All Things New

by Felicia Mires

  They decided it was safer to start at Lyon and take down power lines as they left the area. That way it would lead the authorities away from Lyon. It meant a more circuitous route on the return, but in the end, it would be safer. They turned north to avoid driving directly through towns and came very near to Cachet. Ferdinand veered west, however, before getting close enough to see any damage. Chloe made no comment about sidetracking to Cachet, and Jacob wondered what her thoughts might be. He'd chosen to ride in the back with her while Ferdinand and Joshua rode in the front. The winter air was very crisp, and by nightfall, they would probably all be bundled in the cab of the truck. Jacob decided to try another conversation with Chloe while they were still alone.

  "Chloe, we've been driving an hour, and you've scarcely said a word."

  "And what should we talk about today, Jacob? Your pretty Alliance leader, Marie, your pretty wife, or how about your God, but then He's not that pretty, is He?"

  "Why don't we talk about your nightmares every night? What starts you kicking and twisting in your sleep?"

  "Stop pushing, Jacques. You don't want to know."

  "Now, I'm Jacques? When I make you angry, I'm not Jacob anymore?"

  "Non, only when you start giving me the third degree like some Resistance spy."

  Her tone was unconvincing. Jacob didn't think she was really mad at him, just trying to avoid talking about her night fears.

  "Chloe, that was your husband asking because I'm concerned about you."

  "You are not a husband…just a man whose false name I share. Nothing about the marriage is real. You haven't ever touched me as a husband would."

  She had more ways to change the subject than any woman he'd ever met. "Is that what you want? I was under the impression you weren't interested in me that way. I'd be more than happy to oblige, if that would make you happy."

  "I don't want you."

  It was like a slap in the face. He wanted her so badly. He longed for her, but she wasn't the least bit interested in him.

  "Now that we have it straight, you can stop trying to tempt me," he answered as evenly as his aching heart would let him. She looked off to the side of the truck, anywhere but at him. "Let's go back to the original question, shall we? Why do you have nightmares at night?"

  Her head whipped around so fast it startled him. Fury and hatred burned in her eyes as she spit out the words. "Because I was unfortunate enough to get pregnant with a German child but not considered worthy enough to have it. So I was strapped down to the bed. Even my mouth was strapped…" Jacob watched with horror as she lashed out at him. "Then they took a knife and cut out my baby and my insides. Are you happy now?" Her voice became shrill, unnatural. "You got quite a prize when you took me as a wife. And now you don't have to ask me about my dreams for the future anymore. They got carried out in a slop bucket and thrown in the trash." Though her chest heaved and her eyes blazed, not one tear had fallen.

  "I never said I was perfect, either, Chloe. The Nazis have stolen precious things from us. That…only God can restore. But he can restore your dreams to you. They might be different, but if God gives them to you, they'll be wonderful. Give Him a chance. Give me a chance. I still love you…no matter what."

  Disbelief stared back at him. She shook her head and dropped back into the hay. "You're not for real."

  To Jacob, that was an encouraging statement. She hadn't rejected his offer, just didn't think he meant it. And he could prove he did, if she gave him long enough.

  Dear God, don't let me blow it. Continue to show me the way to her heart. Jacob leaned back in the hay beside her and took her hand in his. She didn't stop him. He watched the clouds go past and waited for God to speak something to him. Perfect love casts out all fear. Love was always the answer. No matter how many times Jacob asked God to help him, he always heard love. If only he could have the patience to endure the pain of her rejections while he showed her God's love. The Father's love mattered the most. It would bring healing to everything else in Chloe's life.

  About fifty miles from the Occupied Zone, a sense of unease rose in his spirit. Praying didn't lessen the sensation, and he finally banged on the back of the truck cab for Ferdinand to stop.

  Chloe sat up. "What's wrong?"

  "I don't know."

  They were on the outskirts of a town very near Vichy, the capital of the Unoccupied Zone and only about a hundred miles from Lyon. That was far enough away to begin their handiwork, but still, Jacob felt unsettled. Ferdinand and Joshua jumped out and came around to the back.

