Kandahar, Present Day
Anna twitched, her forehead creasing slightly, and took a deep breath. A roll of pleasure echoed through her and she whimpered at the thought of opening her eyes. But when an undulation of pleasure rippled over her body she cracked her lids. There, with his body laying perpendicularly across the small and rather stiff mattress, was John. One of her legs draped over his shoulder as his head worked between her thighs. She could barely make out the details of his hair before he left another long lick over her.
Her leg tightened around his shoulder, heel digging into his back as if she could drag him closer. One her of hands, formerly clutching at the pillow, tried to grip his hair but only landed on the skin of his exposed shoulder. Digging in with her nails as his tongue pointed to delve between her folds, Anna huffed and keened at the sensations he sent through her. Her other hand grappled with the mess of the sheets tangled between them and sought for a hold to try and anchor her hips as they started rocking against him.
To his credit, John did not shy away from the bruise she inevitably left on his back with her heel. And he did not relent when her nails left their indentations in his shoulder. The course was set and he heeded nothing but her sounds as he continued to work over her.
His tongue continued to move over her as the hand formerly holding her leg to his shoulder slid along her skin. She undulated around him and gasped out when he stroked her from behind. As his tongue moved higher, circling her clit, his fingers lowered and finally opened her to their questing intentions.
Anna broke then, shattering in a series of gasping cries she tried to keep down as the thought in the back of her mind focused on their location. But with John's fingers now exploring her internal muscles and his tongue painting pleasure over her sparking nerves there was nothing she could do but succumb to it. Succumb to the second building rise that promised even greater pleasure is she could sustain and survive his assault.
An assault that quickly set her heart racing and her blood thundering all the louder in her ears. She could only focus on the tightening of her fingers in the sheets, or the warmth of his skin under her hand, or even a half-hearted attempt at controlling her own breathing. Slowly she realized that she was no longer the master of her own body but the occupant of a cacophony of pleasure provided by her devoted and dedicated husband. A cacophony that gave over to white noise in a moment when his fingers found that spot inside her at the same time his tongue sucked deeply at her clit.
Whatever neighbors were around them, in whatever direction they may be in, could sod off for all she cared in the moment she shrieked her finish. They were the unfortunate individuals who happened to hear the sounds of unrestrained pleasure they were unlucky enough not to have. And Anna could only vaguely shame herself into an apology if her brain were not on fire as it tried to reestablish basic functionality.
Hauling deep breaths into her lungs, she used the hand at John's shoulder to push him backward. He rolled enough to allow her to get her leg around his waist and dragged herself to straddle his chest. The grin he gave her made Anna want to drive him to distraction all the more as repayment.
"Good morning Mrs. Bates."
"If only all mornings started this way." Anna leaned over to kiss him, hoping she could take some of his energy to her boneless body.
Their lips met, tongues slipping around one another in a moment. Her hands cupped his face while her fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. It smoothed and stuck up as she slanted her mouth over his to leave the dark locks a mess of attention and adoration.
Anna pulled back, noting the hint of haze at the corners of John's eyes, and adjusted herself. In a move that surprised her more than him, she reversed her position and placed her mouth over his erection. He shouted something she could only guess was what he wanted them to continue doing, and set her mouth to the task before her.
In an effort to reciprocate his earlier actions, she wrapped her tongue around him and sucked. John's body tensed under hers and one of his hands settled on her hip. The grip dug into her skin and drove Anna to lift from him before licking down. Her hands played over his base and sack, scooting her body forward to gain better leverage when she took him deep into her mouth again.
But instead of allowing her to bring him over the edge, as the promising taste of him on her tongue suggested was in the near future, John pulled her up. Anna turned to face him but she met John's mouth instead, kissing her fiercely as he angled them over the small bed to put his feet on the floor. She raised her hand to his cheek to hold him in the kiss while John's hand went to her breasts.
They arched and writhed against one another, Anna leaning into his hold while moving her hand back to his arousal to squeeze and stroke in time with his actions on her breast. John broke the kiss, stilling her active hand with his other, and just looked at her a moment. In the next he adjusted them so he could slip into her.
