Erich - Two.

Erich

            They were intruders. What else could I do? It was my job to keep the Jewish Quarter secure. They were lucky, anyway. If I hadn’t recognized them I probably would have shot on sight.

            Obviously it was the goddamn shock of my life seeing them there. But I couldn’t think about that once I had pulled my pistol. It wouldn’t hit me for a long time just what it meant that they were all there. All I could think about was how to get them out of there without getting myself killed.

            I knew they expected me to be the one to shoot. I expected me to be the one to shoot. I wanted to prove to them that they could still trust me. I was still me. Still, the burning rage that had gone unchecked for two years now begged me to pull the trigger. But when I looked at Gabe, quivering and pathetic as always, I knew I couldn’t do it.

            Then I looked over his shoulder. And I knew we were about to be in much worse trouble. I cursed in German, fumbled to remember our shared language.

            “S**t!” I hissed. “S**t! Get out of the street!”

            The other guys wheeled around in time to see the two other German soldiers coming down the street behind them. All the anger washed away. I knew I had to keep them safe. I grabbed Gabe by the arm. Hersch gave Jim a harsh shove and we all went tumbling into the ally.

            We landed behind a pile of rubble. All four of us sprawled on top of each other. The new soldiers were talking quietly and angrily, complaining in German about the cold weather and boring women in Poland. As the soldier’s passed Hersch hissed something in Polish at the same time I said, “unten bleiben,” �" stay down. We shoved their faces into the ground. I should have known only Hersch would understand how much danger we were in.

            We held still there, not breathing, until the footsteps approached, passed, and faded away. When the street was quiet again we stood up. We looked uneasily around at each other. I kept my hand on my holster. Who knew what they would do now?

            Then Jim started to laugh. A hooting, contagious sound that had been buried deep in my memory for a long time.

            Goddamn it, did I ever want to kill him then. Even more than I did before. The idiot had no idea how much trouble he was in. He had come here for no good reason. Because he was bored. Just like at Wellington’s. He was going to f**k up my life just when I was getting a handle on it, and he didn’t even care.

I put my hand on the grip of my revolver hoping that would be enough to shut him up. Then I saw the smile spread. First to Gabe’s face then to Hersch’s. It reached me last. But soon I realized just why Jim was laughing. When it hit me, I smiled for the first time in months.

            And then we all started laughing with him. It was that old kind of doubled over, heaving laughter. I hadn’t laughed like that in years.

For that second I felt like I was back in school. It was like everything that had happened in the last two and a half years just went away. I felt like it could have been the first night we stole the stash. We could have been laughing at Jim’s pathetic attempts to pick up a girl. At Gabe’s continuing virginity. At Hersch’s insistence that he had a girl at home.

            But this time, I knew we were laughing because it was the day that couldn’t possibly be real. The moment none of us expected to happen. The minute I had never even been able to picture had come and gone. For two years I had planned out just what I would say when I saw them again. I knew they had done the same thing too.

            We were all four together again, and not one of us knew what to do.

            So we laughed.

It was a long time before any of us said anything coherent. The bizarre laughter died and was followed by an awkward silence as the four of us stood there in the street.

As usual it was Hersch who spoke first.

            “That was too close,” he said tensely. He pointed to Jim and Gabe. “You two have to get out of here, at least out of sight, unless you want to get us all killed.”

            I hated to agree with Hersch but I knew he was right about that. I knew Gabe and Jim didn’t understand just how dangerous it was out there. I nodded. “He’s right.” All three of them looked at looked wide-eyed. They must have been hocked that I would side with Hersch. “Abrahamson, is there somewhere you can take them? Where we can meet?”

            Hersch’s eyes hardened. “Nowhere I can show you.”

            The rage flared up in my chest. They didn’t trust me. They had no reason to trust me. I was a German. A soldier. I was the one who could give them away at any moment. But I wouldn’t. I had made my decision the second I pushed Gabe out of the way. I couldn’t turn them in. Not yet.

            I felt my fists tighten and I strained to hold in the anger. “Don’t push me, Abrahamson. I just saved your goddamn life.”

            Hersch shrunk just a little. I felt smug. It still felt good to scare him. “If you’re so concerned about them, take them with you,” Hersch said through gritted teeth. “I’m the only one who can’t get out of here. I’m…” but he didn’t finish the sentence. He just put his hand over the gold star on his jacket.

            He’s a Jew, I thought. I could kill him right now without giving a reason. So why do I trust him? What gives him the right not to trust me?

            “I don’t think so,” I said coldly. “I can’t just walk out of here with two other guys no one else has ever seen before. Just let them stay with you and we’ll figure the rest out later.”

            Hersch set his jaw and shook his head. “I’m sure as hell not just going to show you around. You’ll never be able to catch me again, and if you leave them with me, you won’t find them either. I’ll have them out of here by dawn.”

“Who says you can get us out?” Jim asked angrily. “I’m not going anywhere with him,” he cocked his head towards me. “I’m staying right here.” S**t. He didn’t trust me either. That left me with only…

            “Then why don’t we split up?” Gabe said meekly. “Hersch, you know you have to take Jim to see Rebecca. But I’m not staying here. It will be easier for Erich to get just one person out, and tomorrow we can all meet on neutral ground.”

            That was logical. But I would never agree. I wheeled around and glared at him. “Forget it!” I seethed. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I wasn’t just worried about sneaking him through the gate. I was scared of what I would do if I was left alone with Gabe. Don’t think about it, I told myself. Just don’t think about it.

            “Amery!” Hersch barked. It was easy to forget that he could easily stand up to me. “There are soldiers everywhere. If you don’t take at least one of them out of here you’re going to get all of us killed.” He was right though I wouldn’t admit it.

            Hersch and I glared at each other for so long we were lucky no more soldiers came along and found us standing there. In the end it was Jim who broke the silence. “So, me and Hersch, and Gabe and Erich?” Jim asked after minute. He pointed out the pairs as if it wasn’t obvious.

Had we ever paired off any other way?

            In spite of the situation Gabe smiled. “Shocking, isn’t it?” The joke was pathetic but it broke the tension just enough to make us all calm down for a second.

            Hersch stopped glaring and nodded. I was the last one to decide. I didn’t want to go anywhere alone with Gabe. But I wasn’t sure how much worse any of his other options would be. Finally I shook my head and groaned, defeated. I couldn’t just let him die out there.

            “Ach, s**t. Fine,” I grabbed Gabe by the shoulder and tossed my coat and hat at him. It would take a miracle for me to get him through the gate. He had even less chance of fooling the guards dressed like a street urchin. “Wear this and keep your damn head down,” I ordered as I turned away, dragging Gabe behind me.

Author's Note

Erich kind of dominates the early chapters... sue me.

Reviews

[Bexfinch]

yayayay! More drama ensues! yayay happy dancing

[trish420]

You have absolutely no idea how f*****g thrilled I am to have found this again and to have found not just new chapters but a whole new book! Made my WEEK!!! I love love love where its gone and canNOT wait for more!!!!!!!

[Arianna]

i shall never never sue you its fantastic. Erich gives me feels i totally never even asked for. He is like a sad lost puppy that got kicked around by his owner and is now trying to be all tough but deep inside he is just a cute little freaking puppy. I just want to hug him and telll him everything will be okay. But im pretty sure gabe has that handled, or he will verrrrrrrrry soon. :D they are completly adorable and fantasticly amazing and just... GAH. youve got me ranting about my feelings!