Chapter 25: The Christmas Party

Basta woke up at 5:00am on December 24th. He yawned, and stretched, then rummaged through his dresser to find his uniform. VanDosen told him to wear nice black slacks, dress shoes, and a nice shirt. Apparently the party was very upscale and classy. Basta made a face of disgust. He took his time showering, scrubbing his hair with his knuckles and fidgeting in discomfort. He'd been feeling extremely anxious and depressed. He missed Anna, and he felt very lost and confused. Basta shook his hair dry after stepping out of the shower. He brushed his teeth, gawked at his reflection in the foggy mirror, shaved, scowled at his reflection, groaned. He dressed, then padded upstairs for a quick breakfast. He had a muffin and milk, then took some peppermint candy from the dish. After dressing in his jacket, Basta stepped out into the darkness. Snow fluttered from the sky, but there wasn't a single whisper of wind. He was amused by the clouds that grew before his mouth and nose.

"Good morning" said Mr. VanDosen, opening the door of the restaurant for Basta.

"Morning" Basta acknowledged the man with a nod.

"All ready to go?" Asked the man.

"Yes." Basta sighed in content as the warmth of the restaurant enveloped him.

"Daniel and Jerry are loading the truck."

"I'll meet them then" said Basta, walking towards the back room.

He wasn't surprised to see the truck running in the snowy alleyway. Basta recognized Jerry as a muscular young man with dark brown hair slicked back under a tweed newsboy hat.

"Basta!" Called Daniel, waving. Basta waved back, then bent down to pick up a cardboard box. He carried it to the back of the truck, and passed it to Jerry, who nodded his acknowledgment.

When the truck was loaded with a great number of boxes, the sky was turning light blue. Jerry sat on the bench between Basta and Daniel. Basta felt his stomach flipping and knotting. He didn't know why, and he found it hard to sit still. He figured he was excited to see what the party looked like.

The old truck rambled up the snow packed road, North West towards the Alps. Basta propped his knees up on the dashboard and nodded off for most of the trip. Chin slumped against his chest, he breathed quietly for a number of hours.

"OH SHIT!" Daniel yelled out. Basta's eyes shot open and he felt nauseous. The truck was spinning counter clockwise.

"Fuck! What's happening?" shouted Basta. He gripped the door with one hand, and to his embarrassment, Jerry's thigh with the other. Eventually, the truck slid into the roadside ditch.

Once the truck had stopped, all were silent. The sound of Basta's heavy panting filled the cab.

"What the fuck just happened?" He asked shakily, unclenching Jerry's thigh.

"We spun out of control" growled Daniel. He grumbled and buttoned up his jacket. "We need to push the truck out."

"What?" Basta was shocked that Daniel would even suggest pushing the truck. It was too heavy! Jerry sighed and slid across the bench. He hopped out, into the snow. Basta howled in frustration and opened to passenger's door. He swung his legs out, landing his shiny oxfords in ankle deep snow. Yellow shoots of grass poked up from the dry snow, swaying in the chilly breeze that swept over the countryside. "Fuck" he muttered to himself. Daniel was around the back of the truck, inspecting the tire tracks that turned off the road.

"I don't think we'll be able to push it!" Called Jerry.

"Ya think?" Snapped Basta sarcastically. Jerry rolled his eyes.

"We need to get help."

"Help? Whose gunna help us? We've been driving for hours!" Basta's temper began to flare. He hadn't expressed his anger or frustration in a long while, and it all began to bubble to the surface. "I haven't seen a single car for fucking hours!"

"He does have a point" muttered Daniel, scratching his auburn hair. "Damnit my father is going to kill me!" Basta clenched his jacket tighter around his body. The wind bit through the fabric and nibbled through his white tee-shirt.

"So what do we do?" Asked Jerry, crossing his arms over his chest.

"One of us waits here while the others go for help" said Daniel simply. "I'll stay with the truck, since I'm responsible for what happened."

"Ok, fine." Snarled Basta. "I'll start walking." And he did exactly that. He trudged up the little slope, and wriggled his feet to get the snow out of his low cut oxfords. He then began his hike up the long, deserted road. Jerry lingered behind, walking slowly and calmly. That made Basta hate him even more. An hour into his trudge, after the truck was out of sight, and when Jerry's constant whistling nearly drove Basta to insanity, an army jeep could be seen rambling up the road in the distance. Basta was in too foul a mood to whoop for joy. "Jerry! Truck!" He said, jutting his chin out in the direction of the jeep.

