Cindy Kay Stewart
Historical Christian RomanceUnending Hope Preview
Chapter One
Tuesday, April 9, 1940
Oslo, Norway
The wail of sirens jolted David Jensen awake. He pulled a pillow over his head, but the incessant bellowing continued, ratcheting up his heart rate to match.
An air raid alarm.
Why are the Norwegians running a practice drill in the middle of the night?
He groaned and flipped on the bedside lamp to check the time. One o’clock. He climbed out of bed in his fourth-floor room at the Grand Hotel and opened the curtains. The streetlights in downtown Oslo still burned despite the alarm. Hmm. This was not proper procedure. Then, all at once, the lights blinked off, as if a mighty hand had pulled a switch, dousing the city in total darkness.
The sirens continued, howling like a pack of hungry wolves in the night.
Something was afoot.
David and a few of his former high school classmates had converged on Norway for a wedding. Two days ago, Anne Johnson married Erik Olsen, an official with Norges Bank and the youngest member of the Norwegian Storting, Parliament.
David pulled a robe over his pajamas and entered the pitch-black hallway.
“David?” The voice uttering the call captured his attention, the same voice he hadn’t been able to ignore for the past five days. Hadn’t tried to.
“Right here, Natalie.” He couldn’t see her, but her nearness added to his already racing pulse.
Natalie Thompson hadn’t drifted far from David’s thoughts since the war began in Poland seven months ago. He’d missed hearing his name on her lips. He could picture her shoulder-length light blond hair, and her fascinating green eyes which always drew him in.
Farther down the hall, a door squeaked open. “Anyone out here?” Jonathan Huntwell was on the prowl. If anyone could discover the reason for this disturbance, he could. A flashlight beam parted the darkness, revealing Natalie standing near him.
David squinted at the light shining in his eyes. “Any idea what’s up, Jonathan?”
“I’m waiting on a return call from a friend at the embassy. Irena’s awake. Why don’t you two join us?” David followed Natalie and Jonathan into the room. Jonathan switched off his flashlight and opened the curtains that covered the glass-paneled doors to the balcony. Soft moonlight illuminated the snow-covered park across the street, otherwise, darkness greeted them. The wail of the sirens hadn’t stopped. How could anyone sleep with all that racket? With the sound of impending doom elevating their blood pressure?
“Do you think it’s a false alarm?” A hint of concern tinged Natalie’s words.
“Probably so.” David shrugged. “No need to panic. Norway’s a neutral nation.”
David remained at the balcony door, peering through the windowpanes at the darkened Storting building next to the park. He glanced back at Irena and Natalie sitting on the bed close together, their knees bent and arms wrapped around their legs. Best friends since high school.
After what seemed hours, the bellowing finally stopped. David rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. Everyone stirred. Jonathan flipped the switch by the door, but the room remained dark. The lights outside stayed unlit as well. Not a good sign. If Norway was under attack, they were all in trouble.
The telephone jingled, shattering the newfound quiet and shooting fresh adrenaline through David’s veins. Jonathan lifted the receiver. “Huntwell here.”
“Yes… Yes… They are?… Any indication why?” Jonathan’s voice intensified. “Yes, please do. We’ll be here.” He hung up and inhaled deeply. “Foreign warships are moving up the Oslofjord.” He cleared his throat. “No word on whose ships.”
Irena gasped. “What? No! Not here!” Her tone quivered. Last year she’d tangled with the Gestapo and the Luftwaffe in Poland and earned a place on the Nazis’ most wanted list.
Jonathan’s shadow moved across the room and merged with his wife’s on the edge of the bed.
“I’m so sorry, Little Katastrofa.” He sighed. “But these might be British ships on the Oslofjord, and they won’t fire on the Norwegians.” Jonathan’s compassion for Irena seeped through his words. The couple had nearly lost each other in Poland before they married six months ago.
Trouble seemed to follow Irena, landing her in unusual predicaments. While fleeing Poland with a carload of children, her automobile broke down, she twisted her ankle, and later, she nearly died of pneumonia. And these were only the recent mishaps.
