “She told me, ‘Those who risk not—get not.’ I’ll never forget that.”

  “Well, then God help us,” the colonel said, standing to leave, “because I feel the same way. Listen...when you’re ready, why don’t you join us outside? We need to go over a few things.”

  # # # Twenty Minutes Later > > >

  Adie sat across from the colonel and Raul at a pieced together table not far from the cave entrance. The conversation had already begun.

  “Raul, which language do you speak best—I mean other than Spanish?” Colonel Bogie asked.

  “French, then German and Italian; I learn German in school, as child.”

  “Okay, for now why don’t you speak in German? Adie, you translate…. Let’s start with the route. How will you be taking us out?” he asked Raul.

  “My usual trail,” Raul replied. “I know it well; where to hide, where to sleep, where to find food.”

  “Then I’m for that,” the colonel said.

  “Forest and hills give good cover,” Raul said. “From here we go south to Hungary, pass west of Budapest, then southwest to Lake Balaton. Partisans are there.”

  “I know,” Adie said, excited. “That was my first camp.”

  “Yes, good people, I think. They will give us food and supplies. Then we cross into Yugoslavia and go west along the Alpine foothills. We stay in these hills all through Italy—many partisan camps. Last, we cross over Alps to France near Grenoble—maybe late December. We hope American forces arrive in Grenoble before us. If not, we must go south to Nice, hire a fishing boat, and go to south Italy; contact Americans there.”

  “Why don’t we just go down to Trieste,” suggested the colonel, “or one of the other ports on the northern Adriatic? They’re right here. Sure would save a lot of walking.”

  Raul shook his head. “Maybe a few years ago this was possible, but now, no chance. I came through Trieste weeks ago; Nazis everywhere; patrol boats everywhere; Germans were, how you say, ‘Thick as flies?’”

  “Almost...I think you mean ‘Thick as fleas,’” the colonel corrected.

  “Yes—yes, thick as fleas.”

  “All right then, I guess it looks like the scenic route.”

  Raul laughed. “Yes—yes, the scenic route, very good.”

  “What should we take with us?” Adie asked. “What should I pack?”

  “We travel in cold weather. Warm clothes are very important…also, good boots and socks,” Raul said, lifting one leg. “These boots are good.” He pointed at Colonel Bogie’s boots. “Those are good, too.” Then he looked at Adie’s. “Those, not so good.”

  “We may be okay,” the colonel said. “I have two extra uniforms inside the cave—heavy leather jackets, insulated boots, long underwear—everything. Adie, you look like you are maybe five-foot, nine or so. I’m sure one of those pairs of boots will fit you...and Raul, you are welcome to whatever you can use. But what about weapons? I only have a pistol and maybe a dozen rounds.”

  Raul pondered briefly. “We will talk to Commander Bursik.”

  Colonel Bogie nodded. “Have we missed anything?”

  “Socks are most important for cold and wet weather,” Raul said. “My socks are rags. We all need good socks—warm hats, too. Someone must go to town for supplies. We will speak to Commander Bursik of this also.”

  “I have money,” Colonel Bogie said. “I’ll pay for the supplies.”

  “No!” Adie protested, loudly enough to turn both heads. “Please let me do my part. My parents sent me away with a lot of money. I will pay.” She looked pleadingly at the colonel. “You are willing to take me with you. It’s the least I can do.”

  The colonel leaned back and put both hands in the air. “Okay, okay, Miss Moneybags, I surrender.” Adie clarified for Raul, and they all laughed. “Anyway, I’m sure, before this journey ends, we’ll all be broke.”

  # # #

  “As it turned out,” said Ari, “one of the uniforms Col. Bogie had kept back fit Adie quite well. The boots were slightly large, but with extra socks, they fit fine. And they had little trouble convincing Commander Bursik of their
need for clothing and supplies. He sent two people into town the next day. However, when Raul raised the issue of a weapon for Col. Bogie, the commander was unwilling to part with a rifle. Instead, he offered one of the American submachine guns, which, of course, pleased the colonel to no end.

  “Also, Raul insisted that each of them carry a sidearm. So Col. Bogie took a pistol from the personal effects of his dead crewmen and passed it to Adie. She was reluctant at first but understood the reasoning. After some instruction, the colonel took her deep into the cave for some practice, which evidently went well. From then on, that pistol was her constant companion.”

  “But what about ammunition?” Merrick asked. “The colonel said it was limited.”

  “Well, as it turned out, their pistols used the same ammunition as the machine gun, so they ended up with maybe two hundred rounds….

  “Anyway, early the next day, before they left, word of their journey went ahead of them, passing from scout, to lookout, to sentry, along the trail as partisans from one unit interacted with the next. They spent the last day in preparation.”

  > > >

  All three appeared tired after a long day.

  Colonel Bogie glanced at Raul. “We need sleep. Any words of advice before we hit the trail tomorrow?”

  Adie translated Raul’s German.

  “Careful how you walk. Pick up your feet. Kicking a rock one time will hurt...five times in one day, and you will walk in pain. Do it enough, you can’t go on, maybe for days. Slip on a stone and twist your ankle bad, you are out for a week, maybe two. Break your ankle or leg—it is over. Very important—very important...boots should be tight enough to keep your heel from slipping, but if too tight, you get sores on top of your feet. Tie a string from hat to belt, so you will not lose hat. Do not sweat in clothes. If hot, take off your coat. If still hot, take off your shirt. If very cold, cover your face and ears.” Raul looked at Adie. “Col. Bogie gave us goggles for sun. Snow makes you blind,” he said, squinting. “Use goggles.” He went on with his list of safety concerns until he was satisfied they were ready. Finally, he reached into his pack and withdrew a half dozen anti-fascist armbands, each with a red, white, and green stripe. “So partisans not shoot us,” he said, smiling. “Last—very important; speak no German on trail....”

  “Thanks, Raul,” the colonel said. “Now, I also have just one more thing. It concerns you, Adie—and I admit I’m a little uncomfortable talking about it…. While we’re on the trail and in these partisan camps, you may not have all the privacy you would like. Please understand, Raul and I will make every effort to accommodate you. However, we will always stay near enough to ensure your safety. I’m sorry, that’s just the way things are. Also, there will be some very cold nights. At times, our body heat may be the only thing keeping us alive. Do you understand what I mean?”