Chapter 20

Hey everyone! Happy 2023! I'm back with another chapter and I apologize for the delay because my full time job has basically taken over my life at the moment. As I said in my previous chapter no matter how long it takes me to update, I WILL FINISH THIS STORY. As always PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think! God Bless :)

-Innocentia999

Lilla's POV:

I trudged along beside Elizabeth on the way back to camp. My legs aching from the bruises from Maria, or who the prisoners had taken to calling the beast, which I had suddenly recalled for some reason after I had departed Heim's office.

Thankfully Elizabeth didn't push me to move faster, only strode along beside me in hostile silence.

When I finally returned to camp, I hurried to my place in line for role call, my joints aching even more if that were possible simply from standing upright in place.

Neither Volkenrath nor the Beast were anywhere to be seen, which I was eternally grateful for, yet also filled with ire because I knew what they were off doing.

Finally, we were dismissed to the barracks, with me falling far behind everybody else as I struggled to even put one foot in front of the other. All of a sudden I felt a hand lift my arm and I jumped, thinking maybe it was Volkenrath come to torment me once more. Yet the only person standing there was Edith. I sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness it's you Edith I thought you were…" I trailed off, not even wanting to mention her name right now.

"I know. You don't have to say anything. I thought you might need help walking. You look as if you've gotten it pretty severe today."

I felt my heart warm slightly at her kindness, a reminder to me that there was still goodness left in this world gone mad.

"Thank you" was all I said. She nodded in acknowledgment and placed my arm across the back of her neck and over her shoulder. Leaning on her for support, we made our way to the barracks.

###

My dreams that night were fitful to say the least, and as it was the last week of September the barracks had begun to get colder and colder night after night. I shivered as I adjusted myself on my side on top of my shoes. It was necessary to sleep upon them as the other prisoners would steal any belongings out of desperation if they got a chance.

When my eyes snapped open at dawn as my body had long ago primed me to do, I felt I had hardly rested one wink. With great effort and a loud groan I pulled myself from bed and took my place in line for role call like every other horrible, miserable day in this place. When I was able to raise my aching neck to gaze up from the ground, I was shocked to see Heim striding through the women's camp area towards Volkenrath. Her usual seductive grin lined her face when she caught sight of him, but as soon as he began speaking to her, and to my deep satisfaction, that grin was quickly dashed and her face contorted into a deep frown. Heim handed her an envelope and she saluted him before hurrying from the grounds of the camp.

When the other prisoners were being escorted to their work duties, I figured Heim must be taking me himself today so I strode up to him.

"Officer Heim" I said quietly, making sure to keep my gaze down, and my voice low, giving off as much of the impression of fear of him as possible seeing as we were out in public. He simply jerked his head in the normal direction of his home, gesturing for me to follow.

When we were nearing his house and far enough away from camp, I finally felt safe enough to speak up.

"What was that all about?"

"What?"

"With Volkenrath."

"Don't worry about it" he replied dimissively.

"Heim I told you not to do anything! She'll probably harm Edith in the worst possible way now…"

"Lilla" he replied firmly in a tone that left no room for argument, while suddenly stopping and turning to face me.

"It was not about your beating to begin with."

I frowned.

"It wasn't."

"No it wasn't about anything to do with you at all. I just relayed to her a message that came urgently this morning. It seems her mother has committed suicide by drinking hydrochloric acid because it seems she found out her husband was having an affair with the local pub owners daughter.* She's going to be leaving camp for several days I suspect."

I stood silent for several moments not really knowing how to respond to such shocking news. Heim seemed to pick up on my awkwardness and simply gestured for us to continue towards the house.

Artur and Kedves rushed to the open doorway as soon as Heim tried to enter.

"No down you two. Down, I don't have any food on me" he firmly admonished them while gently pushing past. I made sure to give both dogs a quick scratch on the head before continuing to trail Heim in the direction of his office.

"Close the door" he ordered, as I entered behind him. Once I had done so, he finished scribbling something on a document before capping his fountain pen and gazing up at me.

"Come and sit, I would like to discuss something with you."

"What about?" I inquired, narrowing my eyes in suspicion, well one of them anyway seeing as my right one was closed due to my black eye thanks to Volkenwrath.

"Sit down and I'll tell you."

I reluctantly pulled up the chair in front of his desk and settled myself into it, my legs still sore and aching, waiting for him to begin.

"We both know as long as your friend Edith is here, Johanna will continue to hold her threats over your head and possibly many more beatings will follow. Are we in agreement about that at least?"

