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Dangerous Territory	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Attack on Titan /Shingeki No Kyojin Views: 4228 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own “Shingeki no Kyojin” and do not make money from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 59
- 60
- 61
Chapter 60
Debriefing

Eren thought he woke up.
Or maybe not.
Who was this elderly man beside him? He was speaking, but nothing made sense.
Everything felt dizzy, chaotic, dreamy. His eyes closed, then opened and the old man was gone. He saw Jean, only to close his eyes for what he thought was merely a blink, and suddenly Jean was replaced by Captain Woermann. Eren tried to lift his arm in salute, but his body felt numb. Then he was asleep again, or so he thought. His eyes opened once more and there was a woman beside him giving him medicine, but he could only stare and obey, no will of his own. His eyes drifted down, or maybe they were already closed.
Was he asleep or just now falling asleep?
Why can't I wake up?
After hazy confusion, his eyes opened, and this time he felt like he was actually waking up. Someone had knocked on the door, and as he looked over, he saw Holger walk in. He was being sneaky, like he was afraid to wake him.
"Holger?" Eren asked, but his throat was dry.
Immediately, the blond soldier burst into a relieved smile. "Guten Abend, Jäger. Wie fühlen Sie sich jetzt?" Good evening, Jäger. How do you feel now?
Eren glanced around. "Abend?" Evening? He looked over at the window, and indeed, the sky outside was starting to turn dark. "Was I asleep?" Was it still the same evening, or a new evening? He felt so disoriented.
"What do you remember from last night?"
"Last night? Saturday?"
Holger pouted in worry. "It's Monday evening, Jäger. You've been asleep all day."
Eren gasped softly. "Monday?" He glanced around in confusion. "Why…? Whoa…" He grabbed his head as a spiraling wave of vertigo sent his senses spinning. "Why does my head feel like this?"
Holger chuckled and went about checking on him. He felt Eren's forehead, and at the touch Eren yanked back, only to get hit with another wave of dizziness. "Your fever broke at least."
"Fever? Was I sick?"
Holger's lips twisted. "The doctor warned that you might have a bad headache. Here, he left some medicine."
"I think … I took … something," he muttered, trying to piece together the dreamlike visions. "I took some pills. There was a woman here."
"Ah, that must have been the nurse with your noon pills."
"Noon?" He looked again at the window. It was almost like he had gone backwards in time, from evening with Levi to just after sunset now, and it really confused him.
Holger fetched a cup with two pills and a glass of juice. "Here you go?"
Eren took the pills and groaned, "What happened to me?"
"The doctor said you were drugged."
"Drugged?" Was Levi drugged too? Was he safe? Panic began to build in Eren's mind. "Where's…?" He looked around frantically, but a wave of dizziness slammed into his head, forcing it backward into the pillow. He grabbed his head with both hands. He realized belatedly, he had almost asked Where's Levi, so he shook his head to clear his mind. "Where's Louise?"
Holger frowned in pity. "We don't know. She helped to bring you here, but then she vanished."
Eren sighed in relief. At least Levi got away.
"Do you know where she may have gone?"
Eren slowly shook his head. If Levi escaped, he would have fled to the Resistance. He did not like that idea, but at least he would be away from danger.
Holger bit his lip. "Eren, about Louise…" He cut off, looking pained to say more.
"What?" Eren asked swiftly. Was something wrong after all?
Whatever Holger had wanted to say, he bit it back. "The Gestapo and local police have spent all day looking into things. They've searched your room, questioned just about everyone, and even searched the attic. There's a couple of Gestapo here. They wish to speak with you whenever you're able." He grumbled, "They've been questioning everyone, staff and soldiers alike. It's got all the officers on edge. If you could talk to them, maybe they'll finally leave."
The last thing Eren wanted was to be interrogated, but he also desperately needed to know what happened. He slowly pushed himself up to sit in the bed. "I'll speak with them now. Could you get me a bowl of soup?"
Holger nodded with a saddened smile. "I'll put in an order to the kitchen." He went back to the door and called out, "Gefreiter Forster, they can come in."
Eren braced himself. Interrogated by the Gestapo, again! He had to have his wits about him, and his head was still foggy. Still, he really wanted some answers to what happened last night.
Floch entered, looking oddly stern. "Herr Oberleutnant, this is Regierungs- und Kriminaldirektor Theo Magath and Kriminalassistent Colt Grice." His brow tightened. "They would like to ask you some questions."
Eren recognized Colt, but the older man next to him exuded a sense of terror that went far beyond the Gestapo uniform. His eyes were pale, cold, wrinkled on the edges with age, although his body looked strong enough to beat any person into submission. Eren realized that this was the man Colt Grice had said was feared even within the ranks of seasoned detectives. As a member of the Gestapo, it was his job to investigate anyone suspected of treason, espionage, sabotage, or attacks on the Nazi Party. He had risen to the rank of Kriminaldirektor, chief inspector, with a knack for getting suspects to talk … by any means necessary.
Magath stepped in, and his arm went stiffly out. "Heil Hitler!"
Eren sat up a little firmer to return it. "Heil Hitler," he replied with considerably less enthusiasm, but he was also swaying with vertigo.
"I understand that you're recovering, but we have a few questions. Do you mind if we ask them here in your room?"
"I'd like to know what happened," said Eren.
"So would I." Magath pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. "Kriminalassistent Grice, takes notes."
Colt pulled the other chair over and whipped out a notepad and pen.
"For the record, state your full name, rank, and date of birth," he said blandly.
"Eren Kruger Jäger, Oberleutnant serving under Hauptmann Kitz Woermann. I was born on the 30th of March, 1925."
"Jäger? A good name for a soldier," Magath said with an icy glint in his eyes. He waited for Colt to write that down, purely so his notes would be organized later. "Please describe everything you remember."
Eren nodded and prepared himself. This story had to be the truth, since an investigation could uncover any inconsistencies, and that would be far worse. However, the truth had to be tailored to protect Levi.
"I went out with my wife, Louise. We went to a tea shop for lunch, then a little shopping, followed by dinner. Gefreiter Floch Forster drove us around the city. He's part of my platoon and my adjutant."
"Yes, we already questioned him," said Magath.
Eren glanced at Floch. Was that why he looked so stern? Was he shaken up? Eren had to make sure that nothing was incorrect, since a discrepancy with Floch's story could cause him trouble. "After shopping, we went to Nicolo's restaurant."
"Nicolo's restaurant?"
"The actual name is French. All the officers just call it after the owner."
"Nicolo de Marley. I'm aware of him. What did you order? List every item."
"I had trout. There were vegetables with it. Um, carrots, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. My wife had the pot roast dinner, we shared a basket of bread, we had apple tarts with ice cream for dessert, and we got a bottle of wine."
"Did you two at any time eat each other's food or drink?"
