Page 76 of Tides of Resistance
She was about to bang him on the head again and go for his throat with her bare hands like they had taught her in combat training, but the door clicked open, and they both turned.
‘Step away from her now or you die,’ commanded a deep German voice.
CHAPTER 44
Before Lizzie realised what was happening, Heinrich pulled her in front of him like a human shield, and only then did she see the formidable figure dressed in German naval uniform, his gun trained on Heinrich.
Lizzie blinked. If it weren’t for the unmistakable timbre of the voice, she wouldn’t recognise him in the shadows.
Heinrich yanked her hair so hard she cried out involuntarily. ‘So, this is who sent you to trick me? Well now, you will both pay,’ he snarled.
Lizzie kept her eyes on the figure in the dark blue tunic and cap and listened to him bark another instruction in German. It crossed her mind that she might be hallucinating. The beating Heinrich had given her must have rendered her unconscious.
Could Jack really be at Seagrove, disguised as German naval crew?
‘If you try to shoot me,shedies,’ Heinrich said, his voice cold and his hand steady as the cold metal of his gun pressed against her temple. ‘Put your weapon down and you might even save the whore.’
Fury whipped into Jack’s black eyes as he moved a step closer. Lizzie held her breath, and her legs trembled. Her lifewas in the claws of Raven and Eagle. It was as if she had always known it would come down to the ultimate battle between good and evil, and she would be caught in it.
Terror that Heinrich would shoot Jack galvanised her out of her stupor. She must help Raven. At that second, they heard a door open at the far end of the room. Another figure dressed in German naval uniform appeared in the doorway, and in the split-second Heinrich was distracted, she used all her strength to escape his grip, ducking and signalling Jack to take the shot.
A bullet raced through the air and hit Heinrich cleanly in the forehead. Jack didn’t falter for a second, his aim was precise. The SS officer’s gun flew out of his hand and toppled onto the burgundy carpet as his heavy frame crumpled. Jack pulled her to safety before he fell on Lizzie, who was crouched in front of him.
The other figure in naval uniform entered the room, and Lizzie recognised Fabian, but words failed her. Jack bent down to check Heinrich’s pulse and nodded as he sought her eyes. Waves of relief reverberated through her.
The nightmare was over.
Jack reached for Lizzie’s coat and covered her trembling, naked body as her legs gave way, and she fell into his arms gasping for breath. The shock consumed her, and she clung to Jack, sobbing as he stroked her tangled, blood-smeared hair, trying to soothe her.
He held her steady against his chest and whispered, ‘You’re safe now, darling. I’ve got you.’
His calm voice and strong arms cocooned her, and gradually brought her back to herself as she searched his face.
‘How did you get here?’
‘There’s no time to explain,’ Jack said. ‘Let’s get you dressed. We must leave immediately before someone realises what’s happened.’
Fabian exited the room, and Jack helped Lizzie step gingerly into her clothes, her bleeding, bruised body smarting and throbbing all over.
‘I’m sorry we don’t have time to clean you up now, but we need to get out of here, my love.’
Lizzie nodded. ‘My coat!’ she said as they were about to dash out of the room. ‘It’s got the camera in it.’
Turning back for the coat she had discarded on the chair whilst she dressed, she approached Heinrich’s motionless bulk lying awkwardly on the carpet. The Eagle’s glassy grey-blue eyes stared up at her, bulging and lifeless, outsmarted by the legendary Raven.
The vision would be etched in her brain forever, and she shuddered as she looked down at him, unable to drag herself away from the horror of the scene.
‘He was dead before he hit the ground,’ Jack said. ‘If we had more time, I would have made him suffer for what he did to you.’
Lizzie tore her gaze away from the dead Nazi, who had beaten her and was about to violate her if Jack hadn’t saved her. Her legs were still shaky, and Jack returned to steady her, taking her hand and guiding her firmly out of the room.
As they moved through the grounds, Lizzie saw the inert bodies of the two guards. Jack and Fabian tugged them off the grass and into the shadows at the side of the house.
‘At least they won’t find them at first glance. It will buy us some time in case we missed anyone on our way in,’ Jack said.
It was late, and the silver moon shone high in the dark sky as the spring tides rippled across Portelet Bay, whispering on the rocks and washing over the golden sand. Jack picked Lizzie up in one swoop and deposited her gently into the patrol boat.
‘How the hell did you get your hands on this?’ she asked.
