Georg and Maria approached the sideroad leading to the main entrance of the abbey and Georg touched Maria's arm, causing her to stop.
"Is there another entrance we should use at this hour?" he asked her.
Maria shook her head. "This is the only door with a bell. We'd have to climb some trees to get in any other way."
Georg squinted his eyes and gave her a questioning look. "Well then. I suppose we'd startle them either way," he said while taking Maria's hand and leading her the last few meters to the door.
Georg reached upwards and rang the doorbell. The loud noise seemed to pierce the stillness of the night and Maria absently glanced behind them in response.
"Sister Berthe's bedroom is the closest. She'll hear us even if she's sleeping," Maria whispered while nervously tapping her foot on the ground. She glanced over her shoulder a second time.
Georg placed his arm around Maria and leaned over to brush her temple with his lips. "Shh, no fidgeting, all right?"
Maria smiled softly. "I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time."
Georg rubbed her shoulder in comfort. "We'll get through this."
Maria glanced upwards at him and nodded her head with seriousness. She leaned forward toward Georg and he placed another light kiss on her forehead.
Suddenly, a dim stream of light shined into the corridor, followed by the bustle of approaching footsteps. Maria rushed forward, placing her hands on the gated entrance, and craned her neck to see inside the abbey. Georg stepped a pace forward until he stood just behind his wife and put his hands on her arms.
Through the darkness, Maria could see two silhouettes and could hear the jingle of keys as Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother scurried toward the door. The two women looked nervously at each other and quickened their pace when they recognized their visitors.
"Maria, Captain. What is it?" the Mother Abbess asked with concern, upon reaching the couple and noticing the troubled expressions upon their faces.
Sister Berthe fumbled with the lock and was finally able to get it unlatched. She pushed the gate open and Maria and Georg hurried into the safety of the abbey. Sister Berthe closed the gate behind them again and locked it securely.
Maria rushed forward and took the Reverend Mother's hands in her own and Georg followed behind.
"Forgive us for disturbing you at this hour. We've come seeking shelter for the night. We've no place else to go," Georg said, glancing between both women.
"They have our eldest, Mother," Maria whispered as tears filled her eyes, never moving her gaze from the Mother Abbess. Georg rubbed Maria's arms in comfort and she took a deep breath, urging her emotions to suppress.
Both Sister Berthe and the Reverend Mother looked upwards to Georg with confusion. He glanced between them and nodded. "The Nazis want me to fight in their Navy. We tried to get away tonight; to flee the country. But they got to Liesl and are holding her with the hope of getting to me that way. We need a place to devise a plan to get her back."
The Reverend Mother nodded without hesitation and her eyes glazed over with sorrow.
"She's only sixteen years old," Georg continued. He met the Mother Abbess' gaze for a moment and the worry and fear in his eyes showed how much he was hurting.
"Where are the other children?" Sister Berthe asked Maria, concern evident on the nun's face.
"They're safe," Maria said with a relieved nod.
Sister Berthe took a step forward and placed her hand atop Maria's, squeezing it in solace. Georg moved his gaze to Berthe and rubbed his wife's back absently with his palm for a moment.
"We don't mean to inconvenience you in any way, but we have no other option. We could stay in separate rooms if it will be a problem," Georg said earnestly while meeting the elder woman's gaze again.
"Nonsense," the Reverend Mother answered with a shake of her head. She took one of Georg's hands and placed it on top of Maria's and then placed her own two hands around them. "You need to be together tonight. All of God's blessings are reverenced here in the abbey and the sacrament of marriage is a blessing in God's eyes. Sister Berthe, show Maria and the Captain to one of our guest rooms."
"Certainly," the nun replied.
Georg and Maria both nodded and smiled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Mother," Maria whispered sincerely.
The Mother Abbess nodded softly and returned her attention to the other nun. "And bring something to eat for them as well. They'll need their strength."
Sister Berthe nodded.
"Oh Mother, we needn't any food. The shelter you're providing us is enough and we –," Maria started.
The Reverend Mother held her hand up, ceasing Maria's protests. She looked tenderly at the stubborn young women and then moved her gaze to Georg. "It's our pleasure. Your strength is important. It's the least we can do for you."
Georg grasped her hand and smiled. "Thank you."
Sister Berthe moved forward, beckoning Maria and Georg to follow her. Georg took Maria's hand in his and stroked her skin gently. He nodded a respectful farewell to the Reverend Mother, and the trio turned to walk towards the guest quarters.
