Chapter Nine
Kill Em With Kindness
The Nazi stood up when the watches beeped.
"Komm," he said, nodding with his head to the door. "Es ist fast sechs Uhr."
He pointed up six fingers, then he tapped his watch. She glanced at it and finally realized what he'd been telling her previously. He meant six o'clock. She guessed that he told her it was time to leave.
It was still dark outside. Sunrise wouldn't come for at least two more hours. And it was freezing. She looked inside her bag for a hat or anything she might have pushed in there before they'd left the camp. But unfortunately there was nothing in there.
"I need to pee again," she said, taking her backpack in her hand.
Her eyes found the Nazi, who stood and watched her like a hawk with his hand on his gun by his hip. Obviously he was suspicious of her and the search she just had in her backpack.
"At least you're not pointing it at me. That would be so much ruder."
Alice knew he didn't understand her words, but the sarcasm was present in her tone that it was impossible for him not to notice it.
"I already said I have no weapons. But of course you dumbhead can't speak any English and you actually believe I could kill a machine three times my size."
With an exhausted sigh, Alice stood up.
"Why do you care if I wear this coat? Anyone can see that it's too large for me. So yeah, the Nazi might not kill me when they see me. But what about the Americans? They will shoot me instantly when they see the emblem on the sleeve."
"Komm," he said impatiently, opening the door.
He went through the door first, watching his surroundings carefully. His eyes ignored the three dead bodies whom he killed last night.
Alice had questions about this man's purpose in this war, especially when her eyes found the bodies on the ground. They reminded her how he'd killed his own kind.
She tried to ignore the bodies as much as she could.
"Is it safe to pee?" she asked with a sick feeling in her stomach.
He turned his head to her.
"Pee," she snapped, but not so much because she was angry.
Since yesterday afternoon she'd seen more killings than she'd seen at the safe camp.
He nodded, waving his hand. She took that as a yes.
She dumped her backpack on the ground and walked around the cottage. When she was away from his sight, she quickly undid her pants. With all the men she'd been living for the past few years, she'd learned how to be quick in the restroom. And she was grateful for that acquired ability. She didn't like having her lower body part naked for any longer than was necessary.
After she returned and grabbed her backpack, it was another stroll through darkness.
"What do you think they'll do with my friend's bodies?" she asked after a few minutes, again walking before him.
At least he wasn't shoving her or threatening her with his gun. He hushed her and she managed for another few minutes to stay quiet.
"Berlin is an active war zone, as we saw last night. Are you planning on staying in Berlin?"
"Mein Gott..." he muttered.
She could very easily hear he was pleading with God. That however did not mean he was a God fearing man. He was probably exclaiming God's name by means of frustration.
"It's eerily quiet. I wonder if this is what they mean with quiet before the storm."
Alice too was well aware of her surroundings as was the Nazi. She knew his name now, but she couldn't consider him human. He was still the Nazi to her. He kept his eyes around him and Alice did so as well, but there was literally no one. And they didn't see anyone for the upcoming hours.
She was tired and she started to get hungry. A dead guy's watch on her wrist told her it was almost noon. Despite the daylight, everything surrounding them was grey.
There were still the odds that they would come across people. Alice had thought it through what she would do if they saw anyone approaching them. In case she saw any American's, she'd yank the coat off and scream she was an American taken hostage. If it were German's, she'd hope the Nazi would proceed... not killing her.
Every few minutes Alice spoke, and the Nazi soon stopped hushing her or muttering things in German.
After all, it was futile.
"I hope my team's alright.
"What will happen to my friend's bodies?
"Are you working alone or something? Despite that friend of course, whom either Jacob or Seth killed.
"It makes no sense you'd patrol alone. That's way too dangerous. Us American's never patrol alone, so if you come ahead of any American's, it'll be at least two against one. Unless I'm your shield, of course, catching all the bullets.
"My feet are so tired.
"I'm hungry.
"This coat weighs a ton. Did you Germans make it out of steel? Jeez.
"Would you like a change of your bandages?" she asked at last, turning, pointing at his stomach.
She was exhausted and any reason to sit down was good enough for her. However, the Nazi's eyes narrowed as he watched in the distance.
"What-" Alice began saying, when she was shoved on the ground painfully hard, her eyes closing from the pain.
His chest was pressed against hers and his hand crushed her mouth under its force. Alice could only look at him and up, above her. She mostly saw bushes, as that's where he'd thrown her. In her own terror she noticed it was the perfect hiding place.
The Nazi and Alice looked at each other. He pleaded with his terror-filled eyes. This was strange, because what could the Nazi have to be so worried about?
She raised her eyes above to see if she could catch anything. She saw in the distance, vaguely, but definitely a large group of military men.
It was obvious who they were. They were so close and heading in their direction. She could be saved. Since the moment her three friends were killed she felt depressed, but now hope was restored.
This was why the Nazi looked mortified. He could get caught by the Americans.
At last, Alice felt joy again. Her fiancée's and friend's death could still be revenged.