Chasing Down Secrets (7 page)

I stand, slowly, that is when it happens. A burning sensation rises from my stomach and I feel the acid coming up my throat before I can stop it. Then the contents of my stomach are on the tree trunk. There is a quiet ringing in my ears and the whole forest begins to spin. I sit back down, cautiously, waiting for a second round to start. But I seem fine. I have no idea what caused my sudden upset stomach. I haven’t eaten anything odd. Then I realize something. It’s been a month. Where is my period? I counted and recounted, I should have gotten it last week. Now I am puking. It can’t be possible. Am I pregnant? I need to see a doctor to know for sure, but I do appear that way. I look down at my stomach, it is barely there, but I can see a slight bulge more than a month ago. There is no way I have been gaining weight, I have been living off of berries that I find on bushes. Everything fits together and if I am then I need to find Emmett more than ever.

My eyes grow heavy as the rain begins to lighten up. I try to come up with a plan but my thoughts are one jumbled mess and soon enough I am sleeping.

The only sound is the heavy falling of my bare feet on the soft ground. I keep sprinting past the same clutter of trees, which makes me suspect that I am going in circles. There is a sense of familiarity to this part of the woods.

Then a new sound comes, long and irregular breathing. Immediately, I know.

“Emmet!” I wail, lunging into the bushes.

The moment my feet leave the ground I am trapped, suspended, in air. My eyes light up with a crazed look. And then I see him. His blue eyes barely open from the swelling. He is shirtless and blood trickles down his once perfect chest. His teeth are coated in a fine layer of red liquid. His face is cold.

“You like that?” The Nazi says teasingly into Emmett’s ear. A paddle is in his left hand. Emmett smiles a bitter and emotionless grin. I have never seen him so ugly.

“Oh, come on, you need to be a little more fun to provoke.” He continues dropping the paddle and picking up a rope and grabbing Emmett’s hands. He harshly ties them to a wooden pole that was in the middle of the clearing where they are camping. He ties Emmett to the pole in a way that forces him to kneel on his knees. Why isn’t he fighting?

“If only your sweet Maria could see how of a coward you really are.” The disgusting man laughs showing off his crooked yellow teeth.

“I’m the coward?
You
tied
me
up. I could take without the rope.” Emmett retorts.

“I should just kill you right now. At least you would be with that filthy Jew again.”

Emmett’s breathing quiets for a moment like he is contemplating something. Then he spreads his arms wide snapping the rope. He stands up slowly and grabs the soldier’s throat.

“I feel bad for you, Faxon.” I see Emmett’s hand begin to tighten and then a shot sounds and his arm goes limp, his whole body does. I hear the thud as he lands on the ground.

Then I am running towards him. My hands on his face, my head on his chest searching for a heart beat but I am greeted with silence. I can feel his body growing colder as I lie there. Any life left is hidden under the surface slowly being drained out of his handsome body.

And then I am falling into a black abyss.

I wake to a sharp pain in my leg and look down to see blood. I look around only to notice I am not in the woods anymore. But I am in a house.

“You’re lucky I found you. Lightning struck a tree by you and a branch fell and landed on your leg. I checked for any broken bones but it’s mostly a nasty cut and a bruised leg. What’s a pregnant girl doing in the woods by herself? You should be at home with your family.” A middle aged man says walking into what appears to be the living room; he has sandy blonde hair and eyebrows to match. His eyes are a vibrant shade of hazel and he has laugh lines next to them. His hair is in the process of balding I can tell by the way it thins out at the top. He has a lean build and easily surpassed Emmett in height.

So, I am right. I’m pregnant, pregnant and on the run and alone.

“Are you a doctor?” I ask numbly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How is my leg?”

“It’s like I said, you’re lucky. The bone is bruised and the sharp end of the branch cut you pretty well. But after resting it you’ll be good as new.” Except what he doesn’t know is that I will not able to rest for a while.

“Thanks you for your hospitality, but I really must be going.”

“Going? No, I don’t think you heard me right. I said you gotta rest, so you’re gonna rest.” His tone takes an ugly turn and lands somewhere between vile and grating. His eyes pierce into mine and they give me an unsettling look. I instantly feel something is very off here. He notices to and quickly composes himself, “You can’t be walking around in the wilderness when you are carrying life. Come, I will make us some tea.” I am hesitant to agree but figuring he is probably right and that I would rather take my chances with him than a Nazi, I give a slight nod of the head. My auburn curls bouncing lightly around my waist.

An hour later we are sitting around a table sipping tea by a fire. I have learned his name is Alvin Sommer.

“What is your husband’s name?” Dr. Sommer asks suddenly though I do not recall saying I have a husband.

“Emmett. Emmett Ritter,” I sigh after a moment of quiet.

“That is a strong name. What does he do?” What I want to know is why he is so interested in Emmett.

“He’s a soldier.” I murmur softly.

“So, where is he now?” His tone is a little colder than before.

“At home, I suppose. I should be too; it was lovely to meet you.” I say hastily suddenly feeling frightened.

“You’re husband, is he a generous man?” He asks in a harsh tone.

“Yes.” My tone has a hint of a question to it as I stand slowly. He takes two long strides towards me and grabs my hair pulling me to him.

“Then he won’t mind sharing.” He whispers before kissing me. His mouth tastes of smoke and something else, something not sanitary. His tongue forces its way into my mouth and searches every crevice. My hands move along the table until I find a candle stick, I pick it up from the bottom and jab it into Alvin’s back. He cries out in pain and I feel a heat spread out on his back. I guess it is lit. He shoves me away and I see his back is enveloped in flames. I quickly chuck the candlestick and flee for the door. I get out just in time, the flames lick at the sides of the entire house. I see Dr. Sommer pressed up against the window like he is trying to open it, then he is still. I run as fast as I can until I hear an explosion. Had I really done that?

