CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINE

Gemma

16 October 1943

The Nazis aimed their weapons at Gemma, as she tried to pull down the roadblock. One Nazi menaced her by raising the butt of his gun. She ducked instinctively, and the crowd reacted with outraged shouts.

“Stop, she’s a nun!” “You can’t shoot her!” “God will punish you, Nazi pig!”

The Nazi swung the butt of his gun at her, but a man in the crowd yanked Gemma backward. The gun butt cleared her head but landed on her forearm.

Gemma cried out in agony. The pain stunned her.

The onlookers reacted with horror, hollering anew at the Nazis. The Nazis menaced the crowd with their weapons.

Men spirited Gemma away from harm, through the crowd. Tears poured from her eyes, and sobs wracked her body. All she could think of was Massimo and Sandro. She struggled to get back to the barricade even as the men brought her to the side of the bridge and eased her down.

“Sister, how is your arm?” they asked her. “Is it broken? Did those bastards break it?”

“Let me go! I want to go back!” Gemma shook her head, sobbing. “Massimo! Sandro!”

“Sister, you can’t. They’ll shoot you. You must stay here.”

Suddenly Gemma saw two figures running over the bridge, their outlines unmistakable. It was Beppe and Marco. They stopped at the sound of her shouting, then turned to her.

“Gemma?” Beppe called to her, uncomprehending.