Enemy Sighted by CW Browning

Author:CW Browning [CW Browning]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CW Browning
Published: 2024-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

France

Jacques slowed as he approached his second checkpoint of the day. The first had gone relatively smoothly, although the soldier manning it had been reluctant to believe that he had been allowed to keep his vehicle by the occupying forces. Even after carefully examining his papers, which allowed for his Citroën, the soldier had been dubious. However, unable to find anything amiss with his paperwork, he’d allowed him to continue his journey. Now he had every expectation of facing the same thing. He just hoped that it would go more quickly than the last time.

Following the policeman’s hand motions, Jacques pulled to the side of the road and shut the engine off. He watched as the barrier was raised by a German soldier and a military truck rumbled through, coming towards him on the narrow lane. The barrier was lowered once more, and when the truck had passed, another soldier approached the car.

“Papers,” he said in heavily accented French.

Jacques nodded and passed them through the window, but the soldier motioned for him to get out of the car. He rattled something off in German and the French policeman stepped forward.

“Step out, please,” he translated. “He wants to know where you are going and why.”

“Is this really necessary?” Jacques asked, climbing out of the Citroën and speaking in French.

While he spoke German and could understand it very well, he had no intention of making it easy on the occupiers. If they wanted to come into his country and take over, then they could damn well use interpreters.

“Yes. My apologies.” The policeman was apologetic. “Where are you going?”

“To Paris.”

“And what is your business there?”

“I’m going to deliver pastries to my cousin.” Jacques motioned to the box tied with twine on the passenger seat. “They are her favorite, and she is ill.”

The policeman repeated this to the soldier in German, and the soldier looked up from his papers, speaking sharply.

“Where does your cousin live?”

“In the 15th arrondissement.”

The Frenchman translated and the soldier lowered his gaze to the papers again. After a moment, he folded them and handed them back to Jacques, speaking again.

“What kind of pastries?”

“Cannelés. A café in Bordeaux makes particularly good ones.”

The policeman repeated this and the soldiers countenance lighted immediately. He spoke quickly and the policeman looked surprised, then turned to Jacques.

“He has heard of these from his friend who was sent to Bordeaux.”

Jacques allowed a wide smile to stretch across his face.

“I will give him one!” he exclaimed. “They are very good, and everyone should have one at least once.”

“They must be very good for you to drive them all the way to Paris for your cousin,” the policeman said with a cough. “I haven’t had the opportunity myself to try them. . .”

“Say no more! You shall try one now,” Jacques announced cheerfully.

The man translated for the soldier and the German grinned and nodded. Jacques turned to duck back into his car, pulling the box off the passenger’s seat and undoing the twine. The German said something sharply and he felt the policeman put a hand on his shoulder.

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