“Would you actually listen to their advice?” Uwe teased her, trying to lighten the mood that had become oppressive.
“Sometimes. I was always so independent…”
“And now you’re not?”
Lotte blushed. “I guess I still am. But I promise never to speak out of turn if I only get to see my family again.”
“Would you still help Rachel if you knew things were going to turn out this way?”
“Yes! I don’t regret helping Rachel and her siblings get someplace safe. The fact I regret is acting rashly and without thinking things through properly.” A worrisome thought entered her mind. “I hope Irmhild is safe.”
“Why wouldn’t she be?” The confused look on Uwe’s face reminded her that he didn’t know.
She glanced at him. “She was the one who stole the forms from the town hall to make fake papers for the Epstein siblings.”
“Geez. You and Irmhild faked papers?” The admiration on his face compensated her for many of the bad experiences she’d gone through.
“We did. They’re now one hundred percent Aryan. Nobody will be searching for Karin Müller and her siblings.” Lotte explained how they’d gone about producing new identities for their friends while Uwe listened in awe.
When she finished, he held her close. “I’m sure Irmhild is fine. The nuns in the convent won’t examine the papers too closely.”
“What about us? Where can we go?” The fear crept back upon Lotte as she pondered the difficulties they faced.
“What about Switzerland?” Uwe lifted a shoulder.
She whipped her head in his direction. “Switzerland? Isn’t that too far to walk?”
Uwe was quiet for a moment. “From what I heard it’s three hours by train. So maybe a hundred miles?” He looked at her dirty plimsolls and his sturdy boots. “Call it bonkers, but I believe we can make it. We could walk at night and hide during the day.”
“Three or four days to reach safety.” Lotte’s heart was thumping against her ribs. “Do you know how to get there?”
“Not exactly, but if we follow the main road southwest until we reach Lake Constance, we should be fine.”
She considered the suggestion for a long moment, letting all the horrid options play over in her mind. “We should leave tonight,” Lotte said, moving away from him and sitting up. A growing thrill took possession of her. They would outwit the Nazis, and once they’d settled in Switzerland, she would write a letter to Mutter and her sisters with all the exciting details about this adventure.
“Yes. Let’s return to the main road after nightfall and see how far we can get the first night.” Uwe sounded more certain of himself the longer they talked, making plans for the time they reached neutral Switzerland.
“Can you imagine not having to live with Nazis controlling every second of our lives?” Lotte beamed at him, her expression one of wonder.
“I can. Once we cross the border, we’ll make new lives for ourselves.” Uwe jumped to his feet, then he reached down and pulled her up.
“Right now, I’m happier than I have been in months.” Lotte walked into his arms and lifted her face for his kiss. She pushed up on her tiptoes to get closer to him, and he chuckled, clasping her around the waist and holding her up. When he kissed her, the world around her sank into oblivion. Uwe traced her lips with his tongue, and Lotte’s stomach did a little flip.
“We can do this,” he said after he broke the long kiss and looked down into her green eyes. “I know we can.”
Chapter 16
They spent the next hour gathering provisions they could easily carry with them before lying down inside the hut. Uwe had decided to try and sleep a few hours in the afternoon before embarking on their journey at nightfall.
But the thrill of this new adventure kept Lotte wide awake, and judging by Uwe’s breathing, he felt the same. She propped herself on her elbows to study his handsome face. His deep blue eyes were closed while the curved lips lay slightly opened in a smile, revealing a row of white teeth. After being away from civilization for several days, the beginning of a beard was sprouting on the soft skin of his cheeks.
She couldn’t resist, and traced a finger along his jawline. He opened his eyes, and his breathing sped up. Lotte hesitated, not sure what to do next, but she needn’t have worried because Uwe grabbed her tight, rolled them over, and kissed her with a passion she’d never experienced before.
Before things went too far, she broke the kiss and snuggled up into his embrace, letting his strength and confidence block out all thoughts of the looming evil. She dreamed of a bright future with Uwe in Switzerland.
