Aleksandra

by Heidi Vanlandingham

  The child's whimper drew her attention, and she rubbed his small back with her other hand, whispering soothing words to him in Russian. Red-rimmed eyes glanced at her, but their light green depths were vacant. The boy, like the soldier holding him, was in shock.

  "Are there any more soldiers nearby?" Jakob asked. The man only stared at him.

  "They're both in shock," she whispered to him in Russian. She flicked her eyes to Jakob's rifle. His answering glare was the only answer she got. She wanted him to sling it back over his shoulder but knew he wouldn't. It was too risky to stay here, though; somehow, she needed to get these two away from the house before more Nazis showed up. With only four soldiers, this had to have been a patrol, which meant there were many more German soldiers somewhere nearby.

  Facing the soldier once again, she continued to hold his arm, her thumb caressing his jacket sleeve. It took a few minutes, but his violent trembling slowed then stopped altogether. He blinked and turned his head toward her, his brown eyes filling with tears.

  "He was my brother—I killed my own brother."

  "I know, but you saved the child." She purposefully kept her voice soft. "You saved his life. Now please, let us save yours?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer. She prayed, hoping he wouldn't give up like so many others had since the war began. "Please," she begged. "Let us help you both."

  He looked down at the little boy wrapped tightly in his embrace. The child's eyes were closed, his head resting against the soldier's chest, the front of the man's jacket wet from tears. She held out her hand and waited for him to take it. When he did, she breathed a sigh of relief.

  Jakob reached down and, with a hand tucked under the soldier's other arm, helped him to his feet without jostling the sleeping boy. "If we're going to get out of here unseen, you must follow us." The soldier nodded and fell into step behind him as he left the death-filled room. Rifle in hand, she brought up the rear.

  The German stepped onto the porch and motioned toward the two soldiers lying in the yard. "The one with black hair has the keys to our Jeep. We parked it a mile back and came in on foot."

  Jakob glanced at her. Watch him. She nodded, following his movements as he hurried toward the soldier. A quick search of the man's pockets yielded the keys. Motioning for them to follow, he moved to the back of the house but stopped at the end of the wall. Rifle in hand, he inched his head around the corner, but the only sound greeting them was the distant roar of trucks.

  "They're coming," the German said, anxiety filling his voice as he pointed toward the road. "The vehicle is just inside the tree line. There is a path running along the back of the property—probably used by the farmer to get to his back fields. The tree trunks are too large, so the tanks won't be able to knock them down easily. If we follow the farmer's path, we may escape their notice."

  Jakob scowled at the young soldier. "Why should we trust you? You could be leading us into a trap."

  The man returned Jakob's glare. "I could, but I'm not." He took a step closer, seeming to forget about the boy he still held in his arms. "I just killed my own brother to save this child. Why would I do that? I have never understood nor agreed with the Nazi ideology. I joined the army because Friedrich told me to. I found out later just how twisted his mind had become in his fervor for Hitler's idiotic beliefs. I am no better than any other person on this earth, and I don't condone killing people simply for the sake of killing, especially those who cannot protect themselves." The soldier continued to glare at Jakob until Aleksandra rested her hands on both their arms, her gaze moving between them.

  "We can discuss our differences—or similarities—after we get away. From the sound of the metal tank tracks, the Panzers are almost here." She pulled on Jakob's arm. Please, Jakob. We'll get this figured out, but we must save the child.

  All he gave her was a quick nod before hurrying toward the area the young soldier had indicated, finding the Jeep right where he said it would be. Starting the engine, he gave them only enough time to sit before taking off, jolting them deeper into their seats. The child cried out then. After a few mumbled words by the soldier, the boy settled back down.

  The vehicle bumped around on the path, sliding a few times on sandy patches. They drove away from the farm for several miles while Aleksandra watched behind them.

  No one is following, Jakob.

  I'll keep going as far as I can. I'm hopeful this will lead us to a much better road. With any luck, we'll make it to Vilna. If the soldier really wants to help, he can get us through any checkpoints.

  How? Wouldn't he need to be driving? she asked, wondering what Jakob was thinking.