When I get far enough away I notice the rain has stopped leaving a damp wind in its place. I don’t know where to go. So, I go to where my feet take me. I don’t make it very far, only about a mile before my leg starts to throb and I have to sit down.

That’s when the panic sets in. My breathing is shallow as I start to hyperventilate. Tears leaving tracks down my cheeks as they travel down my face. A painful sob escapes between my chapped lips.

My shaky hands clutch at my stomach and the wind whips at my face causing my cheeks to splotch. I lie down on my side, my knees held firmly to my stomach. I squeeze my eyes shut to prevent the heavy flow of tears, but it doesn’t help. I am there for hours, my head starting to ache as my cries die down.

I know I have to move but I can’t get my limbs to listen to me. So, I stay that way, the hours stretching on and on. I have never felt this helpless in my entire life. I feel more than that, though. I feel violated and dirty. And used. I feel weak. I can’t protect myself in a house let alone the wilderness. Who am I fooling by continuing this charade? No one, that’s who, well no one other than myself. I have been the biggest fool to believe this would work. It won’t and now I am lost and have nowhere to go.

The night swallows up the woods and all of the evil creatures that hide in the day will come out and try to get me. Well, they will have to get in line. Before I go to sleep I make a decision. I am nervous about it but nothing is changing my mind. I am going back to camp.

Chapter Nine:

I wake up before the sun. My leg is almost back to normal so I decide to start walking. I don’t know where I am walking to; it has always been Emmett who knew where we are going and where we have been. Now I am left to guess. I walk until the sun rises then sit to rest my leg. I am just standing up when the nausea hits me. I doubled over as my insides spilled out of my mouth. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth but it is something I have to get used to. Now that I was pregnant I could expect to throw up a lot. It isn’t the puking I have a problem with so much as the dizziness I feel afterwards. I have to clutch the tree as black dots scatter across my vision. I take deep breaths trying to calm my beating heart.

That is when I see him. I am positive it was him. Even through my hazy vision I can tell. Emmett. He is walking towards me. I try to straighten myself and look presentable. He doesn’t have a scratch on him. And when he treads past me I feel my heart fall into my stomach. He hasn’t so much as looked at me.

“Ah, there’s the man!” A person croaks from behind the bushes; male by the sounds of it. “Have you got what I asked for?”

“Not yet, sir, but I will.” Emmett’s voice is strong, not so much as a quiver to prove he has been mistreated.

“Remember, this will benefit the both of us. Hitler has lost his touch. You and me together, we will be the new face of the war. But, I need you to find out where he is staying.” I have figured out it is the Nazi who took him; Faxon, I think. “Or do you not want that anymore?”

“You know I do. It’s just been more difficult than anticipated.” I can’t believe what I am hearing.

“Don’t tell me you’re still looking for that girl. You said she was dead anyway.”

“She is and of course I’m not, I’m over it. And her,” my insides lurch at the detached sound in his voice.

“Good, now I have to leave. Go back the way you came and don’t talk to me again until you’ve found where he resides.” I hear him walk away and the only thought that I can register is no. No, no, no, no, no. This cannot be happening. This whole time I have been worried sick about him and he has moved on. Emmett starts to walk back, again not paying me any notice, until I grab his wrist.

“How
dare
you.” I say my voice slicing through the silence, “you just
moved on.
I’ve been looking for you since the day he took you. Worried
sick
thinking they were hurting you. Only to find out you’re perfectly fine. You’re helping him. To do what, I don’t want to know. You make me sick.” I let go of his arm, refusing to meet his gaze. I turn to leave when I remember something, not that I care whether or not he knows. I just want to give him one last thing to regret before I walk away forever, “I’m pregnant, by the way. I wasn’t sure if I should be excited but seeing you made my feelings
very
clear.” And with that I hobble off, my leg still tender.

“Maria,” Emmett calls his feet pounding the ground to meet me where I have stopped and stand, dumbfounded. “Let me explain.”

“Explain? Explain what? How you
left
me! In the middle of nowhere! I thought he had killed you! I couldn’t sleep without having nightmares about the ways you were being tortured!” I pause for a breath, the rain starting to pour, before continuing in a louder voice than before, “Do you have any idea what you put me through? And what do I get? Lost in the middle of nowhere and a gross old doctor trying to stick his tongue down my throat! But I put up with it because I was trying to find you! Why are you looking at me like that?” His eyes have lightened up and he is trying to hide a smile. I am going to say more, going to tell him how hurt I am. Make him wish he never met me. But he stops me by pulling me close to him and kissing me. I try to fight it. I squirmed under his grasp, but when it comes to Emmett I was putty in his hands. And that is never a good thing.

After he pulls away he stands still, his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes. I want to move away. I want to walk away and never look back but something holds me there, to him. I try to hate him. I try to convince myself I can do better. But it doesn’t work. Finally, I pull away.

“I’m doing this for you.” He whispers after a moment.

“For me? Leaving was for me?” I can feel my throat closing up as tears threaten to surface. I refuse to show him that. I refuse to let him win.

“If they’re busy trying to get rid of Hitler they won’t go after you.”

“That doesn’t explain why they need you.” I try to sound nonchalant.

“I’m trying to keep them from finding you. I have to pretend like I don’t care or they’ll find you and use you to get me to do what they want. When this is all over, we’ll be together. I promise. There’s not enough soldiers to fight him, they’ll loose. No one wants Faxon to have control, even if he killed Hitler the only thing he’d do is end the war. If he’s dead everything will go back to normal.” He sounds sincere.