THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER

THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER (Episode 2 ) - Chapters 6 & 7

CHAPTER SIX

GRACE STAGGERED BACK at the sight of the soldier. Her shoulders slammed into a jagged cave wall. Wincing in pain, her eyes locked on the armed man lumbering toward her.

He stopped, looked down at Jack, and kicked him in the ribs. “Against the wall! I should shoot you and this African dog, right here, right now.”

The soldier waved his gun at Jack, directing him to join them.

Miles glared at the soldier, as though he was about to rip the head off his shoulders.

But the soldier shoved his gun in his face.

“What are you looking at, Infekt?” He turned to Grace. “We all hoped it wasn’t true, but here you are, running with this African dog. Nevertheless, your father has chosen to forgive you, if you return with us.”

Miles stepped between them. “Why don’t you just go back to—”

The soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into Miles’s injured arm.

Miles cried out and fell against the wall. All around him the swarm of bats protested, chittering softly, as they shifted out of his way. It sent a chill down Grace’s spine.

“Oh, does that hurt?” The soldier laughed as his German shepherd snarled and snapped at Miles. “Platz, Egon.” He pulled on the dog’s chain.

Jack tried to climb to his feet. “Stinkin’ kraut!”

The soldier pointed his rifle at Jack. “You, on the other hand, are no better than this Infekt. And since no one is looking for you...” He slammed the muzzle rifle into Jack’s face, then took a few steps backward.

Grace let out a gasp.

“Now, young man,” the soldier said. “On your knees.”

Wiping the blood from his lip, Jack knelt.

But before he could utter a word, Miles leaned back and swept his arms across the cave wall. In an instant, a rush of screeches, the flapping of thousands of leathery wings, and a smothering dark mammalian cloud filled the air. Bats swarmed forth through the cave, overwhelming the guard and his dog.

Jack lunged at the soldier’s legs, knocking him to the ground.

The dog tore at Jack’s pant leg, but he managed to kick it away.

Jack pinned the soldier down.

They wrestled for the rifle.

Amidst the struggle, the gun slid over to Miles.

He snatched it up and staggered to his feet.

As myriad bats teemed about the cave’s mouth, the soldier’s dog turned its snarling fangs at Grace.

She couldn’t get a word out of her clenched throat.

The dog growled and snapped, then pounced on her.

She screamed, pushing against its neck to keep it away.

“Miles!”

Grace kept turning, then rolled to the ground, trying to avoid its putrid jaws.

It pinned her down on her back.

Her heart froze.

The dog’s dripping fangs and fierce eyes hung right above her.

With all her might, Grace swung her foot around, and kicked the dog in its side.

The dog stumbled away, snarled viciously.