Eren paused and thought back. He realized that would have been a romantic thing, to share a little taste of his food with Levi. Maybe it was lucky he had not thought of that. "No, I didn't try hers, nor did she try mine."
"Was she affected?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen her yet. Is she okay?"
"I'm asking the questions," Magath said coldly. "Did anything taste weird with the food?"
"No, nothing at all was weird until I tried to stand up. I felt dizzy and thought it was the wine. There was a Negro server who came to help me walk. Suddenly, I fell to the side. Everything goes black after that."
"You don't remember arriving at the hotel?"
Eren shook his head. "The last thing I clearly remember is trying to leave the restaurant and feeling dizzy."
"According to your driver, you were still able to talk on the trip back to the hotel, enough to tell him to take you here and not to the hospital. Do you know why you would have refused medical care?"
Eren glanced over at Floch. His eyes were harsher than Eren had ever seen before. Just what happened last night to make him look like that? Eren furrowed his brow. "I honestly don't remember that part, but if I had to take a guess, I probably told Gefreiter Forster not to bother with the hospital because I thought I was merely drunk. Our military hospital does not need to deal with drunk soldiers."
"The doctor who has been checking on you also said you were conscious when he arrived. The other officers also said you spoke, although mostly nonsense. Oddly enough, some of what you said was reportedly in English."
Eren was honestly terrified to know what he possibly could have said while drugged. Hopefully, anything revealing was spoken in English and no one understood. "I do speak some English, yes. I vaguely got a sense of people around me, but I don't recall saying anything, and when they spoke to me it did not make sense. It was more like dreams fading in and out."
"Do you remember anything at all between the restaurant and the doctor coming?"
"No. I don't remember leaving the restaurant, or the drive here, or arriving. My last clear memory was stumbling in the restaurant."
"Tell me about Nicolo and the Negro waiter."
Eren tried to collect his wits. He was worried about Levi, and wondering what he might have said to Floch to make him look so angry. "When we first arrived, we were taken to a seat in a reserved section."
"Why reserved?"
Eren smiled softly. "It was a romantic dinner with my wife. I slipped the staff a Mark to take us away from the crowd."
"So, you were away from the other diners?"
"At a slight distance, but still in the same room. The nearest diner I could see was a Major, maybe two tables down."
"What happened next?"
"Nicolo came over and took our order."
"Did he recommend anything in particular?"
Eren tried to think back. "No, but there was one issue. The wine we wanted was the last bottle of that year. Nicolo tried to convince me to buy one of the more common bottles, but I insisted on the better one."
"Why?"
Eren tried to look bashful. "My wife and I are newlyweds. This was our first dinner out together since the wedding."
"Congratulations," Magath said, not at all sounding jolly. "What type of wine did you order?"
"A 1929 Burgundy. As I said, they only had one bottle left. The most I talked to the waiter was about that wine."
"What precisely did he say?"
"He warned that it was expensive and offered another."
"Why did you insist upon that particular wine?"
"I wanted to spoil my wife by letting her enjoy her favorite wine."
"She recommended it?"
Eren sensed that this was a trap, but he could not figure out a way to escape it. "Yes, I asked her what her favorite wine was, and she said a '29 Burgundy."
"Did you both drink it?"
"Yes."
"How was your wife acting through all this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Was she quiet, fidgeting, unusually attentive?"
"No. She was as happy as could be. Maybe a little bashful that I was treating her to such a nice meal."
"Are you certain she drank the wine too?"
"Yes, in fact as I began to feel dizzy, I urged her to finish the wine for me."
"So, you only drank that one bottle?"
"That's correct." Eren paused and thought back, recalling something that happened after he began to feel dizzy. "There was one thing, maybe minor."
"Every detail paints the picture," Magath said, probing him with his icy eyes.
"When I asked to pay for the meal, the waiter said Nicolo offered us a free cheese platter. I turned it down since we had already finished the dessert and wine, and then he said Nicolo wanted to personally thank me, since the wine was rather expensive."
"The Negro waiter said this?"
"Yes."
"Would you describe it as purposely stalling you, perhaps trying to keep you where you were until the drugs kicked in?"
Eren thought back and rubbed out a headache. "No, not particularly. When I turned down the cheese and the personal thanks, the waiter did not push the issue. Instead, he offered to get our coats."
"So, it was Nicolo who wanted you to have the cheese and to speak with you personally?"
"That is what the waiter said, yes."
Magath nodded, like he just got some clue. "Verify this for me: you mentioned that you felt dizzy before having finished the wine, but the waiter offered a cheese platter after the meal and wine were finished."
"That is correct."
"At that point where you first felt dizzy, how many glasses of wine had you consumed?"
"Two glasses."
"And your wife?"
"Three."
"So, she drank more than you, but showed no sign of dizziness."
"She said nothing about it."
Magath was quiet, thinking through things. "Did you at any time feel a pain, like a pinch or a needle prick?"
Eren tried to think through the dinner. He had been so distracted by Levi, watching him with such adoration, he really had tuned out everything else. "I don't remember anything like that, but I can't say for certain."
"Did you leave your food alone at any time, like getting up to use the toilet?"
"No, my wife and I sat at the table the whole time."
"How long have you known her?"
Eren thought back. "To be honest, not long. We married on September 16th. I had known her … maybe less than a week before that." He shrugged sheepishly. "What can I say? Love at first sight."
"I take it you met her here in Metz."
"Yes, her parents own a farm a little to the south. Her grandfather is an Imperial Navy veteran."
"Were you one of her clients?"
"Huh?" asked Eren, confused by the question.
"She was a prostitute."
"How did you…?" Eren paused and realized, of course the Gestapo already knew everything about her. "Yes, that was how we met. I … hired her for a night. I liked her, hired her again over the course of a week, and fell madly in love. I got permission from the brothel madam to marry her, and she quit her job."
"Do you know where your wife might be now?"
Eren acted anguished. "I didn't even know she was missing. I'd like to know what happened to her and if she's safe."
"Trust me," Magath said coldly, "I would very much like to figure out what happened to her."
Eren's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"A new wife, a Frenchwoman, the only person besides the restaurant staff who was close enough to tamper with your food, and then according to the other officers, she suddenly vanished after bringing you back to the hotel. I hate to burst the honeymoon bubble, but right now she's a suspect."
"What? No!" Eren shouted, sitting up fast, only to collapse with a wave of dizziness and nausea. "She was the one who ran and got Floch. That's one of the last things I clearly remember."
"Your driver said in his statement that Louise ran to get him, and that she was injured when she arrived."
"What?" Eren bolt up again in horror, only to almost vomit from the vertigo. "Injured? What happened to her?"
"Many of the officers report that she was walking with a limp."
"A limp?" He glanced at Floch, but he realized that now was not the time to ask too much about Levi.
