Into the Lion's Den [Annabella]

[Rolf Jäger]

The busy, rainy afternoon was gradually changing into the calm dusk of the evening and the earlier rain had left the paved streets glistening wet in the scarce lighting. The threat of aerial attacks had not been forgotten by the people of Berlin, but this seemed to have little effect on the habits and vices of some people. The Berliners would still do their best to enjoy a free evening out and although cars were now seen more rarely than in the days before the war, the occasional automobile could still be seen driving along the streets. Most of these cars carried the plates of SS or Wehrmacht - fuel was not easy to come by and only the more important military and Reich personnel were lucky enough to enjoy the luxury of a private car.

One such rarity, a black Mercedes with Luftwaffe plates, was standing in front of a grey and dreary building. Rain had soaked the previously light, albeit somewhat cracked walls of the building and changed them into an uglier shade of dark grey. Hauptmann Rolf Jäger was standing next to the black vehicle and staring at the building - it's unattractive gloominess made him sneer with disgust. He enjoyed beautiful things, be it either an attractive woman, a gallant horse or the sleek, deadly shape of a German fighter plane. This building was anything but enjoyable to look at and Rolf shook his head, turning away and resting his hands on the roof of the Mercedes-Benz. He was wearing his blue-grey uniform of the Luftwaffe, covered with a long and light overcoat in a darker shade of grey. The man had left his peaked cap inside the vehicle and his sandy hair was slightly ruffled after wearing the cap in the quite humid weather. It made him look almost boyish and trouble-free, although the young man's steel-grey eyes were squinted in deep thought and he was looking quite serious for the moment.

Another man wearing a Luftwaffe uniform was standing on the other side of the car, smoking a cigarette. He seemed to be about the same age as the Hauptmann but his collar tabs denoted a lower rank, more specifically that of a Hauptfeldwebel. The man was staring up at the windows and he raised his eyebrows after a long moment of silence had passed. "So... Wo trafen Sie sie?" the man asked suddenly, he usually felt safe enough to leave out the ranks with the Hauptmann - they had known each other long enough to build a curious and sometimes rather precarious trust between them. Kronberg knew better than to completely trust the Hauptmann's moods - he could go from being perfectly cheerful to horribly enraged in the matter of seconds if the situation was right. Right now Rolf had seemed to be in a rather amiable mood, however, so Kronberg felt it was safe to relax.

The Luftwaffe officer tugged at the sleeve of his dress shirt and chuckled at Kronberg's question. "Sie ist mein Sekretär. Aber fangen Sie nicht an, irgendetwas darüber zu denken. Es wird mich gut scheinen lassen, wenn ich jemanden in mit mir, jemand bringe, der nicht ein Mitglied der Partei noch ist. Ein aktiver, aufrechter Nationalsozialist," Rolf raised an index finger at Kronberg. "Der ich natürlich bereits bin, aber es ist gut, die Tatsache zu betonen," As Rolf spoke, he once again turned around slightly to glance at the building. That was not really the only reason why he had asked... well, commanded, the woman to attend one of the dinner gatherings arranged by a prominent member of the Nazi party and incidentally, also an old friend of Rolf's father. He enjoyed teasing and prodding the young woman and knew that now he could do so publicly, getting further inside the poor woman's head. It was an enjoyable sport for him, much like hunting deer. It started with the careful spotting and assessing one's prey and after that the chase would commence. Right now he was in the thrilling phase of chasing his quarry and he was in no hurry to close in for the kill - there was more than enough time to just sit back and savour the impending victory of the hunt.

Right now he was getting quite bored with the chase, it was not going anywhere just by standing around. His prey was missing. The man glanced at his rather expensive black watch to check on the time. The woman had better be by the car in three minutes or all hell would break loose - Rolf would make sure of that.


Translations:

"So... Wo trafen Sie sie?"
"So... Where did you meet her?"

"Sie ist mein Sekretär..."
"She is my secretary. But don't start thinking anything about it. It will make me good look if I bring someone in with me, someone who is not a member of the party yet. I will look like an active, upstanding National Socialist."

"Der ich natürlich bereits bin, aber es ist gut, die Tatsache zu betonen."
"Which I naturally already am, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize the fact."

[Annabella Auerbach]

Outfit For the Evening

Nazi Night

Ah, it was the night. The night the young girl was going to be standing around Nazis. She wasn't ready for this. Maybe that Nazi that knew her secret was attending the meeting that night. She bit her bottom lip thinking of such a thing. She was still sitting in her bath. She glanced outside her door, at the worn out clock sitting peacefully over her bed. Ah, half an hour until he came by to pick her up. In the background, Edith Piaf was playing. Edith Piaf was one of Anna's most favorite singers. The French singer never failed to impress Anna's tastes. She lay there lazily, listening to stupendous French music, trying her best not to fall asleep underneath the serene water.

Minutes passed by. That was when she realized she had to go get dressed. She pulled herself out of the bathtub, flushing the water. She pulled a towel over her bare body. She walked into her bedroom. The fifth track, La Vie En Rose, was playing on her old record player. She had received the wooden record player on her twentieth birthday. Uncle Max had given it to her. It pained her to think of the old man. She sighed, shaking of those melancholy thoughts. She glanced at the photograph of her parents sitting on her bed-side table. She softly sighed. She sat down on her bed, caressing the picture's sides with her long, slender fingers. The old days were so real and good. She wished she could go back.

A few minutes passed, and she just remembered she had something to attend. Oh what a silly thing she was. She pulled herself off her bed and strolled over to her vanity table and sat down. She began to untangle her the rolls that sat peacefully in her chocolate brown hair. As she untangled, her curls flew down, roughly touching her shoulders. She applied a little bit of blush and other beauty products - including crimson red lipstick. She pulled herself up and walked over to her clothes for that following evening. She slipped on her dress and her shoes. She wrapped her shoulders with her short-cut black cardigan. She was perfect for the evening.

She glanced outside her window. Oh my. She sighed softly. There he stood, perfectly, waiting for his secretary to leave her apartment. She also noticed another man standing behind the car. She the bottom of her soft lip. This was going to be an interesting ride. She turned off her record player and left her apartment. She walked down the hallway and down the stairs that led down to the front doors. She pushed open the doors and walked down the steps, trying her best not to trip in her high heels. She approached the man with a soft smile across her face and greeted him, "Hallo, Herr. Wie sind Sie an diesem Abend?" were those the wrong choice of words? She had no idea. She nodded toward the man behind the black Mercedes. She was just about to enter the lion's den. She climbed into the back of the car, waiting for her doom to begin. [Translations: Hello, sir. How are you this evening?]

[Rolf Jäger]

The sound of a door opening nearby caught the attention of both Rolf and Kronberg immediately. Rolf turned around just in time to see the young woman stepping outside and Kronberg was left staring at the female from the other side of the car. Her dark hair fell to her shoulders in a cascade of curls and she had highlighted some of her features with small touches of make-up. Rolf had told the woman to wear something formal, but nothing too fancy and Anna had chosen to wear a white form-fitting skirt and a black-and-white blouse with a rather generous neckline. She looked very slim and strangely petite as she hurried towards the car and Rolf gave himself time to inspect the female from head to toe. She certainly wasn't a disappointment and he knew that he would look quite good with such a woman by her side, secretary or not. Obviously it hadn't been a bad choice to bring the woman with him to the gathering.

A crooked smile crept to Rolf's lips as Annabella greeted him. "Hallo, Herr. Wie sind Sie an diesem Abend?" the woman asked and even though she smiled, Rolf could detect the nervousness in her voice. The man tilted his head and his eyes quite shamelessly travelled over the woman's body. "Anna. Schön dich zu sehen," Rolf answered, his voice slightly hoarser than usually. "Ich bin gerade fein, danke. Aber wollen wir eilen, wir wollen uns nicht verspäten. Und oh ja. Das ist Hauptfeldwebel Kronberg," Rolf's eyes regarded the other man briefly. Kronberg had moved around the car to open the door for the Hauptmann and his female companion. He did not seem to know how to address Annabella; she was merely a secretary, but tonight she was also accompanying Hauptmann Jäger as a... well, he was not quite sure if she could be called a date, but she wasn't here as an employee, either. Kronberg furrowed his eyebrows over this complicated conundrum of social etiquette. He decided that it was best to just stay as neutral as possible and he said nothing, opening the door of the car to the woman and clicking the heels of his jackboots together.

