Chapter 4

Negev couldn´t find Klara, so she went home alone, carrying both of the bags.

To her surprise, a military vehicle was waiting for her on front of her apartment building.

It was the same one from before, the horse and sword, a dark insignia, masterfully drawn on its body. The driver was a different soldier from before.

"Dame, I was ordered to pick up you, orders from Sturmbannführer Otto. He said you should pack up your things as if to leave forever from the city." The driver said, somewhat nervously, looking at all directions.

"What happened?" Negev asked.

"I can´t say to you ma´am. At least, not here, I don´t know about everything. But you must hurry. I feel that we are in danger if we stay in this city."

Hearing the warning of the soldier, she packed what she could in ten minutes.

She wanted to tell him to go back and look for Klara around the city, but the look on his face didn´t seem to give her an option.

"She will be fine." Said her to herself.

Soon the driver was leaving the city.

"This is not the way to the division´s headquarters." Negev said.

"We are on the move. There is a new headquarters." The driver answered.

"You can tell me what´s going on now?"

"It appears that war has started. The command didn´t say anything about it yet, not a single explanation. Communications have been cut off."

As the night started to set in, sudden outburst of lightning alongside the sounds of thunders started to come from the direction of the city.

Artillery shells.

Her heart started to feel heavy for Klara.

The military encampment was covered in darkness.

Giving a signal to the guardsmen at it´s gate, the vehicle was so identified, and Negev rushed to the main headquarters.

"I see that you´re well." Said Otto.

He was sitting besides a table covered with maps and documents.

Negev gave him the salute.

"Oh? You told them to pick up her?" Said Hanz, who was standing besides him, looking with close attention to the maps.

"You know all too well that I wouldn´t leave a subordinate behind." Otto replied, to which Hanz chuckled.

"Huh? Miss?" Said Hanz.

"W-what?" Replied Negev.

"Why are you trembling?" Asked him.

Otto, siting on his chair with legs crossed and resting his chin on his hand, was already looking at Negev with suspicious eyes, as she proved incapable of controlling one of her legs from shaking.

"Herr… Otto…" Said Negev.

He was looking at her with the usual stern look.

"…"

"Klara… she remained behind…" Negev said.

"Klara?" Asked Hanz.

"You mean the little girl?" Asked Otto.

"Y-yes." Replied Negev.

"I thought there weren´t any agents loyal to us besides you two in that place." Said Hanz.

"There wasn´t even two, there was only one." Replied Otto. "She´s asking me to save a friend of hers."

"Huh." Said Hanz. "The city must be a battleground right now."

"And it isn´t going to be the lackeys of the deceased komissar who are going to have the upper hand." Said Otto. "The resistance cell of the Black Army must be on it´s way to dominate the city."

Negev gulped. The Black Army probably wouldn´t spare Klara if they found her but, was it really worth it? The Nazi regime was her enemy after all, and Klara was part of it. Of all things, Negev should have been glad that such thing is happening, finally the cracks are starting to show. She needed to prepare herself, for a strange feeling inside of her whispered that her time to act would soon come. Maybe that sealed document…

But she couldn´t let a friend who helped her end up this way. She would try to save her, and convince her of her mistaken ways, and try to win her to her side.

"What can you spare for me?" Asked Otto.

"…" Hanz sighed. "Not a single soldier, for sure."

"We could wrestle the city from them, if we wanted."

"We don´t know a thing yet. I would prefer to wait for orders from Berlin."

"And if no order comes?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something big is happening, Hanz. If it was restricted to only Ukraine, we would already have received support, but this is not the case. We should start to think ahead as if no order will come at all."

"…"

They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"I will have a vehicle and a rifle. Two pistols must be enough for the girls on the way."

"Fine. But I can´t have you die here, kameraden."

Otto stood up.

"Let´s go them, dame Negev."

Negev´s smiled brightly. She couldn´t believe he would this for her.

This was perfect.

If something happened, she could make it that only Otto would fall. She could probably talk her way out for Klara, if the resistance somehow got to her.

Soon Otto and Negev were on their back to the city.

"This is an old P38 pistol. You know how to shoot one, don´t you?" He asked while driving.

"Yes, I know."

He convinced the responsible for the armory to give him an SMG instead of a standard rifle, an MP40.

"The thing about pistols is that their barrel is much shorter than a rifle´s, so if you don´t take aim correctly, the shot can go pretty wild off from the intended target. You must take care."

It was midnight when we arrived at the city.

The artillery barrage ended shortly after, luckily for us.

"This barrage isn´t from us." Said Otto. "It´s from the komissar´s men, or the rebels, but more probably the former than the latter."

Fire was spreading and there was confusion and chaos on the streets.

Apart from some rebels and armed staff from the komissariat, there was no difficulty for them to reach the park where Negev and Klara were this evening.

"The city is basically abandoned." Said Otto. "I thought they would fight for it, but it seems that everybody thought it was a good idea to simply leave it."

We searched in the park and it´s surroundings, but to no avail.

"Let´s go to her home." Said Otto. "You know where she lives?"

Guided by Negev, Otto drove the vehicle to Klara´s home, an apartment building similar to the one Negev lived.

One could see the damaged caused by an artillery shell who had hit it´s roof.

"Let´s pray that she´s safe in here." Said Otto.

They both rushed into the building, Negev opening her apartment door with haste.

"Klara!" She called. "Klara, where you are?"

At first, there was no response.

Then came a crying voice.

"Negev! Negev!"

It was Klara´s voice.

She was hiding behind her bed, as if a scarred child.

"It is all good now. Let´s go!" Said Negev, grabbing her by the arm and making her stand up.

"No." Said Otto, who was looking with attention to the left open apartment´s door. He then suddenly looked at Klara. "Who´s here?"

"What?" Said Negev.

"The door was already open, didn´t you see? You opened it with such a little effort. Someone has been in here before us." Said Otto. "Who was in here, Klara?"

Hearing her name being called by Otto for the first time gave her a glimpse of courage to speak.

"There was some armed men who entered the building, but they didn´t find me. They were members of the resistance." Klara said. "You didn´t fought them before coming in here?"

The sound of rushed footsteps came from outside the room.

Otto took cover, and when the first sign of an enemy showed upon his line of vision, he unleashed a barrage of bullets in it´s direction, proudly holding his MP40, a smile covering his face.

As if being caught by surprised, he dashed ahead while reloading without fear for his life, and just after reloading, he cleaned the corridor of two men who had been waiting for them outside of the apartment.

"We got her!" Screamed Otto. "Let´s go, now!"

They hastily came out of the building, Negev always by Klara´s side.

If Klara thought highly of Otto before, one could see in her eyes a sparkle of admiration that wouldn´t be easily extinguished. Before they could get back at the car, shots came out from the other side of the street, and they took cover by the side of the vehicle.

To Negev´s dismay, she recognized the voice shouting in the local language, to attack and keep on shooting at their current target. She took a peek and could see that it was the same man who had delivered her the message, the resistance fighter from the Black Army.

More gunshots, and then silence.

"Enter the vehicle, now!" Shouted Otto.

Klara hastily answered, but Negev took a time to look at their agressors.

Dead on the other side of the street, the shout from Otto came from under the car. He had crawled under it, and was capable of, with a few shots, neutralize both of the enemies with his MP40. Although impressed by such a display of combat skill, a remorse took over her as she saw the face of the man who she had met not a day ago.

Otto didn´t waste his time, and soon their group was already far off from the city.