The Iron Storm by CW Browning (classic literature books TXT) 📕

In the end, he supposed they all would. He just hoped they would live long enough to see the end of it.

Chapter Thirteen

Brussels, Belgium

Evelyn stepped into the small café and looked around, the smell of strong coffee and freshly baked pastries rushing over her. There weren’t many customers this time of day and a majority of the tables were empty, with the exception of the small back corner table. As she entered the café, Jens stood up and waved to her from the corner. With a smile, Evelyn tucked her clutch purse under her arm and made her way through the café to his table.

“You got my note!” he exclaimed, holding out both his hands to her. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Of course!” she replied with a smile, grasping his hands lightly. “I hope everything’s all right.”

Jens pulled out one of the chairs and she sank into it gracefully. “Well, that all depends on what you consider all right,” he said, returning to his own seat. “I’m sure you’re not used to getting strange notes like that from people you just met, I assure you that this is of the utmost importance.”

Evelyn looked up as a waiter came towards the table. Glancing at the steaming cup of coffee before Jens, she ordered a cup of coffee in French and the waiter smiled and bowed politely before leaving to get her drink. Turning her attention back to Jens, Evelyn set her bag on the table and looked at him expectantly.

“Well now you really must tell me what it is that’s of so much importance,” she said with a teasing smile. “You have me on the edge of my seat!”

“Do you remember what we were discussing last night over dinner?” Jens asked, lowering his voice.

“Yes, of course.”

“Well, it looks like it will happen sooner rather than later. There’s a lot of activity going on all along the borders, and Belgium has declared a state of emergency.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened and she looked at him, her lips parted on a soft gasp. “A state of emergency? What does that mean?”

“The Army has been put on alert and many of the units are being moved to the border with Germany.”

“So it’s finally happening,” she said softly, sitting back in her seat. “What’s happened? I haven’t heard anything on the wireless or seen anything in the papers today.”

“No, you won’t. The government is keeping it quiet for now.” Jens stopped talking as the waiter came back with Evelyn’s coffee. He waited until the cup was set down before her and the waiter had departed before lowering his voice even more. “We’ve intercepted several messages originating within the German forces. They began transmitting furiously very early this morning. In addition, we’re getting reports coming in from all sides and in all quarters stating that German forces are mobilizing and moving towards Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Even though we can’t decipher all of the German messages, the frequency and urgency of them, along with the reports of massive troop movements, leaves no other alternative. Hitler’s getting ready to move.”

Evelyn was quiet for a moment, sipping her hot coffee thoughtfully. Her blue eyes gazed across the table at Jens, studying him over the rim of her cup. When she lowered it, not even the flicker of an eyelid displayed her thoughts.

“You don’t seem very concerned for someone whose country appears to be on the verge of being invaded,” she finally said quietly.

Jens shrugged. “I’ve known that it’s been coming for so long now that it’s almost a relief to know that it’s about to begin,” he admitted in a low voice. “And I will also admit to some small feeling of justification on my part.”

“Oh?” Evelyn raised an eyebrow curiously. “And why is that?”

“There are several of us who have been warning the government that this was coming. We’ve been ignored for the past few months, but now they can’t ignore us any longer. The evidence is too great.”

“And so now your army is on full alert.”

“Yes.” Jens exhaled heavily and lifted up his mug to take a long drink. “The royal family of Luxembourg, and the majority of its government, has already fled into France. They left this morning. There can be no doubt that an offensive will happen very soon.”

“And the Belgian government?” Evelyn asked after a second of silence. “Are they fleeing Brussels?”

“No. The general feeling seems to be that it will be sometime before the Germans can reach Brussels. They’ll go through Holland first, or so everyone says.”

“Where are the largest concentrations of German troops?” she asked.

Jens looked at her curiously. “What?”

“Well, presumably if you find the largest concentrations of German troops, then you’ll find where their main attack will come from,” she said logically. “Do you know?”

“Not exactly. The reports we’re getting are scattered. And, of course, we can’t take them all at face value. If we did, then the Germans are coming from everywhere, which of course is impossible.”

“Yes,” Evelyn said slowly. “Quite impossible.”

She was silent for a long moment, sipping her coffee, before she suddenly looked up with a disconcertingly keen gaze. “Tell me, has anything else been seen or heard of the motorized columns that were approaching the Ardennes?”

Jens looks uncomfortable, and then he shook his head. “No. They’ve disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Evelyn repeated. “Motorized columns of troops don’t just disappear.”

“No, but as far as my government is concerned, they have.”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed at the distinctly annoyed tone in Jens’s voice. He didn’t agree with something that was going on, but she could hardly ask him what it was. Instead, she forced a smile.

“Well, that’s something at least.”

Jens nodded and seemed to force a smile of his own. “Yes, isn’t it? I wish the rest of the German army would follow suit.”

“Don’t we all. Somehow I don’t think we’ll be that lucky, do you?”

“No, and that’s why I asked you here,” he said, reaching across the table to take her hands in his. Concerned brown eyes stared into