Early the following morning, I quietly watch Alice make her rounds in the truck. Simply walking around with no goal it seemed. Eventually she stopped near the top of Killua's head. She sat quietly before lifting a paw and gently swatting his forehead. "Come now, Alice. Let 'im sleep. Went through a lot of trouble last night." I scolded her.
She keeps her paw lifted and looks at me for a second . She turned her attention back to Killua and swatted his forehead again. "Ok. Now that one was to spite me wasn't it you lil stinker. Come 'ere."
She meows before hopping up swiftly and trotting across the sleeping males chest. I lift her up facing me. "Now look, Alice. You can't just go smacking people when they sleep. How would you like it if I did it to you, huh? Betcha wouldn't like it." She purrs in response and I roll my eyes. I look at Killua and notice a faint smile playing at his lips. I lowered her to my lap.
"Ah, it seems I'm too late to keep her from waking you. Sorry about that." I said to him, he props himself up on an elbow and opens his eyes slowly. His mouth stretches open in a yawn. He jerks his head slightly and I hear his neck pop.
"What time is it?" He asks.
"Not sure. I'd wager around 0800. I'm glad we are hidden under all this foliage. I heard aircraft in the early hours. I popped my head out to take a look. Seemed to be some bombers with fighter escort. Headed west." I jerk my thumb behind me. I inspect the white haired male before grinning. "Ya comfy?" I ask as I realize the jacket he's holding across his chest is my British uniform.
He looks at me in question before looking down at himself. He looks at his right hand that holds one of the arms tightly. As if he held onto it like a safety blanket. "Did you cover me with this?"
I shake my head. "I believe you did that yourself. I had been keeping watch all night." I say. The last part is technically a lie. I simply couldn't sleep. I also may have dozed off at some point however. I closed my eyes for a moment and the next I saw a tangled piece of clothing on him. Didn't think much of it till now. It's nearly inside out, so I had figured it was one of the clothes he grabbed from the civilian's home.
He continues to stare at the material for a moment. "How's your head? Feel like I got everything out?" I ask. He runs a hand through his hair.
"Feels fine. Thanks." He answers. He then turns his attention to the cat. "So. Alice. That's what you decided on? Pretty English sounding name isn't it?"
I shrug. "Don't look at me. She's the one who chose it. I asked her a few and she settled on this one."
Killua shrugs at this and lays my coat to the side. He sits up and reaches his arms above his head. I turn my head away to keep myself from acting like a fool. I can already feel heat in my cheeks. If my actions last night didn't show my feelings to him I don't know what will. Perhaps he truly does think it's just comradery. Somehow I find myself struggling to believe that.
I try to focus my gaze elsewhere until the embarrassment subsides. Then I spotted a small fluffy red creature in the distance. Its tail flicked slightly. A squirrel foraging for some food. However I think Alice noticed it as well. I could feel her tense up under my hand. "Alice, you have brought us enough gifts. Don't you do it."
I can't tell if she even hears me. Her eyes are locked on target. "Gifts? What gifts?" I hear Killua ask behind me.
"Well, I may have dozed off once or twice last night. I only figured that one moment it was me and her, the next it was me, her, and a dead blue bird. Probably some others around here." I answer. I put my hand in front of her face and she shifts her head to see past it each time.
Before I can stop her, she's off. Pouncing off my lap like a black blur. Off the truck and into the forest. "Ah well, I figure she will be back. If she gets the squirrel or not, that's the question."
"Tonight we make our move, right? Or do we do something more crazy and go while the sun is still up?" Killua asks.
"A good question. We need to head south. If we want the best odds of our 'flag' of surrender being seen, we need to get to the maginot line before the sun is completely gone." I answer. I try to find Alice but she's managed to hide somewhere. The squirrel none the wiser.
"If I recall, the line's best defenses are in the south." I hear Killua shift behind me. "I assume we don't want to approach on foot right?"
"Course not. I need to check the map but we probably have an hour drive to get where we need to. They shouldn't shoot." I say. Shouldn't being the key word. But even with the dress as a white flag, there is the potential they don't give a damn. Far as we know they may see that as some kind of morbid message.
