by Dan Walsh
Joe stuck his head in the door. “We’ve got to go guys.”
Jack went next door and opened Philippe’s door. He was awake and tried to sit up.
“Oh, Philippe,” Renée said as she rushed to his side. “Look what they’ve done to you.”
She helped him sit up the rest of the way. “I didn’t tell them anything about you,” he said. “It was Pierre.”
She told him about Jack and Joe, why they were here and what he needed to do. “Can you walk?”
“I can, I think. With some help.”
“I will help you,” she said. “We have to move as fast as you can bear it, at least until we get to the plane. Then you can rest.”
The three of them walked back out into the hall. Joe led the way with his pistol drawn. Jack was two steps behind him, looking ahead then back at the group. They sidestepped around the dead German guard and made it to the doorway leading outside.
“Let me see if the coast is clear,” Joe said. He walked silently up the stairwell. Jack followed. Suddenly, two shots rang out from Joe’s pistol. The suppressor worked, but it still sounded too loud for Jack’s comfort. Joe looked down at Jack. “Another German guard. Just came around the back from the other end.
“Any more?”
Joe looked around, waited a few more moments. “I think we’re okay, but we should get out of here fast.”
Jack turned to the others. “We’ve got to move. We’ll go up the stairs then head straight for the woods. Renée, can you tell them one of their resistance friends is waiting there in the woods. He’ll help the two Frenchmen get away once we get to the plane.”
Renée whispered Jack’s instructions.
“Okay, let’s go.”
It took about a minute, but the entire group made it safely to the edge of the woods. The French guide came out to help Pierre with their wounded comrade. But suddenly Pierre pulled away from the group and started to run.
“Where’s he going?” Jack said. “What’s he doing?”
“Coward,” Philippe yelled, way too loudly.
The young man ran along the back of the house, jumped over the dead guard Joe had killed ten minutes ago, then kept running.
“Pierre,” the Frenchman said as loud as dared. “The fool. He’s running toward his home.”
Pierre ran even faster. Past the edge of the house then out to the clearing just beyond.
“Halt!” a loud voice shouted in German. “Halt.”
Pierre kept running. Everyone else ducked into the woods. Machine gun fire erupted around the corner.
“Alarm! Alarm!” the same German voice shouted.
Jack looked but couldn’t yet see the guard. He holstered his pistol and grabbed his Sten gun. Joe did the same. No need for quiet any longer.
More machine gun fire. This time the bullets found their mark. Pierre, still running, shuddered then dropped to the ground.
“Alarm!” the German shouted. “Die Gefangenen sind entkommen!”
Suddenly, bright lights turned on, illuminating the entire property.
“We’ve got to go. Now!” the French guide said. “Follow me. Hurry.”
They ran back the way they’d come but, this time, deeper into the woods, away from the house. Jack could hear a half-dozen German voices shouting out orders into the sky. They continued to run but Philippe and the other Frenchmen were slowing them down. Jack shouldered his Sten gun. “Here, let me take Philippe,” he said to Renée. “Joe, give your gun to our guide friend here and take the Frenchman. We’ve got to pick up our pace.” He looked at the guide. “Lead the way.”
They continued their trek, now reaching the edge of the woods behind the main house. They made a turn and headed directly away from the house toward the field, and their plane.
“When we reach the halfway point, my men will be there waiting. I asked them to form a defensive line deep in the woods, in case we were being chased. That way the rest of you will have time to get your plane and take off. And now with the weapons you gave us, we can defend ourselves much better.”
“Thank you so much,” Jack said. “We are in your debt, my friend.”
Renée glanced behind them in the direction of the house. She saw at least a dozen flashlights bouncing off the trees, perhaps a hundred yards away. A loud voice yelled out commands. “It’s the Colonel.”
“Let him come,” the French guide said. “This time we will be ready for him.”
They continued moving through the trees as fast as they could. All the while, the lights behind them closed the distance.
Ten minutes later, the guide yelled out some kind of bird call. “That is to alert my men. They are just up ahead. But you will not see them. When I stop running, you keep on running in the same direction. Less than ten minutes more, you will reach your plane.”
“Alright,” Jack said. “Remember what I said about the bombers.”
A few moments more, their French guide stopped running. “Here,” he said to Joe, “I will take my friend from here. You all go on. Let us take care of these Nazi scum.” Before Joe released his friend, Renée gave him a big hug and said some things in French. He thanked her, they hugged again and the four of them continue to run toward the plane.
“Jack, let me take a turn carrying Philippe,” Joe said.
“No, I got this. Why don’t you run on ahead and get the plane going, so we can take off as soon as we catch up?”
“That’s a better plan,” Joe said. “See you guys in a few minutes.” He ran on ahead.
A few minutes later, a massive gunfire exchange erupted in the woods behind them.
56
Renée, Jack and Philippe were almost there. She could hear the plane revving up just ahead and partially see the clearing through the trees. The battle behind them was still raging, though it seemed the amount of gunfire had been cut by half. It saddened her as she realized why. That many men had either just been killed or seriously wounded. She hoped the losses were much greater for the Germans.