Rolf waited until Anna had settled sitting into the car and the Luftwaffe officer flashed Kronberg a brief, self-satisfied smile before sitting down on the backseat next to Anna. The door slammed shut and inside the car it became very quiet and dark for a moment. A peaked cap of an Luftwaffe officer, no doubt belonging to Rolf, was resting on top of the backrest of the seat. Rolf gave his eyes some time to get used to the darkness and he smiled crookedly at Anna once he could better discern her features again. The man said nothing and it seemed as if a good while passed in the quiet darkness. The spell of the strange moment was broken quickly when a door was opened and Kronberg took his seat behind the wheel. Rolf kept his eyes on the dark-haired woman and it wasn't until the engine had rumbled to life and the car started off towards it's destination, when the man finally spoke again. "Sie sehen gut, Anna aus," the man proclaimed very casually. "Das ist nicht eine offizielle Sitzung. Es ist ein Mittagessen-Sammeln veranstaltet von einem alten Freund meines Vaters, Herr Hossfeld, ich werde Sie in ihn einführen. Er ist ein Mitglied der Nazistischen Partei ... so, seit dem Anfang gewesen, ich schätze. Versuchen Sie gerade, respektvoll zu handeln," Rolf raised his eyebrows at the woman, there was a hint of warning in his voice. It was obvious that if Anna somehow failed in being a respectable and well-mannered date, all kinds of nasty trouble would be in store for her.

The Hauptmann smiled after his words, almost all too lightheartedly, as if he actually enjoyed throwing threats at other people. He didn't seem to want to converse any more than that and Rolf turned his head away to observe the people and buildings flashing by. After five minutes of this awkward silence had passed, Rolf raised his arm and inched it along the top of the bench towards Anna, also sitting slightly closer to her on the bench, making it seem as if he was actually planning to place his arm around the young woman's shoulders. Rolf's eyes were on the young woman again and he was smirking, his eyes glinting almost dangerously in the dark. Then, instead of even so much as touching the woman, his hand went for the peaked cap on top of the backrest instead and Rolf grabbed it, placing it casually on his head. No doubt the girl was frozen in fear, thinking that the German officer had been planning to get a bit too close with her. She was inviting, of course, but... the hunt was still on and Rolf wanted to enjoy it. He didn't want to make it too easy and Rolf planned on playing this game for a good while yet.

The car came to a slow stop in front of a rather lavish private building. Bright lights were shining out of the windows and several other cars had already been parked next to the street curb. One of the servants was waiting for the car to come to a stop and as soon as it had done so, the young man reached in to open the car door for the guests. Rolf climbed out of the car first and then, quite gentlemanly, extended his hand to Anna to help her out of the vehicle. He offered his arm to the young secretary, so she could place her hand on it and soon Rolf was leading the woman with him up the low set of stairs and inside the building. They could hear the tell-tale sounds of an ongoing party as soon as they got to the hallway of the old house. A set of large wooden doors had been pushed open to enable quick access from the hallway into the dining room, where the party was already in full swing. The sound of classes clinking mingled with the soft music and people talking. Overall it would have appeared like any other party, really, if it had not been for the multiple people in military uniforms and for the swastikas that were visible almost anywhere one might have looked. Rolf stopped in front of a small table to greet a young and official-looking man checking the names of the guests. Rolf did not mention Anna's name and only mentioned himself as 'Hauptmann Rolf Freiherr von Jäger' and Anna merely as his companion for the evening. A servant stepped up from next to the wall, taking the Hauptmann's peaked cap and coat from him and taking them away to the side to be placed on a labeled clothes hanger.

As good manners dictated, Rolf offered his arm to Anna once again and let his eyes linger on the young woman for a while. He smiled, a lazy and relaxed smile, and his grey eyes twinkled with a hint of either amusement or slyness. With Rolf it was often difficult to say whether he planned on torturing the woman or if he was sincerely pleased. "Lassen Sie mich Sie in einige Menschen einführen," Rolf said and steered the woman with him to the large and expensively decorated dining room. The room was already filled with men in suits or uniforms and naturally, also their female friends. People were either enjoying their drinks at the open area next to the table or already sitting in the table, enjoying their discussions concerning the war, the Führer or just the latest entertainment available in the theaters or operas of Berlin.

A large statue of a swastika-holding eagle had been placed in the middle of the table, it's dead, stony eyes ominously staring at the guests entering the room. Rolf's eyes scanned the room slowly. He did not really enjoy social gatherings such as these, but they were in a sense, a necessary evil. He would not have been here if it wasn't for Herr Hossfeld and he knew it was in his best interests to keep up good relations with this respected man. Rolf's eyes fell upon a familiar face and he started pulling Anna through the crowd with him, heading towards an older man in a SS-uniform.


Translations:

"Anna. Schön dich zu sehen."
"Anna. So good to see you."

"Ich bin gerade fein, danke..."
"I am just fine, thank you. But let's hurry, we do not want to be late. And oh yes. This is Hauptfeldwebel Kronberg."

"Sie sehen gut, Anna aus. Das ist nicht eine offizielle Sitzung..."
"You look good, Anna. This isn't an official meeting. It is a dinner gathering hosted by an old friend of my father's, Herr Hossfeld, I will introduce you to him. He has been a member of the Nazi party... well, since the beginning, I guess. Just try to act respectfully."

"Lassen Sie mich Sie in einige Menschen einführen."
"Let me introduce you to a few people."

[Annabella Auerbach]

Just as she had expected. The atmosphere grew rather tense as she silently sat in the back seat of the car. She watched as the Hauptfeldwebel Kronberg closed the door after both. She looked straight toward the front. At the corner of her eye, she noticed the Luftwaffe officer gazing at her like she was some piece of raw meat. She felt quite scared. She bit the bottom of her lip, trying to keep her best straight face on. This ride was going to be interesting after all. She nodded toward the Luftwaffe officer's words, not daring to reply. She decided to try to change the tension around her. She gazed outside the window, her eyes trailing all the tall buildings and people the black Mercedes passed. Again, at the corner of her eye, she noticed the man reaching out to her. Her eyes froze on the dark window. Her body slightly tensed. She gulped. Nothing happened. She looked at him. All he wanted to do was grab his cap. Calm down, Anna.

She breathed out. They were there. Finally, she sighed. She watched as the man walked over to the car door and pulled it open. She softly climbed out. She felt like such a weak lamb. She felt like she was going to get eaten that night. Her high heels touched the ground. She was on land. Thank goodness. The Luftwaffe officer suddenly walked up to her and reached his hand out. It looked calm and all was clear. She took it. She felt a bit uncertain about this. He led her inside. She gazed around at he surroundings. The place looked wonderful that evening. Before she entered, she couldn't help but gaze up at the starry sky above her. The stars were glittering that night, however, the trees that surrounded the building, were standing black and still. That gave her quite an eerie feeling.

They both moved inside. She thought for a bit - did he consider this a date? She hoped not, because she certainly didn't. The Luftwaffe led her toward a small table where a young and official-looking man was sitting behind it. She softly gazed at him, her hand still clutching the young Luftwaffe offcier's. He let go. She felt trapped now. She felt like something was going to pounce on her. She didn't trust the Luftwaffe officer very much, but right now, he was all she had to survive this ghastly evening. The servant offered to take her cardigan off. She allowed him to do so ever so kindly. When he had finished hanging her cardigan, she watched the Luftwaffe officer offer his hand again. She took it with a bit of confidence this time.

He led her into the dining hall. The place was decorated ever so beautifully. The decorations were so eye-catching. As they passed the people enjoying their drinks, chatting along with each other and having an occasional laugh or two, she noticed their uniforms. She sighed. She spent one minute in the place and she began to grow tense. She clutched the man's hand a little tighter, but loosened up as they approached the man he was going to introduce her to. The man was a much older man. He was wearing the neat SS uniform and he looked perfect all over. She gazed at the man. She snapped back to reality, remembering the Luftwaffe officer's words. Be respectful at all times. She smiled toward the man. She wasn't going to introduce herself, she was going to allow the Luftwaffe officer to commit to this task.

