Nowhere to Hide: A Tale of the Polish Underground in World War Ii

By R. Samuel Baty

It is 1939, and Adolf Hitler is on the move. After the Germans invade Warsaw, Josef and Anna Jaffe, along with their infant son, Josef Jr., suddenly find themselves desperately attempting to escape the hardships of the Ghetto. During their flight, Josef Jr. tragically dies at the hands of their guide. Anna becomes determined to exact her revenge on the Germans.

When Josef decides to join the Polish Underground, he and Anna take part in the famous Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. They soon discover that war comes with both sacrifices and blessings. After they adopt an orphan, he valiantly tries to fit in with his new family. While he is accepted by Anna, he must struggle to win approval from Josef. In the closing days of the war, the Germans suddenly begin pulling out of Poland to protect their homeland. Everything changes. Before it is too late, Anna struggles to find a way to exact her revenge. What she does not realize is that fate is about to intervene.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532016325

R. Samuel Baty

R. Samuel Baty (1937-2017) was an award-winning novelist and retired officer of the US Air Force. He held a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico, an MS degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Engineering from UCLA. Nowhere to Hide is his fifth and final book. It is not, however, a part of the series.

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Copyright © 2017 R. Samuel Baty.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author’s wife except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-1631-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-1632-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017907140

iUniverse rev. date: 10/20/2017

Contents

Chapter 1 Germany Invades Poland

Chapter 2 The Polish Underground

Chapter 3 The Nazi Work Camp

Chapter 4 The Nazis Move In

Chapter 5 Britain and the U.S. Join Forces

Chapter 6 The Underground Steps It Up

Chapter 7 Joshua in the Ghetto

Chapter 8 Josh Meets Josef and Anna

Chapter 9 The Ghetto Girds for Battle

Chapter 10 The Ghetto Erupts

Chapter 11 Vengeance and Deliverance

Chapter 12 The Jaffes Return to Warsaw

Acknowledgements

Dedicated to my wonderful wife, Linda, who has given me many moments in the sun!

Chapter 1

Germany Invades Poland

T HE FEARS OF the Free World had come to a brutal pass! Adolf Hitler was on the move! He had taken over parts of Czechoslovakia and most of Austria through skullduggery and intimidation. He had even convinced the Brit Neville Chamberlain that there would be Peace in their time. But it was total nonsense. Hitler’s only aim was to control all Europe.

In 1939, Germany attacked Poland and took over Warsaw, the Polish capital. Life became treacherous for the city’s Jews. They were herded into the Ghetto, a hellish stopover before the gas chambers. As the Nazi grip tightened, many decided that they must leave Warsaw or die trying. This was true of Josef and Anna Jaffe, who, with their infant son, Josef Jr., were determined to flee the city. They hired a guide to lead them to safety. To Anna’s mind, he wasn’t a nice man. In some ways, she thought, he was very similar to the Nazis! But he was on their side, which couldn’t be overlooked!

The guide advised that the best escape route was the sewer system, a risky strategy since the Germans were on to it and were closely monitoring the route. Anna held Josef Jr. closely during their exodus. As the group slogged through a drainage ditch, they heard guards approaching. The baby started to cry! The guide frantically motioned for Anna to give him the child. The crying stopped. The guards moved on. When the guide returned the child to his mother, his neck was broken.

Anna screamed in horror! What have you done?!

The guide urgently put his finger to his lips and shrugged. Would you rather be killed by the Nazis?

Josef lunged at him in blind rage. Others in the group pulled him away, allowing the guide to scramble to his feet. He glared balefully at Josef as he retreated to the safety of the group.

Josef cradled his grief-stricken wife. They clung to each other sobbing. We have to keep going! he whispered. God forgive us! Josef wrapped his jacket around the dead child. They had fallen behind the others. Aching with grief, they trudged on.

The guide led them along the banks of a stream at the edge of a small village, directly west of Warsaw. They approached a collection of decrepit shacks. The group spread out. Josef pointed to one of the ramshackle structures and pulled Anna toward it. He opened the door. The moonlight at their backs ushered their shadows ahead of them. The room was shabby and unkept, but Anna gave no thought to that. Consumed with