Chapter Eighteen
Captured
(Authors note: Unless it's specified Ami will be speaking in German from shortly after the mortar shell impact till the end of the chapter, with the exception of any conversations with her teammates or other Americans. Also the civilians name is pronounced Anna like the sister from Frozen. Now onto the story.)
Late March, 1945
It had been a few weeks since the bridge across the Rhine had been secured and the Germans were desperately trying to fight a loosing battle. "We've got them on the run, keep pushing forward!" Miniko yelled as she ran after the retreating Germans.
"Right behind you ma'am!" Rei yelled in response as she ran after Miniko followed closely by Mako and Ami. 'Bang!' A shot echoed through the small town they were in.
"Agh!" Miniko yelled as the bullet bounced off her helmet and knocked her to the ground.
"Mina!" Rei screamed as she quickly ran over to Miniko and dragged her to cover.
"I'm okay Rei, it just clipped my helmet." Miniko replied. Rei let out a sigh of relief as she helped Miniko to her feet. "We have to take out that sniper! Ami I want you to go into that building and see if you can spot him while we draw his fire!" Miniko ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" Ami yelled as she ran into a two story house that had a good view of the street. 'He can't be to far, so my Garand should be more than sufficient enough to take him out.' Ami thought to herself as she rested the barrel of her gun on the window sill and gave a thumbs up to Rei.
"She's in position, let's do this." Rei said as she started to run from one point of cover to another. 'BANG!' Another shot rang out and the bullet hit the ground right by Reis feet. "Holy shit!" Rei yelled as she fell backwards onto the pavement. 'BANG!' Another shot echoed through the area and Rei thought for sure she was dead, but after a few seconds she realized she was still alive and looked up at the building Ami had gone into. She was happy to see a trail of smoke rising from the barrel of Amis gun.
"He's down ma'am, you okay?!" Ami yelled down to Rei.
"I'm good, thanks Ami!" Rei yelled back. Ami took her Garand and was about to exit the building when she heard a whistling sound that chilled her to the bone.
"Ami! Get the hell out of there!" Mako yelled as she ran towards the building. 'BOOM!' A mortar round slammed into the building Ami was in and leveled it. "AMI!" Mako screamed in horror as she watched what was left of the building come crashing down.
"Ami!" Miniko yelled as her and Rei both ran to the collapsed building and began digging through the rubble.
"Hold on Ami!" Rei yelled as everyone continued digging through the rubble.
"Americans!" Someone yelled behind them in German. Just as Miniko turned towards the voice the stock of a gun came crashing into the side of her face.
"Mina!" Rei yelled as she saw Miniko fall to the ground out of the corner of her eye.
"What the..." Mako yelled, unable to complete her sentence, as her and Rei both met the same fate as Miniko. They were all dragged away and loaded into a truck that quickly sped off. The street was silent, and it remained that way for almost an hour until a young woman came walking down the road.
'I hope the grocery store is still standing.' She thought to herself as she walked to her usual grocery store. "Damn it!" She quietly yelled to herself as she approached the store and found it had been reduced to a pile of rubble. The woman began digging through the rubble in an attempt to find anything that may still be edible, but she quickly jumped back when a hand shot out of the rubble. "What the hell?!" The woman yelled as she quickly backed away from the rubble. The pile began shifting and pieces of wood and bricks started to fall to the ground around it, finally something emerged from the pile with a loud gasp.
"Mako!" Ami yelled as she frantically looked around, not knowing what was going on. "Where am I?! Mako?! Rei?! Mina?!" Ami yelled as she pulled her self out of the rubble and tried to stand up. "Agh!" She yelled as she instantly fell to the ground from a wave of pain that shot through almost every inch of her body.
"Miss, are you alright?!" The woman asked in German.
"They took them! They took my team!" Ami yelled back in the same language.
"Get away from me Nazi scum!" The woman yelled as she kicked Ami in her side, receiving an ear piercing scream of pain in return.
"I'M NOT A NAZI!" Ami screamed at the woman. "I'm an American, I just spoke to you in German because I didn't know if you knew English!" Ami yelled as she began to loudly cry from the pain of the woman's kick.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know. What are you doing her though, I haven't seen any Americans in this area for hours?" The woman asked in her native language.
