REPOSTED CHAPTER

New A/N: I am delighted to see how many hits I've gotten on the report but don't be shy even though it's reposted. I hate that I lost all my previous reviews. Please feel free to say anything- what you liked/didn't like, your favourite line or moment.

Chapter 4- Almost Safe

Ten minutes later, we arrived at the other end of the city which was populated by both civilians and Nazi soldiers. Hermann helped me down from the bed of the truck and the colonel followed. He escorted me down a quiet alleyway and through a side door to one of the buildings.

"This is where I am stationed for the time being," he said. "For now I feel that it would be safest if you stayed under my watch at all times but when I ask you about what happened I need you to tell me everything, Ada. Is that understood?" he asked while leading me up a flight of stairs.

"Yes," I said faintly.

"If you choose to not tell me something," he said, raising a palm upwards as if to say 'who knows what will happen.' "Even if you do not believe it to be a complete fact, I want you to tell me. Facts can often be misleading." He paused at the top of the stairs. "Do you trust me enough to tell me everything?" he asked.

I looked away from his piercing gaze for a brief moment, and then nodded. However, the man was no fool. He caught my falter.

"I don't think you do," he said with a serious face but then that serious face broke into a smile as he continued. "We have time yet to fix that. You have no need to fear me, Ada."

That smile…Guard up. Guard up. What did your father tell you? Always be on your guard. If I had only listened, I wouldn't be here now. Don't let his smile tear down your walls. This man is heartless. Don't let him fool you. If anyone has an ulterior motive, Hans Landa has an ulterior motive.

I suppose he was walking me up the back staircase so it wouldn't draw so much attention. At the top of the steps was a single white door that led into a large hallway. The walls were painted cream and the lighting was subdued. The warm grey carpet was plush beneath my feet. Almost there, I thought. Almost saved.

A small smile grew on my face as we walked the length of the hall towards a single door at the very end. Colonel Landa pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and fished one out from the bundle, all the while keeping one arm on my back. He inserted the key into the door knob and it clicked as he turned it sharply. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open and led me inside.

"You will stay here for now," he said, taking his hat and gloves off. He shut the door behind us and switched on a desk lamp. "I don't want you leaving here without me. Besides, you need your rest so I don't expect you to be going anywhere for a while."

He walked over to a small closet behind his desk and grabbed a large towel. "I'll draw your bath water," he said. "Don't get that bandage on your finger wet."

"What am I supposed to wear?" I asked.

The colonel paused for a moment then walked over to the armoire. He pulled out a long-sleeved button down shirt that was a mustardy-brown color and set it atop of the towel. Reaching in a drawer, he pulled out a pair of dark grey socks and added them to the pile. "It's the best I can do for now, I apologize," he said.

"Anything is better that this," I said gesturing to the torn and stained dress I was wearing.

He smiled. "I'll have proper clothes for you by morning."

"Thank you," I said quietly. He nodded and grinned that lopsided grin.

I watched as the colonel exited to a door off to the right. Moments later I heard the subtle creak of a faucet and the sound of water running. I took a moment to take in the room.

A single room was basically what it was. It wasn't very large but quaint enough. His desk resided on the left as I entered, the armoire was to the right just before the bathroom door. On the far side of the room was a large window that provided a view of the busy streets below. There was a large bed to the left and a small table with three chairs in the corner on the right. Three large bookshelves lined the back of what I deemed 'his office area' behind his desk. Surprisingly, I found no red and black swastika marked banners or flags hanging in sight. Thank goodness. I might have thrown up if I had to look at that.

"Ada," he called from the bathroom.

I followed his voice. He had turned the water off and placed the towel on the floor next to the tub. The clothes he provided set by the sink and he had placed bottles along the edge of the tub.

"It should be nice and warm," he said. "Feel free to use my soaps. I apologize if you smell like me."

"It's better than how I smell now," I said. "You don't by chance have a spare razor do you?"

