in her chest, clawing higher and higher until it shrieked in her ears. With a little monetary persuasion from Father, the best forgery man in Parliament’s employ had created the French identifications in less than a day, but if Ellie decided to open her mouth the game was over. The Germans wouldn’t take kindly to two English women out after dark with false papers. She dug her fingers into Ellie’s arm to keep her quiet.
With excruciating slowness, he scanned the papers again and again before folding the thin cardboard back into its three sections. “What are you doing out this late?”
“My sister became sick while we dined out. She was too ill to move and we tried to make it home before curfew, but she can’t move very fast and there are no taxis to take.” Kat took a deep breath. It wasn’t a complete lie. On cue, Ellie doubled over on a low moan. “I’m so sorry. Please let us go home so I may take care of her.”
The man tapped the papers against his palm as he translated for his comrade. Though she didn’t dare turn around, she heard the skepticism in the other man’s voice.
“She smells like beer,” the first man said.
A German and yet he couldn’t tell the difference between beer and champagne. Kat pushed a damp lock from Ellie’s forehead. A mistake. The hair was hiding her scared eyes. “The doctor thought it would help empty her stomach to get the sickness out.”
“I don’t doubt she’s sick.” The papers tap tap tapped in his palm. Blowing a lungful of air out his long nose, he stuffed them in his pocket. “But you’re lying about something, and that I can’t let you get away with.”
The soldier behind Kat grabbed her shoulders and jerked her against his chest as his friend hauled Ellie to her feet and to the alley between the buildings.
“Stop! Help!” Kat twisted, but her captor held her tight as he dragged her into the alley with his friend. The windows and doors remained shut tight as her screams clawed at the air, begging someone to open them. No one was coming. “Help!”
Her captor’s hot breath hissed in her ear, his words unintelligible but their meaning perfectly clear as his fingers fumbled for the buttons on her bolero. The other soldier pinned Ellie to the wall, pushing her cheek against the brick while his hand lifted the hem of her skirt.
Kat’s mind streaked clear of the man pawing her as tears burned down Ellie’s pale cheeks. Her mouth contorted in pain, but no sound came out. Kat sank her nails into her captor’s hands. “Get off of her! Help us!”
Her captor dug his fingers into her hair and yanked, exploding fire along her scalp. As spots of dizziness whirled before her eyes, she fumbled open the clasp of her handbag and clawed over the comb, lipstick, and hankie until at last something long, smooth, and wooden brushed her hand. Snatching the leather club, she dropped her handbag and threw her arm back with all her might. The knotted end collided with his ear.
Howling with curses, he clutched his head. Kat threw herself at the back of Ellie’s attacker, but the curses of his friend warned him. He swung around and clipped Kat’s shoulder with his fist. Pain exploded down her arm as she collided with the wall and slumped to the ground with Ellie clinging to her. The man sneered with hatred as he leaned over and grabbed her arm with one hand, fisting his other.
This is it. Your prayer for a miracle was a waste of breath.
Metallic thunder rang down the alley.
Numbly, Kat looked up to see Barrett, garbage lid in hand, standing over the unconscious second soldier. His eyes slanted to Kat. Her captor dropped her arm and grabbed the rifle slung over his back as Barrett stalked toward them. With a black cap shading his face and dark trousers and shirt, he moved like a terrible shadow that gathered the surrounding blackness as his strength.
The still upright German pulled on the bolt of his rifle. It didn’t budge. Frantically he tried again and again, but the jammed metal refused to give. Swinging it high into the air, he brought it down with a feral yell. Barret threw up his lid shield, and the weapon glanced off before it could split his head wide open. Without wasting momentum, Barrett swung it back around to knock the gun from the German’s hands.