Magath turned to Colt and held out his hand. Colt finished what he was writing and handed the notebook over. Magath glanced through it with stoic silence.
"Inspector," Eren said in worry. "She's just an innocent girl. I've even met her parents. They're from Germany originally and loyal to the Führer." That was not true, especially how Louise's grandfather threatened to shoot any Nazi who stepped on his farm.
"I will admit," Magath said, handing the notepad back to Colt, "I personally don't think it's her. The clues don't match up. However, we can't rule out anything at this point, and her disappearance is suspicious. For all we know, she could be a member of the French Resistance, and her plan to murder you failed."
Eren shook his head. Even if that was remotely true, no way would Levi have resorted to poison, not when he preferred blades.
"We've checked all the hotels in the area. None are renting rooms to her."
Eren muttered, "Maybe she's staying with friends."
"List a few of them."
Eren cringed. "I … honestly don't know any of them."
Magath raised an eyebrow. "You've been married for a week, and you don't know a single one of her friends?"
Eren shrugged. "She's rather shy. Maybe she's at a church praying."
"Which religion?"
"She's Catholic."
Magath looked at Colt. "When we're done, check all the Catholic churches in the city." Colt nodded firmly and wrote another note in the pad. "Since you've just woken up, I assume you know nothing about the attack last night."
"Huh? What attack?" Eren asked, worried all over again.
"Many officers reported hearing what sounded like an intruder in the attic, followed by crashing boxes. They found your attic hatch had been opened. Lieutenants Samuel Linke and Daz Venable went to inspect. Linke saw a person in the attic, fired his gun, and the intruder shot back, striking Lieutenant Linke in the arm. Police found blood leading from the attic, out the window, and across the roof. However, it began to rain heavily, and we couldn't make a thorough search before the evidence washed away. We believe the intruder had meant to come in here to kill you."
Eren tried his best to look merely concerned, not the plummeting dread sinking in his stomach. If someone had come in to harm him and Levi was up in the attic, he would have attacked. However, was the blood the attacker's, or Levi's?
"Is Lieutenant Linke all right?"
"He will survive," Magath told him. "We will board up the attic window for security, and if the hotel owner allows it, we'll board up all attic access points. It's a disgrace that this place was not properly secured before housing so many officers. Locks on the windows and sealed attic hatches, at the very least. It's almost criminally sloppy."
"Inspector," Eren said slowly, weighing just how dangerous it might be to bring this up. It might get him into trouble, but at least it would take suspicion off Levi. "There is one thing. I didn't think much of it at first, but perhaps it's connected. A few days ago, there was some stranger watching my platoon, a very tall blond man with a thin beard. I've seen him before. The last time I spoke with Detective Grice, he mentioned this man."
Colt and Magath glanced at one another.
"Mi-homme," Magath snarled in outrage.
Colt snapped at Eren, "I told you to report if you ever saw him again."
Eren shrugged and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. He was just standing there, and I was busy that day. It completely slipped my mind until now."
"Why would Mi-homme be after you?" Magath questioned.
Eren shook his head. "I don't even know who this person is, other than a very tall man."
"We believe Mi-homme is a woman, thus the code-name: Half-Man."
"A woman?" Eren cried out, forcing himself to look stunned.
"If you ever see that person again, drop everything and report it to the Gestapo immediately. Do not engage. Mi-homme is a terrorist. Let us deal with this miscreant."
"Understood, sir."
"There's another person who has been spotted with Mi-homme. We know nothing about him, other than a vague description: male, short, black hair, narrow eyes, and extremely dangerous."
Eren bit back the proud smile that wanted to rise to his cheeks. "A small man and a tall woman. What a couple they make!"
"Possibly the deadliest couple in all of Metz. We'll post more police around the hotel, at least for a few days. Try to stay indoors for your own safety."
"What about my men? We had drills planned for this morning."
"Your captain stopped by earlier. Your NCO will handle everything to do with your platoon. Do not go walking around Metz alone, at least for a few days." He added, "And maybe avoid restaurants."
"Understood."
"We're setting up poison testers at all the hotels occupied by officers, as well as the barrack mess halls. We never know if this is merely the start of a mass terrorist attack."
"That's reassuring. I feel better knowing that the Gestapo are taking this seriously," Eren said with honest relief.
Magath said stoically, "The Gestapo take everything seriously."
Eren's head suddenly went limp until he had to grab his forehead. "Ow. Forgive me." He shook his head as his vision began to go blurry. "Do they at least know what poison was used? This really hit me hard."
Magath stood. "The doctor can explain that in the morning. We've taken up enough of your time. Recover quickly, lieutenant."
"Thank you for your hard work, inspector."
"Oh, and let us know when your wife comes back. We need to question her."
"She speaks French."
"So do I," Magath said, his blue eyes piercing down at him.
Eren shuddered. The last thing he wanted was for the Gestapo to interrogate Levi.
They filed out of the room and closed the door behind them. Eren slumped back on his bed in anguish. He saw Floch still standing against the wall, staring hard at him.
"What really happened?" he whispered in a hiss.
Floch's face was even more severe. "Your … wife…"
Eren's mouth dropped from the way he said that. "You know?"
Floch met his eyes again. "Last night, you told me to protect … Louise." His face drew up in grief. "I'm so sorry."
Eren's heart slammed against his rib cage in terror. "No!" Levi! What happened?
Floch glanced at the door, and Eren followed his gaze. They had to be careful. He waved Floch to come closer. The young soldier dragged his feet, looking weighed down with grief. Floch took a seat on the bed, and Eren sat up to lean in close to him, keeping his voice low and secretive.
"You need to tell me precisely what happened."
Floch's lips were quivering. "You told me."
"I told you what?" he asked, afraid to admit to anything just yet.
Floch leaned in closer and whispered into Eren's ear, "About the top secret mission with that Jew."
Eren forced his face not to react, not in shock and definitely not in confusion. Slowly, he asked, "What precisely did I tell you?"
Floch still looked devastated. "I swear, you didn't tell me too much. You only said you were on a top secret mission, and you asked me to protect that Jew for you. I … I sent him up into the attic," he confessed, cringing down. "Then this morning I heard about the attack. They found blood. I went up there after the police left, and I saw the wig he had been wearing. What if he was attacked? And now he's missing, the Gestapo wants to question Louise, but she's not in the city. You're going to get into trouble, and it's all my fault!"
Eren continued to keep his face passive. "What did you tell the Gestapo?"
"Nothing about the mission or the Jew, I swear! I only told them that Louise ran to get me, and she was limping, and you said to take you home, so I drove you here. I told them Louise slipped out while we were all talking. I said I didn't know where she went."
"You'll need to fill me in. My memory stops before I even reached the doors of the restaurant."
"Yes, right. Debriefing," Floch said, pulling himself together to relay his report. "I ate my dinner and went to the car to wait. Louise … no, that Jew…"
"His name is Levi."
