Excerpt
A Daughter's Promise
Serene’s heart pounded as she peered around the silent restaurant, alive
hours earlier, but now masked with an eerie paleness. The room and her
life would never again be the same. She whisked off the wetness around
her eyes, sucked in a daunted breath, and remembered her purpose.
“Are you all right?” She hoped her English was still understandable.
No response from the American.
Leaning a little closer, she gently placed her hand beneath his, finding it
warm and moist with life. “Can you hear me?”
Still nothing.
“If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”
Serene checked behind her. She unbuttoned his coat, soaked in warm
blood, and slid her hand inside, relieved to feel at least a slight rise and
fall to his chest.
“I want to help you, but not now. I have to go, but-- I’ll be back. Can you
hear me? I’ll be back.”
“Halten Sie.” Boots clicked toward her on the stone floor.
As she let go of the American’s hand, the slightest pressure passed her
fingertips. He'd heard her.
With a jump backwards, she snatched the light brown knit hat from her
pocket, and spun around on her platform shoes. Smiling through quivering
lips, she waved the hat in the air and started to walk by the soldier. As she
reached him, he blocked her with his arm, and slid the tip of the gun inside
her blouse, resting it at the center of her breasts. Slowly, he moved it
downward,her buttons popping rhythmically, one by one, dropping to the
floor like pebbles.
His steel gray eyes probed every inch of her.
Serene opened her mouth to scream, but he slammed his hand over it and
pushed her flat against a wall, pressing his thighs against her. Her body
coiled in retaliation as the reek of whiskey sent quakes of fear running up
her spine. With his heated eyes, he dared her not to move as he fumbled
for his trouser zipper, using his other arm to hold her.
As he began to peel away her flesh-colored stockings, a shot startled the
restaurant walls. The German tensed, his eyelids flickered for a moment
before he fell, knocking her to the ground and drawing a smeary line of
thick blood down the length of her beige coat. Serene shuddered, gasping
for air and struggled to get free from beneath his body.
The sound of another pair of boots clicked toward them.
A second blast.
The other German dropped to the ground. Serene cupped her ears
against the sound, turning her head toward the source of the shots. She
met the American’s eyes, clear, blue, determined, as if they hadn’t seen
her at all. He dropped back down, smoke still smoldering from his rifle.
“Serene!” Anna ran through the front door, followed closely by Franci.
“Help me get him -- off me.”
Franci rolled the heavy body partway off Serene and helped pull her legs
free. She immediately crawled to the soldier, her shredded stockings
dragging behind.
With his eyes closed, his hand still clutched the gun. She rubbed the side
of his face, doing nothing to stop her sobs of gratefulness for this stranger.
“We have to take him with us,” she said, half to herself and half to the
others.
Anna shook her head no. “We must go before more come.”
Serene’s gaze darted to the soldier, and then back to Anna. Fear and
determination lodged in her belly, threatening to kill every ounce of logic
she was holding onto.
“Then you have to go alone.”
A Daughter's Promise
Serene’s heart pounded as she peered around the silent restaurant, alive
hours earlier, but now masked with an eerie paleness. The room and her
life would never again be the same. She whisked off the wetness around
her eyes, sucked in a daunted breath, and remembered her purpose.
“Are you all right?” She hoped her English was still understandable.
No response from the American.
Leaning a little closer, she gently placed her hand beneath his, finding it
warm and moist with life. “Can you hear me?”
Still nothing.
“If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”
Serene checked behind her. She unbuttoned his coat, soaked in warm
blood, and slid her hand inside, relieved to feel at least a slight rise and
fall to his chest.
“I want to help you, but not now. I have to go, but-- I’ll be back. Can you
hear me? I’ll be back.”
“Halten Sie.” Boots clicked toward her on the stone floor.
As she let go of the American’s hand, the slightest pressure passed her
fingertips. He'd heard her.
With a jump backwards, she snatched the light brown knit hat from her
pocket, and spun around on her platform shoes. Smiling through quivering
lips, she waved the hat in the air and started to walk by the soldier. As she
reached him, he blocked her with his arm, and slid the tip of the gun inside
her blouse, resting it at the center of her breasts. Slowly, he moved it
downward,her buttons popping rhythmically, one by one, dropping to the
floor like pebbles.
His steel gray eyes probed every inch of her.
Serene opened her mouth to scream, but he slammed his hand over it and
pushed her flat against a wall, pressing his thighs against her. Her body
coiled in retaliation as the reek of whiskey sent quakes of fear running up
her spine. With his heated eyes, he dared her not to move as he fumbled
for his trouser zipper, using his other arm to hold her.
As he began to peel away her flesh-colored stockings, a shot startled the
restaurant walls. The German tensed, his eyelids flickered for a moment
before he fell, knocking her to the ground and drawing a smeary line of
thick blood down the length of her beige coat. Serene shuddered, gasping
for air and struggled to get free from beneath his body.
The sound of another pair of boots clicked toward them.
A second blast.
The other German dropped to the ground. Serene cupped her ears
against the sound, turning her head toward the source of the shots. She
met the American’s eyes, clear, blue, determined, as if they hadn’t seen
her at all. He dropped back down, smoke still smoldering from his rifle.
“Serene!” Anna ran through the front door, followed closely by Franci.
“Help me get him -- off me.”
Franci rolled the heavy body partway off Serene and helped pull her legs
free. She immediately crawled to the soldier, her shredded stockings
dragging behind.
With his eyes closed, his hand still clutched the gun. She rubbed the side
of his face, doing nothing to stop her sobs of gratefulness for this stranger.
“We have to take him with us,” she said, half to herself and half to the
others.
Anna shook her head no. “We must go before more come.”
Serene’s gaze darted to the soldier, and then back to Anna. Fear and
determination lodged in her belly, threatening to kill every ounce of logic
she was holding onto.
“Then you have to go alone.”