"Really?" Jerry quickened his pace, and joined Basta's side. Sure enough, a green jeep rambled up the road. "Jesus, they're German!" Jerry shifted uncomfortably.

"FUCK" Basta felt sweat bead on his forehead. Not good, not good, not good, not good... His eyes widened and he felt his heart rate speed up. The jeep slowed, and stopped before the men. A tall, fit man hopped out of the passenger seat. He was blonde, well groomed, and dressed in a dress uniform and long dress coat. He had thin, black leather gloves on his hands. To Basta's surprise, Jerry began speaking in German. Basta kept his head down as Jerry conversed with the tall, athletic man. Eventually, Jerry tugged Basta's sleeve, bringing him towards the jeep. They hopped in the back, and held on as the vehicle got going again.

"Are they going to help?" Whispered Basta to Jerry. Jerry nodded.

"They have a winch they're going to use to tow us out."

"Great." Basta just nodded, and kept his head down. He didn't want them to see his face. When they got to the delivery van, Daniel was standing on the road, hugging himself and shivering. He seemed thrilled to see the jeep. Everyone got out, and attached a hook to the rear bumper of the truck, which was attached to a chain and to the jeep. The driver of the jeep put his vehicle in reverse. The engine made a terrible sound as he pressed the gas. The tires slipped on the icy road, but eventually the jeep began to reverse, tugging the truck with it. The look on Daniel's face was that of pure joy. When the truck was safely on the road again, Jerry thanked the Germans. The rest of the drive was rather slow, since the accident. It was twilight when Daniel pulled the truck up a snow drive way. Basta's eyes widened when he noticed a grand ski lodge perched atop the hill. The Alps were dark blue lumps and triangles in the background, and dark green trees surrounded the brilliant building. Basta was in awe at the sight of the building. Huge, with cedar siding and enormous windows. Parts of the building peaked in triangular shapes. Piles of snow six to eight feet high were piled up beside the house. Lamps placed on the sides of the lodge glowed orange in the fading light. A large chandelier was visible through a collection of grand windows.

"It's beautiful!" said Basta in awe. He marvelled at the brilliant building.

"Yes, and we're very late." Daniel grumbled. He pulled the truck up to its spot, closer to the back of the lodge. A man in a fancy suit outfit came out a door and raised his arms in the air, as if to say: What gives! Daniel seemed flustered. He parked the truck, and every one hopped out. "Let's get to work" said Daniel. Jerry opened the back of the truck, and Basta hopped in, looking for a box to carry in. He was surprised when he was overcome with a rush of butterflies. He didn't know why... He ignored the fluttering sensation, though, and walked into the lodge's kitchen with the box in his arms. It took the men several minutes to get the boxes of food into the kitchen. Once it was all inside, they stripped out of their jackets and kicked the snow off their shoes. Daniel pulled a bowtie out of his pocket, and Jerry took the hat off his head. Basta just scuffed the floor with his damp oxfords and tried to push the jittery feeling away. For the first time in a long time, he felt excited. But for what? He wondered, frowning. He sighed, gave his hands a little shake, and suddenly realised that he looked under dressed. Daniel was adjusting a bowtie while Jerry smoothed the collar of his button down. Basta was only dressed in black slacks, and a white teehsirt. The dressiest part of his wardrobe was his shoes...

"Am I underdressed? " he whispered to Jerry, who was unpacking food onto a silver tray. Jerry raised an eyebrow and gave Basta a quick once over.

"It's too late to change now, sport!" he said, laughing. Basta. Sighed and lowered his eyes.

"Great" he hissed under his breath. "Just great." He washed his hands, and avoided Daniel's glare.

"You stick closer to the kitchen" growled Daniel to Basta, as he passed.

"I figured that much" snarled Basta in reply. He took a peppermint candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. Jerry placed the tray in the oven. The three men worked on heating up the food, and arranging the hors d'oeuvres on trays.

"Basta, you can take these" muttered Daniel, putting a tray of hors d'oeuvres into Basta's arms. Basta pressed his lips together in a sort of smile, and nodded. He walked towards the swinging doors, then entered the lodge.