Anna closed her eyes, holding them tightly shut against the sensation of John moving deeper and deeper with the spread of her legs over his. His hands helped her legs spread and held them open until they settled solidly against one another. The expansion of his chest against her back mimicked her struggle to breathe past the tingles and rolls of glorious rapture.
But she twisted her hips and gyrated against John to set their bodies in motion. He responded almost immediately, his feet providing the leverage he needed to lift his hips to hers, and matched her pace. Her hand, still at his cheek, pulled them back into a kiss as they increased speed until their panting forced them apart.
She held him close, her hand going between her legs as John's fingers dug bruises into her thighs, and huffed toward the elusive rise of a third climax. One that seemed ever-more possible as her fingers flitted over her clit and accidently rubbed at him when his thrusts pulled him free of her. He grunted into her shoulder, nipping and sucking at the back of her neck in response, and let out a muffled groan as he finished. With the final stutters of his body to guide her, Anna joined him.
They lay back together, turning sideways to try and find a bit more comfort on the restrictively small bed, and Anna pulled one of his arms around her to interlace their fingers. Just breathing together, they stayed in position until the shrill shriek of Anna's phone sounded. Both of them jumped to retrieve it but Anna managed it first.
"I hate this thing." She snapped it off and pushed her hair out of her face, turning back over her shoulder to see John's finger tracing her back and over her ass. "Like what you see Mr. Bates?"
"I rather think I do." He kissed the rise just above her ass before setting his chin there. "What time is it?"
"Half seven."
"You set an alarm for half seven?"
"It's a habit." Anna shrugged, "I didn't want to miss anything."
"We have the room until noon."
"Yes," Anna turned around, putting her fingers under John's chin to lift his lips for her to kiss. "But I know you've not packed and I've got to get back to the infirmary. They'll need my help."
"More women injured?"
Anna shook her head, "Not lately. There was a batch of soldiers that finished up their tours and headed back home so it could be one of them but I did final physicals on all of them and none of them had markers for syphilis."
"So maybe that little crack down Robert initiated while we were in Berlin worked."
"I doubt it." Anna pulled herself off the bed, sorting through her duffle for clothes. "People like this have a pathological need to continue. Whoever it is might only've paused until the heat was off."
"It won't stay off if you find another girl was attacked." John sat up, moving to the edge of the bed.
"Maybe," Anna stopped, holding up a bra. "Were you just looking at my ass?"
"I was helpless against it." John winked at her, "And your legs… and your lower back… that whole area actually."
"Charmer."
"It's why you married me."
"I'm pretty sure I married you for more than just the words you say in a post-coital haze." Anna laid the clothes on a chair. "Although you've got the most expressive vocabulary, which put all other possible contenders to shame."
"I'm a little miffed there were ever other contenders."
"Of course there were." Anna pointed toward the shower. "Want to join me?"
"I'd be a fool to say no to water conservation." John stood and crossed the room fast enough to wrap her in his arms. "Plus, my gloriously naked wife will be in there with me."
"Think you might be getting lucky?"
"I'm already lucky." John snorted, kissing her and then tugging her into the bathroom. "I married you."
Berlin, 1945
John rubbed his hands together, blowing on them to try and get sensation back. Talbot nudged him and John shrugged, shoving his arms into his armpits to try and keep them warm as they huddled outside the factory. Or what was left of the factory. Half the building lay in a waste as piles of rubble around an indentation mark John recognized from all over the city.
Branson snapped his fingers and both of them turned their heads up to him. He pointed and all three men leaned around the wall to see Ross and Grün coming toward them. Grün massaged his wrists, as if they were sore for some reason and when the glint of handcuffs disappeared into Ross's pocket John understood. They all stood in a confused muddle for a moment as Ross pointed to John.
"I'll need you to translate again for our obstreperous friend here since he's decided to continue his annoying belligerence where my language skills are concerned."
"Does that happen often?" Branson frowned, "Because you seem like a nice enough bloke and I'm curious if maybe there's a side to you that people aren't seeing."