“I can see the plane, Renée,” Jack said. “We’re almost there. How are you doing, Philippe?” No answer. “Philippe?”
“Okay, I’m okay,” he said weakly.
Twenty yards further, they broke into the clearing. There was the plane, the propeller kicking up dust and grass. In the moonlight, she could even make out the British markings. It was such a relief to see it.
Halfway across the clearing, a familiar voice shouted from the edge of the woods. “Halt! Renée and Philippe, Amerikaner, halt.” Then gunfire. It was the Colonel.
Jack dropped Philippe to the ground. “Get down, Renée.” She did. Jack pulled the machine gun off his shoulder and faced the Colonel. A second later, she was startled by the sound of Jack’s gun firing toward the woods.
Jack was aiming for the Colonel, but the man dropped to the ground just in time. The two soldiers on either side of him did not and were instantly killed. Jack heard the plane engine quiet down and saw Joe hop out, his Sten gun pointing toward the still-prone Colonel. He fired a quick burst then ran toward them, yelling, “Jack, get them on the plane. Now!”
Suddenly, everyone froze and looked up. A loud rumbling sound was approaching fast from the west.
“The bombers Jack,” Joe said. “They’re here early.” He yelled toward the Colonel. “Hear that, Fritz? That’s our boys. Your little headquarters is about to be annihilated.”
Jack lifted Philippe, threw him over his shoulder. “Come on, Renée.” They ran as fast as they could. Joe fired a long burst at the Colonel to give them cover. Jack helped Renée get in, then jumped in too. “Can you buckle him in?”
“Yes.”
The sound of the bombers grew louder. “We’ve got to get out of here,” Jack said. He sat in the copilot seat and glanced at the controls. He heard Joe’s gun run out of bullets. From the window, he saw Joe trying to put in another clip.
At the same moment, the Colonel stood and fired his Luger at Joe. Three shots. Joe went down.
“No! Joe!”
Joe wasn’t moving. The Colonel looked up toward the bombers then started running toward Jack’s plane, his Luger pointed at the cockpit. “Amerikaner, turn off ze plane, now!”
How quickly could Jack get his pistol or his Sten in place?
“Amerikaner, I will not give another warning!” The Colonel passed Joe’s lifeless body, his Luger now pointing right at Jack’s face.
From the field, Joe sat up. His Sten gun pointed at the Colonel’s back.
“Hey Fritz!” Joe yelled.
The Colonel turned.
Joe fired a long burst into the man. His body shuddered and fell back like a tree.
“Joe!” Jack yelled.
“What happened?” Renée said.
He headed for the opening. “Stay put. I’ll be right back. Joe’s not dead. But the Colonel is. We’re getting out of here, sweetheart.” He leaned over, kissed her and jumped through the opening.
Jack looked up and saw the leading edge of the bombers approaching.
“I think you better fly us home,” Joe said, limping toward Jack. “Got me in the thigh. Remember how to tie a tourniquet?”
“I do. C’mon. Those bombs are going to start falling any second.”
Once inside the plane, Jack asked Renée if she could tend to Joe’s leg.
“If you show me how.”
“I can do that,” Joe said. “You get us outta here, Jack. I should be conscious a few more minutes anyway.” He looked down at his leg and all the blood spilling on the floor. “Sorry about the mess.”
Jack set the plane at full throttle. It lurched forward and began its bumpy ride across the field. No sooner had they lifted off when huge explosions began going off on his left. He looked out the window and saw Renée’s family home all lit up and on fire. More explosions, going off all around it. Huge, flaming mushroom clouds rose into the air.
“Is that our house?” Renée asked.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to tell you. But yes, it is. When they heard about your brother and those two other men being captured, especially that one guy who was a leader, they couldn’t take a chance one of them wouldn’t crack and expose the whole network.” Jack turned toward her, reached back for her hand. She reached out and held his for a moment. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not sure we’d have ever come back anyway,” she said.
He turned around and faced the front, took one last look out the left window. Bombs were still going off, some now exploding in the woods. He hoped all the resistance guys got out of there okay. “How’s Joe doing back there?”
“The bleeding’s stopped. He’s out, but his pulse feels pretty strong.”
“How about your brother?”
“Sound asleep.”
He glanced at his watch. At least twenty-five minutes till they cleared the French coast, maybe a few more. He said a quick prayer for a safe journey home then had an idea. “Hey Renée, since the boys are asleep, why don’t you come up here and sit next to me? I’m looking at quite a view. With that half-moon up there and a pretty clear sky…shame to waste such a thing.”
“Okay.” She freed herself from the buckle and went forward toward Jack. But she stopped a moment, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the cheek. “I can’t believe you came for us.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You saved us, Jack. You and Joe. How can I ever repay you?”
“I can think of one thing that might even the score. I don’t know about for Joe, but it certainly would for me.”
She sat in Joe’s seat. “What’s that?”
“Say you’ll marry me.”
“What?”
“Marry me. I love you, Renée. Coming here tonight to rescue you and Philippe? I wasn’t being a hero. I knew I couldn’t live the rest of my life without you. It was either save you or die trying.”
“Oh, Jack.”