David glanced at Natalie and shifted in his chair. Were the two of them intruding on the newlyweds’ privacy? But if he left, he might miss any news updates, and he’d definitely miss Natalie. Nope. No chance he’d go back to sleep anyway, so he would stay put for now.
Natalie moved to the end of the bed, close to David’s chair. Although shadows hid her face, she appeared calm, her normal unruffled self, which made her such a good fit for the American Red Cross. They were lucky to have her.
He and Natalie had tickets to fly to Amsterdam later that day. Then they’d board a train for Paris, where she would change trains for Bern, Switzerland. David was scheduled to return to duty with the French Red Cross as soon as he returned to France. It was no small miracle that he’d obtained permission to travel to Norway for the wedding. After the war started, the State Department stopped granting permission for U.S. citizens to move about Europe.
If those were German ships coming up the fjord to Oslo, he and Natalie wouldn’t make their flight today. The only planes flying would be those of the Luftwaffe.
David turned to Natalie. “What about your father? Should you call him?”
“I’ll wait until we know more. I don’t want to wake him if this is a false alarm.” As a leading official at the American Red Cross European branch in Geneva, Natalie’s father would learn about their situation soon, if they were indeed in a situation.
Regardless, before David and Natalie parted ways once again, he intended to spend as much time with her as possible. These past days were like old times. If only he could go back several years and change their last months together, Natalie would be his wife now instead of his ex-fiancée.
***
David’s voice held a hint of frustration. “I knew when Britain laid mines along Norway’s coast yesterday that Hitler would respond.” He paused. “But this has happened so quickly, it must have been planned long ago.”
Natalie moved away from her perch beside Irena so she wouldn’t wake her when she spoke. “Do we know these are German ships? Didn’t you say they could be British?” After all, David had said this earlier. When she neared his chair, he stood and offered it to her, then sat on the floor beside her.
He sighed. “I was trying to convince myself it wasn’t the Germans, but in reality, the British wouldn’t send their naval forces up the Oslo Fjord without informing the Norwegians.”
“David’s right,” Jonathan inserted, “and I’m sure if this is a German invasion, Hitler planned it before yesterday.”
“Yes,” David agreed. “The Germans need year-round access to Swedish iron ore for their war machine, and all of Sweden’s ports ice over in winter. So, the Swedes transport their ore a short distance by rail to Norway’s port at Narvik, which never ices over. The Germans ship it home from there.”
Natalie’s curiosity got the best of her. “Why doesn’t the port freeze?”
“The Gulf Stream carries tropical water along the country’s west coast, even above the Arctic Circle to Narvik and beyond.” Jonathan was well informed on matters of the sea since he ran the European branch of his family’s U.S.-owned shipping company.
David chimed in. “The British want to stop the Germans from using Norway’s inland waterways to transport the ore. It makes sense. The superior Royal Navy could attack and defeat the German Kriegsmarine if their ships weren’t able to hide in the fjords and were forced into the open waters of the North Sea.” David must have been paying attention to naval matters also.
Some time later, the phone’s shrill ring shattered the quiet again, and Natalie roused from where she’d apparently dozed off in her chair. David stirred beside her and rose to answer the call.
“Hello?… No, this is David… Erik! Have you heard about the sirens here and the foreign ships in the fjord? What’s happening?… No!” The dread David expressed in that one brief word brought Natalie’s heart to a halt and then made it beat again at a fast clip. Irena raised her head and sat up, so Natalie crawled up on the bed and joined her.
David’s tone lowered a notch. “Yes, yes, we can do that.” He pressed his lips together. “Yes, I’ll let them know… I’m so sorry, Erik… Yes, take care.” He dropped the receiver on its hook with a clatter.
“David?” Fear permeated Irena’s voice.
“Well, it’s bad.” He paused.
Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Jonathan emerged with the beam of his flashlight pointing down. “What’s going on? Who called?”
“That was Erik. The Norwegians sank a German battleship in the Oslo Fjord. The German navy has invaded every major port in the country… Norway is at war.”
“Nooo!” Irena’s agony spilled out, and Natalie hugged her. Irena had experienced the worst in Poland only six months ago, but Natalie had never been in a combat zone before.