[Rolf Jäger]

A slightly stocky man, looking to be approximately in his sixties, extended his arms melodramatically and smiled widely as he spotted Rolf and Anna. He was wearing an uniform of the Allgemeine-SS and according to his collar tabs had the rank of a Sturmbannführer. He had a surprisingly friendly face and his cheeks were now red from either the warm air inside or maybe due to the wine he had been gulping down quite excessively. "Es ist der Sohn von Roland! So gut, Sie zu sehen, war ich nicht sicher, wenn Sie es machen konnten," the man exclaimed most joyously as Rolf and Anna stopped in front of him. Rolf's riding boots snapped together as he saluted the man, looking quite serious, but then both of the men broke into laughter. "Sturmbannführer Hossfeld, mein Vater sendet Ihnen seine Grüße," Rolf's tone of voice was now much more diplomatic than earlier, smooth and calculating. He seemed to be able to easily change his demeanor from a mischievously playful scoundrel into a polite and well-groomed socialite. No doubt he had been to many similar occasions like this earlier and being the son of a baron, he had been taught everything there was to know about etiquette and good manners.

"Erlauben Sie mir, Sie in den schönen Annabella Auerbach einzuführen," Rolf said smoothly and the gaze of his grey eyes shifted to the dark-haired woman. Sturmbannführer Hossfeld regarded the young woman with obvious admiration and his somewhat pudgy face lit up as he regarded Anna. "Annabella... Solch ein hübscher Name. Ein Vergnügen, Sie zu treffen," the older man said, giving the woman a small bow accompanied with a rather militaristic snap of his boots. "Ist das die Frau die hat das Herz dieses jungen Mannes gestohlen?" the man asked, throwing an inquisitive glance towards the Hauptmann. Rolf raised his eyebrows, looking puzzled for a moment, but then the man broke into a hearty laugh. "Oh nein, ist es dem überhaupt, Herr Hossfeld nicht ähnlich. Annabella ist mein Sekretär, ich brachte ihr hier bloß dazu, sie in die politischen Kreise und in unsere Partei einzuführen," Rolf mentioned the party in quite an affectionate tone: it was obvious he was a member since he was proudly displaying the Nazi Party badge on his black tie. Hossfeld opened his mouth and smiled in an exaggerated gesture of understanding. "Aah, ich sehe! Das Erziehen Ihres Personals auf der Politik, sehr bewundernswert," Hossfeld beamed with amusement, he was obviously guessing that Rolf still harbored ulterior motives for bringing Anna with him to the dinner party, which actually wasn't very far from the truth, either.

"Sie, sehen Anna.. Weil ich sagte, dass Sie, Herr Hossfeld ein alter Freund meines Vaters sind. Sie beide pflegten, in Heidelberg zurück am Tag zu studieren. Mein Vater wurde ein Richter, aber Herr hat Hossfeld eine sehr bewundernswerte Karriere sowohl als ein politican als auch am SS-Hauptamt aufgebaut. Ich glaube, dass er sich einer sehr spezifischen Abteilung anschloss, wenn ich nicht völlig verwechselt werde," Rolf said diplomatically, knowing full well that Herr Hossfeld would love nothing more than talking about his freshly appointed tasks. Naturally, the Sturmbannführer's eyes lit up with excitement at the opportunity. "Tatsächlich, guter Junge. Die SS-Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt. Wir haben an den Rassenpolicen ganz fleißig kürzlich gearbeitet," the man proclaimed proudly, but stopped in the middle of his explanation to stop one of the waitresses and to offer glasses of wine both to Rolf and Anna.

"Juden?" Rolf asked as he took the glass he was offered and Hossfeld nodded. "Unter anderem. Auch die Zigeuner, Slawen.. Oh, Sie nennen es, solche Unreinheiten des Bluts, für das wir auf einer unveränderlichen Bewachung sein müssen. Aber wenn ich die größte Drohung gegen die Reinheit des germanischen Bluts wählen müsste, Ja, würde es Juden sein. Ich denke, dass ich damit übereinstimme, was Lenz schrieb... Das, wenn wir der Schwäche von menschlichen Gefühlen wie Mitleid, wir Schicksal unsere eigene Rasse erliegen. So müssen wir stark und wir selbst Stahl- sein, um die Reinheit unserer Rasse zu sparen. Stimmen Sie nicht zu?"

Rolf was just sipping his wine and he raised his eyebrows quickly. "Oh? Ja.. Natürlich stimme ich am bestimmtesten zu. Wie steht's mit Ihnen, Anna? Was denken Sie an Lenz? Bedauern Sie die Juden?" Rolf asked suddenly, smiling curiously as his slightly narrowed eyes fell upon Anna once again.


Translations:

"Es ist der Sohn von Roland..!"
"It is Roland's son! So good to see you, I was not sure if you could make it."

"Sturmbannführer Hossfeld, mein Vater sendet Ihnen seine Grüße."
"Sturmbannführer Hossfeld, my father sends you his greetings."

"Erlauben Sie mir, Sie in den schönen Annabella Auerbach einzuführen."
"Allow me to introduce you to the lovely Annabella Auerbach."

"Annabella... Solch ein hübscher Name. Ein Vergnügen, Sie zu treffen."
"Annabella... Such a pretty name. A pleasure to meet you."

"Ist das die Frau die hat das Herz dieses jungen Mannes gestohlen?"
"Is this the woman who has stolen this young man's heart?"

"Oh nein, ist es dem überhaupt, Herr Hossfeld nicht ähnlich..."
"Oh no, it is not like that at all, Herr Hossfeld. Annabella is my secretary, I brought her here merely to introduce her to the political circles and to our party."

"Aah, ich sehe! Das Erziehen Ihres Personals auf der Politik, sehr bewundernswert."
"Aah, I see! Educating your staff on politics, very admirable."

"Sie, sehen Anna..."
"You see, Anna.. As I told you, Herr Hossfeld is a old friend of my father's. They both used to study in Heidelberg back in the day. My father became a judge, but Herr Hossfeld has built up a very admirable career both as a politican and at the SS-Hauptamt. I believe that he joined a very specific department, if I'm not entirely mistaken."

"Tatsächlich, guter Junge. Die SS-Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt..."
"Indeed, good boy. The SS-Race and Settlement Department. We have been working on the racial policies quite diligently as of late."

"Unter anderem. Auch die Zigeuner, Slawen.. "
"Among other things. Also the gypsies, Slavs.. Oh, you name it, such impurities of blood we need to be on a constant watch for. But if I had to choose the biggest threat to the purity of Germanic blood, yes, it would be Jews. I think I agree with what Lenz wrote... That if we succumb to the weakness of human emotions such as pity, we doom our own race. So we must be strong and steel ourselves to save the purity of our race. Don't you agree?"

"Oh? Ja.. Natürlich stimme ich am bestimmtesten zu..."
"Oh? Yes.. Of course, I most definitely agree. How about you, Anna? What do you think of Lenz? Do you feel sorry for the Jews?"

[Annabella Auerbach]

She watched the man with her chocolate brown eyes. The man must have been a high rank Nazi officer. Well, he was. She softly smiled as both men spoke with each other. "Erlauben Sie mir, Sie in den schönen Annabella Auerbach einzuführen.", she kept her smile on as Hauptmann Rolf introduced her to...Sturmbannführer Hossfeld, was it? She nodded once. She replied, "Und es ist solch eine Ehre, einen Mann wie sich selbst Herr zu treffen. Annabella ein bisschen zu lange, Herr, können Sie mich Anna nennen." she lied. The young woman was so nervous. Did she say 'sir' too many times? She could feel small chills running down her spine. She watched the man bow and accompany such an action with the snap. She terribly detested that sound. It reminded the young woman of her past events. [Translations: And it's such an honor to meet a man such as yourself sir. Annabella's a bit too long, sir, you may call me Anna.]

"Ist das die Frau die hat das Herz dieses jungen Mannes gestohlen?" his words hit her like an arrow. Her eyes grew slightly small. She bit her bottom lip, feeling very uncomfortable. She was terribly nervous by now. She gazed at Rolf's expression. Instead of looking rather uncomfortable, he was laughing. She arched a brow, but she let it slip. Rolf's remark made her feel less nervous. She wasn't a date. That was good. She wasn't looking for any love at the moment. She'd wait for a few years, grow successful and then think about marrying. She nodded toward the Hauptmann officer's words when he spoke about teaching Anna about the political ways. However, on the inside, Annabella strongly disagreed with the political party - but, she wanted to keep her job, therefore, she was to keep her mouth completely shut.

The Hauptmann's next set of words slightly made her feel slightly bored. He was talking about the man and Rolf's fathers past. She nodded, pretending to listen to his words. All she could really hear was the fascinating music playing in the background. The sound of the violin, the cello and the harp. She was always fascinated in music such as this. It had a touch of calmness in it. It made her feel less nervous. She snapped back to reality when she the two men started talking about races. The word Jew caught her ears. She gazed at both men as they both spoke. Her smile began to fade away. The word totally caught her off guard.

