AN : So I had this idea for quite a time now and even though I am not really a writer, I had to write this story. It is very loosely based on the film Black Book (mainly for the parts with Nazis), but it does not follow that story. I like to think that I know a lot of things about WWII, especially the situation in France but it is possible that I make historical mistakes. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and more chapters are to come !
Disclaimer : I do not own Les Misérables or any of the characters. I don't even own Black Book.
Paris, october 1942
The sun was just starting to set and yet her day was just beginning. She walked quickly in the street of Paris, not wanting to be noticed. The sound of her heels on the pavement made her feel self-conscious as the capital was almost deserted. Most people lived in constant fear of doing something wrong that could get them arrested. Life in Paris was not as careless as it used to be right after the Great War. At the time, every single Parisian celebrated victory over Germans, pretending that the four years of war did not happen and that no one had died. Now, France had lost the war and its dignity and was occupied by the Nazis. Germans were imposing their law in her own country, and no one could complain, let alone protest. It was either submit or die. Unfortunately, not complaining did not assure you to live either. Paris was under control of the Nazis and they could do whatever they pleased to do. Including killing. They often had their reasons, or so they said, but if you were behaving a little suspiciously, death could be awaiting you at the next corner.
Eponine Thénardier was exhausted of the war and the occupation. She was wasting her youth. She wanted to do like most of the French : nothing. She wanted to spend her days at home, hoping that maybe someday someone was going to free them. But that was impossible. Her father made it impossible. She was forced to please the Nazis whenever they wished to be pleased. That was for sure the worst job her father had ever given to her (and she had been given a lot) and she felt disgusted with herself for betraying her country and her morals. She just could not refuse. She had to take care of her sister and her brother, no matter the price. It was a tough price though.
The Nazis were no fools and they could see she was a beautiful girl, even if her waist was thinner than most women. But it was war after all and they did not complain. They paid her father good money for her and even offered him extra money if he could slip here and there information about Jews. If only they knew the reason why her father had so much information about the Jews in Paris was because they were Jews themselves, they would already be dead and buried. Her father had some tricks though. She knew that there was no way for the Nazis, or even French police, to discover their true religion.
Sometimes, when she was forced to look into a Nazi's eyes while he was using her body without any shame, she thought about saying it. It was tempting but she always thought about her brother and sister who were also at risk. She could sacrifice her life, her body and mind for them but she needed this sacrifice to be worth it. It was the only reason why she was alive right now.
He crossed the street looking around him. If someone was following him, they would all be dead in a matter of seconds. He knew his friends did the same, and he was thankful that they at least respected this instruction without questions. He entered the dark café and quickly climbed up the steps. He was already late and he knew that most of his friends would be worried.
"Enjolras, it's you! Where were you? Have you been caught? Tortured? Sent in jail but you managed to escape?" Joly was always the most worried. It was sometimes irritating but he knew he couldn't ask them to risk their lives without some kind of reaction.
"If I had been arrested" he replied calmly "I would not have managed to escape." Maybe it was not the best thing to say to reassure him but it was just the cold hard truth. No need to pretend with them. It would do no good.
"I was not caught," he carried on "I'm just late because I was talking to another leader of a group of resistant. They are very young. Even younger than us and are not organized. I proposed some help but he said he didn't want it. He's going to lead them to their death in no less than a month." Groups of resistant were appearing more and more and although it was a good thing, if the groups were not organized and with some kind of discipline it could be a disaster. Just last month a new born group had been discovered by the Gestapo and it almost endangered other older groups, theirs included.
"Yeah well, don't try to talk to him anymore, it's not worth it." said Combeferre.
Combeferre was wise and more preoccupied with saving their lives than Enjolras. Enjolras supposed he was right most of the time but their duty was to free France and if death was a part of it, he would accept it. He knew however that although all of his friends were aware of the danger and did their part of duty without complaining, most of them were not quite ready to die. Combeferre was one of them and he would always advise Enjolras when the risk was too big and not worth it. Enjolras wanted to fight though. He wanted to free his country from the Nazis and from the dictatorship that was in the south of France.
However, no matter how many new groups were formed they were never enough and the groups never united so they could not do some big action against the Nazis, it would just be a waste of lives. So they waited the orders from London through radio and tried to recruit as many people as they can. This action was not simple because a lot of French were not ashamed of telling the Nazis of suspicious behaviors and they could easily get arrested. Being arrested meant being tortured until you shared with the Gestapo confidential information so that the suffering could stop. Even the most faithful man could not be sure of not telling names under torture. If you were lucky you could use cyanide pills and have a quick death but the Gestapo always tried to prevent that. When the torture was finished you were sent to camps where death was just the next best option. If one member of the group was arrested then the whole group had to live with the fear of being arrested at any seconds.
The Amis, as they called themselves, knew this better than any other groups and were trying to be as cautious as they could. They met every night at the café Musain with just one candle to light the whole room upstairs so that it could quickly be blew off. They all had nicknames and even though they were all close friends, their real name was the one thing that they did not know about each others.
"You know I won't," Enjolras responded to Combeferre "they seem too unconscious anyway." He then changed the subject so that the fate of the other group did not linger too long on his friends' mind and turned to the whole group "We have a big mission for the next week. I learned from London that we were expected to destroy rails just outside of Paris. It is going to be difficult because the rails are often used by the Germans and highly watched." He went on with the details of the operation and the rest of the Amis were listening to their leader, knowing how important the mission was. Fear of death could not get in the way. Freedom was the only thing they could afford to think of, the rest was just too depressing.
To be continued.
AN : I liked the idea of making Joly paranoid about being arrested rather than hypochondriac. Let me know if you absolutely hate it.
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Thanks for reading :)
