Adeline ran. She didn't know where she could go, but panic was making her frantic. She turned the corner, and watched as a group of soldiers in civilian clothes attempted to break down a door. She ran up to them. "Erlaube mir." Allow me. She hoped they couldn't decipher the tremor in her voice, the horror in her eyes. They obviously recognized her, and nodded, laughing gleefully as she broke it down with one kick. She turned back to them and snarled. "Verlassen! Ich werde diese Abschaum behandeln." Leave! I will handle these scum. They scattered, and she squared her shoulders, and ran up the stairs. With another kick, she opened the door.
She spotted the children under the dining room table instantly, huddled together. Her neck prickled. She turned just as a man came leaping out of the shadows, a kitchen knife raised. She caught his wrist, and used his momentum to throw him. He landed with a thud, and she winced in sympathy. He gave a yell and made to get up again.
"Halt!" Stop! She said sharply. He froze. "Ich bin nicht hier, um Ihnen zu schaden." I am not here to hurt you. She continued. He looked at her in shock. She looked around. "Holen Sie sich Ihre Mäntel und lassen Sie den Rücken. Hide in Schuppen des Nachbarn. Sie wurden bereits überfallen worden." Get your coats and leave out the back. Hide in your neighbour's shed. They have already been raided.
His eyes widened, and he got up, and herded his children out and down. She'd taken a look at the house over, and the door was wide open, and appeared to be vacated. They'd be safe in the shed. For now.
The children disappeared down the back steps. Their father paused at the top of the stairs, and looked back at her. "Danke." He whispered. She bowed her head, and turned back to the house as he disappeared. She looked around, picking out the cheapest looking things, and smashing them deliberately. Then she left.
Adeline sprinted past a group of unmarked shops and safe houses. There was a house burning at the end of the street. And she could hear someone screaming for help.
Without slowing, she crashed right through the door, wincing as burning timber cut into her. Her eyes fell on the family crouched in the middle of the living room, the only room that wasn't completely ablaze. She watched, the wife began to keel over from heat and smoke inhalation. She leapt forward, bursting out of the flames and landing in front of them. The man's eyes landed on the Nazi badge pinned to her cardigan and he backed away, dragging his fallen wife with him. He was clutching a baby, and a young girl clung to his leg, a scarf tied hastily around her mouth. Adeline held up a hand, and he stopped as he felt the bite of heat on his back. She raised both hands, and gently lowered herself until she stood over the woman. Eyes firmly locked on the terrified man, she lifted the woman, and reached for the baby.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he all but shoved the baby at her. She pinned the baby between the woman and her breast, and motioned the little girl onto her back. The father lifted her up, and Adeline choked slightly as the little girl wrapped her arms tightly around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She was straining to keep them all aloft, but took another flying leap through the flames, and sprinted back out of the door, dumping the woman on the damp street, and ripped off her burning jacket with one hand, and then placed the baby on her chest. She reached up and using more than a little strength, unlocked the child's arms from around her throat. She sucked in a welcome breath of air, and the girl ran to her mother and brother's side, lifting the baby into her arms.
"Vater, Vater…" Father, Father… she whimpered. Adeline took another steadying breath, feeling light headed, but turned back to the burning house. As she watched, the roof began to cave in on the left side. She clenched her jaw steeling herself for the inevitable pain, and ran back in, shoving her way through fallen burning timber. She spotted him, pinned under a supporting beam, fire licking closer to him. He was screaming, and when he saw her, thrashed even more, causing another beam to wobble uncertainly. Adeline's eyes widened, and she ran forward, diving, and catching the beam just as it crashed down.
She roared with the effort of keeping the heavy wood up. A sudden flare of heat told her that her skirt had caught fire. Burning pain began licking up her legs, and she let go of the beam with one hand, reaching towards the man with the other as desperation began to make her heart pound faster.
He reached out and grasped her hand, and she pulled. Their hands, slick with sweat, slid out of the hold, and she almost fell back with the momentum. She steadied herself, and reached out again, this time grabbing him around the wrist. She pulled hard, and there was a pop as his arm was wrenched out of its socket, and he screeched. She pulled again, and he slid free, the timber crashing where he had been. She gathered him to her, and with her remaining strength, threw the beam she was supporting forward. It clattered, causing fire to go bursting upwards. She could still feel the pain from the flames, her nerve endings repairing as quickly as they were getting burnt away. She lifted the man over and across her shoulders, and ran for the exit. Just as they made it out, the house groaned, and collapsed behind them. She tripped and fell, and heaved him off her just as she face-planted, crushing her nose and splitting her lip. She lay still for a second, panting for breath. Coughing and crying from the family made her look up, and she smiled slightly as they embraced.
Then a gunshot rang out, and the father collapsed, blood spurting from his chest. Adeline gasped, and looked up to see her handler, clutching his pistol. Face contorted with rage, he shot again and again, shooting down the whole family. Then he turned on her, and emptied the rest of the clip into her.
She was silent, jerking with each bullet, but too shocked to scream in pain.
The baby… the girl…
Finally, he clicked the empty gun. He threw the pistol at her, and she didn't move at all as it bounced off her head. She was still, her blood trickling forward to mingle with that of the family, staining the street red.