The Colonel's voice droned on and on, but Jacob continued to wait until he heard Chloe come out of the bathroom then he closed the wall and stood behind the door of her closet. When the knock sounded in the hall, Jacob jumped to the end of the closet and opened the wall. He listened long enough to know the soldiers were still searching for him then stepped into the secret room and closed it tight. He leaned back, panting heavily. What shape was Chloe in? She was probably nervous having to deal with the Nazis' suspicions first-hand. But, she wouldn't betray him.
Pray.
The thought overwhelmed all. He prayed for Chloe and for their situation. He asked God for direction and wisdom. I don't know what to do next, Father. Please help me.
Of one thing, he felt for certain. He couldn't let anyone else hurt Chloe. She was his responsibility now. He waited for what felt like an eternity, listening against the stone wall, but it was useless. Not a peep came through. Jacob prayed again, and when the feeling to protect Chloe became overwhelming, he opened the wall.
She lingered just inside the doorway of the closet, with a handful of garments, dressed in the most sheer, revealing black lingerie Jacob had ever seen on a woman. Her lips parted, and her eyes opened wide at the sight of him. Such an overwhelmingly provocative stance wasn't lost on Jacob.
She waved her arms hysterically, warning him to return to the hiding place. Obviously, she was not alone. Then he heard the commanding voice of the Colonel calling Chloe to him.
Jacob's face hardened at the sound of that voice, and he crept out of the secret room. When he tried to go past her, she grabbed his hand.
"I'll be right there," she yelled to the Colonel. To Jacob, she whispered. "Please don't interfere. You'll only die. It doesn't matter."
That was all it took. Jacob held her against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "You matter. Get behind me."
His strong grip prevented her from arguing with him. She let him pass in front of her, but her face held abject terror. Jacob recognized that fear. In her mind, the Colonel was almost an insurmountable force, one Jacob hoped to take by surprise. As the heavy tread approached the closet, he crouched.
"Chloe, come out of there this instant. I'm tired of waiting."
The door swung open, and Jacob punched the Colonel in the face, but he was a hard, old bird. He bounded back with a sneer, and the two men went down on the floor.
As they wrestled back and forth, Chloe knew there was one thing she could do to help. She'd kept a knife hidden in her clothing ever since they'd killed her baby. She pulled it out of her skirt pocket and held it up.
Jacob threw the Colonel back, and he landed at Chloe's feet. He recovered quickly and sat up at the exact moment that Chloe held up the knife.
Jacob had a clear shot if he took it fast. He fired. As the Colonel slumped forward, his body scarcely made a sound.
"You shot him." Chloe gaped at Jacob. "Is he dead?"
"Get out." His breath came in hard gasps. "Go wash, change your clothes…but get out." She stared at the Colonel, not moving. He made his voice stern. "Chloe, I said get out. Now!"
He held out his hand, and she stumbled over the body.
After Jacob made sure the Colonel was indeed dead, he opened the wall and pulled the body into the secret room. He shoved the wall in place and straightened the closet. No one would ever know what had happened.
Chapter 10
Jacob hurried into the bathroom to determine a course of action. Chloe perched on the edge of the tub, her dirty clothes and a knife still grasped tightly in her hands. She stared blankly forward. He'd have to deal with her reaction later. Right now he had to determine a course of action.
He put his hands on each side of her face. "Chloe, darling, I need you to focus. What is going on right now in the castle?"
"You shot him." She blinked. "You shot someone for me."
"Oui, I did. But I need you to think about this now. We must escape."
"The soldiers are looking all over the castle for you. They know you didn't sign out."
He exhaled hard. They were trapped. The Colonel was dead, but they probably wouldn't look for him while he was 'with Chloe.'
Jacob dropped beside her on the side of the tub, reaching his arm behind her back to support her. "We have to stay here for a while. Do you think you can get us out later?"
Her voice, when it came, was small, but calm. "There's always someone at every door. If you were dressed as a soldier, we could get out."