“So, will you? Marry me?”
“But what about—?”
“Elliot? He and I had a good long talk yesterday. He’ll be totally okay with this. I’m serious. Please say yes.”
“Yes, of course yes.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
This time, a very proper kiss.
57
The Present
“He proposed to you right there,” Rachel said, “in the plane? Minutes after he rescued you?”
“He did,” Grandma Renée said.
“It’s like a fairytale.”
“That moment was,” Grandma said. “And there were certainly many other moments like that in our life together. But we had our ups and downs, too, like everyone else.”
“Still,” Rachel said. “Jack wasn’t kidding. That is one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever heard. And now I see where he gets it.”
“Gets what?”
“His storytelling ability. That’s one of the things Jack’s known for. Reviewers say it about his books. Students say it about his lectures. When he tells a story, he makes history come alive. You’re just like him. Well, he’s just like you.”
“Well, thanks for saying it. And thanks for being so patient and being willing to spend so much time with me.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been having the best time these past two days. I’m so glad Jack insisted I stay here until he gets back.”
It was just after 8PM. Sometimes they’d sat on the comfy sofa, sometimes on the porch enjoying the breeze and the view. Except for taking breaks to eat and sleep, this is what Rachel and Jack’s grandmother had been doing the past two days.
“You spoke with Jack a little while ago,” Grandma said. “Did he say when he’s coming back?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’ll be nice. A couple shouldn’t be kept apart very long on their honeymoon. Although as I recall, my Jack and I were separated a few days during our honeymoon.”
“You were? What happened?”
“Well, after we landed safely back in England, Jack wanted to get married right away. But we had to wait for Joe to get out of the hospital and Philippe to heal up. That took about three weeks. Joe’s injuries kept him out of northern Africa for a while, and Elliot was able to get Jack reassigned, so he wasn’t sent there, either.”
“He was no longer a pilot?”
“No, he still flew planes, just not fighter planes anymore. Elliot worked for SOE, a branch of British intelligence. He was able to get Jack reassigned to work with him, to fly supplies and secret agents across the Channel to help the French Resistance.”
“So, he was still flying dangerous missions,” Rachel said.
“Yes, and I didn’t like it. But it wasn’t as dangerous as being a fighter pilot, where every mission people are shooting at you. Jack’s missions were always flown at night, like the mission he flew to rescue Philippe and I. The whole goal of those missions was not to be seen. And Jack was very good at that.”
“So, he was never shot down again?”
“Thankfully, no. But I’m getting ahead of myself. You asked about how our honeymoon got interrupted. Since Jack was being reassigned, before he started working for the SOE, he was given two weeks leave. That’s when we got married.”
“Tell me about it,” Rachel said. “About the wedding. Was everyone there? Where did you have it?”
“It was a church wedding. Very nice but not a big crowd. Joe was there, but he still couldn’t stand very long, so Jack asked Elliot to be his best man. Philippe was there. He and Jack became good friends. And a few of their friends from the airfield came. But that was about all.”
“Did Jack and Elliot’s grandfather come?”
“No, but things were beginning to mend between them. He sent some nice flowers and enough money for us to go on a honeymoon.”
“That was definitely some progress. So where did you go?”
“We took a tour through Scotland, which was lovely. So far away from the war and the bombings, which were still happening in London. But three days before our honeymoon ended, Elliot found us someho
w. I don’t remember the details, but Jack’s piloting skills were desperately needed on some mission to France.”
“That must have been hard on you when he left. I mean, our stories hardly compare. My Jack left to do a fundraiser. Yours left to fly a secret mission over Nazi occupied territory. How did you keep your sanity intact through all that?”
“I prayed a lot, worried a lot and cried a good bit, too.”
Rachel laughed. “So, what became of Philippe?”
“Well the good news is, all four men survived the war. Jack convinced Philippe to stay in England and go to the University, which Elliot paid for. Jack told him after the war was over, much of France would need to be rebuilt. Which was true. So Philippe studied all about architecture and construction. He graduated shortly after Paris was liberated and returned home. The first thing he did was rebuild a much smaller home on our family property. Then he opened up a construction business and wound up doing very well. He married a local girl named Michelle, and they had three children.”
“Did you ever get to see each other?”
“Sometimes, but not as often as I’d have liked. But Jack was sympathetic to the situation. After Pearl Harbor, he switched to the US Air Force and continued serving with them for the rest of his military career. Even though he served with them, he kept taking assignments that kept us in Europe. Like England, France or Germany. That allowed us to visit family more easily than if we had moved back to the States.”
“What about Jack’s friend, Joe. You said he survived the war. Did they stay friends?”
“For the rest of their lives. They weren’t able to be with each other so often, like they’d been when they were young. Joe stayed in the Air Force as a fighter pilot, then went back to the States soon after the war ended. But he stayed in the military, like Jack did, and made it his career. So they kept finding times to connect with each other over the years. Then after both men retired and we moved back to the States, they set up an annual hunting-fishing trip, which they kept up until the year Joe passed. He died two years before my Jack did.”
“What about Jack and Elliot’s father? What became of him?”
