Hanoi

As soon as the armored car came to a stop, in front of the villa's entrance she hurried to climb out of the turret without a single word, and jumped off the vehicle without Nick's help. She did not wait for him or even bothered to look back, while he himself got off. He had to catch up with her - running, as she was getting closer to the entrance, and together they went inside crossed the whole building, descended the cellar's stairs, with not a soul to escort or follow them. The cell's door was open and they went straight in, without a word. Nicole sat down next to the table, leaning heavily with both her elbows on it. 'Shut the door comrade Spree.' She said in a weak and tired voice, and added angrily right after it: 'Well, I'm here with you, or is there someone else you expect to pay you a visit?'
She must be in some mood after that trip... He thought pitying her, but rushed confused to the open door to shut it and stayed on there quite upset. But what's going on? where are those guards? Aren't they coming to lock us in? Am I free to leave the cell from now on even without her, all by myelf, any time I choose? Incredible, no it can't be true, the whole staff didn't desert, or abandon temporarily their posts, just because of that air-raid. They must have changed their attitude towards me that's the answer to that riddle, they don't expect me to escape, or try to trick them in some way. They must have more confidence in me by now. But what about the air-raid then, these were American plans, and in spite of all that... But what the hell! What difference does it make? He thought turning to the table to join Nicole. What does he gain out of it? The only thing he cares for is to stay on with Nicole, nothing else. Without her, any possibility to leave freely the cell or to leave that hole forever does not count at all. Thus thinking and watching her masked face, he made up his mind, turned to her and said: 'Am I as funny looking as you, with all that dust all over my face?'
'Funny but alive!' She retorted angrily. Never before has he seen her in such a sullen mood. She took it very hard. He thought worried. How would it affect their relations, their plans to escape? Jesus Christ! We could have used that armored car for it! We should have been on our way southwards by now! All we had to do was to get rid of that driver, and head in the opposite direction, up to the last drop of fuel; abandon it, or get the fuel we would need to continue. Nicole can arrange it, there is nothing she can not get or do... Who could have noticed our absence in the complete confusion that ensued. Most of the guards are still mobilized no doubt, to assist in the rescue operations. No one has returned yet! We missed our chance it seems, but still that armored car must be reckoned with, I must ask her and suggest it, see what she thinks about it. All we need is fuel and she can get it for us! 'Fetch me some water and a towel, comrade.' She interrupted the silence suddenly, in a flat and tired voice.
She could have taken a shower instead. He reflected somewhat surprised. He should take one himself. But afraid she might refer to it as to some kind of an obscene hint, considering her sensitive state of mind; he did not dare to suggest it. Without a word he set straight off to serve her.
Having brought her the bowl with the water she asked for, he stood by her side with a bar of soap and a ready towel. It was his turn he thought, to appease her, to revive her spirits. He could not have grasped of course, that she kept the thunderous silence on purpose, before she'll oppress him harder than ever in the very next stage.
A few seconds after he himself washed the dust off his face, and sat humbly opposite her, they heard a slight knock on the door. Nicole uttered a short guttural syllable that sounded more like a grunt than a word with a meaning in it. The door opened up and their late lunch was brought in, by a pair of sneaking guards, who must have waited to some kind of a sign from her; a sign he did not detect, or was the whole thing directed from outside, he could not know. In any case he knew they listened to their conversation, and thus were able to send the guards in right on time.
So what! If it was meant to impress me in some way, well I'm not, and if it were not for Nicole's low feelings that God damn air-raid and its tragic results, I would have burst out laughing, by Jove! Nick thought amused and puzzled at the same time. Those tough guards behaving just like a pair of a five star hotel's staff.
Leaving the door wide open behind their backs, their guards served them in obvious haste. Usually they did not pay any heed to him, whatever pair it was. But they could not ignore him now after that air-raid and indeed kept sending hot hostile glances in his direction, but left after all - as soon as they could. Nicole did not eat but sat watching him with a stern face, and a hard accusing stare. What a lousy mess! What does she expect me to do, or to say...? Though hungry he did not dare to touch his bowl of rice, not before she would touch hers.
'I don't know, I'm terribly sorry.' He said at last. 'I was never good in expressing myself, but I'm deeply shocked and ashamed...'
'Ashamed?' Quoted him Nicole knitting her brows.
'Ashamed of being an American.' He managed to mutter at last.
'Oh I see...' She remarked mockingly. 'But that won't stop your fellow countrymen, the aggressors from bombing us, or occupy half our country or continue with their atrocities against our civilians!'
'But why blame me?' He raised his voice angrily. 'I hate that lousy war, I didn't want to take part in it!'
'But you had to, against your own free will.' Suggested Nicole calmly.
'That's right I had to, I was compelled to enlist!'
'If for instance you had within yourself the power and means to stop the war, you would have stopped it, won't you?'
'Sure I would, but that's nonsense and you know it, why ask it then?' He challenged her boldly.
'Because there're enough wise men on both sides of the Pacific, who're able with mutual efforts, to put an end to this brutal war. all we have to do is give them the little help we can. All right, eat your food now.' She went on talking without waiting for his comments. 'It's getting cold!'