  I don't know. We'll deal with that if and when the time comes. Maybe he'll have a better idea then. Just pray we don't run into anyone.

  They drove in silence for almost two hours. They'd been lucky so far, passing no one on the road nor seeing anyone outside their homes along the way. Several miles from their destination, Jakob pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. Turning off the engine, he twisted in his seat.

  "You know you can't go back," he said, his voice lowering persuasively.

  "I know. I will have to disappear—somehow." Unlike Jakob's melodious voice, the young soldier's tone was flat, as if he'd lost all hope, which tore at Aleksandra's heart. Her gaze dropped to see the little boy staring at her. She tried to smile, but he turned his head, burying it in the jacket folds.

  "My name is Aleksandra, and this is Jakob. What's your name?" she asked the soldier, seeing the hesitation on his face before he answered.

  "George Heinrich, Jr."

  "Well, George, you have a decision to make. I'm a partisan and have friends who will be able to care for the child. Your commanding officer will know you helped us or ran off. Either way, you will be court-martialled and, most likely, shot."

  George closed his eyes and exhaled before opening them again. "I am a stupid, stupid son. My younger brother joined the Wehrmacht. After a couple of months, he came home on a short leave and demanded I join. My mother convinced me I needed to keep an eye on Friedrich—make sure he didn't do anything he shouldn't."

  "Where was your father?" Aleksandra asked. "Did he join, too?"

  "No," George said. "My father was forced into the military. I haven't seen him in more than a year, but he occasionally writes Mother. He isn't faring well and is tormented by his fellow soldiers because he refuses to participate in their destruction and raping." He straightened, pushing back his shoulders. She could see he'd made up his mind about something and waited. "I choose to follow you, sir. My regiment was sent out to gather all Jews, Romani, and anyone who didn't fit into the Nazi ideology and take them back to the ghetto at Vilna." He scrubbed his face with his hands then laid one hand on the child's back. "Gods, but what they're doing there. You can't even imagine—"

  "Oh, yes, I can most definitely imagine," Jakob said in a clipped tone.

  "The camp's commander is preparing for Heydrich. He is constructing a new building and is personally overseeing the installation at Vilna. Whatever it is won't be good. They already murder hundreds a day; this will kill thousands."

  "Dear God," Aleksandra clutched her throat with one hand. "Thousands?"

  George met her gaze. "Thousands. Heydrich and Himmler control the SS and all the other police-type forces. They answer to no one—I doubt even Hitler. Himmler is crazy—believes in the occult. He even has a castle where he and his followers practice dark magic. From what I've heard, Heydrich just wants power. He doesn't believe in any one thing—only himself and who he can control to reach the top. With that one, not even Hitler's position as führer is safe."

  "How do you know these things?" Jakob's gaze dropped to the young boy, who stared back at him, his thumb in his mouth.

  "Up until several days ago, I served as secretary to Karl Hanke, Gauleiter of Lower Silesia and a key member of Joseph Goebbels' Propagandaministerium. I am supposed to keep an eye on my commanding officer, per Hanke's orders. Something or someon
e made Himmler doubt the man's loyalty, so here I am. In fact, it may be that I can help you."

  "How so?" Jakob asked, watching the tyke begin to squirm, his light green gaze moving to watch Aleksandra every few seconds. He glanced at her. I think you have an admirer. His eyes darted to the boy then back to her.

  She bit back her grin and held out her hands, waiting to see if the little one would come to her. "Komm zu mir, kleiner?" Holding her breath, she waited to see if the child would, indeed, come to her. Her patience was rewarded when his little hands reached for hers. Reluctantly, George let him go, but he never took his eyes off him. She cradled his little body close, her fingers brushing through his soft black curls. "I wish I knew your name, little one," she whispered.

  "Aleksei Turgenev," George said. Hearing his name, the boy grinned, and George grinned back. He reached out and tickled him under the chin. Aleksei erupted in giggles, calming Aleksandra's nerves about what the child had just witnessed better than anything else could have.

