I turned and looked over the brick wall. Further down the canal I could see German units advancing across the other bridges. Massive swarms of brown uniforms surging across towards our side of the canal. The sight filled me with terror and dread.
Frederique started to stumble back towards the street where our hospital was. I stood up and ran after him, grabbing him by the arm as he tipped sideways and almost fell into a patch of blackberry bushes. The smoke ahead was still thick, and the surge of screams and gunfire behind us was growing in intensity.
As we ran past the brick walled garden, our eyes fell upon our makeshift hospital. Or what was left of it. A massive crater filled the center of the street, and charred ashy smoke choked our lungs, making it hard to breathe. I put a hand up over my eyes trying to see. I tried to see if there were any survivors, but I couldn't even make out any bodies. All those men were gone, all those men no longer existed. It was as if they never existed.
"Frederique," I said, not sure what else to say. I brought my hand up to my face, my vision going blurry. Damn these weapons and the men who use them straight to hell!
"Oh God. Oh God," Frederique said his, his hands pulling at his hair like a madman. He wailed in the street, kneeling at the edge of the crater. He looked around as if the twenty wounded men he cared for minutes ago would just walk out from behind a building. "This is not a battle for men. This is a battle for demons.“
"Frédéric, we have to go!" I said. I could hear more gunfire, it was getting closer. But more urgently, I began to hear German voices. Orders being yelled by officers. They were on our side of the canal, and they were going to sweep through to clear out any remaining resistance. "We have to go. Now," I said, pleading.
"Why?" He said in a whisper. "Where are we going to go?"
My hands went under his arms and I lifted him up. I began to run with him by my side, running as fast as we could. We darted down the street and ran between a pair of houses, trying to cut through the residential areas to make our way across the city as fast as we could.
I could hear Frederique crying next to me. It was the most sad sound that ever heard. The cries of a man who felt despair deep into his soul, who felt like his God had abandoned him. Shuddering moans escaped his lips and tears fell like from a faucet. We ran out across another thoroughfare, and Frederique stopped.
"I'm not going any further, Joan," he said. There was a bench next to us, the kind that people would sit upon as they strolled up and down this lush green thoroughfare. Lovers would sit on benches like these, scandalously close and whisper their promises into each other's ears. But now, Frederique sank into it like a prisoner sentenced to death. "I'm tired of running."
I heard rifles going off on the street behind us. "Frederique, we have to go. We can't stop moving now. The Germans will kill us." I said. My hands grabbed his arm but is he locked his hands around the arm of the bench. My knuckles went white, my arms pulled as hard as they could. I could not dislodge him.
"Go Joan!" He said. "Get out of here."
"Please," I said. I felt tears drip down my face my nose running in a blubbery mess. I hadn't considered I would have to go on alone. I couldn't go on alone.
I heard footsteps behind us advancing quickly, voices speaking sharply in German. I looked down at Frederique: his eyes were closed. He looked calm, resolute. At peace with his decision.
I crouched and ran behind a merchant's cart abandoned on the side of the street. Some sacks of grain were loaded into the back and I got into the cart, pulling the sacks over me. I saw Frederique sitting on the bench as calm as if he were waiting for a friend. He took out his cigarette case, and opened it.
As if slammed from an invisible blow, he folded forward as three rifle shots hit him from behind. His cigarette case flew out of his hand and clanked onto the cobblestones. Two German soldiers emerged from the gangway we had just come through. They spread out to check the rest of the street.
I put my hand over my mouth and screamed. Moments ago he’d been scared and tired, just like me. Now he was gone. All his dreams and hopes extinguished.
The soldier closest to me ran over to Frederique’s body and grabbed his cigarette case. Seeing it was empty, he threw it down onto the street. The other soldier called to him and they went further down the block.
As soon as they disappeared, I crawled out from the cart and ran the other way down the block. I ran from the Germans, from Frederique’s body. Lying in the street, accusing me of leaving him to die alone.
I never stopped crying. I wept for Frederique. I wept for Mons. But most of all I wept for myself. Even if I did escape Mons, what then? Was anywhere safe from these damned artillery shells? Machines that could throw death miles away, without regard for the victim.
At the end of the street I came to an intersection. I knew my only chance was to stay ahead of the Germans, to rush to the other end of the city and flee into the farmland on the outskirts. The thick foliage of the grape vines would hide me as I kept going, The grapes would feed me, and eventually I’d make it to Paris.
This was good, I told myself as I ran down the street. I had a goal, something I could work towards. Farther down the street, I saw a couple running away as well, suitcases in their hands. They reached the crossing of the next street and the woman screamed.
Someone shouted at them in German, and they ran into the middle of the street. Rifle fire tore through their clothes and suitcases, tiny puffs of fabric erupting out of them. They wilted onto the cobbestone street.
