Come Back To Us - 50. Chapter 50

Time passed. Many more tears flew. The pain was still vivid and his heart still bitter.

He braced himself for another mission, took a deep breath as he finished gathering his stuff. Kristian came to see him before he left.

“How are you feeling?”

It seemed like a dumb question, but Karl smiled as he knew he cared. Then he sighed.

“I’ve learnt to live with it, I guess. It’s not as if I had any other choice anyway.”

“I know.”

There was a long moment of silence that seemed somewhat awkward, but Karl shrugged it off.

“Do you regret coming here? Do you regret having to leave our land against your will?”

“I regret the innocence I lost. I felt safe back at home. I thought nothing bad could ever happen, although life at the farm wasn’t easy. Yet, at the same time, I can’t say I regret. I have learnt so much since I landed in England. I met good people. The Hopkins, you, Jørgen. I guess it was the way it was meant to be. I think that’s the purpose of life, going through trials and enduring over and over again, so we can learn what’s really worth our time in this life. Like what that reincarnation thing stated.”

“Yes, that’s what everyone should realise. But most people prefer to deceive themselves with illusions rather than face despair. And some think life is such an easy thing because they already have everything anyone could dream of at birth.”

He looked down as his breathing became shallow. There was nothing to be proud of about humanity when you thought about life that way. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but failed. Death was such a terrifying thought though. Thinking that people could die anywhere, anytime, anyhow. He still couldn’t accept it. You came into this world without choosing it and then you had to leave it without choosing it either. He realised something that made his whole body shiver.

He wasn’t strong or brave like a man should be. The blood running through his veins wasn’t that of the Vikings. He was just scared like the child he had always been, pretending to be strong to be able to stand all the horrors this world had to offer, and only here because he chose to still believe in an ideal. He sighed.

But a little twinkle of hope warmed up his broken heart as he thought about all the visions he had been having until recently. After all, it seemed you could choose to live again. Even if the world didn’t improve. To bring your own contribution to try making it better. He looked back up as it became easier to breathe.

“It’s strange to think there are people you’ll never see again. I guess I’d rather deceive myself and believe that I can hope to see all the people dear my heart I’ll lose in another life.”

Kristian first looked anxious but then he looked like he was in awe and suddenly fascinated by him.

“I guess we’ll never be able to prove that reincarnation exists, but no matter whether it does or not, at least I’m glad I could know you in this life.”

Next thing he knew, he was engulfed into a tight hug and its warmth soothed him a little.

“Be careful, and when I say careful, I mean really careful. I don’t want you to end up like him.”

He bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes were starting to get watery. He held his breath as the grip of the man tightened even more. That warm feeling was stronger than ever before. The feeling that he was like a second father to him, because he really reminded him of his own father. He sighed as he hugged him back and closed his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I will.”

He must have been missing his children so much. His heart broke even more at that mere thought. He didn’t want to let go, but although he tried to ignore it, he knew he would have to eventually. After a while he pulled away, but the man was reluctant to let go more than he was. He wiped the few tears that had been flowing as Kristian looked like he was ready to hug him once again. Karl glanced down as his lips formed a thin line.

“I should go now.”

It couldn’t be the last time they saw each other. It seemed awkward again, so he chose to leave without another word or gesture because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t find the strength to go on this plane.

There was nothing exceptional about that mission. It was a regular mission. Watching closely. Shooting down enemy planes when necessary. Trying to gain some small advantage over them. I t left him emotionless. He felt empty yet with a need of succeeding in his mission. When he came face to face with a German place, he wasn’t scared anymore but overwhelmed by rage and darkness. It became worse as he thought about Jørgen. He aimed at it with a cold and calculating gaze and as he shot, he didn’t miss it.

“That’s for making a prisoner of him.”

God knows what they must have done to him so he had to escape from there in the end. He didn’t want to imagine the cruelty they were capable of. This was unforgivable. He tried to shake the thought off his head. He should remain focused. This wasn’t over yet. They needed more to understand.

