Flight

by Vanessa Harbour

  She nodded. ‘I’ll hoot like an owl when I’m in place.’

  ‘Go as quietly as possible.’

  Jakob kept his horse tightly controlled until they were in place. It felt strange sitting on a different horse, but Flavory responded well. His dark steel grey shone in the sun.

  Bauer and Faber were still shouting. He could see Bauer aiming his pistol at the Director, who had been knocked to the floor. Jakob shivered. They were running out of time.

  He heard the sound of an owl echoing around the yard. With relief, he gathered his reins, and whistled back. Urging Flavory straight into a gallop, he charged at the gathering of men. Aiming for Bauer, he focused on the pistol.

  Jakob heard shouting, but ignored it. The feel of the powerful animal beneath him was extraordinary. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He moved with the rhythm of the gallop, leaning forward and holding the reins with one fist so he had a free hand. He rode with purpose. Briefly he could see Kizzy charging towards them, too, Largo’s grey coat catching his eye.

  Bauer stared at Jakob, legs apart, pistol aimed right at him. He was focusing. Jakob pushed Flavory on.

  The sound of Kizzy and Largo behind him briefly distracted Bauer. It was only a tenth of a second, but gave Jakob enough time. He reached the officer, stretched down and snatched the gun out of Bauer’s hand. The metal felt cold as Flavory flew past the other men, sending them all tumbling out of his way. Kizzy barged in the opposite direction, leaning far, far over, and as the other Nazi fumbled to reach his gun, she whipped it straight out of his holster.

  Jakob pulled Flavory to a halt and swung him round to face them all. The Nazis and Faber were straightening back up, having lost their footing in the chaos. The Director got up before going to help Heinz.

  Jakob, sitting silently on Flavory, pulled the pistol up and aimed it at Bauer. His finger found the trigger. This would be for Allegra.

  Chapter 20

  The look of anger on Bauer’s face melted into ugly fear.

  The Director walked calmly forward. ‘Give me the gun, Jakob. You don’t want to do it. He’s not worth it.’

  Tears blurred Jakob’s view. ‘But he killed Allegra and he was going to kill you and Heinz.’ His hand shook.

  Reaching up and resting his hand on the gun, the Director pressed gently till Jakob lowered the pistol. ‘Yes, he is the scum of the earth, but shooting him will make you no better. Give it to me.’ He whispered, ‘You are very brave and just saved our lives, I believe. I thank you for that.’

  Jakob let go of the pistol with a sigh, letting his head droop, tears streaming down his face, for Allegra, for his parents, for everything that had happened.

  Kizzy drew alongside and gently rested her hand on his. He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t. He didn’t want her to see how much he was crying.

  She passed her gun to Heinz, who pointed it at the two Nazis and Faber. The Director raised his gun too. The Countess stood by them.

  ‘Wilhelm Faber, I welcomed you and your friends onto my land and offered you protection when you had no home.’ The ice in her voice cut the air. Faber lowered his head. ‘You repay my kindness by bringing these people here. I suggest you keep out of my sight.’ She moved towards Faber, then whispered loud enough for Jakob to hear, but not the Nazis. ‘And if you do anything else to cause trouble I will perhaps tell them,’ she nodded towards Bauer, ‘exactly who you are.’

  Faber nodded and scuttled away, head bowed.

  The Director began, ‘Bauer…’

  He was interrupted by a loud chit-chat of bangs. Was someone having a firework display? They all looked up at the skies. Confusingly, there were just clouds. Everyone gasped.

  ‘That’s not fireworks, it’s gunfire! The Americans must be close.’ The Director turned to the Nazis. ‘I think you might be a little busy over the next few days. Far too busy to waste time worrying about my children.’ He hesitated. ‘Perhaps we should lock you up and hand you over when the Americans arrive? Because they will… What do you think?’

  The grooms started to move towards Bauer and his associate. The Nazis looked panic-stricken.

  ‘Oh no, you don’t. We’re out of here. Get in the car quick!’ shouted Bauer. They both jumped in. Bauer wound his window down. ‘I won’t forget this.’ He looked at Jakob. ‘You, in particular.’

