When Tomorrow Never Came

Chapter 7

It had been five long, painful, and tiring days where I had been beaten and starved because of my silence. The men and women I was with were arrested and interrogated for any connection to a French woman leading the resistance named Rousseau. Few knew English including a very pregnant woman named Maria, I knew she was due to burst any day now. 

Despite being extremely pregnant she was a fiery soul. She happily talked to me and reminded me of Renata as she too seemed very intuitive she asked me if I had any children and I opened up to her about my miscarriage and still not telling Turner yet. 

She happily lectured me for not telling him, saying that not saying something holds back the opportunity to work through something together and grow our hearts more. I wanted to tease her for her lecture when the door opened and Heinrich himself greeted us. He then had his rotten stooges escort me back to a different room than all the other interrogation rooms. He harshly sat me in the chair and walked to a desk beside me putting bullets into a revolver. 

"Our informant tells us you're Miriam McLaren. You've been in the army quite some time. He also mentioned that the Americans call you some tough cookie?" He paused, taking a glance at me. Waiting for a response but was only met with my hateful glare. "It must be true from all the beatings you withstood… a steadfast woman is always a desirable quality to men in certain ranks… even Lieutenants. Like the one who wrote you this letter." He added. Once again waiting for me to talk. 

He opened the letter reciting it and pausing when Turner said he loved me, with a pretend surprise look back to me. "Love… now that's a strong word don't you think?" He asked,  showing me my letter. I just looked at him keeping my mouth shut, further frustrating Heinrich.

"I've grown tired of your silence Frauline.Tell me are you or are you not romantically seeing the Lieutenant" he demanded examining the gun. His voice droning on was annoying and I was tired of the mind games so I decided to mess with him

"Oh yeah I'm involved with Joseph even been to bed with him" I mouthed off readying myself for an imminent beating or whatever else he had in mind. Instead he gave a sly smile telling me he knew I was telling the truth despite my sarcasm.  Fear stopped my heart as he put the gun down and whispered into my ear.

"I think you'll find when you try to hide the truth specific details make their way to your mouth, so this Joseph, I can trust, is Lieutenant Turner? Yes?" He asked

I looked at the ground kicking myself for even speaking when staying silent was the best scenario. Now I was officially a pawn in this cruel game of cat and mouse. This only made Heinrich smile bigger though as my silence confirmed what he already knew.  He put the gun down and stooped down in front of me.

"Don't be shy about it, you're quite beautiful with your Blonde hair and your blue eyes, very desirable…" he muttered "Lieutenants must be falling before a beauty like yours" he added, grabbing a piece of my hair to play with it. I nervously shook my head No as I tried to assess a way to get out of here. He slid his hand along my cheek then to my neck he noticed my tags and pulled them out from my shirt revealing my ring. He smirked "it must be love then" 

"Herr Heinrich, sorry to disturb you but the front gate checked in a Gerda Schnieder here to discuss some travel papers for you" a soldier interrupted. 

Heinrich looked surprised at first then glanced at me with a smug smile,  "well then if I am to return to the motherland perhaps Dr. Straub can find a way to get you to talk… take her back to her cell" he ordered as he left the room.  The soldier untied me from my chair leaving my arms free as he ripped me forward from the chair.

"You handle your mother like that fritz?" I asked. The now angered soldier shoved me into the table. I quietly grabbed the gun and when the soldier flipped me over and met my gaze I tucked the gun under my shirt and into the waistband of my skirt.