War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 177

Chapter 32

L

otte woke from a fitful sleep when an armed guard entered her cell, delivering water and bread as well as pen and paper. Was she really going to write her last letter? Tears threatened to spill down her face, but she refused to give her captors the gratification of seeing her cry.

“Here, write. I’ll be back soon,” the guard said.

She gulped down the water and chewed the bread, this time not saving anything for later. The white sheet of paper seemed to mock her, and she swallowed hard as she realized that this stupid paper represented her last chance to express her feelings for her family.

Far from it.

Alexandra Wagner was an orphan and if she broke her cover now, she’d endanger the very persons she loved so much. Tears slipped down her cheeks. A fat lot she cared! She’d die today anyway so she could bawl as much as she wanted.

Dearest Anna,

Thanks for being such a good friend. So many things have happened that I’d love to share with you, but you won’t hear from me again.

I’m beyond sad that I have to leave this earth today. When you receive this letter, I’ll be long gone, but know that I have lived life to the fullest and don’t regret one moment of it.

The one thing I do regret is not having a family that I can hug in this moment of despair. Please don’t believe anything you hear about me. The Gestapo is convinced I’m a Polish spy, which I’m clearly not.

Give my love to your family, who’s always been so kind to me.

All my love,

Alexandra

PS: I have met a wonderful man here in Warsaw, a dashing soldier with glacial blue eyes. Last I saw him he was well and alive. You’d love him.

She folded the paper and pressed it against her heart, waiting for the guard to return. Her heart throbbed heavy inside her chest as she revisited memories of a happy past. All too soon, the guard came, picked up the letter and returned her to the interrogation room.

“Have you come to your senses?” Kriminalassistent Heller asked.

“Sir, I don’t know what you want me to say…”

“Still nothing to say for yourself?” He paced back and forth in front of her, slapping his leg with a leather quirt. “Now is the time to speak up. Give me the names of your contacts in the resistance and you can go free.”

Lotte yearned to save her life, but she couldn’t do so by sending others to their deaths. “I’m not a spy. I never knew anyone who worked for the Polish resistance.”

Heller cursed and yelled, “Take her to the firing squad!”

Two strong hands grabbed her arms and hauled her outside, making her stand facing a stone wall. Below her trembling legs, the ground was damp with the blood of those that had been killed before her. She closed her eyes, willing herself to stay strong in the face of death.

Bullets whizzed past her ears and everything faded to black.