CHAPTER 3.

Donny Donowitz watched Rhiannon's flee for survival as the Basterds circled around. Smitty and Stiglitz were still behind, making sure they hadn't been followed even with Rhiannon's suicidal, yet remarkable, diversion tactic. Donny's hands clenched painfully around his beloved slugger, Aldo placed a heavy but firm hand around his large muscle as they watched from behind a fallen tree trunk. Donny growled in anger as he watched Rhiannon spin behind a tree, clutching the knife he gave to her. Donny knew what she was thinking, he had too, after she refused to be dropped off in some country side and begged them to let her stay he had grown curious about her. She was defiant and arrogant like him in her own way but she was still a teenager and Donny…wasn't. She was a bit more wound up.

Hailing from Boston Donny knew what it was like growing up in a tough neighborhood. You had to change your…oh what did Utivich call it? Oh right, you had to change you outside persona. The way you thought and looked….emitted, ha Smitty would like to hear that from Donny, a certain vibe.

Donny had that vibe when he lived in Boston he had brought the Donowitz name to life.

Donny grinned at the memories briefly before he saw Rhiannon close her eyes and tuck the knife away. God knows how many times Donny held that girl at night during cold winters as she went on about what it felt like to hold such 'disgusting' weapons. Donny moved slightly under Aldo's painful grip as Hugo dropped next to him and Wicki. He glared as Rhia's eyes opened up slowly.

Donny didn't particularly like Hugo sure he had a lot of respect for Hugo who upped the dead Nazi count which always landed anyone in his good book, but Hugo was always on the quiet side around everyone…except for Wicki and Rhia because they spoke German fluently.

Hugo and Donny were the ones who found Rhiannon in the first place. They had gone to a farm house to kill some Gestapo and others who had been there for a few weeks. They had heard a loud and pained scream from somewhere upstairs in the house after they found her family's bodies…when they burst in through the door and saw what those fucking Germans were doing to her…well, Donny had fun skinning the Nazi's who had their pants around their ankles. Rhiannon was very clingy and touchy after that but she evolved around them, staying close to Wicki and Hugo before she realized she knew English.

Aldo backed up a little bit as Rhiannon pushed away from the tree a small bit, like she was getting her footing. Hugo muttered something that sounded a lot like 'stay there' but Donny was too focused on the Germans to care. Rhiannon shot forward, up the hill and towards them, they crouched lower. She grasped onto the sturdier branches and roots as she pulled herself up. Aldo took out his gun suddenly and fired a warning shot to the German who was gaining on her, the ground exploded but nobody seemed to notice. Her shoes struggled to find a better grip. Donny's hand went for his gun that was strapped around his waist quicker than lightning.

"No Son, don't." Aldo's firm hand went over his, gripping it tightly. Aldo's brown eyes softened, "She's done her deed."

Donny's frantic eyes returned to Rhiannon as he helplessly watched. She kicked a man in the face a good few times and Donny's heart swelled with happiness and pride. But only for a moment. She slid down as well but managed to get a grip again as the other Nazi's piled after her.

"Aldo-"

"No Donowitz." Aldo ordered, glancing to Wicki arguing with Hugo who had his machine gun locked and loaded. Wicki's hand was over the nozzle, "Stiglitz, back down."

Suddenly, there was a prominent loud click and Rhiannon's movements ceased altogether. Donny's stomach dropped and he felt a heavy dread of ice flow through him as he struggled to find Rhiannon's body. A man was pointing a gun down at a mess of dirty black hair. Lifeless. Donny felt Aldo loosen his hold on him, Omar coughed but his gun was ready as were the others.

"If they've killed her…"

Aldo left the words hanging in the air as they watched the soldier jab his gun down at Rhiannon's body softly.

She howled in pain.

Donny breathed a sigh of relief but then grew tense again as the man shouted down to his bleeding leader. Donny watched, his stomach dropping again as Rhiannon was forced up, her entire shirt was stained red from her right shoulder all the way down to the tips…all of it was her blood.

"Sir." Utivich spoke up next to Aldo quietly; Donny shifted and saw bright tears in the young man's eyes. Donny knew how close they were, they were practically brother and sister with the way they loved each other, "Sir…we need to move out. I hear reinforcements."

Donny looked past Rhiannon, who was now on the ground in front of a man donned in a dusty grey leather jacket. Aldo nodded as Donny and Hugo watched the leathered man strike a gun across her face.

She fell like a sack of bricks.

"Move out men."