Natalie pulled back and nodded at her friend. “Irena, you’re the strongest woman I know. You’ll get through this catastrophe the same way you did the last one.” Natalie was only responsible for herself, but Irena and Jonathan cared for five children who were at home in Bergen on the west coast of Norway. A young lady in their neighborhood was looking after them for the week. And if Natalie’s nursing instincts were correct, Irena was expecting a child of her own now. Natalie didn’t think her friend even realized it yet.
“That’s not all,” David continued. “The Storting won’t be convening across the street. They’ve been ordered to meet up north in Hamar. Anne’s going with Erik. The German Ambassador delivered Hitler’s demands to the Norwegian government, but they rejected the ultimatum. King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, and the cabinet are fleeing the city.”
“Oh, this is dreadful.” Irena’s voice cracked. “Will Erik and Anne be captured?”
“Not if they can help it.” Firmness gripped David’s tone. He lifted the phone receiver and, judging by the long rotation of the dial, called the operator. “Connect me to the Oslo East Station, please.” Good thing English was widely understood here. “Yes, yes, I will, thank you.” He hung up and tapped his foot.
“The telephone lines to the station are all tied up. We have to go down in person to get train tickets if we want to leave Oslo.”
Jonathan turned from the window where he’d been staring at something. “Several cars have pulled up outside the parliament building. I imagine they’re quite busy inside. What else did Erik say?”
“He encouraged us to catch the train to Sweden.”
Jonathan nodded. “Irena and I will return to Bergen and get the children.”
“Then what?” Irena’s voice trembled.
“We’ll find a way out of Norway from the west coast.”
It was imperative for Irena and the children to leave Norway as soon as possible, before the Nazis gained a foothold. Wouldn’t the Gestapo be surprised to discover them here?
Natalie rose from the bed and moved toward the door. “I need to call my father.”
***
“We should get ready. Change and pack. I’ll notify the others.” He shook his head. “Either they slept through all the ruckus, or they weren’t too concerned. See what your father suggests, Natalie. Let’s meet back here in thirty minutes.” David tipped his watch toward the moonlight. “At 5:45.” He opened the door and waited as Natalie hugged Irena.
Natalie, always a rock for others, had once been a rock for him too, but he’d lost her. Last night at dinner, Michael had caught him watching her across the room. As soon as they were alone, the dreaded question had come. “Why did you two break up?”
Yes, why indeed? She wasn’t willing to accept him as he was. Said he didn’t let anyone get too close, not even her. But people trusted him. And listened to him. Wasn’t that enough? David had shrugged at Michael’s inquiry, reluctant to share his thoughts with the man.
Now he could do what he did best. David weighed their options one by one as he hurried up the hall to inform their former classmates who were still in Norway of the danger. The others had left yesterday, but George and Michael had also planned to fly out today.
They couldn’t now.
None of them could.
Not with the Norwegians at war.
Chapter Two
At 5:45 AM, David led Natalie, George, and Michael to Jonathan and Irena’s room. They were all dressed for travel and had brought their bags with them.
Everyone was talking, so David raised his voice over the commotion. “Let’s look at our options. Natalie couldn’t reach her father in Bern. I couldn’t contact my supervisors in Paris. The operator said all international calls have been suspended by order of the government.”
“Oh, dear.” Irena turned to Natalie. “Wouldn’t your father tell you to leave as soon as possible?”
“Yes, but I’ll do what I need to. He wouldn’t expect anything less of me.”
David cleared his throat. “So, let’s discuss our choices. There are a couple of ways to exit the country. The border with Sweden is only 115 kilometers away, but we don’t know if Sweden’s safe.”
“Do any of you have visas for Sweden?” Jonathan inserted. “And getting out of there might pose a problem.”
“Maybe through Denmark?” George joined the conversation.
Jonathan nodded. “That’s possible, but the Germans may block the shipping lanes and sink anything that moves.”
David waved his hand. “You could also take a train to the west coast and leave by boat, which is what Jonathan and Irena are attempting to do.”
