Page 90 of Villa of Secrets

‘Come! Come!’ I said.

His knees folded and he collapsed into the sea.

I didn’t know what to do! A distant line of silhouettes told me the Germans on the headland were wading straight towards us. We had to hide. I remembered the cave.

Reaching up, I slapped the soldier twice on the cheek, as Kapitanos Nikos did when I wasn’t paying attention. He appeared shocked. I grabbed his uniform with my good hand, and hooked the air with the other.

He got the message.

We floundered for the rocks. Machine-gun fire flicked water all around us. When we came to the area where the cave was, I slapped the soldier’s cheek twice, and pointed down.

I saw, or rather sensed, he was losing consciousness. Perhaps he’d been shot again. Bullets whizzed by. Sharp, zinging sounds. A fierce sting burned my thigh. Blinding pain. I heaved the Brit on, plunged with him under the water and then started to drag him up the underwater tunnel. He slipped from my grasp just before we reached the cave. If he tried to break through the surface while still in the tunnel, he could drown. The moment was mad, crazy, unreal.

I surfaced in a tumultuous spume, took a breath, and dived back down. He had surfaced too soon and was against the roof of the passageway. I grabbed his hair and pushed my feet against the rock wall to achieve enough forward momentum.

We came up in the cave, gasping and choking.

I hauled myself onto the ledge. The Brit groaned but managed to get out of the water too.

We had no idea how long the air would last, or even how we would know when it was almost used up. Would we fall asleep, or gasp and splutter as if drowning out of water?

I had to check what was happening. The darkness in the cavern was too intense to make signs so I couldn’t show the Brit what I planned.

Not knowing the word for ‘Stay’ in English, I hoped he knew some Italian. ‘Rimani qui!’ I said pushing him against the cave wall.

I headed down the tunnel, hoping the moray – or whatever it was – had moved on to a more peaceful residence. When I surfaced, I found I had my night vision.

Silhouettes of enemy soldiers swarmed everywhere. Four Germans carried the two I’d shot towards the road. I had killed again. An irreversible act that I knew would stay with me for the rest of my life.

As I took in what was going on, I heard nearby voices and saw a couple of Nazis in the Brit’s boat. They headed my way, pulling themselves along the rocks, searching.

I retreated into the subway and swam back to the soldier.

‘Shush,’ I whispered after I had surfaced. We sat in silence for a long stretch. Without the moon and stars to guide me, I lost track of time. The air lasted, so I guessed there were cracks in the rock above us.

Sleep was almost upon me, when I noticed light coming through the tunnel. I wondered if it was dawn. I slipped into the water, horrified to realise the Germans were searching the coastline with high-power torches. Their beams shone across the neck of the passageway, silhouetting a barrel shape that blocked some of the illumination. The form inched towards me and I suspected an enemy soldier had found the cave and approached. We had no escape!

Suddenly, I understood. It wasn’t a soldier, but a large grouper fish swimming away from the torchlight towards me. I reached out and touched his tail. He darted forward, and I heard the Germans yell.

Thanks, friend!

Not long after the fish incident, sunlight lit the neck of the tunnel. I tried to wake the Brit, but he’d lost consciousness. I couldn’t get him out of there alone, I needed help.

I swam out, headed for shore, and raced to Zeus, my wet cotton dress heavy and slapping against my legs. The nasty bullet graze across my thigh stung more intensely as it dried. After untying the restricting leash that kept the horse’s head down, I climbed onto the trough, and into the saddle. The nearest assistance was Embonas Village, up the mountain. I whammed my heels against the horse’s belly and hung on.

We galloped, my first experience of that alarming speed. The wind dried my hair and dress. Soon, we clattered into the village. I stopped squeezing with my knees and pulled on the reins. The relief when the horse responded was immeasurable. I walked Zeus across the empty square and into the churchyard. The community still slept. As I reached for the bell rope hanging at the front of the picturesque church, the door opened.

‘Dora! Get out of here!’ Nathanial said. ‘The village is full of Germans!’

I gawped at him dressed as a priest complete with cassock and hat.

Chapter 39

Naomi led the way into the surgery. Doctor Despina looked up from her paperwork as Naomi entered with Rebecca.

‘Naomi! How are you? How’s Bubba today?’ She blinked at Rebecca. ‘I don’t believe it. After all this time! Rebecca, how lovely to see you. What can I do for you both?’

Rebecca explained she was six and a half weeks pregnant through IVF, and simply wanted reassurance that everything was okay.