she struggled to regain her footing. Sweat trickled down her back, soaking her silk blouse.
He made this look so easy.
With air weighing like lead in her lungs, each inch an eternity to descend, it seemed forever until finally her foot touched solid ground. The inner courtyard was silent, the brick pavers slick with late-night dew as the last days of August turned cool.
Click click click. Ellie’s heels bounced off the stone walls like gunfire.
“Take your shoes off.” Kat snatched off her pumps and rolled down her stockings, tossing the silky pair into the communal rubbish bin. Another lovely pair gone. Barefoot, she and Ellie hurried across the courtyard and peered around the corner. Not a soul to be seen, but that didn’t mean one didn’t see them.
“Uh-oh. I think they’re about to find Eric.” Ellie pointed back up to her apartment where lights flickered on.
Time was up. Creeping out into the darkened street, Kat held her breath as she waited for the bullets to rip through her body. When she remained in one piece, they dashed across the street and didn’t stop until the Seine lurked before them.
Kat peered around an abandoned newsstand, eyes darting left and right for movement. The mustiness of the towering buildings unfurled along the street like choking gas. “We need to get across the river.”
“Then let’s go.”
Kat grabbed Ellie’s arm and pulled her back down. “The river is the most patrolled area of the city. We can’t just stroll across.”
“So we’ll crawl.”
“Because that’s not suspicious.” Kat rubbed a hand over her forehead. Sweat pearled between her fingers. She had one plan: get to Barrett. If that failed, they had nothing. Why hadn’t she thought through this sooner? Father wouldn’t—No. Father wasn’t here. She was. “After this next patrol boat, we’ll run across. Stay close to the rail in case we need to drop down. Keep your head down and don’t look back.”
Ellie’s hands wrung together as her nervous breaths came out in tiny gasps. Kat patted her fingers, stilling them. “We’re all right. Trust me?”
Ellie nodded.
Hauling her sister to her feet, they crept out of hiding as the silence of the city enveloped them like a scratchy cloak. With each step, their ragged breaths threatened to tear it open. Fear of Allied attacks plunged the city into darkness each dusk, but what she wouldn’t give for a sliver of light to guide the path. Anything to reassure her she wasn’t about to step into a crack and plunge into the infested waters below. And Ellie didn’t know how to swim.
Lights probed the black riverbanks. Another patrol boat. Adrenaline pumped down Kat’s legs, numbing the pain of the coarseness raking her tender feet.
“Kat!”
Kat whirled back at Ellie’s frantic hiss. She was stooped over tugging at her dress, which had caught a loosened nail in one of the boards. “Rip it!”
“I’m trying, but it won’t give way.”
The lights drew closer. The long yellow rays bounced off the water below and up the cracks at their feet. Kat hurtled herself at Ellie, flattening them both to the ground as the lights swung up to pass overhead. The bridge shook as the boat motored underneath, petrol fumes wafting up to choke her nose. Peering through the crack, she counted six uniformed men with guns strapped to their shoulders.
As the search lights turned down the bend, Kat peeled herself and Ellie off the ground and yanked the skirt free. “All right?”
“Let’s not do that again.”
“Agreed.”
Off the bridge, they turned right, darting between alleys and behind shrubs. The farther they crept along the more unease spiraled into Kat’s bloodstream, paralyzing her thoughts beyond putting one foot in front of the other. Surely Eric had raised the alarm by now. The streets should be swarming with Gestapo agents and their ferocious dogs to close in for the kill. She would never forgive herself if they got to Barrett before she did.
“I think we’re about six blocks away from the Stag. If we take the next alley over, we can cut out at least five minutes.” Ellie shifted behind her, but didn’t answer. “Caught your breath yet?”
When she still didn’t answer, Kat turned to find a short, bulky man with his paw clamped over Ellie’s mouth.
“If you want to live, cherie, I’d keep your mouth shut.”
Chapter 20
The rock hit the far wall with a satisfying thunk. Barrett looked around for another one to pummel his rage into. After all these months they’d finally come for him.