  She kissed the top of his head, the curls tickling her nose. "Aleksei, we're going to take very good care of you, aren't we, boys?" As if he understood what she said, he clapped his hands together several times, his laughter, healing everyone inside the Jeep just a little.

  "Great," Jakob muttered, meeting Aleksandra's happy gaze. "Now, I'm responsible for a woman, a three-year-old, and an informant-turned-spy." He rolled his eyes. "What's next?"

  12

  Aleksandra, we have need of you. Freya’s voice filled Aleksandra’s mind.

  Stiffening, her gaze dropped to the curly-haired tyke sleeping in her arms. From Freyja's tone, she knew it hadn't been much of a request, more a demand. She was glad for the change, though. They had been camped south of Vilna for several days, but Natalya and Mikhail hadn't shown up like they were supposed to. What's wrong?

  The silence grew heavy in her mind, and her worry rose. Freyja, what's happened? Is it Natalya or Mikhail? Are they all right? She caught the impression of Freyja sighing more than actually hearing the air being forced from the goddess's lungs.

  Natalya and Mikhail are fine...for now. I sent Mikhail to you. There has been a slight hitch in what Natalya was supposed to do. She is being transported to Hitler's Lithuanian headquarters as a spy. When Himmler arrives, he will question her, which won't be good. You have to get to her before that odious man has a chance to do anything. If he should learn about me or what we're trying to accomplish, Odin will also know and throw everything he has to stop us. I have never seen him so drunk on power before, and I've known him a long time. You must get to her first, Aleksandra.

  Aleksandra's fingers stilled in Aleksei's soft curls. How am I supposed to help her? Walk up to the prison guard and have him unlock the cell door? She couldn't have stopped the sarcasm in her voice if she'd tried. What did Freyja think she could do? And why wasn't Mikhail breaking her out of wherever she was being held?

  With your power of disguise and Natalya's ability to manipulate minds, you will have a chance. But only a small one. Someone else is controlling Hitler and, more than likely his entire circle, to keep the war going for as long as possible. Natalya still must change Hitler's plans for the continuing advance on Kursk, but Mikhail understands you have a better chance at helping her escape. He is needed at Vilna more, especially for when you return. He's acquainted with most of the partisans in the area and will be able to yoke their strengths.

  I don't understand any of this, you know that, don't you? Aleksandra's arms tightened around the boy, who was beginning to stir from his nap.

  "Would you like for me to hold him a while?" George asked.

  She nodded and as gently as possibly transferred Aleksei to him then stretched. She'd sat too long in one place but hadn't wanted to move. As soon as they'd arrived, George and Jakob had scouted the area and found a seemingly safe cave to hide in until they figured out what their next step was. Just before she'd fallen asleep, she had listened to George trying to convince Jakob she needed to stay behind with the child and that he could better protect Jakob when the time came.

  It had taken a lot for her to keep her mouth shut, but when Jakob praised her shooting ability, a small tingle of satisfaction had been planted then took root and began to grow when he said he would not leave her behind, no matter what. She'd fallen asleep with a smile on her face.

  Now, though, she needed to figure out how to get away, but the reluctance filling her was a surprise. She didn't want to part ways with Jakob any more than he did but wasn't sure how she felt about it. She had always been a loner. Joining the Night Witches had been an easy decision because of the flying. To fly, she would have done just about anything. Participating with others or even having a close friend just wasn't something she was comfortable with. Even though she considered Natalya and her sister, Lilyann, and even her own navigator, Alina, her closest friends, she didn't share secrets with them or talk about her past.

  She closed her eyes and swallowed a sigh, somehow feeling Freyja's rising tension and knew she needed a response. I will go, but what about Aleksei? We can't leave him alone.

  Tell Jakob you will stay behind. Let the German go with him. Mikhail should be there any moment and will help steer them to that decision. I will make sure the child is watched over.

  Nearby, Aleksandra heard a rustling of leaves then the clear sound of a low chuffing, reminding her of a dog. Jakob's head rose, his expression intense as he stared at the line of trees in front of them. The animal vocalization sounded again and, this time, Jakob answered with several coughing noises of his own.