If they found out she was a Jew, they would snap her like a twig. Well, she was a twig. She listened to their conversation for a bit. She was emotionless. She forgot what was going on around her and focused on their conversation. "Oh? Ja.. Natürlich stimme ich am bestimmtesten zu. Wie steht's mit Ihnen, Anna? Was denken Sie an Lenz? Bedauern Sie die Juden?" Rolf's words had her back a bit. That was unexpected. She just gazed at him, focusing only on him at that single moment of time. A waiter stood before her, holding a tray of red wine - "Würde Sie, etwas Wein, Fräulein mögen?" the waiter asked, kindly. She just stood there, nothing could come out. "Um, j-ja, mein herr," she faintly replied. She snapped back to reality, now gazing at the waiter holding the tray of red wine. "Oh Es tut mir leid, dass. Ja, ich würde einige lieben." she softly smiled, taking a glass of wine and sipping it. She glanced over at the Sturmbannführer, smiling softly, but then the smile softly faded. The wine was kicking in well. At least it was soothing her stiff body. [Translations: [1] Would you like some wine, miss? [2] Oh I'm sorry. Yes, I'd love some.]

[Rolf Jäger]

The dark-haired woman seemed to freeze in place when Rolf posed his question concerning the Jews to her. Both Herr Hossfeld and Rolf stared at Anna, waiting for her answer and the waiter was still standing nearby, offering a glass of wine to the woman. Anna stammered something indiscernible and it was difficult to say whether the woman was answering Rolf's question or talking to the waiter. Anna picked up a glass of wine for herself, still frozen in one place while Hossfeld stared at the her, obviously wondering whether everything was quite all right with her. Rolf cleared his throat quickly, trying to salvage the situation. He could see that Hossfeld was growing suspicious, maybe wondering if Anna was actually one of those foolish people who wished to side with the Jews and other disgusting riffraff. Rolf flashed a diplomatic smile at Herr Hossfeld. "Das tut mir ja so leid. Sie hat sich zu gut heute Abend nicht gefühlt. Kann ich ihre Außenseite nehmen, um eine frische Luft für einen Moment zu bekommen?" the young Hauptmann asked.

Hossfeld's eyes narrowed for a moment with confusion, but then the man smiled very slowly. "Aber nicht doch," the Sturmbannführer stared at Anna for a moment, but then smiled more widely at Rolf. "Geh voran. Das ist draußen am Balkon friedlicher. Von dieser Türöffnung da drüben müssen Sie nur dem Gang folgen, und Sie sollten die Glastüren an Ihrer linken Seite bald sehen." Hossfeld pointed towards the doorway on the other side of the room and Rolf gave the man a polite bow of his head, placing his hand on Anna's upper back and swiftly steering the woman to the door Hossfeld had just pointed out for them. As they walked towards the balcony in the lavish and dimly lit corridor of the old building, Rolf glared at Anna from under his eyebrows, but said nothing.

The man opened up the glass door leading to the balcony and left the door open as he stepped outside with Anna. The balcony had been built using light-grey stone of some sort and intricate decorations snaked their way up the balusters supporting the wide handrail. Since the balcony was situated in the first floor of the three-storied house, it only served as a comfortable place to observe the meticulously attended garden and the drop from the balcony must have been less than two meters. The balcony itself was closed and had no sets of stairs leading to the garden. In the garden small itself decorative trees had been planted in various places to provide spots of shade from the sun during the day. Someone had obviously seen a lot of trouble in keeping the various flowers decorating the garden beautiful and flourishing. Vines crept up the sides of the house and some had also coiled around the edges of the balcony. Only the lights from inside the house provided some lighting to better discern these features of the exquisite garden and in the dark of the evening the site was surrounded by an almost surreal serenity.

Rolf breathed out deeply and walked to the balustrade, relieved of the peace and quiet for a change. He did not really enjoy these social gatherings, but realized the importance of keeping up appearances. It was necessary to remember certain people. You never knew when you might have to call upon them for some favour or another. He was determined to climb the ranks and knew that little outside help could never hurt. The man placed his hand on the railing, enjoying the feeling of the cool stone under his fingertips. His eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted back to Anna and the man gulped down the remaining wine in his glass in one quick movement. "Sie sollten damit sorgfältiger sein, was Sie um jemanden wie Hossfeld sagen. Er sieht freundlich auf Leuten mitfühlend den Juden oder anderen niedrigeren Rassen nicht aus. Er ist gegenüber seinem Job sehr ernst, und wenn Sie so viel als Hinweis, dass Sie die Juden bedauern, er wird die Gestapo an Ihrer Tür selber Tag haben," the man said, his voice now much rougher than just a moment ago when he had been addressing the Sturmbannführer. "Ich will nicht derjenige sein, der Ihre Worte - oder der Mangel an Ihren Worten - zu ihm erklärt."

For a moment it seemed as if the Hauptmann would continue scolding the woman, but then he tilted his head slightly to the side and narrowed his eyes as he watched Anna. Sliding his other hand along the smooth stone of the railing, he made his way to the woman and stopped near her. "Was ist es, der macht Sie so nervös irgendwie ...? Ist es die Uniformen? Oder gerade dass das Zimmer mit Mitgliedern der Nationalsozialistische Partei gefüllt wird?" Rolf asked, his voice dangerously low and quiet. "Oder ist es ich, Anna? Mache ich Sie nervös?" Rolf asked and a slow, crooked smile crept up to his lips. The man placed his empty wine glass on top of the wide railing, resting his hand next to it while his free hand reached out to touch a few curly strands of the woman's dark hair. There was both curiousness and mischief in the way Rolf regarded Anna and his intent gaze was fixed on the woman as if the man had already forgotten about the dinner party and Anna's previous stuttering.

Rolf, of course, wanted to see how nervous he could make her. It was an amusing game for him, seeing that desperate look in her pretty brown eyes whenever he got close to her. It was clear that she wanted to run away. She wanted to be anywhere else but here, but she was trapped. Anna was most likely quite aware of the fact that her job depended on Rolf and he, on the other hand, knew that Anna desperately needed to keep her job. He held the power in his hands and she was nothing more than a little white mouse in a diabolical maze built especially for her. Rolf would put in obstacles, lead her astray and observe mirthfully as his lovely little plaything would grow increasingly desperate trying to find a way out. This feeling, accompanied by the nice and warm sensation the wine had given him, made Rolf smile more widely and his fingers brushed Anna's cheek almost accidentally as he wrapped the brown curl of hair around his finger. "Was denken Sie, dass ich tun werde, Anna?" the man asked with a lazy smile, his voice ominously husky and quiet.


Translations:

"Das tut mir ja so leid..."
"I'm terribly sorry, she has not been feeling too well tonight. Do you mind if I take her outside to get some fresh air for a moment?"

"Aber nicht doch. Geh voran..."
"Of course not. Go right ahead. It is more peaceful outside at the balcony. From that doorway over there you only have to follow the corridor and you should soon see the glass doors to your left."

"Sie sollten damit sorgfältiger sein, was Sie um jemanden wie Hossfeld sagen..."
"You should be more careful with what you say around someone like Hossfeld. He doesn't look kindly on people sympathetic to the Jews or other lower races. He is very serious about his job and if you so much as hint that you feel sorry for the Jews, he'll have the Gestapo at your door the very same day."

"Ich will nicht derjenige sein, der Ihre Worte - oder der Mangel an Ihren Worten - zu ihm erklärt."
"I don't want to be the one explaining your words - or the lack of your words - to him."

"Was ist es, der macht Sie so nervös irgendwie...? "
"What is it that makes you so nervous, anyway...? Is it the uniforms? Or just that the room is filled with members of the Nazi party?"

"Oder ist es ich, Anna? Mache ich Sie nervös?"
"Or is it me, Anna? Do I make you nervous?"

"Was denken Sie, dass ich tun werde, Anna?"
"What is it that you think I'm going to do, Anna?"

