Smuggle Trouble – Chapter 3 & 4 14 November, 2011 at 12:00 pm
He was sitting at his heavy oak desk leafing through pages of figures when there was a knock on the door and his secretary entered.
“Your body double is here to see you sir.”
“My body double?”
“Yes sir. It surprised me. I knew you were an important man, but I didn’t think accountancy was dangerous enough to warrant such security precautions.”
He sighed, closed the ledger he was working on and looked at his secretary.
“Can you show my brother in please?”
After looking like a primary school child trying to understand advanced physics, the realisation dawned on her. It then took a patronising gesture before she actually did as she was told and showed in his visitors.
Victor walked in.
“What’s wrong Victor?”
From behind him appeared a girl and Victor shut the door behind them.
“Why are you both here? I thought I said we’d meet at Freedom Square?”
“We didn’t want to risk the name being ironic.”
“What?”
“Just kidding, we were ready early so we thought we’d go down with you.”
Lukasz got up with a sigh and walked unsteadily with his ledger to the bookcase.
“But that wasn’t the plan. Everything should be as arranged, deviations introduce additional risks, everything is planned to minimise the dangers at every possible stage.”
“Sorry,” Victor paused. “do you want us to go?”
“No, no, you’re here now, sit down while I finish off.”
Victor put his hand on the small of Clara’s back and led her to one of the chairs at the desk.
“There, take a seat dear, you ok?”
“Yes thank you, I think crossing an office will be one of the easier parts of the journey.”
“look,” said Lukasz, “if you want to bail out, now’s the time to do it. You won’t get the chance again.”
“We can’t risk staying, this is probably our last chance to get out. And having the baby here could draw too much attention.”
Lukasz gave his brother a hard look, glanced at Clara, then just said, “Fine.”
Moving papers and books around his office, he continued, “I’ve just got to finish off a few things then we can head off.”
Victor and his wife mumbled their accord.
Lukasz picked up a heavy book and wedged it under his arm so he could leave one hand free to support himself on the table.
“Do you want me to help?” offered his brother.
“It’s fine, I can manage” said Lukasz before promptly proving the statement correct, but not convincingly so.
His Journey back to the desk seemed more convincing with less wobbling but still some teetering.
The guests stared at him but politely looked away when he glanced over. Victor strolled around the room idly browsing the shelves. Clara sat playing with a paper-clip from the desk.
“Would you mind just sitting still and keeping your hands to yourselves?”
It wasn’t long before Lukasz ushered them out of the office and locked it behind them.
“Lukasz!” came a stern voice from the biggest office in the building.
“Sir?” He gave his brother an accusing glare.
“That’s the last time you bring friends to your office isn’t it.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes sir.”
They made their way through the street as briskly as they could manage without looking suspicious. Victor looked at his two companions and let out a slow “Oh.”, as he realised how it does indeed draw attention when a heavily pregnant woman is struggling to walk next to a gentleman who is also struggling to walk and relying heavily on his cane.
They approached the meeting point, and as they rounded the final corner they were expecting to see a van and a family of Jews.
And they did.
It was the other things they saw that they didn’t like.
The van was swarming with armed soldiers in military uniform, the family were all standing against the outside of the van, with Lukazs’ driver standing handcuffed with the Nazis.
“Quick! Get back!” Victor benefited from being the only one with full mobility and was desperate for his family to join him hidden around the corner they had just came from.
Clara and Lukasz just froze as the machine guns opened up and the family and the van became riddled with holes. The van was the only one that stayed up.
They managed to find movement as a soldier was approaching them advising that would be precisely the wrong reaction.
As they got round the corner, Victor caught his brothers shoulder, put something in his hand and looking straight into his eyes said,
“Take this car and get my wife out of here.”
“No! You’re coming with us!”
“Someone needs to slow those guys down, and you’re the smuggler, the best one to get my wife to safety, now go!”
Victor walked out and looked back at his wife, “I love you” and walked towards the Nazis with his hands raised.
As Lukasz led Clara away, they heard a gun shot.
Chapter 4
“What’s your report Sargent?”
“Aside from the family and the driver, we also had a runner. Came out of nowhere and then ran. He wouldn’t stop so one of the privates shot him.”
“Do we know who he was?”
“No, we’re trying to find some clue now, but he doesn’t have any papers on him.”
“Find out, he could be the organiser of these smugglings. Where did the tip come from?”
“Someone who knew the family, apparently they were saying too many goodbyes.”
“Do we know where they were heading?”
“Roughly. The driver said a man named “Lukasz” was going to give the exact details when he leaves, but somewhere towards Geneva he thinks. But he’s a bit of a mess. Hanzou! Bring that man over here!”
“I’m just a taxi driver, I haven’t done anything wrong! I didn’t know they were Jews I just met with a guy named Lukasz on Tuesday night and he told me to wait here… That’s him! That’s the man that arranged it!”
“Shoot him, he’s obviously a sympathiser and has no more information. Sir you’re lucky you were with us Tuesday, otherwise his inane ramblings may have started an investigation.