"Hey, Gon."
"Yeah?" I turn around back to him and he's just centimeters away. I can practically feel his breath against my skin. My heart jumps to my throat!
His own face is flushed a light pink. He backs away slightly. "Thanks. For calming me down last night." He clears his throat and places a hand to my shoulder. His grip was firm, like he was steadying himself. "Like you said last night, if we get out of this hell of war, I will make it up to you properly." He smiled shyly.
The tips of my ears feel like they are on fire. I nod slightly trying not to go slack jawed. I smile back. "It's a deal then."
He nods and backs away. Sitting with his back against the wall. We fall into a comfortable silence that is soon broken by a loud squeal. "I'd wager Alice caught her target." I laugh.
I hear the slight rustle of leaves and the black cat hops back into the truck with the squirrel's neck between her teeth. She places it by my leg and looks at me expectantly. "Looks like she expects a reward." Killua says yawning again.
I nod and pat the feline on her head, scratching her ear. "Yes Alice, you did very good!" I look around the truck. "Now please no more gifts. If the truck smells like dead animals it's not gonna help us."
_____________
As the hours passed we tried to think of some kind of back up plan if the French opened fire. We never got past a plan of simply driving away full speed. Retaliating wouldn't do us any good. If they open fire we likely wouldn't get the chance to step out.
I look to my right from the driver's side of the truck cab. Killua is dressed in civilian clothes. Covered in dirt and dust, with Alice in his lap. No mud in his hair this time. He sat with his eyes to the roof.
I now sat in my own British uniform. Which required no extra effort to make dirty. Covered in some of my own dried blood and dirt. The SS uniforms we had now abandoned and buried. We considered burning them but decided against it. The risk of something spotting the smoke and investigating is low. Still an unnecessary risk.
The wedding dress Killua had collected resided in the cab with us. Once we got closer to the line, we would tie it to the top. As we enter the final moments before I start driving, I consider the possibility that we abandon the vehicle somewhere closer and walk to the defensive line. What would be more believable? That we managed to steal a truck in the escape or that we walked across the country?
I sigh and grip the steering wheel tightly. My knuckles turned white. "I don't think I've felt this stressed since I got shot at basic." I mutter. I start the engine and slowly creep out from the trees.
"Shot during basic...tell me more about that." Killua says. He sounded genuinely curious. I turned my head to him for a moment before focusing again on what was in front of the truck.
"You've read my log book. Not much more to know really. Couple of jacksies wanting to get even over a bet that I didn't even partake in." I replied.
"Well tell it anyway. People tend to leave out information when writing it down."
I roll my eyes. "Alright then. It started as a simple race between me and my friend Leorio. A slight wager between the two of us. If he won the race he could drink all he wanted at poker night the next day. If I won he would have to do as I say and not get lashed."
I continue on as I pull onto the road, telling every detail that comes to memory. The cadets taking bets, my loss, and the confrontation by the trio. When I tell him that I broke Rays nose, he laughs. "What's funny?"
"Seems your temper is certainly one that is like a loose cannon. When you see a reason to aim, you fire." He stares out the window watching the sun slowly begin to sink towards the horizon. "My father used to say many Brit's where bark and no bite. You might just prove him wrong."
"I suppose." I swerve slightly to avoid a hole in the road. "I'm not a fan of losing my temper. Anyway, the next day was uneventful. A small lesson on guns. Then the day after that, actual live fire. All of us lined up on the range. Keep in mind the rounds are only .38. I was about to fire my final shot when it felt like someone bumped my leg."
Killua turns his head to me with a brow raised. "You get shot and you think someone bumped you?"
"Yep. I didn't even feel anything at first. Everyone was looking at me in shock. Sergeant had Stoller pinned on the ground. Leorio pointed to the wound on my leg." I tap the spot on my leg. "Leorio took me to the infirmary. And let me tell you, that hurt like a bitch."
"They didn't numb you?"
"Hell no. They wanted to but I refused. I was awake and feeling everything. When he cleaned the wound, removed the bullet and stitched it up. The doc did a good job of it. I got lucky."
