As Ruth’s voice trailed off, Cate turned slowly and looked back at the injured soldiers, all thinking they had a chance at survival now they were in a hospital. But she could see now that they were little more than a target.

“Surely they’re not so close yet,” Cate said, focusing her attention back on Ruth. “We were assured they were some way off, at least a day or more. You’ve seen them with your own eyes?”

Ruth nodded, backing away slightly, like a cornered animal. “I’m with the ATS, I’m a telephone operator,” she said. “We were amongst the last to be evacuated, and when the order came it was too late. We all had to make our way as best we could to the beach, but there’s no way they’re going to get us all out of here in time. It’s impossible.” She shook her head. “The Germans are only a mile or so away, maybe less.”

Cate touched her hand to her chest, feeling her heart as it hammered away. She took a slow, deep breath, knowing she should be attending her patients instead of talking to this woman. But she managed to block out the shallow groans and cries of the troops behind her for another moment.

“What are you saying?” she asked. “That we don’t have any time left?”

“I’m saying you need to go, and you need to go now,” Ruth said. “It’s every man, and woman, for themselves.”

Cate stood and watched as Ruth backed further away down the hall, not able to take her eyes off her.

“Run!” Ruth yelled, as gunfire echoed outside, so close that Cate half-expected to smell the gunpowder in the air. “You need to go now!”

Panic threatened to paralyze her, but it was a sudden surge of fear that made her lurch forward as shouts and more gunfire became audible from outside. Ruth had been right: they weren’t just coming—she was guessing they were already well and truly here.

Cate ran to the door, bustling past orderlies who were making their way in with more patients. Only it wasn’t the enemy who caught her eye, but Lilly. She would have recognized her blonde halo of hair anywhere.

“Lilly!” Cate screamed. “What are you doing here?”

Lilly looked around. Cate could see that her face was blurred with dirt, and as Lilly gestured with her hands, wildly, she saw they were stained with blood. She only hoped it was someone else’s blood, not hers.

“Get Jack!” Lilly screamed. “I have space for one more!”

“What? Why aren’t you at the beach?”

“Had to come back for them,” Lilly called back, as another boom shook the chateau and made Cate duck. “You’re not the only one who can save lives, Cate Alexander!”