He looked at me quizzically. I let my eyes fall down towards my legs then looked back up at him. He nodded and smiled. "Of course," he said. He reached towards the mirror above the sink and pulled it away from the wall, revealing a medicine cabinet. Grabbing a large razor from the shelf he said, "You may use this tonight." He handed me the large razor and I noticed a small swastika on the hinge. I must have made a face involuntarily. He seemed curious about my reaction but chose to ignore it at the time.

The colonel walked behind me and helped me take off his Nazi trench coat. He pulled the medication out of the pockets and placed them by the sink. "I am going to run a few errands while you are in the tub. I won't be gone long," he said, heading for the door.

"You're leaving?" I cringed at how desperate I sounded.

He raised a hand in defense. "I have to bring you food, dear. I very well can't take you out to dinner in your current state. I will only be gone for a few minutes," he said. "I'll lock the door behind me."

He put his coat back on and assured me that everything would be all right. "I'll run by the tailor's before they close and have them send someone up to take your measurements."

"Colonel," I said, "It isn't that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me but I have clothes at my house."

"And where is that exactly?" he asked.

"Strasbourg," I said.

"We are quite a ways from Strasbourg," he said. "And even if we weren't I cannot simply let you go back to living on your own. Ada," he paused, "do you want me to help you find your attackers?"

"Yes."

"Then you will stay with me since I have no intention of leaving you alone and I certainly cannot stay in Strasbourg with you as I still have work to do here," he said. "But we will make a trip of it and gather some necessary items later this week."

"Of course," I said. "I didn't mean to seem ungrateful."

The colonel stepped towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I understand," he said. "Wash up before your water gets cold and dinner will be here when you're done." He smiled again…in fact he smiled a lot for a man that was supposed to be evil.

I turned towards the sink as he exited the bathroom and waited to hear him leave. I removed the bandage from the cigarette burns carefully and placed it by the sink. It was fresh so I saw no use in throwing it away just yet. Afterwards, I undressed and lowered my right foot into the tub. The water was steaming and soothing. As I submerged the rest of my body, the heat ailed the ache in my muscles. I took care to keep my right hand away from the water. It proved to be a challenge at times but I succeeded.

For a moment I just sat there and soaked. Then suddenly I started to cry. It hit me like a bullet. I was relieved. This morning, I thought I'd pass out from exhaustion. Days before, I had never been so scared in my life as I ran from my captors. It had come to the point where I thought I'd never see the stars again…never feel the warmth of the sun on my face…never taste a hot meal again. But there was a God and if he placed me in the hands of the Devil then so be it. That devil was taking care of me. At that moment, that was all that mattered.

I washed my tears from my face and struggled to undo what was left of the bun in my hair. It had become a large tangle.

When I dunked my head back into the tub and pulled back out, my scalp tingled. The air upon my skin was refreshing and cool. I lathered my hair not once, but twice to ensure all the muck and grime was gone. It was disgusting to watch as the bath water went from clear and inviting to orange and brown. However, to my relief, I would not have to cut the tangles out of my hair. As I washed it, the knots unhinged themselves and my hair fell to the middle of my back.

I gently scrubbed each bruise and scrape, making sure that no dirt remained. The water grew darker as I used the colonel's razor to shave my legs and scraped the last bits of dirt away. By the time I was finished, I was so clean that my skin itched due to lack of moisture. It didn't matter though. Food was on my mind.

After I dried off, I pulled the colonel's socks on over my feet and buttoned his shirt. It wasn't so bad. It was practically a dress on me anyway. I gently combed through my hair with my fingers and reapplied the bandage on my burns. Looking in the mirror, I smiled lightly at myself. I was alive. I was clean. I was being taken care of. Everything was going to be all right.

I heard the door in the other room click open and close.

"Ada," Colonel Landa called as he tapped on the bathroom door. "Dinner is served," he said.

My stomach rumbled involuntarily. I straightened his shirt and quickly wiped the tub clean with my towel. Throwing my dress in the trash bin, I turned and entered back into the main room.

"Forgive me for not fetching you something to eat sooner," he said. "I wasn't thinking."

I followed the sound of his voice to the table in the far corner of the room. Upon it were two glasses of milk and two plates smothered with steaming chicken and dumplings. He looked up at me and froze. In fact, he rather stared and it was a bit unnerving with me only wearing a shirt and all…his shirt. He quickly shook the expression off of his face and pulled my chair out for me. I took my seat and he pushed me in.

