"So we know they are planning an attack tonight, but where?" I asked, looking at the map of New York.

"Or what?" Joe asked. I nodded a little in agreement as the Ark, well what was left of it, fell silent again. Well except for the music playing from a music box. Jonah was looking at the music and trying to line the three four time of the music box up with the four four time of the children's song. I glanced over my shoulder at him and he looked stressed.

I sat down with him, writing the music out sloppily. It was still legible enough to follow.

"Twelve years of piano," I said as Jonah looked at what I was doing. "And many other music classes."

"That's it," he said and began scribbling along the bottom of his page.

"We've cracked this gibberish," he said. "Every eighth note lined up, same pitch. Every eighth number in this gibberish is this."

"Coordinates," Meyer said going to the map and having Jonah read the pairs of numbers off.

"Grand Central Station and the Port," Meyer said.

"If they're striking at midnight, why a port?" I asked.

"A distraction maybe," Joe said.

"What if they're trying to smuggle something in through the ports?" Jonah said.

"Wait, what else is down there?" I asked, moving closer to the aerial image of the city.

"What're you thinking?" Jonah asked as my eyes darted around the harbor area.

"This plant controls the electricity for the entire city," I said, tapping one of the buildings. "They'll create total chaos by taking out that one building."

"That's where they're headed then," Joe said.

"We'll split into teams," Meyer said, but a commotion downstairs cut off any chance of us finishing that conversation. Meyer headed down the stairs ahead of everyone else, but we all followed suit.

The FBI was here to serve a search warrant and a warrant for Meyer's arrest. I looked at Jonah nervously as he glared at the female agent. She started talking to him like they were old friends.

"Team," my father said. "Let's wait outside. Meyer can handle this alone."

"I'd like to stay with Meyer if that's okay with everyone," Jonah said, looking directly at me. I nodded and followed my parents outside.

When the FBI finished and left, they'd taken Meyer into custody.

"We have to continue on," Jonah said. "It's what Meyer wants."

"What's going on?" I asked quietly as Jonah and I lagged behind everyone else on our return to the Ark.

"Meyer is my grandfather," he said.

"You nervous about that?" I asked.

"Yeah, a little," he said. I wrapped my arms around his waist, causing him to pull me into his chest in a hug.

"We've got this," I said. We pulled apart and headed into the Ark.

"Look who decided to join us," Joe said.

I rolled my eyes but smiled a little as Jonah scoffed and tried to defend us.

"Anyways, two teams, one in Grand Central Station and one in the harbor," my father said. "Myself, Jonah, and Lonny in Grand Central station. Joe, Harriet, and Mindy in the harbor."

"What about me?" I questioned.

"You're staying here," he said.

"I can be of use," I said. "At the very least an extra set of eyes."

"We'll think about it mammele," he said, meaning I'd be staying here.

They continued to go through the plan for tonight. With Meyer in custody and Roxy refusing to help after the events that transpired with Tilda, we were already shorthanded, but it didn't matter to anyone else apparently.

"Let's take her to Grand Central Station," Lonny said.

"What?" Jonah and I asked simultaneously.

"The place is huge. The extra eyes could help," he explained.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Jonah said.

"This is what I was telling the two of you," Harriet said. I shot her a quick glare.

"I can stay here and wait for Meyer to come back. I just want in on the coms," I said.

"You'll be too far out of range," my father said.

"I'll stay here, put most your minds at ease," I said. "I'm sure there's translation or something I can do. There's always translations that need done."

"So it's settled," my father said. We all agreed and decided to meet back at the Ark in a few hours to get ready for the night.

"Jonah, would you like to come have dinner with us?" My mother asked as we were walking out of Meyer's house.

"I'd love to ma'am," he said.

"Oh sweet boy," she said, laughing at him a little. "You don't need to call me ma'am."

"Sorry, just a force of habit," he said.

"Your Safta would be proud," my mother said, making Jonah beam with pride himself.

