War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 83

Chapter 28

A

nna went straight to Peter’s place and knocked. After she’d surprised him transmitting the radio message, he always double-checked that he’d locked the door

“Hello, sweetheart.” He greeted her with a kiss and then locked the door behind her. “How was the visit with your family?”

“Nice, but…” Anna bent down to take off her shoes. “The housing office assigned them a bombed-out victim. And Mutter wants Ursula to live in the country with my aunt until the baby has arrived.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Peter grinned and whirled her around. “I’ll take you out to the motion pictures after dinner, but first I need to transmit a message.”

“You do whatever you need to do and I’ll cook. Mutter gave me a chunk of sausage that Aunt Lydia sent. And now let me down.” Anna laughed and jiggled her legs in the air.

“I will not,” Peter protested, and carried her all the way to the small kitchenette before he set her down and stole another kiss.

Anna hummed a melody to a tune on the radio as she prepared the feast. The familiar tapping coming from the bedroom was drowned out when she started chopping cabbage, carrots, and potatoes to make a casserole for them.

“Hmm, that smells good. What is it?”

She spun around at the sound of the voice and gasped in shock, saying, “What are you doing here?”

“I followed you,” Doctor Tretter answered with a leer.

“How did you get in?” She was positive Peter had locked the door behind her after entering.

He proudly held up a key. Anna wanted to slap it out of his arrogant hand. “This is the master key to all the staff apartments in the Charité compound. I happened to come into possession of it.”

“You need to leave. I didn’t invite you here.” Anna glanced at the kitchen knife she held in her hand and clasped it tighter. She couldn’t yell for Peter’s help because he was transmitting a message to London. If T the devil caught a glimpse of the radio equipment, neither her life nor Peter’s was worth a single

Pfennig

anymore.

“Where are your manners, Nurse Anna?” He looked around the apartment. “So, this is where you live. Nice.” Then his glance fell on Peter’s hat and driver’s uniform hanging from one of the hooks beside the door.

He turned towards her, fire and anger churning in his eyes. “Whore! I warned you what would happen if you betrayed me!”

“I may have been a whore for you, but not anymore.” Anna felt rage coiling in her blood, pushing the fear aside and giving her a strength she didn’t know she possessed. “You leave now and never bother me again, or–”

“Or what? Will you call that lover of yours to come to your aid? Do you really think he’ll go up against me? He’s nothing but a chauffeur, a servant. Oh no,” he spat. He approached her, his eyes glinting with pure evil. “You are mine. To do with whatever I like. However I like. Whenever I like. I own you and you will be my whore for as long as I see fit.”

Anna’s anger snaked up her torso, and landed on her lips effectively sealing them shut. The radio played the last notes of a popular song, and then silence fell over the apartment; a silence that was only pierced by the muted tapping noises coming from behind the bedroom door.

Doctor Tretter froze. “What is that? Who is in there?”

“Nobody. Get out.” Anna knew she had to do something to stop him and stepped into his path.

“Get out of my way,” he commanded and pushed her to the side as if she were nothing but a pesky insect. Then he stormed across the room and shoved open the door to find Peter bent over his transmitter.

“You? The Gestapo will delight in my discovery,” Doctor Tretter said with a cruel smile, and turned on his heel to pick up the phone. But Anna was faster.

“No you won’t. You’ve done enough damage for a lifetime.” Then she launched her arm at him and slit his carotid artery with the kitchen knife she still gripped in her hand.

What happened next, she did not remember.

“Anna? Sweetheart? Are you alright?” She heard Peter’s voice through the thunderous rushing in her ears. Still unable to properly focus, she saw his shadow moving in front of her and felt him slapping her cheek to return the blood to her head. “Please, say something!”

“I guess…I am…fine.” Her mouth was filled with cotton balls, but at least her vision returned and she could now clearly see Peter hovering over her. He must have caught her falling as she fainted and carried her to the bed. “Where is…is he?”

“He’s never going to hurt you again.” Peter sat down on the bed beside her and gently removed the knife from her fingers.

“I killed him,” she whispered, nausea bubbling up the back of her throat. She’d deliberately taken the life of another human being. No matter how despicable the man, she’d murdered him in cold blood. The monstrosity of her actions seeped into her brain, her bones, and her heart. She had killed an important Party member by her own hand.

“Shush, try not to think about it right now. You saved my life, and yours, too.” Peter soothed her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. No matter how tender his ministrations, Anna’s body still trembled under the weight of what she had done. “Wait, I’ll be right back.” He disappeared to the kitchenette and returned moments later with am acrid-smelling transparent liquid in a glass.

“What’s that?” Anna whispered, too drained to raise her hands. She wished a fissure would open up in the floorboards to swallow her whole.

“Vodka. Drink this. It helps.” He put the glass to her lips and made her drink up.

He was right. The vodka burned down her throat, returning warmth into her shaking limbs and benumbing her brain enough to stop thinking about the blood sputtering from Doctor Tretter’s neck. When Peter made to leave her side, she held onto his hand whispering, “Please. Stay.”

“For as long as you need me,” he said, and held her tight. The alcohol did its job and she relaxed against Peter’s chest, and then tears started to flow. The longer he held her, the more she cried. “Cry as much as you need. It helps,” Peter said in a soothing voice, stroking his hand up and down her back. And she did. She wept, yelled, and screamed until she was hoarse and there were no more tears to cry.

When she stopped, Peter kissed her and said, “You try to sleep, and I’ll take care of…him.” He got up, changed into worn and faded clothes, and rolled up his sleeves.

Anna closed her eyes and must have dozed off, because when she woke later, she heard the sound of cabinets opening and running water. Several minutes later Peter returned with a hard expression on his face and said, “Done.”

She did not dare to ask what he had done and how he had disposed of the corpse. She simply invited him beneath her blanket and pressed herself against his strong body. Tomorrow she would deal with the consequences of her actions.