“Come, both of you,” she helped them back to her wagon and covered them with blankets.
Although it was against the rules to start a fire in the campsite, among the Romany these rules could sometimes be over looked. As long as the fire was kept very small and did not send smoke up into the sky, no one complained. Nadya started a low fire outside of her wagon to help warm the men. Christian was too tired to argue with her about building the fire so close to camp, and so he just sat beside the smoldering wood, not questioning her judgment.
Next Nadya went to the river and returned with plenty of fresh water. Both men drank their fill. Then she gave them dried meat, which she had left from Christian’s last hunting trip.
“Now I will put up a soup.” She took the kettle and hung it over the fire. “In a few hours you will both have hot food to eat.” Then she put a bottle of the cherry liquor that the gypsies love in front of the men.
As she busied herself cutting the vegetables and placing them in the cauldron, Christian reached out and took her hand. He held it firmly in his own, and then rubbed it against his lips and cheeks.
“God, how I missed you... When I thought that I would die, it was only the vision of you that kept me alive. Nadya, my darling, my love...” Although he was unbelievably tired, Christian stood and took her into his arms. She felt the fire rise within her, and she longed to lie with him.
Then remembering her brother, Nadya gently loosened herself from Christian’s grip and walked over to Ion. With a warm hug she welcomed him back.
Shmul saw the fire and the footprints in the snow. He followed the tracks to Christian’s vurdun. “Welcome back. We’ve all been worried about you.”
Ion nodded.
Shmul continued, “The Polish resistance has been here almost every day. I think they got word of a problem that you incurred on the mission, and they were concerned for your safety. They also mentioned that they need all of our men to help them with another project that they have in the works.” Shmul reached over and drank from the bottle of liquor.
“What problem? What happened? Tell me, Christian…” Nadya asked, her eyes filled with concern. The rest of the kumpania had been careful to keep all bad news from Nadya until they had confirmation on what was fact and what was just rumor. So, until now, Nadya had heard nothing of what had happened on the mission.
“Nadya, please, it’s all right. I’m here now…Ions here now, and everything is fine,” Christian patted her hand, annoyed with Shmul for talking so candidly of the dangers he’d faced in his wife’s presence.
“It’s not fine… I was terrified. I haven’t slept since you left. I was so worried,” Nadya glared at him.
“I know love… I’m sorry to have put you through all of this, but Ion and I were never in real danger,” smiling, he glanced over at Ion who smiled back at Nadya.
“Don’t smile at each other like that. You think you can fool me? I am nobody’s fool. I can just imagine what happened. And as for future projects in the works…I have had enough, Christian. I can’t go on like this. Please promise me that you won’t be a part of this new mission Shmul is talking about, whatever it is.”
“You know that I can’t make a promise like that. But let’s see what they have planned, and we’ll decide together from there. I’m very tired. For now, please, darling…let me enjoy being with you. I have yearned for this moment.”
“Shmul,” Christian turned to him annoyed. “Please, we have just returned. Let’s talk later.”
Shmul realized that he had made a mistake by opening the conversation in Nadya’s presence. “Of course. Get some rest and then, when you are feeling up to it, we will speak again.”
Nadya glared at him as he left the wagon. “Shmul cares only for his missions. He has no feelings for what we might have to risk. I hate him.”
“No, you don’t, darling. Shmul is a good man. He is just filled with anger and hurt because of what was done to him. His entire life is devoted to defeating the Nazis, to punishing them.”
“I know. But why does he need to get you involved? Why can’t he just do it himself?”
“Well, darling, there are a lot of reasons. But mainly it has to do with how I look. But let’s not talk about this now. Let’s be happy, please? Forgive Shmul; he doesn’t mean us any harm.”
“I forgive him. Right now I could forgive the devil himself because I am so relieved to have you home.”
“Shmul is not quite that bad.”
“No, he isn’t,” she smiled.
Ion was tired. “Why don’t I take Hanzi to spend a few hours with your friend Devorah. I am sure she won’t mind. Then I think I will go back to my own wagon and get some sleep. Wake me when the soup is ready?”
“Thank you, my brother.” Nadya said, and she kissed Ion’s cheek.
“Come, Hanzi… Would you like to find Lil and go for a visit with your aunt Devorah?”
“Yes…very much, Uncle Ion,” the child smiled.