"Hold on. No way you did that without anesthesia. What's next? Are you gonna tell me you were up and walking just minutes later?" Killua asks incredulously.
I grin. "I was but you filled that in for me. If I had stayed in the infirmary or been put under, the colonel would have discharged me. He gave me a chance he wouldn't offer to others. I would race Leorio. Two laps."
"You had to win to stay? And you actually did?"
"No, I didn't win. He wanted to see how capable I was. I lost, but not by much. You can bet I tore the stitches out in that race too. I didn't give in even when I felt the pain may have caused me to black out. I met his standards, so here I am." I finished.
"Well no wonder I cracked before you did." He sighs. "You have a steadfast will. A lot more impressive than what happened during my training."
"Well come on. Do tell, mate." I prompt him. Talking so casually now is keeping me relaxed. Distracted from my nerves. "You know more about me. So tell me something."
"Alright, fine. It's not as extravagant as being shot mind you. Or getting treated like you're on the front lines in the Great War." He mutters the last bit. I'd say he thinks I'm a bit crazy for that. "I was training with a mercenary group that my father was close with. One of them was a Japanese man who was training me in sword based combat."
"Sword combat? What good is a sword gonna do you against a bullet, eh? So you learned to filet a man with a..a Uh..." I trail off forgetting the name of the sword commonly used in old Japanese warfare.
"A katana." Killua finishes for me. "And my ability to filet a man is completely unrelated to that training." He states before clearing his throat. "It was pretty routine. Combat with wooden blades. He got a good hard strike to my jaw and that was it. Unconscious before I even hit the ground."
"I still don't see why you would need katana training. I don't even think the Japanese use them for primary combat anymore."
"It's a mercenary life, Gon. Have to be prepared for anything and everything." He shrugs.
"Don't think a katana would do us any favors right now. As it is I doubt the guns we have will either."
_____________
I finished securing the dress to the roof of the truck. It should wave around in the wind as I drive. The white silky material felt strange against my fingers as I tied it. If not for the Nazi invasion we wouldn't have this to try and escape. But at the same time, if not for the invasion, we wouldn't be here. This woman and her husband may still be alive.
I return to my seat behind the wheel, slamming the door shut. I place my face in my hands and let out a long slow breath. Be it that couple alive or not, it doesn't matter. This could be the make or break for our own lives.
"You ready, Gon?" Killua asks me.
I turn to him, removing my hands. "Yeah. Just trying to clear my thoughts one last time. I promise you if we were on approach in any other vehicle, I'd feel a hell of a lot more confident." I tap my hands against my legs.
"Do me a favor and take a breath. Do you see me getting worked up?" He asks. "Sure I'm nervous. But we are approaching the French. They will notice something is off the moment a single truck is approaching. What would you think if you saw that?"
I blow air out through my teeth. "Well, I would think it's odd. My first instinct might be to call for a commanding officer. I would probably try to make them step out of the vehicle with hands over their head."
"This may be a war, but there is a process to things. At least with the Allies." He stated bluntly.
I nod and start the engine again. The drive from where we stopped and the line is only about ten minutes. Just far enough to be out of sight. My heart is pounding in my chest. My knee bounced rapidly.
It wasn't long before the line came into view. Few roads leading into it. Looking nothing like what I imagined. Small concrete buildings like foxholes spread over long distances. Massive 75mm guns sticking out of the ground. It must not have taken long to be noticed as I heard a loud whistle pierce the air. The large gun slowly began to turn towards us and I slammed on the brakes.
I could feel my muscles tightening in my legs. I close my eyes bracing for the anti-tank shell to rip us to pieces. The boom I started to brace for never came. The whistle faded and silence greeted my ears again.
I slowly open my eyes and see a small grouping of soldiers file out of the building. Roughly 6 men. Guns in arms as they ran closer. They began to surround the vehicle pointing guns straight at us. "Alright, Killua...ready to play civilian?" I ask him under my breath.
I see him nod slowly out of the corner of my eye. "Ja. Lass uns gehen." He says. I can only assume he's ready. I raise both hands slowly and he raises one fully. The other half way with Alice resting in it.