"Hours?!" Ami yelled in confusion. "Oh no, they could be anywhere by now! Rei, Mina, Mako! Where are you?!" Ami yelled as she collapsed into a quick fit of tears and passed out. The woman stared at Ami for a few seconds then decided that she needed to get out of there before anything bad came her way, she turned to leave but stopped.
'Damn it, I can't just leave her here. They'll kill her if they find her.' The woman thought to herself as she walked back over by Ami and tried to pick her up. "She weighs a ton." The woman said to herself, finding she was unable to lift Ami. Then she noticed the large pack on Amis back. "I hope she doesn't need this stuff." The woman said to herself as she took Amis bag off her back and once again tried to pick her up. 'She's much lighter now.' The woman thought as she picked Ami up, slung her rifle over her shoulder and piggybacked Ami back to her house, or what was left of it. "There we go." The woman quietly said as she set Ami on her bed and left to look for some first aid supplies.
"Ugh. My head." Ami quietly said as she began waking up. "Where am I?" Ami asked, as she looked around to find she was in a very rundown house.
"You're awake." A woman said as she walked into the bedroom.
"Where am I?! Who are you?! Where's my team?!" Ami began panicking as she quickly sat up, suddenly groaning and clutching her throbbing head.
"Shh. It's okay Ms., try to relax, you're safe here." The woman gently replied as she laid Ami back down.
"Wait, I remember now. The building collapsed and I watched through blurred vision as they dragged my teammates into a truck and sped off, then everything went black. Oh god, where could they have taken them?! Mako, Rei, Miniko." Ami cried. The woman bent down and gently hugged Ami, and let her cry into her shoulder.
"Shh, it's okay Ms., you'll find them." The woman quietly encouraged.
"Thank you ma'am, you've been so kind to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Ami asked as she wiped a few tears away.
"Thank you Ms., but I'm okay." The woman replied as her stomach loudly rumbled. "Excuse me, I'm sorry about that." The woman said with some slight embarrassment.
"I have some food in my bag, please take it. It's the least I can do." Ami said with a smile as she looked for her bag.
"I'm sorry Ms., but I had to leave your bag behind. I couldn't carry you with it still on." The woman sadly informed.
"That's okay, we're both alive and that's all that matters." Ami said with a smile. "I just remembered, it's not much but I have some crackers in my jacket pocket." Ami happily said as she tried to sit up to better reach her pocket.
"Please don't try and sit up, I think you're ribs might be broken, as well as maybe some other things." The woman warned as she dug the crackers out of Amis jacket for the two of them.
"I hope the others are okay." Ami quietly said as she stared at the ceiling. Fifty miles away the rest of Amis team was about to realize just how horrible the Nazis truly were.
"Where are you taking us you kraut bastards?!" Rei yelled at one of her captors. Her answer was a hard right hook to the jaw. As Rei regained her footing what she assumed to be an officer or other high ranking official approached her. He spoke in English.
"Show me the Jews." He demanded.
"What?!" Rei snapped annoyed and confused.
"The Jews." He said again as he pushed a gun into the front of Reis head.
"Fuck you kraut!" Rei yelled at the soldier. 'Click.' He pulled the trigger, but to everyones relief it was empty.
"I can't kill a doll like you." He said as he creepily rubbed the back of his hand across Reis cheek, then he approached Miniko and asked her the same question.
"Eat my ass kraut!" Miniko snapped at him. The soldier gave her a wicked grin and back handed her across the face.
"Maybe you're other friend will be more lady like." He said as he approached Mako. The soldier asked Mako the same question in English, and was surprised when she answered in German.
"Fuck you!" Mako snapped back in German.
"You speak German?!" The soldier asked in a surprised and intrigued tone.
"Don't get too excited asshole, because that's all I know. Now get the hell out of my face you fucking kraut!" Mako angrily snapped at the soldier. He punched her in the stomach and bashed her in the back of her head with his pistol.
"Put them on the train!" He ordered as he walked away. The soldiers forced the captured POWs onto a train and it began to pull out of the station.
"No matter what happens, we'll be okay as long as we all stay together." Miniko encouraged, trying to keep up her teams morale.
