The Other Side of Midnight

"Too late," he smiled. "From this moment on you must think only of me." And he guided her into the car. A moment later they were on their way.

Five minutes after General Scheider's limousine drove away from the apartment building, a black Mercedes screeched to a stop in front of the building and Colonel Mueller and two other Gestapo men spilled out of the car. Colonel Mueller looked hurriedly up and down the street. "They've gone," he said. The men sprinted into the lobby of Noelle's apartment building and rang the concierge's doorbell. The door opened and the concierge stood in the doorway, a startled expression on his face. "What--?" Colonel Mueller shoved him inside his small apartment.

"Fraulein Page!" he snapped. "Where is she?"

The concierge stared at him, panicky.

"She--she left," he said.

"I know that, you stupid fool! I asked you where she went!"

The concierge shook his head helplessly. "I have no idea, Monsieur. I only know she left with an army officer."

"Didn't she tell you where she could be reached?"

"N--No, Monsieur. Mademoiselle Page does not confide in me."

Colonel Mueller glared at the old man a moment and then turned on his heel.

"They can't have gotten far," he said to his men. "Contact all the roadblocks as fast as you can. Tell them that when General Scheider's car arrives I want them to hold it and call me at once!"

Because of the hour military traffic was light, which meant that there was virtually no traffic at all. General Scheider's car swung onto the West Road that led out of Paris, passing Versailles. They drove through Mantes, Vernon, and Gaillon and in twenty-five minutes they were approaching the major arterial intersection that branched out into Vichy, Le Havre and the Cote d'Azur.

It seemed to Noelle that a miracle had happened. They were going to get out of Paris without being stopped. She should have known that even the Germans with all their efficiency would not be able to check every single road out of the city. And even as she thought it, out of the darkness ahead of them loomed a roadblock. Flashing red lights blinked from the center of the road, and in back of the lights a German Army lorry blocked the highway. On the side of the road were half a dozen German soldiers and two French police cars. A German Army lieutenant waved down the limousine and, as it came to a stop, he walked over to the driver.

"Get out and show your identification!"

General Scheider opened the rear window, leaned his head out and said, raspingly: "General Scheider. What the hell's going on here?"

The lieutenant snapped to attention.

"Excuse me, General. I did not know it was your car."

The General's eyes flicked over the roadblock. "What's this all about?"

"We have orders to inspect every vehicle leaving Paris, Herr General. Every exit from the city is blocked."

The General turned to Noelle. "The damned Gestapo. I'm sorry, liebchen."

Noelle could feel the color drain from her face, and she was grateful for the darkness of the car. When she spoke, her voice was steady.

"It's not important," she said.

She thought of the cargo in the trunk. If her plan had worked, Israel Katz was in there, and in a moment he would be caught. And so would she.

The German lieutenant turned to the chauffeur.

"Open the luggage compartment, please."

"There's nothing in there but luggage," the captain protested. "I put it in myself."

"I'm sorry, Captain. My orders are clear. Every vehicle out of Paris is to be inspected. Open it."

Muttering under his breath, the driver opened his door and started to get out. Noelle's mind was racing furiously. She had to find a way to stop them, without arousing their suspicions. The driver was out of the car. Time had run out. Noelle stole a quick look at General Scheider's face. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were tight with anger. She turned to him and said guilelessly, "Shall we get out, Hans? Will they be searching us?" She could feel his body tense with fury.

"Wait!" The General's voice was like the crack of a whip. "Get back in the car," he ordered his driver. He turned to the lieutenant and his voice was filled with rage. "You tell whoever gave you your orders that they do not apply to generals of the German Army. I do not take orders from lieutenants. Get that roadblock out of my way."

The hapless lieutenant stared at the General's furious face, clicked his heels to attention and said, "Yes, General Scheider." He signaled the driver of the truck blocking the road and the truck lumbered off to the side.