When we arrived back at my house, Jonah and I headed into the living room and sat on the couch together. My mother started dinner and my father excused himself to the basement.

"What's-?" Jonah started to ask, following my father with his eyes.

"You don't want to know," I said.

"He's still alive?" Jonah asked quietly. I nodded, watching my mother as she worked away happily.

"I figured your parents would've had compassion on him and just shot him," Jonah said, speaking softly so my parents wouldn't hear.

"He killed Aaron," I said quietly, shrugging a little.

After a few moments of silence, I spoke again.

"Be careful tonight. Okay?"

"Always," he said, looking at me.

"I mean it Jonah. I don't know what's going to happen but given those involved I'm sure it won't be good," I said. He nodded a little before pulling me into his side.

"I promise to be careful out there tonight," he said.

"Thank you, bubbala," I said.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that nickname doll," he said.

"It means darling," I said, pulling away from him to look up at him. "Would you prefer it in a different language?"

"What other options are there?" He asked almost jokingly.

"There's darling, liebling, chéri, or tesoro," I said.

"English, German, and I don't know the other two."

"French and Italian," I said.

"It doesn't matter," he said after a second of thought. "This is unrelated, but have you thought about kids?"

"Yeah, definitely. They aren't an option to me. I want kids more than anything," I said.

"Even with your knowledge of Nazis in America?" He asked.

"Yes, even then," I said. I paused for a second to collect my thoughts. "I think of it as my way of carrying on a legacy. Our people lost 6 million lives in the Holocaust. I feel obligated to carry on the traditions of our people."

"That's fair," he said. "I just don't know if I could have Jewish children knowing there's the impending threat of a Fourth Reich."

"If every Jewish person decided that the risk of persecution was too great to bring children into this world, there'd be no one to remember the 6 million," I said.

"Do you always put things into the perspective of the 6 million?" Jonah asked.

"Usually," I said. "It's just that I lost my only brother. My parents lost their only son. I never got to meet my grandparents or any cousins."

"I've never thought about it like that," he said. I nodded a little but we fell silent with worry about tonight's fighting.

"Would you two like coffee?" My mother asked, walking into the living room with a tray.

"Thank you Mamme," I said. She nodded as she handed my a mug.

Within a few minutes, my father joined us again, but only after taking several minutes to scrub his hands clean. I didn't want to know what was going on in the basement.

My parents made small talk with Jonah about different things to pass the time as dinner was in the oven. He responded, obviously eager to make a good impression with them.

"You're a great kid Jonah," my father said. "We'd be lucky to have you in this family. Your care for Tilly is obvious."

"Tilly?" Jonah asked.

"It's a special nickname. It's reserved for my parents and my big sister," I explained.

"I'll stick to Mattie then," he said jokingly. I smiled a little as the oven went off.

"That would be dinner," my mother said. "Mammele, come set the table while I finish things up."

I headed to the kitchen with my mother, setting the table quickly as she took the casserole out of the oven.

We all ate in near silence. Occasionally one of my parents would say something that sparked a short conversation, but in all honesty we were all too anxious for anything more.

Jonah was quick to compliment my mother's cooking, causing my father to joke about him marrying me at the very least for the recipes. We all laughed a little at the comments, but it seemed forced.

When we finished, I helped my mother clean up, but excused myself to change as she did the dishes with my fathers help. I headed up to my room. Putting on some jeans and a tee before pulling on a hoodie as well. I needed to be more comfortable if I was going to be alone and awake all night.

I headed back downstairs, seeing Jonah sitting awkwardly in the living room. I smiled at him as he heard me and looked towards me. He smiled in return as well.

"We should probably head back to the Ark," my father said as I reached the floor.

"Let's do that," I said. We all left together, Jonah and I sitting in the back seat of my parents car together. The ride was absolutely silent. None of us knew what to say to make the others less worried about the impending night.