"But we're not all together ma'am." Mako sadly replied as she looked at an empty space next to her. "I can't believe she's dead. I promised her mom I would protect her, and I failed! I failed Ami and I failed mama Mizuno!" Mako yelled as she began to cry hysterically.
"We need to have faith in her Mako, unless we found a body then there's still a chance she's alive." Rei said with an encouraging smile.
"You're right Rei, we have to have faith in Ami. She's never let us down before, and she won't now." Mako replied with a smile. Back at the house Ami and her new friend where about to get a rude awakening.
"No, Mako. Rei, Mina, please don't leave me." Ami talked in her sleep as her nightmares came back even worse than normal. In her dream Ami was running, desperately trying to chase down the truck her teammates had been thrown into. No matter how fast she ran she couldn't catch the truck, and she watched in horror as a German soldier slit each one of their throats one by one. "Mako!" She screamed in her dream, immediately waking up and screaming for real.
"What's wrong!" Her new friend asked as she quickly ran into the room she had put Ami in.
"They killed her! They killed them!" Ami screamed in English. The woman didn't understand Ami, but she could tell Ami was terrified for some reason.
"Shh, it's okay miss." The woman spoke in a calming voice.
"I'm sorry if I woke you." Ami apologized as she began to cry.
"It's okay miss, you're okay." The woman cooed as she put an arm around Ami.
"You've been so kind to me, and I don't even know your name." Ami quietly whispered as she rested her head on the woman's shoulder.
"Anna. My name's Anna." The woman quietly replied.
"I'm Ami." Ami quietly introduced herself.
"It's nice to formally meet you Ami." Anna said with a smile. They held each other in silence for a little bit until they heard a knock on the door.
"Quickly, you need to hide!" Anna quietly yelled as she pushed Ami into a closet. "Stay here and stay quiet." Anna instructed as she shut the closet door and opened the front door. Ami could hear muffled voices through the closet door. "Can I help you gentlemen?" Anna asked.
"We're here to inspect this house for enemies of the capital!" The soldier yelled as he pushed Anna aside, so him and his partner could enter her house. Ami quietly drew her knife at the sound of the sound of the soldiers and waited like a silent assassin. The soldiers began walking around Annas house, and one of them approached the closet, Ami quickly readied herself. He turned the handle of the closet door and slowly began to open it. Ami slammed the door against the soldiers head and charged the stunned soldier.
"Agh!" Ami shouted as she rammed her knife into the soldiers chest and repeatedly stabbed him, then she jammed her knife into the side of his neck and killed him. She then ripped the knife from the mans neck, quickly spun it in her hand so she was holding it by the blade, and threw it at the other soldier. The knife embedded its self deep in his eye and he fell to the floor dead. "Agh, ow!" Ami yelled as she clutched her ribs.
"Ami!" Anna yelled as she ran to Ami. "Easy, easy Ami." Anna said as she tried to gently help Ami off the ground.
"Please stop! Please stop!" Ami yelled, still clutching her ribs.
"It's okay Ami, you can do it, nice and slow." Anna cooed as she tried to help Ami up again.
"Agh!" Ami yelled as Anna helped her up and carefully carried her over to a chair.
"There you go Ami, just rest for a bit." Anna said as she set Ami down.
"Please... Anna, can you...look at their outfits...and tell me...if either one might...fit me?" Ami asked between painful breaths.
"Of course Ami, but what are you planning to do?" Anna asked as she looked over the two dead soldiers.
"Get my...team back." Ami replied as she doubled over in pain.
"I want to help you Ami, but you're in no condition to conduct any kind of rescue mission, especially on your own." Anna said as she watched Ami fight back tears.
"Please, they're like family to me. Please Anna, help me get my family back." Ami begged as tears of pain and sorrow slipped from her eyes.
"Okay, okay I'll help you. Just promise me you'll be safe." Anna replied as she gently hugged Ami.
"Thank you Anna. Thank you so much." Ami quietly said as she hugged Anna back. Anna dragged one of the dead soldiers over by Ami that looked about her size and started taking his uniform off. After a few minutes Ami was dressed in his uniform and ready to find her team.
"Please don't go so soon Ami, you need time to heal before you throw yourself back into that hell!" Anna begged as she watched Ami limp to the door.