“We should find something to eat before we leave,” he interrupted her daydreams.
“Good idea,” Lotte agreed even though she was reluctant to leave his warm embrace. But they had a long journey ahead of them.
They walked to the creek. The clear water gurgled like a happy giggle, causing tiny rapids as it flowed across the stones in the streambed. Lotte had just finished drinking and washing up when she heard it. The baying of dogs. She turned to look at Uwe to ask if he’d heard it too.
“Shit! We have to run!” He took off to her left, and she dashed after him. Branches and bushes scratched at her bare legs, but she didn’t stop or cry out. Her heart thundered in her throat as she ran as fast as she could.
Uwe darted between the trees with an ease she found hard to follow. She did her best not to lose him, ignoring the scratches on her legs, the stitches in the side, and the shortage of oxygen, despite breathing heavily.
She knew when the men searching for them found the hut, as a loud cry went up and the sound of others crashing through the forest increased. Don’t stop. Keep running. In front of her, Uwe darted to his right, his feet splashing as he crossed a shallow stream. Lotte followed him, her new shoes becoming soaked in the cold water, but she couldn’t care less about her clothing or her looks. No doubt, the men hunting them were devoted followers of Herr Keller and the Party, and she had no doubt whatsoever about her fate should she be caught.
“Shit! Go back!” Uwe shouted a second later, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to dash back across the stream.
Lotte got a brief glimpse of men coming towards them, and then she heard the sound of the dogs being turned loose. I can’t outrun a bloody dog.
They made it across the stream, but before they could go in a different direction, two SS men stepped from the thicket, their guns raised point-blank at them. The dogs splashed across the stream, and Lotte looked over her shoulder to see the vicious German Shepherds standing a mere three feet away from her, intent on tearing her and Uwe apart if they ran again. Lotte’s blood froze in her veins, and even if she wanted to, she would have been unable to move. The SS men approached, and one of them grabbed the dogs’ collars, holding them at bay while the other one barked commands at Lotte and Uwe.
“Hände hoch!”
She raised her hands and could see from the corner of her eye Uwe doing the same. The dogs leashed again, another SS officer appeared, glancing at the two frightened adolescents.
“He’s the deserter.” He nodded his chin in Uwe’s direction. “Give him what he deserves.”
The next seconds passed as if in slow motion, and Lotte’s scream sent the birds in the trees scattering in all directions. Her glance darted from the SS officer pulling the trigger on his gun to Uwe’s terrified face a split-second before the bullet hit him between the eyes.
“No!” Lotte screamed and launched herself towards Uwe but was captured mid-air by the third man while Uwe dropped to the ground, blood blooming across his forehead.
“A masterly shot,” congratulated the SS man holding the dogs.
“Indeed,” the first one answered. “It’s good to get some practice on a live target.”
“Killers! Bastards! Let me down!” she screamed, kicking, scratching and biting her captor.
“Why don’t we shoot that one, too? Let her loose, and I’ll see if I can take he
r down with a single bullet.”
Lotte stopped kicking for a moment as the urge to vomit built inside her throat. After witnessing the cold-blooded murder, she almost yearned to share Uwe’s fate.
“No. Sorry to disappoint you, but Chief Keller wants her alive.”
Lotte wasn’t sure whether that was a good or a bad thing, but either way, she didn’t have a say. Her captor silenced her struggle with a well-targeted blow to her temple and then tossed a half-benumbed Lotte over his shoulder. He carried her for what seemed an eternity, until they reached a dirt road where a truck was waiting.
The SS man dumped her on the ground next to the truck. Her entire body aching from the bad treatment, she opened her eyes and thought she’d died and gone to hell. Hans was grinning down at her, pure evil in his eyes. She scrambled backward but came up against the tires of the vehicle.
