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Late at night, and the street lamps flooded the narrow alleyways of Nouvion. All was quiet except the distant drone of aircrafts overhead.
It was here, at last, that Hubert Gruber found some much needed peace. The relentless snoring of the Italian captain was driving him to madness, so off he went into the cool, dark air, accompanied as ever by his faithful German Shepherds.
Pausing briefly outside Cafe Rene, he spotted three lights on in the upstairs windows: two red, one yellowish and glowing. The two red lights were not a surprise, but the third? Whatever was Rene’s mother in law doing awake at this time of night?
Hubert debated knocking, but decided against it. Perhaps there had been an emergency, or maybe….something else had come up. Something involving a radio…code, and girls in trench coats, white socks and berets….
Nothing of interest to him.
On he went, lost in thought, until suddenly he heard noise coming from nearby. In the distance, he could see a small group of young men in German uniform clamouring outside a door. Standing there in the doorway, in her silk dressing gown, was none other than Helga Geerhart.
Hubert paused, blending into the shadows to watch.
“You really must go!” Helga was saying.
“Oh, c’mon, Geerhart. You weren’t saying that last night!”
“That was different. I said go away, so go away!”
“Or what?”
“I’ll tell your commander you’ve been cavorting with women of the street.”
“And we’ll tell him you’re the woman of the street! Come on, Helga! Show us ya swastikas!”
Safely concealed in his hiding place, Hubert bit his lip. How he hated the way some men spoke to Helga! And it was clear the woman was getting rather desperate….
“Go away!” She tried to slam the door closed, but one of the men’s feet slides into the gap, stopping the door’s progress with a rattle.
“Where you do think you’re going, liebling?”
He took a step towards her, and Hubert could see Helga’s breath catch in her throat….
In an instant, an idea formed in his head, and before he could even think it through…he found himself undoing the leads of Erich and Kurt. The two dogs stood perfectly still, waiting for instruction.
Hubert, dressed in uniform to avoid interrogation by the night-guard, took off his hat and gave it to Erich.
“Go and take this to Helga. Here you go. Clever doggie! Kurt, you go with him and help, yes?”
With that, he gave a low whistle, and the two dogs set off down the street on their mission, the hat from Hubert’s uniform clamped securely between Erich’s jaws.
The dogs adored Helga almost as much as their owner did, and knew her well enough to pick out her scent amidst that of the men’s in the darkness. The scene of their master’s friend in such distress caused them great alarm, and at once, they set to work.
Halfway down the street, they began to run, and to bark. The men turned around, and almost at once made out the dark shapes of the furious animals charging towards them.
“Bloody hell, Hans!”
The dogs came careening up to the men, barking.
“Oh, they can’t be so bad….they’re only do….my god! This one’s clearly had a victim already!” One of the men tried to wrestle the hat from the jaws of the snarling Erich.
“Let’s just get out of here!”
“I don’t think we have a choice in the matter. What sort of feral beasts do you keep for company, Geerhart!?”
Another bark from Kurt sent the remainder of the men flying. The two dogs pursued them down the street and round the corner, before another whistle from Hubert brought them back around again.
They settled almost at once, sitting either side of Helga’s doorway like statues.
“Hubert?” She called a little shakily into the darkness. “I take it you’re there?”
“I’m coming, Helga.” Hubert sprang at once from his hiding place and hurried down the street to meet his friend.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I am now.”
“Those idiot men! Honestly, Helga, I am sorry. I do not know why some men must behave like thi…”
“It’s alright, Hubert. They’re gone now.”
“And not a moment too soon!” Hubert frowned. Sensing his master’s worry, Erich growled a little, but Hubert quickly silenced him, taking back his hat from the dog’s mouth.
“I’ll tell the Colonel tomorrow morning. German soldiers should not be harassing women whether on or off duty, and no matter the woman’s…profession? Hobby?”
The ghost of a smile appeared on Helga’s features. “Hobby. But will the Colonel not wonder why you were also there at the door of this “lady of the night “ in order to witness this…? Will not you get in trouble?”
“Helga…the Colonel knows me well enough to know that I of all people would not be doing anything suspicious at the door of a woman in the middle of the night.”
“Yes….I don’t suppose you would. If it was the door of Clarence, however…” She teased, and he felt his cheeks turning slightly warm in the cool air.
“Clarence and I are friends, Helga…”
“I know, I know.” Helga smiled, “if anything, it would probably do your reputation some good to be seen at the door of a woman in the middle of the night…”
Hubert simply sighed. “Very funny, Helga. Do you want me to leave one of my little doggies here? You can bring him back tomorrow.”
As though responding to an unspoken command, Kurt got up from his seat to the side of Helga’s door and pushed past the woman into the narrow hallway of her lodgings.
“Thank you, Hubert. Really.”
“No problem, Helga. You know I’ll do anything for you. Now, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Hubert. Be safe.”
With that, Helga quietly closed the door.
Gruber waited until Helga’s door was firmly locked, then turned on his heel and disappeared back into the shadows, Erich following in his wake.