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Excerpt 3:
Bauer obtained the barrels from the Polish woman and dragged them into the barracks just as Emmerich and Wittmer arrived, following behind him.
“Prisoners, form the usual line.”
Beck spoke from the back of the line. “Private Bauer, I see that young Hammel is not present today. I presume he received the evacuation order?”
“No talking, Beck!”
Wittmer barked angrily, “What is he saying? Is that the queer?”
“Yes sir. The queer.”
Beck spoke up. “For the record, Sergeant, I was not convicted for being a sexual deviant. I was convicted for the crime of treason, the same as our beloved Führer.”
With that, Wittmer pulled Beck out of the line by his collar and struck him in his face with an open hand, boxing Beck’s ear. Beck cried out in pain and dropped to one knee, holding his stinging face and ringing ear with his palm.
“Impertinent queer! Now stand up. You spoke of an evacuation order. Who informed you of such an order?”
Beck stood tentatively, defensively. “I beg your pardon, sir. A mistake on my part. I saw that Hammel was absent and presumed that the colonel had passed the order along to Lieutenant Magnus for further implementation.”
“The colonel?” Wittmer laughed gruffly. “You and the colonel now speak regularly about camp administration? And when exactly did you see the colonel?”
“Again, my apologies sir. I haven’t seen him for, perhaps a day or two. And for the record, he did not speak with me on camp matters. He made no such communication, besides a friendly wave while passing through the camp. The notion that the colonel passed along the order from Berlin to the lieutenant was mere speculation on my part. Whether the lieutenant received the order is unknown.”
Wittmer shook his head and stared at Emmerich, angrily, who shook his head in response.
Beck spoke again. “And I know it’s not my place to speculate, sir, but perhaps the lieutenant received but simply failed to share the order. With all the cavorting and such with the French woman, perhaps he was distracted?”
Emmerich barked, “What French woman?”
“Sorry, sir. I should not have repeated the rumor. We prisoners hear things. It’s inevitable. These walls are porous. You can see daylight through the cracks.” Beck pointed to the rays of sun piercing the ground through the wall. “And that’s why, sometimes at night, we hear voices outside our barracks. The language is always French, though, usually whispered. I do know a very slight amount of French, but not the words I heard last time.”
“What words did you hear?”
“I believe the words sounded something like … umm …ahh … ‘usine.’ And the other word I heard several times was ‘cible, ‘cible.’ And then the word ‘espionner.’ But I don’t know what any of those words mean. I am able to understand words like ‘bonjour,’ ‘oui,’ and ‘non.’”
Wittmer walked over to Beck again and grabbed him by his sore ear, twisting it into his scalp. Beck fell to his knees and cried out in agony.
“Worthless queer! Tell me—at any time did you see Lieutenant with a French woman or any civilian?”
“No sir! I did not! Please accept my apologies. I should not have repeated rumors. Rumors are so often lies!”
Wittmer released his grip and pushed Beck down to the ground.
“Enough! Be quiet, queer! Bauer, when you have completed this task, see me in my quarters!”
Wittmer and Emmerich exited, slamming the barracks door behind them. Bauer walked over to Beck to help him up. “You sure know how to get everyone in trouble, Beck.”
…
After Bauer left, the men surrounded Beck.
Goldenberg looked at Beck’s ear. “Are you badly hurt, Beck?”
“Just a little sore, Eli. I’ll be fine.”
Levinsky scowled. “We’re lucky he only smacked you. Those two Nazi pigs could have just as well shot you in the head and maybe the rest of us, too. If this is your ‘plan,’ Beck, I suggest you submit a new plan. Otherwise, you’re going to get us all killed.”
Heinz Gelbach spoke up. “So what, Levinsky. We are already dead men. At least we’d be going out making a little trouble. Who agrees?”
Every hand was raised, save Levinsky’s. “Okay. If you men want to follow this pied piper off his cliff, go ahead. I can’t stop you.”
Beck finally spoke. “Lev is right. My plan does hold great risks for each of us. If anyone would prefer to stay behind when the rest of us walk out of here as free men, you certainly may do so. And by the way—one down and four to go.”
Levinsky snarled. “What do you mean?”
“We
helped Hammel escape. Now we have only four more left, not counting the
mysterious, invisible colonel.”
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