Donny waited a beat longer before turning around and shouldering his back as they jogged back into the forest. He'd kill all of them. All of them. No German would survive the wrath of Donny fucking Donowitz.

No one.

When I opened my eyes the first thing I saw was a cockroach; a dirty, small and hissing bug that was trying very hard to climb onto my hand but repeatedly failing. I blinked and flung the bug away from me as I warily sat up and rubbed my eyes on my left shoulder. I heard a satisfying splat on the far wall as the brown bug flopped to the ground and scurried away.

My arms were sore, especially my shoulder but my arms…damn…I sat up straighter, carefully figuring out which bones were bruised as they popped and stretched with each movement. My hands were bound together loosely in front of me as were my feet…my shoes were completely gone too. The scary part was that I wasn't even scared, I felt calm. The Basterds were safe…hopefully, knowing them they probably did something stupid.

I looked around as I rested my back on the cold brick wall, a wooden bench was to my right and the wall was to my left. The cell was quite spacious in my eyes but I preferred to be blocked by wandering eyes. I looked down at the state I was in and awkwardly picked at me nasty red-white cracked shirt.

"Anyone got an extra shirt?" I muttered as dried blood flaked onto the ground. I laughed and looked up as a German guard walked by on duty, "Hey, you Gerry's have a rag or something?"

"Shut up." He growled, his English was rough and bitter. He stopped and looked down at me, "You 'vat girl 'vit the Bastards?"

"….no…"

"Rhiannon Tchaikovsky?" he smirked then ripped a paper off the wall and threw it at me through the bars I picked up the crumbled paper and stared. A very poorly drawn picture of me covered up a quarter of the page. I felt heat rise into my cheeks, "Ja das heiẞt ich dachte. Ficken verräter. Yeah, that's what I thought. Fucking traitor."

"Where am I?"

"Prison. Where 'vou ought to be." He spat at me and continued on his way.

"Warum tue nicht sie erhalten zurück sie ficken Deutsch Basterds und schieben ihre hakenkreuz flagge recht bis ihre arier arsch! Why don't you get back you fucking German bastard and shove your swastika flag right up your Aryan ass!" I shouted, reminding me of Donny and his sailor of a mouth. The Nazi just laughed down the hall and banged on another cell, "Fucking Kraut!"

"Halt den mund! Shut up!" another guard, firing a warning shot into my cell lazily and making the wall next to me shatter as the bullet dove into it. I cringed and watched the man resume smoking and reading the paper.

"Make me you damned son of a bitch!" I yelled back, tossing a rock at him but my arm gave away so it landed short outside my cell.

There was a loud crash, echoing all around me like a bad thought and I looked around from my crouching place. A man in a long SS coat was walking down the hall; the lights threw shadows over his face from his large hat which obscured only parts of him from view as he made his way to the guard who had fired at me. I could see a slightly crooked nose, slicked-back black hair, dark brown killing eyes and thin lips turned into a frown. The shadows from the lights and non-lights just gave him a menacing a powerful look. Two other soldiers flanked him respectively as he stopped and waited for the guard to lower his salute.

"Ist sie reinigen? Is she clean?"

"Nein sir. Sie bestellt mich an nicht kontakt ihr. No sir, they ordered me to not touch her."

"Damit statt sie schieẞen kugeln bei ihr? Warum? So instead you shoot bullets at her? Why?"

"Sie würde nicht halten ruhig- She wouldn't keep quiet-"

"Ich tue nicht pflege über teil. Warum du nicht reinigen ihr? I don't care about that part. Why didn't you clean her?"

His voice was sharp and his German was perfect, punctuated correctly but the way it flowed out of his mouth. It was obvious this man was pure German but the hair and the eyes…from what I had seen, made him not pure. Yet, he was an SS man.

"Oberst Landa sagte mich an verlassen ihr…sie war mit die Basterds wenn sie angegriffen seine manner. Colonel Landa told me to leave her…she was with the Basterds when they attacked his men."

"Oberst Landa, ist nichts mehr al seine sicherheit mann mit eine geschicklichkeit für raten recht hälfte die zeit. Colonel Landa, is nothing more than a security man with a knack for guessing right half the time." His back straightened as his obvious hate went away. I furrowed deeper, "Zeigen sie mir ihr. Show me her."

The guard turned around, grabbed some keys and then made his way straight towards me with the SS man hot on his heels. I pulled my knees tighter to my chest as he undid the lock and carefully stepped inside, my hair fell in front of my face like a curtain.

"Steh auf. Get up."

I remained still and silent save for my shallow breathing.

