Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia – 27 May 1942

The tram came to a halt. Jan and the two soldiers Josef Valčík and Adolf Opálka made their way through the people standing inside and alighted into the warm late spring sun of Prague. They were standing at a junction between the main street and a turn towards the west. Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš were walking towards them from the pavement on the curve, briefcases in hand. All five, clad in coats over suits with fedoras on their heads, huddled together. Of the Assassins, only Jan was present. Too many people would've drawn unnecessary attention, they had agreed. Gabčík took out a cigarette and Opálka, who was already smoking with Valčík, lit it before Gabčík put it in his mouth.

"We have plenty of time," Kubiš said as he looked up from his watch. "08.25." He looked around then asked the three who had come from the tram. "Where's Čurda?"

Čurda was another soldier who was supposed to be there, but neither Opálka nor Valčík knew where he was. They just shrugged.

"Never mind," Gabčík said. "Valčík, take the street behind me. We have some sun, so take this." He gave Valčík a rectangular mirror. "If he approaches without an armed escort, use it to signal."

"And if he does?" Valčík asked as he put the mirror in his pocket.

"Then light a cigarette." He turned to show them the curve. "When the car slows down to take the corner, I will step out and open fire with the Sten gun. This will signal the attack. Kubiš, Kraut, you stand behind the attack point. Kubiš, see if you can throw grenades at the armed escort if there is one."

"What about me?" Jan asked.

"You support Kubiš." He turned his attention to Opálka. "Opálka, try to slow walk, across here," he said as he pointed at the curve. "When he approaches, maybe you can slow him down before he takes the corner. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good luck," wished Gabčík before they split up and went to their respective positions. Jan, Kubiš, and Gabčík crossed the road. They made their way to a bench, behind which was Gabčík's parked bicycle. Gabčík and Kubiš sat down on the bench, while Jan leaned against the lamppost standing right next to it.

Gabčík took off his beige coat and put it over his right shoulder, covering half his body. Then he reached into his briefcase and took out the disassembled pieces of the Sten gun, a weapon of British make that he had smuggled into Czechoslovakia with him. Jan kept his eyes out and went from person to person, checking to see if anyone was paying any undue attention to them. His hand went inside his coat and touched the handgun in his holster. Satisfied that it was there, he took his hand back out. Gabčík assembled the Sten gun under the cover of his coat.

"All good?" Kubiš asked him as he finished.

"Good."

Their eyes went to the clock, which was showing 9.20 A.M. Kubiš stood up and went down the road. Jan followed him, and the two of them stood near another lamppost across from where Opálka was standing. Kubiš' face made an expression as if there was something stuck in his throat. Jan kept his eyes on him, and saw his gaze fall to his right hand. It was shaking hard and Kubiš had to hold it still with his other hand to make it stop.

"Like we trained," Kubiš muttered to himself.

Jan put his hand to Kubiš' shoulder and smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's going to be fine," he said, tapping his shoulder before removing his hand.

Kubiš looked at him, his breathing slightly ragged, and nodded. From the corners of their eyes, they saw Gabčík stand up and walk towards the edge of the street, the coat still covering half his body and the gun concealed beneath it. Kubiš looked at the watch on his wrist. Heydrich would be coming anytime now.

But a few moments later, Jan and Kubiš saw light hitting Gabčík's face. Valčík was signaling them. No armed escort. Gabčík nodded at them as he prepared his gun. Kubiš reached into his briefcase to grab hold of a grenade, while Jan pulled out his handgun from its holster, making sure to keep it hidden as well.

A black, open-top car came into view. There was a driver and Heydrich was sitting in the passenger seat. Valčík ran across the road behind it. And as it turned onto the curve, Opálka slowly crossed the road and forced the car to slow down. He held his hand up to the car in apology as it kept honking at him, and even Heydrich was eyeing him. The car was between the pavement and the tram that had just arrived. Gabčík walked onto the middle of the street, threw away his coat, and aimed the gun straight at Heydrich. And then he pulled the trigger.

