Night Falls on Norway

by CW Browning

  He stepped outside and looked up at the clear blue sky, exhaling.

  “Strange to think that while it’s such a peaceful, perfect day here, the Germans are overrunning Norway further north,” Rob said, joining him outside. “It doesn’t seem real, somehow.”

  “Just as it didn’t seem real when they did it to Poland?”

  “Exactly.” Rob shrugged. “Even though that’s what started all this off, Poland seemed very far away. So does Norway.”

  “I don’t suppose it feels far away to them,” Miles said, turning to start the long walk back to the main buildings of the airfield. Rob fell into step beside him and they trudged through the grass together, their hands in their pockets. “Just yesterday they were making a fuss over us dropping mines in their neutral waters. Perhaps if we’d done it sooner, they wouldn’t be facing the Germans right now.”

  “Hitler really doesn’t give a fig for international laws or neutrality, does he?” Rob said disgustedly after a moment. “Both Denmark and Norway had no intention of getting drawn into this war. Why not just let them be?”

  Miles glanced at him. “Do you really think he ever had any intention of stopping with Poland?” he demanded. “Hitler has always wanted only one thing: to dominate Europe. Poland was only the beginning.”

  “I suppose so. I did rather hope that it would all fizzle out, to be honest. Of course, I knew it was unlikely, but there you are.” Rob threw his head back and looked up at the sky. “At least now all this damn waiting will be over. I don’t know which is worse, waiting for the storm to break or the storm itself.”

  “We won’t have to wait long for the storm,” Miles predicted. “Hitler will move towards Belgium and Holland. Norway does surprise me, but only because of the timing. I really expected him to attack the west first.”

  “Obviously so did the Norwegians. Do you think they can win?”

  “I have no idea. I know if they don’t, it will give Hitler a huge advantage in the Atlantic, as well as uninterrupted access to supplies and materials that Germany can’t produce itself.” He shook his head. “We’ll have to send troops to help them. I just hope they’re not too late.”

  “You think Chamberlain will commit to fighting in Norway?” Rob asked skeptically. “He didn’t commit to helping Finland.”

  “Finland wasn’t as strategically important. I don’t doubt that Chamberlain would love to simply ignore Norway, but he won’t be able to. There’s too much at stake. He should have done more before now to help protect them, but he didn’t, and so he will have to try to correct that error.”

  “Yes, and at what cost to us?”

  “That’s the thing, isn’t it?” Miles scowled. “This probably could have been avoided if we’d acted sooner. I’ll tell you this much, though. I feel very sorry for the poor sods stuck in Norway at the moment. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.”

  Chapter Twenty

  ––––––––

  Grindal, Norway

  Evelyn got out of the car and walked around the front to stare at the smoke pouring out from under the hood. She had pulled to the side of the road as soon as it started, shutting off the engine, but white-gray vapor was still seeping from inside the engine compartment. Peder and Anna joined her, and they all stared at the smoke in dismay.

  “I don’t know much about automobiles, but that doesn’t look good,” Anna finally said.

  “It’s not,” Peder replied with a sigh. “I just hope it’s something I can fix.”

  He turned to go to the back of the car, opening the luggage compartment to pull out a toolbox.

  “It might be something simple,” Evelyn said, glancing at Anna. “If so, we’ll be on our way in no time.”

  “And if it isn’t?”

  “Well, then, that’s another issue.”

  Peder came back with the box and set it on the ground before walking to the side of the engine where the smoke was coming from. After gingerly touching the metal hood, he shrugged and looked at them.

  “It’s not burning hot, so at least we know it’s not on fire,” he said with a quick grin before lifting the side of the hood to reveal half of the engine. More vapor and smoke poured out as he opened it and he waved his hands in front of his face, trying to disperse it. The acrid smell of smoke didn’t bode well for something that could be easily patched up on the side of the road.

  Evelyn walked over to join him, looking into the engine compartment almost fearfully. She and Rob had spent many hours with their chauffeur, learning the ins and outs of the engine that powered their Lagonda. It was a necessary skill to learn if you intended to drive yourself around the country. If the car broke down, it was up to the driver to get it going again. While she knew the basics, she had only been forced to repair her engine once in the three years that she’d been driving. Wallace was very good at keeping all the Ainsworth automobiles in pristine working order. When the Lagonda had failed on her, it was a blown valve, she remembered. Wallace had promptly replaced all of them and neither she nor Robbie had had an issue since.

  “That’s not a valve,” she murmured, peering into the engine. “I had one go on me once, and it was nothing like this.”

  Peder glanced at her in surprise. “Do you know engines?”

  She nodded. “A little. My brother and I share a car. We learned very quickly that we had to know how to fix it.”

  Peder bent down and opened the tool box.

  “Hopefully it’s just a hose that’s come loose,” he said. “It happened once last summer and smoke poured out like this. I was able to reconnect it and then replace it later.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Not yet.” He straightened up with a tool in his hand and leaned over the fender into the engine. “I’ll have to find the problem first, then we’ll see what can be done.”

