Page 204 of Valor

“Why?”

“To throw the dogs off our scent.”

“What dogs?”

“You have seen their German Shepherds.”

Hedvika’s hand shot up to her chapped lips.

“They will track us down unless we cross.”

“We will drown.”

“No, we won’t.”

“The water is so rough. I—” The words caught in her throat.

Fred reached out and touched her shoulder.

“Jakob can’t swim.”

“No one can swim in this water.”

“But—”

He set Jakob down.

“Stay put!” he hissed at the boy.

Fred drew her into a tight embrace. Hedvika felt so small in his arms. Fragile. Broken. She sobbed against his chest, and he couldn’t help but run his rough hands down the length of her tangled hair. How he hated them all, his father, Fritz, the Nazis chasing after them. They took her home and her family, but Fred wouldn’t let them take her future. He lowered his head and kissed the top of hers. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and Fred’s heart found the strength to beat even faster. Thudding in his chest, he silently promised it to her.

“There is no other way,” he whispered. Fred let go of the embrace, and when her watery eyes met his, he gently gripped her shoulders. “You will have to trust me.” What was he saying? He had no idea how they would get across the wild river, and now he was asking her for trust. What if one of them fell into the torrent? And if they got all wet, how would they keep warm through the night and not end up with pneumonia, which would surely kill them?God, please, give me strength.

“Let’s look for a possible crossing.” He reached for her hand. She was so beautiful, his voice caught.

“Fred—” Her eyes pleaded with him.

But he knew there was no other choice. Crossing the wild water was their only chance.

“My cousin and I went this way once. There are five boulders somewhere up the stream that serve as a bridge. He was able to guide his sheep across there.”

The fear in her eyes was almost palpable.

“We won’t drown,” he said as he reached for Jakob. He held them both close to him. “Dear God, please help us. Please guide us across this river. Please show us the right place and keep us from drowning. Amen.”

An image of an angel hovering over two kids crossing a river, much like this one, popped up in his mind. It used to hang in his room when he was a child until Father smashed it against a wall. Fred let out a pent-up breath.Focus.

Then Jakob started whispering words that Fred didn’t understand. He glanced at Hedvika, his eyebrows lifting.

“He is praying, too,” she whispered. “Just like Papa taught him.” She reached for her brother’s hand. “Let’s go. With Hashem’s help, we will be safe.”

“Hashem’s?”

“That is what we call our God.”

Father always said that Jews were strange, aside from many other things that Fred wouldn’t permit himself to think now. These two were notYude,as Father would pronounce with disgust. This was Hedvika, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and her little brother, both scared for their lives.

“Let’s go.” He stepped closer to the riverbank, searching for rocks that would lead them to the other side. If he found Mark’s boulders, he would know they were on the right track. One other thing he wouldn’t share with her was his worry about accidentally crossing the Polish border, for he heard terrible stories of what had been done there to Hedvika’s people.

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