REPOSTED CHAPTER

A/N: Ada von Braun is in NO WAY related to Eva Braun.

Chapter 2- Examination pt. 1

This was the 'Jew Hunter?' He seemed so normal. He was well spoken, clean-cut, smart and well-mannered. He seemed like everything a good guy should be but perhaps that's what made him the perfect monster- he didn't look or act the part. To the unsuspecting rodent, the hospitable hawk seems like such a nice guy…

I felt it necessary to keep my guard up despite the fact that I should have no reason to fear this man. I did fear him though. Sitting next to him in silence as we both studied one another was almost as terrifying as the last two weeks had been. It may sound silly but there was something in his eyes as he studied me—something pure and completely focused. Solid. Unyeilding.

It was scary how honest and sincere he was when he spoke. I expected the infamous Hans Landa to at least look the part of the beast.

"Ada," he started. "May I call you Ada?"

I nodded.

"Ada, such a beautiful name it would be a shame not to use it," he said with a smile. "Tell me, do you know who I am?"

"Colonel Hans Landa," I said quietly.

"Have you heard anything about me?"

"You are an SS officer known as the 'Jew Hunter.'

"And why do you think I was given that nickname?" he asked, still smiling.

"You hunt down those of the Jewish culture and kill them," I said.

"Very good," he said happily, seemingly satisfied. "Of course I cannot control what the public chooses to call me but I imagine that I must be pretty good at it if that has become my title, no?"

"I'm not Jewish if that's what you're getting at," I said.

"Dear girl," he said with a curious look on his face. "Why would I have any reason to think that you were Jewish?"

I shrugged.

"Should I have a reason to believe that you are Jewish?" he asked.

"No."

"Well there must be some reason that you fear I might," he said.

"I've heard stories about you."

"Ah," he said with a nod of the head. "So you should know precisely who I am and what I do."

"Yes."

"However, that still does not explain your fear," he said. "Please tell me what you've heard of me."

Egotistical. Praise him and he will be kind. "I have heard that you are as wise and cunning as you are cruel." That wasn't all praise…

His expression remained unreadable. "Cruel to everyone?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I've only heard stories of your treatment of the Jewish people."

"Stories of fear," he said. "Yes, those stories fail to highlight my charm. I see the reasoning for your fear, Ada, but I need you to trust me if you want me to help you. If you fear me, how can I examine you?"

I wrinkled my brow. "I thought I was being taken to a doctor to be examined."

"You are," he reassured me. "But seeing as how none of your injuries are life threatening, I am going to examine you first. As a detective, I wouldn't want the doctor to unknowingly damage any evidence," he said with a smile.

"Damage? Am I not damaged enough?"

"Precisely. Only an examination can tell," he said as the car came to a stop.

I looked out of my window to discover that we had arrived in a small town - a campsite for the soldiers. There were Nazi vehicles on every corner and soldiers wandering in and out of the houses. I looked back towards the colonel only to find that he had exited the car and was currently taking off his trench coat. He looked in at me and gestured for me to join him. I took his offered hand and he helped me step out of the car onto a gravel road.

"Here," he said and draped his trench coat over my shoulders. "That way you won't stand out so much," he said with a smile, and then shut the car door behind us.

It was embarrassing really. There were soldiers everywhere. At first they paid no mind. What's another Nazi? All it took was one person to notice and suddenly it felt like everyone knew what had happened to me. Some whispered, others pointed and all of them stared. It hadn't been long since I had felt this vulnerable but I still loathed the feeling.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and guide me towards a larger vehicle. Our driver, whose name I learned was Hermann, climbed into the driver's seat of the new vehicle. The colonel smiled at me and lowered the gate on the back end of the vehicle.

"Another car ride?" I asked, remembering the tension and fear from the last one.

"Unless you'd rather walk," said Colonel Landa. "I don't recommend it in your condition."

I nodded and he helped me up into the bed of the truck. He climbed in behind me and closed the gate, then lowered the canvas at the top to shut out the curious eyes. It was not long before I felt the truck begin to move beneath my feet. I heard the gravel crunch and knew we were on our way.

"Please, sit," said the colonel as he gestured towards a bench on the side.

I obliged and he kneeled before me, removing his gloves.

"I'm going to start with your feet," he said and gently grabbed one of my muddied heels. He lifted it and cocked it slightly to one side, examining it closely. His touch was surprisingly gentle. He examined each toe, down to the very nail, made me bend, flex and rotate my ankle and wiggle every toe. He nodded in satisfaction as I complied. Lastly, he trailed a single finger down my arch. I flinched and let out a gasp. He looked up at me with a smile and let that foot rest on the floor. He examined the other foot in much the same way. "I'll try not to tickle you this time," he said.

From my feet, he moved up my calves and halfway up my thighs. It was then he asked me to remove his trench coat so that he could examine me further. I hesitated.