“None of my vessels are still in port, so we’d have to find a ship willing to take us out.”
Jonathan’s challenge irritated David. Although his points were valid, did he need to oppose every suggestion David made? All options might prove difficult, but they had to choose one. And he wanted to make sure everyone escaped in the safest way possible.
Light seeped into the room through the drapes, and David yanked one open. The sun rose so early this far north. A few automobiles passed by on the street below. The city was waking up. How long would it take for Oslo to fall to the Germans? Did the population even know their country was at war? Norway didn’t stand a chance against the strength of the German military machine. If the nation resisted, the results would be catastrophic.
Either escape option they chose could lead to a trap, but David was inclined to travel north. And his decisions usually proved accurate. “Okay, then. If the Norwegian government is going north, I think we should follow them. We could still head to Sweden later. Everyone agree? George? Michael?” He scanned the faces of his friends.
“I’ll stick with David. How ’bout you, George?”
George glanced at Jonathan and then eyed David. “I’ll go north.”
David had waited to question Natalie last. What if she went to Sweden? How long before he would see her again, if ever? He turned to her. Stay with me, Natalie. You won’t regret it.
She stared at him, questions in her eyes. He didn’t look away. She raised her brows, then nodded without saying a word.
“Then north it is—except for Jonathan and Irena, who are heading west. When the residents of Oslo discover what’s happening, there won’t be a seat left on any train leaving the city. Let’s check out and head to the station.”
***
Traffic was light on Carl Johanns Gate, Oslo’s main street, this early on a Tuesday morning. The sidewalks were clear of snow, but the icy wind burned Natalie’s face. She turned her attention to Jonathan and David, who carried the women’s luggage and traipsed ahead of them on their short walk to the East Railway Station.
The two men had been the best of friends in high school, although they’d often competed for attention. They had the type of iron-sharpeneth-iron relationship exemplified by their namesakes in the Bible. Both men were tall—Jonathan with dark hair and olive skin and David with blond hair and pale skin. The type of looks that turned heads in a crowd.
Both men were born leaders. When Jonathan married Irena six months ago, he’d become a fine father to the refugee children she’d saved from the Nazis. David’s strong confidence and his charismatic personality made it easy for others to follow him. He’d developed into a fine doctor with a bright future—one Natalie had walked away from, but not without grief for what could have been.
As they passed the Storting where the Norwegian parliament conducted its business, several automobiles pulled up and parked in the remaining spaces along the street. Men hopped out and dashed toward the building. What chaos filled the offices on this tragic day?
A different sight met them at the railway station. Taxis and buses jammed the road leading to the front doors. Inside, passengers formed long lines snaking around the lobby. Natalie’s stomach churned. She prayed two tickets would be available for Jonathan and Irena to leave for Bergen without delay. She and the others could wait if necessary. But not her dear friend Irena, whose life was most in jeopardy.
Natalie waited in line with David and the other two men while Jonathan and Irena joined a shorter queue. The lines grew longer as more people entered the station. How much time did they have before the enemy arrived? And how would the Germans first reach Oslo? By ship? By plane? Both? Tension rippled up Natalie’s neck, threatening to disable her with a throbbing headache. She willed herself to relax and take a few deep breaths.
Jonathan waved two tickets as he and Irena rejoined their group. “Our train leaves in thirty minutes.” He spoke with confidence, and Irena clung to his arm. He turned to her and touched her face, his eyes bright. Natalie squirmed. Would someone ever adore her the way Jonathan adored Irena? How wonderful that these two had fallen in love.
An announcement blared over the loudspeakers. “Eight o’clock train for Bergen now boarding at platform number three. All passengers for Bergen proceed to platform number three.”
Irena released Jonathan’s arm and cornered Natalie. Jonathan huddled with the guys and spoke in hushed tones. Irena bit her lip. “We won’t get to Bergen until this evening.” A tremor shook her body, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s not safe to ride the train. The Nazis bomb trains.” She opened her eyes and shook her head. “I saw what the Luftwaffe did to civilians in Poland. Natalie, I’m so scared.” Irena’s face had turned as white as a bleached sheet.
