Gerard moved towards the bulky object in the middle of the room and removed the blanket, letting fly a cloud of dust. Melbourne coughed a little but stopped once he saw what it was. Under it was a truck, a perfect replica of a German military truck with a large canvas cover over the back part.
“Where in the world did you get this?” Melbourne asked.
“The same place I got this.” Gerard pulled out a German uniform from the back of the vehicle. “Now, excuse me while I go and change.”
He disappeared into the back of the truck, closing the flaps behind him.
“This man is a master thief.” Monsieur Esmond put an arm around his wife’s shoulder. “We will be all right.”
Gerard reappeared, looking every inch the German soldier. Monsieur Esmond let out a laugh, which was cut off by an annoyed look from his friend.
“I checked the hiding place back there,” Gerard said. “You won’t fit.”
“What do you mean we won’t fit,” Monsieur Esmond said. “Of course we will fit. We will squeeze and we will all fit.”
“Check yourself, Jacques. You always make hidden compartments as small as possible. There is only room for two.”
“What nonsense. Let us at least try it for crying out loud! We can’t leave him here with them outside trying to kill him!”
“Yes, you can,” Melbourne said.
They all turned to look at him.
“I can’t come with you,” he said.
“That’s utter nonsense! You are coming — ”
“No, listen, they are not only after me. They’re after other people who have helped me, and it’s my fault if they know who they are. I must go and warn them.”
Monsieur Esmond laughed. “Are you out of your mind? They’re out there, everywhere, looking for you, Remy. You know what they will do if they find you? Now cut out the nonsense and step into that damn truck. We’re leaving for The Netherlands.”
“I’m sorry, Monsieur Esmond. I can’t leave my friends to certain death.”
Monsieur Esmond stood still, staring at Melbourne. “Remy,” he said in a quieter tone, “the moment you step out of this house, they will kill you. I can’t let that happen. I can’t live with that idea for the rest of my life.”
“We are running out of time here,” Gerard said.
Melbourne approached Monsieur Esmond and put his hands on the man’s bulky shoulders. “I wish I could come with you, I truly do, but I can’t run away when I know I can save the lives of my friends.”
Monsieur Esmond stared into his eyes for a few seconds. “Is this your final decision?” he asked.
Melbourne nodded.
Monsieur Esmond spread out his arms and wrapped them around Melbourne’s body, gripping his tightly. “You take care, all right? You take care.”
He let go and slapped him hard on the shoulder. Madame Esmond walked over to him and placed her hands on his cheeks.
“Madame Esmond,” Melbourne said, “I don’t think I have the right words to express the gratitude I have towards you. Thank you for everything. Thank you to both of you.”
“It was my pleasure, Remy,” Madame Esmond said, her eyes shining. “And you can call me Elodie.”
“Melbourne, you can call me Melbourne.”
Monsieur Esmond walked over the truck and with the help of his walking stick, pushed himself up onto the back. Melbourne walked over to help him, and to help Madame Esmond up as well. At the far end of the truck bed was a wooden panel wide open. Monsieur Esmond slipped into the compartment. It was tight, a little too tight for his bulky stature, but he squeezed in and slid down. Madame Esmond slipped in as well. It was crammed, tight, and too compact for the couple. Melbourne could only imagine how hot it would get in there after a few minutes. But it was the only means of escape they had.
“When you reach the Resistance,” Melbourne said, “tell them the trains were a diversion. There is no planned invasion. And there is still no word what the Iron Shadow is. They’ll know what you mean. Good luck.”
“You will need it more than us,” Monsieur Esmond said.
Melbourne hesitated to shut the panel. Monsieur Esmond winked and smiled under his flamboyant moustache. He nodded and Melbourne carefully shut it, plunging the couple into blackness.
With the help of Gerard, he piled boxes and bags in the rest of the space. By the end of the job, the hidden chamber was invisible.