As they began to walk away, the Mother Abbess spoke once more, piercing the silence of the night. "Maria, Captain."
The couple veered around to face the elderly woman. She approached them and took each of their hands in her grip. "Remember, 'You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.'"
"Thank you, Mother," Maria said while quickly embracing her and returning her hand to the elder woman's palm.
The Reverend Mother squeezed both Georg and Maria's hands in comfort. "Rest, my children."
"Thank you," Georg said with sincerity before taking his wife's hand and leading her down the corridor after Sister Berthe.
Liesl sat motionless in the dark hideaway and stared straight ahead at the clock on the wall, watching time slowly pass. It seemed easier to stare mindlessly at an inanimate object than to look at the boy who had betrayed her heart and country. She could hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the room, but her preoccupied mind kept her from eavesdropping.
Hans Schuhmacher crossed the room and stood only a few meters in front of Liesl. He was finishing up another cigarette and the smoke wafted toward Liesl as he approached, causing her to stifle a cough from behind her gag. The Nazi inhaled a mouthful of smoke and glanced at his charge. Exhaling slowly, Schuhmacher threw the end of his cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his foot.
"You are allowed to sleep," he gruffly told Liesl with sarcasm, his eyes never faltering. As he spoke, he motioned to a bare cot in the corner of the room, beside a small sink and a curtained toilet.
Liesl turned her gaze upwards and raised her eyebrow at the soldier. With a knowing look, she nodded at him without moving her eyes from his face.
"Unless you'd prefer to sit here all night," Schuhmacher continued.
Liesl did not move, but kept her gaze fixed on the soldier's face.
The Nazi moved closer to Liesl and crouched down to her level. "You're a stubborn little thing, aren't you?" he chided while clicking his tongue.
He continued to stare at the defiant girl for a moment before moving his gaze to his companion. "Grüber? You tired yet?" he called across the room. As he spoke, Schuhmacher rose and stretched his arms.
Rolf glanced at him and shook his head, the other's fatigue obvious, and he himself not feeling quite tired yet. In the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Liesl, but forced himself to not focus on her.
"I'm taking first shift then. I'll be back soon. Can you handle the girl for a while?"
Rolf glanced at the clock, noting the time, and then looked quickly at Liesl before returning his gaze to Schuhmacher. "Sure. I'll keep an eye on her."
The younger soldier walked past Liesl and approached Schuhmacher, who now stood by the door. Rolf faced his superior and absently wiped his hands on his sides. Schuhmacher patted him on the back with a firm hand and grinned roguishly. "Behave yourself, kid."
The elder Nazi left and Rolf stood still for a moment staring at the door and not daring to face Liesl. When he finally looked behind him, he found her staring straight ahead, her posture stiff and unmoving; her eyes glazed over with pain.
Rolf stared at the image and felt his shoulders slouch at the sight. Just as quickly, he straightened his back, walked to a nearby sofa and picked up a book. He opened it in his lap and absently stared at the pages for a few minutes before closing it and returning his gaze to Liesl.
Rolf rose and walked toward the desk on the opposite side of the room. He took down a picture that was hanging above the piece of furniture and removed a key that had been taped to the back. Walking to the door once more, he used the key to secure the lock. Rolf took a deep breath, turned toward Liesl and walked to her. "Let me see your hands," he said in a low voice with a sigh.
Liesl continued to stare straight ahead and her eyes glistened with fresh tears.
"Hold out your hands, Liesl," he repeated.
Her breathing deepened but she continued to stare obstinately straight ahead without moving, the moisture in her eyes increasing.
Rolf shook his head slightly with impatience. He reached forward and grasped the cloth behind Liesl's head, which startled her. He pulled the end, causing it to fall to the floor.
Rolf's eyes softened for a minute when he saw the red abrasions on Liesl's cheek from the cotton that had been tightly bound around her head. However, he quickly regained his feigned austere demeanor.
"Now hold out your hands," he said for a third time, "unless you'd rather stay like that." He motioned his chin to Liesl's bound wrists.
She sighed deeply and held her wrists out in front of her without emotion. Her gaze stayed focused straight ahead
Rolf untied the cloth, letting it fall to the ground beside the other one in a small pile. He glanced nervously toward the door for a second and then stepped backwards and sat down on the sofa again. "I'll have to put them back on in a little while," he said hesitantly.