Natalie reached for Irena, and they held each other as if they might not have another opportunity this side of heaven. And they might not. Natalie pulled back and looked her friend in the eye. “You’re the bravest woman I know. What did you cling to last year when you thought you were going to die?”
Irena sniffed, and the corners of her mouth turned up a tad. “Psalm 139.”
“Which says?”
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
The Scripture did its work. Irena inhaled and squared her shoulders, now transformed and ready for battle.
“Natalie, what are your plans after you reach Hamar?”
Natalie pressed her lips together. “I haven’t decided.” She swallowed a few times. “I may stay and help if needed. I’ll see what David does.”
Irena’s face betrayed her thoughts. “I fear for you. German bombs and bullets don’t discriminate. You could be hit as easily as anyone.” She searched Natalie’s eyes. “Do you trust David?” Irena’s brows rose. “I know he’ll do his best to protect you, but can you trust him with your heart again?… Because I’m afraid that’s where this is leading.”
“I don’t know.” Natalie wanted to protect her heart, but that seemed of little importance compared to the great needs the Norwegian people faced. Learning what the government planned to do about the invasion would affect whether her services would be needed. If the country capitulated to the Germans right away, they might be spared destruction, but it would be so sad to see this beautiful country controlled by Hitler.
Natalie folded her hands together, while Irena watched her with an eagle eye. “If I find this is where I need to be, then my heart will have to behave itself. Besides, David hasn’t said he might stay in Norway.”
A half smile formed on Irena’s lips, and she squeezed Natalie’s hand. “After you find your way out of here, send a message through Jonathan’s London office. Let us know you’re safe.”
Natalie hugged her dear friend one more time. Jonathan shook hands with the men, but when he turned toward Irena, a troubled look crossed his face. The newlyweds would confront this newest threat together, and that comforted Natalie.
“Irena, you must eat on the train even if you don’t feel like it.” Natalie lowered her voice to a whisper. “I suspect you’re eating for two now.”
Irena gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes grew large. But there was no time to talk further. Jonathan had finished his conversation with the men and motioned it was time to go. Natalie had one more piece of advice, which she called out. “And get as much sleep as you can.” She waved at her dear friends, who were soon swallowed by the crowds.
Natalie turned to find David close behind her. She was tall, but he was taller. She had to raise her chin four inches to look him in the eye, but he spoke first. “It’s hard to believe we’re sending them off again in the middle of another war. Fleeing war-torn Poland was a big enough adventure for a lifetime.” Natalie nodded her agreement.
***
Natalie and her party obtained tickets for Hamar but had to wait an hour before boarding. Although a crowd had gathered in the station, panic had not set in. Yet. What did the people around them know?
David offered his arm. “May I escort you up to the restaurant? We should eat while we can. Who knows what will happen later.”
Natalie studied David. His eyes had a habit of drawing people in. She should know. But she was determined not to give in to their pull this time, not to let them draw her under their spell. Nevertheless, she would walk with him. They climbed the stairs to the Railway Restaurant, which was almost full. They found a table for two, and George and Michael located one across the room. Thankfully, power had been restored after sunup, and so far, the enemy hadn’t appeared. The aroma of coffee and fresh-baked bread comforted her. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled before heading to the koldtbord, smorgasbord.
Natalie filled her plate with smoked salmon, mackerel, a hard-boiled egg, cold sausage, sliced cheese, dried fruit, Wasa crisp bread, and a cinnamon bun—more than she usually ate for breakfast. She carried her plate back to the table, and David seated her. A perfect gentleman.
He eyed Natalie. “I’ll bless the food,” and he lowered his head before she had a chance to respond. “Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this food and bless it to the nourishment of our bodies. Amen.”
Then David devoted his full attention to her, as if they’d always been the best of friends. As if she’d never broken their engagement to be married. His proximity for the past week had stirred her emotions. Emotions she didn’t want to examine. Stronger than those she’d restrained at the Red Cross post in Hungary last fall, and that put her in a more dangerous position. However, she wouldn’t ignore him but would give encouragement whenever the opportunity arose. Perhaps this was one of those times.