Christmas music, played from a grand piano, resonated through the grand hall of the beautiful timber style lodge. The place was aglow with the light from the sparkling chandelier, and several classy lights fixed on the wall. Basta could never believe the beauty of the architecture on Earth. Everything was so clean and warm, unlike in Ombra, where everything was cold and covered in an inch of dust. He took a deep breath, kept his head low (out of pure fear that one of the hundreds of Nazi officers milling about would notice him). An older officer took a piece of food from Basta's tray. Basta stood uncomfortably, not sure what to do. He began looking around the lodge, at all the smartly dressed officers and their dates, dressed in gowns. There was so much glitter and glitz. Basta thought it was all very beautiful. His heart pounded briefly, and he found himself looking up, beyond the officers, to a broad archway. A peculiar looking plant, mistletoe, was hung on the wooden frame. Under the arch, to Basta's horror, surprise, and delight, was Colonel Hans Landa and Anna Erlichmann.

Basta's heart did a double beat and his stomach swarmed with butterflies. Anna was dressed in a gorgeous champagne coloured gown. The fabric clung to her slight hourglass frame, and draped on the ground. Her chocolate hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, and two strands curled around her beautiful face. Landa held onto her thin waist, and swept her up in a quick, romantic kiss. Basta felt incredibly jealous, especially when Anna smiled and put a hand to the Colonel's shoulder. He stood there, like a complete idiot in complete view for what felt like hours. His cheeks were hot, and a cold rush of jealously pumped through his body. He could feel his heart thumping against his narrow ribcage. As if in slow motion, Anna's head turned. The world seemed to slow down when her gorgeous green eyes rested on Basta's stricken face. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. Basta could hear his own heart beating, over the piano and the many conversations about him. Their eyes locked, and in that moment, a connection was made. But, Anna quickly turned her head away. She kissed Landa's cheek, then left his side. She began walking down the hallway. Basta felt his legs surge. Landa Walked away, and joined a conversation with a few other officers. Very quickly, Basta shoved his tray into the arms of a man browsing the treats. He went after Anna, walking very, very fast. He didn't want to catch anyone's attention, but at the same time all he wanted was to catch Anna. He caught up fast. She was pressed against a wall, undoubtedly waiting for him.

"Anna!" he breathed, stopping before her. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be panting a bit. But her eyes opened sharply.

"Basta!" Her voice was teeming with emotion. She caught him by surprise, though, with what she said next. "I read your book... I read the book, Basta, and you didn't want to do it! You cried for years and you tried to commit suicide, you didn't want to and you hate yourself for it!"

Though that was completely out of the blue, Basta knew exactly what she was talking about it. A brief flashback of the night in the forest blew through his mind. The baby with eyes like forget-me-nots... He could only bring himself to nod, suppressing tears. Not speaking in fear of his voice choking up or cracking. Anna... she was back in his arms, once again. He held her close, and brought his face to hers. They hugged fiercely. She pulled away, then spoke quietly.

