fingers as a lightness settled over her that blinded the shards of rooted bitterness. “You know something? I think I do too.”
Dim yellow lights bounced down the valley. The sourness surged up her throat. Headlights. And the only people allowed out past curfew were Germans.
Kat crawled to the edge of the road and hissed. “Barrett! Barrett!”
The headlights stuttered along the rows of vines. Barrett was nowhere to be seen.
“Barrett!”
Praying he’d seen them coming, Kat dove back to the coverage of the vines and pressed herself flat into the dirt next to Ellie. The mustiness of dead leaves ruffled under her nose from her shuddering breaths. Like the prongs on a spinning raffle wheel, the lights blurred down the road, catching between the twisted branches. Tick. Tick. Ticks of headlights slowing, slowing . . . until rumbling by in a plume of exhaust. Kat lifted her head enough to count two jeeps with four soldiers each. As their lights flickered off the road sign, the snouts of gleaming deadly metal scanned over the sides of the vehicles. Looking for their rabbits to shoot.
The lights jogged ahead and their hunters motored on, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust to settle over the prey. Kat’s heart slowly receded back down her throat to lodge like a bolder in her chest. Minutes ticked by before she allowed her head to raise up.
A dark object hurtled at her. Kat rolled to the side as it careened past and dropped between her and Ellie.
“Are you all right?”
Kat pressed a hand to her chest as her heart threatened to jump straight out. “Don’t scare me like that. I tried warning you.”
“I jumped behind a bush when they came around the corner.” Barrett held out his hand and yanked Ellie to her feet, then offered it to Kat. “They’re heading in the direction of Clamecy, but that doesn’t mean more aren’t fanned out in the area.”
Gaining her feet, Kat tried to knit her fingers between his. He pulled away and rubbed a hand over his side. A frown flattened his mouth.
“Is it your wound? You didn’t pull the stitches did you?” Kat moved to examine the bandage, but he knocked her hands away.
“Twisted the wrong way. I’m fine.” He turned away from her and pointed east. “We need to find shelter before dawn breaks. Rest up and get ready to move again at dusk.”
Brushing the dirt from her sleeves, Kat tried to hide her disappointment in his sudden distance. “How soon will we reach Salbris?”
“If we keep this pace, we can be there before daybreak tomorrow.” His gaze skimmed over her and back to the road. “No point in wasting any more time here.”
Chapter 28
It wasn’t the Savoy, but such splendor could never compare to the relief this decrepit old barn offered. White paint peeled off the walls, cobwebs clung to the rafters, and the gray light of dawn dripped through the holes in the slatted roof. Wet wood, mildewed hay, and animal hair mixed in an old recipe that assured them the structure hadn’t been used since well before the war.
“Never have I thought a patch of moldy straw looked so inviting.” Ellie peered into one of the deserted stalls and wrinkled her nose.
“Try to resist.” Kat dug into the haversack to scrounge together a semblance of a meal. A slice of rice bread and an apple. Her stomach gurgled in challenge to the feeble offering.
The side door creaked open and Barrett walked in, sheathing his knife in his belt. “Perimeter’s secure.”
Kat palmed the bread and apple. “We hardly have any food.”
He plowed a hand through his hair, standing it on end. Dark circles smudged under his dull eyes. “I’ll ask the contact for supplies when I meet him.”
“How does he know we’re here?”
“I tied a white strip of cloth to the cemetery gate like I was instructed. Hopefully he sees it sooner rather than later. I’d rather not spend all day hiding behind gravestones on the off chance he missed the signal.”
Kat noted the torn fabric at the bottom of his shirt. At least he had sense enough to not use his bandages. “Why not meet us here?”
“In case the Germans are watching, I’d rather not lead them here.” He didn’t bother stifling a yawn. “Don’t know when I’ll be back, but if I don’t return by sundown then you’ll know I’ve been caught. Stay hidden until dark, then head straight to the church. It’s on the other side of town, so you’ll have to