"I don't have that kind of time, every second I wait could mean my nightmares are one second closer to becoming reality." Ami replied as she went to leave.
"Please be safe Ami, and no matter what happens, you're always welcome back here if you need." Anna said with a smile.
"Thank you for your kindness Anna. If there's anything I can do to repay you for what you've done for me, just ask." Ami replied with a smile.
"There is one thing you can do for me." Anna said with a grin.
"Name it." Ami happily replied. Anna replied with one word that spoke volumes to Ami.
"Survive." Ami gave Anna a light smile and replied.
"Count on it!" Ami then gave Anna a grin and left. As Ami walked out of Anna's house she was happy to find the soldiers she'd killed left her a gift, a small Jeep with a full tank of gas. "Awesome, now I just need to figure out where they took everyone." Ami said to herself as she got in the Jeep and started it. Ami drove down the street with no particular destination in mind hoping to find any kind of clue as to where her teammates may have been taken, but stopped at the sound of a train whistle. 'That's odd, this place is supposed to be pretty much deserted, so why would a train be stopping here?' Ami wondered to herself as she drove towards the sound. A few minutes later she arrived at a train station where she found several German soldiers forcing some of her fellow soldiers onto a train. 'This has to be where Mako and the others were taken, if I can get on this train I can find my team.' Ami thought to herself. 'Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to get on it.' Ami thought, until she realized it wouldn't be very hard to infiltrate the train since she was dressed in a German uniform. "Here goes nothing." Ami said to herself as she casually walked over to the train and attempted to board it. Luck was on her side as a German soldier approached her.
"We need extra security on this trip due to the number of prisoners, so get moving soldier!" The German soldier yelled at Ami.
"Yes sir!" Ami yelled back as she quickly boarded the train and it began pulling out of the station. After a couple of hours the train came to a stop and the prisoners were forced off the train. "Move it!" Ami yelled as she pushed one of the prisoners off the train. Ami hated having to be so cruel, especially to her fellow soldiers, but she had to play the part or risk being exposed to the enemy. Ami and the other German soldiers marched the prisoners for several miles before coming to a stop at a camp. Ami looked at her surroundings in horror, it was an absolutely atrocious sight. They had the prisoners living in old wooden structures, the prisoners who'd been there a while were easily identified by their skeletal like figures from excessive labor and starvation. Ami was able to sneak off so she could begin searching for her teammates, she walked into a cabin and was disgusted by the sight that greeted her. The Germans had her fellow soldiers living worse than animals, the inside of the cabin was rotting and run down; they were forced to sleep in triple stacked bunk beds where each layer was so close together that the person on the bottom and middle wouldn't have been able to even roll over. Ami had to fight back the instinct to start killing every German soldier she walked past. She walked deeper into the hellish camp, desperately searching for her team. Just when she started to loose hope she saw a familiar brunette working on some kind of project she didn't care to know about. As much as she wanted to run over and hug Mako, she still had to blend in, so she came up with a different idea. Ami walked up to Mako, grabbed her, and dragged her away to some place they wouldn't be seen. As Ami walked Mako into what appeared to be a rest room for the German guards, she suddenly found herself unable to breath, as Mako quickly took the opportunity to eradicate this German scum. She grabbed Ami by her throat with both of her hands and squeezed. "Mako!" Ami choked out as Makos grip tightened.
"Kraut scum! You bastards took her from me, the only person I ever loved! Now you'll suffer for what they did!" Mako snapped as she squeezed even tighter. Ami quickly threw her hat on the floor to reveal her signature bluenette hair style. "Ami!" Mako gasped as she quickly released Ami from the stranglehold. Ami let out a loud gasp as she greedily sucked in oxygen and dropped to her knees. "I'm so sorry Ami, I thought you were one of them! I'm so happy you're alive, I thought I lost you!" Mako yelled as she hugged Ami as tight as she could.
"Oww! Mako stop, stop, my ribs!" Ami cried and begged.
"I'm so sorry Ami, I didn't know!" Mako yelled as she quickly released Ami from the hug.
"It's okay...Mako...I missed you...too." Ami happily replied, despite the pain she was in. "Where are the others?" Ami asked, slowly feeling relieved of some of her pain.
"Probably being lined up for the mid day march." Mako angrily replied.