I dove into a stairwell leading to a building basement. I landed hard on my shoulder, bending my head sideways at a painful angle. Fire shot up my forearm all the way to my shoulder. I held my arm close to me, listening for the Germans to move past.
Eventually they did, heading back towards the canal. I emerged from the stairwell and realized my shoulder was dislocated. I couldn’t run. Even walking too quickly made my shoulder howl out in pain. I grit my teeth and walked as quickly as I dared, holding my limp left arm with my right hand.
I passed by the couple, shot dead in the street. They lay face down, their backs full of small holes. Their clothes had been rifled through, their suitcases looted for valuables. A few photographs and letters lay in the street, A wind came through, picking them up and scattering them further down the avenue.
“I’m still alive,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m still alive.”
In front of me, the massive Bibliotheque du Mons towered over the nearby buildings. Thick stone blocks made up it’s three story walls, and the French flag flew from the roof. Basement windows peeked up from the street, papered up to keep prying eyes out.
Just past the library was the main road out of Mons. I could see the farmland off in the distance, stretching to the horizon. Rows of purple grapes, acres of bright yellow sunflowers. It seemed untouched by war, a place of refuge.
I hurried across the boulevard, the tall library casting a shadow over the street. The gunfire had become intermittent. I hadn’t heard any artillery shells in hours. That told me that the resistance had either fled or been destroyed. There would be no survival staying here in Mons.
I crept further along, seeing the edge of town get closer and closer. I would have to make a sling for my arm once I made it to the fields. I knew Paris was southwest from Mons. If I walked at night and hid during the day, I should be safe.
At the rear of the building, I heard a rumbling coming down the street that ran behind it. Hurtling towards the intersection was a truck full of German soldiers. The truck bristled with weapons, like an angry porcupine.
My heart sank. I wouldn’t get across the street in time. I would be shot dead if I tried. There would be no salvation for me. I fell down, leaning back against the library wall. My right hand curled up and slammed downwards with all my might.
Instead of it hammering against the stone of the wall, it smacked something and pushed through. I looked down and saw the basement window, yawning open. Dusty volumes of book
s blocked the view into the room.
Ahead, the truck screeched to a halt in the intersection, men piling out as orders were shouted in German. I pushed the window open further and slid into the dark room. For a moment I was in freefall, crashing through towers of books. The floor rushed up at me, knocking the air out of my lungs. No air in my lungs meant I couldn’t scream as my left arm was bent back behind me, fully out of socket.
Everything went black.
My eyes opened slowly, and it took them a moment to adjust to the darkness of the store room. My face was pressed against a thick leather bound tome. I tried to pick myself up off the ground and hot lances of fire shot through my shoulder and neck. I grabbed a book with my right hand and put it in my mouth, biting down as my left arm shifted forward. Like a machine with broken gears, it came forward reluctantly. I breathed through flared nostrils, large life affirming breaths. I spat the book out.
“I’m still alive,” I said.
As I stood up I held my dangling arm close to my body. The room began to sway and so I sat back against a table covered in books. Once my vision had returned to normal, I walked to the other side of the room and listened at the door.
I couldn't hear anything outside. I opened the door and went into the adjoining hallway. Everywhere I looked there were shelves of books. Encyclopedias, law books, fiction books, poetry and anything else a reader could want. I'd never come down here to the storage room before, but the public areas above I knew had many more books. Several doors were closed along the hallway, leading into other storage rooms. At the end of the hallway was a door to the stairway leading up to the main library.
I shuffled down the hallway headed towards the stairwell. I could smell the musty scent of moldy books and old leather. Outside I could dimly make out vehicles moving. Occasionally there were gunshots and sometimes yelling.
I got to the stairway door and turn the knob. It opened with a loud creaking sound. I stuck my head out in the stairwell and could see sunlight pouring in from the windows in the main library above. I slowly ascended the stairs, listening as I went, listening for any sign of German presence. The marble stairs were solid, my feet quiet against them. I got to the top of the landing, a wooden door with a small window that looked out into the main area of the library. I edged over to the door and looked in.
The main area of the library was full of dark hardwood tables, each adorned with handcrafted scrollwork on the edges. The chairs were plush leather and equally magnificent. Dark paneling ran along the walls and several fireplaces were scattered on the outside of large room. During the winter, learned men would come into the library to talk about the news, debate politics and enjoy a pipe before bedtime. It was always clamoring and bustling part of the city. Now it was empty, which was unsettling in a new way. I wondered if it would ever be enjoyed again.
I tried to focus. What was important now was that it was empty. I opened the door and snuck into the main library room. If I could sneak out the front I might be able to make my way further down the avenue and cut across into the fields. Away from the checkpoint.
My hand went to the knob of the front door of the library. Peeking out the window I saw that the front of the building was still clear of German soldiers. I was confident that I could run across the avenue without being spotted. Maybe there was a basement I could hide in, or an attic. A damned fruit cellar would suffice, as long as it kept me hidden.
