Now a path had opened between them.
He longed to meet her on that path.
But Bernardus’s rash actions had imperiled Ivy, and a romance with Gerrit would imperil her even more. If the Germans found out what Gerrit had done, connected him to her...
His jaw clenched. Once again, distance was the best way to protect Ivy. He couldn’t bear the thought of that sweet soul being imprisoned, tortured, executed.
At the hotel, Gerrit stashed the mine map in his desk. If the map didn’t bear marks of the evening’s misadventure, he’d slip it back into the technical section office on Monday.
Gerrit ran upstairs to Ernst Schmeling’s room. Being short of breath and disheveled suited his story well. He pounded on the door. “Herr Oberbauführer! Herr Oberbauführer!”
In a few seconds, Schmeling opened the door of his darkened room, pulling a dressing gown over his pajamas. “This had better be important. You disturbed my sleep.”
All Gerrit’s frustration and anger at Bernardus infused his voice. “It’s Kroon—he betrayed us.”
“Pardon?” Schmeling blinked heavily. “Betrayed?”
“He tried to commit sabotage. I went to stop him, but I was too late and he was injured and he escaped in a boat but he’s so badly injured I don’t think he’ll survive.” Gerrit ran the words together and shook his arm to the west, toward St. Aubin.
“Slow down. Start from the beginning.”
Gerrit took a long breath. “I was at the Forum with the other men when Charlie Picot fetched me.”
“Charlie...?” Schmeling flicked on his bedside lamp and wrestled off his dressing gown.
Gerrit stepped inside, closed the door, and faced it to giveSchmeling some privacy. “Charlie is a local lad who works on a cargo ship, theOrmer. Bernardus and I have befriended him, and he shows us around the island.”
Cloth swished. “To the point, van der Zee.”
“Yes, Herr Oberbauführer. Bernardus drove Charlie to St. Aubin this evening, told him to stand watch while he blew up the breakwater. I can’t believe it! I trusted him!” His voice shook with genuine fury that his friend had endangered so many people.
A curse from Schmeling. “He blew up the breakwater?”
“No, no. Charlie came for me, wanted me to stop Bernardus. I don’t understand—why would Bernardus think Charlie would approve of sabotage? One of Charlie’s sisters works for the Feldkommandantur. Everyone knows the family is loyal.”
“Come.” Schmeling flung open the door, wearing his uniform jacket over his pajama pants. “Continue.”
Gerrit marched alongside Schmeling. “Charlie brought the OT car Bernardus had taken. I sent the boy home, and I drove to St. Aubin and—”
Another curse, and Schmeling jammed his cap over his rumpled gray hair. “You didn’t come for me first? Sound the alarm?”
“I...” The truth clogged his throat. “Bernardus is my oldest friend. I thought I could dissuade him. He’s a reasonable man.”
Schmeling shoved open the door to the stairwell and pounded down the stairs. “He’s a traitor.”
Gerrit was too, but he had to convince the man otherwise. “I went to the breakwater to stop him. Charlie told me he was using a rowboat to tow the explosives. There was an explosion—Bernardus set off a mine. I heard him scream.”
“Good. He’ll scream even louder when we catch him.”
“I—I don’t know if you will. I had to lie low for a few minutes. The searchlight at St. Aubin’s Fort switched on. I didn’t want them to shoot at me.”
On the ground floor, Schmeling opened the door and strode across the lobby to the telephone. “Wise. I’ll grant you that.”
“After the searchlight turned off, I ran out to him. He was badly injured. So much blood. He’d dragged himself into the boat. He threatened me with his pistol, told me not to follow him. Since he couldn’t finish the job, he’d removed the explosives and was sailing for France.”
“I’ll call for patrol boats.” Schmeling grabbed the telephone receiver and started dialing. “Which is what you should have done.”
“I tried,” Gerrit said. “The telephone line in the battery is cut.”