"I missed you." She breathed. There were so many words Basta wanted to say. So many things. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything at all. He glanced around quickly, in the direction of the party. They were in a hallway, Anna's back pressed against a wall, a closet door just a few feet away. Above by several feet and across the hall was the second level, sectioned off by a grand timber railing. The long, elegant staircase leading to the floor with four doors was further up the hallway. Anna touched Basta's arm, making the young man jump. A sort of electric jolt seemed to pass through them. Suddenly he was consumed by the emotion that had haunted him since he had first laid eyes on Anna. Without her consent at all, he snatched her in his arms and kissed her mouth with aggression and passion. She obliged, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. His hands didn't stay put; they wandered from her narrow waist up to her face. He cupped her soft cheeks in both his hands as he aggressively kissed her mouth. An idea struck him, and in an instant he began steering her in the direction of the closet. He kissed her with his eyes open, and breathed into her open mouth. He opened the door clumsily, and stumbled inside, dragging Anna in with him. She was already breathing heavily, making little moans between breaths as she struggled to contain herself. Basta swiftly closed the door, engulfing them in darkness. He didn't waste any time at all. Though he couldn't see, he used his hands to find Anna. Gruffly, he pinned her against the wall and planted his hands on either side of her face. She gave into her own desire, and leaned into his face, kissing him with softer, swifter versions of his messy lip locks. As she worked on his mouth, Basta wasted no time at all. He fumbled blindly with his belt, his hands literally shaking as he violently pulled at the leather. Once he had pried the belt open, he worked on his button and zipper with one hand while he jerked Anna's dress up with the other. She helped him, hastily lifting the sheet of heavy, glittery fabric off the floor, exposing her warm, soft thighs to him. Basta didn't bother with foreplay. As the woman gripped the shoulders of his tee-shirt with her hands, he panted and gasped far too loudly as he shoved his pants and boxers down far enough to expose himself. He then harshly grabbed Anna's waist, lifting her upwards. He then moved himself towards her, then set his hands on her thighs. She was pinned against the wall, and gripped his shirt with a vice grip. He didn't waste any time and unkindly thrust into her. He was driven by pure passion, and though he cared very much for the wellbeing of the soft, beautiful woman before him, he had a terrible throb in his groin that begged to be released. Anna gasped as loudly as he did as he struggled to keep her raised off the ground as he fucked her to his own desire. Basta was not a very tall man, and Anna was only a few inches shorter than him. He found it quite difficult to grip her thighs and keep her elevated, especially as he worked hard to satisfy his own pleasure downstairs. But he found it to be a very rewarding experience, with the burn in his arms and the release of pressure in his groin. Anna was trying very hard to keep her voice down. She gripped Basta's hair with one hand, and clawed at his shoulder with the other. She tried to sloppily kiss his face, but instead tilted her head back against the wall, crushing her pretty hairdo. Basta himself was being extremely noisy. He made a slight effort to stifle his gasps and near cries. He was sweating all over, and when Anna pinched the hairs on the back of his neck as she reached a loud climax, Basta found it increasingly difficult to contain himself. He came with a low shout, and his forehead came in contact with Anna's. They breathed heavily in each other's faces. Basta's limbs suddenly shook, and he found it hard to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell heavily as he panted and blinked sweat out of his eyes. Anna sighed loudly, and allowed Basta to carefully set her on her feet. She swayed for a moment, and held onto Basta's swelling bicep for support. He zipped and buttoned his pants with quivering fingers, a smile miles away from his lips, though inside he felt elated. His harsh breathing subsided as he cranked his belt back into place. Anna adjusted her clothing, and fidgeted with her hair.

"Basta..." she managed to murmur. Her voice held an impressed note to it, which satisfied the young man to his core. He couldn't think of anything to say. He just panted, and swept his damp hair back off his forehead.

"I've missed you too" he replied with a shaky breath. Anna let out a nervous laugh.

"What are you doing here?" She asked finally, as she fixed the rumpled mess of hair atop her head. Basta's heart was recovering from its previous race.

"I'm working" he said.

"Working?"

"Oh yes, I've gotten myself a job as a waiter." He was frowning, and fidgeted nervously with his belt. He was still relatively hard and stiff in his pants, and he didn't find it particularly comfortable. He wanted to take Anna again, but he also just wanted to talk. And he felt very unsafe with Landa being so close. Anna seemed impressed by his news, and she made a little sound that tipped it off. But before she could congratulate him, Basta rambled on. "Speaking of jobs, I see you still have some work to do..." he remembered seeing Landa kissing Anna under the mistletoe. Murderous thoughts galloped madly through his imagination.

"I know" she murmured, miserably. "I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't think I'm capable of taking a life..." Then she seemed to realise that she was his date, and he was probably missing her. "Oh, no! I have to go... I told him I was just going to touch up in the powder room..." Anna's voice was nervous.

"I can't let you go again" said Basta firmly. He knew he couldn't bear to be apart from her any longer.

"But Basta I must..." He began to shake his head vigorously.

"I can't let you I can't let you I can't let you" he was thinking frantically. He couldn't leave her... he just couldn't. But it's not like he could waltz out of the lodge with her on his arm. He couldn't take her in the dodgy delivery truck, sitting on his lap as they rambled back to the small town. What would Julie and Adrianna say if Basta brought the beautiful young German lady to their home? What would Suzanne think? But as his eyes began adjusting to the darkness of the closet, Basta could see the ghostly pale outlines of Anna's face, as she stared at him through the darkness. Was she thinking the same thing? Was she pondering ways to escape the wintery lodge with her scandalous lover? It was impossible. Basta knew it. It wasn't possible at all for them to be together. As long as Landa was around, the two couldn't be together.