  "What is it, Jacques? Did you see something?" Ferdinand scanned the outlying houses for signs of trouble.

  "I'm not sure. Something is troubling me, and I can't seem to put a finger on it. Be careful in town. Listen to every conversation carefully. We have about two hours to kill before dark, so we might as well drive around and identify any areas of trouble around the power lines."

  "Sounds sensible," said Joshua. "Would you and Chloe like to ride in the front? It might draw less attention while we're in town."

  They all crowded into the cab of the truck. Sometimes it was a good thing they didn't get much food. None of them took up much space.

  They drove all the way around the town, making mental markers of the power lines they were supposed to take down. Removing power on the southern and northern outskirts of town would effectively halt power out of Vichy. The Germans would move ahead blindly and that would slow their advance. But knocking out power in one small area wouldn't have too much effect. They had a long way to go.

  Jacob wanted to take Chloe into the town while he got a pair of shoes. He'd been forced to wear Remy's ever since his flight from Cachet. Ferdinand parked the truck near the southern end of town, and they all climbed out to stretch their legs. It wasn't unheard of for a vehicle to drive around, but with petrol rations, it was rare. It was better to walk as everyone else seemed to be doing. Jacob also noticed a great many bicycles in town. If someone offered you a ride in a cab, they more likely meant a ride on the front of a bicycle.

  He purchased a pair of re-soled boots at an outrageous price and wandered the stores with Chloe. They didn't find much to choose from. It was more a mercantile town of Mom and Pop stores.

  When Jacob caught Chloe eyeing a pretty, slender dress, he sidled up to her. "Would you like it?"

  "What? You can do that? I didn't know you had money for clothes."

  "I've saved a little. You're welcome to it. I always think it's not a good idea to count solely on the Alliance. My father taught me that."

  Chloe turned away. "I don't want your emergency fund."

  "Let me, please. Who knows when I'll ever be able to get you anything else? And you'd look lovely in that yellow."

  Jacob picked up the dress and paid for it. As they were leaving the store, someone caught his attention. Someone he'd seen several times during the afternoon. Were they being followed? The man looked familiar. Could they have met before? He'd best find Ferdinand and Joshua.

  They were outside, sitting on a bench and looked up as Jacob and Chloe approached.

  "Jacques, you don't look happy," said Joshua. "Is something still bothering you?"

  "I saw someone I can't quite place. He seems familiar, and he's been popping up wherever we go. Have you noticed?"

  Joshua shook his head, but he'd been part of the Alliance for only a short while.

  "Ferdinand, please keep an eye out."

  Fifteen minutes later, Ferdinand leaned forward. "Mon Dieu, I don't believe my eyes. It's Lanky. I thought he was taken with Eagle, Magpie, Bumpkin, and Mahout…on the train."

  "That's him," said Jacob. "The one who's been tailing us."

  Ferdinand kept his voice down as Lanky ambled over. "Do you remember him?"

  "Oui, but I didn't think he was a part of this sector. How did he get out of prison?"

  Lanky drew alongside them and dropped several code words. When neither Ferdinand nor Jacob responded with the right phrase, he came out in th
e open. "Look, I was recently captured along with the head of my unit, Bumpkin. For some reason, the Boches set me free. They said they'd made a mistake. I've been wandering around trying to find a group, but there's been havoc everywhere. Are you working on something?"

  Because Jacob was the ranking leader, he responded. "What do you mean? Your unit was captured? What happened?"

  Lanky sat down beside Chloe and leaned across her to speak. The maneuver annoyed Jacob immensely, but he let it go.

  With an earnest look, Lanky began a long, drawn-out explanation. "It happened after a parachute drop. We met up with Mahout and Eagle at the Trumels' farm. The next morning we headed for Nanteuil-le-Haudouin station, where Mahout instructed us all to occupy a carriage. We had almost reached the capital. In fact, we were at the last stop before it, Aulnay-sous-Bois. With no warning, we were overrun by pistol-laden civilians. At least, that's what they looked like.

  "We were taken to Avenue Foch and interrogated. Because they arrested everyone in the compartment, even civilians, they assumed I wasn't part of the Alliance. They let me go!"