[Annabella Auerbach]

"Das tut mir ja so leid. Sie hat sich zu gut heute Abend nicht gefühlt. Kann ich ihre Außenseite nehmen, um eine frische Luft für einen Moment zu bekommen?" the Hauptmann's words rang through the young secretary's ears. She listened as the other officer spoke. She bit her bottom lip. Oh, she was dead. She breathed in, then out, gazing at the Luftwaffe officer as he spoke. This was going to be the moment he found out the truth about young Annnabella Auerbach. Her dreadful truth. Many people living in Germany at that time thought of it as a disgrace to be of the Jewish race. Annabella didn't think of such ways, yet, she knew that being Jew would lead to death nowadays.

All of a sudden, she felt the Hauptmann officer's hand touching her upper back. His hand sent chills down her spine. His hand was slightly cold. Perhaps it was him or it was the weather outside. Perhaps it was the atmosphere. The atmosphere had gone from warm to very cold at that single moment of time. They walked through a dimly lit corridor. Now she felt scared. She felt very frightened and uncomfortable, especially with the Luftwaffe officer touching her in such an improper way. She felt so nervous. She stared toward her front, not wanting to make any eye contact with the officer as they both walked down the dimly lit corridor that led to the glass doors, that of course, led to the balcony, as the other officer had clearly stated.

They both reached. She stood on the balcony, watching the man with her large, chocolate brown eyes. She wondered what he was thinking. She then gazed up at the starry sky above them. It was truly a beautiful night and she didn't want anything to ruin it. But, far enough, she knew that this speech, his words, might ruin it. She glanced over to the Luftwaffe, now feeling very insecure and uncomfortable. His words came out like arrows. She noticed his tone of voice and noticed that the man was clearly strict and cold. "Schade Herr-" he had cut her off by his next set of words. She watched him as he continued to scold. She slightly gulped. His next set of words slightly caught her off guard. She stood there for a bit, trying her best to think of an answer. "Es ist nichts, um mit einigen jener Optionen zu tun, Sie erwähnten Herrn. Es ist gerade, dass ich ziemlich nervös bin, sehen Sie ... das ist meine erste politische Parteisitzung," she replied, trying her best to sound truthful. [Translations: [1] Sorry sir- [2] It's nothing to do with any of those options you mentioned sir. It's just that, I'm quite nervous you see... this is my first political party meeting.]

"Oder ist es ich, Anna? Mache ich Sie nervös?" She held onto her wine glass a bit tighter. It was him. It was every detail of the man that made her feel nervous. She chuckled nervously, glancing down at the ground. She sighed softly, Ich errate .. ein bisschen, meinen Herrn. Ich meine, dass das mein erster Job als ein Sekretär für einen Mann wie sich selbst ist. Ich fühle mich wirklich ein bisschen ungeschickt. Entschuldigung für meine Handlungen aber müssen Sie verstehen, das ist für mich ziemlich beunruhigt, um solche Handlungen zu tun, die ich vorher nicht getan habe. Aber ich glaube, dass ich mich daran richtig werde gewöhnen müssen?" she chuckled again, more softly. "Verzeihen Sie mir für solche Handlungen, Herr?" she asked, as she glanced back up at him. [Translations: [1] I guess.. a bit, my sir. I mean this is my first job as a secretary for a man such as yourself. I do feel slightly awkward. Sorry for my actions, but you must understand, it's quite uneasy for me to do such actions I haven't done before. But I guess I will have to get used to it, right? [2] Forgive me, sir?]

But then, his next set of words caught her off guard much more. What was he going to do to her? This made a huge lump form in the middle of her throat. She was shocked - no not shocked, frightened. This made her clutch her wine glass a bit tighter. She clung onto the railing on the balcony. What was this man thinking? She shook her head a bit. ""I-Ich glaube, dass ich Herrn nicht kenne." she replied, taking a small step back. She gazed at the Hauptmann for a few seconds. She then gazed away, trying her best to keep eye contact with the man. Her wrist trembled. She bit her bottom lip wishing this night would just end for her. [Translations: I-I don't know, sir.]

[Rolf Jäger]

An arrogant scoff was the only answer Anna received from Rolf when she told the Hauptmann that she was nervous merely due to this being her first time in a party meeting. She was always nervous! She was jittery like a young filly which had been severely spooked once in her past and now she would jump at every suspicious sight and sound purely out of instinct. Rolf could see it in her eyes when her pupils widened in fear and in her movements, when her trembling fingers clenched the glass of wine tighter. He wondered what had happened in the young woman's past and what exactly had caused her to grow so afraid of his company. Maybe some man had taken advantage of her, maybe she had been abused? Imagine that, going through such a thing and now finding your job depending on a German officer who loved to see you suffer. This was, of course, merely his speculation and Rolf realized that more buttons needed to be pushed before he would find out the truth. Well, there would be ample time for that, Rolf was sure of it.

When he asked Anna if she was actually scared of him, the woman laughed skittishly and suddenly decided to stare at her feet. She went into a complicated and stumbling explanation of how her first job as a secretary made her nervous and how she was not used to working for a man such as Hauptmann Jäger. Rolf could not quite understand what the woman could have meant by that. Was she talking about Rolf as an officer of the Luftwaffe or did she mean it more personally? He was aware that he had a reputation of being unpredictable and enigmatic when the mood struck him and of course, he had quite consciously been making Anna's life more difficult. Was that the reason for her being so nervous? Or did she think that Rolf might be eventually hoping to get to know her more... closely? The thought made the man smirk and when Rolf asked Anna what she thought he would do to her, she grew increasingly desperate. Stuttering out a nervous answer, the dark-haired woman took a step back, evading Rolf's hand that had been touching her hair just previously.

Her reaction only made Rolf smile more widely and his eyes became narrowed as he did so. "Wissen Sie nicht, dass ich beschäftigt bin? Was dachten Sie, dass ich darüber sprach? " the man asked, a low, throaty laugh following his question. "Oh, liebe Anna. Sie sind so sehr amüsant. Zuerst sind Sie bereit, vom Everest für mich zu springen, und hier sind Sie jetzt, furchtsam wie ein unschuldiges kleines Kitz," Rolf grinned in a self-assured and content manner - he was happy with this little game, it kept his mind occupied. Giving the woman some time to settle down, the man glanced towards the garden and shook his head. "Sie sollten nicht Dinge so ernstlich nehmen, Sie müssen erfahren, wie man sich entspannt. Wie sagte ich bereits Hossfeld, Sie sind hier bloß als mein Sekretär, und das ist alles," Rolf said casually, his tone of voice now seemingly laid-back, although as he spoke, his eyes already glinted with barely hidden glee. "Ich bin eine Baron, natürlich wurde ich gelehrt, ein Herr zu sein."

He figured that Anna might have already let out a sigh of relief over his words and Rolf wanted to give her those few seconds of respite. Still resting his other hand casually on the cool stone of the balustrade, he took a step towards Anna and eyed the woman in an uncomfortably intense way - his eyes certainly were not fixed on the woman's facial features, that much was obvious. "Das bedeutet nicht, dass ich Schönheit nicht ... anerkennen würde, wenn ich es sehe," the man tilted his head and his hand reached out to touch the smooth, pale skin of Anna's neck, his eyes glinting hungrily.

"Herr Hauptmann, bat Herr Hossfeld mich, Sie zu informieren, dass dem Mittagessen gedient wird," a male voice said from the doorway and Rolf withdrew his hand with a sudden flinch of surprise. His other hand bumped against the empty wine glass on the balustrade and it tipped over, plunging down from the balcony and into a bed of flowers right underneath it. Rolf's eyes registered the disappearance of the expensive crystal glass, but then he quickly regarded the waiter who was still standing at the doorway and obviously feeling quite awkward. Hauptmann Jäger arched his eyebrows and was out of words for a moment. "Uh.. Sehr gut, wir werden dort kurz sein, danke," Rolf answered almost all too quickly and the waiter bowed stiffly, turning around and leaving the two guests alone at the balcony. As soon as the waiter was gone, Rolf placed both of his hands on the edge of the balcony and leaned slightly to peer down. "Aaah, das Glas brach nicht!" the man exclaimed with boyish cheerfulness, as if he had already forgotten his previous plans of making Anna feel as uneasy as possible.

The man glanced to his left, he could make out the outlines of the stairs further away. By following the corridor they had arrived from, they would have arrived to the door leading outside into the garden, but taking that route would have been all too easy and boring for Rolf, of course. He did not really care about the glass and he was sure that Hossfeld had more than enough money to buy all the wine glasses he would ever need, but that was hardly the point. Rolf had already spotted the window of opportunity to do something entertaining and he was now glancing down, estimating the difficulty and height of the drop. "Das wird nur einen Moment nehmen," Rolf assured Anna whether she cared or not. His officer's uniform was not really built for climbing about balconies, but it didn't seem like such a complicated task and he was sure he could make it without too many difficulties.