"I need to go now" she said. Basta flinched. "This is very dangerous, but I want to meet up with you again." She spoke slowly, cautiously. Basta gulped.

"Where should I meet you?"

"Here, in this closet. In two hours."

"Ok." Basta nodded.

"You should lay low... if Landa sees you... oh my goodness, I don't even want to think about what he would do..."

"I'll meet you here" he said. It was a promise.

"Ok" she planted a quick kiss on his parted lips, before cautiously opening the closet door just a crack. "It's clear" she whispered, and the two stepped out. Basta studied Anna's face for a moment, under the cozy orange glow of the lamps. Despite the vigorous 'assault' she'd just endured, she looked smooth and fresh. Her cheeks were merely flushed a darker pink, and her skin appeared to be dewy, instead of the light, slightly powdered finish it usually had. Her lipstick was a bit smudged, but Basta quickly fixed that by running his thumb over the red parts. Anna smiled, and thanked him, then giggled at his appearance. He figured he must have had lipstick all over his face. Anna quickly ran the tip of her tongue over the pad of her thumb, then rubbed the lipstick off his mouth. Basta found himself getting a little bit excited. He wanted to take her again, though he knew it wasn't possible. Landa would probably get suspicious. That damn clever bastard. Anna's eyes met Basta's, and for a moment her eyes just twinkled and everything felt ok. Then she sighed and bravely squared her shoulders. "Two hours. You and me. Here."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" he purred. And that was the honest truth.

Anna set off towards the washroom, to actually do her makeup, and Basta slunk back into the party, with his head down, and went to the kitchen. Daniel was there setting hors d'oeuvres on a shiny tray. Basta had a terribly clever idea that would keep him away from Landa.

"Daniel" he said, rubbing the back of his neck (which was getting rather itchy as the sweat dried). "I'm far too underdressed. Would you mind if I worked here in the kitchen? I'm too embarrassed out there."

"That's a good idea" said Daniel, smiling a bit. The boy had obviously warmed up since their arrival at the lodge.

"Thanks" said Basta, smiling a bit. He was officially on a high. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he worked on arranging food on the trays.

"What are you smiling about?" Asked Daniel, taking a tray from Basta.

"Must be the Christmas spirit finally getting to me" he said with a crooked grin. Daniel just smirked.

"Merry Christmas, then" he said, chuckling.

"Merry Christmas" replied Basta.

Basta's eyes continuously flicked from the tray of food to the clock mounted on the wall. The minutes seemed to drag by. He found himself fidgeting anxiously as he stepped from foot to foot, getting desserts ready for the party. After an hour and forty five minutes, Basta told Daniel that he had to excuse himself for a while. Daniel just nodded, then grabbed a tray. After Daniel was gone, Basta hesitated before leaving the kitchen. He quickly snatched a packing knife from the counter, and slipped it into the side of his oxford. The hard, bulky shape dug into his ankle, but Basta ignored it, knowing it might come in handy in the future. Basta left the kitchen, and trudged through the maze of officers. He half ran towards the closet, looking over his shoulder all the while. Finally, he slunk into the darkness, and pressed himself against the far wall.. Basta stood frozen for several moments. Just when he thought he would open the door and step out into the hallway, to look for Anna, he heard a man and woman's footsteps approaching.

"Anna" came Landa's musical voice. "Are you enjoying yourself this evening?"

"Yes, Hans, I am." Anna's voice was even and calm. Basta felt his blood rush hot with jealously. Anger caused his cheeks to redden. This is it he thought angrily.

He heard the couple as they chatted quietly and went up the stairs. Eventually, a door clicked shut and all was silent. Basta's heart pounded. He plucked up his courage, and stepped out of the closet. He jogged up the stairs, and glanced up the hallway. Four doors lined the honey colored wall to his right. All white doors were closed. Basta pressed his ear to the first. He didn't hear a sound, and went to the next. Nothing. To the third: nothing. He moved on to the fourth, and heard Landa's voice. He couldn't make out specific words, but Landa's tone was seductive. Basta's heart pounded in his throat. He looked ahead, out the grand triangular window to the dark, velvet blue night. Snowflakes were fluttering down from the sky, like a million little feathers.

Basta knew, without a sliver of doubt, what he had to do. His subconscious had divided a plan, and his body was ready to carry it out. It was his conscious mind that was unaware of what that plan was. Basta's limbs shook slightly with the adrenaline that coursed through his dilated veins. He knew the plan.

