“Was hat er gesagt?” the wiry guard barked at a young soldier with hair the color of corn silk and whose wide-eyed look reminded Finn of Clyde, the assistant working at his kite shop back home. The German soldier carried on a short conversation with the older guard before turning his attention back to Finn.
“Sergeant Amsler says you are the American pilot who escaped from Belgium last year,” the young man said in lightly accented English. “He demands to know why you are here.”
“I’ve come to offer General Ryckman a deal. I will only discuss it with the general himself.”
Finn’s hands, still held uncomfortably over his head, began to tremble. The visible sign of his fear was embarrassing, but with four rifles trained on him, he dared not lower them. The young translator engaged in another flurry of harsh-sounding dialogue with the lead guard before turning his attention back to Finn.
“We must take you into custody before any further discussion,” the translator said.
This was to be expected, but Finn held his ground. “You need to know that many high-ranking people have been informed of my plan to come here,” he said. “I’ve come to offer General Ryckman a trade. High-ranking prisoners have been traded before. If I’m killed, there will be consequences.”
The translator nodded but still gave the go-ahead to the guards. One of them grabbed Finn by the shoulders, spun him around, and jerked his hands behind his back to clap manacles on his wrists.
Welcome to German territory, Finn thought grimly as he wasfrog-marched through the imposing front doors. Perspiration prickled his skin despite the clammy air inside the ancient stone building. Instead of throwing him behind bars, Finn was taken to a room that looked like an ordinary office with desks and metal filing cabinets. The four German soldiers plus the translator made the room feel cramped and claustrophobic.
The young soldier spoke first, his voice unexpectedly kind. “I am Corporal Conrad Ekhart. I will be translating for you. The sergeant insists you must be searched. He will remove your handcuffs, and then you must take off all of your clothing so it can be inspected.”
Finn hadn’t expected this, but he should have. He wasn’t a shy man, but stripping down buck naked in front of five armed guards was disconcerting. His skin was still damp with sweat, and he shivered once all his clothes had been shed. He stared at the clock on the wall as every item of his clothing was turned inside out and passed around among the soldiers for examination.
After a few moments, he was allowed to dress again, then was ordered into a chair where he had one wrist shackled to the handle of a desk drawer.
“I’m sorry for the precautions,” the translator said. Aside from the accent, the kid even sounded like Clyde from back home. He was also surprisingly curious. “Did you fly a Nieuport 17?”
“Nieuport 21,” Finn replied. Both were French airplanes and among the finest in the world.
The young man sat casually, his hands braced on his knees as he leaned forward. “Was it scary?”
Not as scary as this moment,but there are worse things than being afraid.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Finn said but refused to say anything else. He couldn’t afford to trust anyone, and this fresh-faced kid could be gathering information.
It was pitch-dark before the guards finally came for him. He was allowed to flex his wrists once they unlocked him from the deskdrawer, and this time he was handcuffed with his hands in front of him rather than behind. The chain rattled as he was escorted down a dim corridor, footsteps echoing against the stone walls. An eerie calmness came over him.“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lordyour God will be with you wherever you go.”
A guard banged an iron knocker against a wooden door, then opened it to reveal a lavishly decorated room lined with dark wood paneling. Opulent rugs warmed the floor, but Finn’s blood ran cold at the sight of General Ryckman, sitting behind a massive desk.
The general wore a dark dress uniform, adorned with silver epaulettes, gold braid, and a high-stand collar. His angular face was framed by perfectly groomed steel-gray hair, which made his piercing blue eyes seem even brighter. Ryckman would be considered a fine-looking man if one did not know about the corrosion in his soul.
“Welcome to Brussels, Lieutenant Delaney,” General Ryckman said in perfect English. For a man who went to Oxford, the general could ape British manners but still had three years of barbaric occupation over the people of Belgium to answer for.
Finn raised his manacled hands. “Your hospitality is legendary.”
“We intended no disrespect,” General Ryckman replied. “Your sudden appearance naturally aroused alarm about potential security risks. Now that the surrounding area has been searched and our concerns put at ease, I confess I am curious as to why you are here.”
“Mathilde Verhaegen,” he said simply. “I am here to offer myself in her place.”
A single quirk of his brow was the general’s only hint of surprise. “You don’t really expect us to allow her to walk out of prison as a free woman, do you?”
“I expect you to do whatever is in Germany’s best interests. You are turning Mathilde Verhaegen into another Edith Cavell. If harm comes to her, every Belgian resistance group will double their efforts and rally more support to fight for their freedom. The factI have come here on this mission is no secret. If neither Mathilde nor I return home within the week, my friends will assume the worst. And I have friends in very high places. If you choose not to trade Mathilde for me, Berlin will hear of it, and they won’t be pleased that you threw away a clean, quiet resolution.”
“The woman in question will be going to trial soon. It would be a corruption of our legal system for me to interfere.”
“But you have that ability, General,” Finn said. “As the military governor of Belgium, you are able to grant clemency.”
General Ryckman nodded. “I do indeed. I can also order you to be imprisoned.” He snapped his fingers, and the two guards near the door came to attention. “Escort Lieutenant Delaney to Saint-Gilles Prison and lock him up.”
The abrupt command drove the breath from Finn’s lungs. But there was nothing he could do as the guards seized him and forced him out the door.
28