"Steh auf…now. Get up…now." He turned to the others exasperated, "Hat sie sprevhen sogar Deutsch? Does she even speak German?"

"Von dem was ich ja gesagt bin. From what I'm told yes." The SS man was still a dark shadow as he stepped into the cell.

"Aufstehen oder ich werde Sie in den Kopf schießen. Stand up or I'll shoot you in the head."

"Why don't you get up?"

"Move." The SS man ordered to the guard who stepped out of his way immediately. I flinched as the SS man crouched in front of me, his leather jacket making a soft noise as his clothes underneath it cracked. He reached out a long and slender finger and brushed my hair away from my face softly. I blinked. It was that Hellstrom man, "Steh auf. Get up."

I made a move to get away, to get as far away from this man as possible but I collapsed back down. My ankles were still tied. His thin lips grew into a slight sneer before he settled for something resembling a smile.

"Rhiannon, stand up."

I rolled my eyes and pushed my legs out until they were touching his shiny boots. He looked at me expectantly, I was determined to not break eye contact. This was probably some sort of test.

"Wanna untie me first Aryan?"

He whistled to the guard, not moving an inch as he cut the rope and tossed them aside. I rubbed blood back into the circulation as my hair fell in my face again. Hellstrom got up, pulling me with him; his pale hand was icy cold.

"Warum noch nicht sie getötet mich noch? Why haven't you killed me?"

"Wir brauchen sie. We need you."

"Amazing. Asking the enemy for help. I won't cooperate at all; I'm dying with my knowledge..."

"Komm mit. Come along." He ignored me as he jerked his head towards the door. I froze, in here I was relatively safe and out there they could do whatever they wanted to me. I jerked against his hand and backed into his chest; I raised my feet up and connected with the bars, pushing us both back and onto the ground hard. I scrambled up but the SS man was faster; his foot went out and tripped me easily, bringing me down on the dirty floor as he tackled me and pinned me to the ground, his knee dug into my thigh.

"Let me go! I'll fucking skin that Aryan scalp right off your head! Freaking Jew killers! Let. Me. Go!"

"Schweigen ihr. Silence her."

A gag was placed into my mouth and I bit down, hoping to bite off a finger but Hellstrom was quicker and hauled me to my weak legs as he dusted himself off and fetched his hat.

"Gut. Jetzt schlieẞen bis und haltestelle verschieben. Good. Now shut up and stop moving." He huffed as he pushed me through the cell doors and down a hall. I spit out the gag easily and stepped on his foot defiantly.

"Asshole."

He smirked as we entered into the afternoon sun I stumbled and blinked as my eyes adjusted to the change in brightness. The prison doors slammed behind us and Hellstrom's grip grew softer as he led me to a sleek black car. His long jacket rubbed against my skin the wrong way as we came to a stop in front of the door. I stared at my reflection and his as well, he noticed and let me go carefully.

My face was dirty from being rolled around in the mud yesterday…or whatever day I had gotten caught, my hair was a mess and my neck was scarred from whatever they had dragged me into the prison with. My eyes were wide and bloodshot, tear stained and a dull brown. I brought my hands to my face and rubbed at the dirt there for a few minutes before I shook the dust and dirt from my shirt. Better, but not quite. Hellstrom was eyeing me with curiosity and amusement. With his face free of dark shadows and the only light being the sun he was actually…very good looking. His nose wasn't crooked at all it was very straight and it fit him well, his brown eyes weren't as dark but they were still very sinister looking. His lips curled into a smile as he caught me staring at the reflection. I stepped back and pushed my hair away from my face as he opened the door gracefully.

"Get in."

I kept silent as I slid into the car and pressed against the window as Hellstrom got in and put his hat next to him carefully. The white leather of the seats was already stained with dirt and smeared blood from me. He was pristine and impossibly clean. He eyed me again as I leaned my head on the cool window, closing my eyes as I let relaxation take me for a moment. If this man was to kill me he would have done it when he first entered my cell, they did indeed have other plans for me.

"How old are you Rhiannon?"

Hellstrom's voice was clear and loud in this small car as the driver put up a small curtain, giving us some privacy. I opened my eyes and gazed at the SS man as he reclined in his seat and procured a bottle of scotch or vodka from a small compartment. He offered me one. I stared as he just shrugged and put it close to me, just in case.

"Italiano-"

"I know you understand English. Don't think I'm stupid, I know you." He interrupted briskly, "Your father was in the army. I knew your mother."

"You don't know me."