She leaned into him, and he enjoyed the feel of her. If only she would continue to let him care for her. "That's a perfect idea, but my uniform is buried in the woods. Can you get one from the laundry?"
"I think so. Oui, I can." She looked up at him. "You shot him for me."
Her voice remained weak, her mind absorbed with what had just happened. And he really needed her to concentrate, or they wouldn't make it out alive.
"Chloe, I'm sorry you had to see that, but you were going to use your knife. I don't think you know what it's like to live with that for the rest of your life."
"So…you did it for me? Now I have to live with that. He killed my brother. I had the right to kill him." Her voice rose dangerously high.
Jacob stepped in front of her.
"I killed him because it's my job. I'm a soldier at war. You're a young girl who doesn't need the weight of revenge on her head." He dropped to the floor and gripped her shoulders. "Please, trust me. I've asked you that before. For us to make it out of this, you have to let me make the decisions. Can you do that?"
She searched his face for long moments before nodding. "I'm free now. He's dead."
"If we don't get out of here soon, we'll never be free."
"Wait in the room." She rose and pointed at the closet. "I'll get a uniform. It may take a while."
He studied her face skeptically. "I'll wait no more than twenty minutes. If you're not back by then, I'm coming to get you."
Chloe pulled on some clothes, left the room, and slipped down the stairs. She shivered when she passed the Colonel's door. If the men saw her out of her room, they would think the Colonel wasn't with her. She needed to keep her exposure down to a minimum. By using the colder, older hallways, she managed to make it to the kitchen without being seen. She tip-toed across the frigid stone floor to the laundry center and gathered the components for a uniform.
Jacques would have to hide the fact that he didn't have a belt or weapons. She dug through the boots that had been left for polishing and grabbed two pair. Maybe one of them would fit. With the clothing folded over her arm, she streaked back through the halls.
"Fraulein, where are you going?"
Terror lodged in Chloe's throat. What did she do? How could she explain that she was carrying a uniform?
She turned her head to look over her shoulder. "I'm going to my room."
It was a newly stationed soldier. Perhaps he wasn't aware of the routines yet.
"What are you doing with that uniform?"
"I'm taking it for mending. Do you need something done?"
If only he said no.
"Ja, my other shirt is missing a button. Can you fix it?" He looked relieved he wouldn't have to do it himself.
"Oui, just bring it to me in the morning. I have rather a lot to do tonight, and the Colonel is waiting for our appointment." She smiled at him. Maybe he would think she was a collaborator.
"Might I have an appointment also?"
"Come and see me tomorrow. I'm sure we can work something out."
She left him staring at her swinging hips.
When Chloe opened the stone wall to his hiding place, Jacob moved to block her view of the body. "What took so long? I was about to come after you."
"I ran into an inquisitive soldier." At Jacob's quick look, she shook her head. "Don't worry, he was merely amorous. After I promised him an appointment tomorrow, he let me go without a word."
"Thank God, you won't be here tomorrow." Jacob slid out of his shirt but hesitated
with his hand at his belt. "Why don't you wait in your room while I change?"
"If we're going to be married, you'd better get used to dressing in front of me."
Jacob grabbed her tightly by the shoulders. "You mean you'll do it? You want to?"
"It would be best…for now."
"Agreed, but I'm praying you'll want me forever."
He lowered his head to kiss her parted lips but got no response. He released her. It would take time for her heart to heal, but he knew God had spoken to him. Everything would work out. He pushed her toward the closet. "We're not married yet. Let me dress."
Chloe remained in the closet, staring at the beautiful clothes that had come from Paris. She didn't want any of them, but there was something she did want. She walked out of the closet to the window seat. When the soldier had emptied out the quilts and pillows earlier, she'd been afraid he would find her hiding place.
For the second time that night, the pillows and quilts tumbled to the floor. Chloe reached down and pushed hard. A false bottom tilted up, and Chloe yanked it out of the way. Under the piece of new plywood her father had cut for her, she kept a pile of money.
