I hit the ground with a thud and filthy water splashed up all around me, soiling my stockings and dress. I had smelled the sewer many times from above ground. Nothing, though, could prepare me for the choking stench that filled the air here, a thousand times worse. The reality of Sadie’s existence sank in then and I was horrified. How had Sadie lived like this every day for months? I should have done more, insisted on getting her out sooner.

There was no time to wonder. I had to find her. I started down the pipe in the direction from which she always came. It was not such a small pipe, I realized with relief, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I had imagined sewer tunnels to be narrow, like bigger versions of the pipes in bathrooms, almost too small to fit through. But this felt more like a corridor and I could see that the rounded roof was tall enough for me to walk under without bending. I put my hands out on either side for balance, grimacing as I touched the slimy walls.

Farther down the tunnel there was a divide in the path. I tried desperately to guess which way Sadie might have come from. I felt certain that if I took a wrong turn, I might never find my way back. More to the point, I could not afford to waste time getting lost.

At last I heard voices in the distance, one familiar. “Sadie!” I cried aloud. I forgot to speak softly and I was unprepared for the way my voice echoed down the pipe. I hurried toward her.

As I rounded the corner, a figure blocked my path. “Saul...” I said, recognizing him. He was carrying an odd assortment of metal poles and a tarp.

He dropped the things he had been carrying and they fell to the floor of the sewer with a clatter. “How did you find us?” he asked. Last time I had come here, I had brought Krys and the munitions and danger with me. To him, I would always be an outsider, not to be trusted.

“I knew the direction Sadie went to and from the grate,” I replied. “At the end, I followed your voices.”

His brow furrowed. “We should not let ourselves be so easily heard.” I dreaded telling him that it was beyond all of that now, that the Germans would soon know they were here regardless of how quiet they were. “You are alone?”

I nodded. “Take me to Sadie, please. It’s very important.” I should tell him now that we needed to leave, but I was not sure how he would react and I didn’t want to say anything until I saw Sadie.

There was a break in the tunnel wall, leading to a small alcove. Before I could walk in, Sadie’s tiny frame appeared in the doorway. “Saul, where were you? I was so worried. Is everything all right?” He did not answer her. Then she saw me. “Ella?” Her voice was warm but full of surprise. “What are you doing here?”