August 19th, 1934, Oath of Allegiance to the Führer und Reichskanzler, in the Reichsparteitagsgelände (Reich Party Congress Grounds)
Adeline stood silently behind the tall form of the positively buzzing Johann Schmidt. He was looking directly at the raised form of Hitler on his podium. The dictator was shouting his usual fascist speech, but this time – he had something in mind for the assembled people. An Oath of Allegiance.
He was to become Leader and Chancellor of Germany.
Adeline's face betrayed no emotion, but inside she was seething. While she wanted Germany back to its former glory as much as the next person – the way Hitler was going about it was wrong. The victimisation of the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and disabled population was more than slightly horrifying. Everything had been building momentum as well. Something was coming, and the young super-soldier wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it was.
She had only one true ally within the station – Abraham Erskine – but even he was getting flighty. He'd been discussing leaving with his family. He'd offered for her to come, and she was undecided. What if they were caught? She couldn't die – so far as they could tell – but he could, and so could his family.
The risk was too big.
They needed to plan, consider all options.
"HEIL HITLER!"
The sudden roar from the crowd startled her out of her thoughts. Automatically, she raised her arm in salute. The man raised his hand in supplication, and they quieted down. Then he began reading the Civil Servant Oath, and the hairs on the back of her neck began prickling.
"Ich schwöre: Ich werde dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler treu und gehorsam sein, die Gesetze beachten, und meine Amtspflichten gewissenhaft erfüllen, so wahr mir Gott helfe!"
"So wahr mir Gott helfe." So help me God. Adeline echoed faintly, whisper disappearing in the cheers of thousands.
She looked up to see Schmidt staring at her. Uneasily, she lowered her gaze. She could feel his burning stare on the back of her head. He never stopped watching her.
January 11th, 1935, German-Swiss Border, 12:36 am
"Eile! Eile!" Hurry! Hurry!
The 21-year-old's voice was harsh with stress. She tugged the 7-year old boy by his hand. Little Thomas Erskine looked behind to his father, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Their transport across Lake Constance had made it very clear that they would leave at exactly 1:30am, with or without them.
As Thomas stumbled again, Adeline growled, and scooped the young boy up, heaving him across her shoulders. Behind them, Elsie, Abraham's three-year old daughter began to cry. Their mother, Suzanne tried desperately to comfort her, but Adeline's sharp hearing had already picked up on noise from up ahead.
She stopped dead, nearly causing Abraham to stumble into her. "Was ist es?" What is it? He hissed. She held up a hand, and he shut his mouth with a faint snap. She passed Thomas to Abraham. Adeline strained her vision, stepping back, and put a hand over the toddler's mouth muffling her cries. She motioned to Suzanne, and she nodded, replacing Adeline's hand with her own, as the soldier stepped forward, all her senses on high alert.
She reached for her colt pistol, and pulled it out slowly, automatically checking the cartridge. It was full. There were voices up ahead. She took a deep breath.
"Warten Sie hier." Wait here. She said shortly, and slipped into the bush. Through the trees she could see the tall fence with its small door, and beyond that, a group of about five soldiers that should have been patrolling. They were playing cards, and smoking, their cigarettes making easy targets in the dark. She stepped out of the brush slightly, and raised the pistol, closing one eye slightly as she took aim. She couldn't see or hear any others around that could trigger the alarm.
She steadied herself, falling back into the removed state she used when she killed. She had taken only a few more lives since… since 1929.
She breathed once, and then pulled the trigger, body absolutely still, as she fired five times in quick succession. The bodies fell backwards.
Then she realized that the chatter and laughter was still going. She frowned, and looking around, crept quietly towards the fence. She made quick work of the simple lock on the door, and slipped through, body low to the ground as the lighthouse beam swept over her.
She reached the small table, and gasped as the light illuminated a small radio, emitting the laughter and chatter. She looked around at the fallen soldiers, and choked as she realized what they were.
Dummies lay on the ground, the still lit cigarettes smoking slightly. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly as she tried to make sense of the situation.
The click of a safety trigger going off behind her made her freeze. She raised her hands in surrender.
"Dreh dich um. Langsam." Turn around. Slowly.
Adeline did as she was asked, standing slowly. The light fell upon her and stayed there, blinding her for a second. Then her eyes adjusted and she made out the form of a helmetless soldier. Her eyes darted to the helmeted dummies. So there were four more somewhere. Possibly more.
This was a trap.
Her heart jumped into her throat and she looked towards the forest, beyond the fence. She looked back at the soldier, and he scowled, thrusting his long rifle at her. "Lass deine Waffe fallen." Drop your weapon. Adeline began lowering her hand clutching the gun. Then in one quick movement, she threw the pistol at him, hitting him in the chest. Her other hand went to her belt and whipped out a knife, which she darted forward and shoved into his neck. He let out a gurgle as warm blood spilled over her hands. She breathed through her nose.
Then a resounding bang rent the air, and white hot pain in the middle of her spine made her collapse. She was still conscious as her spine was shattered, and the bullet went right through her. She felt herself fading, and tried to stay awake, even as her cells near screamed with the effort of keeping her conscious, and healing her. She panted, tears spilling of their own accord.
Sniper on the lighthouse. She thought disjointedly. Probably waiting for them. The others. They were hunting them down…