David took a sip of coffee. “Where did you go after Hungary last fall?”
“Dad sent me to France to assess the needs in the refugee camps. You?”
“I rotated among the military bases in northern France and provided routine medical services.” David dipped his chin. “France is not ready for war. I can’t imagine the devastation if the Germans invade there next.”
Natalie speared a piece of sausage. “The suffering of the children is the hardest part for me. And this may only be the beginning.” Her stomach tightened, and she forced herself to swallow.
David focused on her as if she were the only person in the room. He had long possessed the ability to make people feel special, and even now his eyes pulled her in like magnets. Uh-oh. Not what she would allow, but she wouldn’t avoid him either. He had the power to draw people to himself, to the point they’d do almost anything for him. Ironically, his weakness was that he refused to let anyone get too close to him. Refused to share his deepest thoughts and feelings. Even with her.
“How’ve you been, Natalie?” Was his question idle chitchat, or did he really want to know how she was doing deep down inside?
She raised her shoulders. “Besides enjoying my work?”
David’s lips curved up. “I want to know everything”—he glanced down at his watch—“before we board our train.” He only looked away long enough to fork up a slice of salmon.
Natalie savored the fresh cheese she’d slipped into her mouth and made David wait a moment for her reply. “I’ve made new friends among my co-workers in France. Have you met John Craig, one of the American Relief volunteers?”
“Dr. Craig?” David stiffened, then went still.
“Yes.” Natalie smiled to herself. She sipped her water.
“I’ve met him. He seems to be a competent doctor.” David’s face remained neutral, but he didn’t fool her.
“Yes, he’s very skilled. We’ve had more than one interesting conversation about what we want to do with our lives. Beyond our jobs.”
“Such as?” David chewed his food faster.
“I want my life to matter.” Natalie took a bite of her cinnamon bun.
“You don’t think your life matters?” David squinted, and his brow wrinkled.
“I suppose. But I want to settle down in one place long enough to connect with people and develop deeper relationships.”
David swallowed. “But you’re doing what’s needed right now. You’ve helped thousands of people.” He buttered a slice of bread.
“Yes, but I want more.”
David chuckled, but not in a happy way. “I think you’re in for more real soon.”
A droning hum from far off grew louder and seeped into Natalie’s consciousness. People near them stopped talking, cocked their heads, and glanced around. Then the whir of low-flying aircraft filled the restaurant, vibrating the windows. David’s brows flattened.
He pulled out his wallet and threw a one-hundred kroner bill on the table. “I’ve got your meal. Let’s go.” George and Michael met them at the door, and they rushed out of the restaurant with their suitcases. They reached the main floor at the same time a man ran into the station lobby. “German planes are skimming the rooftops! It’s the Nazis!” Did they dare go outside to look? What if the aircraft attacked those on the street? Or dropped bombs on the station?
Chapter Three
In a sudden flurry, people flooded into the building, gasping and tripping over each other and their baggage. Some carried children whose mouths gaped open. Little ones cried out, and tears ran down their faces.
David led Natalie, George, and Michael through the crowd and out the front door.
Everyone on the street gawked at the pure blue sky, filled with dozens of planes flying over the city in formation. Several aircraft dropped low and buzzed the onlookers, flashing the Nazi swastika on their wings. Natalie shivered.
David glanced down and put an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. They’re just trying to scare everyone with their display of force, and it appears to be working.”
How could he be so sure? Natalie’s stomach churned, and she swallowed several times to keep her breakfast down—at least what she’d had time to eat.
David shouted over the continuing roar. “Let’s see if we can board now.” He’d already decided it would be safer to leave the city as quickly as possible than to stay and wait for bombs to drop and the Nazis to march in—assuming the trains would still run.
They poured back into the lobby with the rest of the masses urgent to leave town. The lines were twice as long as they had been less than an hour ago. Good thing they’d come early and already had their tickets. Once again, David led their group through the crowds but this time to the underground walkway leading to the platforms and their train.