Liesl looked down toward her lap and began to rub her chafed wrists to alleviate the pain. Suddenly she looked upwards, sensing that she was being watched, and noticed that Rolf was looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
Liesl dropped her arms to her lap and pointed to the bruises. "Look Rolf! Look at what they've done to me," she said bitterly, her eyes clouded with anger, but unable to hide the sadness.
Rolf did not speak for a few moments, yet diverted his eyes from Liesl's persistent glower.
Suddenly he returned his attention to her again and looked her in the eyes. "Listen to me. You have to just go along with what they say, Liesl, and keep quiet. There's no choice anymore," he said firmly.
Liesl was startled by the seriousness she heard in his voice and the fear she saw in his eyes. However, she shook her head with indignation nonetheless. "There's always a choice," she retorted.
"Only if you're extremely careful and lucky. Most people aren't," Rolf countered. He looked at her with an air of seriousness, which ceased any additional protests Liesl had. "Just remember this."
She stared blankly at him for a while, pondering his vague words that ironically seemed so clear as she thought about the trauma her family had gone through tonight only to have some of them escape and some left behind. Liesl glanced down to her lap and silence filled the room.
"Is your family all right?" Rolf asked quietly, breaking the silence, the nervousness in his voice obvious and the kneading of his hands further proving this.
Liesl shot her gaze upwards. "Why would you care?" she snapped while narrowing her eyes at him.
"You know your father has always intimidated me, but I've never wished any harm on him or the rest--"
"That doesn't mean anything to me now, especially seeing you wear that!" Liesl interrupted while pointing to the Swastika on Rolf's sleeve. She moved her head to the side and raised her nose slightly in the air.
Rolf absently placed his hand over the insignia on his uniform. "You must know that they are all looking for him, right? They only want him, Liesl, not the family. Nobody will be hurt if he complies. He has to---" he trailed, noting Liesl's unyielding demeanor and knowing that he had lost her trust completely.
He stared at her profile for a moment before rising to his feet and walking past Liesl to gather the fallen cloths from the ground. Rolf glanced upwards at the clock and realized that Schuhmacher would soon be returning. He turned to face her and held the cloths out in front of him. "I should put these back on now," he whispered with hesitation, almost reluctantly.
Liesl felt tears begin to well in her eyes again and took a deep breath to urge them away. "Of course you should," she replied in a whisper, her voice filled with sarcasm. Seemingly without emotion, she held out her arms in front of her.
Almost awkwardly, Rolf grasped Liesl's arms and once again bound her wrists. He held the second cloth in his hand and reached toward her to fasten it around her head. As his hands touched her hair, Rolf took a deep breath and dropped his arms to his side. He threw the piece of fabric on the floor and once more reached for the cloth he had just secured around Liesl's wrists. He fiddled with the knot and again removed this cloth, casting it on the ground atop the other.
"Get some sleep. They didn't say you had to wear them to bed," Rolf whispered while motioning towards the pile. Liesl turned to face him with wide eyes of surprise.
She stood up, walked to the narrow cot that was to be her bed for the night, and rolled down the thin sheet. Turning toward Rolf again, Liesl saw that he had resumed his position on the sofa and had picked up a notebook. She tilted her head to the side and observed him as he knitted his brow in confusion and yawned, obviously not very captivated by the object. Absently, he rubbed his neck and released a deep sigh that unmistakably was laced with sadness.
For a brief moment, Liesl was with the old Rolf again. She yearned to cry out to him and let him know that her family was safe, but instantly snapped out of her reverie, knowing that politics had changed everything they ever had together.
Feeling that he was being watched, Rolf turned around and saw Liesl watching him. He stared at her for a moment and noted the despondency in her eyes. "Goodnight, Liesl," he said softly.
She continued to look at him and could not help but notice the confusion in the boy's eyes. Although he was wearing the same uniform as the other soldiers, he just did not look comfortable in it as they did. "Remember, Rolf. There's always another choice if you are willing."
Rolf gazed at Liesl and his eyes told her that he believed what she had said, but also that he was fearful of her words. He nodded gently. "Sleep well."
Rolf returned his attention to the notebook with a large Swastika on the front and began to thumb through it as he awaited Schuhmacher's return. He finally felt tired and hoped that the other soldier would be back soon so that he could also get some sleep. Casting one last glance at Liesl, Rolf noticed a few minutes later that she had let her weariness overcome her for the night.