Chapter Fourteen: The Great Escape

*It was unusually early the next morning when the German guards came around the cells and awoke the men for breakfast. In fact, it was unusual in itself that they had bothered to wake them at all. Ordinarily the men were allowed to do whatever they wished until their one hour for recreation outside. But it was apparent to all the people in the camp that it was going to be no ordinary day. There was a feeling of anticipation in the German soldier’s attitudes, and noises from outside gave rise to suspicion that something highly irregular was about to take place.

By late afternoon it was very obvious that the men were not going to be given their hour outside for recreation at all, and the uncharacteristic schedule change threw them all for a loop. They became antsy, irritable, and the noises that had not stopped echoing outside since the early morning hours were not helping to make the situation any better.

“What do you think they’re doing out there Evans?”

“Don’t know. They must be moving something heavy though, there’s an awful lot of yelling going on out there. Wish I understood German.”

“You know, back in high school they gave us a choice: French, Spanish, or German. I chose French. Of course, I thought coming to France during the war I would get some use out of it, but the almost from the minute I got here, I’ve been surrounded by nothing but Germans. French hasn’t helped me a lick.”

“Nicks, you’re a character. I thought the same thing! Take French; it’s the easy way out. Boy was I ever wrong!” Both Evans and Nicks began to laugh over their childhood memories, and nostalgia became the ambiance of the cell.

“Still. I would give anything to know what’s going on out there. We’ve been here five months now, and nothing like this has happened yet.” Nicks sighed wistfully and tried once again to get a peak at whatever was happening outside.

“Anything?” Hiiro asked quietly from his corner in the dark. From the expression on both men’s faces, it was obvious that neither had remembered he was there, and if they had, they certainly hadn’t thought he was awake.

“Why’d you say that?” Evans asked, a small smirk playing on his dry lips. “You suddenly deciding that we’re good enough to speak to?”

“I need a warm coat. It just so happens Nicks has one of the only ones available.” Hiiro clipped.

“What’ll you give me for the coat?” Asked the English doctor, obviously as highly entertained by this ‘new’ Kerry as Evans was.

“You said you’d give anything to know what the Germans were saying.” Hiiro glanced at the window.

“Let me get this straight.” Evans narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been here for three months with us, and just now you’re telling us you understand German? Soldier, you should have informed your superior officer of something with this kind of ramifications immediately!”

“Superior?” Hiiro glared darkly at the man. “I have no superior officer.”

“That’s ridiculous. Everyone answers to a superior!” Nicks joined Evans in his lecture. “How could you possibly get through basic without learning how to take orders, follow command, and salute?”

“Do you want to know what they’re saying, or not?”

“No! I want to know just what the hell is going through that head of yours Private! How dare you insult a superior officer! Insubordination! When we get back, I’m having you court-martialed!”

“Very well. Have me court-martialed.” Hiiro nodded. Inwardly he smirked. They would court-martial a dead man—by the time they returned to the states, he and Serena would be long gone, identities changed and altered once more.

“Of all the—”

“Evans, let it go!” Nicks finally stopped their cellmate from losing his cool. “Look here Kerry. If you can tell us what’s going on, I’ll give you the coat.” Now Hiiro smirked. He didn’t even have to listen to the men outside thanks to Serena’s keen hearing; he already knew what was happening.

“They’re moving farther inland. Tonight they ship the infantrymen out on a cargo train, tomorrow morning the air forces go out. They’re sending you to real POW camps, this one was only temporary.” He paused, and then opened his mouth once more. “They’ll be separating the officers from regulars as well.”

“They’re sending ‘us’? What about you? You’re not coming?” Evans smirked as Nicks folded his coat and began to pass it to Hiiro. As Hiiro grabbed the coat, he stopped.

“We’ll see.” Something in his voice, in his tone, made both Evans and Nicks look twice at the boy in front of them.

They saw a hardened soldier, a man, not a boy. They saw messy brown hair, the same as it had been when he had arrived. They saw pallid skin, them same as it had been when he had arrived. They saw thin lips drawn into the constant frown that had been his characteristic trait, and they saw his set jaw and chin, stubborn as ever. But beneath that, they saw the heart of a man that no one, though they may try, would be able to ever hold imprisoned for long.

“Got an escape planned Kerry?” Hiiro looked at the sun, which was beginning to now glint over the horizon and set into the distance. They would be moving the infantrymen out within the hour.

“Kerry?” Hiiro asked.

“You, Kerry. Are you planning something foolhardy?” This time Evans broke into a cynical smile.

