A Dangerous Game

Chapter 13

In honor of all this social distancing for the Coronavirus and four days in a row off from work, here's Chapter 13 (FINALLY!). It's a little on the shorter side, and a bit of a filler, but I'm happy with how it turned out! Let me know what you think with some comments, and don't forget to vote! :)

Mila unlocked her front door, untying and slipping off her snow covered boots, leaving them at the door as she walked inside. After the kiss they had shared, she and Josef had skated a few more laps around the pond before heading home. Peeling Josef's wool coat from her shoulders, having worn it for the remainder of their time at the pond since hers had been soaked through with snow, she handed it back to him.

"Sorry about your coat," He chuckled, accepting his back and hanging it on the coat hook. Kicking off his boots, he sat them beside Mila's before following her into the kitchen.

"It's alright," She smiled, opening a cupboard and pulling a tin container down from the shelf. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be wonderful," He nodded, leaning against the counter, watching her as she filled the kettle with water and sat it on the stove.

"I'm surprised they gave you the weekend off with these supply transports to Berlin happening so soon," She commented as nonchalantly as she could, taking two teabags from the tin before putting it back in the cupboard. As dazed their kiss at the pond had left her, she hadn't lost sight of her quest for answers. She needed those transport dates and times if it was the last thing she ever did, and if there was anyone who could give her that information, it was Josef.

"I suppose General Eichmann figured I could use a couple days since things are about to get even busier," He shrugged.

Mila nodded, placing a teabag in each of the cups she had pulled from a shelf. "How are they planning to get those supplies to Berlin?" She pressed on casually. "Aren't they worried about Dutch Resistance or the Allies intercepting them?"

"That's certainly a concern," Josef began, accepting the cup she extended to him. "Moving the supplies by air would be ideal, but the risk of those planes getting shot down before they get to Berlin is high," He continued, taking a sip of tea. "Train would be the second fastest option, but Dutch Resistance know the supply routes too well so the risk of interception before the supplies makes it out of Holland would be too great."

"That leaves supply trucks," Mila commented, taking a sip from her cup.

Josef nodded, walking over to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair, taking a seat. "Large cities like Munster and Hanover will be avoided of course considering they're on the Allies' radar. We'll have to get the supplies to Berlin using smaller cities ... Ones that wouldn't be at risk for air raids. It'll take a bit longer, but the lesser traveled supply routes will be the safest option."

Mila nodded, making mental notes of everything Josef was saying as she took a seat across the table from him. This new information wasn't the exact dates and times she had hoped for, but it was certainly something. Finding out the specifics of how they intended to transport all these supplies would certainly be useful to Harvey and Catherine's superiors.

"I hope Fred isn't giving you too much trouble at work," Josef took another sip from his cup, changing the subject with ease. "I know there's been a lot more expected of you with all the extra briefings and meetings."

"Oh, Mr. Muller?" She shook her head, smiling slightly. "Not too much."

"Well if he does let me know."

"I don't need you to fight my battles you know," She cocked a sarcastic eyebrow at him, trying to suppress the smile forming on her lips.

"Oh believe me, I know," He smirked, raising his cup in a mock toast to her before taking a drink. "Honestly I'd just like a reason to mess with Fred Muller."

"I get the feeling you don't care for him," She chuckled.

"That feeling of yours would be correct," He nodded, "I've never much cared for people who exert their power over others for the hell of it."

"He does seem a bit power hungry, doesn't he?"

"He's a bully," Josef corrected her, his tone thick with a disdain that hadn't been there before.

"Well," Mila smiled softly, grabbing Josef's, now empty, teacup as she stood to her feet. "I'm not easily bullied." Squeezing his arm lightly, she glided past him towards the kitchen sink, placing the empty cup in the basin.

A hand rested against her shoulder, sending a fresh course of butterflies through her abdomen as it slid down the length of her arm before grasping her hand. Turning around, her eyes fell on Josef's tall frame. The contemptous expression he had worn before completely gone, his eyes now studied her face the same way they had earlier that day at the pond.

"This might be a bit preemptive, but when can I see you again?" He asked, squeezing her hand softly.

"Well we do work together," She smirked.

"Not what I mean," He replied with a chuckle.

"Then how does dinner Friday night sound?"

"Wonderful," He smiled, his eyes filled with the same gleam they had had before he had kissed her. Letting go of her hand, he reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

She gulped, swallowing down the butterflies rising from within her stomach. His hand lingered against her cheek, his face inching subtly towards hers. Standing on her tip toes, she closed the short distance between them, her lips pressing against his. Pushing the hand on her cheek back into her hair, he intertwined his fingers within her curls, any further attempts to gather information she would have made melting away as he returned her kiss.

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