But there was no hail of bullets. The gun jammed. The car came to a halt. Heydrich stood up in his seat and started shouting at Gabčík as he tried in vain to get the gun working. At the same time as Heydrich took out his handgun, Gabčík threw away the Sten gun and took out his own. But before any of them could shoot, Kubiš threw the grenade, and it exploded underneath the car. The force of the explosion shattered the windows of the tram, and the street was filled with the panicked shouts of men and women.

Amidst the smoke, the driver got out of the car and began to shoot at Jan and Kubiš. They took cover behind different lampposts. Kubiš ran for his bike and cycled away in the direction of the tram. The driver tried to shoot him but was shot upon by Valčík. Jan and Valčík sent a few shots towards the driver, but the driver managed to hit Valčík in the thigh and he fell to the ground. Opálka dragged him away. The driver tried to shoot Kubiš but instead shot an innocent bystander in the back. Meanwhile, Heydrich was shooting in Gabčík's direction. Gabčík shot back, and for a while they exchanged fire in the street. With Kubiš gone, Heydrich's driver turned his attention to Gabčík and together they shot at him, but he ran away. Heydrich shouted at his driver to follow him, and the driver ran after Gabčík with gun in hand.

Jan took this chance and leaned out, shooting Heydrich in the arm and leg. He shouted in pain, and before he could react Jan had closed the distance and crashed into him, pinning him against the car and forcing his hand to let go of the gun. Jan's left hand held Heydrich by the collar while he held the gun on his other hand to Heydrich's head.

Heydrich looked at Jan in contempt. It was the first time Jan had a good look at the man. His large forehead dominated his head, and his jaws were well-defined and sharp. His cap had fallen to reveal a closely cropped but receding hairline. His face showed all the signs of a cold-hearted man, the so-called "Man with the Iron Heart". And his piercing blue eyes only added to it, his gaze menacing and intense.

"What are you waiting for, Untermensch?" taunted Heydrich. "Go on, do it. Kill me."

"Not yet. The map. Where is it?"

"The map?"

Jan pulled his collar.

"You know what map. The map to the weapons' vault."

At that, Heydrich just started laughing.

"So, the Czechoslovak rebels know of the vault. How quaint. And what makes you think I'll tell you?"

Jan extended the hidden blade on his left hand, and the tip hit Heydrich's chin just enough to draw blood. Heydrich's taunting smile faded.

"Assassin," he spat, with a tone of disgust. "So, the rats still dare venture out of the sewer."

"I don't have time for your games." Jan pulled the gun and aimed it at Heydrich's leg and shot. Heydrich screamed in pain.

"Where is the map?"

Heydrich started laughing maniacally.

"You're too late, Assassin. The map is on its way to Berlin right now. The Führer will have it soon, and then no one can stop us."

Damn it, Jan thought. They were too late. But if they can still take it en route…

"Then you're no longer useful."

Just as Jan was about to plunge his hidden blade deep into Heydrich's neck, shots rang out around him as German soldiers arrived on the scene.

"Kill him!" shouted Heydrich as he pushed Jan off of him and ran for cover behind his car.

Jan fell onto his back as bullets whizzled past him. A squad of German soldiers were getting off a truck and shooting at him with rifles. Jan got to his feet, took out his gun, and shot back. He hit one in the knee, and another in the shoulder. They were still shooting at him, so he ran as fast as he could while shooting back.

"Verdammt!" he shouted. He was this close to taking out Heydrich. But there was no point in him staying there, killing Heydrich, if he himself would not live to see another day.

With smoke and the sound of gunfire in the air, Jan disappeared into the surrounding buildings. The soldiers gave chase, but soon lost him.

Hello! This chapter was heavily based on the 2016 movie Anthropoid. For most of the scene, I basically described what was happening there (with the addition of Jan and a different ending, of course). Anyway, I recommend that movie if you're interested in what really happened. Until the next chapter!