cheek?”
“France.”
“When?”
Price emptied his cup and said, “The Hundred Day Offensive.”
Amelie rolled her eyes. “If you are going to lie, at least get your wars correct. The Hundred Day Offensive happened before either of us was born.”
Price set down his cup and stared out the window. “My mistake, Miss Brevot.”
“Do you want to die?”
He looked back at her, “What?”
“Do you want to die? That little stunt you pulled at the gatehouse yesterday put both of our lives in jeopardy. I do not want to continue this mission with some fool who has a death wish.”
“Listen, I’m going to Hillersleben with or without you. If you want to come help me try and rescue that traitor you call a brother, fine. If not, fine. I have no personal interest in whether he lives or dies. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave.”
***
They took off their grime-covered goggles and ditched the Zundapp in the woods, walking an unmarked trail that wound between clusters of oak trees. At the edge of the tree line was a gravel parking lot for a large white building with no windows and only one door.
Price led her through the trees around the back of the building. There was a large vehicle bay in the rear, big enough to fit a tank. Amelie frowned at the building, “I do not think this is the right one. My brother said there were guards.”
“There are probably tons inside. They don’t want to alert the locals. Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight,” Price said.
“I will find something for us to get away in. You will both need clothes, oui?”
Price nodded. “There might be a squadron of SS chasing after us, so be ready to go in a hurry.”
“I understand,” she said.
“One more thing. About last night—”
“Drop it,” she said. “I have already forgotten about it.”
“Okay, then. See you in a bit.”
“Wait. What were you going to say?”
“I think Hans Vogel is a lucky man. That’s all.”
She looked at him carefully. “If this is just pre-mission nervousness, I will not remind you of it. However, when this all ends you would like to still discuss it, I would like that too.”
“Good,” Price said.
“Now get going!”
***
Price scurried down the embankment into the parking lot of the building and vanished, only to reappear twenty feet closer to the rear entrance in full sprint. He vanished again and again in short bursts, running until he reached the back of the building and crouched against its bay doors cold metal slats. He pressed his ear against the door and listened but he heard nothing. There was no way of telling who or what waited on the other side of the wall. He took a deep breath and dissolved.
Price rematerialized on the opposite side of the bay door behind a white-coated scientist who was inspecting a massive tank. Price ducked under the tank’s frame and dropped to the ground, crawling across the dusty floor until he could see the rest of the facility.
SS sonderkommandos patrolled catwalks high above the research area, giving them a clear view of the floor and a wide field of fire. More brown-shirted Nazis stood on a second-story platform at the far end of the building, looking down with contempt at the men working below.
The area was crawling with researchers assembled at various stations throughout the lower level. The stench of chemicals and burnt metal filled the air. Price searched for Louis Brevot in the sea of lab coats and blinking lights.
A voice called out from the platform above that made everyone inside the facility stop. “Your attention, please!”
Price looked up to see an elderly man dressed in long black robes trimmed with elaborate gold fringe, standing with his arms raised. There was a triangle
“France.”
“When?”
Price emptied his cup and said, “The Hundred Day Offensive.”
Amelie rolled her eyes. “If you are going to lie, at least get your wars correct. The Hundred Day Offensive happened before either of us was born.”
Price set down his cup and stared out the window. “My mistake, Miss Brevot.”
“Do you want to die?”
He looked back at her, “What?”
“Do you want to die? That little stunt you pulled at the gatehouse yesterday put both of our lives in jeopardy. I do not want to continue this mission with some fool who has a death wish.”
“Listen, I’m going to Hillersleben with or without you. If you want to come help me try and rescue that traitor you call a brother, fine. If not, fine. I have no personal interest in whether he lives or dies. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave.”
***
They took off their grime-covered goggles and ditched the Zundapp in the woods, walking an unmarked trail that wound between clusters of oak trees. At the edge of the tree line was a gravel parking lot for a large white building with no windows and only one door.
Price led her through the trees around the back of the building. There was a large vehicle bay in the rear, big enough to fit a tank. Amelie frowned at the building, “I do not think this is the right one. My brother said there were guards.”
“There are probably tons inside. They don’t want to alert the locals. Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight,” Price said.
“I will find something for us to get away in. You will both need clothes, oui?”
Price nodded. “There might be a squadron of SS chasing after us, so be ready to go in a hurry.”
“I understand,” she said.
“One more thing. About last night—”
“Drop it,” she said. “I have already forgotten about it.”
“Okay, then. See you in a bit.”
“Wait. What were you going to say?”
“I think Hans Vogel is a lucky man. That’s all.”
She looked at him carefully. “If this is just pre-mission nervousness, I will not remind you of it. However, when this all ends you would like to still discuss it, I would like that too.”
“Good,” Price said.
“Now get going!”
***
Price scurried down the embankment into the parking lot of the building and vanished, only to reappear twenty feet closer to the rear entrance in full sprint. He vanished again and again in short bursts, running until he reached the back of the building and crouched against its bay doors cold metal slats. He pressed his ear against the door and listened but he heard nothing. There was no way of telling who or what waited on the other side of the wall. He took a deep breath and dissolved.
Price rematerialized on the opposite side of the bay door behind a white-coated scientist who was inspecting a massive tank. Price ducked under the tank’s frame and dropped to the ground, crawling across the dusty floor until he could see the rest of the facility.
SS sonderkommandos patrolled catwalks high above the research area, giving them a clear view of the floor and a wide field of fire. More brown-shirted Nazis stood on a second-story platform at the far end of the building, looking down with contempt at the men working below.
The area was crawling with researchers assembled at various stations throughout the lower level. The stench of chemicals and burnt metal filled the air. Price searched for Louis Brevot in the sea of lab coats and blinking lights.
A voice called out from the platform above that made everyone inside the facility stop. “Your attention, please!”
Price looked up to see an elderly man dressed in long black robes trimmed with elaborate gold fringe, standing with his arms raised. There was a triangle
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