Basta kicked the door handle, breaking the jam. He then kicked the door open, revealing a beautiful, high ceilinged room. Glossy hardwood was adorned with a tasteful rug. A number of fancy, upholstered chairs decorated the room. Landa was standing at the far end of the room, hands folded behind his back. Anna stood closer to the center of the room, prodding at her hair.

Both Landa and Anna turned to stare at Basta. Anna wore a look of pure horror on her pretty face, while Landa looked completely and utterly dumbfounded. To the far left of the room was a large window, overlooking the dark snowy forest outside. No doubt they were on the second floor. Basta knew the plan. He recalled seeing the snow banks piled beneath the windows. He knew the plan. Without a second thought, Basta reacted with absolute lightning speed. He grabbed the chair close to the door, and hurled it at the large window. The glassy surface shattered noisily after it was his by the chair. Before Landa could even think of reaching for his pistol, Basta charged at Anna. He picked her up, carrying her under his arm to an extent, but turning his body to shield her from Landa, and ran for the shattered window. Reminding himself of the snow bank two stories below, Basta didn't even flinch as he shoved Anna out through the broken window frame. She screamed, and disappeared into the cold night. When he looked up at Landa, Basta noticed that Landa's open mouthed expression of complete shock was quickly replaced with a cold, hard glare. Landa's chin squared as his jaw twitched and tightened. His attractive blue eyes narrowed to two cold, stone like slits. Basta knew that he had royally pissed of Landa, and this was it.

Basta thought Landa would suddenly start to speak, and perhaps monologue to an extent. He was utterly shocked when the older man began to just remove his stiff, decorated dress jacket. Basta felt his head surge as his pulse carried adrenaline through his body. Every muscle was tense and ready for the fight that would surely come. When Landa reached for the gun in the polished holster on his hip, Basta charged. He knew, in the back of his mind, that a fight with Landa would most likely end badly. As much as he hated to admit it, Landa was in good shape, and he had the size advantage over Basta. Though wiry himself, Landa had more muscle mass than Basta.

Basta swung a hard punch at Landa, and felt his knuckles come in contact with hard bone. He reached for the gun at the same time as Landa. Basta did not, did not want the gun to fire. It would surly attract the other Nazi officers. Basta battled the Luger pistol from the older man, eventually wrenching it from his hand. Without thinking, he threw the weapon out the window. Landa's hair, which had been styled nicely and combed back, was becoming dishevelled. Shorter strands tumbled before his forehead. His face was reddening. The two began punching each other with such incredible anger and hatred. Basta swung punches at Landa's handsome face, but couldn't seem to land any of them. Landa parried each blow, and finally struck Basta in the nose with a painfully powerful shot. Basta yelped in pain, and felt hot blood running down his face. Landa's expression was murderous. They grabbed each other's clothing, pressing their foreheads against each other, grinding their skulls together. Basta's arms were quivering from the exertion. Landa gave Basta a swift jerk, and Basta shook back. Finally, he landed a sharp kick to Landa's knee. Landa groaned in pain, and swung a punch. Basta felt the blow to his cheek, and punched back. He managed to clock Landa in the nose, and felt the cartilage break beneath his fist. Landa returned the favour by landing one on his jaw. He gave the smaller man a harsh shove, and Basta found himself tumbling backwards. To his horror, he landed on his back on the rug. The room seemed to spin, and Basta's head ached. Landa didn't waste much time, he strode over to Basta with an inhuman grace, circling him. He came close, after he had circled a couple times, and made a move to kick his head. Basta rolled out of the way and sprang to his feet. He charged Landa a second time, and managed to knock the colonel on his back. Basta straddled the man's hips, and landed a number of unorganized, hard punches on his face. Landa grunted and bucked his hips, successfully tossing his lighter attacker to the floor. He wasted no time, and assumed Basta's previous position. It angered Basta to his absolute core that Landa was perched atop his hips. Basta tried bucking as Landa had done, but did not succeed in tossing his attacker. For a moment he was helpless, and took the punches to the face. But when Landa began grabbing at his throat, in an effort to strangle him, Basta roared in frustration and threw his body to the side. He and Landa rolled several times, until the cold chill coming in from the broken window bit at their sweaty bodies. They had rolled over shattered glass, and Basta noticed that his tee-shirt was ripped, and stained with his own blood. A thousand sharp pains burned through his sides. He leapt to his feet, in unison with Landa, and they began fighting again. An idea suddenly dawned on Landa, and Basta realised what it was when the man kicked his legs out from beneath him. Basta fell to the floor in a bleeding heap. Landa came onto the floor with Basta, and struggled to push his neck onto the jagged, broken edge of glass protruding from the wooden sill. Basta let out a small cry. Landa was incredibly strong, and he had Basta completely pinned to the floor. One strong hand was pushing Basta's jaw towards the lethal edge of glass. Basta grunted and struggled, bracing against Landa's strength. Landa's face reddened and his hair fell on his forehead, giving him a savage look. Basta was absolutely terrified. Every muscle in his body was clenched, and his neck began to ache terribly. He knew he couldn't keep his neck elevated above the glass for much longer. His jugular swelled under his skin, and his face reddened from the effort. He found it increasingly hard to breathe. Basta's left hand grabbed blindly at the broken shards of glass on the floor. He finally managed to grip a long, sharp shard. It pained Basta to grip it in his hand, and he felt his palm bleeding, but it was his only hope. He raised his arm as much as he could, stabbing Landa's bicep. Landa cried in pain, and released Basta's face. Basta gasped loudly and withdrew the shard. He stabbed again, but with the full mobility of his arm. He planted the shard of glass in Landa's ribs. The glass dagger sliced easily through Landa's intercostals muscle. Landa let out a cry of pain that was so full of anguish that Basta's hair stood on end.