I nodded, not entirely sure where this was headed.

"I have a plan and I believe this is the perfect opportunity to execute it, considering Johanna will be gone for a few days and Father will not be coming home until the early hours of the morning due to extra duties he has had to take on. I cannot discuss it here though because it is essential that it not be discovered, for both our sakes."

"Where do you suggest we go then?"

"There is a place outside of camp in the woods that's pretty isolated. Its a short drive from here but not too far. We'll be sure to be alone there."

I narrowed my eyes again.

"What exactly are you up to Heim? Your sure you're not just taking me there for reasons of your own?"

"Lilla if I had more nefarious intentions in mind towards you I would've already acted on them long ago. Besides I'd hardly be sitting here talking to you about it when I could just as easily drug you or overpower you and toss you in the car myself don't you think?"

I begrudgingly admitted to myself that he did have a point.

"So are you coming with me or not?" he asked.

"Fine" I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

I followed him out to the car, before a voice froze us both in our tracks.

"Rupert where are you going?" Frau Heim's voice inquired and we both turned to see her standing in the doorway.

"Mother" Heim quickly composed himself, "I was just wanting to check the car. I heard a strange noise coming from it and I wanted to take it out to make sure its ok."

Frau Heim's eyes flicked suspiciously over to me.

"With her?"

"Well I'm the only one here to keep an eye on her since Father is out and I can only do that if she comes with me."

I had to admit Heim was certainly quick on his feet when it came to making up stories, though I personally didn't find that quality particularly reassuring.

Frau Heim's eyes narrowed at me once again before her gaze returned to Heim and she finally nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, before returning into the house.

"Get in" Heim jerked his head in the direction of the car.

I silently did so, my legs aching as I bent them to squeeze into the passenger seat of the vehicle. Heim started the car, the engine revving to life, before heading onto the main road leading outside of the camp.

I gazed at the passing trees, rocks and other landmarks in silence for a few mins before glancing over at Heim, who's eyes were fixed firmly upon the road ahead of him.

"Are you always that convincing when you lie?"

He chuckled slightly.

"I learned the art early on as a child. Where I grew up being a good liar could quite literally save your life."

"And only you would say that with great pride" I grumbled.

"I did what I had to do to survive. It's not pride, simply fact. Besides if you grew up in the slums of Berlin, you'd have probably done the same."

"Don't be so sure" I replied.

We remained silent for several minutes as Heim continued to drive on.

"Where did you learn German anyway? Your file said you were Hungarian" he suddenly spoke up.

"The same way you learned it, from other people."

"You know that's not what I meant."

I sighed.

"I lived in Germany for several years. I am Hungarian by nationality that is true. My father is a doctor and he moved us to Germany when I was four years old for work related reasons some months before the crash of '29.** I attended school there where I picked up the language rather quickly and even had German friends from school or in the neighborhood to play with. We continued to live in Munich until a year after that monster took over, and then my Father's German colleagues helped us to flee back to Hungary. I was nine-years-old at the time."

"Do you still keep in touch with your old friends?"

"Oh why are you going to turn them in for associating with a Jew?"

We finally came to a stop in a clearing, with an open meadow, filled with flowers of purple, pink and blue, still in full bloom despite the slightly more chilly late September weather. Trees dotted the landscape on the edges of the meadow and one of them had been downed, probably by a storm, it's trunk peacefully resting upon the earth.

Heim simply made an irritated huff at my comment and opened the car door, letting himself out.

I slowly did the same, having to move my legs inch by inch so as not to have another wave of pain shoot up my leg muscles.

All of sudden Heim's hand came into my view, and I glanced up to see him standing there waiting. After a moment I begrudgingly took his hand and he lifted me off the seat.

"Where are we?" I inquired.

He didn't answer, just kept striding away from me before seating himself on the fallen log.

"You coming or what?" he called back.

I rolled my eyes and silently made my way over to him, plopping myself down upon the log as well.

"So what's this plan of yours that we had to come all the way out here for?"

His gaze turned towards me, a look of seriousness permeating his eyes as he spoke.

"We're going to help Edith escape."

Wow did this chapter take awhile to write. Yet as they say you can't rush art. PLEASE REVIEW and let me know what you think.

*In case you guys were curious this did actually happen to Irma Grese who Volkenrath is based upon. Only in real life Irma's mother had committed suicide much earlier than the events of this book. Sadly, it took place in Irma's childhood when she was only about 13.

**The Stock Market Crash of 1929 which set off the Great Depression of the 1930's.