Joe quickly returned to his hiding spot, adjusted a barrel of potatoes, and pulled a crate of celery over his head. Through the cracks between the boards, I saw him put his finger against his lips. I nodded, my mouth dry. He turned off the flashlight, plunging us again into blackness.
The truck slowed, then stopped. I guessed we were at the checkpoint to the base.
“Howdy, Tex,” I heard Kevin say.
“Howdy, yourself,” came the twang-tinged reply. “What y’all got tonight?”
“Same old turnips and shit. Hey, you ever get to that jazz club I told you about?”
“Not yet. Is it the kinda place you take a girl or meet one?”
“Both.”
“Maybe I’ll check it out this weekend.”
“You won’t be sorry,” Kevin said.
“Is the back unlocked?”
“Yeah. But there’s no need to look in there.”
“Rules are rules, man.”
I heard footsteps, then the back door opened. Light poured in. I shut my eyes and held my breath, certain the guard could hear my pulse pound.
The floor of the truck dipped and groaned. Oh God! He was climbing in. Every fiber of my body tightened like overstretched bridge cable, ready to snap. The truck shifted as the footsteps drew closer. Even with my eyes clenched, I could tell a flashlight was shining on me—I saw red inside my eyelids. The crate on top of me moved, pulling my hair. I thought I was going to pee myself.
“Hey, you were holding out on me!” yelled the guard.
My mother’s face flashed before my closed eyes. Oh, myLord—she would die of shame. And then, miraculously, the footsteps receded and the van door slammed shut.
I heard the soldier walk back around to the front of the truck. “What’s the big idea?”
“What do you mean?” asked Kevin. His voice was thick, as if he’d just swallowed pudding.
“Didn’t tell me there were apples.” I heard a loud crunch.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t need to. Figured you’d just help yourself.”
“A man needs sustenance to stay up all night, keeping Nazis off the base.” A thump sounded, as if he’d slapped the side of the truck. “Y’all have a good evening!”
The truck jerked forward. I took a breath—the first one I’d drawn in a while. As we rattled down the road, Joe turned on his flashlight. Through the cracks, he gave me a thumbs-up sign. I grinned, almost giddy with relief. He put his finger to his mouth, signaling the need to remain quiet.
At length, the truck stopped and Joe turned his flashlight off. I tensed once again as the back door opened. “All clear,” Kevin said.
Joe sprang from his hiding spot and rapidly crossed the truck, lifting the crates off my head.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. My legs were like rubber. Through the open truck door, I could see that we were inside a large, barrel-roofed hangar. “Addie had a bad scare,” Joe announced. “I shouldn’t have put those apples on top of her head.”
“Oh, man.” Carl grinned at me.
“What you really shouldn’t have done was put the onions so close to my nose,” I said, making a face.
The men laughed.
“See why I’m crazy about her?” Joe grinned down at me in a way that made the scare completely worth it, then turned as a short man wearing army green mechanic’s overalls approached the truck door. “Hi there, Ace. Got her gear?”