Since he had first come to Europe, Basta had adapted a new, softer personality. He had been alone and afraid, and took on a submissive personality.

But then, alone in that room with Landa, a man he hated, the old Basta had suddenly come back. It filled his tired, bleeding body with a surge of absolute malice. Basta was back.

With a battle cry, Basta whipped the packing knife from his oxford. In one swift movement, he flicked it open. The sharp blade glinted in the light, reflecting Landa's stricken expression. Basta had a nasty, nasty attitude. He rose to his feet, before the kneeling Landa. The colonel's face had lost all its color. He was chalky white, and blood dripped from both corners of his mouth, and out of his nose. He stared straight ahead, wincing in pain. Basta knew very well that he had punctured the man's lung. Landa couldn't breathe- or cry for help. With a nasty, crooked grin, he knelt before Landa, so they could see eye to eye.

This was his first mistake.

"Well, well" Purred Basta, in his supposed British accent. "What do we have here?" Landa glared at Basta, his beautiful blue eyes blazing holes through Basta's sweaty face. Basta smiled crookedly and examined Landa's expression. The Colonel was doing a good job at keeping his dignity. He wasn't crying, he didn't swear. He didn't breathe a word. He just struggled to take in breaths, making little moaning sounds. His eyes were creased in the corners, and he struggled to resist a frown. The corners of his mouth twitched, and blood sputtered from his nostrils as he tried to breathe. Basta knew very well that the inside of Landa's mouth was swimming with blood. The man was probably very close to drowning in the very fluid that kept him alive. While Basta smiled, Landa kept his expression stern. Basta ran the tip of the knife up the front of Landa's sweaty green dress shirt. The metal of the knife clinked over the buttons. When the knife tip reached Landa's heaving belly, a sudden hot pain ran through Basta's side. Landa had planted a shard of glass through the fabric of his tee shirt. Basta howled in pain, and thrust the blade of the packing knife into Landa's abs. The stabbing motion made a terrible noise, and Basta's stomach rolled. Landa gasped and frowned, and his mouth fell open. Blood escaped his mouth and ran down his lower lip like a water fall. Landa's shaking hands flew to his belly, cupping around the object lodged in his gut. Suddenly, Basta was overcome with a feeling of dread and guilt.

Yes, he hated Landa. But the man looked so helpless, knelt in a bed of broken glass with blood running from his mouth and nose. Basta felt his face warp into an expression of regret. He ditched his previous plan of withdrawing the knife slowly, and merely yanked it from Landa's belly. Landa gasped, and his eyes found their way to Basta's face. Their eyes locked. Landa did not wear a pleading expression. Basta was completely surprised and shocked with what happened next; Colonel Hans Landa spat blood in Basta's face. Basta clenched his jaw, and quickly stabbed the knife into the Colonel's chest. Landa fell to the floor, unbreathing. Basta rose to his feet, realising his pain, and strode over to the window. He was just about to leap out, when he heard Anna's high heels clipping down the hallway. Basta ran from the window to the door, interrupting Anna before she could come into the room and see what he had done.

