A/N: I DO NOT own Inglourious Basterds.

Absinthe

"Now this is quite nice. Would you zip me up please?"

I spun around, my bare arched back facing Donny along with a hint of my sheer-undergarments as I flirtatiously urged him to help me into one of the many dresses I was looking at.

Sighing, he glanced at the storeowner as though embarrassed then walked over and placed his hand on the zipper, dragging it up in a matter of seconds then leaping back as though I was on fire. I had to admit, there was nothing I quite liked more than making a man of his stature squirm like a slug. Making him uncomfortable let me know that he wanted me, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"What do you think? Do you like it?" I turned around and pursed my lips, posing like a Hollywood actress.

"Quite beautiful miss, if I may say so myself." The shop-owner said and I smiled at him, giving a slight curtsey then looked back at Donny. It was the perfect dress for that night, a sultry dark blue number that hugged my body like a glove and stopped just below the knee. Paired with gloves, heels, and some nice red lipstick I would look nothing short of a knockout.

"How kind of you. I can only help my dear husband here agrees." I winked then glanced at Donny, watching in amusement as he quickly shifted from one foot to the other, face coloring magnificently. He was so like a young boy I couldn't stand it. Yet that did not seem to stop him last night as we listened to one another through the wall playing a game I foolishly hoped would be finished by more than fingers. How funny it was that then he showed no nerves or agitation, or even back at the brothel when I held his manhood in his hands. It seemed that around others, he was less brave than he appeared.

"Yes….you look….nice." he sputtered and I looked at myself in the mirror again, placing my hands on my curvy hips which looked wondrous beneath the dress.

"I'll take it!" I exclaimed, and the store-owner grinned, opening his small hands and beaning from beneath round spectacles that sat on his nose.

"Wonderful miss. Anything else?"

"Oh yes, I don't think I'm quite done yet…"

I did everything in my power not to let my eyes land on Annabelle's rear end as I walked to the car behind her. Opening my door I crossed over to her side and opened hers like a proper gentleman, before getting in.

All day she had dragged me around, teasing me in clothes that looked spectacular (something she very much knew). It was much more comfortable when she finally sought to acquire some things to wear around the house and I finally found myself at ease as she spun around in elegant dresses and long skirts which showed off her body, but were not as revealing.

I was certain that if she were in a trash bag with a garbage lid on top of her head she would still look sexy as hell. But it was better when she wasn't attempting to. The style of the times was to accentuate a woman's waistline, which Annabelle certainly had. I had seen her naked so I knew what her body looked like without the help of belts, corsets, and such. Her breasts and hips gave her a natural hourglass figure that was downright beautiful and nothing else.

And then there was the painful task of shopping for underthings. To go along with our aliases as an American couple who had come on vacation months ago and been forced to stay, Aldo had procured a set of wedding bands and a diamond ring which still had spots of blood under the band. Annabelle slipped it on without notice although the thought of wearing a dead man's ring made me sick.

I'd been forced to watch her get measured and talk about what she wanted from the massive store clerk who boasted multiple chins and thinning hair she wore slicked back behind her head. Even worse was the way she leered at me, raising her eyebrows and winking whenever Annabelle suggested something sensual like she knew the intimate (non-existent) details of our sex life.

Now dressed in the blue number I had bought her this morning Annabelle crossed her long legs besides me, diamonds dripping from her neck and ears. I was surprised how much Aldo had given me to work with. As high and mighty as he was, it seemed as though even he himself couldn't resist her little charms.

I glanced over for a moment, brief taking in her profile. She was all done up, hair pinned and face painted like a woman out of a painting. She looked years older, in her 20s and I was a close as ever to losing control and pinning her against the window. And wouldn't she just love that?

But we had a job to. I sought to keep that in mind as I started the car. Beside me, Annabelle shifted so that her dress fell back revealing creamy legs beneath nylons attached to garters. As my eyes raked her legs she looked up at me and our eyes met for a moment before I hastily looked at the rode. Much to my embarrassment she grinned beside me the moved her hand over to my thigh.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaimed, wondering why the hell I hadn't ridden with someone else. This was a bad idea. Tensing beneath her I pushed her hand away and Annabelle giggled coquettishly.

"I love making you squirm. You act as though you haven't been with a woman I love getting under your skin."

"You don't make me squirm." I contested.

Turning my head I watched Annabelle raise an arched eyebrow before leaning over and brushing her lips against my earlobe. Shooting a hand down she grazed my zipper, running her gloved fingers over my crotch as she breathed in my ear.

"What the hell!?" I exclaimed, swerving slightly and she sat back in her seat, tilting her head back and laughing loudly.