"I don't." he agreed, his intimidating gaze struck and nearly killed me, "But I have enough respect for your father to not kill you right here and now."

"Why can't you then? Save us both the trouble."

"…You're difficult." He sighed and placed his glass down before sliding in his seat until he was across from me, his knees bumping my thighs precariously, "I'm asking a simple question."

"I'm giving you a simple option. All you Nazi's are good at it. Why am I so important?"

"You are young and-" he was jolted forward suddenly, his body plowing into mine and I gasped his hand came up to my throat…but then moved to the window as he shifted on top of me and looked behind him to where the driver was cursing in German. He untangled himself from me and pushed his hair back as the driver got out, "Aufenthalt hier. Stay here."

"Where else would I fucking go?" I asked as he slid out and slammed the door, nearly crushing my fingers. I ripped the curtain down and watched through the window as three other cars slowed down.

I saw Hellstrom walk up to the other driver and began to talk angrily as the third car came to a stop. I cowered as the guard gestured to our smoking car, as far as my basic instincts went something told me that I was safer in here than out there with whoever just crashed into us. I continued watching Hellstrom lay into the younger man as the people from the third car got out and began making their way to Hellstrom as well.

Oh damn, would Aldo love this.

Hans Landa walked up to Hellstrom and took over the conversation, his easy smile seemed to twist Hellstrom the wrong way because he suddenly shouted and pulled his gun on the Jew Hunter. Landa did nothing, his face was impassive as his shoulders heaved in a small sigh underneath the grey leather jacket. Of course Gestapo men would fight like this. Landa's lips moved and Hellstrom dropped his pistol and tucked it at his side before moving back to where I was at. Landa turned around and waved his hands, giving orders as Hellstrom ordered his driver back to the car and wrenched open the door and looked in as if he was surprised to still see me. His brows furrowed then he jerked his head outside.

"You're needed elsewhere." He whispered to me as I got out. I stole a glance at Landa's back.

"By Landa?"

"Yes…come on." He put a heavy hand on the lower part of my back as I walked unsteadily towards Landa's vehicles over the hot ground, "Was auch immer er sagt sie tun. Tue nicht argumentieren. Whatever he says, you do. Don't argue."

"I thought you said he was nothing but a security man."

"Unter sonstige dinge. Amongst other things."

I snorted.

"I'll argue if I want to."

"Dann sie sind toten. Then you are dead."

"Better than being here."

We came to a stop as Landa turned around and looked down to me, his smile was back.

"I can see why they call you a Child." He put out a hand as his leather coat drew up a bit and exposed tanned skin, "Pleasure."

"Jew killer."

"I see you know me and understand English. Good, this will make everything much easier." He glanced to Hellstrom, "Sie sind entlassen, Dieter. You are dismissed Dieter."

Hellstrom bristled at the use of his…first name but his hand did not stray from my back at all.

"Ich übernehmen sie wird warnung die Führer wir haben eine gerisel dann? I assume you will alert the Fuhrer that we have a hostage then?"

"Ich wird warnung ihm wenn die zeit ist recht. I will alert him when the time is right." He dismissed him again curtly. Hellstrom just growled but his hand dropped and he turned away, his retreating footsteps brought little comfort to me.

I'd rather be with Dieter Hellstrom than Hans Landa any day.

"I assume we won't be needing those…with your shoulder and all." He gestured to my bound wrists as I kept an ear on Hellstrom's footsteps.

"No…we won't."

He smiled again as I heard Hellstrom slam a door but his vehicle did not start. I heard another door slam but it came from behind Landa. A soldier came around with a pair of keys and undid my restraints then went away as quickly as he came. Landa opened the door next to him and bowed mockingly as I walked over. I looked to Hellstrom's car and found him standing behind his door, one leathered arm crooked and resting on the top of the car as the other was slung over the top of the open door as he stood defiantly, watching us with narrowed eyes. Landa gave me a gentle push and I slid in with him squeezed next to me. There was a thicker, darker curtain in here…Hellstrom was completely blocked from view. The car started and I felt the familiar engine roar to life as we turned and took off down a road.

"You understand why we are interested in you Rhiannon?" Landa started happily as I slid far enough away from him so that we weren't touching.

"'Cause I have information."

"Good, you know. This makes the conversations we will have easy…do you mind?" he pulled out a pipe and his matches, I shook my head and curled into myself again as the black leather seats scratched my feet. He lit his pipe on fire and sucked in, blowing out smoke through the cracked window easily.