"Basta!" She cried tearfully, her eyes searching his bruised and battered face. "Landa?" Basta just shook his head.

"He's dead" he said gruffly. Anna's hand flew to her mouth.

"Thank you" she whispered under her breath. Basta didn't respond in any way. He felt bitter and sick, and he was very, very sore. Anna made an effort to peer into the room, but Basta jerked her away. He didn't want her to see.

"We need to leave. Now." He said. Anna just nodded, craning her neck in the direction of the room as Basta dragged her away.

"This is bad, very bad." Anna's voice steadily rose to a high pitch, and she began hyperventilating. "What if they catch us? What if they see you?"

"Just come on." Anna allowed Basta to take her by the wrist and pull her through the hallway, away from the party. Basta was looking for a back entrance, a different way to get to the kitchen. The party was winding down, but the catering crew wasn't set to leave until later. Basta pushed open a door, which luckily lead outside. They jogged around the side of the lodge, over to where the delivery truck was parked. The snow seemed to take on a sort of sepia tone, and the sky looked dark, dark blue. Anna and Basta entered the kitchen, where Jerry was standing, looking bored.

"We need to leave now" said Basta to Jerry. Jerry looked up suddenly, then a look of shock passed over his face. Basta stood bleeding on the kitchen floor, grasping the wrist of a gorgeous young lady in a glittery golden dress.

"What the fuck did you do? Kill someone?" Asked Jerry. When Basta just gave him a long, hard, serious stare, Jerry's eyes widened.

"Holy shit you serious?" At that moment, Daniel came into the kitchen with an empty tray. He began saying something about how much everyone loved the chocolate, when his eyes suddenly fell upon Basta.

"We need to go. Now." Basta had his jaw clenched.

"What happened to you?" Cried Daniel.

"He fucking killed someone!" Snapped Jerry, who was putting his hat on his head and shrugging into his jacket.

"WHAT!" Daniel looked as if he were going to have a heart attack. "You did what?" Anna suddenly interrupted.

"Basta witnessed the murder of a highly trained Nazi officer. He was lucky to escape with his life. Now we need to get out of here before the murdered finds Basta and kills him too!"

"Fuck, ok" said Jerry. He was already at the door.

"Shouldn't we tell someone?" Asked Daniel. Anna shook her head.

"No, we need to go." Basta nodded in encouragement. He stiffly shrugged into his jacket, and followed Daniel out to the delivery truck. Anna held onto Basta's arm, and led him towards the truck. Basta was very, very sore and he found it hard to move. His body was on fire in the places where the small shards of glass had pierced his skin. He knew that there were some pieces still lodged inside his body. His face was bleeding profusely, and he was almost sure he had a broken nose. Anna sat in the truck, wedged between Jerry and Basta. Basta slumped his head against the foggy window, and focused on breathing. He drifted in and out of consciousness as the truck bumped down the dark, snowy road.

He was tangled in an inescapable web of lies, and without knowing it, he had dragged everyone he knew into it with him.

A/N:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, LIEBENS!

If you are reading this Before Christmas, it means that I have dragged my ass up a windy, snowy main street in the mountain town I'm staying at for Christmas to find an internet cafe, to upload this chappy before Christmas.

If you're reading this after Christmas, it means I was unable to escape my family for half an hour to make my way up to the local internet cafe, and had to wait until I got home (where internet EXISTS) to upload the chappy.

Well, it's currently 1:54pm MY time, on December 24th. Christmas Eve is a big thing in my family, and the Christmas Eve tradition we celebrate (a French Canadian tradition Called Reveillion (which I probably spelled wrong)) is a big deal. It's bigger than Christmas day. So why I'm sitting on this green leather couch typing this especially dark chapter instead of showering and getting ready, I really don't know.

I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Christmas, and I'm sorry I couldn't get this chappy uploaded sooner. Because I know myself well enough to know that I am not walking over to the cafe today to upload this. I love you guys, but not enough to risk enraging my mother (even more than she already is) just to put this on this internet.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! xoxo