Page 33 of Shadows In Paris
Hannah said, ‘A French woman who is fluent in German is useful for our operations in France. They are unlikely to rouse suspicion if they have a sensible reason for speaking the language.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind. Do you miss the old Germany?’ Lizzie asked.
Hannah pedalled faster, and Lizzie did the same to keep up.
‘Berlin was my home, but there’s no place for me there anymore. You don’t miss a country that persecutes and murders your people.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Lizzie said. ‘It was thoughtless of me to bring it up.’
Hannah said, ‘Not at all. It’s good to get it off my chest because I rarely get the chance. You can ask me anything.’
They cycled on in silence for a while.
‘Welcome to Paris,’ Hannah said, pointing to the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
‘I was amazed yesterday when I saw it. It seems visible from wherever you are. I had forgotten how large it is.’
Soon they reached the city, and Hannah told Lizzie to follow her. ‘Pay special attention when I tell you where to look. We’re going to check out the Nazi HQ where I’ll be working.’
The bustle of the city struck Lizzie again. The cafés were packed even at this hour and men in German uniforms spilled onto the boulevards, smoking and talking. A sea of green-grey bodies swarmed through the city.
Lizzie spotted a group of Gestapo wearing long leather trench coats, jumping into a black car and racing away.The sight of them froze her blood, transporting her back toReims in an instant. Thank God they didn’t need to pass them.
‘They are all over Paris picking fights with anyone they can. Be prepared for an encounter at any time,’ Hannah said just loud enough for Lizzie to catch her words.
Lizzie saw a beautifully dressed, elegant woman on the arm of a Nazi officer. She stopped herself from staring, but the sight infuriated her. It was obvious she was French by the way she walked and wore her clothing. Besides, like Hannah said, there weren’t many German women in Paris. Their husbands preferred to keep them hidden away at home whilst they enjoyed the fruits of a lavish lifestyle, far from the fighting and the disapproving gaze of their wives.
High-ranking Nazis spent a sizeable portion of their days feasting with their cronies on the best French fayre and knocking back expensive champagne as if the French population wasn’t teetering on the edge of starvation.
‘Look casually at the building to the right now. The huge one like a luxury hotel,’ Hannah said.
Lizzie snapped herself out of her people watching and turned her head to the pale stone building just to one side of them.
‘Let’s pull over slowly here,’ Hannah instructed.
An army truck almost knocked Lizzie off her seat, and she cursed under her breath. Until she met Val, she’d never sworn. Now she used curse words often, but only to herself or occasionally with Jack.
They dismounted and stood next to their bicycles. Hannah extracted a note from her pocket, and they pretended to be studying the shopping list of basic supplies.
‘That’s German High Command HQ. I’ve found a way in as the personal secretary to the major general.’
‘How do you get the job?’ Lizzie asked.
‘A sympathetic contact in the French administration putmy name forward. I was interviewed and accepted on the spot.’
Lizzie knew how terrifying it was to trick a Nazi officer, but this was on an audacious scale. Hannah was not planning a temporary posting where she went in for a few days and then disappeared. To stay alive, the Jewish Resistance leader would need to masquerade as a permanent employee who was committed to the Reich.
CHAPTER 14
Hans stretched his long legs before rising from his desk and striding across to the window to survey the tree-lined Avenue Kléberbelow. He thought the Avenue was a fitting location for their headquarters, but winter didn’t do Paris justice, and he looked forward to spring when he would dine on the boulevards again.
The German High Command had installed themselves in the Hotel Majestic. Hans had been appointed to the prestigious position of second in command within the organisation and upon his arrival, he was overjoyed to discover the building wasn’t majestic in name only. He had his own private rooms and relished the power that came with the job.
He congratulated himself yet again for landing such an influentialParis posting. Granted, his father had pulled some strings,but he felt worthy of the position. He had earned it after his years of dedication to the Reich.
Yes, he deserved this, and so much more.
Hans grew more ambitious and hungrier for recognition as the months passed. He was determined to be awarded a promotion to general as a young man. He was silentlycontemptuous of his superiors, whom he saw as tired, overfed and unfit for the distinguished rank of general. Hans was certain he could do a much better job if he was only given the opportunity. Why should he be penalised because of his age?