  Evelyn nodded and moved away to give him more room. She looked at Anna and saw the concern in her eyes. They were on a main road and they had no way of knowing if German troops were right behind them or coming from another direction. The road appeared to be going through a valley, with heavily wooded forests on either side ascending up into a steep incline. They were in the middle of a mountain pass, and were sitting ducks with nowhere to go if the Wehrmacht came rolling through.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “In Grindal,” Anna replied. “We’re a few hours south of Trondheim.”

  “Do you have a map?”

  She nodded and went into the car, emerging a moment later with the road map she had been using to help navigate. She carried it over to the other side of the hood and spread it out, pointing to where they were located.

  “This is where we are,” she said, “and here is Trondheim.”

  Evelyn studied the map with a frown. They were closer to the coast than she had realized and her heart sank. If the Germans had succeeded in landing along the coast, they were in danger of being trapped between the troops coming in from the ocean and those coming up from the south.

  “Where is Narvik?” she asked.

  Anna pointed to a spot much farther north. “Here.”

  “And we know the Germans landed troops there. So we have to assume that they will come south from there, and in the meantime, we know they will come up from Oslo and Bergen.” Evelyn shook her head. “We’re right in the middle.”

  “They haven’t made it here yet,” Anna pointed out, “and they have to get past the army first. Let’s not panic just yet.”

  “I’m not panicking. I’m stating facts. If we don’t keep moving, we’ll end up trapped.” Evelyn straightened up and leaned against the car. “Peder, have you heard anything on the radio about the Swedish border?”

  “Only that people are swarming towards it,” he answered, his voice muffled from inside the engine. “No one has said whether or not they’re letting people in.”

 
“I wish we could get through to London,” she said in frustration. “Perhaps I should risk it and head for Sweden.”

  Anna was silent for a long moment, then she sighed.

  “If Peder still can’t get through to London the next time he tries, then I’ll take you to the border,” she relented. “I don’t think it’s a wise choice, but I suppose we’re running out of options now. We can continue and take refuge in the mountains, which would buy us some more time until you can reach London. If the Germans do make it past the army, it will take them weeks to secure the mountains, if at all.”

  “This is all assuming I can get this car going again,” Peder muttered, straightening up. “I’ve found the problem. It’s not a hose.”

  “What is it?”

  “I think there’s a crack in the head gasket.”

  Evelyn’s heart sank even further. If that was the case, this car wasn’t going anywhere soon. At least, not safely.

  “Is that bad?” Anna asked, looking from Evelyn’s grim face to Peder’s. “What does that mean?”

  “It means we’re not going anywhere right now,” he replied. “If I can figure out a way to...”

  He broke off abruptly and stared at something behind them, his eyes widening and his face paling. Evelyn felt a shiver streak down her spine and she spun around quickly. Four men in uniform and carrying rifles had emerged from the trees a few yards away. Her heart thumped, then settled down as she noted that the military uniforms were not German, and no iron cross was in sight.

  Anna let out a gasp beside her and began running towards the soldiers.

  “Erik!” she cried, leaving the road and running through the brush and over frozen grass towards a tall man in the middle.

  Evelyn looked at him curiously. Anna’s brother looked nothing like her. Where her hair was dark, his was blond, and where she had a slender frame, he was solidly built with broad shoulders. He stood a few inches taller than the three soldiers with him, and Evelyn had the distinct impression that he was someone who would be ruthless in a physical altercation.

  Now, however, a huge grin was spreading over his face, and he broke away from the others, moving forward quickly.

  “Anna!” he exclaimed, holding out his arms. “Anna, thank God!”

  He caught her up in a hug and half swung her around, laughing.

  “I’ve been so worried!” he said, setting her down. “We heard they’ve taken Oslo. What are you doing here?” He looked over to Evelyn and Peder. “And who are they?”

  Anna took his hand and pulled him towards the car. “Erik, this is my friend Marlene. She works at the embassy with me. And you remember Peder?”

  Erik Salvesen stared at Peder, recognition dawning on his face. Another grin spread over his lips and he moved forward quickly, holding his hand out.

  “Peder! I didn’t recognize you at first! How are you?”

  “As well as can be expected, I suppose,” Peder replied with a smile and a shrug, shaking his hand firmly. “And you?”

  “The same.” Erik turned to nod in greeting at Evelyn, then looked at Anna. “But why are you here? Where are you going?”

  “I don’t really know,” she confessed. “We fled Oslo before the Germans arrived. Peder found out about the invasion and came to tell me late last night. We collected Marlene and then we drove to a rise over the fjord. We saw the German warships waiting just outside Oslofjorden.”

  Erik stared at her, then glanced at Evelyn. “You saw them? You saw the ships?”

  “Yes. They were just sitting out there, silently. I realized that they were waiting for dawn to attack, and so we left. Marlene is trying to get out of Norway and back to England. She wanted to try for the Swedish border, but I wasn’t sure they would allow people through once they realized what was happening.”

  Erik made a disgusted sound in his throat.

  “They’re not,” he said shortly. “They turned the King away, or so we heard.”

  Anna’s mouth dropped open and they all stared at him, aghast.

  “What? They refused refuge to King Haakon?!”

  Erik nodded grimly and looked at the open side hood of the car. “Yes. The last we heard he was going north to the mountains. At least he and the ministers are safe, for now. What’s wrong with the car?”

