Page 40 of Taken By the Soldier
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JUDITH
Relief fillsme when five Zasforran soldiers, Gunnar among them, storm out of the meeting house. My eyes widen. None of the American soldiers have noticed them yet, as they’re too busy trying to force women into the truck.
I leave my place in the bushes and stand out in the open. When Gunnar spots me, he makes a waving motion at me, probably trying to order me to hide. But I know which houses still contain American soldiers and I feel like that’s useful information. If I can get to him without being spotted by the enemy.
All the air leaves my lungs.
The enemy. I just thought of my own people as the enemy.
I remember all the times I wished I could escape. I recall how scared I was when I first came to live here. But my opinion of this place and the Zasforran soldiers (including my husband) changed quickly, and now I consider this settlement my home.
I skirt around Harriet’s house and make my way over to Gunnar and the other Zasforrans. Relief fills me for one brief moment before worry takes over again.
“You should’ve stayed in the bushes,” he whisper-shouts. “If anything happens to you, Luka will string me up by my toenails.”
“Not all the American soldiers are at the truck,” I tell him in a breathless tone. My grip on the knife tightens as I glance over my shoulder at the chaplain’s house. “I saw a soldier enter Easton Phillip’s house and he hasn’t come out yet. I hope he’s not hurting Ainsley or her mother.”
He curses under his breath. “What else have you seen?”
“There’s still a soldier inside the Jones’ house, the Farmers’ house, and I saw two soldiers enter the Bittners’ house and neither have come out yet. The women and children who live in those houses must still be inside, too, because I didn’t see any of them run out into the open. I heard screams, though I’m not sure from which houses they came from. I’m sorry. I was trying to stay hidden and it was all so confusing and—”
“It’s all right, Judith,” he says, placing a hand on my arm. “You did well. Thank you for sharing that information with us. It’s helpful. Now, I need you to hide again so we can search the houses you mentioned and try to stop the truck before it pulls away.”
I spot a few large bushes in Harriet’s garden and point that way. “Got it. I’ll go hide there. But first, can you tell me if you’ve had any word from Luka?
“Yes, and he’s on his way. He’ll be here in a few minutes. Now, please go. Hide. And don’t come out until it’s safe.” He gives me a slight push and I run toward the garden, clutching the kitchen knife like it’s my most treasured possession.
Chapter25
JUDITH
I watchfrom my hiding spot as Gunnar and three other Zasforran soldiers enter the houses I mentioned, while the remaining two men keep watch over the truck from their own hiding places. I’m no military strategist, but I guess the two men are supposed to remain out of sight until the truck appears ready to take off, in which case they are probably under orders to use any means to stop it.
When I hear the rumble of trucks approaching, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Luka and his unit are returning. Thank God.
I long to see my husband and verify his well-being with my own eyes. I also long to wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze him tight. I want to tell him again how sorry I am about Isabell and Harlow, as well as how sorry I am that I never asked about his past. He’d probably lost parents, maybe even some siblings, during the attack on the Zasforr Islands too.
If we make it through this ordeal alive, I will stop trying to hold him at a distance. I will open up to him more and encourage him to do the same with me.
“Hey,” comes a strange voice. “Come on out, little lady. You belong in that truck, too.”
I jolt and glance to my left, where an American soldier is standing, his gaze on me. Shit. I’ve been spotted. I tuck my knife under my leg, hoping he didn’t see it.
“No thanks,” I say. “This is my home and you guys are trespassing. And you’re making a mistake. This isn’t the rescue mission you think it is. The women who live here are happy and consider this place home. You should leave. Now. Before you all get killed.”
He barks out a laugh and fingers the blaster at his waist. He’s not even holding it in his hand. He must not have heard the rumble of trucks headed this way. He must not have glimpsed my knife either. But when he steps closer and crouches down beside me, I detect the scent of whiskey on his breath and notice his eyes are hazy.
Drunk. He’s drunk off his ass. I wonder if his comrades are drunk too. They’re making a huge mistake, one that’s likely to get them all killed.
“The war will be over soon,” I tell him. “And when it ends, this land will officially belong to the Zasforrans.”
“Haven’t you heard yet? The war officially ended this morning,” he says with a sneer. “Thing is, we don’t agree with the terms of surrender. And we’re determined to kill as many Zasforran soldiers as we canandrescue as many American women as we can. We’re on a mission of our own. One last hurrah before we finally travel west.”
Wow. The war’s over? That might explain why Luka rushed off this morning. Hm. Or maybe not. He’d seemed worried before he ran out the door.
Before I can work up the bravery to pull a knife on this fucker, he grabs his blaster and aims it directly at my head. “A little appreciation would be nice,” he says with a sneer. “We’re risking our fucking lives to save you women.”
