Page 95 of Winter's End
She paused. “There is no way to know if we can locate papa, or if there is any way to help him – and perhaps I have no right to ask…But I know that you have been learning to shoot, Evi, and I may need protection…”
She took a breath. “Will you come with me to Enschede – tonight?”
“I will go with you,” Jacob’s voice was firm. “This is way beyond the means of the two of you.”
A vision of Mam surrendering her life to the sea at the hands of the Germans passed before Evi’s eyes. For the first time in her life, she felt fully grown, as though she had slipped, without notice or fanfare, into the skin of adulthood.
“You will not go, Jacob,” she said, just as firmly. “It is entirely too dangerous for you to be out. You are too easily recognized as American.”
She looked around at the faces of the others, frowning and clearly skeptical.
“Evi, I – “
“I said no, Jacob.” She stood ramrod straight, looked into his eyes. “You must trust that you have prepared me for this.”
ZOE
There was no chance of sleep on the three-hour midnight train they were fortunate to board from Haarlem to Enschede.
There were few passengers, and no overt German presence, but Zoe quaked to think of the consequences if they were to be confronted by Gestapo officers – if they needed to try to explain their journey, if the pistol hidden in Evi’s bag was discovered.
Despite herself, she shuddered, remembering as though it were yesterday, the Nazi pistol shoved into her face on her last trip home from Enschede.
Thus far, godjzidank,the ride had been uneventful, and quiet save for the clacking of wheels against steel. It gave her time to share withEvi as much as she knew about when the Germans had come after her father and why. But they were weary and anxious by the time they debarked at nearly three in the morning, as much from stress and misgiving, Zoe knew, as from the lack of sleep.
The city streets seemed other-worldly in the dead of night, subdued, and weirdly shadowed, lit by a sliver of moon and the occasional street light, and devoid of any footsteps but theirs.
They moved slowly, looking ahead and behind, braced for a noise, for another human being, for a Nazi checkpoint – but there was nothing but the clouds of their own breath dissipating into the night as Zoe directed their route.
Finally, Zoe stopped and pointed across the street at the barn her mother had alluded to – a good-sized structure long in disrepair, nearly stripped of its once-red paint, and seemingly deserted.
Cautious, they looked both ways, crossed the deserted street and listened.
Nothing.
But then, one would expect, if there were people inside, that they were sleeping.
A padlock on the wooden door confirmed that something was inside – but there was no way to know , in the pre-dawn quiet, if it was hay, provisions, or human beings.
Evi pulled her blue knit cap down nearly to her eyes, and at her signal, staying in in the shadows, they moved into the adjacent alleyway.
Zoe half-expected – maybe half-wished – to see a sentry standing guard. But as far as she could see, it seemed deserted.
Evi stood motionless for a long moment. Then she reached into her bag, retrieved her pistol, and shoved it into her pocket.
“Go back, Zoe,” she whispered, pointing across the cobblestoned street. “You cannot help me here. Cross the street, stay out of sight, and wait for me.”
She paused. “I am going to test to see if anyone is inside. But we need to be prepared. If anything happens – if there is shooting – youneed to save yourself. There is nothing you can do to help me if there is trouble. Catch the next train and go home.”
Zoe stared, alarmed at the full impact of the danger she was putting this young girl into.What in the world had she been thinking?
“Evi, no,” she begged. “! I cannot let you do this. I am so sorry. We will find another way –”
Evi shook her head. “It may be useless,” she whispered. Very likely, there is no one inside. This will be only a test, Zoe. I will be careful, I promise.”
Zoe searched the girl’s face in the faint moonlight, but if Evi was apprehensive, she hid it well.
“And you must promise that if there is trouble, you will run as fast as you can.”
