by J. R. Sharp
“Where did you get that pistol from?” asked Gino.
“It was my father’s during the first war. He died last year, along with all my family members except for Giuseppe. Our father was against this war from the beginning, letting anyone know that cared to listen to him, which was the reason for the raid and his death. Most of the first war veterans are against the war, but they don’t vocalize their opinion like our father. We were spared by the Italian Fascists and Germans only because we were not at the house at the time of the raid. After what happened to our family, we decided revenge was the best course of action.”
“Are you an actual nun?” asked Giacomo.
“Yes. I was here when they killed my family. Giuseppe visited me to inform me what happened. He didn’t ask me to join the rebellion. I asked to join, with the support of Father Rossi. He gives sanctuary to all. The pope has given his blessing to all of us to provide care to anyone who requests it. Let me show you the rest of the house in case you need to get around.”
***
They were finally driving south toward their intended target, Monte Cassino. Lieutenant Muller was in the lead vehicle with two troop transports following him. There was a total of ten German soldiers plus the sergeant, who had spent most of the war behind a desk. He looked out of place, but the lieutenant was grateful to have at least one senior enlisted with him.
He had the map in front of him and was looking at the next road. The caravan was on the highway for most of their travel.
“If we don’t get lost, we should be there by ten,” the lieutenant told Sergeant Lucciano, who was driving the main sedan.
***
Giuseppe neared Cassino in a small car with one other rebel. They came in from the north to avoid detection. If he went on the main road, he would be seen by war supporters. They would tell the Germans and Italian Fascists, and he would be arrested and killed. There was a safe house on the north side of town, with a surprise he learned last year while visiting Caroline.
***
“There it is; take this left,” ordered Lieutenant Muller.
Lucciano did as he was ordered, making sure the other two vehicles followed. The lieutenant told him to make another left to Monte Cassio. He looked at the map and gave directions.
“Before we make a left to go up to Monte Cassino, I want you to stop.”
This new road was a lot more challenging than the straight highway. It was full of travelers just like Rome. If you tried to avoid a cart or another vehicle, you could end up taking the wrong road.
The German convoy neared the intersection. All the townspeople came outside to see what the noise was about. The sergeant laid on the horn and yelled at the top of his lungs for a clear path for his convoy.
***
Sister Caroline sat in a chair on the main floor, looking into the street through the window. Caroline had changed back into her nun’s clothes; she kept an extra set of habits and veils and cassocks at the house for just such an occasion. If anyone saw her through the window, they would only see a nun.
“I am going to step outside and sweep the sidewalk. Don’t let anybody in the house until I return,” she said.
Gino and Giacomo had taken the chairs out of the storage room and made themselves at home. There wasn’t anything to do but sit and wait for whoever was coming to get them. They didn’t know there was a race to see who could find them first—Giuseppe or the Gestapo.
Gino stood and put his ear to the wall. He heard the swish of a broom. It wasn’t the only noise he heard; there were people walking by, cars moving through the streets and animal bells. He also heard voices coming from all directions.
“What do you hear?” asked Giacomo.
“A busy town,” answered Gino as went back to his chair.
***
Sister Caroline was outside sweeping when she heard the noise coming from Via Monte Cassino. She stopped and saw a Mercedes approaching ahead of a couple of troop transports.
“I want you to stop right at the intersection, where you see the nun sweeping the sidewalk,” ordered the lieutenant.
The lieutenant got out of the sedan and waved at the first transport to pass the Mercedes and stop in front of him. He told the driver to block the road ahead.
Gino heard brakes and rumbling and action in the street. Then he heard voices—German voices.
“Germans. They’re right outside our building,” he whispered to Giacomo.
Giacomo drew his Luger and Gino his Beretta.
As the second transport approached the intersection, Lieutenant Muller raised his hand to stop them.
“I want you to block this intersection with the truck and have your men get out and cover all sides of this intersection until we get back. Let no one leave or enter this road,” ordered the German officer.
Sergeant Lucciano was out of the sedan and noticed the nun.
“Which way to Monte Cassino?” he asked Sister Caroline.
She pointed at the road past the troop transport. She continued to sweep the sidewalk but turned toward the front door of the house where her visitors waited for her return.
“Thank you,” responded Lucciano as the lieutenant returned from giving orders.
