Through Blood

Chapter 19: Leaving

Kristian arrived at the camp at 1:00am and went straight for the cell where they were holding him. He needed to talk to both of them, alone. He dismissed the guards outside the room where Carver was being held until execution. The devil gets his turn first.

Kristian left his gun in his office, just in case. He went inside, Carver was handcuffed on both wrists to the metal radiator. He sat on the floor, looking down. Is he sad? Defeated? Is he even capable of feeling emotions? Kristian wondered.

He pulled up a chair and sat in from of him. He just sat there in silence for a few minutes, watching him. Carver did not look up. "So, you tried to fuck me over. You told Schlessinger about my Mischlinge ex. That was a pathetic attempt, did you really think it would work? That I'd get in trouble?"

No response.

"Look at you, I've never seen a more miserable creature. You disgust me, from the moment I first met you. So despicable, so pathetic, so cowardly," Kristian said. That got his attention.

"You think I'm a coward?" Carver finally looked up.

"Oh I know so, only a coward would torture women, little girls and boys, defenseless men, you enjoy it too. They're helpless and you find joy in having all the power over them. That's the part I didn't understand before."

"But you understand now?" Carver asked, almost excited.

"Not with innocents, no."

"Innocents? They're Jews and communists and criminals."

"You were the kind of kid that likes to torture and kill animals for fun, weren't you?" Kristian asked.

"You think you're so righteous, don't you? You're a scumbag just like me," Carver said.

"I'm not like you. But this, this right here, it takes so much strength not to do the same things to you. It takes all my patience not to kill you. Right here, right now, with my bare hands." Kristian stated.

"So do it, or better yet, let me out of these cuffs and let's see who wins."

"I bet you'd like that. But I'm not going to kill you now, only eight hours to go. I want to see your face when you're looking down the firing squad, and I will be in it."

"Then who's the real coward?" Carver laughed. He was definitely unhinged and not sad or defeated. He was proud as ever.

"I just want to know one thing, why bring Hoch down with you? You could have told a lie the one time it mattered."

"Why would I lie to save that faggot?" Carver asked.

"You're right. I forget, you have no sense of integrity. Why indeed would you do one good deed before dying," Kristian shook his head, amused.

As he got up to leave, Carver added "You'll be like me some day, you're well on your way. You have what it takes."

"Like you? No one could be like you, hell, I think the devil himself would pale in comparison. No, I may be fucked up, I have done some bad things, things I regret, and some I don't regret, but I will never be like you."

With that, Kristian left and locked the door behind him. He went into the room where Hoch was being held, he too was handcuffed to the radiator.

"I thought you might have had better sense than to have sex with Carver. Of all the men in the world..." Kristian said to him.

"I'm sorry, friend. I'm sorry it turned out this way. And you're right, but the thing is, when you're like me you don't get many options to choose from. Most men are not like me and the few who are don't often admit it. Carver and I, it was an accident how we both found out, I walked in on him molesting a young male prisoner once, you see. I kept his secret and when I made a move on him, while drunk, he didn't reject me. We both kept this secret for a long time." Hoch sounded remorseful.