“Gerard, do you need that bicycle up on the wall?” Melbourne asked.
“It’s all yours, kid.”
XXXIX
The chase was growing and spreading. Orders echoed through the streets, occasional shouts and whistles. Someone would find something and the chase would focus on one area. The citizens were waking up, candle flames flickering shyly through the windows as curtains were being moved aside to witness the charade. Then they started searching the houses, knocking on doors or simply beating them down.
In the midst of the frenzy and chaos, the truck driven by Gerard snaked its way through the streets. He would play along, shouting and pointing, giving random directions to officers and soldiers, nodding when he was given orders. Melbourne prayed that in the excitement of the situation no one would notice his terrible German accent.
The sounds of the search started to fade. The truck picked up speed, the headlights were cut off. They had lost them, and Melbourne prayed that they would never find him, or his friends, again.
The floor of the storage area in the back rattled and shook, making Melbourne almost lose his balance more than once. He could only imagine what the Esmonds must be feeling in the cramped space they were hiding in. Yet, there was not one single grunt of protest.
The truck began slowing down. That was his cue. Melbourne opened one flap of cover to peek outside. There was no one on the streets – all the German forces must be concentrated in the search area. He eased the bike to the ground, then jumped after it, climbed on, and cycled off. He turned to look at the vehicle one last time. Gerard had stuck an arm out of the window and waved goodbye before stepping hard on the gas pedal and speeding off into the night.
He was alone now. And time was running out.
He began cycling through the empty streets. It took him mere minutes to find himself in the Bois de la Cambre. It was still night, yet the moon was up now, giving him enough light to move quickly. He cycled fast, faster than his legs could keep up before the pain began settling it. The drive chain of the bicycle strained and shook in protest. He kept at it, faster and faster.
The ride was harder than the journey towards Vlezembeek he had done earlier in the night. He wished Julie was there to guide him. He thought of her, of her family and the Countess. How long would they be kept alive? The thought made his legs push harder.
The forest was a gargantuan obstacle course in the absence of light. His bicycle bumped into branches, roots, and bushes, but it did not stop him from going on. Neither did the branches that slashed at his face or his shoulders, nor the unexpected ravines that let him slip off his balance more than once. He kept driving up the dirt path, sometimes getting lost, other times taking routes in between trees, kicking up dead leaves and disturbing nocturnal animals.
The path disappeared and he knew he had entered the Forêt des Soignes. The drive chain rattled to the rhythm of his breath. He pushed harder, the pain crawling up his legs to his thighs. His chest hurt as every breath felt as if it was on fire. His fingers had gone stiff from the tight grip around the handlebars. But he kept at it, one leg after the other, pushing faster, never slower.
He had to get there before dawn if he was to find them alive.
He looked at the sky through the foliage. A slight pink hue began shyly pushing away the blackness of night-time. Damn, damn, damn.
A sudden, unexpected jolt threw him off his bicycle and he flew in the air, crashing into the hard dirt. He let out a cry of pain as he rolled around and clutched his aching legs. He took a moment to regain his breath and got back up on his feet.
/> Looking around, he found the bicycle fetched up against a nearby tree. The drive chain had snapped in two.
He kicked the ground and cursed. There was no time to lose. He massaged his stiff legs and began running, ignoring the pain and letting adrenaline take care of the rest.
Step after step, he pushed himself in the right direction but he couldn’t keep at it for much longer. The sky had turned a painterly pink.
Melbourne was about to collapse when the first houses of Libremont materialised in the distance. He smiled amidst the pulsing pain and thanked whatever forces made him reach his destination. By the look of it, the Germans had not yet arrived. He stopped to catch his breath, massage his legs, and survey the situation. He knew by then that looks could be deceptive.
He began running once more, leaving the forest behind him and finding an energy he didn’t know he had. A faint glint of hope sprung once more inside of him.
