Chapter 2

The days were stating to get warmer, but the snow did fall from time to time.

Still getting used to the cold, Negev wore the heavier jackets which were getting replaced by more lighter clothing.

It was 12:00, end of the morning. Break time for her was only 30 minutes, despite everyone getting at least one hour, according to the rules. But if she wasn´t on her desk by 12:30 she would get scolded by Otto. He wasn´t exactly a harsh boss but he had some personal flaws. As an example, he didn´t review every document she made, like she had heard from some of the other secretaries, but if she came to work with even a slight wrinkle on her clothes…

Negev was eating alone in the restroom. Some other girls were in a small group together, but she didn´t quite get fit in already, despite no one being actually hostile to her. If she were to bet the reason, it was probably because she was Otto´s secretary.

There was one girl, however, that didn´t seem to care about this.

"Hallo, Negev!" She waved, and soon after took a seat next to her.

"Hallo, Klara!" Negev waved back and smiled.

The diminutive girl besides her was the only one who she could properly call a friend in this place. She had a brown short hair, not going beyond her neck, except for one ponytail. It looked like a wooden helmet of some sort, because it was quite volumous. Her eyes looked like two garnets on her face.

She started to eat her meal, with a slow but quite quick movements, as Negev would put it. That is because one could easily mistake her for a child. Her face was closer to the desk and she almost, almost had to raise her arms a little bit for her hands to rest properly on it. Everything about her was small, from top to bottom.

On Negev´s first day at work, she was the one who helped her the most, despite not being the assigned one to do so.

She got impressed as that cute little girl explained with a pompous heart and somewhat misplaced confidence everything she would need to know about her job. A smile on her face, the short gesticulation with her hands, walking like a princess and with such grace...

The thing that made Negev nervous though, was the absolute state of her cheeks. Everytime she was with her, she had to control the sudden urge to assault her and pinch her cheeks to oblivion. She looked that cute.

As Klara talked about her morning, Negev wondered. She surely was too helpful and cheery for this gloomy place. The wooden desk they were eating at was still in a good shape, but that wasn´t true for most of the furniture in this building. A cold wind blew from the old window of the room, and it´s concrete wall seemed like some sort of black hole, absorbing all the light that came through.

One could easily mistake this for a prison cell in America. That was the state of the art in the Reich. They liked concrete, and it´s simplicity, and it´s gloomy gray, the drakness within it. As usual, a flag of Nazi Germany with it´s cursed swastika was hanged in a corner. This was Negev´s favorite place to eat, because at least this room didn´t have a picture of Hitler hanging around.

Every time she looked at that man, a boiling anger would flow within her.

As they finished eating, Klara followed Negev as they both walked to their respective workplaces. Arriving first at Otto´s room, Negev reached for the doorknob and bid Klara farewell. However, moments after opening the door, she met the somewhat uninterested gaze of Otto just next door.

Negev slightly gulped at his sight. Klara also looked startled, with half a smile, half normal face. They promptly took a respectful position and gave a salute to him. He greeted them back, and left the room.

"He looks so cool!" Said Klara.

"Cool? What´s cool about him?" Replied Negev.

"Everything! Can´t you see? The way he walks, his always perfect uniform… it instills a sense of respect and fear on everyone here!"

"I don´t view him in that way."

"Don´t you find it strange? That a fearsome officer of the SS like him was assigned to an administrative duty here?"

"Now that you say it, yes, it is strange."

Being a pure blooded german and a member of the infamous SS, he would serve better in Germania proper, where such things are highly valued. There should not be enough people like that.

The finished their discussion soon after, and each of them bid their farewell.

After some time, Otto stormed the room in a hastily manner.

"Prepare your things."

"?" Negev look puzzled to Otto, standing, as always, besides the window with a now finished cup of coffee.

"Where are we going Herr Otto?" She asked.

Otto placed his coffee cup on the desk.

"You are going to know when we arrive there. Our entourage has already arrived."

As Otto picked up his coat and walked towards the door, Negev hurriedly stuffed her belongings in her back and picked up her own coat, rushing to the door as to follow Otto.

Outside of the building´s entrance, a military vehicle was waiting for them. Displayed on the vehicle was the emblem of a horse´s head and a sword. As she followed Otto´s as he stepped into the vehicle, she was greeted by it´s driver, a young soldier.

"Good morning ma´am."

"Good morning."

Negev thought it strange that the driver only greeted her, as Otto was already lost in thought looking through the car´s window.

There was an odd silence between them.

"Sir, she is going with us?" The driver asked, as he turned his head, looking a little confused.

"Yes."

He took a weird look at the two and raised an eyebrow.

After some deliberation, the driver started the engine.

"Do you know the symbol on this car?" Asked Otto.

"No, I don´t." Said Negev.

"…" A weird silence followed.

"You don´t know dame?" Asked the driver. "It´s from our division, the 8th SS cavalry division. We call ourselves the Florian Geyer."

Negev took a closer look at the driver. He was young, and certainly not a german, by his accent. He was probably a Ukrainian conscript.

"Tsc." Otto gritted his teeth. "You don´t even know that."

He appeared a little angry.

Negev gulped. She gathered her remaining courage and asked the driver:

"Florian Geyer, you mean, the german knight?"

"Yes, that one." Answered the driver. "Our division is named after him."

"I´ve heard from him in school, but I don´t remember quite right what he did." Said her.

"Florian Geyer was a nobleman who led the peasant´s uprising in Swabia during the Great Peasant Revolt." Said Otto. "His men were known as the Black Company."

