Dangerous Territory

Breaking the Calm

"Yes," answered Harold. "We've been staying there."

"Carly Stratmann. Of course my little Yelena would turn to her for help." The old man shook his head with a grieved frown. "Her friends were always so kind to her. It's a pity."

Levi crept to the boarded windows and watched as the first member of the Resistance was dragged out, followed by another, and a third who had been hit with a bullet and was dripping blood.

Levi cursed in anguish. "Fuck, not again."

It was happening all over again, everyone he knew, everyone he cared for, getting killed while he survived. He was ready to bolt forward, but both Eren and Harold stopped him.

"We can't do anything, captain," Harold warned.

He snapped over to him and seethed, "Are you just giving up?"

"Obviously not, but maybe it's not that bad. Eld had begun an evacuation before we left. Perhaps most of them got out."

Levi looked back outside just as Oruo was dragged out of the building and pushed up against a wall, forced to stand at gunpoint in the rain.

"Not everyone got out," Levi whispered in anguish.

Alexeï advised, "Live long enough to see who is left, and go protect the survivors. They'll need you. If I can, I'll keep you all at the bookstore until you find a new home. It's not cozy or secure, but it's dry ... when the roof isn't leaking."

"See. We'll keep fighting," urged Harold.

Just then, Colt returned the Magath with three men being marched in front of him, their hands clasped on top of their heads, with Flagon in the front. "Herr Kriminaldirektor, I caught this one leading a small group out the side door. The police have now secured that area."

"Very good, Grice. Line them up against the wall with the rest."

Levi grimaced as he watched Flagon and the others getting shoved up against the brick wall of the brothel. "J'en ai assez de me cacher." I'm done with hiding! He pulled out his gun and began to stand.

Eren grabbed Levi's shoulder. "You can't go out there."

Levi growled, "Fuck you! I can free a few of my men and take some Gestapo bastards out with me."

"Please!" Eren begged. "Don't throw away your life."

"Wouldn't you do the same if they were your men?" he yelled.

"I might," Eren admitted, "but you have a promise to keep."

"My promise to you—"

"Not to me. To Petra."

At her name, the rage in Levi's eyes dimmed slightly.

Eren quickly begged, "Live, no matter the price."

Her final words echoed in his ears, and Levi felt the tension in his hand loosen. He had promised her to live all those years ago, and now here Eren was, begging him the same thing.

"Merde!" he hissed in frustration.

"I would fight by your side any day," Eren swore, "but we both know, we are out-manned, out-gunned, and if we fail, they will kill every person in that building: your men, those women, all of them. The Gestapo will not hold back their wrath. Or we let them be arrested, and maybe they all live. Perhaps we can even break them out of prison." Eren tried to smile with encouragement, although he could only imagine how brutally agonizing this would be if it was his men lined up against a wall by the enemy.