Then after a while, he shot another one as he kept whirling in the sky gracefully. They had to pay. There were two of them left. He prowled in the distance like an eagle with the piercing gaze. And he ended up shooting them one by one mercilessly, with all the patience that was needed. His jaw unclenched a little as he watched them go down. He wiped his hands on his trousers as they were becoming too sweaty for his liking. That mission would be another success, it seemed.

Suddenly, he started to hear a strange noise. Another knot formed in his throat. Had he just spoken too fast ? What was happening ? Had his plane just been shot without him realising it…?

No, it wasn’t. This was something else. Something he had never encountered before. He was running out of fuel. But…how could it be possible? Could it be linked to some form of sabotage somehow?

His heart was beating too fast. He had to try to land nearby and softly. Not on the sea. He could never get back to the station at this speed… He licked his lips as his mind became hazy. All thoughts became unimportant as his survival was at stake. He didn’t want to relive what he had already lived several times. He could have just let his plane get shot down if it was to end up this way. That was the only thought he allowed. As he kept going he spotted a beach. That was his chance. He directed his plane down, hoping he could land smoothly to avoid crashing and dying instantly. He took a deep breath as he maneuvered. It was going too fast. His heart might give out before he actually managed to land on this empty beach.

The landing was rough and jolting, but he was still alive as his plane stopped. He released the breath he had been holding as he placed one hand on his chest. He was alive. And that was what mattered the most at that moment. He was fast to get off his plane. He moved away from it as his stomach was aching with a bad feeling in mind.

His heart skipped a beat as he watched him explode and burn. His eyes were getting watery with the smoke. He sighed as shivers were spreading all over his body. It was starting again. He started making his way towards the inner land but soon realised German soldiers were coming at him. His chest ached. He wouldn’t be so lucky this time…

He started running on his right, but they started shooting. His heart was still racing as it was becoming harder and harder to think. Maybe he should just give up and surrender. He cried in pain as he felt the cold metal go through his skin. He fell on his knees. It was no use to keep going. He couldn’t win alone against them. He waited for them to come and fetch him, closing his eyes to avoid facing this kind of dishonour. His shoulder hurt as he stood up.

They took him to a local kommandantur where he was sat on a chair in a plain office. An officer stood right before him. He started speaking in German and of course, he couldn’t understand a single thing. He then tried to speak in French but Karl couldn’t understand any better. He then tried English, but pretended not to understand either. He squeezed his eyes shut when the officer started barking orders in German.

They had to find an interpreter so he could answer the officer’s questions and spill everything he knew. But he remained tight as a clam all along which made the officer angry, but he couldn’t care less.

“Gør alt, hvad du vil, jeg vil ikke tale.” Do everything you want, I won't talk.

He looked up at the officer with a determined and challenging gaze. He had nothing to lose, and if they needed information, they couldn’t kill him anyway. He breathed in and out deeply. There was no reason for him to be scared. He would find a way to get through this.

As the officers barked other orders in German, two men quickly approached him and they started beating him up. This was reminding him of that time when he had been welcomed by Clément but then tortured with that awful machinery. So this definitely couldn’t be worse. If this hadn’t made him talk, he wouldn’t talk this time either.

He spitted as he couldn’t take the taste of his own blood in his mouth, and this earned him one more punch. They beat him up some more and he lost track of time. But at some point, the officer shouted again and he sighed. The two soldiers grabbed him and took him away straight away.

He had no idea what they were going to do with him, but no matter where they took him, he’d never say a word again as long as they were near him.

He would brace himself for the worst.

Hey everyone! 
So this is it...this is the last chapter for this second book, and at that stage this isn't luck/bad luck anymore, I know 😅 But we wouldn't like our dear Karl to die, right?
So I really hope you have enjoyed that second book, but honestly I don't think neither you nor I will be ready for that last part....
Every review will be welcomed with open arms and a distance hug 🤗
Thank you so much for those who have kept reading this story so far, this really means the world to me 🥰❤️
Take care ❤️