"Levi. He came to the car. He wouldn't talk, but he waved me to follow. He was limping hard on his right ankle. I followed him to the restaurant. Two men were taking you to the side, one was Nicolo, the other was that Negro waiter of his. I shoved the Negro away and took you to the car. Nicolo followed in worry and asked to send you a bread basket and wine as an apology. I saw it downstairs; I think the Gestapo already tested it for poison."
"Do they suspect Nicolo?"
"They're the Gestapo. They suspect everyone. They questioned him, but I heard that he had a pretty solid alibi, with the restaurant being so crowded that night, he only went into the cellars to get you some wine. I overheard that they'll be questioning his kitchen staff all day."
"What happened when you got to the car?"
"I kept asking questions, but the Jew … Levi … he didn't understand me. I saw his wig slip, and that's when I looked a little closer and realized who he was. Then you told me this was a top secret mission and asked me to look after him."
"Just how much did I talk about … about the mission?" That must have been a lie he came up with in desperation, but now he had to pretend it was true.
"Don't worry. You told me no details at all, sir. The Jew was the one who told me to take you home, and that the Gestapo did not know about your mission. He said no one else knows his identity, and Louise isn't a part of this. Beyond that, I know nothing of your objective." He pouted and mumbled, "Or why you would go that far to convince everyone that Jew is your wife."
"How did Levi tell you all that? He doesn't speak German."
"No, but I speak French."
Eren's mouth dropped. "Wait, that whole time we had to use Levi as a translator because no one else spoke French, and you never once thought about volunteering?"
"I … I didn't realize a translator was needed," he said sheepishly. "No one mentioned it to me. I thought we were using a French Jew so the civilians would respond better. Besides, I'm not fluent. I was told in Paris that my pronunciation is really bad."
Eren shook his head. He really had missed a lot. "So, what happened to Levi?"
Floch again looked anguished. "Wim right away thought your wife was involved. He said I should take Louise away, but the Jew said he needed to stay near you. I … I told him to go up into the attic. I also slipped as I helped him up. He cut his leg on the ledge. I didn't have time to see, but … it looked pretty bad. It was bleeding."
"So he was in the attic with a bleeding leg and a sprained ankle? Did he at least have his bag or purse with him?" Eren knew, those two things had Levi's knives.
"Yes, I passed up his bag and some men's clothing."
Eren looked up at the ceiling. "Floch … this is a risk, but I need you to do something."
"Anything, sir!" he said with fanatic loyalty.
"Climb into the attic. Be extremely careful not to make a sound. In fact, leave your shoes off. Go up there and call out to Levi."
"You think he's still up there? But the Gestapo searched the whole place!"
"I don't know, but I need to find out for myself. Be quiet about it."
"I shall be no louder than a mouse!" he declared.
Floch removed his jacket and shoes. Then he climbed up on the chair set under the hatch and reached up.
"Wait!" Eren called out. "Scratch first. Trust me, he tends to strike before he looks."
Floch scratched the wooden hatch, waited, and then pushed it open and pulled himself up. He pulled out his torch, flipped it on, and swung the light around the dark, cavernous attic.
"Jew?" he whispered, looking around at the chaos left behind. "Levi, êtes-vous encore là?" Are you still here?
Suddenly, Floch heard a noise by the window. He swung the torch that way and reached for his gun. However, he saw the lid of a crate lift, and then a dark-haired man sat up.
Levi whispered. "Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" What are you doing?
"Jäger est réveillé et se demande si vous étiez toujours là." Jäger is awake and wondering if you were still here.
"Je suis ici. Je ne peux pas marcher." I'm here. I can't walk.
"Vous vous êtes foulé ou cassé la cheville?" Did you sprain or break your ankle?
"Putain, comment devrais-je savoir? Je ne suis pas médecin." How the fuck should I know? I'm not a doctor.
Floch leaned over and stuck his head down through the hole in the ceiling. "Er ist hier oben, Herr Oberleutnant." He's up here, First Lieutenant.
"Wie geht es ihm?" How is he?
Floch glanced back over to the small man sitting in a crate. "Er ist verletzt. Er kann nicht laufen." He is hurt. He can't walk.
"Nein," Eren whispered in deep pain. "Levi?"
Levi heard his pleading voice. He wanted to walk over there and see Eren for himself, but he also knew that trying to put pressure on his ankle was a really bad idea. He had spent most of that day curled in that crate simply trying to keep his mind off the swelling foot that was gradually getting more painful. He crawled out only when his bladder and gut could not wait any longer. There was now one immensely gross glass jar hidden in the corner with the lid tightly closed.
Floch looked from Eren, over to Levi, and back again. He frowned, but he decided with determination, "Je vais vous porter. Vous en savez plus que moi sur hier soir." I will carry you. You know more than I do about last night.
"Tu ne me porteras pas!" You will not carry me!
Floch smirked playfully. "Essayez de m'arrêter." Try to stop me.
He stepped forward. Levi was tempted to pick up his knife—or even his gun—to prevent Floch from doing something stupid, but that would only make the situation worse. Besides, he really did want to see Eren, and maybe change the bandages on his injuries.
Levi threatened, "Si tu me lâches, je te trancherai la gorge." If you drop me, I will slit your throat.
Floch smiled, hearing the petulant hopefulness in that threat. It was cute! No wonder Eren fancied him.
Floch carefully got Levi into his arms and carried him across the attic. He realized getting down would be a challenge. Levi pointed out the rope ladder, but he still knew from last night, getting down that rope was hard.
And then, Floch offered to carry him on his back.
Levi sneered with teeth bared like a feral cat, yet when Floch crouched low, he went ahead and climbed on.
Love really was making him stupid now.
Floch carefully climbed down the ladder, swaying with the rope, with Levi nearly choking him from behind. Eren watched, and he put a hand to his mouth to hold back from laughing. That amusement ended when Floch reached the bottom and Levi still could not step down. When finally Floch helped him to sit on the bed, Eren looked down at Levi's trousers and saw the swollen ankle.
Oh! That was bad!
"What happened?" he asked in English.
"Every plan we made went right out the fucking window, that's what!" Levi snapped in a whisper. He turned to Floch. "Ferme la porte du grenier, idiot." Close the attic door, idiot.
Floch nodded, tossed the ladder back up, and pulled the wooden door closed.
Eren called out to him, "Stehen Sie draußen Wache." Stand guard outside.
Floch paused, looked between the two of them, and reluctantly nodded. He slipped out the door and closed it behind him.
Alone again, Eren felt a gush of emotions hit him that he dared not show in front of Floch. He threw himself forward and into Levi's arms.
Levi held him. Just seeing Eren awake and feeling his arms around him … he had truly feared he might never see Eren again. He grasped him tightly, overwhelmed to be with him again.