"It was probably best that you put my examinations first," I said.

He smiled and waved his hand toward my plate. "After you," he said and took his seat across from me. Reaching down into a large paper bag, he pulled out two rolls of bread and handed them both to me.

"You said that your family moved here from Germany," he started.

"I was born in Regensburg," I said between bites. The dumplings were doughy and warm. I practically swallowed them whole.

He began to seemingly murder his own meal during our conversation. He used the side of his fork to sever the dumplings into pieces. I would even say 'violently' would be a good way to describe how he chopped his chicken before stabbing it with his fork.

"I found you in Nancy," he said. "That was the country obviously. You are used to city life, I presume?"

"Very much so," I said. "I loved Regensburg."

"What do you miss the most?" He watched with amusement as I picked pieces from the bread roll and used them to wipe the gravy off of my plate before hastily stuffing them into my mouth.

"There was a cathedral," I said. "The Regensburg Cathedral. They say it started out as just a small church as far back as the year 700."

He chuckled in amusement.

"What?" I asked.

"Your eyes are glistening."

I blushed a bit then shrugged and finished devouring my meal. The gravy alone was so warm and thick it took all of my will power not to lick my plate clean. Sitting back, I continued, "I like the architecture and the history. I think it caught fire a few times but they continued to reconstruct, redesign and add on to it until it became what it is today. Beautiful," I said smiling.

"Is there anything else you miss? Any other family, friends or perhaps a gentleman caller?" he ventured. I did not answer at first so he continued. "Surely, you are old enough to have one?"

"I'm twenty," I said quietly.

He studied my hesitation. "Ada, please," he said. "You have no need to be nervous. We won't talk about anything extreme tonight," he assured me. "I simply want to get to know you."

I nodded in response. I noticed for the first time that he moved his hands a lot when he spoke. It only seemed to add to his charisma and overall presence. And what a powerful and demanding presence it was. He carried himself well. The gestures he made during conversations were so open and personable. It was as if he was being what they called 'touchy, feely' without actually touching or feeling. Odd, I know but that was Hans Landa.

"Thirsty?" he asked, motioning towards my untouched glass of milk.

I took a swig of my milk and savored the taste as it flowed down my throat- cold and creamy. Then without thinking I quickly downed all that was left in the glass. The colonel laughed and pushed the rest of his glass towards me.

Damn his charm. Whatever he was trying to do to me…it was working.

With little hesitation, I finished his glass too.

"Would you care for a cigarette?" he offered, extending his case in my direction.

I shook my head. "No thank you. I don't smoke."

"I did not want to seem rude by not offering but I thought as much. Would you mind if I smoked my pipe instead?"

"Please," I said. "Go ahead. I don't mind."

Landa smiled and pulled an enormous pipe out of his coat. When I say enormous, I mean it was almost comical in size. Must be a man thing...a constant struggle to see who smokes the biggest pipe. "Did you work at all in Regensburg?"

"No."

"What about in Strasbourg? After you family was killed?"

"I worked in the automobile shop."

"Doing what?" he asked, a puff of smoke escaping his lips.

"Mostly repairing vehicles," I said. "I helped build a few. With all the men at war, a lot of their jobs opened up so I grabbed the first one I could find."

"I would never have guessed you'd be a mechanic or engineer," he said, his eyes studying my face. "I figured you for perhaps a teacher or nurse."

"It's hard for a lot of men to see women in their jobs," I said. "But I did enjoy it."

"Good. That means you are in full support of your country's forces," he said. "If you are willing to back us up so readily, fixing our cars and building us new ones…Tell me, were you proud of your father and brother?"

I did not know how to answer. I've heard that his gaze could see right through a lie. Thankfully, someone knocked on the door and he stood up to answer it. Stop letting your guard down. He is getting to you.

I turned to see an older, stern woman enter the room. She held a measuring tape in her hands and carried a small pad of paper and a pencil. She greeted the colonel then hurried over to me and asked me to stand. I did so.

