The Iron Storm by CW Browning (best fiction novels to read .txt) 📗

of a war that was getting increasingly closer by the hour. She couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying.

“We’ll think of something,” she said, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you in Paris to your fate.”

“Here it is,” Josephine sung out, coming back into the kitchen flourishing an envelope. “All signed, sealed and ready to be delivered.”

“I really appreciate this. Thank you,” Jens said, taking the envelope.

“It’s quite all right. You give that to Marcel and he’ll take care of everything else.”

The sound of a door slamming and voices in the house made them all look towards the hall. Footsteps came down the corridor quickly and then Marc entered with a bag in his arms, Luc close behind.

“It’s as I feared,” Marc announced, carrying the bag over to the counter. “The German troops have broken through the Ardennes.”

“Completely?” Evelyn asked, staring at him.

“Completely. They’re at Sedan, or they will be by late afternoon.” He turned to face them, his face grim. “The unthinkable has happened.”

“Well, they still have to cross the Meuse,” Josephine said after a second of stunned silence. “Our army will stop them from doing that.”

Luc snorted. “What army? They’re all in Belgium!”

“But we must have divisions at Sedan,” she said, looking from Luc to Marc.

“The only division we have is inexperienced, and is positioned behind Sedan. They won’t be very effective, if at all,” Marc said. “I think we need to prepare for the fact that the Germans will be in France in the next day or so. And once they’re in, there’s absolutely no defense between Sedan and Paris. They will be in Paris in a matter of days.”

His words fell heavily over the group and Evelyn swallowed, her heart sinking. It was happening, then. Despite all their warnings, and all the intelligence they’d gathered, Hitler was still moving into France at lightning speed. Blitzkrieg.

Josephine looked at her, her face white. “If you’re going to get to Paris while it’s still safe, you need to leave,” she finally said, her voice strained. “You still have to stop in Marle on the way.”

“Surely you don’t think they will go right through Sedan that quickly?” Jens asked. “It will take time to cross the Meuse!”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Luc muttered. “They made it through the Ardennes forest in three days. I don’t think a little water will stop them now. Our army certainly won’t.”

Evelyn was startled at the note of bitterness in his voice and she glanced at Marc to find the same look of disillusionment on his face. They were disgusted with their army, and there was no reason to be yet. The Germans hadn’t breached Sedan, or the Meuse, or crossed into French territory. Yet they were behaving as if the SS was already in Paris.

“Come on, Jens,” she said, gulping down the rest of her coffee and pushing her chair back. “Josephine’s right. We need to be on our way while we still can.”

“I put a bag of supplies into the backseat of your car,” Marc told Jens as he stood up with Evelyn. “There is food and water, and a bottle of wine. It will be more than enough to get you to Paris.”

“Thank you so much,” Evelyn said, smiling at him warmly. “You really shouldn’t have, but we’re very grateful.”

Marc looked uncomfortable and shrugged, looking away.

“Josephine told me what Jens is trying to do. We look after our own,” he said brusquely. “Just take care of yourselves.”

“We will.”

Josephine got up and hugged Evelyn. “Don’t stop. Just get to Marle, see Marcel, and then go straight to Paris.”

“Of course.” Evelyn pulled away and looked at her friend. “What will you do?”

“We will stay here until we can no longer do so,” she said with a shrug. “If Sedan falls, we will go to Marc’s uncle, and continue. The fight must be fought, and we will continue to do it. You understand, I know.”

Evelyn nodded and reached out to squeeze Josephine’s hand.

“Until next time, my friend,” she said with a smile before releasing her hand and turning to pick up her purse from the table.

“God speed to you,” Marc said, holding out his hand. “I hope to see you again in better days.”

Evelyn smiled and grasped his hand. “Then you shall.”

Jens said his goodbyes and a moment later they were crossing the small garden at the back to go around the corner of the house to the car.

“They are extraordinary people,” he said in awe. “I’ve never known any more doggedly determined people in all my life.”

Evelyn looked back at the farmhouse as they reached the car. The sun was getting higher in the sky as the morning wore on, bathing the house in a yellow glow. She smiled sadly and then looked at Jens.

“There is nothing so extraordinary about them,” she said. “They are fighting for their country and their freedom. Thousands of others are doing the same, yourself included.”

“I betrayed my country to help yours, and now my country is overrun,” he said, opening the door so that she could get into the passenger seat. “I’m not fighting for anything.”

“Oh but you are, Jens. You gathered information to help the fight against tyranny. You’re not wielding a gun, but never doubt that you’re fighting for freedom just the same.” Evelyn got into the car and looked up at him. “Whether you planned it or not, you just joined the ranks of Josephine and Marc. You’re one of them now. Never forget it.”

Marle, France

Eisenjager stood across the street from the house in Marle, watching it dispassionately. He’d arrived in the small town late in the afternoon the day before to find it boasted only one café. There was no question of trying to gather useful information from the people there, as was his custom. In towns of this size, there was no point. They wouldn’t talk to strangers, especially ones who were foreign, even if he did pass for Swiss. The best he could do was to was