After they left and Christian and Nadya were alone, she undressed him. His body was covered in bruises and scrapes. Tenderly, she kissed each one, until even in his advanced state of exhaustion he could not resist her. He took her into his arms and held her, just cherishing the very feel of her. With one quick motion, he pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the side. They held each other tightly, crying and laughing at the same time. Their souls locked together, joining as one as they lay in the warmth that generated between their naked bodies. Unable to be so close to Nadya without the passion rising within him, Christian began to kiss her ears, sucking on her earlobes. With soft butterfly kisses, his lips grazed her neck; then they moved down to her throat and her shoulders. He licked her skin, tasting her…drinking her in. Christian worshiped her breasts with his lips and tongue. He ran his hands through her hair and up and down the smooth velvet of her skin. When his fingers found their way to her womanhood, she gasped with wanting. Although the hunger to be inside of her almost consumed him, he forced himself to slow down, and gently manipulated her clitoris until she climaxed so hard that her hips rose up. “Oh Christian…I want you inside of me,” she whispered in his ear, and he felt the electricity shoot through him as his hard throbbing manhood ached to fulfill her needs. He moved to get up on one knee, but she pushed him back down. “No….this time…let me.” She got on top of him and slid him inside of her. Now he touched places within her body that she never knew existed, filling her totally…completely. He reached up and held her tiny hips with his hands. Then he began to move beneath her, slowly at first, but then harder, with more intensity, and she thought she might die of pleasure. The wetness of her love rained down on him as she reached her orgasm. When her insides gripped on to him, he shot his warm life force inside of her. She wanted to hold him there forever, safe inside of her body. But once it was done, she fell upon his chest, spent with the effort of their love. Christian held her tenderly as their sweat mingled together.
“I love you... God knows, how I love you,” he said, squeezing her tighter as she lay touching his skin wondering quietly what she would have done if he had never returned.
Chapter 46
Another flurry of snow fell upon the forest that night, hiding the evidence of Ion and Christian’s footsteps as they’d walked toward the camp the previous day. In the morning, the white powdery substance was fresh and virginal as the Polish Resistance entered the camp. They spoke with several of the others who informed them that Christian and Ion had returned only the day before. Tapping lightly on the door to Christian’s wagon, they summoned him to come out. The sound awakened Nadya, and she tossed her shawl about her shoulders, following them, while Hanzi and Lil slept soundly.
Ion and all of the others were already outside. A pot of strong coffee was brewing over a fire that should not have been burning so close to the campsite. Slowly the partisans were forgetting the attack and slipping back to their old ways. Still, they kept the fires small and the smoke minimal. The large evening fire was still
started far away from the campsite. Taking a cup of the steaming brew for himself and one for Nadya, Christian sat on the ground cross-legged in the snow. He wished Nadya had not awakened to witness what the Undergound had come to discuss. It would only upset her, and Christian would rather have spoken with her alone concerning his part. But she sat beside him, quietly sipping her drink and waiting to hear what the Resistance was planning to propose.
“We are all so glad to see that you made it back, our brothers,” the leader of the Resistance said as he ran his hand through his mop of unruly black curls. Then he looked thoughtfully at Christian and Ion. “We got news of what happened. I am sad to say that there were a few casualties, but the good news is that most of our men who were with you on this mission escaped into the forests of the Ukraine and found their way to the safe house. They have begun preparing to implement the next phase of the project. They have located the SS officer and have been observing his routine. From this they will decide when the best time will be to take him,” the large Pole said and he took a cigarette out of his breast pocket and lit it. A thin line of gray smoke snaked up into the winter air. “I just wanted to update you on the progress of your last job; however, this isn’t what I came here to discuss with you.”
“Go on,” Ion looked at Christian who sat silently waiting…listening.
“For now that project is in the works and there is nothing at this point in time that we need you to do, we’ll see if the men are able to kidnap the Nazi officer. Until we are sure that they have him in custody, that mission is on hold. But we have something else that we think will be of interest to you.”
“No!” Nadya said. “There is nothing that my husband is interested in doing.”
“Shhh, darling, let’s listen to what the man has to say,” Christian said, and he patted her leg.
The Pole studied Christian and Ion as he spoke, “We have gotten word through our spies that there is a train that will be coming through Poland carrying over 300 prisoners. It is headed to Switzerland, where the prisoners will be put on work details until they are no longer needed, then they will be returned to the camps and executed. From our inside informer, we have learned that most of these prisoners are Romany, and therefore we thought this might be of special importance to you.” The leader paused and tossed his cigarette to the ground. He wanted to give the group a moment to digest what he had just told them. “This train is also filled with expensive stolen artwork. Our plan is to raid the train, free the prisoners and steal the goods. But in order to carry this out we will need all of you, every man here,” the Polish leader said, glancing at the faces that surrounded him.
“Do you have the time and date when this train is to come through Poland? And is it a reliable source that brings you this information?” Ion asked.
Still, Christian did not speak; he sat with his arm around Nadya, He was listening.
“We are very confident of the reliability of the source. The date that this particular train will come through is the twenty-second of April; we are hoping that the weather will have begun to warm up a little by them, but who can say for sure? It is to arrive at the Warsaw station at nine p.m. We plan to raid it just as it pulls in. It is a good idea to leave the women here at the camp when we go on this mission. They will only be in the way.” The leader lit another cigarette and waited for an answer.
“And you intend to take all of the men…and leave our women defenseless? I will not leave my wife alone here without protection. She is more important to me than any mission that you feel you must accomplish… You can count me out,” Christian’s voice was a threatening whisper. But when he spoke the entire group grew silent. With a dark stare, he studied the leader of the Resistance.
“I’m sorry, but your wife is just one person… Do you realize that the lives of several hundred people are involved?” the Polish leader explained.