The town of farmers and artisans was slowly coming alive. The few people on the street threw him perplexed glances as he made it onto the main road, running awkwardly as if he had just taken a beating. Grunting and moaning, he ran all the way down the road, then took the bend to Lucinde’s house. He still had the forest to cross.
He stopped to take a breath, feeling his lungs on fire, then pushed on. The path through the forest on foot was much shorter than he thought. He quickly found himself running down the dirt road towards the front door of the house.
He threw his hands on the wooden door upon reaching it. Placing his forehead on the cold wood, he slowly regained his breath. The house seemed quiet. He knocked three times.
No answer came.
He pounded on the door. “Come on, come on!”
He slammed his fist harder and faster, the wooden door bulging and shaking. A shimmering light appeared in a window on the upper floor, and with it came a glint of hope. He knocked once more, frantically and forcefully.
The door opened but only a slit big enough for an eye to poke through.
“Albert, is that you?” Melbourne asked.
“Melbourne?”
The door opened fully and Melbourne saw that Albert was holding a shotgun in one hand. The look on his face made it clear that his sleep had been disrupted. “What is going on?”
“Albert, are Lucinde and Julie in the house?” Melbourne said.
“Yes, they’re asleep. But what is going on? It’s early — ”
“The Boche know everything. Wake them up, we have to leave. There is no time to lose!”
Lucinde crept up behind Albert, a candle in her hand. “What is all this racket, Albert?”
Melbourne grabbed her shoulders. “Lucinde, wake Julie. We need to leave as fast as we can.”
Albert grabbed Melbourne by the collar of his jacket and yanked him closer to his face. “I knew you were going to be trouble,” he said in a growl. “You brought the Boche here, didn’t you? Son of a bitch.” He pushed Melbourne away, almost throwing him on the ground.
“Look,” Melbourne said, “the Germans know about you too, your train watching activities. We have no time to waste — ”
Albert cocked the hammer of his shotgun with an audible click. “First Luc and our friends, now my family.”
“Stop, Albert. Listen to what he’s trying to say,” Lucinde said.
He pointed the weapon towards Melbourne. “I’ve listened enough. Now get the hell out of here you worthless spy and bring the damn Boche with you. Or I’ll make you.”
“You don’t understand, Albert,” Melbourne said.
“I very well do!” he thundered. “Get the hell out of here!” Lucinde was trying to calm him down, but to no avail.
Melbourne raised his arms as he looked straight at the barrel of the shotgun. “You are putting your family in peril right now.”
Albert raised his weapon, aiming straight at Melbourne’s chest. “You, you are the one that put my family in peril. Now leave in one… two…”
“They are here, Albert, for Christ sakes!”
“Three…”
“Listen to me you hard-headed fool!”
“Four…”
But Albert stopped counting. And Melbourne knew why. There was something, a rumbling sound.
They were here.
“Listen, get Julie and let’s get the hell out of here for heaven’s sake!”
Lucinde disappeared into the back of the house.
Albert still held the shotgun aimed at Melbourne. “You will pay for this, Mr. Summers.”
Melbourne grabbed the barrel and pushed it away from him. “Spare your hate for more useful circumstances. They are just around the corner.”
Lucinde appeared with Julie, who was protesting for the ungodly hour and the manner in which she had been woken. She stopped short when she noticed the headlights coming towards the house in the distance.
“Go!” Melbourne said.
Albert led the way across the grass field adjacent to the house with the two ladies close behind and Melbourne following them up.
“What is going on, Melbourne?” Julie asked.
“They’ve found us. The Countess is in danger, too, we have to get to her.”
The four ran, crouching as low as possible. The sounds of the engines were loud and clear. Melbourne turned around and froze dead in his tracks. Four headlights illuminated the small white house – a car and a truck. A man got out of the car and shouted a set of orders as seven soldiers exited the truck, rifles in hand, ready for action. Then two dogs were led out from the truck.
Oh, no.