“Hello, Lotte. I hoped we’d meet again.” Hans reached down and hauled her up, shoving her into the back of the vehicle before yelling something to one of the SS men who cuffed her hands behind her back.
“You bastard! They killed Uwe! He was your friend!”
“Uwe was a fool.” Hans shoved her backward, causing her to fall onto her bound hands, leaving her unable to defend herself. Panic spread throughout every cell of her body as she observed how he licked his lips. “And you are, too. Why else would you choose him over me?”
Lotte tried to kick him as he reached his hands beneath the hem of her dress, but he caught her legs with his right hand and pressed them down while he shoved his left hand between her thighs, groping her crotch painfully.
Too petrified to look away, she began to cry for a different reason now, scared beyond comprehension at the look on Hans’ face. The sound of her underwear ripping apart made her wince, but that was nothing compared to his fingers sliding higher between her legs and probing parts of her anatomy that no man had ever touched before. She couldn’t control her sobbing and trembled at the prospect of what else he might do next.
“You’re nothing but a whore. I bet Uwe enjoyed getting between these filthy thighs. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t remember anything but me down there.”
After several more humiliating and painful moments, she heard the impatient voice of one of the SS men. “What are we waiting for? We don’t have all day!”
“Coming,” Hans called out and pinched her soft flesh in a painful grip before removing his hand. “Something for you to remember me by until I see you later.” He slammed the door, and several seconds later, the engine started.
Lotte curled into the corner, struggling not to be tossed around every time the truck hit a pothole. Her brain was clogged, and her body ached, but she kept her focus on one thing – revenge for Uwe’s death.
One day those vile killers would get the punishment they deserved.
Chapter 17
The truck stopped, and the SS officers hauled her into a building she didn’t recognize. Inside, they shoved her into an interrogation room.
“Let the Gestapo have their fun with her,” one of them said as he handcuffed her to the chair.
Gestapo? All the blood drained from her face, and she would have fallen off the chair if it weren’t for the cuffs. Moments later, the door opened, and two Gestapo officers entered. One of them was in his forties, while the other one wasn’t much older than twenty.
“Heil Hitler.” Heels clicked, and arms shot into the air.
“Thanks, we’ll take over,” the older Gestapo officer said and then nudged his colleague forward, mumbling something along the lines that he had more important cases to solve.
The younger officer carried a chair, placed it in front of her and sat astride it until his steel-blue eyes were level with hers. Lotte could barely breathe and expected the worst. The Gestapo wasn’t exactly known for using kid gloves. But much to her surprise, the young man asked, “Would you like some water?”
She could only nod.
His colleague brought a cup of water and held it to her lips as she drank. Once finished, he stepped away and the young officer with the intense eyes asked, “Tell us about the Jews.”
Lotte swallowed hard. “The Jews?”
“Rachel and Mindel Epstein. They came to you for help?”
She nodded to gain a few moments to think while her brain worked in overdrive. They didn’t know about the boys? Was it possible Hans’ father hadn’t told them the exact number of children she was hiding? Had he even told the Gestapo that they’d escaped from his prison?
“They were neighbors, and one day, Rachel and her baby sister showed up at the barn while I was milking the cows.”
“What did they want?”
“A place to stay. Their parents had been arrested.”
“So you hid them?”
Lotte nodded. “The little one was only four years old.”
The young officer stared into her eyes, seeming to see into her soul. “Whom did you tell?”
“Nobody. I…my aunt would never have approved.” It was only half a lie. “I felt empathy for the little girl, she looked so cute.”
The young officer sighed. “They were Jews. They are a blight upon Germany, undermining the Führer’s quest to create a pure master race. We can’t have sympathy even for the cutest-looking child. It’s a crime against a bright and strong future of our Fatherland.”
She licked her dry lips, trying to look repentant.
“Even the Jews who appear to be the best citizens are in disguise. They are only here to bring doom to our country. They have already started the war, and even a single Jew who remains within our borders could bring the entire nation down.”
