War Guilt [#Wattys2015]

Chapter Seven

Hydra Base, Germany, 1942

Maria

The first night out in the forest was an experience that I'll never forget. I had hidden myself in a small ditch in the ground at the base of a pine tree, covered up with leaves and branches. It was around midnight when I heard small footsteps walking around my little camp. I didn't move a muscle, other than turning my head to have a look. Whoever, or whatever, was out there knew that I was there.

When I thought that it had gone, I leaned forward to peer out of the branches. What I saw would haunt me for the rest of my life. There was a small child, a Jew, wondering around my camp. He had little clothing and was so skinny he looked like a skeleton. He turned his head and looked directly into my eyes before disappearing. Whether or not he was a ghost or my mind was playing up with fear, I'll never know but I can tell you I didn't stay one more night at that camp.

At first light I packed up and figured out what I would do for the day. I decided that I would tune into Hydra's radio transmissions with the gear that Howard gave me. I would do that all day then decode the messages at night. I did that for the next three days until the information became useless. I'd gone through two recorders just doing that and I needed to save the other three.

On the fifth day I went back into the base and scavenged for more information and supplies. I'd killed out a guard and wore his clothes so I could walk around more easily. I know, it sounds pretty gruesome but it could have been the difference between life or death for me.

As I went I came across the prison room. There were three captured soldiers in there, waiting for a fate that was unknown. My heart desperately wanted to let them out and save them, but my mind said no, I had to finish my mission. I made a pact that if I survived the last two days, I would set them free and escape with them and bring them back to the camp. No matter what nation they belonged to.

The sixth day was much the same as the fifth. I walked around unknown and gathered intel about Hydra. No one ever stopped me, or spoke to me. Just as well because I don't know German!

Every couple of hours I would head back to the prison room to check if the soldiers were still there and every time I found myself watching over the three like a guardian angel.

I have to finish my mission!

The seventh day came. I had been at the base for a week and it was now time to finish what I started. I gathered every last bit of information that I could before I walked around the base one last time. When I thought I had searched the whole base over, I discovered a passage that, for some reason, I had not seen before. I followed it for a good 10 minutes before I could see doors on either side of me.

What's going on down here?

Each door was made of a thick steel with a large number painted on them underneath a tiny window. I peeped inside each one to see if any guards were in there. When I knew that they were empty, I let myself in.

The first one had no one in it, but I could tell that there had been someone in it because there was blood dripped over the floor - and it was reasonably fresh. I left the room as soon as I could when I found nothing in it. Each other room was the same except they all had steel examination tables in the middle of them. I made my way to the last one, expecting to find the same thing as I did in all the other ones, but what I found was a very confronting sight.

Oh my god...

On the examination table in the middle of the room was a man. He was cut open in the chest, exposing his heart. There was blood everywhere along with a mixture of urine and vomit. The sight was scarring, something that I will never forget.