The women were recovering from their shock and had begun to crowd forward.

“You’ll want to keep clear, ladies,” said the marine nearest them. “Give the doc some room.”

The little girl ran forward and slapped the trembling Japanese commandant in the face. A few of the women shouted encouragement. Captain Francois advanced on him, slipping another clip into her pistol.

“Honey,” she said to the girl, “stand aside.”

The child did as she was told.

“You know what, I don’t really give a fuck what your goddamn name is.”

She snapped the gun up and fired three rounds into his groin. He spun into the ground, screaming and jamming his hands into the bloody ruin between his legs. Francois let him lie there for a while longer before she shot him in the head.

She holstered her weapon and scooped up the girl. As they passed Duffy and Ivanov, Julia heard the surgeon whisper.

“C’mon precious. Let’s get you a hot bath and some chocolate.”

The child spoke for the first time.

“I like chocolate.”

As tears welled up in the surgeon’s eyes, she hugged the bony child to her.

“Of course you do, darlin’. Everyone loves chocolate.”

Chapter 43

43

USS HILLARY CLINTON, 1512 HOURS, 25 JUNE 1942

When the news came, Kolhammer was in his stateroom and very much looking forward to the moment when the safety of this convoy was no longer his concern. He had nearly thirty-eight thousand liberated prisoners under his care and despite the best efforts of the medics, they were still dying at the rate of nearly a hundred a day. Captain Francois told him that was better than they could have expected, given the terrible conditions in the camps, but Kolhammer prayed that they wouldn’t lose too many more.

He hadn’t spoken to the combat surgeon about the incident at Cabanatuan. There were rumors that things had gotten way out hand in there just after she’d turned up. But Kolhammer had personally spoken to half a dozen of the camp’s female inmates and none of them said they could recall anything untoward happening.