"What is that?" Ami asked somewhat hesitantly.
"Every day they march us for miles, and you either keep up or they put you down." Mako almost yelled in anger.
"We have to save them! Mako put that uniform on, it looks about your size." Ami instructed as she pointed to a uniform hanging on a hook.
"Convenient." Mako said to herself as she began to change into the uniform, Ami couldn't help but watch as Mako changed her outfit. Even after being starved and worked half to death, Mako still had her same beautifully muscular exterior that Ami loved to be held in. "Enjoying the view?" Mako asked as she started putting on the enemy uniform.
"More than ever, I missed you so much Mako." Ami answered as Mako finished dressing herself and prepared to leave the rest area.
"You sure you're okay to be walking right now Ami?" Mako asked, concerned about Amis injuries.
"This coming from someone who's been worked half to death." Ami replied as she led Mako out of the rest area and followed Mako to the trail she and everyone else where normally marched on.
"They shouldn't be too far along yet, we should be able to catch up with them if we hurry." Mako informed Ami.
"I'm right behind you Mako." Ami replied as her and Mako began moving down the trail at a slight jog.
"How are you doing Mako?" Ami asked as she jogged along side Mako.
"Tired. You?" Mako asked back.
"Sore." Ami replied. Mako came to a sudden stop and held up a fist that let Ami know to do the same.
"Do you hear that?" Mako asked as she strained to hear what might be voices.
"Yes, and it sounds like they're getting closer." Ami replied.
"Hide, quickly!" Mako ordered as she pulled Ami off the trail and they ducked down in a bush. Ami peeked out and could see several people coming their way. "What do you see Ami?" Mako whispered.
"Several prisoners, but only three guards." Ami whispered back.
"Good, let's get these pricks." Mako said as she prepared to leap from the bush.
"Not yet, let them get closer first. We're only going to get one chance at this. If we mess this up, the whole camp is gonna come for us and we'll be screwed." Ami replied. "On my mark. One, two. Now." Ami said as her and Mako leapt from the bush and quickly killed two of the guards, the third guard aimed his gun at Ami but was thrown into a chokehold before he could fire.
"Kill this bastard Rei!" Miniko yelled at Rei as she held the soldier in a chokehold.
"With pleasure!" Rei yelled back as she used all the strength she could muster to slam her foot down on top of his throat, crushing his wind pipe and leaving him for dead.
"Rei! Minna!" Ami yelled as she hugged all three of her teammates.
"Ami?! Ami is that you?!" Rei yelled back.
"Oh my god, Ami! We thought you were dead! We missed you so much!" Miniko yelled as she hugged Ami even tighter.
"Not so tight Miniko, you'll hurt her!" Mako yelled in a worried tone.
"That's right, that building came down on you. What the hell happened, we thought for sure you were dead." Miniko replied as she released Ami from the hug.
"I probably would've been if it hadn't been for a kind civilian named Anna, she found me in the rubble by total accident and was kind enough to take me back to her house and take care of me." Ami explained.
"You'll have to introduce me to her, I'd love to meet the woman who saved my little blueberry." Mako happily replied.
"Come on, we have to get out of here before they come looking for us." Miniko said as she began heading down the trail in the opposite direction of the camp.
"What about everyone else?!" Ami asked, slightly annoyed that Miniko would bail on the other POWs.
"Don't worry Ami, we all mental noted the location of this place, so we'll send a larger force to come back for the others." Miniko replied.
"Alright, then let's..." Ami stopped talking at the sound of a loud crack and immediately fell to her knees, clutching her ribs with one hand and her mouth with the other to stop herself from screaming.
"What's wrong Ami?!" Rei asked as she watched Ami pound her fist on the ground and start to cry.
"What does it look like?! My fucking ribs Rei!" Ami yelled as she began taking short rapid breaths.
"Calm down Ami, just try to slow your breathing. We've got you Ami, you're gonna be okay." Rei calmly talked to Ami.
"Let's try and get her up." Miniko ordered as she and Rei each draped one of Amis arms over their shoulder. "Come cover her mouth Mako, we can't have her screaming right now." Miniko ordered.
"On it." Mako replied as she gently cupped her hand over Amis mouth.