I held my breath and counted. One. Two. Three.
Before I could turn the knob and make my escape, a strong hand closed over my mouth and pulled me backwards. My good hand shot behind me, seeking out soft flesh to dig my fingers into. My thumb found a nose, and I curled it in my hand, trying to tear at the face it belonged to. The man was tall, and broad shouldered. But I wasn't going out without a fight. The hand over my mouth released me as my attacker stumbled backwards.
"Dammit," he said, holding his hands to his face. I lurched backwards and fell over a leather chair. As I got up to scramble away, I got a good look at him. Bent over, holding his face in pain, was a member of the British Expeditionary Force.
"I'm so sorry," I said. I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "But you shouldn't of snuck up on me like that."
"You should've told me that before you almost tore my face off," he said. He wiped his face one last time and took his hands away. He had short brown hair and blue eyes, the color of the summer sky. His uniform was that of British Expeditionary Force soldier, but I did not see a rank insignia anywhere. It must have fallen off.
"Well, if you are done frightening me, it is time I bid you adieu,” I said walking back towards the door.
"No you don't," he said moving to stand between me and the door. His eyes looked down at me dangerously.
"What is this? Are you an animal like the Germans?" I said, backing away from him. You never knew with some men, some were born animals. It didn't matter what uniform they wore or whose side they fought on, once there was no rule of law they became savages. “I’ll scream."
"No, you won't." He said then his eyes got softer, "I'm sorry. I'm not going to hurt you. We cannot draw any attention to us being here. I cannot be discovered."
"Then let me leave," I said.
"I'm sorry, but I can't risk it. Chances are you will be shot and then they'll look around this place a little closer." He said. "I have my mission, and right now I need you to cooperate."
"I don't give a shit for your mission. The town has fallen. The Huns are massacring everyone. Your mission isn’t worth the breath it was spoken with," I said.
"Now listen here," he said. Before he could continue, his eyes went wide. "Shit! Run!" We fled to one of the smaller attached rooms containing rows and rows of shelves of books. I could hear voices coming up the front steps of library.
“We have to split up," he said.
"What?" I said.
"If they find me, you can still get away." He said as he ran around as he ran down the rows of books and darted in between a set of bookcases.
"But what if they find me?" I said in a whisper. There was no response. Bastard!
I heard the front door this the library open and several sets of boots coming in quickly. Quiet, curt words were spoken in German. I tried to swallow but my throat was dry. I sunk to the back of the aisle of books, trying to make myself as small as possible.
The sound of the boots came closer, and I could hear there were three men. As they all entered this room, I ducked down to try to hide myself the best I could. I close my eyes and waited for the fate I knew was coming.
"Oh meine fraulein. Komm hier, bitte,” a man's voice said.
I open my eyes and standing at the end of the aisle were three German soldiers. Their dark gray uniforms were covered in smeared mud, their faces were filthy. Their eyes were wild, crazed. They looked at me like a starving man looked at a piece of bread.
"No, please," I said, crying. Perhaps they would take pity on me. Perhaps they would leave me my dignity.
My hopes were dashed as all three men grinned at my terror, and unslung their rifles. Leaning them against the bookcase, they walked down the aisle towards me, pinning me in. The middle one pulled a long knife, and put his finger up to his lips. "Shh,” he said. The other two were fumbling with their trousers.
“Urk!” the soldier in back sputtered. Blood poured from his mouth as he fell forward.
The BEF soldier pulled his combat knife out of the German’s back as the other two rushed him. He brought it up to slash down again, but his arm was caught over his head by one of the remaining Huns.
The other German plunged his knife into the British soldier’s chest repeatedly. He pulled the knife free one last time as the British soldier collapsed, his chest covered in holes. The German bent forward and wiped his knife clean on the soldier’s uniform.
I ran down the aisle, ducking past them to escape. An arm shot out and punched me in the side of the face. I spun sideways, crashing into the bookcase, sending
volumes tumbling out the other side. I lay on the floor, my ears ringing and my vision dizzy.
The two Germans were arguing, one wanting to kill me and the other wanting to rape me and then kill me. The one with the knife used it to gesture at me, like he was pointing out vermin that needed to be extinguished. The other was holding his trousers up, but still hadn’t put his belt back on. He looked like a petulant child, angry that his father was going to take his toy.
Behind them, I saw the British soldier’s body shake. Sad death spasms, a last hurrah of life. I wondered if my body would do the same after the Germans came to an agreement.
Then his eyes opened. In a flash, he was on his feet. His body became darker, somehow, like a shadow that fell only on him. His face stretched, his teeth and nose jutting forward like a dog’s. His ears grew long and pointed, and I could make out that it wasn’t a shadow but fur that stretched all over him. He was a wolf man, a terrible monster from the stories!
Matthew (BBW Country Music Bear Shifter Romance) (Bearly Saints Book 1) Page 66