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

anyone being any the wiser, and he’d almost let the cat of the bag with a thoughtless comment. He must do better.

Turning to go back to his desk, Bill felt a twinge of uneasiness. For all his confidence to Jasper, he was worried. For the second time in two months, Evelyn was facing an advancing German army. Only this time, she was completely on her own.

Brussels - 12pm

Hans Voss looked up at the front of the Hotel Le Plaza. This was one of the two most exclusive hotels in the city. When he’d come by at the beginning of his search, he hadn’t been able to get near the front desk. The lobby had been packed with guests, all trying to find a way out of Brussels in the light of the invasion. After trying to make it through the crowds to the desk, he’d given up and decided to return after the mass exodus had been completed. He hadn’t really expected that he’d find the mystery woman here anyway, and after over six hours and nineteen hotels, he still wasn’t expecting to find her here. But Voss hated to leave any stone unturned, and so here he was again.

The lobby was much quieter than it had been at seven o’clock this morning. All the panicked guests had made their way from the hotel and all that was left were a couple of porters and the manager behind the desk. Removing his hat, Voss made his way over to the desk.

“Good afternoon,” the man behind the desk greeted him. “What can I do for you?”

“Good afternoon. I’m looking for a friend. I’m afraid we were separated last night and I neglected to get the name of the hotel she was staying in,” Hans said easily with a sheepish smile. “I’m visiting from Zurich, you see, and with everything happening, thought perhaps she’d be looking for a way to get out of Belgium.”

“Almost all of our guests have departed,” the manager told him apologetically. “I very much doubt that she is still here, if she ever was.”

“Yes, that was what I was afraid of,” Hans admitted. “I think most of the hotels in Brussels have emptied out now. I hope she is all right and is able to find her way out before the Germans arrive.”

“I’m sure she will fine,” the manager assured him, softening slightly. “What is the name? I can at least tell you if she was here.”

“Marie Fournier.”

The man behind the desk raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Mademoiselle Fournier?” he repeated. “Yes, she was here. She left very early this morning.”

Hans stared at him, hardly daring to believe his ears.

“Did she? Well, that’s a relief! Did she mention where she was going?”

“No, but I would assume she went back to Paris. I booked a first class compartment on the train to Paris leaving this morning. I know the trains were delayed, but I believe they’re running now.”

“They were delayed?”

“Yes. I believe there was some concern about the tracks being impassable, but I think that turned out to not be the case. At least, for the time being,” the man qualified. “I don’t have any confidence that it will continue to be the case.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right.” Hans sighed. “Well, I do thank you for putting my mind at rest. I hated to think that she might be stranded here, you see.”

“I’m sure she’s safe and sound, on her way back to France,” the manager assured him.

“Yes. Well, I’ll make my own way back to Zurich. Thank you again.”

Hans inclined his head in thanks and turned to leave, setting his hat on his head as he approached the door to the hotel. A surge of satisfaction was coursing through him. Not only had he discovered that the courier had indeed come to Brussels, but he now knew where she was going. Paris. He had a lead! All he had to do was go to the train station and hope that the train was still delayed.

Glancing at his watch as he stepped out into the street, some of Hans’ elation faded. The train would be long gone, and the station would be packed with people trying to get onto any train they could. Marie Fournier was probably already halfway to Paris by now.

He started down the street towards his car parked at the end. The stations would be full, and so would the trains. There was no chance of him following by rail, even if he was willing to risk the threat of a Luftwaffe bomb hitting the tracks while he was enroute. It would be faster, at this point, for him to drive. Once he reached Paris, he would start his hunt again. While he admitted to himself frankly that he would probably never find the woman, he had to try. Otherwise he was no better than the idiot who had let her go in Antwerp.

He had to do everything in his power to get that package back before it fell into the hands of MI6.

Chapter Seventeen

Somewhere near Bray, Belgium - 3pm

Evelyn winced as another low flying Luftwaffe plane went overhead, its engine screaming. They had been buzzing the road periodically all day, but so far hadn’t done more than remind the panicked people fleeing the cities that they were there. And coming.

“What are those?” Jens wondered, leaning forward over the steering wheel and peering into the sky. “They’re very low.”

“Stukas,” she answered automatically, shifting in the passenger seat. “German dive bombers.”

He sat back and looked at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”

Evelyn shrugged and forced a smile. “I don’t know,” she lied. “Someone told me, I suppose.”

“Well they’re getting very close.” He yawned and focused on the road again. “With all these cars packed on the road, it’s a wonder they’re not trying to stop us.”

“I’m glad they’re not,” she replied. “We’ve been on the road all day and aren’t anywhere near the border yet.”

“We would have been there hours ago if the