"On three Rei. One. Two. Three." Miniko said as her and Rei lifted Ami to her feet. Ami let out what would've been a deafening scream if Makos hand hadn't been over her mouth.
"We need to go, now Minna!" Rei yelled to Miniko.
"Take point Rei, we'll follow." Miniko ordered. Rei nodded and picked up one of the Germans MP40s as well as both their side arms.
"Take these you two." Rei said as she handed a Luger pistol to both Mako and Miniko.
"Thanks Rei, now let's get going before Ami passes out or something." Miniko ordered as she gave the pale bluenette a worried look.
"Right, follow me!" Rei yelled as she led her teammates and the other prisoners down the trail away from the camp. After a few miles of walking they found that the trail lead to an opening by a road.
"Must be our lucky day." Miniko said as she gestured at the empty street.
"You bet it is, look over there." Rei replied as she pointed to a troop transport truck that was completely unguarded.
"What if it's full of people?" Miniko asked.
"I'll take a look, I'll blend in with this uniform." Ami said as she slowly and painfully began walking towards the truck.
"You can't, you're too hurt. Let me do it, I have a uniform to." Mako said as she tried to hold Ami back.
"You don't...speak...German." Ami said between painful breaths, as she continued walking towards the truck.
"Be careful Ami." Mako whispered. Ami approached the truck and was relieved to find that other than some crates, it was empty. She waved to the others and they quickly ran to the truck.
"I'll drive." Rei said as she hopped in the drivers seat.
"I'll take the passenger side, everyone else in the back." Miniko ordered.
"Yes ma'am." The others replied as they climbed in the back of the truck.
"Some one help me with Ami please." Mako said as she carefully helped to lift Ami into the truck.
"I've got her." One of the soldiers replied as he gently grabbed Ami and helped her the rest of the way in.
"Thank you." Ami said as he sat her on a bench.
"Lay down if you need Ami, I'm sure the others won't mind." Mako encouraged as she sat down next to Ami and laid her down across her lap.
"Thank...you." Ami breathed as she started to fall asleep in Makos lap.
"What do you think's in these crates?" One of the soldiers asked.
"I don't know, it's written in kraut." Another soldier said.
"It...says...food rations." Ami painfully responded.
"Sweet!" Miniko cheered from the front.
"Where are we going by the way?" Rei asked. "Back to where they took us from." Miniko replied.
"Where are we supposed to go from there, everyone else has probably moved on already." Rei grumpily replied.
"I...know a...place." Ami groaned in response.
"Shh, try not to talk so much Ami, you need to rest." Mako quietly instructed as she gently rubbed Amis head.
"What were you going to suggest Ami?" Miniko asked.
"Annas." Ami quietly answered.
"Where is her place?" Rei asked.
"About...two miles...from the...collapsed building!" Ami yelled as her pain greatly intensified.
"That's enough questions for now ma'am, Ami's clearly in a lot of pain." Mako demanded as she took Amis hand in her own, Ami squeezed it with an immense amount of force.
"We're sorry Ami, we'll let you rest now. You've more than earned it." Miniko quietly said. Her response was a light breathing sound as Ami was finally able to fall asleep. A short while later they arrived at the collapsed building. "Can someone wake Ami up please?" Miniko asked.
"Ami." Mako quietly said as she gently shook Ami.
"Agh!" Ami let out a light scream as she was shaken out of her sleep.
"Sorry Ami, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to let you know we're at the building." Mako gently replied.
"Okay. Can you help me up please?" Ami quietly asked.
"Of course Ami. Alright, nice and slow now." Mako said as she slowly sat Ami up, then just as slowly helped her to stand. Ami looked out the front window of the truck and knew exactly where she was.
"Keep...driving straight, it'll be on...the left side...of the road." Ami quietly said between breaths.
"Sure thing Ami." Rei replied as she began slowly driving forward.
"Hey is that your bag over there?" Miniko asked as she caught sight of a large back pack.
"Yes." Ami quietly answered.
"I'll get it Minna." Rei said as she put the truck in park, got out, and walked over to Amis bag. "Here Ami, now let's get moving." Rei ordered as she threw Amis bag in the back and climbed back into the truck.
