Page 158 - LEIBY

158 Leiby – Border Smuggler

Chapter 20

It was a dark, moonless night, just right for an escape venture.
Yozek slipped out of the back entrance and breathed in the still
night air. He fidgeted nervously with the gold-plated pendant
that he wore, a medal that he had received from headquarters
in Berlin for his part in having purged the area of Jews. Yozek
missed those good old days, when hatred of Jews was a virtue,
and killing them an act worthy of high acclaim. Now, he knew,
he had to leave Poland without delay.The noose around his neck
became tighter every day, and, as his good friend the regional
policeman had informed him, the forces in Moscow had issued
an order for his arrest, for his acts against Russian POWs.
The Reich had collapsed, and Yozek was looking for a way out
of the mess he was in. His first port of call was the local priest.
The priest was a well-known figure with connections all over
and Yozek was positive that he’d be able to help. He knocked
on the door and was ushered warmly inside. The priest sat in
his office, arms folded over his chest. A large loaf of fragrant
bread and a steaming bowl of meat stew stood before him on
the table.
“Dear Father,” Yozek spoke quickly, urgently, as if a whole pack
of wolves was at his heels. He told the priest everything about