***
David peered through the train window at the sky over Oslo. The Luftwaffe continued to circle over the city in waves but so far hadn’t attacked. How long would the Germans flex their muscles before seizing their prey? Automobiles and bicycles choked the streets. Panicked citizens fled Oslo any way they could.
What must the Norwegians be thinking right now? Their leaders had declared the nation would remain neutral in the conflict. The country had done nothing to deserve an invasion—except to exist in a strategic location that both sides desired to control. Sadly, Hitler had beaten the Allies to the prize—to Norway’s detriment.
Natalie had taken a seat in the train compartment between George and Michael and across from David. Her voice was too low to hear, but Michael’s eyes were locked on hers. His grin aggravated David. He should be the one smiling at Natalie and focusing on her conversation. Too bad she’d chosen to sit apart from him.
Their earlier conversation about her settling down surprised him. She never shied away from a challenge. Neither did he. And it appeared they were both in for one. George and Michael too.
The train left the city on its journey north, but several miles up the track, the rumble of aircraft and an enormous concussion set David’s heart racing. Blood charged to his feet. Natalie’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. George leaned against the window, peering at the sky.
More explosions split the air.
Passengers screamed.
The train slowed and then jolted to a stop at a small station—Lillestrøm, according to the sign. They all gaped at one another.
David sprang up and slid the door open to their compartment. A railroad official passed down the corridor, shouting over the roar from above. “Everybody off. Run below.”
David stared out the windows lining the passageway of their train car.
Planes flew low over the depot.
Plumes of smoke rose in the sky.
His mouth turned dry.
Another blast shook their carriage, jolting them to action. The war had arrived, and they were in the middle of it.
“Let’s go!” David motioned for everyone to follow. He raced to the exit, clambered down the steps, and waited at the bottom, assisting other passengers off the train. “I’ll meet you below,” he hollered at Natalie and the guys as they exited the train.
One little girl refused to come down the stairs, and the child’s mother had her hands full with two smaller youngsters. David stepped up and took the frightened child in his arms. She didn’t object, but clung to him as he left the train and ran toward the stairway leading under the tracks.
Directly above the station, a plane let loose with machine gun fire, strafing the aircraft in front of it with bullets. The Norwegian Air Force was fighting back.
Smoke chased David and the other passengers as they fled.
The quick run to safety sent his adrenaline spiking.
Planes buzzed overhead, and reverberating bomb strikes spurred David on. Once below, he glanced around the underground passageway, seeking his companions and the child’s mother.
After weaving through the crowd, David spotted Natalie with George and Michael. She stood on her tiptoes, attempting to see over the heads of those around her. Was she looking for him? The moment they made eye contact, her shoulders relaxed, and the wrinkles on her forehead smoothed out. So, she was worried about him. He would tuck that thought away to ponder later.
“They’re bombing Kjeller airdrome, where our pilots train!” one man shouted.
“I saw one of our planes shoot down one of theirs!” another fellow yelled.
The conductor entered the corridor from the stairway. “We’ve shot down several of theirs!”
The Luftwaffe could only fly for so long before they’d need to return to Germany for more fuel.
An older gentleman standing near David spoke in a voice like thunder. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” One by one, others joined in the recitation. “He leadeth me beside the still waters… Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” The words David had committed to memory as a child but hadn’t recalled in a long time calmed the children and the weeping women. Who was this man? After the last verse, a collective sigh rose, and David returned the little girl to her mother. Some of them might die today, but God hadn’t forgotten His followers.
***
Natalie hugged herself, trying to curb her inward shaking before it manifested as uncontrollable tremors. She normally handled crises better than this, but she had never been so close to war before. How long would the Germans continue to bomb? How many would die today?
She was at a crossroads. All afternoon, second thoughts about staying in Norway had played havoc with her soul. She could go to Sweden to help the Norwegian refugees who fled across the border like she had last year when the Polish refugees escaped to Hungary. That would keep her out of the war zone and away from any bombings.
Technically, the American Red Cross wasn’t sending medical personnel to assist in Europe. The American people wouldn’t allow it. They wanted the country to stay out of this war and not take sides. The organization could only collect and distribute supplies as they had done last fall in Hungary and after the fighting stopped in Poland. Plenty of doctors and nurses from other countries helped then, but this invasion was different. No one had expected it. Or planned for it. How bad would it get? Would Norway surrender to avoid bloodshed?