The sandy-haired man narrowed his eyes with a small smirk and the next moment he was already climbing over the balcony. He balanced on the railing for a moment, crouching and trying to figure out what exactly he would be landing on. He had, of course, already started this rather unnecessary and adventuresome task of retrieving the glass, so there was no backing out now. Rolf glanced at Anna briefly and then he was suddenly gone, falling down on the benches of flowers underneath the balcony. "Ha!" The man let out a victorious exclamation of victory as he kept his balance, but his triumphant moment lasted only for a mere second. His shiny officer's riding boots slipped on the round and slippery stones used to surround the flower beds and he waved his arms desperately, trying to maintain his balance. "Scheiße!" A very distinct crash sounded from beneath the balcony and Rolf found himself sprawled amidst a tangle of vines and decorative bushes next to the flower beds.

It wasn't the most comfortable experience of his life and he felt a moist leaf stick stubbornly to his left temple. Apparently the balcony had sheltered this spot of the garden from the rainfall and Rolf realized that he was lucky for not dropping into a nasty puddle of mud in his neat uniform. Cursing and muttering, Rolf managed to prop himself up, although with some difficulty. His boots seemed to be slipping on the stones all the time and it was very troublesome just to maintain balance. He grabbed some of the vines to steady himself and they were ripped off the wall, causing further destruction in addition to the multitude of flowers that had been crushed under his boots. Rolf's mind was still on the task, however, and the man picked up the apparently intact wine glass, his whole expression beaming nothing but triumph. He could not quite reach up to the railing, so Rolf held out his hand to give the retrieved glass to the woman. "Anna! Nehmen Sie das," Rolf hissed under his breath, waiting until the woman had complied with his request. After the wine glass was safe and sound, Rolf grabbed one of the stone balusters and did his best to climb back up to the balcony. His boots scraped futilely on the stony surface and he realized that it would be far more difficult getting back up to the balcony than getting down from it. The young Hauptmann sighed and furrowed his brows, glancing up to see if Anna was still watching the whole charade. The man considered his options for a while and realized that he could either give up and use the stairs to the side or ask for his secretary to help him. The man stood silent under the balcony for a while, but then held his other hand up so that the woman could grab it.


Translations:

"Wissen Sie nicht, dass ich beschäftigt bin? Was dachten Sie, dass ich darüber sprach? "
"Don't you know I'm engaged? What on earth did you think I was talking about?"

"Oh, liebe Anna. Sie sind so sehr amüsant. Zuerst sind Sie bereit, vom Everest für mich zu springen, und hier sind Sie jetzt, furchtsam wie ein unschuldiges kleines Kitz."
"Oh, dear Anna. You are so very amusing. First you are ready to jump off the Everest for me and here you are now, timid like an innocent little fawn."

"Sie sollten nicht Dinge so ernstlich nehmen, Sie müssen erfahren, wie man sich entspannt. Wie sagte ich bereits Hossfeld, Sie sind hier bloß als mein Sekretär, und das ist alles."
"You shouldn't take things so seriously, you need to learn how to relax. Like I already told Hossfeld, you are here merely as my secretary and that is all."

"Ich bin eine Baron, natürlich wurde ich gelehrt, ein Herr zu sein."
"I am a baron, of course I was taught to be a gentleman."

"Das bedeutet nicht, dass ich Schönheit nicht ... anerkennen würde, wenn ich es sehe."
"That does not mean that I wouldn't... recognize beauty when I see it."

"Herr Hauptmann, bat Herr Hossfeld mich, Sie zu informieren, dass dem Mittagessen gedient wird."
"Herr Hauptmann, Herr Hossfeld asked me to inform you that the dinner is served."

"Uh.. Sehr gut, wir werden dort kurz sein, danke."
"Uh.. Very good, we will be there shortly, thank you."

"Aaah, das Glas brach nicht!"
"Aaah, the glass did not break!"

"Das wird nur einen Moment nehmen."
"This won't take but a moment."

"Anna! Nehmen Sie das."
"Anna! Take this."

[Annabella Auerbach]

The scoff. That arrogant scoff. It irked her. She winced at it. Was her answer not good enough for the Hautpmann officer for goodness sakes?! She had never known anybody so arrogant. Yes, she had come across a few arrogant people, but they weren't as arrogant as the officer. Susan Brecht. A girl whom attended the same school Annabella went to. Her teenage years were made horrid by Susan Brecht. Whenever Anna used to walk past that dreadful girl, Susan used to scoff and laugh among her friends. The blond never stopped growing irritating as each year went by. Was it Anna's hair? Was there anything on her face? As there a piece of toilet paper stuck on her somewhere? Anna had no idea, but Susan must have for laughing her foolish laughs every time she noticed Anna.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Hauptmann officer's words. He was engaged? Well, thank goodness. She breathed out in relief. She chuckled softly. "Eine Frau wie ich selbst kann nicht zu sicher sein," she replied, smiling. She nodded when he told her that she should relax. "J-Ja, Ihr Recht," she glanced toward the garden. Her brown eyes glinted underneath the shining moonlight. Her body was stiff as she stared out toward the horizon. Twas' such a beautiful night. It was getting rather chilly for her. She glanced at him when he said he was a baron. "Und ich, kann Herr sagen, Sie sind ein wahrer Herr. Ich habe das von Ihrer Wahl von Handlungen bemerkt." [Translations: [1] A woman such as myself can't be too sure. [2] Yes, your right. [3] And I may say, sir, you are a true gentleman. I've noticed this from your choice of actions.]

His eyes caught hers. The atmosphere grew very silent. All she could see was him. Her body was stiff and she could not move. "Das bedeutet nicht, dass ich Schönheit nicht ... anerkennen würde, wenn ich es sehe." the man's words made the young secretary softly blush. A rush of light pink ran through her cheeks. Her lips slightly opened, but no words could come out. The young woman was so speechless. "So ... hübsch." was all the young woman could say. At the corner of her brown eye, she could see his hand reaching out. She didn't flinch or move. She allowed him to continue with such actions. She felt his hand touch her neck. It had been such a long time she had felt such affection from a male. She softly smiled as he continued with such an action. It felt pure. She lifted her hand up from her side and softly placed it on his hand. [Translations: So...handsome.]

Their movements were interrupted from a manly voice coming from the doorway. She glanced toward the waiters' way. He informed the two that dinner was set and ready. She quickly moved away from the Hauptmann officer, her small blush still visible across her innocent cheeks. She moved toward the doorway until the Hauptmann officer's words had stopped her from continuing any further. She turned to gaze at the him. She strolled over to him, placing her hand on the railing. She stood there watching the man peer down the railing. What was he looking at? She grew rather curious, glancing down at what he was peering at. She arched an eyebrow. "Aaah, das Glas brach nicht!" she grew startled by the man's voice. She gazed at him for a bit. Was this man insane? She arched another eyebrow as she watched the man examine the glass that had been tipped over. Even Albert Einstein wasn't as insane as him at that moment.

"Das wird nur einen Moment nehmen," she nodded, placing a hand on her crimson lips. Her eyes grew slightly small. What was this man planning to do? Was he doing this to show off or something? She watched closely as the man climbed over the railing. Anna took a step forward, one hand leaving her lips. "M-Mein herr?" she asked, in fear. He then disappeared. "HERR!?" she screamed at the top of her lungs, running toward the railing, clasping both her trembling hands against her mouth. She gazed down, fighting tears. This man was truly insane! She could not move. She gazed down at the Hauptmann officer lying in a bed of flowers. He looked so silly that she couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, yet, there were still forms of tears in her eyes from the fear she had just felt.

"Anna! Nehmen Sie das." The young woman quickly nodded, leaning her arm over the railing as long as possible. She grabbed the glass out of the Hauptmann officer's hand. The glass had not broken to pieces nor did it obtain a single crack. How was that possible? She grew slightly confused, placing the glass down on the ground. The man looked horridly silly has he tried to push himself off of the flower beds. She couldn't help but stifle a giggle. She glanced away this time, so that he could not see that she found the Hauptmann officer quite humorous. She glanced back, now with a straight face. She gazed at the man as he pulled out a hand so that she could grab it. Couldn't the Hauptmann officer just use the stairs for goodness sakes? She breathed in, leaning in again. She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him up with all her might.