Ross pointed to his face in the darkness lit only by the distant suggestions of lights. "This usually turns them off."
Branson made a show of studying him before shaking his head, "I don't see it."
"Shove off." Talbot pushed at Branson's shoulder and turned to Ross. "Will the Jerry get us to the scientists?"
"If we wants the end of the bargain he worked out with Captain Bates here then he will." Ross put a hand on Grün's shoulder and everyone noted the way the man cringed and tried to escape the hold. "He'll be just as obedient as a well-trained poodle or he'll never see daylight again."
"Planning on burying him in a shallow grave?"
"That or a cell." Ross nodded at John, "It's up to you from here on out."
"Wat me to translate everything you're saying or just make sure he knows what we're all saying?"
"It'd be nice if you'd translate for us what he's saying." Talbot motioned between Branson and himself before pointing at Grün. "If he's insulting me I want a chance to respond back at him."
"Just translate what I say." Ross snorted at Talbot, leading them all to a large truck. "Since he won't respond to my German I won't bother speaking it but you won't have to translate his responses for me. Should cut down on the amount of time we're wasting on air betwixt ourselves."
"Then I've a question," Branson climbed into the driver seat, Talbot with him in the cab while John squeezed Grün between himself and Major Ross to climb into the bed of the truck. "Before we decide on radio silence."
"What?"
"Did you swallow a dictionary at dinner because I'm wondering if it tasted better than the shit on a shingle they served us?"
Talbot, Ross, and Branson all laughed as Grün turned to John. "What did they say?"
"Not sure it's important for you to engage in the conversation." John responded, pulling a belt over him and nodding at the one near Grün. "Wouldn't want you flying out of the back of this thing before you prove your worth to us."
"I'm already worth more to you alive than dead." Grün sneered, his head tipping toward Ross. "Worth more than him, anyway."
"I think his government'd disagree." John waited a beat, "Now get us to where you're stashing the scientists or we'll find a pile of rubble for your body so they don't find it in a hurry."
Grün paled slightly and pointed. "That street. Take it until you hit where they destroyed the market and then left."
John repeated the instructions to Branson and they were off.
The trip through the city was an adventure of dodging destruction, cleanup, and reconstruction. Even for as dark as it was, their headlights only just managing to split the light into dusky quadrants, shadowy figures still milled through the destruction. Those trying to search for lost items, scrounge from others, or simply find a place to sleep fought the chill and the danger in their various states of desperation.
Soon they bumped from the city and down a pitted road toward the forest. They flitted through the trees, noting the pockmarks of bombs and artillery on their way that now served as temporary refuge for any refugees making their way into the city from the countryside. A countryside with nothing to offer those who had nothing to give it.
John shook his head, settling in his seat to continue giving the sparse instructions to Branson until they reached a dead end on the path. Grün nodded toward the roadside and John tapped Branson's shoulder. "We're walking now."
Killing the engine, and the lights, plunged them into darkness. John left his seat, bringing Grün with him, and reached the tailgate. Before he could let it down, a weight crashed on his shoulders. John stumbled sideways and fell from the back of the truck landing hard to sprawl on the roadside while knocking the air from his lungs. Struggling to breathe, he forced his mind and body to calm enough to allow shallow breaths to inflate his starving lungs.
After a moment he could wheeze and went to sit up until another weight landed on his chest. Hands grappled toward his neck and wrapped around it as if to squeeze the weak tendrils of air he only barely recovered. John fought with his hands, scrambling and scrabbling in the dark with the body over him, and finally raised his knee hard enough and fast enough to land it in the center of the man's back.
He flew over John's shoulder, landing hard just as a set of torches blinded John and the other man. Grün tried to get to his feet but Branson's weight knocked into his middle and landed him on the ground again in an odd tableau replaying the events from John's life only a second before. Talbot's hand, the one not holding the torch so Branson could wrestle with Grün, helped John to his feet and leaned him against the side of the truck.
"Alright mate?" John could only raise a hand, still trying to get air into his lungs, and Talbot nodded long enough to join Branson in the struggle to subdue Grün again.