  The car sped out of the yard, ignoring the grooms who had to jump out of the way, gravel spraying everywhere. Flavory shied away from the flying stones. Jakob grabbed onto his mane, trying to calm his own pounding heart as well as the stallion.

  ‘Whoa boy, it’s OK.’

  The Director waved his hand at them. ‘I assume you don’t want these guns back? That was close! They won’t be back. I have every confidence in the Americans. My information is good. I have contacts in the Resistance.’ He breathed out noisily though, and grabbed at Flavory’s bridle. ‘Kizzy, come here. I can’t believe you two rode my horses like that after what I just said!’ He looked sternly at them both.

  Jakob couldn’t believe the Director was being so ungrateful!

  Kizzy spoke first, ‘We just…’

  The Director cut straight across her. ‘Thank you both for saving our lives. You were brilliant and so brave.’ He laughed to see all Kizzy’s anger disappear. ‘Jakob, can you tell all the men in the School to meet me in the office, then rub these two down and stable them? Do it quickly. Once you have done that you can join us in the office too. Kizzy, I want you to find my wife. Tell her we need all the civilian clothes she saved. Everyone needs to change out of our uniforms in case the Americans think we are the enemy or the military. Heinz, are you all right? I will need your advice.’

  Heinz nodded, his face white and drawn with pain. ‘Of course.’ He turned. ‘Thank you two for saving our lives.’

  Jakob smiled. ‘Director, sir, can I just say I’m sorry I disobeyed you earlier.’

  Kizzy looked between him and the Director. ‘I’m sorry as well, sir. I’d been badgering him for ages about not being able to ride.’

  The Director nodded. ‘Let’s say no more about it. We’ve more important things to do now.’

  The sky was lightening and the sun stretched long pale fingers up beyond the mountains. It had taken them all afternoon and all night to get ready. The refugees had been assured they would be safe. Exhausted, Jakob walked back to the Schloss with the others. Everyone was too tired to speak, but he wasn’t ready to sleep. Bauer’s last words were an echo in his head. What if he came back? Jakob slipped away to the stables. He knew that seeing Raluca would help him calm down. The stallion whinnied a welcome. Rubbing his neck, Jakob leant against the horse’s head.

  ‘Do you fancy a dance, Raluca?’ whispered Jakob. ‘I’ve missed it and I need to do something to take my mind off what’s happening out there.’

  The wind blew gently as Jakob led Raluca to the field. The world smelt clean and fresh. For a brief moment, he felt so happy and safe. Crazy, really.

  Letting go of the stallion’s halter, he walked alongside him, clicking his tongue. The horse followed him. He watched him.

  Jakob stopped.

  Raluca did the same, his ears twitching.

  Jakob grinned. ‘Good lad!’ Clicking his tongue, he rubbed Raluca’s neck. The stallion whiffled, blowing air out gently. ‘So you think you’re clever, eh? Try this.’

  This time he stood in front of the horse and raised his arms slightly, palms facing outward, walking towards the horse. Raluca flattened his ears, then slowly he stepped backwards, one hoof at a time. ‘That’s it, well done, boy.’ He rubbed the horse’s forehead.

  Next, Jakob ran forwards with Raluca trotting alongside. He stopped dead. The stallion slid to a halt too.

  ‘Ha!’ He threw his arms around the horse’s neck, clicking his tongue and scratching at his withers. ‘You are a star, aren’t you?’

  Jakob had an idea. It was an exercise he’d only done once with Allegra, who hadn’t been able to do it properly.

  �
�All right boy, watch this!’ Jakob stood with his body slightly angled towards the horse then walked slowly, crossing one leg in front of the other. ‘Can you do it?’

  The stallion snorted and pawed at the ground. He appeared to watch, before he mimicked Jakob’s body language. He arched his neck inwards then carefully crossed his front legs over one another as he walked. Jakob couldn’t believe it.

  ‘You’re dancing with me!’ he squealed. His half-broken voice cracked.

