Danger in the Darkest Hour by Mary Pope Osborne

Author:Mary Pope Osborne [Osborne, Mary Pope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-553-49774-8
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-01-05T16:00:00+00:00

HOPE AND COURAGE!

FREEDOM SOON!

The soldier put the papers back into the pack. Then he narrowed his eyes at Jack. “So you are working for the other side?”

“What? No!” said Jack. He looked at Annie. “How …?”

“Sorry,” Annie whispered. “I wanted to help them. Tom and Theo.”

“Stand up!” the official barked at Jack.

“No!” cried Annie. “Please! He didn’t do anything! It was me! I did it!”

The Nazi official pushed Annie aside. “Boy, I am placing you under arrest,” he said. But just as the man reached out to grab Jack, an explosion rocked the train car.

The sound of screeching brakes split the air. The train ground to a sudden stop. Jack and Annie were thrown from their seats.

The soldiers fell to their hands and knees. Passengers scrambled up the corridor, screaming and yelling: “What happened? What happened?” “Resistance!” “Blew up tracks ahead!”

The two Nazis jumped to their feet. Ignoring Jack and Annie, they hurried away from the compartment.

Jack looked out the window. A few hundred yards in front of the train, black smoke was rising into the air. “Plan Green!” he said. “Let’s get out of here!” He grabbed his field pack and started out of the compartment. But more soldiers were running down the corridor, shoving all the pass-engers aside.

Annie grabbed Jack’s arm. “The window!” she cried. “Out! Climb out!”

Jack straddled the window ledge, then swung his leg over and dropped to the embankment below. He reached up and helped Annie drop to the ground, too.

Looking down the tracks, Jack saw train workers and soldiers running toward the billowing black smoke. Sirens were screaming. Passengers were fleeing from all the cars on the train.

“Come on!” said Jack. He and Annie ran down the embankment toward some woods near the tracks. Then they took off through the brush, weaving around mossy trees and pale spring ferns. They pushed back twigs and vines, trying to get as far away from the train as possible.

“Are we heading in the right direction?” Jack asked, panting.

Annie pulled out the compass and looked at it. “Yes! Southwest!”

“Good! Keep going!” said Jack. They ran until they came to the edge of a road. Up the road, a bridge crossed a wide river. A sign next to the bridge said RIVER ORNE.

“That’s the river we want!” cried Annie. “Cross a river to find a cave!”

“Cross it!” said Jack. He and Annie hurried to the bridge and raced across the river. On the other side was a small restaurant. A sign on the front said SYLVIE’S BISTRO.

“Stop! Stop!” said Jack, gasping. “Before we go any farther, let’s stop there—rest—and make a plan—”

“Great, I’m dying of thirst,” said Annie.

They caught their breath. Then they straightened their berets, smiled fake smiles, and walked into the bistro. Inside the crowded dining room, the air smelled of coffee and cigarette smoke. Jack and Annie slipped over to an empty table and sat down.

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