  "How fortunate," said Chloe with wide-eyed fascination. "What was it like?"

  Jacob listened as Lanky gave Chloe a detailed description of the interrogation. They'd been searched, tied to chairs, beaten repeatedly, and taunted. Eagle's interrogator had become so exhausted by his violent treatment of Eagle, he gave up for a while.

  "But this is tragique. You were so lucky to convince them to free you."

  "And what is your name, Mademoiselle?"

  Chloe's continued awe of Lanky rankled Jacob, intensifying his adverse reaction. He'd never seen her show such appreciation of a man. What had gotten into her? He intercepted Lanky's invasive question. "This is Dove."

  Chloe batted her eyes at Lanky, clearly flirtatious. "Tell me more about your missions."

  Jacob had witnessed enough of Chloe's enraptured devotion to Lanky. "Perhaps he could enlighten you at the truck. We need to eat. Are you free, Lanky?"

  "I would like very much to join you."

  "Good. This is Joshua, and I believe you've met Wren."

  Ferdinand nodded at Lanky, but Lanky's real interest was caught by Joshua's name.

  "You use your own name?"

  "Non." Jacob continued to do all the talking, but he wasn't giving out any information.

  Chloe drew Lanky's attention back to herself, though Lanky tried several times to ferret information out of them. "How many groups are left in operation?"

  "Only ours…that we're aware. We came from Limoges to scout out the area."

  Jacob's blatant falsehood didn't bring a retraction from anyone in his group. Not even Chloe reacted to the tall tale, for which Jacob was grateful. In laying down the groundwork, they would all know to keep the truth to themselves. Back at the truck, they shared their sparse meal with Lanky. Before long, dusk set in, and with it, the cold. When they set out for their first operation, Jacob offered Chloe a ride in the cab.

  "I believe I'll sit in the back with Lanky."

  Jacob sighed to himself then whispered in her ear. "Don't tell him anything. We don't know him."

  Inside the truck, Joshua spoke his mind as soon as Jacob closed the door. "What's going on with Chloe? Who is that man, and why are you lying through your teeth? Do you recognize him or not?"

  "I recognize him, but I don't know him," said Ferdinand. "It's better not to tell anything important to those with whom you aren't closely related."

  "I don't trust Lanky," added Jacob. "If we keep him with us, it will stop him from reporting on us if he's the traitor. Later, we'll figure out what to do. I have no idea what's gotten into Chloe, but I told her not to tell him anything."

  "Well, she's probably a good liar," said Joshua. "Aren't all women?"

  "Who knows?"

  Jacob leaned back and shut his eyes. Much more of the 'new' Chloe, and he'd be ready to take her back to her parents and hit the high road.

  They pulled into the woods and set up a small camp. Even though it was dark outside, they didn't want to attract attention. They had to wait a little while longer to begin the sabotage. If they took down all the power lines while the townspeople were awake and using the electricity, someone was sure to report it.

  Around their discreet fire, Chloe made it her job to amuse each of the men, except Jacob. She clearly avoided any contact with him. But she had Joshua, Ferdinand, and Lanky howling with laughter.

  "I'm going to walk the area…again," Jacob announced to no one in particular since no one paid attention.

  He trudged blindly through the woods to the road, but there wasn't a vehicle in sight nor the sounds of anyone approaching. As he surveyed the edges of the road for anyone hidden, he prayed. The uneasiness in his spirit grew by leaps and bounds. Was he jealous or was God really trying to tell him something? On the way back to their small camp, he ran into Ferdinand and Joshua.

  "We're setting up a perimeter so no one can take us by surprise."

  "Have your weapons ready," said Jacob. "Something doesn't feel right."

  When he came upon Chloe, he realized Lanky had been left alone in the camp with all their supplies. His voice, when he spoke, came out much sharper than he meant. "What do you want, Chloe?"

  "What do you want, Jacques? Are you not happy?"

  "I certainly don't want what you give everyone else." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he realized how they would sound to Chloe.