She introduced herself as Mrs. Schafer and did not say much else to me. She measured around my chest, waist and hips then jotted all the figures down the paper. Next, she measured from the base of my neck to the small of my back, then down to my knees and the floor. Lastly, she asked me to sit in my chair and she held the tape to the bottom of my feet, measuring from heel to toe. She recorded all the measurements on her pad and said, "That should do."

The colonel thanked Mrs. Schafer and escorted her out the door. It was quite a hasty visit. "As promised, everything will be delivered early next morning," she said, her voice firm. He smiled at her and thanked her once more for her time. After she left, he locked the door and turned to me. He took both of my hands in his and led me over towards the bed.

"She seemed rushed," I said.

"She's afraid of me," said Colonel Landa. "Like so many others," he said, laughing as though it was ridiculous to fear him. "Tomorrow," he continued, "you and I are going to sit down and have a nice long chat. I want you to feel relaxed as I'm sure it will be a long day. I have tried my best to mentally and physically prepare you for it," he said. "Nonetheless, I'm certain it will be taxing on your emotions."

He gave my hands a gentle pat and turned down the bed sheets. I had half the heart to ask where he would be sleeping but honestly, I didn't care. That bed looked so warm and welcoming. I did not question a thing.

I crawled into bed and he pulled the covers over me. "Colonel Landa," I said, grabbing his hand as he began to walk away. "Thank you for everything you've done today."

He smiled and told me to get some rest. "Oh and Ada," he said. "You have called me Hans before. I see no harm in continuing our relationship on a first name basis."

I nodded and he went over to the table to clean up our dinner. Five minutes later, he dimmed the lights in the room and sat at his desk, writing notes and glancing through papers.

It wasn't so bad, trying to sleep in an unfamiliar place but strangely enough, for the first time since my father and brother had been killed, I felt safe. I pulled the covers tight and closed my eyes. Within a moment I was enveloped in sleep.

I opened my eyes the next morning to see Hans already dressed and sitting at his desk looking over papers and jotting down notes just as he was the night before. He looked towards me as I stirred.

"Good morning, dear," he said with another one of those smiles. I think it was beginning to affect me. "I trust you slept well?"

"Mm-hm," I groaned and stretched. "What time is it?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Let's just say I let you sleep in," he said while standing from his seat at the desk. He walked over to the door and picked up a large brown bag atop of another chair. "These are for you," he said. "A few things from Mrs. Schafer."

He set the bag on my lap and I peered inside to find a bundle of clothes underneath two pairs of shoes. "Thank you."

"It was nothing," he said. "Now go on," he prompted, gesturing towards the bathroom. "Get dressed. I have sent for our lunch."

"Lunch?" I asked, rising.

"I said I let you sleep in." He smiled at me then gestured once more to the bathroom.

I grabbed the bag from the bed and headed in to get dressed for the day. I splashed my face with water and emptied the contents of the bag onto the counter. Mrs. Schafer had been nice enough to include a toothbrush, hairbrush, and my own personal razor so I would not be subject to use the colonel's any longer.

One dress was green with small white flowers, another bright red with a black belt and the other a deep blue with yellow trim. They were all very beautiful and not far different from the ones I wore at home. I slipped the green one over my head and stepped into my new shoes.

My eyes began to tear as I remembered what my father used to say, 'Nothing makes a girl happier than a pair of new shoes.'

I brushed through my hair and gave my teeth a much needed scrub before reemerging from the bathroom.

"Ah, that's better," he said. Colonel Landa smiled and asked me to turn around. "That dress is very becoming on you," he said. "Mrs. Schafer made a wonderful choice." He placed a hand on my shoulder and gestured towards his desk. I walked over to it as he had asked.

He took a chair from the table in the corner and placed it in front of his desk. He told me to sit there then he pulled his chair from behind the desk and positioned it on the side. Sitting down with his notepad and pen, he looked up at me.

"Are you comfortable there?" he asked sincerely.

"I'm fine," I said, fidgeting in my seat already. "Just anxious to get this over with."

"Then let's get started, shall we?" The colonel loaded his pen with ink and opened a pad of paper on his lap. "When exactly were you captured?"