"You see?!" she gestured and I frowned, knowing she was right.

"Let's just keep our hands to ourselves alright?" I snapped and gripped the steering wheel, trying my hardest to ignore the rush of blood to my groin. God damn her.

We rode in silence after that for about fifteen minutes before she piped up again.

"Do you have a cigarette?"

I shook my head before responding.

"No but I have some cigars in the back."

"That'll do." She responded, reaching back to the seat and grabbing the box of cigars on the seat. Opening the lid she brought one to her mouth then grabbed a lighter from her purse, lighting the end then tilting her head back as she inhaled deeply.

I had to do everything to keep my jaw from dropping open. Never had I seen a woman smoke a cigar like that. Never had I seen a woman smoke a cigar in my life. Each time I turned around it was like she was silently tempting me as much as she could. My resolve was waning and she knew that more than anything. She knew what she was doing to me.

We rode in complete silence the rest of the way there, Annabelle beside me with a cigar tucked between her full lips. Each time she exhaled she would tilt her head back and I could see the lipstick on the cigar. Looking over as we neared our destination she extended a hand, offering it to me.

Without resisting I took it, taking a drag and tasting her lipstick. Inhaling gratefully I cleared my throat after releasing a cloud of smoke and doing my best not to look over at Annabelle. It seemed she had abandoned her efforts because she was staring out the window, observing the bright lights of Paris as we emerged into the city that was both as dangerous as it was beautiful.

The nerves that crawled into my belly before a planned mention clawed at me as I prayed to God that nothing would go wrong. Explosives, seduction, and murder were all on the menu for tonight, and all three of them came with quite a kick.

The plan was to get in with Annabelle, pray our guy fell under her charms (which was likely given that the girl knew how to work it), have her lead him up to the inn. Seduce, kill, then we all get out before the plays blows to high heaven.

It was a place frequented by Nazis. I expressed my concerns about civilians, but Aldo reminded me that at times it was necessary to spare a few for the good of the many. It was a horrid thought, but then I remembered what was happening to my family in those damned camps. I remembered the homes unsuspected destroyed in the air raids. They didn't care about killing anyone, and at least we knew that general civilians did not often stray into the bar and inn. Mostly soldiers and their wives, along with the occasional French Nazi sympathizer.

Pulling up a few blocks from the joint I turned off the car and glanced over at Annabelle who whipped out a mirror and began applying lipstick once more. Rubbing her lips together she puckered then looked over at me, batting her long eyelashes dangerously.

"How do I look? Ready?" she asked.

"Sinful." I replied honestly, and Annebelle smiled, before leaning in and pecking me on the cheek so quickly I wasn't sure it had actually happened. The only indication was the pair of red lips on my skin, marking me as her own. Wiping it off so not to seem the little boy who had been attacked by his aunt I got out and opened the door, spotting Aldo walking towards us.

No one was around but he was careful not to make it obvious we all knew one another. Lighting up a cigar he glanced at the two of us and nodded. As we passed one another he leaned in slightly and muttered: "45 minutes" then breezed past. To any passerby no one would have even noticed.

Playing the role of husband well I let my arm fall around Annabelle's waist and we made our way to our destination. Already down the street the sounds of boisterous laughter and jovial spirits spilt out into the night. The sound of men who celebrated while people died at their hands. Gritting my teeth I involuntarily squeezed Annabelle, not even noticing as we appeared at the front door.

"You ready?" I asked Annabelle, more so directing the question at myself. She glanced at me and winked as though it was nothing. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and held it, walking behind her and into the hazy raucous bar.

Voices slammed us from every angle as people drank, sung, talked, and laughed all at once. Beside me Annabelle looked around a bit too obviously for my taste, and I leaned in close to whisper in her ear, momentarily caught in her scent which safe to say, was more than arousing.

"Looks like you're looking for someone." I muttered, and she nodded, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment then turning and putting a hand on my chest.

The language barrier was obviously a problem. Growing up Annabelle lived in an apartment next door to some old French woman who taught her from the time she was born. From the way she talked about her, the woman seemed like more of a parent to Annabelle than her own were. On the way back from the stores she had told me that she regarded "The Madame" as she called her as almost a grandmother, and was saddened when she died.

After that she took the matter into her own hands, luckily enough that she had mastered a language which would appear in her later life. I wasn't so lucky. My parents raised me 100% good old-fashioned American. I could speak some Hebrew, but that clearly wouldn't fly here. My only option was to keep my mouth shut and let her do the talking.

Making our way towards the bar I kept my arm around Annabelle's waist, partly because I didn't want to risk losing her in the crowd and partly because being so close to her felt good. The way my arm naturally fit around her slim waist made me want to reach up and grab one of her large breasts.