  Mikhail eased his tall frame from behind a large bush as Jakob's hand covered George's when he tried to raise his pistol. "You made good time, I see."

  Jakob's gaze flew to hers then moved back to Mikhail's. "Got lucky. After we separated, a farmer drove us to Minsk. We walked for a while then stumbled upon a farm where we picked up these two."

  Mikhail's brows rose, his dark eyes on George's uniform. "Deserter?"

  George nodded and held out his hand. "Name's George Heinrich, Sr. Never wanted to be a Nazi—detest everything about them, but I promised my mother I'd watch out for my brother."

  Mikhail took the German's hand then let his drop back to his side. "Mikhail Abramovich—Russian Romani-Jew. I don't much agree with the Nazi ideology either. Jakob, Bernard and a few others are camped not far from here. They plan on trying to start a riot or aiding as many escapes as possible from the Vilna ghetto. We could use your help."

  With a slight frown, Jakob met Aleksandra's gaze. "We'll be just fine here," she said. "You will be able to get more done without worrying about me or Aleksei." She crossed her legs and pulled her rifle onto her lap. "We'll be safe here."

  Are you sure? Jakob asked, dropping to a squat in front of her. She noticed the growing worry in the depths of his hazel eyes.

  I am. Just let me know how things are progressing or if you need me in any way. She rested her hand on his arm and squeezed. I know you still haven't come to grips with what Mikhail and Natalya told you, but we do have friends watching over us. Freyja and Idunn are just a quick call away.

  Laying his hand over hers, he awkwardly patted it, surprising her. You're right, I have no clue what you mean, but if we're going to help those in the ghetto, we can't wait. Promise me you will keep out of sight?

  I promise. Now, go. Do what you have to do. Aleksei and I will be just fine. She pulled her hand away and noticed the confusion on George's face, his heavy gaze moving back and forth between them. Mikhail reached out with a hand, helping Jakob up first. George rose at the same time and laid the boy beside her. Mikhail took the lead, followed by Jakob with George bringing up the rear. George's step slowed; he glanced back at them, his worried gaze falling on Aleksei's sleeping face.

  "Don't worry about us, George. We'll be here when you return," she said and patted her rifle. "I'm a very good shot."

  Pinching his lips together, he gave her a single nod then hurried after the two men. With a
sigh, Aleksandra scooped up the child. The little boy's arms flew out over his head, and his back arched in a sudden stretch. She smiled when his beautiful green eyes speared hers. He giggled and reached for her nose.

  Having traveled several times to and from Asgard, she recognized the signs of being summoned when the world around her darkened, like a cloud moving in front of the sun. The trees and rocks around them blurred. Holding the child close, she nuzzled his nose with hers to keep him from panicking as they soared through time and space. He pulled away with a giggle and pointed over her shoulder. With a quick glance behind her, she smiled and widened her eyes.

  "Isn't that a pretty planet?" His answering gibberish warmed her heart. She pointed to the passing nebula on their other side. "Look, Aleksei." The plethora of colors—pinks, greens, golds, purples—exploded around them, and in the midst of the twinkling stars and space dust, she made out a woman's profile. With golden hair twisted on top of her head and what looked like a crown spanning her forehead, she was beautiful. A brilliant glint from a star in the middle of her eye looked as if she blinked.

  Aleksei pointed, squirming in Aleksandra's embrace, his little brows rising as his excitement grew. "Pwetty."

  She nodded. "Very pretty." Just then, she felt the familiar swirling sensation as they arrived at their destination. She pulled Aleksei's head to her and whispered for him to close his eyes. For a second, she didn't think he would do what she told him to, wanting to see more of deep space's amazing colors, but he did and settled down as her feet touched the stone floor in Freyja's sitting room. She swayed, letting the swirling sensation fade.

  "Oh, what a cute little boy!" Idunn crooned, holding out her arms for the child. To Aleksandra's surprise, Aleksei didn't hesitate and immediately went to the goddess who walked toward the large sofa where the two of them sat, talking to each other.