“In a manner of speaking.”
“How did you end up in this godforsaken place?”
“It’s a long and undignified story. How about that cigarette?” Angst dug into the top left pocket of his field tunic and tossed the pack, with a box of matches, onto the bar. “You can lower that machine pistol, Corporal. We are all friends here,” Monika said, as she lit the cigarette. She moved to hand him back the pack. “Keep it,” he said, then asked, “What are you still doing here? Why didn’t you leave with the rest?”
“We were housekeepers for the officer in charge, Colonel Rausch, and his staff. I acted as the colonel’s secretary when needed. We were among the last to leave with the Reichsbahn workers. There was a lot of confusion as the Russians were about to attack, or so everyone believed. The Reichsbahn people must have thought we had already boarded the trucks. Before we knew it, they had driven off, and we were stranded. The Russians never showed, only those animals outside. It was horrible.”
“You mean those partisans on the gallows.”
“Partisans, my foot! Simple, harmless people, they’d been walking for days. They were wet, exhausted, and hungry, waiting for a train that would bring them to safety, a train that would never arrive. They were roaming the streets when the SS and their jackals arrived and rounded them up. Then the abuse started. The women were singled out for the harshest treatment. They did unspeakable things right in the town square. The Sturmbannfuehrer watched the show. I don’t know who is worse, the Nazis or the locals in their employ. After they were through with their games, the peasants were marched to the edge of town and were forced to help build their own gallows. Such screaming and wailing. It went on for hours. We were afraid they would do the same to us, so the girls and I hid.” Monika fell silent, and her gaze shifted to Angst’s left. Someone had entered the room.
“Well, hello.” It was Detwiler. He eyed the three women with lust. “Quite a find you have here, Corporal,” he said, and plopped the machine gun and a chain of bullets on the bar noisily.
“These ladies are in the employ of the Reichsbahn and were stranded.”
“Employed as what? Camp whores?”
“Really, Detwiler!” Angst said, noticing as Monika smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“She knows exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?” Detwiler said to Monika. She stared back at the panzergrenadier with an expression of contempt. Detwiler turned his attention to Valeria, who remained seated, clutching the valise tightly with both arms and averting her eyes from the large man who hovered over her. “The only service to the Reich these women perform is done on their backs…or their knees.”
“That’s enough, you swine,” Angst said. He was at a loss as to why Monika did not defend herself or the other women from the insults. She exhaled a mouthful of smoke, tossed the butt on the floor, and stepped on it.
“You’re so fucking ignorant, Angst. I suggest we have our fun before anyone starts looking for us.” Detwiler took hold of Monika’s arm and started to pull, but she held herself rigid and did not budge. Angst brought up the MP40 and pressed the barrel against Detwiler’s middle. “You want her for yourself, just say so,” Detwiler said caustically, and let go of Monika’s arm. “I like something with more meat, anyway.” He spun around, grabbed hold of Elenya, and yanked her off the barstool so hard she came out of her slippers. Momentarily frightened, she let out a short squeal as Detwiler cradled her in his arms and laughed. “A face like a potato field, but you’ll do just fine.” Elenya did not protest as she was pushed into the storage room and the door slammed shut.
“Is what he said true? Are you prostitutes?”
“Do you care, Corporal?”
“I’m only interested in how you managed to be in this predicament, and if what Detwiler said is true.”
“You don’t want to hear my life story, Corporal. I am too tired to explain. So very tired.” The sound of metal clattered to the floor inside the storage room. Detwiler had unbuckled the harness of his assault pack and let it fall. Elenya could be heard giggling.
“You’re not a secretary like you said.”
Monika rolled her eyes in annoyance. “I was a secretary some of the time. I was also a bottle washer and housekeeper, as were Valeria and Elenya. We also entertained here. This was the officers’ club. Brothel, if you prefer.”
Angst looked at Valeria. She had not moved or expressed any interest in what was occurring around her. “What’s the matter with her?”
“The events of last night and this morning have finally caught up with her, but it did not begin there. Valeria had been the favorite of the Reichsbahn foreman. Although, by the way he treated her, you would never have thought so. His appetites were morbid.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry, Corporal? You have done nothing. On the contrary, you and your Kamerad have rescued us, and Elenya is being consoled as we speak. So, tell me, what have you in mind?” Monika’s tone was poisonous.
“You’ve managed to survive this far. I won’t get in your way.”
“With few options, one learns to make use of what one has.”
A loud droning noise started up outside. Angst went to the front of the house and looked out the window. The Einsatzgruppen had assembled. Motorcycle engines revved as the sidecar passengers settled in their seats. The auxiliaries, now crowded in the trucks and lorries, still expressed their disappointment at having to leave. The square had turned blue from the exhaust fumes. He watched Sergeant Reinhardt dodge the vehicles as he made his way directly toward the house. Angst rushed back to the parlor, certain that he and Detwiler would catch hell, but refrained from knocking on the supply room door. Let Detwiler explain his behavior to the sergeant, he thought.
Reinhardt was already in the house and, seeing Angst, entered the parlor. If the sergeant was surprised at the presence of the women, he did not show it. “What’s going on here, Corporal?” he asked, looking at Monika.
“I think I found the captain’s headquarters, sergeant.”
“Who are these women?”
“Employees of the—”
“Whores,” Monika snapped. Now Reinhardt appeared stunned. There was silence except for the noise of the vehicles departing the square.
“They were left behind, by mistake, when the Reichsbahn evacuated. This is Monika Glammers. She is German.”
“Did you see her identity papers for authenticity?” Reinhardt was livid at the oversight. Angst said nothing. “I saw Detwiler enter a little while ago. Where is he?”
Angst pointed to the supply room door, from where the unmistakable sounds of grunts and fumbling informed Reinhardt exactly as to what was going on. “We’ll see about this,” he said, ready to kick in the door, but he thought better of it. Instead he opened the door quietly. The couple had made a bed of the pillows and curtains. Trousers down around his muddy boots, Detwiler lay scissored between Elenya’s heavy thighs. His bare white buttocks rippled like kneaded dough. Reinhardt lunged into the room. “Get up, you miserable swine!” he shouted, as he took Detwiler by the collar and dragged him savagely off the woman. Elenya closed her robe and turned over on her side. “You disgusting little shit,” Reinhardt bellowed as Detwiler, still on the floor, wiggled into his trousers. “You have a wife back home, and little ones, don’t you?”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
“Ever considered what they would think of their father behaving in this outrageous manner?”
“Be realistic, Sergeant” Detwiler replied sheepishly, as he got up and collected his belt and equipment.