“Let’s see what we have up at the Monte Cassino,” remarked the lieutenant as the Mercedes leaped into action.
As the transport moved into position, the German soldiers took up stations at each corner.
Sister Caroline turned one last time to assess the situation before going inside. Everyone in the streets took shelter. No one was permitted to enter or leave the block.
Chapter 26
FATHER ROSSI LOOKED DOWN from the hilltop to see what all the clamor was about. These weren’t the normal noises he would hear. Most of the time, he ignored what was going on in town, but today wasn’t a normal day. He saw the road being blocked and vehicles driving toward the monastery.
“Go ring the bell,” the priest ordered the nun standing next to him.
She immediately raced to the courtyard and rang the bell, signaling for everyone to go inside and take cover.
The lieutenant looked up toward the towering walls of Monte Cassino as the ringing started. He knew this was some type of warning signal. The Mercedes turned right into the courtyard just as the bell stopped. Father Rossi stood in the middle of the courtyard waiting for his visitors. The German sedan stopped right in front of the lone priest, who looked fearless with his hands behind his back. As the troop transport entered the courtyard, Lieutenant Muller headed directly for the priest.
“Herr Lieutenant, my name is Father Rossi. How can I help you today?”
The lieutenant looked around before answering. He immediately noticed the major’s sedan.
“Where are the soldiers who drove that vehicle here?”
“The two soldiers in German uniforms left yesterday. They needed a place to stay before heading back home. They didn’t bother taking the sedan—not too sure why. They may have been deserters. They said they would come back for the car.”
“So, priest, you aided deserters?”
“The Roman Catholic Church is not involved with this war and will give sanctuary to whoever wants it. The men wanted to come here to pray. I accommodated them. The pope has given us that direction.”
“Sergeant, take the men and search the monastery,” ordered Lieutenant Muller.
“Herr Lieutenant, it will take you hours to search this place. It is one of the largest buildings in all of Italy.”
“You are right, Father Rossi, and I don’t have the time. Sergeant, grab the first nun you see and bring her to me. Have your men search the abbey anyway. If you see anybody in the buildings, send them out to the courtyard.”
***
Caroline Franco closed the door to the Abbey House. The deserters were behind the table downstairs, which they turned on its side for cover. Their guns were drawn.
“The Germans are everywhere. They brought a lot of people to look for you. We cannot leave
here anytime soon. There are four Germans right outside this door and a transport blocking this intersection. We will have to stay here until Giuseppe shows up.”
“He’s not going to come here. It’s too dangerous,” remarked Gino. He went to the wall to listen.
“This will not stop my brother. He has his ways of making a situation work to his advantage,” said Sister Caroline, taking off her nun uniform.
Gino was amazed at how easily she transitioned from nun to rebel.
***
It only took about five minutes before the sergeant showed up with the nun who had been ringing the warning bell. The sergeant handed the nun to the lieutenant. Lieutenant Muller grabbed her arm and walked her toward Father Rossi.
“Get on your knees, Sister.”
She did as she was told, but not before she placed her hands together and prayed. The German officer pulled out his Luger and aimed at her head.
“Where are the soldiers?” he asked, pointing at the major’s sedan.
The priest stepped toward the nun and answered, “I told you before, they left here yesterday. They wanted to go back home and be done with this war.”
“Were they alone? And what were they wearing?”
The priest moved closer to the nun but stopped when the lieutenant held up his hand.
“They left with one of my other nuns. She walked them to town. They changed out of their uniforms before they left.”
“Were they German or Italian?”
“Does it matter, Herr Lieutenant? We are all God’s children.”
Lieutenant Muller was getting frustrated but decided to back away. Murdering a nun could have significant consequences and inflame tensions with the Italians. He heard commotion behind him and used it as an excuse to walk away. About fifteen civilians were being kept at bay by the German guards. The guards were watching the German officer harass the priest and nun. Lieutenant Muller holstered his Luger.
“Sergeant, when your men get back from searching the monastery have them line up these bystanders. We might be having a firing squad right here in the courtyard.”
Father Rossi overheard the order. He helped the nun to her feet and approached the German.
“Herr Lieutenant, you shouldn’t hold these people as prisoners. They had nothing to do with the visitors we had here. I alone let them go with another nun.”
The lieutenant stopped walking. His hand in his pocket held the Iron Cross that he carried to remind himself of what happened in Rome. He remembered seeing a nun in the town.
