“I stay and fight for France,” she murmured to herself as she forced her body up and stood, hand on her heart, filled with the most overwhelming sense of purpose.

The war has only just begun, and I have nothing left to be afraid of. There is no one else left to lose.

Elise secured her bag over her shoulder and started to walk. She was going to join the underground movement, not just for Adelaide and Harry, but for everyone who’d lost someone to the Nazis. She wasn’t going to stop until all the Wolfgangs in her beautiful country were either dead or facing the justice they deserved.

And it was a promise she was prepared to keep.

“Vive la France,” she whispered as she looked toward the inky-black sky.

Vive la France.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX CATE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CATE

Cate didn’t have time to mourn for what she’d left behind. The little boat was battered by waves as they moved into deep water, and she clutched Oscar tight under one arm, the other holding the side of the boat to stop her falling in. But it was Jack who worried her. His groans grew deeper every time the boat slapped down, and she feared that he wasn’t going to make it. She’d thought he was healing so well, but now she realized he’d been hiding his pain from her, knowing there was nothing else she could do for him. And after walking for so many hours without stopping, the exertion had been too much. Again.

They were so close, but Jack was almost out of time.

“Here we go. Nice and steady.”

Out of nowhere, a huge ship appeared out of the darkness, and their little boat bounced beside it. She watched in amazement as the man next to her flashed his light three times, and someone on the enormous ship returned the signal.

“Watch your heads!”

She looked up, ducking as something that looked akin to a coffin was lowered over the side. The men around her scrambled to get Jack in, and she only wished she could go up with him; but it seemed the next one was for her, and she carefully got in, not releasing her grip on Oscar.

“They’re not letting you take a stray on board a hospital ship.”

“Just you watch anyone who tries to stop me,” Cate said. Anyone who tried to get her to throw Oscar overboard was going to have to throw her with him, because she was taking the dog back to England with her, no matter what anyone said.

The box lurched and banged against the side of the ship before moving upwards into the air, and Cate buried her face in Oscar’s fur, whispering to him as they moved, inch by inch, until they were suspended over the hulking boat and then guided down to the deck.