Page 84 of Winter’s End

“The American.”

Zoe turned in her seat. “The American airman is teaching you to shoot?”

“Yes. “I have become quite proficient…” Her voice trailed off…

“Proficient enough,” she said, finally, “to save Jacob’s life when the ex-fil-tra-shun failed…”

Zoe stared. “The exfiltration – ?”

Evi slid back in her seat. “Now, we are even Steven, Jacob said…We have each of us helped to save the life of the other…”

Zoe detected something more in Evi’s voice. “I see,” she murmured.

“But how can you be sure, Evi,” Mila said, “that this Beekhof family will take you in? For them it means another mouth to feed, and who knows how long it may be until – even if the barge can be rescued…?”

Evi’s voice was firm. “MevrouwBeekhof is a kind woman. She likes me. She will understand.”

A short silence.

Zoe placed a hand on Mila’s wrist. “Evi has been through the gates of Hell today, Mila. I think we need to do as she asks.”

Mila took a moment, then sighed softly. “Where, precisely, is this farm?”

...

It was dark, but Evi clearly knew the way. She guided Mila to a near-hidden driveway just off the main road. A long, graveled driveway them led them to a modest structure. Zoe could see a dim light inside, but the farmhouse was otherwise dark.

“Come,” she said to Evi. “I will take you to the door. Mila?”

“There is no point in overwhelming the family, Zoe. You go. I will wait.”

Evi did not wait. She hurried to the door, knocked urgently. Zoe heard a dog barking.

“Slowly, Evi,” Zoe whispered. “We do not wish to alarm them…”

“Who is there?” she heard after a moment.

“It is Evi,” the girl said, leaning into the door. “Evi Strobel.”

Another moment.

The door slowly opened. A woman stood against the light, a wary-looking Shepherd huffing at her feet. She looked between the two women. “Evi…?”

Evi began to cry.

The Shepherd quieted, bounded through the doorway, and nudged his snout under Evi’s hand.

The woman looked at Zoe, seemed to take her measure. Then she turned to Evi and opened her arms wide.

MILA

It was well past the dinner hour when Mila returned home. She parked the Daimler in its place in the garage, wondering what, if anything, could be done to rescue the ill-fated Strobel barge and bring it home. Everything Evi owned in the world was aboard it…

The front door was open when Mila tried it. She would just have soon gone straight to her room, but she was not surprised to hear her father call out.

“Mila, is that you?”

Sighing, she hung her coat on a peg and walked into the dining room, relieved to see that only her parents sat at the half-cleared table.