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She waited

John had told her to stay there with the wounded man up the turn of the stable yard while he went for the stretcher His car, packed ounded, stood a little way up the street, headed for Ghent Sutton's car, with one of McClane's chauffeurs, was in front of it, ready; she could hear the engine purring

Instead of going at once for the stretcher John had followed Sutton into the house opposite, the house with the narrow grey shutters And he had called to her again across the road to wait for him

Behind her in the yard the wounded ainst the stable wall He was safe there, safer than he would have been outside in the ambulance

It ful to think that he would have been left behind if they had not found hi the straw

She went and stood by the yard entrance to see whether John were co with the stretcher A soldier ca, his foot bound to a splint Then Sutton ca to help him He shouted to her, "Coot to wait here for John"

She watched theet in; she saw the car draw out and rush away

Then she saw John co up and down the street Once she saw hi behind him in the room The same instant she heard the explosion and saw the shell burst in the middle of the street, not fifty yards from the ambulance Half a minute after she saw John dash from the doorway and run, run at an incredible pace, towards his car She heard hi to back towards the yard, and she wondered whether she could lift up the Belgian and carry him out She stooped over hi Better not He had a bad wound Better wait for the stretcher

She turned, suddenly, arrested The noise she heard was not the grating noise of a car backing, it was the screa away; it dropped to a heavy whirr and diminished

She looked out Up the road she saw John's car rushing furiously towards Ghent

The Belgian had heard it His eyes moved Black hare's eyes, terrified It was not possible, he said, that they had been left behind?