Lotte listened, everything within her revolting at what he said. Rachel and her family had never caused anyone to suffer. She wanted to argue with the Gestapo officer, tell him how stupid this was, but she bit her tongue. The image of Uwe falling to the ground entered her mind. The tiny hole in his forehead. A drop of red. Her sharp tongue had caused his death.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured, tears filling her eyes.
The officer’s expression softened, taking her by surprise. He thinks I’m sorry for helping Rachel.
“I’m sorry I ever helped them, I had no idea. The last thing I want is to cause harm to our country.”
“War is tough and requires us all to make hard decisions. The greater scheme of things is not easy to understand, especially if you’re just a female.”
Her entire being rebelled, but she managed to cast down her glance and nod. Remembering Irmhild’s advice to sweet talk Hans, she smiled at the young man. “You’re right. I’m only a schoolgirl, and I had no idea my actions could have such an impact on the Fatherland.” She batted her eyelashes at him. That had an instant effect, and he actually smiled, clearly smitten with her good looks.
After some more questions back and forth, he glanced at the older officer, who nodded and pointed his chin at the door. Apparently, they had more important things to do than question her. The young man stood and undid her cuffs. “I’ll let you go this time with only a warning.”
“Thank you so much, officer. I promise to be a good German and not be swayed by any more Jews.” Lotte’s heart bloomed with relief. From his expression, it was obvious she was saying all the right things, and she was very proud of herself.
“You’ll have to sign your confession in the anteroom,” he said and followed his colleague out the door in a hurry.
Lotte lingered for a moment, not sure what was expected of her, but then she heard angry voices from the anteroom and approached the door to have a peek. Her luck was running out.
“I’m telling you, this girl is nothing but trouble,” Herr Keller said in a loud voice and then continued to list all her heinous deeds, including coaxing Uwe to desert and attempting to seduce Hans into helping her hide the Jews. With every word that Herr Keller uttered, she blanched some more and staggered with rage.
Once the mayor ended his speech, the young Gestapo officer turned
to cast her a disgusted glance. “It seems this is not the first time you’ve been in trouble. Mayor Keller insists you be sent to social reintegration.”
Her mouth fell open. “But you said–”
“Again, I’ve been informed of your previous behavior. My decision is final. You’ll be sent to the women’s work camp in Ravensbrück. Heil Hitler!” The Gestapo officer saluted.
“Heil Hitler,” Lotte murmured, near to tears. Then they left her alone in the interrogation room.
Chapter 18
Lotte shuddered despite the warmth of the late summer day.
She’d been to Ravensbrück with her parents before the war. It was located about sixty miles north of her hometown of Berlin – a lovely place in the huge Uckermärkische lake district amidst vast greenery. It couldn’t be that bad if she were sent to such a lovely place, right?
A work camp, the Gestapo officer had called it. Work, she could handle. At Aunt Lydia’s farm, they sometimes worked for ten or twelve hours a day during harvest. No, work didn’t scare her.
She just hoped her mother could visit every now and then. Mutter. She’ll be so disappointed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I’ll beg her to forgive me for not listening to her. Please, God let them punish only me and not my mom, my sisters, or Aunt Lydia. They haven’t done anything. It’s all my fault.
The next morning, Lotte was dragged to the train station. Together with dozens of other women, she was herded onto the platform where they had to wait for the train to come along.
Her stomach rumbling with hunger and her throat raspy, she longed for some water, but she didn’t dare ask the SS officers with their guns pointing at the women. After what seemed an eternity, someone brought a barrel of stinking liquid, but by then the women were so thirsty, they didn’t care. Lotte gulped down a handful of the awful fluid, feeling only a momentary relief.
She hoped the train would arrive soon, and she’d be lucky enough to snatch a seat for the long journey to Ravensbrück. The last time she’d traveled with her mother to Berlin, it had taken them almost two days, including the several interruptions when everyone had to leave the train because of approaching enemy bombers.
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