"Why go through all this trouble if you're going to kill me in the end like you do with everyone else?"

"Perhaps we don't want to kill you."

"But you need to…it's what you do isn't it? You kill families and their neighbors, even their friends." I eyed him suspiciously as the car continued down a smooth road, "you live through striking fear into people and get off on it-"

"That's a very vulgar way to put it." He said after a moment, "especially coming from a mouth as young as yours."

"I'm only fifteen. How old were you when you first heard of people who killed others because they were different?"

"All my life."

"Then why make a tiny adjustment for me? I'm half Jew, I should be in Auschwitz because of it. Why am I not in Poland now?"

"You are also part German, part of us. Along with your full German father…your mother was the downfall." He shrugged and blew out a smoke circle before retiring his pipe, "and you're, how old again, fifteen? Yes, well you won't be able to suffer as much pain before you give up the information we want."

"And when you're done interrogating me for this information then what will become of me?" I glared, "a body in another street?"

"We will put good use to you, don't worry." He grinned, his pepper brown hair shining slightly in the sunlight. He rapped on the window and the curtain was pulled back as we came up to what used to be some sort of farmhouse. I saw a fire burning behind it but the car turned and I lost sight of it, "Ah, here we are. Out you go, Rhiannon."

I looked outside and got out silently with Landa keeping in contact with me all the way. We were in the middle of nowhere, well nowhere being farmland but still…pretty much nowhere. Landa's hand wrapped around my wrist uncomfortably and his other hand went to my neck as he steered me towards the barn door. His gait was slow and calm as he kept up with me stumbling over my feet and the uneven ground. Landa was the reserved kind of man that no one dared mess with but if they did they'd probably suffer a worse fate than death. A man came out of the door just as we stopped to open it, Frederick Zuller stopped immediately and nearly careened into me. He saluted Landa then turned to me and his hand went to his mouth as he studied me.

"Elle semblait plus âgés. She seemed older."

"Prende sa à l'intérieur atente pour me ll y. Take her inside. Wait for me there." Landa ordered and shoved me at Frederick as he turned around and went to the back of the barn house. Frederick caught me before I fell down but let me sit on the ground for a few moments as he gave orders to other men.

"Mon nom est Frederick Zuller, vous doit être Rhiannon Tchaikovsky. My name is Frederick Zuller, you must be Rhiannon Tchaikovsky."

"Shove elle, je ne pas soins ce qui votre nom est. Shove it. I don't care what your name is." I growled and pushed off of the ground and folded my arms, waiting for him. He blinked.

" Vous êtes pas essayez À evasion puis? You're…not trying to escape then?"

"ll n'y a sur cinquante gardes dans le champs, croire moi que je le ferais plutôt télécharger coup de feu que être ici avec vous. There's about fifty guards in the fields, believe me I'd rather get shot than be here with you."

"…Suivez me puis ….Follow me then." he shrugged and ushered me inside and shut the door with a loud bang. There was little light the only light came from the chicken's nest or whatever above us. There was a single chair in the middle of the room with shackled on the legs and arm rests. I stilled as Frederick stood stoically behind me, knowing what I was looking at, "Vouz savons- you know-"

"Private Zuller!" a voice barked out besides us. I jumped and crashed into hay bales as Landa strode through the side doors, having discarded his jacket somewhere so now he was only dressed in his grey-black uniform with all his pins and buttons on his left breast.

Frederick fished me out of the hay and dragged me over to the chair and forced me down as he strapped my legs and arms. I struggled helplessly as he wrapped belts around my torso as well. The chair was nailed to the ground somehow so it didn't budge with each thrash I gave it. Landa pulled up a chair and sat down across from me and waited calmly until I had finished and was left gasping for breath. My hands were clenched in anger and my veins popped out along my wrist as I struggled, my legs were straining so hard my bones popped. I collapsed in on myself and hung my head as tears began to fall. Now I knew how it felt to be a prisoner with the Basterds.

"I assume you are done then, Rhiannon?"

"I…will kill…you…" I sobbed, feeling his eyes stare straight into my exposed neck. Frederick shuffled behind me and I heard a door shut softly, "Let me go, please."

"You are both a fighter and a lover I see…but it displeases me to find that you are uncomfortable here. This is a lovely place is it not? It belonged to a farmer who was evicted several weeks ago."

"You're burning bodies outside aren't y-you?" I looked up through my bangs as I eyed the sunlight above us. Landa shifted in his seat and seemed to be thinking as he looked up into the hayloft behind me, "Monsters."

