The soldier took me inside a hidden entrance in the mountain side.
The warmth washed over my body, melting the icicles in my hair and clothes.
"At least I'll die warm." I said, giving the soldier a look.
"Bewegung." Move. (Pardon my google translate German.)
"I don't speak German." I said, confused.
"Move, child."
"I'm not a child!"
"Move!" I walked, with his gun pressing into my back. He hurried me along a dark hallway, down into a cage, of sorts.
He poked me in with the barrel of his rifle.
"Someone will be here shortly, to interview you." He said in his thick German accent. I was pretty sure that interview meant torture.
After who knows how long, a pair of guards came and got me out of the cage. We walked through a maze of hallways until we reached a metal door.
The guards brought me in, then forced me into a metal chair and fastened restraints around my arms and legs. Then they abandon me there.
The room was large and almost seemed like a lab or a control center. Something important.
Just a minute later, a moderately old guy came in. He was all smiley as if I wasn't tied down, about to be tortured.
"No matter what you do, I won't tell you anything!" I gave him my best glare.
"Don't worry, child. I don't need information. My name is Dr. Zola." He was still smiling. Wait, I thought, wasn't this the guy Bucky and Steve were trying to kill? "Ah, yes. Your friends. James is being attended to. He lost an arm, falling of a train, trying to kill me. Steve is still patriotic." I really wanted to wipe that gosh darned smile off his ugly face. Especially since HE HAD BUCKY, TOO!
Uggg.
This was all wrong.
We were supposed to win. WAIT, did he say that Bucky lost an arm?!?! 😱
My shock must have shown because Dr. Zola tried to get me to relax.
"Now, I just need to know about you. Please make this easy for me and just tell me about yourself." He sounded smarmy.
"What? Is this preschool? Are we going to have show and tell?" I clamped my mouth shut tightly and clenched my jaw.
"Fine. Johan!" Dr. Zola called in the guy who had found me outside.
"My apologies, Liebling" Darling.
He picked up some sort of prod thing and electricity started arcing between the two points.
He tapped it against my side and I couldn't help but scream in pain. It was so painful. Like sticking forks in an outlet with all of your limbs.
"Just talk." Zola said.
"No." I was defiant. Zola motioned for my electrocution.
Again and again. After the first ten or so times, Zola ordered that I be doused in freezing water.
I am sad to say, that I cracked. I was cold, wet, and very sparky.
"Fine. My name is Rebecca Rose Barnes. I grew up outside of Brooklyn. I'm 16 next week. I'm in the 107th regiment of the United States Army. James is my brother, but he hasn't seen me in ten years."
Zola looked satisfied with himself.
He had the guards turn me over and cut the back of my shirt, so that the top of my back/bottom of my neck was exposed.
I couldn't see what Zola was doing, but I heard him come near me again.
"This will hurt quite a lot." Oh great I thought. Even though I knew it was coming, I still was surprised as the red hot brand was pressed into my skin. I screamed and my vocal cords felt like they were being shredded.
Right at the base of my neck, there was some sort of symbol branded on my skin. It hurt like hell.
"Perfect. Now you will always have our mark." Zola said, running his fingers over the new mark.
After, the guards took me to a cell with a bed. I was exhausted and in serious pain.
I wasn't fed that night, but it didn't matter. No matter what, I wouldn't have been able to eat. I wanted to know what was in store for me.