"I'm glad you're okay. You really scared me, takhshet."
"What happened?" he cried out in a whisper. "We were at dinner, and then I was here, and they said I was drugged, and there was an attacker in the attic, and … and now Floch knows about you? What the hell happened yesterday?"
Hearing the anguish and frustration in his whispered cries broke Levi's heart, yet this situation was not even close to being over. "What was the last thing you remember?"
"We were getting up to leave, and I felt dizzy. I began to fall before we reached the door. You said something to that waiter in French, then I saw you run out of the restaurant, and that's the last thing I remember. Everything goes blank or blurry after that. I don't recall coming here. I sort of recall taking medicine, but it was strange, like I was not really in control, just following their orders, and I couldn't really feel my body or tell if I was awake or dreaming."
Levi's brow tensed. "That's not poison. Someone slipped you a mickey!"
"Mickey? Like the cartoon?"
"No, it's a type of drug put into drinks to sedate someone. In English, it's called a Mickey Finn. It matches your symptoms, including amnesia." He shrugged and admitted, "I may have used it on enemies back in the day … a lot."
"We were both drinking the same wine. How was I drugged?"
Levi sneered. "I wish I knew, so I could kill the man who did it."
"So, what is all this about a secret mission?"
"No clue. Apparently it's a lie you told to Floch."
"How does he know who you are?"
"I'm more surprised that it took him this long to look closely at me. He must be a real gentleman, not looking too closely at another man's wife."
"What happened to your ankle?"
"When I ran to get Floch, I slipped in the heels and my ankle went sideways. Some bastard helped me up, but he tried to grope my chest."
"What!" he cried in outrage.
Levi sharply hushed him and looked at the door again in paranoia. "Don't worry, I punched him."
"Good," Eren grumbled, although if he had seen a man do that to Levi, he would have done far worse than just punching.
"What have you been told so far?"
Eren summarized everything the Gestapo said, as well as what little Floch told him. Eren talked, but his eyes were on the black clothing Levi wore. His words drifted off, and he caressed Levi's chest.
"Eren?" Levi questioned.
He had a tiny, sweet smile. "The new clothes. They look good on you."
Levi raised an eyebrow. Compliments were the last thing he wanted.
"What happened to your other clothes?"
"The women's clothes are now part of a sloppy, disastrous search by the local police, and my other clothes were soaked in rain and blood."
"Blood?"
"Shh!" Levi hissed, looking sharply to the door again. "Don't worry, I bandaged it."
"The Gestapo said there was an intruder, and Samuel Linke was shot."
"Ah, that was my fault."
"You shot him?"
"Only after he shot at me first. I had to escape. Besides, he's fine."
"How do you know?"
"If I had wanted him dead, he would be."
Fair enough. "How did you even get a gun?"
"That's from the assassin last night."
Eren's mouth dropped, but Levi put a hand over his lips before he could shout again.
"Not … a … sound." He frowned and looked down at the gun still tucked into his waistband. "Someone sneaked into the attic while I was asleep and opened the door to your room. We fought, I stabbed him, he dropped his gun, I picked it up, and he ran off before I could stop him. Your Nazi buddies came, saw me up there, and shot at me, so I shot back."
"Who was the attacker?"
"I don't know. Male, French … highly skilled. That was no average burglar."
"French? Do you think it was Yelena?"
"She's too tall."
"Someone in her group?"
"That was my first suspicion, but the intruder was skilled, almost on par with me. Yelena doesn't have anyone like that in her group." He added in a grumble, "Not that I know of, at least. Whoever it was, they're not coming back anytime soon."
Eren smiled with pride. "Did you defeat him?"
"He got away," Levi grumbled, but a tiny smug smirk rose to his lips. "However, I can say that it was the first time I've ever pinned a man to the ground by driving a knife through his arm."
Eren both cringed and softly laughed. His strong, fierce boyfriend! "I'm glad you're safe." He glanced at Levi's legs. "At least, mostly."
"The ankle was my own fault. The cut on the leg, I blame the stupidity of how women's clothing is designed, and your clumsy but surprisingly reliable assistant. The only injury from the attacker was when he threw me to the ground. That bruise on my back is throbbing again."
"And you have no idea who this was?"
He shook his head. It had haunted him all night. If Yelena wanted to kill Eren, she would not want Levi near enough to protect him. If this was the Gestapo, they would have finished him off in a sneakier way. Was there a third party getting involved? Was this what Yelena was talking about with something big? But if so, why would anyone target Eren?
Or was the intended target him? Did some other group know about him and wanted to kill La Lame Juive once and for all? There were those Southern France fascists, la Milice. There was also the fact that the dropped gun was British. Not that the country of origin meant the owner was from that same country, but both he and Eren had a connection to the United Kingdom.
Could this be the SIS? Were they after him, or could Eren's brother be making a move?
That was growing as a strong possibility, but he was not sure if he wanted to bring up that subject to Eren just yet, not with how poorly he was feeling.
"I need to find Yelena. I swear, if that bitch is involved, I will slit her throat … slowly!"
"You might want to hold off killing her, at least until you heal. You need someplace to go. It's not safe here anymore." Eren's eyes lowered. "You'll be safe with her."
Levi knew he was right, but it did not make him trust Yelena just yet.
"How bad is your ankle?"
"Bad enough. I think it's worse than a sprain, and then I sliced the other leg getting up into the attic, and when I was chased across the roof, I almost slipped off and tore up my feet." He grumbled in reluctant admittance, "I can't walk. I'm well fucked at this point."
Eren noticed the bulkiness under Levi's socks, and the fact he was not wearing shoes.
"Maybe I can dress in disguise, and you can carry me down."
"We can't," Eren warned. "The Gestapo are looking for Louise."
Levi's mouth dropped. "Why the hell are they looking for her?"
"Apparently because you vanished suddenly. That makes you … her … a suspect."
"Shit," Levi seethed. "I knew that was a bad idea. They'll go to her family's house, they'll realize she's been there the whole time…"
"I think her farm is in Allied territory now."
"Fine! Then I'll hide in the attic for a few days, at least until the swelling goes down enough to use crutches."
"They're going to board up the attic."
Levi felt like he had been punched in the gut. No more attic? Now how was he supposed to hide? "Dammit. So I can't leave pretending to be Louise, I can't stay in the attic, and staying in this room with doctors and Gestapo coming in and out is suicide." Levi shook his head, and he glanced over to Eren. Worry crept into his narrow eyes as he quietly admitted, "I'm running out of ideas."
Eren was also stumped. "If you were a spy, what would you do in a situation like this?"
"Pop a cyanide pill before I'm captured."
"No!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Herr Oberleutnant, sind Sie angezogen?" Lieutenant, are you dressed?
In a flash, Levi was down and rolled under the bed, only to curse when his instinctive dive hurt his leg, ankle, and bruised back. Eren calmed himself and straightened the blankets where Levi had been sitting.
