We left the house, making sure to secure the door behind us. The glow of the rising sun was off to the right, and we headed left through the woods. The ground was covered in matted leaves, and broken sticks left over from the winter damage, which made our presence known if anyone were to be in hearing distance. Though, it was still safer to be in the woods than on theroad.
We kept walking, knowing the country line was two miles from Louis and Svaya’s house, but we weren’t walking on a straight path like the road, so it seemed to take longer than it should have by the time we reached the bottom of a very steep hill. It took everything I had to make it up the next upward trek, even though Charlie was carryingLucie.
When we reached the top, there was nothing to see but barbed wire. There was no place to cross. There was no way out. Before I could see the entire scope of land, Charlie pulled me to the ground, hiding us within the tall grass. “There’s a watch tower over the main customs area. If they see us, we won’t stand achance.”
“What are we going to do?” I pleaded for an answer I knew he didn’t have, or at least didn’t think hehad.
“We’re going through those gates,” he said. His voice was calm and sure as day. “Your name is Emille. We were on our way to visit your family in Austria, but our car broke down some ways back, and your family agreed to meet us just inside the nearby town to pick usup.”
“Charlie, do you really think that’s going to work?” I askedhim.
“We just need to be curt with them and appear calm. If we don’t look like we have something to worry about, they won’t doubt ourstory.”
“They won’t doubt you,” I argued. “You are a soldier in uniform. I am noone.”
“You, Amelia, are the world, and shame on them if they don’t know ityet.”
I nodded my head, still not quite believing his words. After all, I looked emaciated, but I tried my best to smile a little. “Maybe if you explained that to them, they would just let us walk onthrough.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that myself,” Charlie said, smiling as he pulled himself up to his feet with Lucie still snugly held within his bent arm. “Come, it’ll only take a few minutes to go down the hill and around the corner.” He placed a kiss on Lucie’s head and looked down at her with a loving look. “I’ll be her papa. I want to be that person forher.”
My heart ached with adoration as I listened to his beautiful confession. “You are incredible, CarlieCrane.”
We carefully made our way back down the steep grassy mound and headed toward the road, trying to avoid looking suspicious. I needed to convince myself that I was Emille—Charlie’s wife, and that our car broke down a couple of miles back. Lying was hard for me, but our lives depended on it. I had essentially been lying for more than a year, as I had been breaking the rules almost daily to help the other women in my barrack. I was also taking food from Charlie, which I was not supposed to have. Of course, in addition, I had snuck off and escaped too. I broke every rule in the book. What was one morelie?
My heart thudded heavily as the bordering iron gates blurred in the distance. Knowing we’d have to go through a checkpoint twice was already a hard fact to swallow, though entering Switzerland would be much easier, I had assumed—hoped.
“Charlie, how will we make it across Austria? Are we walking into another war zone?” In truth, I didn’t know where the war started and where it stopped. Information was not given to us inside of the camp. It was as if the world had stopped outside those walls, but if the war was over, would we have been left to rotthere?
“There’s a train station just over the border. We’re going to get on that train. I have plenty of schillings saved up to get us toZurich.”
He looked over at me as we continued to walk, likely seeing the nervous expression on my face. “Here,” he said. “Take Lucie for amoment.”
I took Lucie from his arm, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of schillings. “I want you to have enough just incase.”
“Just in case of what,Charlie?”
“In case you make it and I don’t,” he said pointedly. “No more questions,okay?”
We continued walking down the gravel path. While spotting the patrols in the watch tower, we noticed they were studying our every move as we camecloser.
“Soldier, is everything okay?” one of the guardsasked.
“Yes, yes, we had some car trouble a couple of miles back, and my wife and I are on leave to go visit her family across the border. They plan to pick us up just inside the town.” Charlie pointed off into the distance, past thegates.
I swallowed hard and squeezed Lucie tightly within my arms. The guard looked over at me and inspected my clothing with a curious look in his eyes. “Your wife looks ill,” the soldierreplied.
“Oh, you know how it is in the spring time. I’ve had a terrible cold for a week, but it’s passing now. I just hope our daughter doesn’t catch it. A baby with a cold is not an enjoyable time,” I countered. I was proud of myself for the act I put on, but whether it was enough of a performance, I wasn’t sure. We were still on the wrong side of thegate.
“I see,” the guard said. “What is your name,soldier?”
“Charlie Crane,” he replied. Charlie Crane is supposed to be receiving medical attention for his arm at that moment, and yet he had just mentioned he was onleave.
“Where are you stationed?” He can’t possibly tell him the truth, or they’ll know forsure.
“I’m in transition at the moment,” Charlie said. “Due to my injury.” Charlie pointed to hisshoulder.
“I suppose that’s a good time for leave,” the guard said. “Give me a moment to call in your name. What is your wife’s name?” heasked.