"I knew the prick would try something."
"What?" John wheezed as Ross came to his side, unlocking the handcuffs before tossing them to Talbot to wrap over Grün's wrists again.
"I just had a feeling our little Nazi friend here wasn't going to be so gracious as to actually let us take this easy." Ross shook his head, holding up a torch to blind John once again as he examined him. "He could've concussed you."
"What he did was more than enough." John winced as he moved. "What'd he hit me with?"
"His fists, far as I can tell." Ross went over to Grün and grabbed him with one hand while the other passed his torch to Branson. "Listen to me you little shit. If you try that again, or lead us into a trap, I'll make sure the first hole I blow in someone's head'll have you name on it. Understand?"
Grün only tried to spit in Ross's face but the other man dodged it and jammed his elbow hard into Grün's stomach. Grün fell back onto his ass, coughing as Ross pulled out his pistol and placed it on Grün's forehead. The man froze, his whole body caught mid-wheeze at the sensation of cold metal against his skin.
"I'm not playing around here. You're deal only holds if you help us find those scientists." He pulled the hammer back and all five men went still. "I'm not afraid to pull this if I think, even for a second, you'll try anything else that stupid. Do I make myself clear?"
Grün nodded and Ross withdrew the pistol, putting the hammer back in position and smiling. "Then I guess you can lead us to whatever secret bunker you've got hidden out here now can't you?"
Talbot and Branson lifted Grün between them, Talbot passing John his torch as Ross took the one from Branson, and they continued following Grün's instructions deeper into the forest. Just as they lost sight of the truck they found a footpath, trod with a number of military boots and bearing the signs of Nazi motorcycle tires that put a slightly encouraging thought into John's head. But when they reached the large steel door guarding the entrance to the aforementioned bunker, a chill ran down his spine.
Ross traded places with Talbot, who managed to get the door opened and shined his torch down the hallway. He nodded and pushed the door all the way open before joining the rest of them. John stepped between Branson and Talbot, grabbing Grün's shoulder, and pushed him forward.
"I'm sure none you'll object to the idea of a body shield in this case."
"After you then." Branson took position at John's back with Talbot holding up the rear as Ross fell into place between the other two men.
They headed down the tunnel, lights from Talbot, Branson, and Ross shining over John's shoulders to light enough of their way. As they reached the first fork, Grün turned them left and they took a ladder down a level. Now they could hear noises, the distant snores and snorts of sleep, but John kept a tight hold on Grün.
"Makes me wish I brought something with a few more bullets than this." Branson hissed from behind John, nudging him in the back with the profile of his pistol. "What if those are Nazis in that room and not innocent scientists?"
"Then we're well and truly buggered." Talbot responded from the back. "I left the big gun in the truck."
"That's why he's going first." John pushed Grün toward the door where the noises emanated and signaled for the others to point their torches at the ceiling and further down the corridor as he reached around Grün to open the door.
The lights flooded the room and John moved Grün forward enough to locate a light switch on the wall. The torches extinguished to reveal a room of blinking men and a few women. They all scrambled to stand up, shivering and huddling together as they could as the five new men entered the room.
John passed Grün back to Ross for a moment and turned to the woman nearest to him, still in the midst of drawing the thin blanket from the cot she just occupied to wrap over herself, and spoke in German. "Why are you here?"
"We work here." She pointed to Grün. "He's out commander."
"Are you with the Reich?" She nodded and John took a breath. "Are you a soldier?"
"There's only been him for the last few weeks. We don't know what happened to the others."
"What's your job here?"
"We're here working for the Führer to further his program for space travel." Another man offered before the smaller man next to him shoved an elbow into the man's ribs. "He needs us to reach space."
"Space?" John's eyebrows rose and turned to Ross. "I thought he had access to atomic scientists."
"We do that research as well." The woman in front of him volunteered and John nodded. "We're his personal scientists. I followed whatever fits of fancy he had worked on his passion projects."
"Do you have the research for your… passion projects?" John frowned at the words and the woman nodded. "Would you be willing to give over the information in exchange for your freedom?"
