Then he crosses his arms over his uniformed chest, his posture as sturdy as his tone. “Lastly and not negotiable: You will be escorted by a seasoned agent whose separate assignment shares the vicinity of your destination. Also fluent in Dutch, he is well versed in navigating Holland. Thus, rendezvousing with a contact, he’ll acquire more details and areas to target. Integrating your insight, of course. He shall then observe covertly whilst you attempt to lure out the lieutenant.”

So my deduction was right; Arie is indeed in the Netherlands. But I know nothing else.

“Furthermore, at the close of your allotted time, whether or not you succeed, you shall be handed off to a courier to guide you along an escape line, which I must warn you carries its own set of taxing risks.”

If he’s trying to scare me off, it’s going to take more than that. “Colonel,” I venture, “could you just tell me how long I’ll be given once I arrive?”

A strident ring breaks in. He turns to the candlestick telephone on his desk and lifts the receiver and mouthpiece into place. “Colonel Crockatt.”

Inside me, pressure compounds from all that’s still unknown. I’m a balloon untethered, lacking an anchoring string to keep me from drifting away, from bursting.

“Most certainly,” he says. “However, wait one moment to put him through.” He muffles the receiver against his chest. “That will be all, Miss Vos.”

I straighten in my seat. “First my question, sir. About my timeline in Holland.” Aware I’m bordering persistent and obstinate, I hasten to add, “Please.”

He huffs a breath, deliberating, before the creases in his forehead soften. “I want you returned to safety in minimal time. Not accounting for return travel from the Continent, you will have a week for your mission.”

Already I feel the ticking of the clock. “Colonel, respectfully, with settling in and snooping about, just getting the lay of the land in a foreign area, seven days is scarcely anything.”

“On the contrary, it already surpasses my level of comfort. I shall remind you, the territory is highly dangerous and this is not your field of expertise.”

“But, sir—”

“The alternative, Miss Vos, is to not go at all.” His gaze, solid if not steely, makes clear what I’ve assessed from day one: he’s not the bluffing type.

I gather myself and rise from my chair. “A week will do, sir.”

Chapter 46

Once more, I begin a new life.

In preparation, when asked about my parents’ Dutch roots, I’m embarrassed to confess I know next to nothing. Papa must have mentioned their village or province at some point, but he was never one for nostalgia, and in my youth, I didn’t think to prod or commit such things to memory. Now it’s a regret that leaves me further unmoored.

But no matter. I’m quickly reinvented.