  She jerked back and slapped him full across the face. "I thought that was exactly what you did want…what someone else has already had." She flounced away from him.

  "Chloe, wait. That's not what I meant at all," he called after her.

  Chloe hurried on, unmindful of Jacob's pleas.

  "I meant your affection…your attention!" His voice rose with urgency, but it didn't slow her down. "Your smile," he said to the air, kicking viciously at a tree root.

  Because they were too close to camp, he couldn't continue yelling for her. He wasn't interested in showing Lanky how he felt. He sighed. It might be more prudent to give Chloe a few seconds to cool down before he followed after her. He slowed his steps. He'd nearly reached the truck, when he heard Chloe's insistent voice.

  "Lanky, what are you doing back there?"

  Jacob's heart lurched, and he ran. A few feet closer, and he was able to take in the whole situation. Chloe had caught Lanky rummaging through their sabotage supplies. Now he held a gun pointed at her.

  Jacob passed behind a tree and jumped for Chloe. He didn't have a clear shot at Lanky, but he could get Chloe out of the way. He heard Lanky's shot before he hit the ground. From the pain in his side, he knew he'd been hit. Before he could sit up, he heard another shot and pressed Chloe under him.

  After several seconds of silence, he pulled her behind a tree. "Stay down."

  He circled around the truck. When he didn't see anything, he crept onward. His movements felt sluggish, but he had to make sure Lanky didn't escape to announce their presence. He circled a tree and received a bash on the head. He dropped to his knees as another shot was fired off. Before he passed out, he saw Lanky fall backward into a tree, his eyes wide with shock.

  "Non, non, he's dead!" Jacob heard Chloe's strident voice from a deep fog.

  "He's not dead, Chloe. We're carrying him because he got hit in the back of the head."

  Before Jacob determined the owner of that voice, he passed out again.

  Nausea overwhelmed Chloe as she surveyed Jacob's injuries. She retched again and again.

  "Would you stop that!" Joshua called. "You're not helping."

  "I can't help it." She wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve. "It's all my fault. He saved my life. I ran away from him, right into Lanky." She took several deep breaths of cold air.

  Ferdinand took a firm grip of her arm. "Chloe, please. Calm yourself. It's not your fault. He suspected Lanky. We should never have left you alone with him. It's our fault."

  "Oui, now quit puking and com
e help us."

  "What can I do?" She stood at the back of the truck, watching them wrap Jacob's side. There was blood all over his shirt and the straw around him.

  "Wash his face in some water. See the cut?"

  Chloe peered at Jacob then ripped the side of her dress to make a rag. She poured cold water on it before tenderly wiping Jacob's cut. His eyes fluttered open then shut again.

  "I think he's waking. I saw his eyes."

  "Great," muttered Ferdinand. "Keep at it."

  Chloe wiped Jacob's brow, and his eyes opened again.

  "Is he dead?" Jacob gasped.

  "He got away," said Joshua. "But I think I shot him. He shouldn't get far."

  "You got him. I saw…" Jacob tried to talk, but his head pounded.

  "You saw him get shot? That's good. I hope he dies," said Joshua.

  Jacob pushed up with all his might and got about three inches off the back of the truck.

  "What do you think you're doing?" screamed Chloe.

  "Finish the job," Jacob answered weakly.

  "Forget it, chum," Joshua commanded. "The only place you're going is back to the farm. Someone's got to radio Marie-Madeleine about Lanky, and you're in no fit condition to climb electrical towers."

  "No. This is minor."

  Chloe looked at all the blood. "How can you say that? There's blood everywhere. They just got it stopped."

  "And we're going to stop those Nazis so the other teams have time to hide before the soldiers come across the line." He took a few deep breaths. "That is our priority. If we move now, Lanky can't stop us. Let's go."

  Joshua and Ferdinand shared a look. They knew what it meant to take down those power lines. If they could do it, it would certainly help the Resistance.

  "All right," Ferdinand agreed. "But you get to be the lookout. No work for you. Chloe can help us dig the holes for the lines."

  She shook her head. "You're all crazy. He can die just like anyone else. Being the Lion doesn't make him invincible."