Why was there a nun in the middle of town and not here in the abbey? he thought.
“Father Rossi, why is there a nun in the middle of town sweeping the sidewalk?”
“My nuns provide help to our townspeople who get old. She is caring for one of our elderly citizens.”
The lieutenant had enough of the father’s answers. Before anyone could guess what was about to happen, the Luger was drawn, and Lieutenant Muller shot Father Rossi in the chest. The lieutenant put the gun to the nun’s head again.
“Where are the two soldiers who were here? Are they in town?”
“They left for the Abbey House this morning!” yelled one of the workers in line.
“Where is this Abbey House?” yelled the lieutenant, still holding the gun to her head.
“It’s at the last intersection on your right as you come up to the monastery.”
“That’s where we saw the nun,” remarked Lucciano.
“Get in the car,” ordered Lieutenant Muller.
As the Mercedes drove away, Sergeant Lucciano looked in the side mirror and saw the nuns kneeling over the father, their hands grasped together, praying for him.
***
Caroline looked at Gino. “Did you hear a gunshot?”
“We need to get out of here or we won’t be seeing tomorrow,” Giacomo said.
“Sister, get your uniform on and leave this house. If they catch you here, they will kill you, or worse, they will take you prisoner.”
“That is my decision to make, and I have made my decision to stay here with you two.”
A noise from the storage room alarmed everyone. Gino and Giacomo turned their weapons toward the noise.
“Put your weapons down,” the nun said, opening the storage room door.
Giuseppe came in holding a lantern; he hugged his sister.
“You ready to get out of here?”
***
The Mercedes raced down the hill. The transport remained in the same position. The sergeant quickly pulled next to the transport and let out his superior officer.
“Where did the nun go?” asked Lieutenant Muller.
All four of his men looked at him with blank stares; none had seen the nun.
Sergeant Lucciano yelled, “It’s this house here, sir!”
The sergeant was already heading for the house with his rifle raised.
“You, grab an axe from the transport and follow me,” the lieutenant ordered one of his soldiers.
***
Back in the storage room, the trapdoor was open with the rug hanging over the door. The two deserters had no idea there was a trapdoor at their feet. Sister Caroline was the first to descend the wooden ladder. Giuseppe handed her the lantern.
“Hurry, they’ll be coming soon,” he said.
Gino was next to go down, followed by Giacomo and last Giuseppe.
Giuseppe grabbed the rope underneath the trapdoor and pulled it closed.
“Hopefully the rug will hide the door. Follow me.”
Gino followed the light ahead of him as the four meandered in the darkness As they moved away from the house and into darkness, they heard noise from above.
The sergeant tried to open the door, but it was locked. He moved out of the way and a junior enlisted swung the axe. After the fourth strike at the lock, the door gave way. The sergeant was the first to go in, closely followed by the enlisted. As the lieutenant entered with his Luger at the ready, he could tell they were the only ones in this small house.
“There’s no one upstairs,” yelled the sergeant.
It was dark and Lieutenant Muller could discern nothing. The junior enlisted poked around a table that was tipped on its side. What little light there was came from covered windows. The lieutenant walked downstairs, moving slowly, before reaching up and pulling the cover off the first window. Something on the ground caught his attention right away—a nun’s uniform. He grabbed the uniform with frustration but noticed a door. He moved toward it, flanked by two enlisted. As he opened the door, his men knelt with rifles raised, but there was nothing. Sergeant Lucciano stormed ahead into the room.
“There’s nothing here but an old rug,” he said.
***
“What are these tunnels?” asked Gino.
“These are the ancient catacombs, we think. There aren’t any bodies, but these tunnels were used by the ancient Romans to escape invaders. They’re used by the abbey as well,” said Giuseppe.
“What’s next for us?” asked Gino.
“We’re going to the safe house to wait for the Germans to leave. Once they leave, we’re going to Lake Como. You’ll be able to visit your families for a brief time before we get started on ridding our country of these Germans.”
Author Bio
J.R. SHARP’S AWARD-WINNING FIRST book, Feeding the Enemy, propelled him into the literary world, and since its release, he has continued sharing his insights on the Italian experience during World War II. He is a retired United States Navy commander who has lived and served all over the world. Visit the author’s website at www.jrsharpauthor.com.
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