The chief began sorting through the files again.

His men had a raid planned for tomorrow morning. It was routine. Nothing more than rounding up those identified in normal investigations of factory personnel files.

But something he had noticed here stuck with him. He was certain it bore a connection to the rabbi.

A word he had seen mentioned on one of the documents… what was it? Yes—there it was!

He grabbed up the single sheet of paper with the group of names listed on it—Luddoff… where had he heard that name before? Here it said he was thought to be one of the network’s organizers. Further, the report indicated that if any of these newly discovered workers were contemplating flight, the fellow Luddoff would likely be involved. It was sure to be a code name, the report said, but it was all that had been discovered thus far.

Where had he heard the name?

He continued to pace back and forth, more rapidly now.

A moment more… then suddenly he stopped. His eyes shot wide open in remembrance, then his right fist slammed into his left hand with triumph.

Of course! It was the little weasel he had killed in Warsaw! He’s the one who had said the name Luddoff while he was beating him. He’d thought nothing of it then. He was only after information concerning the rabbi’s treasure, and he had hardly paid attention to anything else.

What had he said? He could remember nothing.

Whatever it was, there had to be a connection between the professor and the fellow Luddoff. A fact which linked Professor Wissen to this area, right here to Wloclawek!

If Luddoff belonged to the escape network, he had to be involved with the rabbi! There could be no doubt. Either the rabbi had already passed through his hands, or soon would!

Luddoff might hold the key!

He grabbed up the papers again, scanning them now with breathless anticipation. If some of these factory workers had indeed contacted the network, he couldn’t risk letting them slip through his fingers. It might be his only chance to lay his hands on the fellow Luddoff… and the rabbi!

Tomorrow might be too late.

He would order the arrests of all these people tonight! He would question them, beat them, do whatever it took to learn the whereabouts of Luddoff!

Still clutching the papers, the section chief ran from the room, shouting orders to two men in an outer office, then raced outside and to his car.

He would supervise this series of raids himself.

62 Flight in the Night

62

Flight in the Night

They were close behind them!

“Run, run!” cried Jakob.

Across the long, desolate field they flew, Ulrike a few strides in front of him, all four of his limbs about to collapse from the weight of the two children he held, one in each arm.