War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 43

Chapter 17

T

he 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 took 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 she 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 had been 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.