"Kommen Sie rein." Come on in.
He saw Floch slowly open the door, peering in first to make sure it was safe. Then Holger walked in carrying a tray and a basket.
"Here's soup!" he announced jovially. "I also got the bread basket Nicolo sent to you this morning. The bread is probably stale by now, but the wine is good. The Gestapo checked it earlier. I hope you don't mind, but I stopped the cart and made the busboy taste the soup to make sure it's safe. The Gestapo said they would test for poison, but that can be slipped in after the meal is prepared."
"If it was poisoned, you could have killed an innocent man."
Holger shrugged. "He isn't innocent if he's working for someone trying to kill you."
He set the tray on the table and ordered Floch to help him get Eren to stand. Eren still felt half sedated, and his legs struggled to move properly. Even with the two men holding onto him, he stumbled twice walking from the bed to the table.
"Do I need to stay?" asked Holger.
"No, I'll be fine going back to bed. Thank you. I'll see you in the morning."
"Hopefully, no more assassins," Holger said with a laugh, and he waved as he left.
Floch lingered, glancing around at the seemingly empty room. "That man is like a ghost."
"You may leave as well. I'm going to eat and sleep a bit more."
"Are you sure, sir? I can stand guard outside your door."
Eren wanted to tell him no, but he figured that this might give him and Levi some added security. "Sure, but if you get tired, feel free to return to the barracks."
"If you need help with anything … anything," Floch said, hoping he got his point across without openly saying something.
"I'll let you know. Thank you for your loyalty, Floch."
"Of course, sir!"
Floch left and firmly closed the door. Eren waited a few moments, listening in case there was anyone outside talking, but hearing nothing, he called over to the bed in English, "Okay, it's clear."
Levi cringed as he rolled back out. "That bloody hurt," he grumbled.
"Come, we have a whole basket of bread, and you can share the soup with me."
"I'm not stealing your food!"
"I can always ask for more." Eren pushed the bowl over. "Eat."
Levi did not want to argue, so he crawled cautiously over to the table, pulled himself up into a seat, and immediately shoveled three heaping spoonfuls into his mouth. He chomped on bits of chicken and carrots. It was the first food he had all day, and his stomach growled in gratefulness. He also grabbed a bread roll, plunged it into the soup broth, and voraciously ate it.
"Let me check your ankle. I want to see if it's broken."
Levi looked at the door. How long before someone else came by? "Fine! Hurry."
He scooted his chair over and propped his right foot up onto Eren's lap. Eren wasted no time; he pulled the trouser leg up, removed the sock, unrolled the bandages around both the foot and the ankle, and grimaced as he saw the purplish swelling bloating out Levi's ankle as well as shredded skin on his heels. With a soft curse of worry, he began to feel around the inflamed skin. Levi clenched his teeth against the pain as Eren's fingers carefully probed, pressing on the Achilles tendon and feeling around the top of the foot. Suddenly, Levi jolted hard and slapped a hand over his mouth as he nearly screamed.
Eren sighed and shook his head. "It's definitely broken, but I can't tell how bad it is, or just how much the tendons are damaged. You need that looked at by a real doctor."
"Oh yes, I'll just walk into a hospital, 'Hello nurse, I broke my foot, by the way, I'm a Jew, please go ahead and contact the Gestapo.' I'd rather just sit in the attic for six weeks and hope it heals right."
"I doubt we have six weeks."
He snarled, knowing Eren was right. "Putain! I really am stuck with Yelena then. I don't want to stay with her for that long, but until I can walk on my own two feet, I don't have much of a choice. Even if she can get me out of the city, I can't walk. The problem is, I can't even get down from this hotel."
"Armin might be able to come up with a plan. I'll send for him tomorrow. For tonight, hide under my bed."
"Tu es fou? That's suicide!"
"If they decide to board up the attic tomorrow morning, you might not have a chance to get back down. We can protect each other if you're right next to me. Or under me, in this case."
Levi's eyes narrowed. "I'd rather be killed alone than stand by and watch you be killed. I will never let that happen again."
Eren reached forward and grabbed Levi's hand, knowing he was thinking about helplessly watching his wife being murdered. "No one's dying. We'll fight through this together. Zusammen sind wir stärker. Together we are stronger."
Eren desperately wished they could just fly away together, but at the very least they could watch each other's backs.
"I'll have Floch fetch your things from the attic. Dress in the women's clothes, just in case. If you're caught, at the very least, we can pretend you're Louise. It may buy us time."
"This is insane!"
"Do you have a better idea?"
He didn't, which frustrated him. Levi wished he could just fight his way out.
Eren leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll try to get you more food. For now, eat the soup."
"I told you, I'm not stealing your food."
"And I told you, I can always ask for more. I'm a German officer in a German fortress. I won't starve."
Scowling but realizing he was right, Levi took a few more mouthfuls.
Levi ended up eating the entire bowl. Eren did not mind, watching him, ravenous and his eyes flitting about in paranoia. Levi had eaten that way the very first time they shared soup together. It showed how comfortable they had both grown over the past few months.
This was so different from last night, when their gazes were lingering and warm, thoughts of pleasure for later that night filled their minds.
Eren knew this would be a horrible time for that.
He whispered, "Do you need help to the toilet? While you're in there, I can have Floch come in and fetch your things."
Levi had to admit, it would be nice to not poop in a jar again. "I probably should. How do you suggest we…?"
Eren suddenly scooped Levi up into his arms. Levi's eyes grew huge in shock, only to narrow with rage.
Eren whispered, "Just until we get you some crutches."
Levi knew not to yell at Eren. He slammed his mouth shut and grumbled, "I'll allow it this time." Despite acting annoyed, Levi rested his head on Eren's shoulder as he was carried across the hotel room.
Eren walked into the bathroom and was careful as he lowered Levi to the toilet. "Do you want a bath?"
"Like hell am I risking that again."
Eren realized it was probably best, although he was disappointed. "Do you need any help?"
Sarcastically, Levi asked, "Do you plan to reach into my arse and pull the poop out for me? Get out of here so I can have some privacy."
Eren laughed softly and left him, shutting the door as he heard Levi start to undo his belt. Eren held onto the wall as a wave of dizziness hit again, then walked to the entryway door. When he opened it, Floch jolted.
"Sir?"
"I need you to get me something."
"Yo, Jäger!"
Eren glanced down the hall and saw Jean standing just outside of his room talking with Gunther. "Good evening, Jean."
"How are you feeling?" he asked, sounding earnestly concerned.
Eren sighed but tried to look firm. He would probably get that question a lot over the next week. "Getting better. I'm still really dizzy. Hey, do you know anything about this? Did you see anything, hear anything? I still barely know what's going on."