Each time she found money in the laundry of the soldiers, she placed it there. Whenever the Colonel had seen fit to throw money at her like she was a real prostitute, she had hidden it there. Whenever she had received money for anything, she had holed it away.
She didn't have time to count it now. Hopefully, there would be enough should they need anything along the way…like a bribe.
Jacob came up behind her in his uniform. "What do you think?"
"Ahhh!" Chloe jumped back.
"Obviously, it's convincing." He frowned. "What are you doing with all that money?"
"This is what I've been able to salvage from my time in the castle. It might help us get away."
He wasn't sure how he felt about that. What if it were money she'd been given to be a prostitute? On the other hand, they were at war. Anything she could take away from the enemy, meant the enemy didn't have it either. Should he ask her how she got it? His heart told him the answer.
"If I ask you to do something for me, would you do it?"
She delayed putting the pillows back in the box. "I would do anything for you. You saved me."
"That's not why I want you to do things for me. Do it because of…never mind. I don't want you to take the money."
"But we might need it. The Resistance always needs money. Think how hungry you always are."
"Non. That doesn't matter. Just this once…don't take their money."
"But it's mine…ours." She held it out.
"Leave it with all the other memories of this place. We don't need it. God will take care of us."
She dropped back to the floor. "I don't know God. He won't take care of me."
"I know Him. He's taking care of us right now. We found each other, didn't we?"
She threw the money back in the window seat without bothering to conceal it under the false bottom. "There. Are you happy? When God turns His back on you, don't blame me because we have nothing to eat."
Jacob replaced the last few quilts and closed the window seat. "Merci, Chloe. I know that was hard for you. It represented security. Now God can show you how much He cares for your needs."
She shook her head and went to the door. "Are you ready? It's almost nine o'clock. If we don't leave soon, the guard won't believe we're going to look for the rat catcher."
"Before we leave, I need you to mark this window for me. Once I get outside, all the windows look the same. I don't want to accidentally blow your room."
"How can I mark it?" She glanced around her room. "Would a sash or belt hung from the window be visible?"
"Perfect. No one is likely to look up here unless they know to look for it. Besides, it's already dark outside."
Chloe went inside her closet and pulled out a scarlet sash.
"That ought to be visible on the outside of the stone walls." She opened her window and hung the sash outside then locked it shut.
Jacob stared after her. There were things about this mission that spoke volumes to his spirit. Some day he would read the book of Joshua to Chloe.
When she turned to face him, he asked what she thought of his attire. "Will I pass?"
"You look as horrible as they do, but you don't have a weapon. Keep your side covered."
They went out the main entrance because there was no guard stationed on the inside of the chateau, only the guard at the bridge in front of the door. Jacob approached him and did all the talking while Chloe stood nonchalantly to the side. Her nerves had been stretched to the limit all day, and she wanted nothing more than to walk out of town and never come back. Jacob seemed to be sharing his life story, or maybe, he was just telling jokes. The Nazi soldier laughed.
When Jacob started walking, Chloe joined him. "What was that about?"
"Nothing."
"Why was he laughing? Were you making dirty jokes about me?"
Jacob stopped in the middle of the street. "You're not a piece of merchandise…not even to save my life would I use you."
"I hope you don't live to regret those words."
They reached Chloe's house and knocked. Remy opened the door but recoiled when he saw the uniform.
"Papan, it's all right. It's Jacques."
Remy stepped back, and Rachelle rushed forward. "What happened? We were afraid you got caught."
"He shot the Colonel for me. He stopped him from…"
"Oh, my Chloe." Rachelle broke down and cried, wrapping her arms around her daughter. Her form wasn't as ample as before the occupation, but Chloe found her embrace comforting.
"What do you mean you killed him?" Remy gaped at Jacob. "How are you going to hide that when he doesn't come out tomorrow?"