Out in the open yard within its high walls, they strolled side by side without exchanging a single word yet. There were so many things Nick wished to discuss with her, to unload his troubled conscious - her plans (if there were any...), the armored car. But she seemed to be in such an aggressive mood, after that patriotic lecture she stormed him with. The way she pulled my tongue! I hope I didn't commit myself in some way or another! What if they'll try to use it against me? I did not mean it! Whatever I said was meant for her, to appease her a bit, make her mine again. Jesus Christ! That lousy air-raid messed everything up!
It was one of those hot and humid days, without the slightest breeze. He kept wiping his brow with uneasiness, time and again. If she is not going to talk, we could have stayed in the cool cell instead! He thought in despair. Why did she insist on coming out here, if she doesn't have any news for me? What about the letter? Just when am I supposed to have an answer, next year?
'Another air-raid is going to take place, tomorrow afternoon.' He heard at last her clear and sweet seductive voice. She was looking straight ahead up at the jungle's treetops, beyond the jail's walls. 'At five o'clock exactly, but as you don't wear a wrist watch let's put it in more realistic terms - at about seventeen hours the sun reaches the tree tops, on it its way down at this time of year. There might be some more air-raids coming, but that's not the case. The one and only-air raid that interests us is the one that takes place tomorrow, at five o'clock! We were informed lately, of the right date and the right and exact hour - and it's our best chance! Yours and mine!'
'You mean...' He barged in excitedly.
'Don't interrupt me just listen!' She scolded him without raising her voice. 'We won't spend much time out here, we don't want to arouse needless suspicions, do we?'
They were standing facing each other near the far wall, sheltered by its scarce shadow.
'Now listen to me carefully!' She said looking up into his eyes. 'The most difficult obstacle we have to overcome, are these walls; once we are out and away, things will be much easier. You did notice the turn to your left in the corridor, half way between the yard's entrance and the cellar's stairs?' She asked very casually, to encourage him as much as she could.
'Yes I did!' He answered enthusiastically, with growing impatience.
'Calm down and try to act more naturally.' She warned him. 'Now then, that turn to the left leads to my office. It's the first door on your left, you can't miss it, see? I'll repeat your course from the yard on: from the entrance you turn to your left, a few more steps and the first door on your left again is my office. Nobody shares it with me and nobody has its key except me, but I'll leave the door unlocked, okay?' She asked and started to walk slowly, along the far off wall. 'So listen and remember.' She went on briefing him, as they strolled along the wall. 'Tomorrow some time after lunch you will leave our room, and wait in the yard for the sound of the alarm siren - take one of your books with you, to pass the time; you may drop it behind when the time comes, and run straight away to my office! That's one phase of the plan, if you have any doubts - you shouldn't! Despite the air-raids you're free to leave for the yard every afternoon, you're a reliable person as far as we're concerned. On the other hand no one expects you to escape on your own, how far can you get? It would be sheer madness. Well, up to this point, is everything clear?'
Excited, almost dizzy, he nodded his head in approval. We're going to escape at last! Good god it's coming, in just a few more hours!
'Well then, at the moment that you'll hear the alarm sirens sound, you'll run to my office as fast as you can - before the guards will swarm all the corridors, on their way to the cellar to take shelter there. You'll stay at my office ready to leave it, and wait for the first explosions. With the falling of the first bombs, you'll sneak out through the main open gate...' She made a short pause and smiled sweetly at Nick, for the guards' sake, or for anyone who might have been watching them stealthily all that time. 'There're two crucial points to remember. The first one is to reach my office fast and safe, while the second one is to leave it straight after the first bomb explodes - without the slightest hesitation! The next stage starts as you leave the villa and hit the road. You'll cross the road and cut into the jungle's fringe and its shadows; you'll proceed south parallel to the road about a mile and a half - till you'll fall on a path leading to the jungle's depth, eastwards. There is a small stream running along that path, you can't miss it; and you won't have to cross that stream, because it runs beyond the path. Hitting the path you'll follow it till you'll reach an old and deserted shack, in the middle of a small clearing. It shouldn't take you more than twenty minutes to reach it - and I'll be there waiting for you, with whatever we'll need...'
'Where is the armored car parked?' He asked her excitedly. 'I can drive it, there's only the question of additional fuel.'
'It's not included in my plans!' She answered decisively. 'Don't you bother yourself with futile details, leave everything to me! Get back to your room and learn my instructions by heart, You'd better have some rest, we are going to have busy and hard days from tomorrow on. I'll let you know what's coming next, as soon as we'll meet at the shack...'
'But there's plenty of time yet!' He protested with bitterness. 'You aren't going to abandon me again...'
'We've to part temporarily right at this moment! I've got to report to my superiors in less than two minutes time; and there're still the preparations for our escape, which I've to take care of. I'm very busy and I've many ends to meet, before I'll reach our meeting place!' She did not save efforts and words to persuade him, but he kept watching her with imploring eyes, hopping in vain she'll change her mind and stay.
He is just like a child, a spoiled child. She thought satisfied. A child who's been denied the toy he'd been promised.
'Brace yourself comrade Spree, you'll have to do without me just one more night. You don't want to compromise our chances, our mutual future, and our freedom? Do you? Be a man!' She added with a soft mocking chuckle and smiling still she turned on her heels and headed straight for the entrance.