"Thank you...ma'am." Ami said with a short breath. Rei continued driving for a bit until Ami caught sight of the partially destroyed building. "Right here." Ami said after a little more than a mile.
"This rundown place?" Miniko asked.
"Yes, now just...a heads up...everyone. Anna doesn't...speak English. But be nice...she saved...my life." Ami painfully choked out.
"I'm glad we're here, because you need to rest. You sound like you're about to die." Miniko replied.
"Not...funny...ma'am!" Ami angrily snapped between breaths.
"Sorry." Miniko guiltily replied, forgetting how close Ami did come to dying. "Rei grab the crate of food, Mako you take Ami, and I'll help with the others." Miniko ordered.
"Yes ma'am." Rei and Mako replied as they each exited the truck.
"Nice and easy now Ami." Mako said as Ami pushed herself off the bench and was about to get off the truck, but after only two steps there was a loud crunching sound and Ami screamed in pain as she fell off the truck.
"I've got you Ami!" Mako yelled as she caught Ami before she could fall to the ground.
"Thank you...Mako." Ami replied with a painful breath.
"Who's out there!" A woman yelled in German as she ran out of the building with an MP40 submachine gun.
"Wait Anna!" Ami yelled back in German.
"Ami! Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Anna yelled as she ran to hug Ami. Ami braced herself for the pain of the hug, but was happy to find that Anna remembered her injuries and was very gentle. "Follow me." Anna instructed as she waved her hand and led everyone into her house.
"Up you go sweetie." Mako said as she carefully picked Ami up. Ami let out a slight wince as Mako picked her up and began carrying her inside. Miniko helped some of the other soldiers inside while Rei carried the large crate of food into the house. Anna said something to Mako in German and gestured towards one of her rooms, Mako didn't know what Anna was saying but went in the direction she pointed towards. Mako found herself in a small bedroom and figured Anna wanted her to put Ami on the bed. "There you go Ami, now you rest up a bit and holler if you need anything." Mako quietly said as she helped Ami take her boots off and get settled under the covers.
"Thanks Mako, I'm so glad to have you back." Ami said with a smile.
"I'm happy to see you too Ami." Mako replied with a smile of her own. "I'm gonna go help Rei and the others get settled, then I'll come back and check on you." Mako quietly said as she gave Ami a light kiss and left to help the others. Ami quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep for several hours. All the work was done and everyone was finally relaxing.
"Thanks for letting us crash here for a while Anna, we really appreciate it." Miniko said, forgetting Anna didn't speak English. Anna looked at her and gave her a smile, though she didn't understand Miniko, she could tell she was happy based on her facial expression.
"Danke." Mako thanked Anna in German.
"Welcome." Anna replied in English.
"Did Ami teach you that?" Rei asked Mako.
"Yeah, and speaking of Ami I should probably go check on her, she's been asleep for almost three hours now." Mako said as she stood up and went to check on Ami. "Ami." Mako whispered as she poked her head in the bedroom. She smiled at the sight that greeted her, Ami was sound asleep, no nightmares, no pain, just a peaceful sleep. 'She looks so cute.' Mako thought to herself as she walked over to Ami and gently took her pulse. 'Good, it really is just a peaceful sleep rather than an eternal one.' Mako thought, as she felt the slight thumping of Amis pulse against her fingertips.
"Mako." Ami mumbled in her sleep as she gently wrapped her arms around Makos arm.
'Guess I'll be here for a while.' Mako thought to herself as she brushed a strand of hair out of Amis eye. Without letting go of Mako, Ami slowly began rolling over, unknowingly pulling Mako along with her. "Eep!" Mako quietly squealed as she was dragged into the bed, her arm awkwardly hanging over Ami.
"My Mako." Ami said in her sleep as she released Makos arm and instead rolled over and curled herself around Makos whole body like a little boa constrictor.
"I missed you to Ami, and I promise never to leave you again." Mako quietly said as she pulled Ami a little closer and happily fell asleep with Ami in her arms.
(Authors Note: Nazi POW camps were some of the worst and most inhumane places in history, they were dirty shit holes where prisoners were forced to live in worse conditions than common barn animals. The next chapter will go into much more graphic detail about these horrific camps. If you choose to skip the next chapter I understand, but at least read the Author's Note at the end please. Thank you.)