  The stallion tried to do everything he did. In his head Jakob heard Strauss’ Vienna Waltz and visualised the arena with Raluca dancing for him in the centre. A loud rumbling laugh started in his stomach. ‘Oh, what a lad!’ He flung his arms around the stallion’s neck again.

  Cheering and clapping startled both horse and boy. Jakob looked to see Kizzy and one of the other grooms, Peter, jumping down from the gate. Where had they appeared from?

  ‘How much did you see?’ Jakob asked.

  ‘Most of it,’ laughed Peter. ‘I bumped into Kizzy…’

  She didn’t give him a chance to finish. She bounced between the two. ‘I saw you sneaking out of the yard.’

  ‘Have you two been practising?’ asked Peter, patting Raluca.

  ‘No! That’s the first time I’ve done anything like that with him,’ laughed Jakob, pulling at Raluca’s ears. ‘He’s a natural.’ He couldn’t stop the pride in his voice.

  ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you’re the natural.’

  There were more echoes of battle, closer now.

  ‘The Americans can’t be that far away,’ said Peter. The mood changed. ‘Take Raluca back. Then check that all the horses have water and hay. I can’t imagine the Director will want to put them out to pasture today. He seems confident everything’ll be all right, but an army’s an army, isn’t it, whatever side they’re on? Who knows what they might do and if they are going to be friendly.’ He started to march off. ‘I’ll warn him. Kizzy, you run up to the kitchen. They need to get breakfast on the go.’

  The chit-chat of small gunfire echoed around the mountains.

  A thrill of excitement shot through Jakob. He had the same hope the Director did. His parents had been trying to get to America before…

  He took Raluca back to the stalls. All the stallions seemed to pick up on the tension in the air. They were whinnying and snorting, pulling at their halters.

  ‘Ssh, it’ll be fine, trust me.’ Jakob hoped he sounded convincing and didn’t over-excite them. He guided Raluca in. ‘Hey, let’s get you settled. You were a star today.’

  He felt the stallion’s muscles tense.

  ‘Come on, it’ll be all right.’

  If Jakob could calm Raluca down, he knew the others would be soothed too. He stroked the stallion’s forehead, between his eyes.

  The horse’s ears flicked to and fro, listening. Slowly his head drooped and he nickered gently.

  ‘That’s it boy, it’s all right. The world’s about to change, but we’ll still be the same, won’t we?’

  Raluca pushed at him with his muzzle.

  ‘I’d better check on the others.’

  When he’d finished all the stallions, he went up to his room. It’d been a long night and early morning. The adrenaline rush of the dancing display with Raluca had all but disappeared, leaving the weight of exhaustion and a niggling fear heavy on his shoulders. What if he and the Director were wrong? What if Bauer did come back or if the Americans weren’t friendly? He was so confident they were going to be all right but how did he know?

  Jakob decided to have a good wash to wake himself up. Gasping, he splashed himself all over with cold water.

  There was a knock on the door.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘It’s me,’ said Kizzy. ‘Can I come in?’ She opened the door a crack.

  Jakob pushed it closed. ‘Hold on, just let me get dressed.’ He threw on his breeches and a white shirt. It stuck to his still wet skin. ‘Come in.’

  Kizzy ran to the window. ‘Look!’

  He craned his neck. ‘What am I looking at?’

  ‘Are you blind?’ She moved to one side. ‘See!’

  He peered out of the window. He heard them before he saw them. The unmistakable rumbling, roaring and squeaking of jeeps and tanks moving along the road.

  ‘Are you sure it isn’t the Germans?’

  She grabbed at his arms. ‘Of course not. It’s the Americans, stupid!’ Pulling him round, she tried to make him dance. ‘It’s the beginning of the end. Let’s celebrate!’

  Jakob didn’t want to dance. Not yet. What if he had got it wrong? He wanted to share an idea he’d had with her. ‘Kizzy, stop a minute. You know the mares?’

  She looked at him, her head slightly tilted. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Well, we rescued the stallions, so we need to find a way to rescue the mares too.’

  ‘How?’

  He looked out of the window. ‘I don’t know, but I think we should make a pact to try. What do you think?’

