“You sound like your brother,” Evelyn muttered. “If I stop caring for others, then there is no point at all to what I do.”
“I’m not saying to stop caring. I’m cautioning you against making decisions based on emotion rather than reason.” Anna shrugged. “In the end, we all have to take care of ourselves. If we have help along the way, that is a wonderful thing, but none of us can count on it.”
“She’s right,” Peder said unexpectedly. “We all must learn to think differently now. We must fight, of course, and do what we can to help to each other, but we can’t get so caught up in the plight of others that we neglect our own interests. There will be pain and sorrow. We cannot stop that. Many people have already died, and many more will follow. As heartless as it sounds, we must learn to become immune to it if we are to survive.”
Evelyn looked from to the other. “When did the two of you become so wise?”
“When I saw the ships in Oslofjorden,” he muttered. “Part of me didn’t want to believe that it would come to this, but the other part of me knew that it would happen eventually. That’s why I told you I would join your network if the Germans came. Now they are here and we all must do what we will do. I have chosen to resist. There will be many who will not, but I can’t let that affect my choices. Just as you can’t let your compassion affect yours.”
Evelyn’s lips twisted. “Point noted.”
“Here’s Erik,” Anna said a few minutes later, peering through the trees.
Evelyn straightened up and turned to look. Erik and Philip moved across the trail towards them. There was no sign of the others and, as they drew closer, Erik motioned for them to follow him.
“What’s happening?” Anna asked as they joined him on the trail once again.
“We’re near Steinan, southeast of Trondheim. I’ve sent the others on a sweep to make sure we’re not walking into any surprises. I think we’re all right for now, but below...it’s not good. Come. See for yourselves.”
He turned and led them off the trail in the opposite direction. They moved slowly, pausing frequently, until at last they reached a ridge. He motioned for them to get down and, once they had all crouched low, he moved them forward until the forest floor angled sharply into a steep descent into a ravine. There he stopped and handed Anna a pair of binoculars.
She took them and looked out over the expanse of land below. Her lips tightened and, after a long moment, she silently handed the binoculars to Evelyn.
Evelyn caught her breath as she stared out over the valley. Their position on the mountain afforded them an outstanding view of the immediate valley and the miles beyond, stretching to the water in the far distance. Trondheim was marked by the remnants of a thick, black cloud of smoke hanging overhead, the result of a Luftwaffe bombardment that had accompanied the invasion two days before. While that sight was chilling enough, it wasn’t what drew her attention and made her blood run cold. It was the sight of columns of German troops, tanks and trucks forming a mechanical river out of the port city and into the surrounding areas. The Nazis were moving, and they were moving quickly.
“Panzers!” she breathed. “Already?”
“Yes.” Erik sounded grim. “This is the first wave of reinforcements. They’re moving east. They’re probably going to meet up with the divisions coming up from the south. Or they’re heading north. Either way, it’s clear Trondheim is well and truly lost. We can’t retake it now, and there’s no way you can go through it or cross the fjord.”
Evelyn stared at the ominous sea of gray uniforms and Stahlhelms, the distinctive rounded steel helmets worn by the German military. She tamped down an almost overwhelming surge of terror and swallowed, forcing herself to breathe deeply. There were so many of them! It was like a never-ending swarm pouring into the countryside.
“Marlene!”
She started and tore her gaze away from the sight to find Anna and Erik both staring at her. She had no idea how long she’d been staring at the spectacle, but she’d obviously missed something that was said.
“What?”
“Are you all right?” Anna asked. “You’re very pale.”
“I...I’m fine.”
“Erik was saying that we’ll have to go around to the west and follow the fjord up to Steinkjer. We’ll be able to cross there.”
“The mountains are deeper as you go north, and they will provide very good protection,” Erik said.
Evelyn swallowed, stole one last look at the advancing troops, and then handed the binoculars back to Erik, turning resolutely away from the ridge. She followed the others back to the trail and looked at Peder.
“Did you see?” she asked.
He nodded. “I saw enough.”
“I wish I had been wrong five days ago,” she said in a low voice. “I wish none of you had to go through this, but I’m glad you and your radio are with us and not still in Oslo.”
Peder smiled and reached out to squeeze her shoulder gently. “So am I.”
Evelyn returned his smile and turned to Erik. “Thank you for bringing us this far. I appreciate it more than you can know.”
He nodded brusquely.
“You’re welcome, but I’m continuing on with you,” he said. “After seeing what will be right behind you, I can’t leave you three alone. It is too dangerous, and none of you are as familiar with the mountains as I am.”
“But...what about your men?” Anna asked. “What will they do?”
“They will continue to move north and join up with what’s left of our battalion. I’ll join them after we’ve seen Marlene safely to Namsos.”
“What about Anna and Peder?” Evelyn asked. “What will they do when we reach Namsos?”
“I have an uncle not far from there,” Peder said suddenly. “He is in Gartland. We can go there