"Freedom from here?"
John nodded, "And a chance to go to America and give them your knowledge."
The woman turned to her fellows in the room and John noted the nods and shakes. But the nods had it and the woman addressed John again. "If you can get us out of this hellhole we'll help you however we can."
"Perfect." John turned to Talbot and Branson. "Think you could get yourselves back to the truck and take them with you?"
"Sure." Branson shrugged, "But you should probably keep me here with you, Grün, and this lovely lady because neither Henry nor I manage German."
John turned to Ross, who nodded and shoved Grün toward him. "I'll take them back to the truck and you get the research. We want all of it or a way to destroy it so no one else gets it. Understood?"
Keeping a firm hold on Grün, John and Branson followed the woman from the dormitory to a lower level. She motioned toward the workrooms and then wrapped her arms over her chest. "I don't know how you could get all of this away from here."
John turned to Branson but the other man already sprinted down the corridor to the stairs that led him back to the dormitory. As he turned back toward the woman he had to wrench Grün back as he hissed in the woman's direction.
"You're a traitor, Fraulein Schlegel."
"I'm many things, Sturmbannführer Grün, but I'm no traitor." She addressed John. "I'm only half-German."
"So am I." He nodded at her. "My father was from Munich."
"My father was from Strasbourg but my mother was British." She sighed, "I wish I'd not come to visit before the war."
"Were you-"
"I was trying to make peace with my sister, we'd had a fight, and I was trapped here when they closed the borders." She shrugged, "It was all efforts for the Fatherland and my skills were put to use in the Führer's science programs." She pointed down the corridor to where Branson led the confused scientists with him. "Like most of them."
John addressed Branson, "Did you tell them what we want?"
"I think Ross did." Branson shrugged, "I don't speak German, remember?"
"They're aware of the request." Ross turned to the group. "Just collect the research you deem most valuable. I trust your judgment we won't have to shuffle through useless notes if you're the ones choosing what's coming."
The scientists scrambled into their workrooms to gather everything they could or thought they needed, arguing back and forth until they finally reemerged with the documents, files, notebooks, and papers clutched tightly to them. Talbot led them back toward the exit while John, Branson, Grün, and Ms. Schlegel took up the rear.
"Will you be staying in Berlin then?" John asked Ms. Schlegel as they followed the train of scientists.
"I'm hoping I can get an interview with the British Embassy. I'll try and get back to England as soon as possible but I do want to try and see if my sister is alright."
"Do you know where she was?" John frowned, forcing Grün forward as the man tried to stall them on the stairs. "Perhaps she's already back in Britain."
"It's possible but there's not much I can do while here. I'll have to get back to my aunt and brother before I can do anything." She motioned to herself with the notebooks in her arms. "I'm not much by way of means in the world in my current position."
"None of us are much in those terms." John held Grün back and allowed her out of the bunker first. "But I wish you luck with finding your sister."
"Thank you."
They trailed back through the forest, Ross setting markers in the trees as they went to try and mark the path back, and finally reached the truck. Between Branson and Talbot the scientists loaded into the rear and the five men addressed their situation.
"I think it'd make it worse for them if he stayed back there." John jostled Grün in his hold. "So I'll take the cab with Branson."
"Perfect." Talbot winked up at Ms. Schlegel, who turned a tinge red in the gray of oncoming morning. "Gives me some time to practice my German."
"You don't speak German." Branson argued but Talbot shrugged and gave Ross a hand up before pulling himself into the seat next to Ms. Schlegel. Branson jerked his thumb at Talbot, speaking to John. "He doesn't speak German."
"It's all in the motivation." John shoved Grün forward. "Everything is about the right motivation."
"I didn't realize Henry liked carrots that much." Branson started the engine and nodded toward Grün, "Or that this one would need so much stick."
"He is a little shit, isn't he?" John shook his head at Grün's scowl. "But at least we're rid of him."
"A better gift for Christmas I couldn't ask." Branson turned the truck around. "Now let's get them back to Berlin eh?"