“Don’t you ever speak of my wife in such a disrespectful manner; I will not have it. If you want my help, then you see to it that Nadya is never put in harm’s way. Do you understand me? I care for the movement as much as any man here, and as I have proven, I will work hard to see the Nazis defeated, but at no time will I sacrifice the woman I love for any cause.”
The leader rubbed the stubbly beard on his chin and considered Christian’s words. He found himself in awe of Christian’s strength and fortitude, and he believed that without the blond, the Aryan-looking man, the mission would not go as well. “Let me speak to my men.” The leader motioned all of the men of the Polish Underground to follow him to the other side of the camp. They were gone nearly fifteen minutes, but when they returned the leader made an offer. “I will leave some of your men and a band of partisans behind to protect the women. But Ion and Christian must come on this operation. They are the ones on whom we most depend. We will pay you well, and perhaps you will find some of your relatives and friends amongst the prisoners.”
Ion motioned to Christian, “Now we must talk alone.” He said to the leader of the underground.
“What do you think?” Christian asked.
“I don’t know; this last ordeal took its toll on us,” Ion said, his eyes grave.
“That it did…but what if your families are on that train? Of course, there is no guarantee, but we just may have the chance to free your parents. I have to do this…for you….for Nadya.”
Ion nodded in agreement, “So we begin again.”
“Yes,” Christian answered.
They walked back to the circle, “We agree to go on this mission,” Ion said. He turned to his own band of freedom fighters and looked into their faces. “Now, who will follow?”
Ion’s entire group stood up and offered their allegiance. They all had the same secret wish. Maybe, just maybe, someone they knew or loved was on that train.
Nadya glowered at Christian. He felt a pang of pain in his heart knowing he’d upset her, but he could not walk away from this mission.
Chapter 47
“I don’t care that you’ve managed to secure protection for me, Christian. When is it enough? When will this be over? I can’t take it anymore. The worry when you are gone is driving me out of my head,” Nadya growled as she paced the floor of their wagon. Christian sat watching her…helpless.
“Three hundred lives are in my hands. They say that many of the people on that train are Romany. How can I turn away? They could be your parents,” Christian said. She cast a long, angry glance at him. Then she sat down on the bed beside him; the fight drained out of her as the tears filled her eyes. “Oh, my sweet precious love, these are very hard times we live in. I would die for you, but would you love a man who was a coward? If I don’t take this job and later I find out that your parents were on that train, I would never forgive myself. And I don’t think you would feel the same about me,” he said as he put his arms around her.
“I would because you would be alive,” she said, but even as the words slipped from her lips she felt guilty, and she whispered under her breath, “Mama, papa, forgive me.”
“I know, I understand how you feel, but if someone doesn’t act against them, then the Nazis will go on forever. Every time we sabotage them, they grow a little weaker. I’m begging you to understand why I must do this,” Christian said as he kissed her hand and rubbed it softly with his thumb.
She looked away from him. Why must she decide between the people she loved the most? “It could be my parents on that train…you’re right. And what if it is?” Nadya said and her shoulders slumped.
“Yes…and perhaps they are praying for a miracle…for someone to come and to liberate them from this Nazi hell. I must help Ion…together we must do what we can,” Christian said.
Nadya took his hand and held it to her cheek. She felt how rough his skin had become from the freezing temperatures on his last mission.
Then he took his free hand and lifted her chin gently, holding her face as he gazed into her eyes. “I need you to forgive me for making you worry. I would never do it inten
tionally. And most importantly, Nadya,” his voice cracked. “Please…you must promise to never stop loving me,” he said. The sincerity she saw in his face unnerved her, and she felt her stomach drop.
“I could never stop loving you, Christian….never.”
He gently kissed her lips, still holding her face in his palm.
“Even if you do look like a German,” she said as she smiled through her tears.
They both laughed, but the laughter was not born of joy or mirth, but of sadness and undying love in the face of horrific circumstances.
With his hand cupping her hair, he laid her back on the bed and began kissing her. She reached up and pulled him down beside her.
“My beautiful wife,” he whispered as he stroked her face. “Sometimes I look at you and I cannot believe you are real and that you are really mine.
“I am yours…always and forever,” she said.
Chapter 48
Later that evening an old gypsy woman arrived at Christian and Nadya’s wagon. Her wiry gray hair was pulled back into a long braid covered by a blue and green bandana. The wrinkles on her weather-worn skin seemed to tell the story of where she’d been and what she’d seen. She carried a black velvet bag.
“Come here,” she commanded Christian.
He walked over to her, shooting Nadya a furtive glance.
“You are wondering who I am?” the old woman said, and she smiled.
“Yes, actually I was,” Christian answered, as he could not recall ever seeing her before.
“I am the magical woman, and I have come to bless you before you go on this harrowing journey.”
From the bag she took a small vial. Then, sprinkling a liquid over Christian, she said a prayer for him to regain his strength quickly from his last mission and to return safely from the dangerous job he’d recently agreed to undertake.
“Thank you for your well wishes, Mother,” Nadya said. “May I give you some dried meat to take back to your vurdun?”