attack.”
Mr. Beekman smiled and pulled his son to his side. “It’s a good idea, but not a good plan.”
“Why?” asked Shawn.
“If you kill them all, it will only bring the wrath of the Germans down on our whole village. Everyone pays then. You remember I said you are answer to my prayers?”
Shawn nodded. Mr. Beekman looked at Johan and said, “It’s time for you to be brave, Johan.”
“Why, Father? What do you mean?”
“Remember what we have talked about, our plan to leave here and go to England, if God ever made it clear that we could?”
“We’re going to England? Tonight?”
Mr. Beekman shook his head. “No son, not we . . . tonight you go in our boat, and help these men to escape.”
Johan pulled away. “No, Father. I can’t leave without you. We can all escape. There is plenty of room on the boat.”
“No, Johan. Someone must be here when the Germans come, to buy you all time to get far away. If they come and find this man here dead, then find the plane, and that we both are missing, they will know that we have helped them. They will come after us in their patrol boats with vengeance, to destroy us. It has to be this way.”
Johan burst into tears and flung himself into his father’s arms. Mr. Beekman turned to Shawn and Manzini, tears streaming down his face. “I think I have a plan that will get you and your men safely to England by morning. With my Johan. But you must act quickly. There is very little time.”
“What do you want me to do?” Shawn asked.
“First, Johan, get your things together,” he said, smiling through his tears. “Tonight . . . you will be free . . . in England.”
“But Father—”
“Johan, there is no time to argue. Get your things. We will be together, after the war. You are getting older. I can’t take the chance that they will come and take you away, off to fight for them or to work in one of their camps . . . or worse. I will be fine here. What do they care about an old man?”
“But if I take the boat, how will you fish? You will have no work.”
“Our friends will care for me. You know this. I will find work. But you must go. I will stay here, and when the war is over, you will come find me. Here, take this.” He reached up and lifted a framed picture off the wall.
Shawn saw it was Mr. Beekman and a woman, probably his wife, and Johan when he was much younger.
“When you see this, pray for me,” he said to his son. “And I will pray for you every day.” He turned to Shawn. “Captain, you must send for your men right away. Bring them all here. My boat is in the other direction from where they are, tied at a jetty a few blocks down the beach. Johan knows where, and he knows how to get from here across the North Sea to England. I’ve charted the course and we’ve talked about it many times. Johan, you know where I’ve hidden the maps on the boat.”
Johan nodded.
“How long will it take?” asked Shawn.
Beekman looked at the clock on the wall. “If you leave now, you will be well out to sea before the Germans figure out what has happened. Darkness is on our side. You will probably not get across the sea before daylight, but with God’s help, you could make it to English waters. My prayer is that you will find an English ship, and they will help you make it the rest of the way. The Germans have few ships patrolling these waters, mostly submarines. They will not bother a boat so small. And no one will even see you until dawn.”
“Manzini, go get the guys.”
“Got it.” And he was gone.
“Captain, you must change into some of my clothes, and your sergeant when he returns. Johan knows what to do on the boat, but he will need some help. The rest of your men can stay in the cabin below until you reach safety. Johan, did you get any more food?”
“It’s outside in the wagon.”
“Very well. Now go, son. Get your things together.”
Johan did as he was told.
“There is one more thing you must do, Captain,” Beekman
Mr. Beekman smiled and pulled his son to his side. “It’s a good idea, but not a good plan.”
“Why?” asked Shawn.
“If you kill them all, it will only bring the wrath of the Germans down on our whole village. Everyone pays then. You remember I said you are answer to my prayers?”
Shawn nodded. Mr. Beekman looked at Johan and said, “It’s time for you to be brave, Johan.”
“Why, Father? What do you mean?”
“Remember what we have talked about, our plan to leave here and go to England, if God ever made it clear that we could?”
“We’re going to England? Tonight?”
Mr. Beekman shook his head. “No son, not we . . . tonight you go in our boat, and help these men to escape.”
Johan pulled away. “No, Father. I can’t leave without you. We can all escape. There is plenty of room on the boat.”
“No, Johan. Someone must be here when the Germans come, to buy you all time to get far away. If they come and find this man here dead, then find the plane, and that we both are missing, they will know that we have helped them. They will come after us in their patrol boats with vengeance, to destroy us. It has to be this way.”
Johan burst into tears and flung himself into his father’s arms. Mr. Beekman turned to Shawn and Manzini, tears streaming down his face. “I think I have a plan that will get you and your men safely to England by morning. With my Johan. But you must act quickly. There is very little time.”
“What do you want me to do?” Shawn asked.
“First, Johan, get your things together,” he said, smiling through his tears. “Tonight . . . you will be free . . . in England.”
“But Father—”
“Johan, there is no time to argue. Get your things. We will be together, after the war. You are getting older. I can’t take the chance that they will come and take you away, off to fight for them or to work in one of their camps . . . or worse. I will be fine here. What do they care about an old man?”
“But if I take the boat, how will you fish? You will have no work.”
“Our friends will care for me. You know this. I will find work. But you must go. I will stay here, and when the war is over, you will come find me. Here, take this.” He reached up and lifted a framed picture off the wall.
Shawn saw it was Mr. Beekman and a woman, probably his wife, and Johan when he was much younger.
“When you see this, pray for me,” he said to his son. “And I will pray for you every day.” He turned to Shawn. “Captain, you must send for your men right away. Bring them all here. My boat is in the other direction from where they are, tied at a jetty a few blocks down the beach. Johan knows where, and he knows how to get from here across the North Sea to England. I’ve charted the course and we’ve talked about it many times. Johan, you know where I’ve hidden the maps on the boat.”
Johan nodded.
“How long will it take?” asked Shawn.
Beekman looked at the clock on the wall. “If you leave now, you will be well out to sea before the Germans figure out what has happened. Darkness is on our side. You will probably not get across the sea before daylight, but with God’s help, you could make it to English waters. My prayer is that you will find an English ship, and they will help you make it the rest of the way. The Germans have few ships patrolling these waters, mostly submarines. They will not bother a boat so small. And no one will even see you until dawn.”
“Manzini, go get the guys.”
“Got it.” And he was gone.
“Captain, you must change into some of my clothes, and your sergeant when he returns. Johan knows what to do on the boat, but he will need some help. The rest of your men can stay in the cabin below until you reach safety. Johan, did you get any more food?”
“It’s outside in the wagon.”
“Very well. Now go, son. Get your things together.”
Johan did as he was told.
“There is one more thing you must do, Captain,” Beekman
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