“I never plan anything foolhardy.” Hiiro glared, but remained stoic. “Dangerous, yes. Suicidal, yes. Never foolhardy.” Now no one in the cell was smiling. In the dying light, both Evans and Nicks backed up, farther away from their third cellmate. “I was trained not to take foolhardy risks—they often cause death, in most cases, my own. In this case, I am not looking out solely for myself, therefore, nothing I do can be foolhardy in any way.”

“Trained that way?” Nicks whispered.

“Who trained you? The CIA? The FBI?” Evans added.

“If I told you that, I would have to kill you.” Hiiro kept his voice very even. In fact, he felt very even. It was an apathetic, uncaring feeling that coursed through his veins as he spoke his monotonous words. He did not feel guilty for frightening these men, nor was he altogether worried about telling them too much about himself. Even if he did, who would believe them? He really felt rather passive about the entire situation that was unfolding.

“Kill us?” Nicks asked. Hiiro grunted.

“Kerry, you need help. You need to see a psychiatrist about this…” Evans snorted.

“My name is not Kerry. The man known as Private Kerry was shot by German soldiers three months ago when his plane was shot down over eighty miles south from here. I assumed his identity when I was captured, but I am not him.” The American and Englishman were speechless to the point of sheer terror. Who the hell was this man!

“Who are you?” Evans finally sputtered.

“Hiiro Yui.” Hiiro nodded. At that moment, a great commotion went up through the camp, and there was screaming and yelling echoing through the concrete walls. Loud bangs and German shouting also joined the din, trying to maintain order though the chaos that was arising.

“What’s going on?” Nicks asked, briefly taking his eyes from Hiiro’s form and aiming them towards the window.

“The infantrymen are being moved.” Hiiro nodded. He saw Nicks’ eyes land back on him, and knew it was time. Putting the coat he had just obtained on, he moved to the heavy iron door and looked meticulously at it.

“What do you think you’re going to do? Just open the door and leave?” Evans choked out a bitter laugh. Hiiro gave him a sideways glance, and then reached behind him. From a black bag slung underneath his coat neither Evans nor Nicks had ever seen before he pulled out a handgun. Both other men gasped.

“Where’d you get that!” Nicks yelped.

“Stole it.” Hiiro grunted. Then he handed it to Evans. “The clip is new.” In his other hand, he produced a set of keys. These he handed to Nicks, who took them reverently. “I assume you can figure out what those are for.”

“You really are planning an escape!” Nicks breathed.

“My partner and I need to get out of here.” Hiiro nodded.

“Partner?” Evans asked. “You never talk to anyone in the camp! You can’t possibly have a partner!”

“I told you when I first got here. I was captured with a woman.”

“A German woman!” Nicks accused.

“As far as the Germans know.” Hiiro pointed out blankly. Then he turned his attention back to the door and easily slipped the hinges off the wall. Without so much as another word to the men whom had been his cellmates for the last three months, Hiiro slipped out into the corridors and ran off as fast as his feet could carry him.

“He’s insane!” Nicks whispered. “He won’t make it to the medical wing, let alone make it out, especially with a woman who was supposed to have been dead for the last three months.”

“You know,” Evans said thoughtfully looking at the gun Hiiro had handed him, “I think he will. In fact, I’ll even place a bet on it. My life says he escapes—with his ‘partner’. Only a crazy man could pull it off.”

>>>)(<<<

Serena lay underneath her covers, cold and ill at ease. She had been awake for the last half an hour or so—there had been a loud bang, and then yelling and screaming right outside her window that had awoken her from her sleepy state. But when she realized that the sun was almost down, her eyes opened wide and she sat up straight.

Hiiro had said he would be back tonight, that they would be breaking out tonight. But here it was, nighttime, and she was still lying around in bed, sleeping and dozing like no tomorrow! Well, she wasn’t about to let all of the planning go to waste! So she quickly shot up and looked around the room for something to wear.

In a closet across from her bed she could see a few old American army outfits. They would be perfect—nice and warm, durable clothes for an escape. Slipping out of her bed, she hissed as the chilly concrete ground froze her bare feet. Slowly but with a sure determination she made her way over to them… until she had found a small problem.

While she had been in coma, the Doctors had needed to find a way to feed her. Since she hadn’t been able to eat on her own, they had managed to feed her intravenously instead. There were needles and wires attached to her in every which way, liquid pumping down through the small tubes and into her bloodstream. There was no way she could pull those out! She shivered in disgust and slight fear of herself. Well, that ruled out all thoughts of moving very far; not to mention her ability to put the clothes on anyway, and had left her feeling completely helpless.