[Rolf Jäger]

A smaller, softer hand grabbed Rolf's and the Hauptmann struggled for a while to climb up, his boots slipping on the rough stone surface and his other hand grasping one of the balusters for leverage. He had not really considered how difficult it would be to climb back up and that the door a small distance away might actually be locked. Still, he had some assistance with him and soon Rolf climbed over the railing of the balcony. Rolf grinned victoriously at his secretary, breathing more heavily due to all the vigorous climbing and his clothes looked quite crumbled now. A few green leaves were clinging to his previously neat uniform and one of them had also decided to stick stubbornly to Rolf's left temple. It wasn't the first time Rolf had gotten some crazy ideas and also gone through with them, although usually when he got to fulfill these sudden whims of his, he was also in a rather good mood. Rolf brushed the uniform with his hands and straightened it out, absentmindedly picking out the few leaves stuck to his clothes. He ran a hand through his hair and grumbled as he noticed the leaf stuck to his skin, peeling it off and arching an eyebrow at Anna. "Sieht das ordentlich aus?" the man asked, but did not really wait for her to answer his question. He patted the front of his uniform one final time and nodded towards the door. "Gut, gehen wir und dann sozial sein."

The man grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her back into the corridor and towards the dining room. It was as if the man was nothing but a fickle, disruptive storm: he would tear others with him whether they wanted to follow him or not and he could also cause all kind of destruction with his ever changing moods and tempestuous ideas. Whatever it was that motivated the young Hauptmann, he seemed to be in a rather good mood right now and looked quite boyish with his smug smirk and the ruffled sandy hair. That was just the thing about Rolf - it was nearly impossible to predict his moods.

All the other guests had already gathered up and were sitting in the table, with two seats next to Sturmbannführer Hossfeld looking glaringly empty. Rolf arched his eyebrows and craftily made his way towards the empty seats, nodding at the Sturmbannführer and offering the other empty chair for Anna. After the young woman had taken her seat, Rolf sat next to Hossfeld himself and cleared his throat. The Sturmbannführer eyed the somewhat ruffled young Hauptmann and grinned at him. "Ihren Personal über die Politik unterrichtend, richtig?" the man asked in a low voice and Rolf answered with a deliberately sheepish smile, shrugging and pretending to look like as if he did not understand the Sturmbannführer's question. Hossfeld laughed slightly and nodded at the servants who were standing ready nearby. They immediately sprung into action, serving the guests wine and bringing them plates of hot roast, which certainly wasn't very easy to come by during these times. Rolf realized how hungry he actually was and didn't really take his time to dig into his food. Both the meat and the red wine tasted blissful and they made Rolf feel all the more relaxed and mirthful.

He was listening to the discussions between people only halfheartedly, immediately tuning out of them when he realized that all of them had something to do with politics. Rolf was slow to register the fact that Hossfeld had been talking to him for some time already, and he quickly tried to look more attentive, catching the older man's sentence midway. "... solch ein talentierter Richter und dann entschieden Sie sich natürlich dafür, in seinen Schritten zu folgen. Aber ich werde noch in Erstaunen gesetzt, dass Sie dem SS nicht anschlossen. Vielleicht hätten Sie sogar damit geendet, im Hauptamt SS-Gericht zu arbeiten!" Hossfeld proclaimed and Rolf tried to pretend that he had been actually listening to the man all the time. "Sehr höflich von Ihnen, um so, Herr Sturmbannführer zu sagen, aber was kann ich sagen? Das Fliegen ist meine Leidenschaft und Luftwaffe waren die einzige Auswahl für mich. Aber sicher, wenn es für dieses ganze Steuern-Geschäft nicht gewesen war, könnte ich damit geendet haben, in einem der SS-Gerichte zu arbeiten," Rolf said in a diplomatic manner, tasting his wine again. He had not been counting the glasses since the waiters would always rush to fill an empty glass and the alcohol was making him amusingly tipsy.

"Immer mit diesem dummen fliegenden Geschäft," Hossfeld laughed and then eyed the secretary sitting next to the Hauptmann. "Obwohl ich glaube, dass in der Luftwaffe zu sein, hat ist Vorteilen, stimmt das?" the man said with a grin and Rolf laughed at his words heartily, pushing the empty plate away from himself on the table. "Wirklich, Herr Sturmbannführer, wirklich," Rolf said with a sly smirk. "Aber ich fürchte, dass wir jetzt abreisen werden, ich muss ziemlich früh an nächstem Morgen sein und zum Flugplatz wieder gehend." Hossfeld furrowed his brows at the Hauptmann's words. "So bald? Aber ich hätte geliebt, noch einige Wörter darüber auszutauschen, wie Ihre Familie zurück in Donzdorf tut, holen Sie die letzten Nachrichten ein."

"Ja, ich bedauere sehr das, aber Aufgaben für das Reich, sie fragen nicht, ob Sie Zeit haben oder nicht, ja?" Rolf asked with a small smile and Hossfeld slapped the man on his shoulder. "Darin sind Sie ziemlich richtiger, Junge. Aber wollen wir wieder bald sprechen, vielleicht werden Sie sogar Ihrem ... schönen Sekretär mit Ihnen wieder bringen?" Hossfeld winked slyly and Rolf laughed at his words. "Wir, werden Herr Sturmbannführer sehen. Aber jetzt müssen wir auf Wiedersehensagen, herzlichen danke um uns hier heute Abend einzuladen."

"Und danke, dass ihr gekommen seid... Wir werden wieder sehr bald sprechen. Guten Nacht zu Ihne," a crafty smile still played on the Sturmbannführer's lips, as if the man figured that the Hauptmann had other reasons for fleeing the scene with his secretary so quickly. Rolf got up from his seat, noticing just how comfortably dizzy he felt when he stood up straight, but he proceeded to help Anna up from her seat. Out of courtesy all the guests near them were compelled to get up from their seats and wish the Hauptmann and his secretary a pleasant evening. "Heil Hitler," Rolf said in a gruff voice, his salute not quite so precise anymore.

Rolf offered his arm to Anna again, leading the woman back to the large hallway where the servant was already ready with the Hauptmann's coat and cap, the other one proceeding to politely help place the cardigan over Anna's shoulders. A third servant left the door to go and tell the driver to bring the Hauptmann's car around and Kronberg was indeed waiting with the car in front of the door as soon as Rolf and Anna stepped outside. The suited servant opened up the door for the guests and Rolf allowed Anna to climb inside the car first, before slumping down on the backseat next to her. The man rubbed his eyes and shook his head with a grunt to clear up his thoughts, obviously the Hauptmann had a tad bit more wine than he had been planning to. Rolf turned his attention slowly at Anna as the car started moving, removing the cap from his head to smooth out his sandy hair. "Es war nicht alles was schlecht, war es?" the man asked, arching an eyebrow at her.


Translations:

"Sieht das ordentlich aus?"
"Look decent to you?"

"Gut, gehen wir und dann sozial sein."
"Good, let's go and be social, then."

"Ihren Personal über die Politik unterrichtend, richtig?"
"Teaching your staff about politics, correct?"

"... solch ein talentierter Richter und dann entschieden Sie sich natürlich dafür, in seinen Schritten zu folgen..."
"...such a talented lawyer and then you, of course, decided to follow in his footsteps. But I'm still stumped over the fact that you did not join the SS. Maybe you would have ended up even working in the Hauptamt SS-Gericht!"

"Sehr höflich von Ihnen, um so, Herr Sturmbannführer zu sagen, aber was kann ich sagen..?"
"Very kind of you to say so, Herr Sturmbannführer, but what can I say? Flying is my passion and Luftwaffe was the only option for me. But certainly, if it hadn't been for all this piloting business, I might have ended up working in one of the SS-courts."

"Immer mit diesem dummen fliegenden Geschäft."
"Always with this silly piloting business."

"Obwohl ich glaube, dass in der Luftwaffe zu sein, hat ist Vorteilen, stimmt das?"
"Although, I guess being in the Luftwaffe has it's perks, doesn't it?"

"Wirklich, Herr Sturmbannführer, wirklich..."
"Indeed it does, Herr Sturmbannführer, indeed it does. But, I'm afraid we will be leaving very soon, I have to be up quite early next morning and heading to the airfield again."

"So bald? Aber ich hätte geliebt, noch einige Wörter darüber auszutauschen..."
"So soon? But I would have loved to exchange a few more words about how your family back in Donzdorf is doing, catch up with the latest news."

