Summary

Chapter 1 opens with Hélène on a British military plane called the Liberator. The only people on the plane are an RAF pilot, a dispatcher, and her partner on this mission, Hubert. They are flying above France and are nearly at their drop zone. Hélène reflects that she is finally in the same country as her husband, Henri. She is hungover and nervous to jump out of the plane. The Germans fire at them and the whole plane shakes. Hélène vomits. They reach their drop zone and Hubert jumps out of the plane. Helene takes her time applying lipstick before jumping. Her parachute gets snagged on a tree and she dangles from it, waiting to be found. An attractive, young French soldier comes and cuts her down.

Chapter 2 is a flashback to eight years...