All she could do was lay in her stark and stiff bed, staring at the clothes she wished she could reach and then put on, all while knowing Hiiro was possibly on his way to get her, and that they were already on a tight time schedule as it was. But there was no way in hell she was pulling those needles out on her own!

Suddenly the door creaked open, and a sliver of light appeared in the darkened room. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping and praying it wasn’t another doctor. Having one in the room would ruin everything!

“Serena.” The door opened wider, then shut quickly and she heard it lock. Shooting straight up in bed, she gasped.

“Hiiro!”

“Are you dressed?” He asked careful not to raise his voice very loudly.

“No!” She whimpered. “Hiiro, I know this sounds bad…but there are these needles and wires, and…” But she couldn’t say any more. It really was too embarrassing. She was able to take care of herself! She wasn’t helpless. She just didn’t like needles—more than she didn’t like other people touching her she didn’t like needles.

“Needles?” Hiiro frowned in the dark, knowing she couldn’t see him. And then he grinned for the first time in what seemed like years. She was afraid of needles! “Stay still, I’ll remove them. Do you have clothes to change into?”

“There’s a closet across from the bed with some old army uniforms…” She shuddered as Hiiro’s large, cold hand clamped down on her arm gently. Involuntarily she flinched and pulled away.

“I’m not going to hurt you Serena.” Hiiro told her under his breath, trying to sooth her as he pulled the needles from her skin.

“Okay.” She whispered, her voice cracking. He wasn’t hurting her yet anyway… And he hadn’t hurt her so far during the whole trip either… In fact, she didn’t mind all that much that Hiiro was touching her when she was so vulnerable, something she found to be both very comforting and very disturbing.

“Alright.” Hiiro said, pulling away. He rather missed the warmth she had emanated. “The closet is across from the bed?” He asked.

“Yes.” He nodded and stepped across. After a brief shuffle of cloth, he pulled out what he thought was a small pair of pants and a shirt and flung them to her on the bed. He heard more movement, and within another minute she announced she was dressed.

“Good.” Hiiro paused, and then removed the coat he had pawned from Nicks. “Here, it’s cold outside.” He felt her delicately grab onto the cloth of the jacket, as if testing the cloth, and then refuse it.

“You’ll be cold.”

“I’m used to it. You, on the other hand, are still making a recovery from a serious injury.” He offered it to her again, and this time she accepted it with a firm grasp.

“Thank you.”

“Hnn.” Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the medical room, and then slipped down the halls. It seemed like forever until Hiiro led her to a door that led to outside.

“Do you know where we are?” She asked.

“This is the training yard.” He told her softly. “The soldiers are busy with loading the infantrymen, and there should be a small rebellion breaking out about now in the air forces wing.” Seeing Serena’s curious side-glance, Hiiro had to smile. “I stole a gun and a set of keys and gave them to a few choice prisoners.”

“You’ve been busy.” Serena chirped quietly.

“For three months I’ve been idle.” He countered. Serena hung her head.

“I’m sorry I made you wait for me to get better.” She felt Hiiro shrug through their clasped hands.

“Don’t worry.” A few soldiers running by cut off their conversation, and Hiiro decided they had been taking too many chances. He speed their pace up, and soon they had reached the barbwire fences. Hiiro stopped short and grabbed Serena by she shoulders.

“I need your hands.” He told her. When she held them out, he wrapped them in shreds made from thick army uniform, She watched as he did the same to his own hands, and then turned back to her. “Know how to climb a fence?”

“I’ll figure it out.” She nodded, grabbing the fence and hoisting herself up. Through the cloth wraps over her hand she could feel the sharp, twisted metal digging into her delicate hands, but said nothing. Hiiro had already scaled the fence and was on the other side by the time she reached the top.

“Jump.” He advised. The shouting at the camp had lessened, which was a bad sign. Soon there would be a head count, and it would be known he was missing. And then… a full out search would commence. They had to be hidden away, far away, before something like that began, otherwise recapture and execution were the only destiny left for them.

“Jump…” Serena squeaked.

“Jump, now.” He ordered. Instantly she let go of the fence, more in shock of his gruff voice than out of meaning to. Two strong arms caught her and swung her to her feet moments later. Still, Serena stood, hunched over, with her eyes tightly shut, praying. “Historian.” Hiiro prodded her. “You’re fine.” Serena opened one eye, then the other. She really was all right!

“Okay.” She nodded. And then they took off, racing through the forest. Their only chance was to run as far and as fast as they could. *