As soon as we made our way so the bar she sat down on a stool, crossing her legs and leaning over slightly to capture the bartender's attention. He was a bald man of about 60 or so. Once upon a time he had probably been handsome but years of stress set wrinkles on his face not to mention the potbelly that poked out from under his apron. Walking down the way with beady but kind eyes he nodded at us, speaking in French so that I had no idea what he was saying.

Fortunately Annabelle answered before I could blow our cover, and I noted the need to learn a little French or something. Once the bartender walked away I leaned down and whispered in her ear, assuming she had ordered drinks.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Cognac and brandy on the rocks. Pretend you're hopelessly in lust with me or people will wonder why you don't speak."

That wasn't going to be too hard. Not that I would admit that aloud.

The moment our drinks arrived she handed me a glass of cognac then leaned in close, placing a hand on my thigh. Feeling my face burn I returned the move, and allowed myself to move in closer, breathing in the scent of amber that clung to her skin and hair.

"Where is our guy?" Annabelle asked, all business much to my surprise. Her lips brushed the shell of my ear and I shivered, wishing I could take her. She didn't seem to notice, and I quickly took a sip of my drink attempting to get control over myself.

Just when I began to wonder what was next a tall dark-haired man with a hook nose and thin lips. His dark eyebrows sat above grey steely eyes that would make anything in their path wilt. Leaning over he summoned the bartender and glanced down at his, his eyes continuously flittering towards Annabelle just as Aldo predicted.

Taking a sip from my drink I spun around, nodding over and she glanced up at him, giving a sly smirk over her glass.

They exchanged words in French and he glanced at me, as though the two were discussing something about me. He raised his eyebrows and threw back his head with a chuckle, and Annabelle leaned over, caressing my arm in a way that made me wonder just what the hell they were talking about.

Then, he leaned over, whispering something in her ear and she giggled before placing a hand on my thigh once more and rubbing sensually. Our target Harnishfeger quietly leaned down then traced Annabelle's jawline with his finger. His eyes lingered on me then he whispered something in her ear that caused her to moan seductively and stand up.

Extending a hand she motioned for me to grab hers. I did so wondering what the hell was going on. She was seducing him but I was involved in some way shape or form that I simply could not understand. Maybe she needed backup.

As we stood Harnishfeger spun around and slipped something into her hand then walked away. She grinned then nodded at me, heading towards the back of the bar which I assumed led to the tavern upstairs.

"What the hell is going on?" I hissed and Annabelle spun around as we entered a dark corridor.

"Harnishfeger is here with his wife and they both have a healthy sexual appetite shall I say? His wife spied us across the bar and told him to come talk to us. They want to have a little fun upstairs he gave me the key."

"What the hell? How do you know it's not an attack? They could have someone waiting for us up there!" I exclaimed, caught horrified between the realities of the situation. The fact that I would have to watch Annabelle and maybe have sex with this guy's wife, or a surprise ambush. Whichever, it did not favor well.

"I thought about that. What better way to take on an ambush than be ready for it? We open this door, and we'll both be ready. If not, we just go along as planned."

"Me having sex with someone was not as planned! Besides we only have twenty-six minutes left!" I exclaimed, checking my watch. Maybe a few more. Aldo and the guys weren't planned to set up until after Annabelle and I had gotten in. Nevertheless, this plan was spiraling out of control.

"You don't have to have sex with her just play with her a little until we both have the moment to do what we need to do. Now hurry before we waste any more time!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the stairs before I even had the chance to voice any more concerns.

I clutched my purse tightly, mindful of both the revolver tucked carefully inside and the knife holstered to my thigh.

I knew the revolver was a dangerous weapon of choice. Not only did I want to avoid guns as much as possible due to the sound, but also in the event I ran out of bullets reloading in time would be a challenge. On top of that I had not planned on having to deal with two people, making this task all the more difficult.

Slowly, I cautiously entered the room and looked around, relieved to find no one but Donny and myself. Perhaps there was no ambush after all leaving one thing to check off our list. The next was dealing with the Harnishfegers which may have proved more difficult now that I had an additional body to take care of, and limited time to do it. If they took too long Donny and I would have to leave and hope the blast took care of them.

Stepping further into the room I spun around to face Donny who was becoming more and more squeamish by the minute, offering any objection he possibly could any time I he could find the place to do so. I sensed that I was more willing to carry out the task than he was, something that both frustrated and angered me at the same time.

"Remember. Portuguese sounds kind of like Spanish, so whenever you speak make sure you have a heavy accent."