"Ja, ich bedauere sehr das, aber Aufgaben für das Reich, sie fragen nicht, ob Sie Zeit haben oder nicht, ja?"
"Yes, I'm very sorry about that, but duties for the Reich, they do not ask if you have time or not, now do they?"

"Darin sind Sie ziemlich richtiger, Junge..."
"In that you are quite correct, boy. But let's talk again soon, maybe you will even bring your... lovely secretary with you again?"

"Wir, werden Herr Sturmbannführer sehen..."
"We shall see, Herr Sturmbannführer. But we must truly bid you farewell for now, thank you ever so much for inviting us here tonight."

"Und danke, dass ihr gekommen seid..."
"And thank you for coming... We will talk again very soon, good night to you both."

"Es war nicht alles was schlecht, war es?"
"It wasn't all that bad, now was it?"

[Annabella Auerbach]

She quickly nodded in reply when the Hauptmann asked her if he looked decent. He did look rather decent that night. She washed those thoughts away, now concentrating on more important things, like containing a decent attitude that night. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand and dragged her back inside. The atmosphere grew different. All she knew was that it was much less colder and it was the area was much more lit up. She tried her best not to trip as the Hauptmann dragged her down the hall. Her heels clacked as they finally entered the beautifully arranged ballroom. She softly smiled. She had never seen anything so perfect in her whole entire life.

The man led her toward the dinner table. Almost everyone had already been seated. They finally reached their seats. Their seats were next to the man they spoke to earlier. She quickly sat down on her arranged seat. The seat was so comfortable. She felt the seats with her slim fingers. Very velvety and cushion-like. Just the way Annabella liked it. She settled herself in, getting a little bit more comfortable. "Ihren Personal über die Politik unterrichtend, richtig?" Anna quickly gazed up at the man after she had placed the neat handkerchief upon her lap. The food was placed on the table. Hot roast and wine. She had never seen such perfect food in front of her in all her life. She just stared down at the food. She didn't want to ruin the food in front of her. She softly sighed, picking up the fork. She began to eat. She ate her food quite calmly, trying her best not to make any noises.

She gazed at Rolf. He was eating much more faster than the young secretary that she could hardly make out if he were actually chewing. She took a sip from her wine, eavesdropping on their conversation. Their conversation was growing rather boring and the young secretary began to grow lost in her own thoughts. She gazed away from both men and stared down at her plate of half-finished hot Roast. Her ears perked up when the Hauptmann stated that both of them should get going. She put her fork down. The man helped her out of her seat and she allowed him to proceed with such an action. She nodded toward the Sturmbannführer, "Guten Nacht, Sturmbannführer Hossfeld." she replied, with a smile. [Translations: [1] Good night, Sturmbannführer Hossfeld.]

The Hauptmann led the young woman outside the ballroom. She felt a much lighter. She took all her belongings. She was led outside and back into the man's car. Back into the nightmare again. She moved closer to window as the Hauptmann sat near her. At the corner of her eye, the Hauptmann was watching her. She gazed toward him, turning half her body around. "Ja, nicht so schlecht." she replied, with a weak smile. She rubbed her arm a little bit, trying her best to get away from the dreadful cold. They had finally arrived at her apartment building. She gazed outside her tinted window. She glanced at Rolf. "Nun, gute Nacht, Sir." she bid farewell, in a soft manner, with both her hands sitting peacefully upon her lap. [Translations: [1] Yes, not so bad at all. [2] Well, goodnight sir.]

[Rolf Jäger]

It was comfortably quiet and calm inside the Mercedes after all the commotion of the party and Rolf was quite aware of the fact that he was feeling more intoxicated by each passing minute. It had taken some time for the wine to get into his head, but now his surroundings were pleasantly soft and buzzing, without any nasty sharp edges or unpleasant sounds. His world was currently filled with only the gentle purr of the engine and the feeling of the soft, comfortable seat under him. Even Anna looked hazy and oddly radiant when he glanced at her. In Rolf's mind, her pale skin was glowing and he had to narrow his eyes to make sure whether he was seeing things right. When he asked the woman if the meeting had been so bad, she smiled and said that it had indeed not been quite so horrible.

Of course she would answer that way, any other reply would have been wrong and she knew it. Rolf snorted and shook his head, placing the peaked cap on his head very slowly. His aim was not quite so good anymore and the cap was left slightly tilted to the left side, but Rolf did not seem to mind it. He stretched his arms and yawned widely, not bothering to hide the yawn in any way. He was way past good manners at this point and had exhausted his allocated amount of decent behaviour in the dinner party already. Rolf's gaze fell upon the young female again and he stared at her, not caring if this made the woman feel uncomfortable - he was, after all, all about making her feel as awkward as possible. She was a pretty little thing and delightfully fearful, but for how long would this game manage to hold his interest? It would have to end at one point, one way or another, and Rolf wasn't sure how to bring the hunt to an end. He tilted his head in a calculating manner, his grey eyes glinting dangerously as another car's headlights temporarily hit his features.

The Mercedes came to a slow stop in front of the building with Anna's apartment. The dark-haired woman looked shyly at Rolf, no doubt waiting to get out of the car. "Nun, gute Nacht, Herr," the woman said quietly, resting her hands in her lap. Rolf stared at her in a confused manner for a while, as if he did not even realize that the car had already stopped. The man raised his eyebrows, appearing quite intoxicated, but then seemed to remember what he was supposed to do. "Oh, recht," the man muttered, Kronberg had already moved in to open the door for them. Rolf cleared his throat and stumbled out, grasping Kronberg by his coat to hold his balance as he stepped outside. Kronberg only tried to maintain an even face and said nothing, while Rolf seemed amused by the fact that he had ended up getting so drunk. The Hauptmann laughed and patted Kronberg on the chest in an very brotherly manner, turning around to offer his hand to Anna, whether she really wanted the man's help in getting out of the car or not.

"Ich werde Sie zu Ihrer Tür eskortieren," Rolf promised in a chivalrous manner, pulling Anna towards the door with him as if she was nothing more but a dog on a leash. While walking, he kept glancing back at Anna, smirking each time his eyes fell on the woman. Everything was amusing to him now and he knew it was mostly because of the alcohol in his blood, but some of it was because of Anna. She was so easy to nudge to different directions, Rolf felt as if all kinds of different options were open to him. Maybe he would end up firing her after all, just to see the reaction. Or maybe he would merely threaten her and watch her beg? It was no matter now, he did not have to decide on anything quite yet. He could let her think that she had somehow managed to get on the Hauptmann's good side and was safe from such nasty consequences.

The man finally came to a stop in front of the door and thankfully released hold of Anna's hand, although he still remained standing in front of her, as if he had something crucial to say. He wasn't standing quite so steadily anymore and he swayed slightly, his eyebrows crunched in deep though as if he was furiously trying to remember something. Then the man sighed, shrugging casually and glancing towards the car, making it seem like he was just going to walk away after all. Suddenly the man took a quick step towards Anna, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and forcing a drunken and quite an unpleasant kiss on her lips. It lasted only a few seconds and there wasn't anything affectionate or romantic about it at all - if anything, it felt like the man was just claiming Anna as his property and claiming his dominance over her in this way. Rolf moved his head away and flashed Anna a wolfish, dirty grin before releasing his hold of her. "Gute Nacht, Anna," the man whispered in a hoarse, low voice, taking a step away and slowly turning around. Kronberg was still standing by the car and looking straight ahead, appearing completely oblivious of the incident. Rolf straightened up the peaked officer's cap on his head and gave Kronberg a slap on his chest, laughing heartily before clambering back inside the car.

Rolf settled comfortably on the seat and closed his eyes after Kronberg had slammed the door shut after him. It had been a good move to leave the party early enough, he knew he would have to be in a normal working condition by the morning and drinking wasn't really a habit of his. All in all, the night had not been a complete waste, although Rolf abhorred attending such gatherings. With entertainment similar to what he had enjoyed tonight, he might have to start attending these dinner meetings more often. The thought made a lazy smirk appear on the Hauptmann's lips and it lingered on his features even when the car had already turned around the corner and disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind only the quickly vanishing trail of red rear lights.


Translations:

"Ich werde Sie zu Ihrer Tür eskortieren."
"I will walk you to your door."

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Moderation Post:

The following CP has been issued:

Jäger - 12CP

Auerbach - 9CP

-JT