With international communication cut off, Natalie couldn’t get permission from her father to serve as a nurse. The American Red Cross representative for Scandinavia operated out of Sweden, so she couldn’t contact him either. She had to make her own decision, and, once made, there would be no turning back.
While she’d initially agreed to go north to Hamar and meet up with Erik and Anne, she hadn’t agreed to stay in Norway. Neither had David. He raised his eyebrows and focused his gaze on her. Although he didn’t ask out loud, his eyes gave him away. They were almost pleading: Stay with me.
Their American citizenship and status with the Red Cross might provide some level of protection. But bombs and bullets didn’t discriminate. They’d both obtained special permission from the American Consulate to enter Norway. If they stayed, they couldn’t count on the American government rescuing them if they got in trouble. But one thing was certain—no other foreign Red Cross workers would enter Norway until the fighting was over. That thought alone kept Natalie from running away. At least for the moment.
***
After the whine of bombs ceased and the sound of explosions ended, David’s tension eased, and the conductor ordered everyone back on the train. David studied Natalie as she clung to his arm and tugged on her bottom lip. She hadn’t screamed along with the other women, but she had to be frightened. The Luftwaffe might return soon.
The passengers quickly re-boarded, and their train moved north without further incident. In the early afternoon, they reached Hamar, the city where the king and government were gathering. A beautiful, deep blue lake greeted them from just beyond the tracks. It stretched farther north than David could see. They disembarked to a sunny but chilly day, and Natalie buttoned her coat. Would the Germans invade the beautiful airspace of this quaint location too?
The platform and outside walkways of the small station teemed with passengers. A voice over the loudspeaker announced that all trains to Oslo were canceled. Whether any other trains left the capital city today would depend on how long it took for the Germans to reach Oslo and take control of the transportation systems.
The four of them exited the station and walked up the sidewalk with their luggage. At the first intersection, the Victoria Hotel sat catty-cornered from them.
Natalie turned to David. “Do you think we’ll find rooms there?”
“Let’s give it a try.”
Other people had the same idea, and too many of them crowded into the lobby and formed a line at the reception desk. The clerk behind the counter shook his head. “Alle fulle.” David didn’t need a translator for those two words. A collective groan rose from the crowd.
Of course, the closest hotels would be full. All the hotels in Hamar would be full soon, packed by nightfall if not sooner. The town was only a hundred and thirty kilometers from Oslo, but far enough away for some to feel safe here. Those in line ahead turned back with tightened lips and left the hotel.
A savory aroma floated into the lobby from the hotel dining room. Michael must have noticed it too, because he turned his head in that direction. David’s stomach growled, and Natalie giggled. “Too bad we don’t have time to eat.”
David sighed. “We’d better find rooms first, or we’ll end up sleeping on the street. We need to locate Erik and Anne, but he didn’t tell me where in Hamar they’d be. I don’t think he knew himself.”
“He probably thought we’d go to Sweden.” Natalie’s voice held a hint of humor. “Won’t he and Anne be surprised when they see us?”
“If we can find them.”
Natalie tipped her head at a cocky angle and eyed David. “You’ll find them. You always did enjoy playing hide and seek.” Her brows lifted. The dangers of the day hadn’t stolen her sense of humor.
Michael laughed. “How did you always find us?”
David dipped his chin. “It wasn’t too difficult.”
“Well then, you’d better get busy. We won’t find Erik and Anne or a place to stay standing here doing nothing.” Natalie’s spunk hadn’t deserted her either.
She might say she wanted to settle down, but in reality, she was most content working in the middle of whatever catastrophe was brewing. They were alike in that way.
No sooner had she spoken than Anne Olsen walked into the lobby from the dining room. David waved and caught her attention. Anne’s jaw dropped, and then a wide smile crossed her face.
David nudged Natalie. “Look who’s here.”
She turned around. “Oh!” The two women made a beeline and wrapped each other in a hug. David and the guys gathered around them.