I had managed to convince Harnishfeger that Donny was Portuguese, thus giving an excuse for his inability to speak French or German. He simply laughed, suggesting that perhaps his supposed heritage was the reason for such "strange sexual appetites" and I laughed right along with him, imagining myself ripping his throat open with the end of my knife.

Just as Donny opened his mouth to say something the sound of voices caused us both to freeze and the door opened slowly.

First, a beautiful blonde woman with curls peeked her head around, glancing between the two of us then smiling mischievously. Her eyes focused on Donny and she entered the room wearing a shimmering black dress that looked simply divine against her creamy white skin. Behind her, our original target Harnishfeger followed and closed the door behind him, placing his hands on his jacket. In one was a bottle of brandy.

"A drink perhaps? To loosen us all up?" he smiled and looked around, thinning hair slicked back unfavorably to reveal a very wide forehead.

Donny glanced at me, and I smiled at him delicately.

"A drink." I said.

"Ah yes, our foreign friend. My apologies, perhaps I will try to speak English I only hope he is as skilled in that as he is in his native tongue."

"He's getting there." I lied, and Harnishfeger smiled kindly then glanced at Donny, repeating what he had said in English. I almost felt bad for the fucker. He seemed like a genuinely nice—albeit sexually devious—guy, but then I remembered who he worked for. He wasn't some clerk in a cushy office, he worked in the camps. He was about as guilty as they came.

"Perhaps drinks are best saved for after. I always find that something to wash down my throat after healthy activity always tastes better." I raised my eyebrows then sat down on the bed, crossing my legs and sticking out my chest seductively. Harnishfeger's wife grinned, green eyes dancing devilishly as she stared at me. She was truly a beautiful woman, like a porcelain doll the way her cheeks flushed and her pink lips pouted beneath a straight nose.

"I think our friend is right dear." She said then sauntered over to the bed slowly, sitting down beside me. Placing her purse next to her she took off her hat then reached out, a gloved hand tracing the bare skin of my arm.

"You told me your husband prefers to watch and I decided it would not be entirely fair for me to ravage his wife while he got nothing. So, I've also elected to simply watch you and my sweet Cromilda enjoy one another's company." Harnishfeger said, and I raised an eyebrow, looking over at Donny as I silently tried to keep track of time.

Thankfully, Harnishfeger's wife didn't waste time, sliding her hands around my waist and leaning in so that her breath tickled my neck. Had I not been set on the task at hand perhaps I would have enjoyed her company.

But now was not the time for pleasure. Far from it. Now was the time to get a job done that would cost our lives if we didn't get out in time. I needed to act quickly. Harnishfeger's wife wouldn't be a problem, but he certainly would. I knew that with all the commotion downstairs we could make a clean getaway. The most important thing would be getting out in time.

Turning my head I sat up on my knees, placing my hands on Cromilda's face and bringing her lips to mine. I kissed her fully and passionately, waiting for just the right moment to make my assault. She replied back excitedly, one of her gloved hands floating down to meet my breasts and reaching down, I hiked up my skirt, barely clearing the holster before ripping the knife free and spinning around, placing it against Cromilda's neck.

"Now is not the time to do anything stupid. Remove your weapons. Now." I demanded in French, staring at Harnishfeger. Donny quickly shot up behind him, grasping him by his arm tightly.

His eyes told that for a moment he believed it all to be a jest. Part of a simple game but it was merely a few moments before his face hardened with the realization that it was as serious as could be, and his wife's life remained in his own hands.

"Very clever for thieves I must admit. I only ask how you sought us out." He said smoothly and I grasped Cromilda against my body so that she couldn't move, pressing the knife into her neck and swallowing my humanity as it threatened to break free. Killing was a part of what must have been done. She knew what her husband did. No one in this country was safe from judgment because they all played a part somehow. All the invaded countries did.

"We're not thieves and this little meeting wasn't by chance." I said, pressing the knife against Cromilda's flesh so that she whimpered beneath me. She was weak, not even willing to fight back or speak.

"What do you want with us?" he asked, voice becoming icier by the second and I pressed his wife against me, glancing at Donny.

"Let's just say you've got a little answering to do. Do what she said and drop your weapons before your wife gets hurt."

"Kill her I don't care. An American and a French whore come to play the role of fool. Tell me what is this game you play for? Some sort of vigilantism?"

"Try revenge. My grandparents died because of people like you. Men who believe they were above others. That's what all this is about, being better than the Jewish people. Let me tell you something, we've withstood-"

"Time Annabelle." Donny cut me off and I gritted my teeth. Beneath me Harnishfeger's wife continued to squirm with her husband's gamble on her life. I wasn't sure whether to let her go. If I did, God knew what would happen. She might run down and get help. She might run away period. She might turn a gun against me and prove to be more powerful than I thought. Right now, she was my bargaining chip and we were running out of time before all four of us were blasted to pieces.

