Page 25 of Under a Sunburnt Sky

11

Nacha chewed the end of her fingernail nervously.She scanned the alley one way then the other, looking for any sign of police or Gestapo.But no one was around.Many families in the area had heard about the raid earlier that day.

They’d rounded up around fifty boys from the neighbourhood and taken them away in trucks.Everyone else was holed up in their apartments, grieving the loss.Nacha didn’t know what to think.They had to talk to Waltrina, Jan’s mother, about what had happened, and she wasn’t looking forward to their conversation.

They’d communicated early on with Waltrina through Jan that if something should happen to him to meet by the wall in the marketplace.So, Nacha and her cousin Jakob had paced the area for an hour in the cold and dark as soon as the sun went down, waiting for her to show up.

Finally, they heard movement against the wall.A scrape and a squeak, and Waltrina’s pale face showed above the barbed wire.

“Nacha,” whispered Waltrina.

“I’m here.”

“Is Jan with you?”

Nacha swallowed.“No, the Gestapo took him.”

Waltrina gasped and covered her mouth with one hand, the other steadying the wobbling ladder.“No.”

“Walter was with him.They took dozens of boys at once, but Walter managed to escape, and he told us what happened.He’s in hiding with his family for now.”

Waltrina raised her chin.“Do you know where they took him?”

“No, but it was Meisinger.Walter saw him.”

“TheEinsatzgruppen,” murmured Waltrina.“Thank you, Nacha.Go home now and stay safe.”

“What will you do?We have to do something.”Nacha couldn’t bear to be locked inside the ghetto.She wanted to run after Jan, to chase down the truck that drove him away from them.What if he was gone forever?She hadn’t said goodbye.It wasn’t possible that she’d never see him again.

Waltrina scanned the marketplace on either side of the fence, then leaned closer.“I’ll bribe a guard.They like diamonds and jewels.I’m a trader.I can find whatever I need easily enough.”

“Will it work?”

Waltrina sighed.“I don’t know, but I have to try.Meisinger is a cold-hearted killer, but perhaps one of his underlings will be open to a gift.I’ll get in touch when I can.But if you don’t hear from me, know that I’m doing everything I can.You should go home to your father.He’ll be worried.”

Nacha waved goodbye to Waltrina and met Jakob’s gaze.He blew on his bare hands in the darkness, his breath a fog of steam in the cold air.

“What do you think?”he asked.

She grimaced.“I don’t think.I hope.”