  “I think it’s got a cracked head gasket,” Peder said. “I don’t know if I can fix it.”

  Erik glanced back at his fellow soldiers, then looked at the three of them.

  “This isn’t the best place to be stranded,” he said grimly. “The Germans landed at Trondheim. There was no real fight. We had no warning and were caught completely unprepared. They’ve taken the city and are moving into the surrounding areas. Soon these roads will be patrolled by Germans and it won’t be safe.”

  “What about the army?” Anna asked. “What about your regiment?”

  “We’re scattered around. We retreated and my commanding officer was killed, along with several others. We’re trying to team up with another unit in the north, but we’ve been busy avoiding capture.”

  “Are the Germans close, then?” Evelyn asked, breaking her silence.

  He looked at her. “Close enough. They’re coming up from Bergen, and in from the coast. We’re in a safe pocket right now, but I don’t know how long that will last. They’re meeting almost no resistance to slow them down. If we can contact one of the other units with a radio, we might be able to coordinate something, but we’ve been separated from our signals team.”

  Peder looked up. “A radio? I have my radio with me.”

  Erik raised his eyebrows. “What? You brought it with you?”

  “Yes. I’ve been trying to reach London for Marlene.”

  “And were you able to?”

  “Not since we saw the ships in the fjord. I got through then, but haven’t been able to since. If you give me the frequency, I can try to reach your unit.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” Erik said with a grin. He looked at the car again. “If this has a cracked head gasket, you’ll never find somewhere for parts to fix it before this road is flooding with Nazis.”

  “But what else can we do?” Anna asked.

  Erik was quiet for a moment, his brows drawn together in a frown. He glanced back at this companions.

  “Wait here for a minute,” he finally said, turning to go back to the other soldiers.

  Evelyn watched as they talked together in low voices. Peder shuffled from one foot to the other, his hands in his pockets as he kept one eye on the small group of soldiers and another on the road.

  “What do you think they’re discussing?” she asked.

  “Knowing Erik, probably what’s the best way to help us,” Anna replied. “He won’t want to leave me, but unless there’s someone with them who’s a skilled motor mechanic, he knows we won’t be able to continue.”

  “Even if we could continue, if the Nazis have taken Trondheim, where will we go?” Peder asked. “If the Swedish border agents wouldn’t even allow the King through...”

  He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to. Evelyn was well aware that if a king wasn’t allowed into Sweden, the odds of her getting through were not good. Not unless she snuck through between border checkpoints.

  “You need to get through to London,” Anna said after a moment in a low voice. “You and I will be all right in the end, but Marlene is an enemy. We have to get her out of Norway.”

  “All I can do is try, which is what I’ve been doing,” he retorted.

  “And I appreciate it,” Evelyn said with a smile. “I know you’re doing your best.”

  Erik turned and came back to the trio by the car.

  “I’ve talked it over and they agree with me. You can’t stay here, and there’s no way to get your car running again safely,” he told them. “If you come with us, you’ll have a better chance at avoiding the Germans.”
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br />   “Come with you where?” Anna asked, glancing over to the other soldiers.

  “Into the mountains. There are five more of us. We came down to scout and see if the Germans were on the road yet. Leave your car and come with us. It will be safer than on your own.”

  Peder was already turning to close the hood of the Volvo. “I don’t have anything but my radio,” he said, “but the girls have bags.”

  “We can easily carry them,” Anna said.

  “Hurry and get them, and then let’s get off the road and back into the trees,” Erik said briskly. He glanced down at Anna and Evelyn’s feet. “Do you have any better shoes? There’s snow higher up and as we go north, it will get deeper.”

  “I have some boots,” Anna said, turning to go towards the back of the car. “Marlene, do you have anything?”

  “Not boots,” Evelyn said, following her. “I have a pair of sturdy loafers, but I don’t know how much use they’ll be in the snow.”

  “They’ll be better than what you’re wearing,” Anna said, glancing at the fashionable pumps on Evelyn’s feet.

  She nodded and pulled her suitcase out of the back of the car, setting it on the ground and crouching down to undo the straps. While Erik waited, she and Anna quickly changed their shoes as Peder stowed the toolbox in the back of the car. He pulled out the case with his radio, the basket of food Else had packed for them, and a small toiletries case.

  “Is this yours, Marlene?” he asked, holding it up.

  Evelyn glanced up from redoing the straps on her case and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

  “I’ll carry it if you like,” he offered. “My case is not heavy.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother,” she protested, standing. “I can manage.”

  “Let him take it,” Erik advised behind her. “We have a steep climb ahead and it will be rough going already.”

  Evelyn looked at Peder and nodded reluctantly. “Thank you.”

  He smiled at her and turned to lock up the car. “You’re welcome.”

  Once the car was securely locked, they turned to start towards the trees. As she stepped off the road, Evelyn had the strangest feeling of leaving safety behind. She pressed her lips together and glanced back at the black Volvo. They would be safer with a group of Norwegian soldiers than on their own on a main road with an advancing German army. So why did she suddenly feel as if she was walking into danger, rather than away from it?