"Vous êtes entouré! Sortez du véhicule!" I hear one shout. Time to go. We swing open our doors and step out. Three soldiers surrounded the both of us. Two more remained in front of us. Only faint silhouettes in the quickly fading daylight. I didn't see them approach.
I clear my throat lightly before attempting to speak. "Nous ne sommes pas l'ennemi. Quelqu'un parle-t-il anglais?" My French is rough at best. I hope at least one knows English.
The soldiers looking at me share a glance. One of them looks back to the figures and jerks his head. The pair soon begin walking over. One of them speaks loudly. "Amenez l'autre ici!"
When they come closer my eyes widen in recognition. The man on the right with light red hair and a narrow jawline. "Morrow? Is that you?" I ask. My voice is uncertain as I can't see him well in the light from the sunset.
The man stops for a moment and reaches into his pocket, pulling out an electric torch. He turns on the light and shines it right into my face. The man to the left speaks. "Silence. You will not speak unless spoken to." His French accent is entirely obvious but he knows English at least.
I nod slowly. Behind them the other group had come from the other side of the truck. Killua stood in its center. "Now tell me, who are you?" The Frenchman asks. I take a moment to try and inspect him. Both hands behind his back. He appears neat and organized in his uniform. The sleeves seem to be too tight on his arms though.
"Private Gon Freecss, sir!" I responded. I try to resist trying to salute so they don't shoot me. "British forces. Immediate commander Sergeant Knuckle."
"British? Then what are you doing out here on the opposite side of the maginot? And who's the white hair?" He asks, stepping close. "Why are you in the possession of an axis marked vehicle?" His eyes travel from my face to my boots and back again.
"I was under orders from Lieutenant Colonel Morel! I was sent to aid the 226 Squadron of the RAF. From the Reims-Champagne airbase. My craft was shot down and I have spent the last several days in captivity." I answer.
"Sir. I can vouch for him." Says the man on the right. The moment he speaks I know for a fact it is Morrow. "I was next to him during the transport from England."
The man who I assume is the commander turns to him. "Are you certain? I cannot afford any foul ups on this line. The north has already been broken through. I don't need a breach down here either."
"Yes sir. I am certain."
The commander nods. "Then allow me to introduce myself. I am André Gérard. The Brigade General of this section of the Maginot Line." He turns to the others. "At ease."
The ones around me lower their guns but not the ones with Killua. "Can they stop pointing guns at him? He's been through a lot." I say, nodding my head towards the white haired male. He's trembling holding onto Alice. What did his mercenary training cover theater too?
"First explain to me who he is." The general orders.
"When I was attempting my escape from Nazi forces, a platoon of those in the SS, I found him in their grasps as well. Those with me in the wreck had not survived." I lied. "He doesn't speak much English. All I got was his name, the cats, and that he is a civilian."
As of right on cue Killua chimes in. "Bitte. Ich möchte nur an einem sicheren Ort sein! Ich habe alles verloren!" He pleads.
Morrow turns his attention to him. I continue speaking with André. "I've promised him safety. I would like to return to England and bring him with me."
The general scratches his head. "We will worry about what to do later." He waves his hand and the soldiers lower their guns. Killua proceeds to scurry away from the soldiers and to me, hiding behind my back. The general looked at him warily. "For now you will join our ranks here in the bunker. I'll send word to command to send a message to your commanders."
"Of course, sir." I place an arm around Killuas shoulders. "It's ok, mate. They are going to help us. Safe. Ok?" I ask him softly.
He nods. "Safe." He repeats slowly.
André turns his back and begins his stride to the concrete building. "Follow me and I'll give you bunks. And some food. I'm sure the two of you are starved." He turns his attention to a soldier. "Obtenez ce camion. Cachez-le quelque part."
I can't believe that worked so well. If Morrow hadn't been here we may have not been so lucky. I'll have to be sure to thank him. But for now I'll be happy to have some food and sleep in an actual bed.
(WC:3622. WOO! When I say writing these chapters is difficult sometimes I mean it. I just wish I could be more consistent with uploads. But I hope you guys enjoyed this one. I'm making progress on the next two chapters currently and they are coming along nicely if I do say so. Stay safe and have a great day!