Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6 by Kathleen Brooks (well read books TXT) 📗

Framed Shadows

Shadows Landing #6

Kathleen Brooks

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

An original work of Kathleen Brooks. Framed Shadows copyright @ 2021 by Kathleen Brooks.

Kathleen Brooks® is a registered Trademark of Laurens Publishing, LLC

Created with Vellum

Bluegrass Series

Bluegrass State of Mind

Risky Shot

Dead Heat

Bluegrass Brothers

Bluegrass Undercover

Rising Storm

Secret Santa: A Bluegrass Series Novella

Acquiring Trouble

Relentless Pursuit

Secrets Collide

Final Vow

Bluegrass Singles

All Hung Up

Bluegrass Dawn

The Perfect Gift

The Keeneston Roses

Forever Bluegrass Series

Forever Entangled

Forever Hidden

Forever Betrayed

Forever Driven

Forever Secret

Forever Surprised

Forever Concealed

Forever Devoted

Forever Hunted

Forever Guarded

Forever Notorious

Forever Ventured

Forever Freed

Forever Saved

Forever Bold

Forever Thrown (coming Aug/Sept 2021)

Shadows Landing Series

Saving Shadows

Sunken Shadows

Lasting Shadows

Fierce Shadows

Broken Shadows

Framed Shadows

Endless Shadows (coming Oct 2021)

Women of Power Series

Chosen for Power

Built for Power

Fashioned for Power

Destined for Power

Web of Lies Series

Whispered Lies

Rogue Lies

Shattered Lies

Moonshine Hollow Series

Moonshine & Murder

Moonshine & Malice

Moonshine & Mayhem

Moonshine & Mischief

Contents

Family Trees for Keeneston

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Also by Kathleen Brooks

About the Author

Family Trees for Keeneston

Davies Family Tree

Keeneston Friends Family Trees

Extended Family Tree for Keeneston and Shadows Landing

Prologue

Budapest, Hungary, 1944 . . .

Dezo Alder’s body was shaking with fear. He knew what was coming as he walked into the local leader’s office. All of his instincts told him to stop wasting time and to run. His palms were sweaty as his longtime friend, Gellert Balogh, gestured to the chair across from his desk.

“Thank you for coming, my friend,” he said as Dezo’s heart rate increased.

“Is this about the Germans?” Dezo asked as he fought to keep his voice even.

Gellert nodded his head slowly. “Our national leaders had been close to Hitler since he took power. They wanted him to get back some of the lands we lost when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up after the Great War. We got our land, but at a price. Since Stalingrad and other battles, we’ve lost tens of thousands of Hungarians. Some of our leaders have been trying to find a way out of our alliance with Germany.”

Gellert had been Dezo’s friend since childhood. They’d grown up in the same small neighborhood in Budapest, but the war changed everything. Gellert Balogh rose to power and Dezo Alder had been placed on the Jewish list as Hungary became an Axis Power. Dezo lost his standing in the community and he’d been forced to close the doors to his family’s art gallery. They’d gone from being a prosperous family to a poor one. However, Gellert had saved him more than once. He kept Dezo and his family safe from deportation and forced military service. Dezo’s oldest son, Elek, had been forced into manual labor but at least he was still able to live at home.

Dezo hoped Gellert was going to tell him Hungary had changed sides in the war. That they’d negotiated with the Allies. That help was on the way. However, the resignation on Gellert’s face told him that hope was futile.

“Hitler found out about our attempts to reach out to the Allies. The Germans are here. Hitler’s troops are moving toward the city as we speak. I’m sorry, dear friend. Your family’s name is on the list of prominent Jews that will be turned over to the SS when they arrive. They’ll be here within the hour. I tried to get your names off of it, but not everyone in my office is sympathetic. I can no longer keep you safe from being transported to Auschwitz. If you don’t escape Budapest, you will most likely be taken away. Take Rozsa and your children, dear Elek and Sandor, and get to Switzerland as fast as you can.”

Dezo felt the impact of the words reverberate through his whole body. He stood on wobbly legs as Gellert handed him a thick envelope. “Papers to help with your escape. I don’t know how long you can get away with using them, but I had to try. I’m sorry, dear friend.”

Dezo took the envelope and then shook his friend’s hand. “Thank you. I will always remember your kindness.”

Dezo tried to walk from the building calmly. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself even though he wanted to tell all of his people to run for their lives.

He heard shouts in the distance. The earth shook as the road was filled with German military vehicles and tanks rolling through the outskirts of town on their way to downtown Budapest just a short distance away.

Dezo stopped walking and stared in horror as people on the street clicked their heels together and raised their arms into the air as the troops drove by. Dezo was in grave danger. His family was in danger. His people were in danger. He couldn’t depend on anyone but himself now. He patted the papers in his pocket and picked up his pace.

“Papa!” Sandor yelled the second Dezo unlocked the door to their gallery. They’d been forced to sell their house in a well-to-do neighborhood for a small fraction of what it was worth and had moved into the small apartment above his family’s art gallery—a gallery that had been in his family for generations that he was now forced to abandon.

Dezo’s throat tightened as his wife and son ran into his arms.

“We saw Nazis,” his wife cried into his neck.

“Rozsa, where is Elek?” Dezo asked of their fifteen-year-old son.

“He’s working down by the river,” his wife responded. “Dezo, what’s going on?”

“We’ve fallen to Germany. Gellert can’t protect us. He gave us fake