"Other than helping Samuel to the hospital after he was shot, no. I heard the scuffle in the attic, feet stomping, we all heard the gunshots, but I think the only person who saw a thing was Samuel, and he just said he saw someone was inside the attic. He didn't get a good look at the face." He glanced up, then stared hard at Eren. "If I didn't know better, it almost sounded like two people were up there fighting. Samuel insisted he saw only one."
"Is that so?" Eren said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It would be even more scary to think two people were fighting over who gets to kill me."
"That, I can imagine," Jean teased. "Are you sure everything is okay?"
Eren knew that Jean was good at being subtle when he wanted to be. It was part of what would make him a good officer. "If I need any help, can I call upon you?"
Jean rolled his eyes. "Depends. If you want me to wipe your arse, you can fuck yourself. If you need other help though," he said, and he gave a tiny nod, "let me know."
Eren smiled, glad to know Jean still had his back. He would probably need it.
Oliver opened his door and looked out. "Did you find your wife yet?"
Holger threw his door open, having been eavesdropping, and asked in excitement, "You found Frau Louise?"
Other doors opened, and Eren glanced around. It seemed everyone was still on edge after the drama from earlier.
"No, I haven't found Louise yet," Eren answered. "I wish I knew where she was. Did she say anything to anyone before leaving?" he asked the hallway full of curious lieutenants, trying to act like a worried husband, not like his wife was safe in the south and his boyfriend was hiding in the bathroom.
They all shook their heads, and a few looked more concerned than others. Eren glanced at their faces—who looked worried for her safety, who looked suspicious about this missing wife—and made a mental note.
"Don't worry," Griez said with a firm gaze of determination. "We'll keep an eye out for her."
"Oh, I know!" Daz said in excitement. "We should go see if she ran back to Madame Carly. I bet she took shelter at the brothel."
Surma rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You just want another prostitute."
"Well, yeah," Daz admitted. "It might actually help me sleep tonight."
Eren paused. Of course! Carly! "That might not be a bad idea. I'll visit Madame Carly tomorrow."
"Well, I'm going tonight," Daz said, and he shut his door.
"Oh hey," Eren shouted out to the group, "Floch is going to be up in the attic, so if you hear any noise, don't shoot the ceiling."
Wim warned, "He better bring a gun."
Phil looked anxious. "Why does he need to go up there? Is there anything up there? A dead body?"
Gunther shook his head. "I'm pretty sure we'd smell a dead body by now."
Jean shouted out, "Don't worry. Jäger hid all of his dirty pictures up there so his wife wouldn't find them. I told him, if they're going to board up the attic, he should get them down now. Some of those photos are real primo, fully nude and super busty."
Eren shot Jean a scathing glare, who in return smirked back smugly, silently daring Eren to say otherwise. Meanwhile, the officers chuckled. Most of them had their own stashes of erotic photographs for lonely nights. Keeping his hand low, Eren gave Jean a two-finger salute before shutting his door.
"That bastard!" he whispered.
Floch stood inside the room. "Do you want me to go up there?"
Eren nodded, trying to focus back on the task at hand. "I need you to get some things: there's the women's clothing from yesterday, the wig, the blue coat, a backpack with a book and a few supplies, any tools he left up there, and any spare bedding you can find. If they're going to board up the attic, we need to get it all down now."
"Where are you going to put all this?"
Eren shrugged. "For now, under my bed or in the closet."
"That's dangerous," Floch said right away.
"Well, I don't have much choice. With any luck, it'll only be until tomorrow."
Until tomorrow. Yesterday, Eren had been in tears every time he thought about Levi leaving. Now, he was desperate to get him out and to somewhere safe.
Floch offered, "I could take some of the items with me, keep them in the barracks…"
"Absolutely not!" Eren scolded. He strode up to Floch and put his hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me. If anything were to happen—if, God forbid, I'm caught—you must pretend like you know nothing. I will not risk you or any of the others. Understood? You. Know. Nothing."
Floch looked determined to be defiant, but that moment of extreme devotion clashed with being loyal to Eren's orders. He lowered his head and nodded in obedience.
"You really look out for us," he muttered in adoration.
"I try," Eren whispered. "Now, please fetch anything you can and place it in the closet for now."
Floch climbed back up, and Eren walked over to the bathroom.
"Are you okay in there?" he asked Levi in English.
"You're out of disinfectant," Levi grumbled.
"I'll get more." He glanced up at where Floch had vanished into the attic. "I know just who can get it for us. Stay in there a little longer."
Floch found the women's clothing in a pile strewn about by police. He picked up the wig and dusted it off. It would take some work to straighten out the hairs. He shook his head, unsure what to think of all this.
Was Eren homosexual, or just acting a part?
Did he really want to know either way?
Did it matter? Floch knew he would still be loyal to Eren, no matter what.
As Louise, Levi got sympathy from the other officers. Eren could go around with him, and no one would really question it. Floch had to admit, he had not looked too closely at the blond with Eren. Maybe if he had, he would have noticed the differences, but he only barely knew Louise anyway.
He had to admit, women all looked the same to him. He just saw blond, brunette, redhead, tall, short, busty, flat. He did not look that closely.
Apparently, many soldiers were the same.
* * *
Eren called up the hotel kitchen for more soup. He stumbled over to a desk, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote down a list. Then he walked into the bathroom. Levi sat on the ledge of the bathtub, inspecting the bottoms of his feet. By the deep furrow between his brow, Eren could tell how much this injury worried Levi.
He had been so close to escaping.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to Madame Carly," he whispered.
Levi looked over to him. "The lady in charge of the brothel?"
"She knows Yelena. It won't look suspicious, especially if I'm asking about my wife who used to work for her."
Levi had to admit, that was a smart move, far better than his idea last night about calling up the wine shop.
"Yelena might be able to get you out. At the very least, she can hide you until you heal."
Levi looked back down at his swollen ankle. "Don't worry too much about me. You just focus on getting better."
Eren walked in and dropped to one knee beside Levi. "Of course I'm going to worry about you. You are the man I love."
Levi grimaced as a pain shot through his heart. For a moment last night, he had really feared he would never see Eren again. He had feared…
Suddenly, he grabbed Eren and burrowed his head down into his chest. Eren flinched at the crushing grip around his ribs, and his eyes grew wide at the suddenness of affection coming from Levi. As he heard a tiny sniffle, he sighed in sympathy and wrapped his arms around Levi.
Levi hissed between his teeth, "You really scared the hell out of me last night, bastard."
Eren nuzzled his black hair and soothingly caressed Levi's back. "Thank you for taking care of me. You got injured because of me, so I'll do whatever I can to help you."
Levi raised his head, and although he refused to cry, pinkness lined his eyelids. "Eren," he whispered. He had almost lost this man!
Eren leaned down and captured his lips. Levi's eyes slammed shut to savor this kiss, realizing just how special each kiss was.