"You know, for the life of me I can not remember what his name was. As for the burning bit, we have simply run out of graves for the dead here. But for you…I see great potential for you as a warrior."

"I'm never joining you. I'll join when the last Basterd falls." I bit out, trying to surge forward and smack him but I still had my restraints, "then you'll never get this information you so badly want."

"You don't even know who your real parents are, do you Rhiannon?"

I grew silent as Landa's careful brown-hazel eyes searched my face.

"Haven't you ever wondered why you can speak English as well as German and French so well…like me?"

My entire body grew cold…he couldn't be suggesting…it just wasn't possible. I took a deep breath as my last tear fell down my cheek. He grinned cheekily.

"You are American, yes? I seem to remember another man who looked something like you, who was from the Americas as well."

"You're a sick man, Hans Landa."

"He's also fighting this war as well…I believe you've met him."

"Shut up."

"He's got quite a nickname in Germany and France-"

"Stop it." I hissed.

"Lieutenant Aldo Raine I think his name is." Landa grinned and stared straight at me, "Aldo the Apache of the Basterds."

The whole world seemed to tip sideways as my vision blurred and my heart raced. It couldn't be, but Landa was telling the truth. My heart seized with joy then anger and then confusion. How had he known this? How long had he known this? Does Aldo know I'm his child? My head spun and I turned to the side as I heaved up dry acid onto the dirty floor. Landa watched me with sheer interest on his face. Nothing was right anymore, this couldn't possibly be real.

"You didn't know? Oh, it was very big in the papers in America and then here. You see, a couple from here in France went to the Americas and one morning they encountered another couple who were out for a walk with their baby. The French couple had tried so many times to have a baby and kept failing but they had two adopted children back home. So, the French man being a part of an army tricked the American couple into thinking their baby had been stolen and the crook was running away down the other street. Of course there was no crook for the French woman had taken the baby as her husband did the distracting."

"When the American couple came back to find that there was no crook, the French couple had disappeared with their baby girl. The French couple came back to France after a few days and proclaimed that they adopted a child from the Americas named Rhiannon. Of course they replaced Raine with Tchaikovsky to make it more official. But, there was very much high suspicion when the America papers made their way over here and on it were two drawings of the French man and woman that were 'suspected' in the kidnapping of their child. Shortly after that, the American man joined the army and worked his way up. The paper made him a pure golden celebrity, and do you know what his motivation was?"

Landa smiled.

"To see his child again in France when he was to be shipped over here. Of course now that the war has started he has indeed been shipped over here but…he has unknowingly seen his child. I don't think Raine even remembers why he wanted to come here, with that plot to kill every German. Ha, a fool's mission at best."

"Yeah, well we're doing pretty damn good." I managed to bite out.

"Yes well, accidents do happen. But facts could be so misleading, whereas rumors, true or false, are often revealing."

"So which part of your little story was true?"

"I'm sure you can decide for yourself. But now! Onto business!" Landa clapped his hands together and leaned forward, "there are three options for you now."

"…and they are?"

"Number one: you refuse and you will know what it feels like to be burned alive. Number two: you can cooperate and help capture your father and his little army."

"And the third option?"

"I'll hand you to these men outside, they've been here for several weeks and have had no fun at all. They could put you to 'work'."

I weighed the options in my head evenly. If I said I'd help them I could keep leading them astray until they found out what I was doing and kill me quickly. Or I could help them and get them lost so I could run off and find Aldo myself. If I refuse, I'd die and I wouldn't be able to see if the Basterds carried out their mission and made it back home to the U.S. for their ceremony…and I know how much Donny wants his body back in Boston for his parents.

"Well?"

"I'll help."

"Oooh that's a bingo!" Landa giddily smiled. I paused and stared at him before shaking his bad slang off.

"Under one condition."

"Yes?"

"Fix my shoulder and get your damned words right."

"…condition sealed. ZOLLER!" he yelled, getting up and kicking the chair over as Frederick came back in, relieved to not find a dead body.

"Oui sir. Yes sir."

"Nettoyersa up. Je sera voir vous peu de temps. Clean her up. I will see you shortly Rhiannon." He made a move towards the door then stopped and turned to me, "Oh, before I forget. There is one condition that I have."

"What is it?"

"You won't remember a thing. So whatever plans you have now, will be gone." He turned back around and ordered more men in who were carrying something like a doctor's surgery kit. I bucked in my seat.

"Hold still." Frederick whispered in my ear as a soldier placed something over my eyes, I screamed and bit down.

Everything went black.