‘Everything that the doctor can do is being done, Sibbie. He has limited resources, but he has set Paulo’s leg. Paulo needs an operation, but that isn’t possible. Hospitals will be searched, once they know you are free. But Paulo is strong. If he survives this, we will request that you are both air-lifted out. But in any case you will be, I promise.’

‘Oh, Uncle Arnie. Take me to Paulo.’

Once she was lying next to Paulo, Sibbie put her hand out towards him and touched his arm. Paulo didn’t stir. ‘Get well, my darling. Please get well.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The South of France

Marjie

As soon as Gisele had left, Marjie instructed that they strike camp.

‘Where are we going?’

‘I think we should move west towards the Pyrenees, Louis.’

‘It is where we should have gone in the beginning. The mountains will give us more protection, but back then it was the terrain of the communist freedom-fighters and there was a lot of aggravation between us. But since the British agents have united us and we all work together now, I don’t see any objection.’

‘Thank you, Louis. Now, there’s a lot to carry, but we can only take a backpack each.’

André spoke then, taking charge. ‘First, we must roll the tents; and you, Marjie, must dismantle the radio. Then we must destroy everything that has been built here, and scatter it so that we leave the area looking as if it is untouched.’

‘It is still too much for so few of us to carry. I’ll go to my father’s farm and borrow a tractor and trailer. I will bring some straw bales to hide everything beneath.’

‘That’s excellent, Louis. Well, let’s get to work. There’s not much daylight left, and André and Ethan will have to leave by eight to pick up the truck to collect Gisele.’

André had told Marjie that they kept a small, old truck stored at one of the safe houses. If challenged, the two men would pass themselves off as workmen whose job it was to clear ditches. They would say they had to be in Perpignan early in the morning. Once on the border with Spain, Gisele would be on her own. She, and all those who lived close by, had sneaked through on many occasions when they were youngsters. Marjie remembered her brothers doing it once and having a wonderful adventure. They’d caught the train to Perpignan and then followed a mountain route to Spain. She felt confident that Gisele would be in Spain by tomorrow morning.

By noon the next day Marjie and her companions had reached a safe house, very near the mountains. Here they had agreed to wait for André and Ethan to join them. Marjie couldn’t wait to hear that Gisele was safe.