"Jewish-American swine. And you must be some sort of half breed-"

"-Please, she will kill me!" Cromilda began to cry and I yearned to listen my grip on her and hoped I would not have to kill her. Harnishfeger could not be so cold-blooded to let his wife die before his very eyes. At least I hoped.

But my hopes deflated as I watched him regard his wife with a cool stare that spoke of a man who cared not for anything but himself.

"She can't even have children she is no good to me. You won't kill her though. You are weak. Just as weak as the-"

Before he could finish the sentence Donny tossed him to the ground violently, no longer waiting. Beneath me his wife squirmed, still trying to get to the man who had so carelessly gambled with her life. Whether it was truly a gamble or he did not care I wasn't sure, but the moment she broke free I knew she couldn't make it to the door.

The blonde stumbled and I lunged, swinging her around by her arm so that she fell back onto the bed and rolled over. Beside me, Donny and Karnishfeger wrestled one another, throwing punches and swearing as Donny attempted to get his hands around his neck.

Again, his wife attempted to make her escape leaving me no choice but to grab her. Quickly gripping her head I turned sharply, wincing as her neck snapped and she crumpled to the ground. There was no time for remorse as my mind shifted into a single track set on killing the man before me and escaping before the place blew to the sky.

Racing to the bed I grabbed the gun from my purse and aimed carefully. One move and Donny would be gone.

"Donny!" I screamed, and he looked up at me for a fleeting second, long enough for me to pull the trigger and watch the blood spray from Harnishfeger's head.

I raced down the steps behind Annabelle. Five minutes. We had five minutes to get out of the building and down the block before we all died and went up in flames together.

"Back door!" I exclaimed and Annabelle approached the bartender hand in her purse grabbing the gun I assumed. There was no way we could get out the front without casting attention to ourselves, particularly from the nice shiner I had taken to the face that was already beginning to show. Annabelle's dress was slightly ripped and as I stood in front of her protectively trying to look as natural as possible I could already so eyes shifting our direction and lingering.

The bartender walked over slowly, looking over both of us suspiciously and I wondered if he knew that Harnishfeger had gone upstairs with us. The way he glanced dangerously between the two of us made me both anxious and weary.

He said something in French and Annabelle answered. After several seconds she pulled the gun from her purse and held it threateningly, not obviously to anyone who could see but enough so that if he made one wrong move he could expect one to the belly.

He spoke and she grabbed my hand, yanking me back into the hall. Down another set of steps we ran with three minutes left, the seconds ticking by.

"Three minutes!" I shouted, following her as we descended into the cellar where I knew Aldo had laid the explosives. If we were caught down here, there was no chance of survival. How ironic that our only way out would be this route.

Suddenly, I heard voices and dared myself to look around, watching as feet descended the stairs quickly. Two minutes, and it seemed we were being chased.

"Where the hell is the door?!" I screamed, and Annabelle said nothing, panting as we continued through the dusty cellar, weaving in and out of boxes until we made it to a door which led to the outside. Grasping the doorknob Annabelle jiggled it, just as our pursuit moved towards us, getting closer as time grew shorter.

"Son of a bitch he knew the door is locked!" she exclaimed, a note of panic in her voice.

"Move." I grunted and shoved her out of the way, paying no mind. One minute and thirty seconds left.

Behind me, Annabelle pulled the gun from her purse and began shooting. I heard several screams in German as I attempted to kick the door down. It wouldn't budge. Glancing down at my watch I froze. Forty seconds.

Without thinking, I raised my fist and slammed it through the glass pane of the door, barely aware of the shards of glass that piercing my skin. Quickly, I cleared the glass and continued to yank the flimsy and dangerous pieces free until nothing was left.

"Come on!" I grabbed Annabelle and lifted her through the empty hole carefully. Fifteen seconds.

I all but leapt through behind her, pushing her up the narrow staircase that lead outside.

I lost count as we emerged into the darkness, knowing only that we needed to get away. We had not run two yards before the building exploded. Quickly, I threw myself on top of Annabelle and we both fell to the ground, debris shooting out past us and into the sky. The Earth shook and as I fell on my arm I became suddenly aware of the searing pain as glass made its way further into my flesh.

Beneath me, Annabelle stirred, rolling out from below and sitting up. The night air was humid, made warmer by the massive fire which now engulfed the tavern. I knew we had to get out, and now before the smoke began to spread. Standing up I followed behind her and to the car, taking one last look to glance up at the blazing remains of the bar.