"Ada," he said as he placed both of his hands on either side of where I was sitting. "Do you wish for me to help you?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

"Then you need to trust me," he said. "Please remove the coat until I am finished. Then you may put it back on if you wish."

I uncrossed my arms and let the coat hang open then slid each arm out slowly. He smiled then went back to his examination. He placed a hand between my knees and instinctively my legs snapped closed.

"Ada," he warned. "The sooner we get this part over with, the sooner you can stop thinking about it. There is no use putting off the inevitable."

My legs remained tight.

"It's about an hour ride into the city," he said. "Do you wish to sit like this the whole time?"

I sighed, closed my eyes and tried my best to relax my legs. As soon as he felt my muscles loosen, he gently pried my knees apart and pushed my dress up. I closed my eyes and turned my head as I tried my best to relax. How much more embarrassing can things get? I was being examined inside and out by an SS officer who was renowned for his cruelty and I had only met him twenty minutes prior.

Though I knew my opinion of him was ever changing, I wasn't sure if I was beginning to trust him or beginning to hate him. Either way, I suppose I was stuck with him for the time being.

"Do you know that you have cuts down here?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," I said looking at him. My eyes ventured down to my thighs and I gasped at what I saw. There were large black and blue marks on the inside of each thigh. "Is that all bruising?" I asked in horror.

"Fortunately, those black marks look a lot worse than they are," he said. "Some of it is bruising and the rest, believe it or not, is the result of a pulled groin muscle." He pushed my knees back together and started checking my outer thighs. "I imagine it hurts quite a bit…not just to walk but even sitting?"

I nodded and found myself involuntarily flinching at every bump in the road.

"Yet you haven't complained once of the pain that I'm sure you're in with marks like these. I'm impressed," he said. "You have a strong will. That's good."

"Thank you," I said quietly and watched as he continued his examination. I heaved a sigh of relief. The worst part was over.

"Are these cigarette burns?" he asked, rubbing over a spot on the back of my left thigh.

"Yes," I said. "There should be seven."

"You counted them?" he asked, seemingly surprised.

"They were very painful," I said. "I remember each one."

He nodded and pulled my dress back down. Taking a seat beside me, he raised my right hand and began to roll up the sleeve of my dress. Holding my hand, he used his other to massage from my shoulder to my elbow to check for bruises. I flinched a few times which told him all he needed to know- there were bruises.

He flipped my arm over and tried to find scrapes through all the muck. Next were my fingers. When he touched my middle finger, the gentle throb that had been there shot up through my arm like a bullet. I cried out in pain and pulled my arm back, consequently hitting my elbow on the back of the seat.

I grabbed my elbow and hunched forward, crying. Colonel Landa rested a hand on my back and guided me to an upright position. I looked at him with tears in my eyes.

"Forgive me," he said. "That was not my intention. Is this your only broken finger?" he asked, glancing at my other hand.

I nodded as he started examining my head and neck. The last thing he chose to inspect was the engraving on my stomach.

"Does it really say your name?" I asked as he stood and prompted me to lie down.

He nodded and unbuttoned my dress just over the stomach. "These cuts are deep. You are very lucky it is not infected," he said. "Does it hurt when I touch it?" he asked and proceeded to press around the wounds.

"Yes. It is still tender to the touch."

He frowned and sighed. "Col. Hans Landa's Whore."

I gasped. "Whore?" I asked. "It says 'whore'?"

"I'm afraid so," he said and buttoned my dress. "That'll do for now." He offered his hand and pulled me back up to a sitting position. Taking his seat next to me, he told me I could put his coat back on if I wished. I did so and what remained of the ride into the city was spent in silence—myself appalled and his expression unreadable.

Luckily, it wasn't too long before the truck halted and I could hear the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. Colonel Landa stood and offered his hand. I took it with barely a thought as to what I was doing and followed him to the gate. He raised the canvas and Hermann was there to lower the gate. They helped me down first, then the Colonel jumped down and we continued straight into the doors of a tall building.

It was all so surreal. I wasn't sure what to believe. Part of me thought that this was all some twisted dream. Another part of me thought I died and hadn't realized it yet. Lost in my thoughts, I paid no attention to the people we passed or the doors we passed through.

There was a high pitched ringing tone echoing in my ears and I thought for certain that I would pass out without something to drink or eat. My throat had gone completely dry. My voice was little more than a croak. My lips were cracked and I could taste the blood on my tongue. My heart was pounding in my chest and all I could do was just let myself be guided by this complete stranger who seemed to have become a bit possessive of me.

Apparently I was his 'whore,' as they had written so delicately…

I was broken from my reverie by the colonel himself as he escorted me into an examination room and sat me upon a table. He removed his hat and gloves and sat across the small room in an arm chair. I studied his expressions as we both waited for the doctor to enter.