Read Online The Darkest Hour by Tony Schumacher - Free Book Online

time a few dared to look him in the eye for a moment, so he turned back to the boy and lit a cigarette. He watched the boy for a while as he nibbled at the tomato and toast, and considered his options.
    He needed to get rid of the child as soon as possible. There was no hope of catching the train. He wasn’t even certain where it would be unloading. He’d always just assumed it was Dover, but even if he found that out for certain, he’d have to establish if there was some sort of holding camp or whether the boat was waiting and ready to sail straightaway.
    He checked his watch: nine forty. Maybe he could drive the boy to Dover and reunite him with old Galkoff, but it didn’t take him long to dismiss that option. It was a long journey that might prove fruitless. He drew deep on his cigarette, watching the boy, then imagined staring the old man in the face as he pushed the child toward him.
    He shook his head and picked up his mug of tea, rubbing his forehead with the hand that held the cigarette.
    I wonder when I became a coward? Rossett thought to himself as he watched the boy eat mushrooms one by one with his fork, chewing them carefully while staring straight down at the plate, as if he was scared to look away in case the food ran off.
    “The boy shouldn’t be eating that.” A voice from behind. Rossett swiveled angrily in his chair to confront this latest busybody, only to find Koehler. The German stepped closer to the table, reached across, and picked up the boy’s plate. Jacob looked up, watching it go.
    “This is pig,” Koehler held up a thin sausage with his fingers and studied it, wrinkling his nose. “Well, at least some of it is. The boy is Jewish; he shouldn’t be eating this.”
    “I wasn’t going to eat it. I was eating the other things, not the sausage,” Jacob said, staring longingly at the plate and then at Koehler, who smiled, took a bite out of the sausage, and put the plate back down.
    “Eat the egg,” said Koehler softly, like a father, as he pulled a seat from an adjacent table and sat down opposite Rossett immediately to the boy’s right. Rossett watched as Koehler dipped the sausage into the egg and took another bite. He then looked back at Rossett and shook his head.
    “You’ve got yourself a problem, John.” Koehler spoke quietly as he chewed.
    “The boy was hidden. His grandfather told me where he was as he got onto the train. By the time I’d found him the train had gone. How did you . . . ?”
    “Gruber telephoned me. That prick isn’t going to let anything happen without letting me know,” Koehler replied. He looked toward Rossett’s uneaten breakfast and, taking the cue, Rossett slid the plate toward him. Koehler picked up the sausage and placed the plate between himself and the boy, gesturing for the boy to help himself.
    “What are we going to do about you, little piggy?” Koehler turned to the boy. “What is your name?”
    “Jacob,” the boy replied brightly to his new friend, and Rossett blushed, realizing that he hadn’t used the boy’s name once.
    “What are we going to do about Jacob?” Koehler took another bite of sausage and looked again at Rossett.
    “I haven’t decided; I thought maybe downstairs?” Rossett didn’t want to mention the cells by name. He was certain Koehler would understand what he meant and would realize he didn’t want to scare the child further.
    Rossett took another drag on his cigarette and then tapped it against the ashtray, even though it didn’t need it.
    Koehler nodded. “It’s an idea. There is another train due on Sunday; it wasn’t scheduled for a collection, but it will be refueling. I can arrange for the boy to be on it.”
    “Will I get to see my grandfather then?” said Jacob, his mouth full, staring up at Koehler.
    “Of course, you will,” Koehler replied, lying smoothly without the slightest hint of deceit in his voice. “Sergeant Rossett will arrange everything for you. He can even drive you to the