Jacob bounded for the stairs. "No one will come out of the chateau tomorrow, and we won't be here."
From his hiding place upstairs, Jacob retrieved the rest of his supplies then rejoined the family. "I have a lot to do before the fireworks start, so, if you'll excuse me…"
Chloe grabbed his arm. "You're going out like that?"
They gawked at his Nazi uniform.
"I've a better chance of explaining my presence in a uniform than as a French citizen defying curfew."
"Wait," cried Remy. "What is going on?"
Jacob shook his head. "Look, I'd love to stay and talk, but there are people counting on me. Chloe can tell you everything."
Jacob left, keeping to the shadows. He'd rather not make up some story to a zealous Nazi guard, so he wanted to remain hidden. When he reached the edge of town, he avoided the bridge to the chateau and veered into the woods. He had some digging to do. Even with a tiny flashlight, it was difficult to locate the right spot. If only he could find traces…
He glanced at his watch. Two hours before he was supposed to meet Joshua. Then he would know for sure they had a "go" for the timing of his mission.
He tripped over a pile of brush he'd purposely set out as a marker and groped for the spot to dig. After counting trees, he located the slender thread.
Jacob dug quickly, not attempting to hide his efforts, because this time he wasn't coming back. He pulled out the box of heavy explosives and separated the things he needed. For no reason at all, that scarlet thread burst into his memory.
Father, are you trying to tell me something? Chloe seems an awful lot like Rahab the prostitute. She's already saved me twice, probably more. I don't know how I could have accomplished what I did without her. Lord, when she hung that scarlet thread, I felt it was a sign. I know Rahab was in the ancestral lineage of Jesus. That ought to convince Chloe she's redeemable. If you could use Rahab, you can use Chloe. Help me, Father. I need the wall of Jericho to fall.
Now Jacob had to set the big explosives. The small charges he'd set in the castle weren't enough to blow the whole thing. Once he put it all together, it would create one giant explosion, especially if it reached the ammunition hold in the chate
au cellar. The town was separated from the chateau by a waterway, but the fallout could be dangerous. That was another advantage to blowing the castle at night. The townspeople would be indoors asleep.
Jacob had something crazy in mind for setting up the explosives, but he thought God would honor it. The Israelites had encircled Jericho seven times before the walls fell, so Jacob intended to circle the castle walls seven times to symbolize his dependence on the Lord for success with his mission. He couldn't really afford the extra time, but somehow he couldn't get the idea out of his mind. He threw his pack over his back and set out with his gun and the tiny flashlight. More soldiers wandered outside than he'd anticipated, but he hadn't had to face one yet. He hoped to avoid them all by passing to the castle through the water.
When he reached the waterway around the castle, Jacob kicked off his boots. They would weigh him down in the water. The chill fall air made the water seem warm, but it was a shock when his entire body submerged. With his arms raised to support his explosives and gun, he made slow progress, especially when he had to tread deep water without his hands. His head sank underwater a couple of times, but the pack remained dry.
He avoided the bridge, where most of the soldiers gathered, to scramble out of the river on the back side of the castle. Water trickled uncomfortably in his eyes and down his neck, but he didn't take the time to wipe it.
Already, the cold air seeped through the wet clothes, so Jacob worked quickly. He spaced the explosives as evenly as possible. Occasionally, the presence of a soldier hampered his advance, but he mentally marked the spot and hoped to get it the next time around. With so many soldiers in the vicinity, he couldn't chance the use of his flashlight. He'd circled around four times before he was able to identify Chloe's scarlet sash. From the ground, one could scarcely see it. Thank you, Father, for the lack of wind. It would have been dangerous to have the sash flapping in the breeze.
He measured the distance between his charges to make sure they wouldn't affect the hidden room, and then he returned to his encircling maneuvers. At the position where he imagined the wine cellar, he installed an even larger amount of plastic explosives. He nodded grimly. That should set off everything the Nazis had stored there.
All Things New Page 12
