Ollie’s knee buckled. His ankle gave out, and he toppled to the ground with Dietrich pouncing on his chest. His ligaments strained, and his injured shoulder was about to pop from its socket. He struggled to use the blade. But Dietrich, like a rabid dog, bit into Ollie’s coat sleeve. Incisors ground into his flesh. Pain flooded his arm. And he dropped the blade.

Ollie’s jaw snapped back as Dietrich, with his one good arm, landed a punch. Dazed, he clawed for the blade.

Madeleine screamed. She pounded her fists against Dietrich’s back.

The Nazi jammed his elbow into Madeleine’s torso. Her high-pitched cries were gagged as air rushed from her lungs. She collapsed, clutching her stomach.

Dietrich rolled off of Ollie’s chest. Initially, Ollie thought the Nazi had found the blade and was preparing to sink it into his skull. Instead, he saw Dietrich scrambling like a crab. A few feet away, the pistol.

Ollie dove. He seized Dietrich’s leg.

The Nazi stretched his arm. His fingers inched toward the weapon.

A jackboot smashed into Ollie’s cheek. His vision turned black. He struggled to clear the fog in his head and realized that Dietrich was out of his grasp. It’s over, he thought. A few seconds was all the Nazi needed. He expected to hear shots ring out. Instead, a high-pitched yelp. He raised his head and saw a trail of gauze in the yard. And Dietrich with the blade protruding from his back. Standing over him was Flight Lieutenant Boar.

Dietrich flung his arms. Twisted. Turned. But couldn’t reach the blade, placed like a harpoon between his shoulder blades.

Boar tackled Dietrich onto his back, sinking the blade deep into his body. The Nazi screeched.

Boar gripped Dietrich’s neck. His forearm muscles flexed as he cut off the man’s air.

Dietrich kicked. His legs weakened. A foot twitched. Then his body went still.

Ollie crawled to Madeleine. “You okay?”

She nodded; blood and dirt smeared her face. Louis nuzzled her side.

Boar released his grip on Dietrich’s neck, then stood over the body. “Fools,” he said with his back to Ollie. “You risked our lives for a bloody pig.”

“He was gonna shoot her,” Ollie said.

The lieutenant turned.

The first thing Ollie noticed was Boar’s missing bandages. The second, the lieutenant’s eyes. One clear and alert. The other dead, like unpolished alabaster.

CHAPTER 40 - EPPING, ENGLAND

CHAPTER 40

EPPING, ENGLAND