Within what felt like minutes, we were saying goodbye and I was alone in the Ark. I occasionally heard something from the guards downstairs or the one outside the door of the Ark, but that was it. I was alone and anxious and trying to translate German documents to English.

There was a scuffle downstairs, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I figured the guards were fighting over something, but when a gunshot rang out, followed by several more, I freaked out. The guard at the door shut the door, obviously ready to take this fight to whoever was in the house. I heard a few more gunshots as they approached the attic. I was very obviously panicking.

I was alone. I was unarmed. And I was about to die.

I moved away from the doors immediate line of sight and looked for something to protect myself but there was nothing.

"I know you're in here," his American accent rang through the room as the door opened.

I breathed through my mouth as he pointed a gun at me.

"I won't kill you sweetheart. I already killed your dad," I hardened my eyes. Over my dead body would he see me cry.

"I'm here to warn you all that what happened tonight, including your father's death, will happen again and again until all you filthy Jews are gone." I stared back into his dark brown eyes.

"Wanna know something funny," I said. "Your eyes aren't blue."

He closed his eyes tightly. "You aren't scared?"

"My parents survived those fucking camps. It's going to take a lot more than you to scare me," I said, refusing to show that I wanted to breakdown and cry.

"This ought to scare you. God, they really should learn not to leave you the fuck alone," he said. He grabbed a knife from his pocket and pressed the blade into the skin of my arm. I grit my teeth together as the blade carved into my bicep.

"Mattie?" Meyer's voice called from downstairs he was obviously running to get to me so the American Nazi took off running. Meyer ran into the Ark a few moments later. I was losing quite a bit of blood.

I sat down on the table as Meyer grabbed a first aid kit and a towel.

"I'll have to give you stitches when we get this under control," he said. "Why were you alone?"

"I volunteered to stay here. Put everyone's mind at ease."

"Why didn't he kill you?"

"He said it was a warning call. What happened tonight will keep happening. He said my dad is dead. Meyer. Have you heard anything?" I asked. I heard commotion downstairs.

"No I haven't," he said. He grabbed something to stitch my arm up with and started to stitch it as Joe sprinted in.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I was clearly in a ton of pain and I had lost a lot of blood.

"I will be," I said. My mother walked in and instantly stood in front of me.

"Who did this?" Joe asked.

"The American that killed Jonah's friend I think," I said. Joe nodded as he sat down at the table.

"Can someone get me some water?" I asked. Harriet nodded before heading off for the kitchen.

"Mamme," I said softly. I began speaking to her quickly in Yiddish so she heard before Joe or Harriet.

"I think so," she said, obviously ready to cry.

"Me too," I said, gritting my teeth a little harder as Meyer continued with stitching my arm.

"This will need probably fifteen to twenty stitches," Meyer said.

"And you've done how many?" I asked.

"Two," he said. I nodded a little as Harriet returned with my water and Lonny who also appeared to need stitches.

"Where's my father and Jonah?" I asked.

"We got separated on the subway. I'm sorry," he said, sitting down so Harriet could look at his stomach.

It was quiet for a while except for my occasional groan as Meyer continued my stitching. There was no medication in my arm and I was completely sober so this was killing me. I'd never been in this much pain before.

When Jonah walked in, he immediately sprinted over to me.

"What happened?" He asked.

"The American Nazi," I said. "I think the one who killed your friend. He said my dad is dead."

"I'm so sorry. I tried to talk him out of it but he made me promise to tell you both that he loves you. He, he started praying right before the bomb went off," Jonah said. "I'm so sorry."

My mother collapsed into a chair as my head fell onto Jonah's shoulder. I started crying as Meyer continued working.

"Mattie, hold still," Meyer said.

"Dude she just lost her dad and she can probably feel every time that breaks skin," Jonah said. I focused on holding my arm still as I steadied my breathing a little. My mother grabbed my arm that wasn't being attended to, the left one, and held my hand as Meyer finished up and wrapped my bicep in gauze.

"He said to tell you he's never letting go," Jonah said to me softly as he held me.