Behind him, the dogs began barking, the sound piercing the tranquillity like a bomb going off. “Move!” Melbourne said.
The soldiers removed the leashes of the dogs, one by one, and let them loose across the grassy field.
XL
They started running, speeding through the knee-high grass as the barking echoed loudly behind them. The sound of the dogs was approaching at a terrifying speed. They pushed on faster, the adrenaline making Melbourne forget his stiffness from the earlier run.
Lucinde began mumbling prayers, her voice cracking from the fear. Melbourne took her arm and helped her run faster.
“Save your breath, Lucinde. Just keep running. Don’t look back.”
She nodded and moved her gaze in front of her, towards the darkness and uncertainty.
The dogs were catching up. They were not going to make it.
Albert stopped, dropped to one knee, and levelled his shotgun.
“We need to move,” Melbourne said. “You won’t make it.”
Julie called out to him as well but Albert was not listening. He kept the shotgun pointed towards the general sound of the barks. The flash lit him up for a moment.
The sounds of the dogs did not change.
He quickly got back to his feet and began running. He had missed.
Now gunshots came from behind him like thunder. The sound of bullets hissing past or burying themselves in nearby trees filled Melbourne’s ears. Lucinde and Julie let out a scream.
Melbourne looked back towards Albert. Behind him, just a few metres away, the grass was moving frantically. Low shadows began forming.
He could hear their snarls.
“Run faster!” he shouted.
“Ahead of us!” Julie said. “A fence!”
The three jumped over the low wooden fence. They noticed a grove of apple trees not too far away and without hesitation made a dash for them.
Melbourne looked back towards Albert. He had jumped the fence and was running as fast as he could towards them. A few seconds later, four black figures jumped across it as well in one smooth jump.
“Come on!” Melbourne said.
“Come on Albert!” Julie shouted.
He was not going to make it. The dogs would be upon him in a few metres.
A loud, sudden bark rang out right next to Melbourne. He cried out, but it wasn’t one of the dogs that were chasing them. It was a bloodhound, tied to a pole with a chain, whi
ch belonged to the owner of those grounds.
Melbourne grabbed at the dog’s collar and undid the hasp. The bloodhound lurched itself against one of the other dogs as they ran by. They rolled around on the ground, wrestling, and snapping at each other. The other three dogs stopped and surrounded the ongoing fight, barking loudly. The fight continued for a few more seconds until the bloodhound sank its teeth into the invading dog’s throat. The dog yelped and tried to break away from the fangs that pinned him to the ground until he lay motionless. The others jumped in. The attack was fierce, short. There was little the bloodhound could do to defend himself.
But he gave them time. The company was well into the maze of the apple trees by the time the dogs had finished with their vengeance.
Melbourne was slowing down. His legs were in agony. He needed to take a break but couldn’t. The others around him were feeling the same way.
“We can’t… let go, we can’t slow down! How much more… to the château?”
“Beyond this farm… through the woods,” Julie answered.
They left the grove of apple trees and ran straight into a cornfield. The barking had resumed and was following them once more. They dashed through the chest high corn plants, which rattled and cracked under their feet. Melbourne occasionally looked back as the dogs – three of them now – dashed through the field, the corn plants bending as they whizzed by. They were aiming straight at them.
“They are still behind us, come on!” he urged.
The field felt endless. Each corn plant that they move out of the way or stepped over seemed the same, as if he were getting nowhere. He was living a nightmare, and all he wanted was to get out.
And then the field came to an end. They could see the end of the farm marked by a wooden fence just ahead of them. Beyond it lay a road that led to the woods, their final obstacle before reaching the castle.
They climbed over the fence and began running up the road towards the darkness of the trees ahead when they heard a screeching sound and bright lights flashed from behind them. The German truck had just turned the corner on the road fifty metres or so away from them.
“Run!” Melbourne drew his gun and fired two shots at the incoming truck, one blinding its left front light.
The Iron Shadow Page 21