"…"

The car then remained silent until they finally reached their destination.

The division headquarters was similar to the government building. However, in spite of its gloomy architecture, the place appeared much more lively, with it´s soldiers always on the move.

Some sort of operation was surely ongoing, for a lot of military vehicles were on the move.

Both of them were escorted to the commanders room.

"Otto! Welcome!" Said the commander, a somewhat young man as Otto.

"It´s nice to meet you, Hanz." Said Otto.

They shaked hands and soon after Negev was standing besides Otto´s chair while he discussed lively with Hanz.

Hanz was much more of a stereotypical SS officer than Otto. His blonde hair was relatively large for the military, with a small quiff at it´s front. His skin was as white as snow and his eyes were blue. The perfect Aryan, as some would say.

"We´ve had plenty of mop-up operations on this side of Kiev. Some of the peasants have been swelling the ranks of the resistance, but the Slav has also been quite sympathetic to our cause." Said Hanz.

"Sympathetic, huh? I wonder if they can reach our standards." Said Otto.

"They have been. Almost all of the new recruits are Ukrainians here from Kiev, and some come from the province of Galizia. At this rate, this division will be entirely made of Ukrainians conscripts in no time."

"This is a good sign. At least, I don´t think it´s worth to spend German blood in here, when there is still land near Germania proper who is both better and still populated by the Slav."

"Yes. My main problem has been sorting out the weeds. There is always a traitor among them, and those sympathetic to the enemy."

As the discussion about military and political matters wen on, Hanz finally shifted his gaze to Negev.

"Who is that?" He asked.

"Negev, introduce yourself." Otto gave the order.

Negev promptly took her position and raised her right hand, giving the salute.

"I´m Negev, secretary to the Komissar Otto." She said.

"Secretary?" Hanz looked surprised. "When did you acquire one?"

"She has been working for me for two months." He answered.

"Two months? And you only brought her here now?"

"…" Otto remained silent.

"I obviously didn´t trust her yet. Do you really think the bureaucrats in the government would do a good job in finding capable people to work here, when their ranks are swelled by swines?" Otto explained.

"Sure."

Hanz looked like a clever wild animal of some sort. The image of a black cat, with its glimmering yellow eyes, came to Negev´s mind. In contrast with Otto, who was calm and collected, and seemed like a lonely eagle on top of a mountain, Hanz was much more lively and energetic in his way of talk.

She wondered how both of them became friends, as their personalities were somewhat incompatible.

"I must go now." Otto said.

"Before you leave, take a look at the new armored units. You´re going to like it." Said Hanz, as he waved for one of his soldiers to lead Otto.

Before entering the room, the soldier blocked Negev´s entrance.

"I´m sorry ma´m, but you are not allowed to see it."

Both Negev and Otto raised their eyebrows.

"Really?" Asked Otto. "They must be really interesting then. You can remain in here, Negev. I won´t waste too much time."

"Yes sir." Replied Negev.

As she stood there waiting, suddenly the figure of Hanz appeared in the room, with a few soldiers behind.

When she saw him, she gave him the salute, which he promptly responded.

He had a somewhat of a sly smile on his face.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

There was really something off with him. Well, if there wasn´t they wouldn´t be SS officers in the first place.

"No, it is nothing." Hanz replied. "But, why did Otto recruited you?"

"I applied as a secretary for the Reichskomissariat, and ended up being assigned as his secretary."

"No, that´s not true." He replied. "You see, I´ve known Otto for a long time. We joined the SS at the same year, and went through all it´s training together. He never showed any interest in the opposite sex, neither did he have a friend of it. He liked to work alone and for these last 3 years he has been working on here, he never had a secretary."

"…" Negev looked at him surprised.

"Something must have happened. Are you his mistress perhaps?"

"!" Negev clenched her fists. "No, I am not." She said in a somewhat angry manner.

"Oh, I see." The smile on Hanz´s face grew bigger. "But, if you aren´t his mistress, why did he allowed you to work for him?"

It was hard to explain. She couldn´t just say the he "saved her", or that he chose her because she "was beautiful". That wouldn´t better the situation.

As she mumbled some incoherent words, trying to justify her employed, Hanz sinalized her to stop.

"He is arriving soon." Said Hanz. "We never had this conversation."

Hanz hastily walked away, but before bidding farewell, he stopped and said: "We will keep an eye on you, miss Negev."

Otto returned soon after Hanz left.

As they both returned to government building, both Otto and Negev were distracted looking through the car´s window.

"What did he tell you?" Otto asked.

"W-what?" Negev stumbled.

"Do you think I am a fool? What did he tell you?" He asked again.

"He asked me why did you employed me."

"So, he was curious about that, huh? Did you tell him why?"

"No."

"Why? Were you ashamed? There´s nothing wrong about it."

Otto was smiling.

"What do you mean, sir. He thought I was your mistress."

"Many are." He replied. "But fortunately for you, I am not one of these degenerates."

Negev rested her chin on her hand, while the car finally arrived at the outskirts of Kiev. She thought herself lucky, to be under the protection of him. He was a crazy madman, as all the men of the Reich, but at least his code of honor leashed his actions. She couldn´t say the same about the others she had heard about.

The driver chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" Otto asked in a dry and hard tone.

"N-nothing, sir." Replied the driver.

The day was ending, and the sun was starting to set, as the concrete structure was bathed in a purple red light.

Since it was already late, they both packed their things in the room and left.