Dangerous Territory

BOOK FOUR: ARDENNES - Time To Go

25 November 1944

It was weeks before Levi could leave the hospital, and barely in time. American artillery had pummeled the west side of Saint-Avold, and a week earlier, bomber planes dropped their ordinances onto the city, rocking the land. Levi had observed all of this from the safety of the hospital, too sick to move, unsure if the next artillery shell would hit them.

Luckily, the hospital remained safe. Now, the Americans were on a quick march to Saint-Avold, and that meant all the German doctors were evacuating, along with patients. The staff of the 1st Army had already left for Sankt Ingberg, 43 km deeper in Germany, well behind the Westwall. While the upper brass fled, the rest of the soldiers were preparing to hold Saint-Avold at any cost.

In the midst of this chaos, Dr. Darius Zackly led Levi out through a side door. People were in too much of a rush to mind the doctor escorting a patient out, especially a patient so small that many mistook him for a child. The good doctor was just getting a sick child out, right?

They reached the doors, and Dr. Zackly turned to Levi.

"Do you have your medications?"

"Pain meds and something to make my shit soft."

"You'll need that for at least another six weeks as you heal. If you see blood in your stool, get to a doctor immediately. Also..." He handed over another bottle. "Sleeping pills."

"I told you, I don't want those."

"For your friend. You mentioned that he was already traumatized after battle, then he was mentally tortured by the Gestapo, and now he has been alone for weeks. He may need help to sleep through the nightmares."

Levi reluctantly took the bottle. "That brat," he whispered with a hint of longing in the pinch between his brow.

"Do you have the map? Compass?"

"I double-checked all of the supplies. Thank you, Doctor. Do you have a place to go?"

"Yes, my wife and children are already with friends in the countryside. We'll wait out the battle there." He handed Levi a fedora. "Good luck, Mr. Ackerman."

Levi pulled the hat down low to hide his face. Then he walked out into the town that was trying to prepare for the coming army.

Levi marched as swiftly as he could through a light but persistent drizzle of rain. He went past German cars and horses. He pulled his coat close to him as a wind brought in the late November chill. He kept his head down to avoid the possibility of meeting someone who knew him.

Thankfully, he made it out of town without any trouble. As he reached the countryside, he pulled out the map he got from the doctor. The vineyards around Saint-Avold were marked. Eren said he would hide in a vineyard. The problem was, which? Should he go north? South? Would Eren really have gone east to be deeper into Germany?

Shaking his head, Levi randomly headed north.

The morning turned into afternoon, the drizzle let up, yet the clouds hung low and dark, threatening a storm. Levi needed to stop to eat some lunch. He had some supplies in his bag, a gift from Dr. Zackly, but he knew to conserve what he had. A bit of bread, some water from a canteen, that was enough.

He walked down the muddy road, avoiding military trucks and farmer wagons alike. He searched three farms with no results. Damn Eren for picking a vineyard, of all places, to hide in! Didn't he realize just how many vineyards France had?

He came to the fourth vineyard, opened the cellar door, and crept down.

"Eren?" he called out softly.