“Perhaps,” she said reluctantly.
He nodded, seeming to be satisfied that she had admitted to it.
“Peder, shut it down,” he said, turning away. “You can try again later when we’re past Steinkjer.”
“Just another minute,” he protested. “Just give me another minute.”
“Every minute you’re on that thing is another minute that the Germans can intercept it! Do you want to be a guest of the Huns?”
“No, but—” Peder stopped abruptly, grabbing his headset and pressing it against his ears. “I’ve got something!”
Erik turned impatiently, his lips pressed together tightly. He watched as Peder grabbed a pad and pencil and began writing furiously while he listened. Turning his head, he looked at Philip and made a movement with his hand, motioning for him to fall back and prepare to move. Philip nodded and tightened his hands on his rifle, turning to move back into the trees behind them.
Evelyn stood up and picked up her case. Some of Erik’s uneasiness was transferring itself to her and she moved forward to stand next to Peder, looking over his shoulder and willing him to go faster. Her heart began to beat a little faster as his pencil moved over the paper steadily. Once he had the message, he could shut the radio down and they would move. It would be all right. It had been so far.
She felt Anna come up behind her, and Erik moved to stand in front of Peder, his attention directed to the trees in front of them. As soon as Peder was finished, he was ready to move. And, suddenly, Evelyn was just as anxious to get moving.
“Here!” Peder tore off the paper and passed it to her. “It’s done.”
He quickly unplugged the radio from the strange, oblong box that he used as a power source, and began putting everything back into the case. While he was closing it up, Anna shone her torch onto the paper, allowing Evelyn to read the message quickly. Her blood ran cold when she decoded the words.
ENEMY MAY KNOW OF YOUR PRESENCE AND DESTINATION. PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION. MAKE CONTACT IN 10 HOURS.
“What is it?” Anna asked, seeing the look on her face.
“We have to move,” Evelyn said urgently. “Do you have your lighter handy?”
“Yes. It’s right here.” Anna switched off the torch and pulled a lighter out of her coat pocket.
Evelyn took it and flipped it open. It took a few tries with her numb fingers before she managed to get it lit, but then she held the flame to the paper in her hand, burning the message as she had all the others.
“What do you mean we have to move?” Erik demanded, coming back to them.
“Just that. We need to move. Quickly.”
Erik stared hard at her then nodded once, turning towards the trees. He had only taken two steps when he froze and held up his hand, motioning for silence. Evelyn felt a streak of awareness shoot down her spine and she caught her breath.
The wind whistled through the trees, carrying the faint sound of voices. Her heart pounding, she froze and listened, her lips parting on a silent gasp. Erik turned his head sharply and his dark eyes met hers as she suddenly made out the words on the wind.
“Schnell! Das signal kam aus dieser richtung!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
––––––––
“That was German!” Anna hissed as Erik inserted his fingers in his mouth and let out a low, owl-like whistle.
Evelyn nodded and grabbed her rifle, pulling the strap over her head and hooking it over her shoulder with one smooth motion. Anna wordlessly grabbed Evelyn’s suitcase, freeing both hands for the rifle. Evelyn nodded her thanks and turned as Philip silently emerged from the trees in response to Erik’s whistle.
Erik motioned with his hands and then pointed up, indicating that they would have to ascend higher to avoid the enemy. Philip nodded and turned to cover their rear flank as Erik led the small group through the trees and up the incline. Anna went up in front of Evelyn while Peder remained behind her, ready to brace her if she slipped going up the snow-covered hill.
Evelyn’s breath came fast and shallow as she gripped the rifle tightly, listening for the sound of pursuit. There was none. They hadn’t been heard or detected yet. But the voices were still floating on the wind and she found it strangely calming to focus on the German. They were arguing, she realized after a moment. While one was reiterating that the radio signal had come from this direction, the others were complaining that all that was out here was snow. Listening to them bicker, a strange sort of calm descended over her and Evelyn realized that the trembling in her limbs had stopped. It was almost as if she was moving and living in another person’s body, observing from the outside as the group moved rapidly into the hills above.
They reached the next ridge and she realized that the voices had faded into the distance. Scrambling over a fallen tree, she landed on a flat path and looked behind her. Peder was just going over the tree with Philip behind him, sweeping away their tracks from the snow, when she heard it: the sound of multiple boots crunching through snow. Turning her head swiftly, through the trees she saw blinking flashlights in the darkness. They had escaped one threat only to run in front of another!
Her heart surged into her throat as she listened to the marching footsteps coming from the right. Erik grabbed Anna’s hand and shoved her into the trees on the other side of the trail, motioning for Evelyn to follow. Then he turned and waved Philip and Peder back. Philip nodded and grabbed Peder’s arm, pulling him down and out of sight behind