  ‘I think you’re crazy.’ But she bounced up and down.

  ‘Let’s shake on it.’ Jakob held out his hand. Kizzy shook it, trying to be solemn.

  ‘Come on, let’s go to Heinz’s room. He’ll have a better view than us.’

  They bowled into Heinz’s bedroom.

  ‘What are you two up to? You both look guilty!’ He sat up in bed.

  ‘Nothing!’ they said in unison, grinning. They grabbed his arms and pulled at him.

  ‘What the…? Mind the leg… Careful!’

  ‘Look!’ said Jakob. He shoved a chair by the window.

  Heinz sat on it with a thump. ‘What am I supposed to be looking at?’

  Kizzy stepped out of the way. ‘There, see who’s coming…’

  Heinz gasped. ‘It’s the Americans! They are here at last.’

  Jakob said, ‘But they’re going straight by,’ as a stream of tanks and lorries passed them. Everyone was cheering and shouting.

  ‘Be patient, young Jakob. They’ll be here soon. There’s no way they’ll miss out a place like this. Kizzy, I want to get downstairs. See if you can find me another broom. My leg’s really hurting after all the recent excitement. I think I need two.’ She ran off down the stairs. ‘Jakob, help me get dressed. I want to meet these saviours in person.’ He gripped Jakob’s sleeve, his eyes serious. ‘You were incredibly brave when Bauer appeared again.’

  ‘No, it was reckless really. It could so easily have gone wrong. We were just lucky.’ Jakob let his head drop. ‘And I had disobeyed the Director earlier. I let Kizzy ride and galloped the horses when he told me just to walk them. I did what you always told me not to do. I drew attention to myself. If Faber hadn’t seen me and Kizzy riding, showing off, he’d never have noticed us. Never have brought the Germans here.’

  He pulled Heinz’s socks on.

  ‘Yes. Lesson learned, I hope? Ouch!’

  ‘Sorry. Definitely.’

  Heinz rested his hand on Jakob’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘Bet the riding felt good, though?’

  Jakob grinned. ‘It was incredible.’

  By the time Kizzy came back, Heinz was dressed. ‘Here we go, I’ve got a towel to put over the bristles so you don’t hurt yourself.’ She passed the broom over to Heinz, who smiled.

  ‘Clever idea, thank you.’

  She raced ahead and opened doors for them. She bounced all over the place, crashing into every table. ‘Are you excited, by any chance?’ laughed Jakob, making a grab for a toppling vase.

  ‘Will you be careful, young lady? You need to respect the Countess’s property. She’s being kind enough to let us stay here. I know you’re happy but calm down.’ Heinz gave Kizzy one of his looks, but it had no effect.

  ‘Yes, but…’ Her words faded into the air.

  She ran on to open the door to the courtyard. The sound of their feet crunching on the gravel made the Director turn round. He smiled when he saw them. The smile didn’t hide the concern in his eyes. Jakob gripped onto his guardian. He
didn’t want to be afraid anymore.

  The Director said to Jakob, ‘I hear you’ve been working with Raluca?’

  Jakob flushed from the base of his neck to the tip of his ears. ‘Yes, sir.’ Now he was in more trouble. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘What’s this?’ asked Heinz, feigning surprise.

  ‘Peter tells me we have a natural in young Jakob. Needs teaching a little obedience, though.’ The Director’s stern face fractured into a smile. It stretched right up into his eyes and they glistened with pride. Heinz patted Jakob’s arm.

  ‘Yes, yes, you should have seen them.’ Kizzy grinned. ‘They were dancing. Raluca did everything he did. It’s incredible. Director, you must watch him.’

  The Director raised his eyebrow. ‘Oh, must I?’

  Heinz stared at her. ‘Kizzy, ssh!’

  She stopped, crestfallen, but Jakob smiled, convinced his heart might burst at any moment.

  Several jeeps swept into the yard. US soldiers jumped out with guns aimed towards them. Everyone raised their arms in surrender. The Director announced, ‘We are friends here. The Nazis are our enemies too.’

  One of the soldiers said, ‘They’re on the run now.’