Eren pulled back up and whispered, letting his lips flutter over Levi's mouth, "You saved my life. I will never forget it."
Levi's jaw trembled for a moment before he gruffly forced out, "You better not!"
Eren chuckled softly and rubbed his nose against Levi's before giving him another kiss.
Just then, they heard Floch climbing down with the supplies. Eren stood up, but he had to hold onto the wall for a moment as dizziness swept over him, before he could turn and slowly walk out of the bathroom, sometimes holding onto the wall for stability. Levi watched him walking to unsteadily, yet stubbornly trying. It really worried him. Eren should be resting so he could make a full recover, not trying to help him. He glared down at his purple, swollen ankle and cursed at the shitty luck he had, to be injured right when Eren needed him the most.
Floch had set most of the items in the closet, but the backpack was too big. He placed that under the bed and laid out the women's clothing on the duvet. He even tried to smooth out the wrinkles.
"The wig is in pretty bad shape," he said in apology. "It was in the bottom of a pile. The police really ripped that place apart."
Eren saw the mess of blond strands. "I'll fix it. Now, one final task, and then I want you to get some sleep. I may need your help tomorrow."
"Of course, sir! Any way I can help."
"I want you to take this." He held out the list he had written. "Fetch these medical supplies for me. It should be okay for you to tell them I'm merely making sure my own supplies are renewed. Also, bring back a sandwich. Do not tell anyone it's for me. Buy it from somewhere random."
"I'll buy two," he said. "One for you, one for him."
"I should be fine. I just ordered more soup."
"Then two for him." He stepped closer. "Let me help, sir."
Eren smiled and nodded in genuine thanks.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Floch spun around with his gun already drawn, but Eren placed a hand on top of his barrel.
"I told you, I ordered soup."
Floch sank and holstered the gun. "Sorry. I'll get it for you. You sit and rest."
Floch answered the door and rolled in the cart with some soup, wine, and bread on top. Floch offered to taste both the soup and the wine, and he sniffed the bread, taking tiny pinches of each roll. He then waited a few minutes to see if anything would happen, before he decided it was safe for Eren to eat it.
With the list in hand, Floch hurried out. Eren locked the door behind him, then walked back to the bathroom, only to see Levi crawling on his hands and knees.
"What are you doing?"
"I managed to get around early this morning like this."
Eren shook his head and grabbed Levi up like a turtle. "You're stubborn."
"Of course I am. I'm a Jew."
Eren laughed. "I'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with it." He set him down on top of the bed. "See if you can fix the wig while I eat."
Levi picked up the blond wig. "What a bloody mess."
Eren fetched him a comb and brush, and then he sat down to the soup. He poured some wine out for Levi, who was happy to get more liquids after going most of the day with no food or water. They sat in silence, too scared to talk much.
Eren kept glancing at Levi. He wanted to say something, but he was unsure what to talk about. Their situation had turned from bad to dire. With luck, he could get Levi out tomorrow. That both felt like a relief and filled him with grief.
This could be their last night together.
He had thought that so many times now, he was numb to the idea. All the beautiful, sensual things he had wanted for their last night together fell apart, and now here they were, sitting in silence, not knowing what tomorrow might bring.
Finally, Eren was done and rolled the cart back out, saving the bread to the side for Levi. While he was there, he saw Floch running up the stairs with a bag full of the supplies he had asked for. Eren thanked him and insisted he get some sleep. Then he locked the door and went back to the bed.
Levi held up the wig. "That's about as good as it's going to get." He glanced at Eren. "Are you going to be up all night, since you slept through the day?"
"Actually, no." He sat heavily on the mattress. "Maybe some of the drugs are still in my system, because I'm tired."
"Good. Get all the sleep you need. I hate the idea, but I'll have to rely on you for a while."
That made Eren smile. "I won't betray your trust."
Warmth flowed into Levi's heart, and he whispered, "I know." He set the wig down. "I guess I should make a bed for myself under here."
"I'll get it," Eren offered. "You dress in the women's clothing, just in case."
Levi's lip pulled back in revulsion. "Do you realize how cold those clothes are?"
Eren rubbed Levi's arms, as if to warm him up now. "You could wear my coat. That's a bit romantic, a wife wearing her husband's coat."
Levi's eyes stared hard at him. "It's a Nazi coat. I'd rather freeze."
Eren frowned at that harsh dismissal. "Then at least I can turn the heat up a little."
Levi grumbled some French profanity. These new black clothes were really warm, he hated to get out of them, yet he knew Eren had a point. If anyone saw him under that bed, he and Eren could probably convince people he was Louise. Most of these men had been fooled already, so it could work.
Eren took the duvet, quilt, and a pillow that Floch found in the attic and tried to set them up under the bed. He lay on the pile and frowned. This was not much better than sleeping on a hardwood floor.
"You could sleep next to me," he said, staring up at the springs and the underside of the mattress. "I doubt anyone will check on me in the night, and I locked the door."
"Not a chance in hell, takhshet," Levi said as he pulled the dress over his head.
Eren crawled out and maneuvered some supplies around to work as a barrier, so anyone walking into the room would not see that there was someone under the bed.
"That's good," he decided. "No one stepping in from the door will see you, and you can shove your bag aside to climb out on the window side."
He looked at Levi in that dress, no wig, no makeup. It looked ridiculous, and it really drove home the desperation of their situation. Eren's fingers drew up into fists.
"Why did you stay?"
Levi glanced over with an eyebrow raised. "Che! What sort of stupid question is that?"
Eren realized that Levi was injured before coming up all those stairs to this room. He had followed and stayed by his side, surely knowing he would be trapped.
"Why … did you stay?" he repeated, and his voice went hoarse as his throat choked up. He had not wanted to drown in thoughts like this, yet they filled his heart to the point of bursting.
Levi turned aside, trying to avoid that issue. "Why are you asking that now?"
Eren realized that Levi could have left. He had every opportunity. He could have stayed in the car, told Floch to drop him off somewhere, or ran away altogether. It would have been safer for him. Surely, he knew that! Yet he chose to follow Eren up those stairs and stay in the attic so he was nearby, despite his injury.
"What happened to live no matter the price?"
Levi kept his eyes down, and he caught sight of the pearl ring he was still wearing. "Perhaps I found something priceless."
A sob bubbled up as Eren's chest felt painfully warm deep inside. Levi had chosen him over his own safety.
Levi stayed and risked his life, for him!
He fought an assassin, for him!
"You shouldn't have," he whispered in a raspy, anguished sneer, feeling happy and guilty and terrified all at once.
"Yeah, well, I did," Levi grumbled. He heard the sobs and finally looked over to Eren. "Don't cry. Seriously, someone might want to check on you."
"It's my fault!"
Levi let out huff and turned away. "Stop talking like an idiot."
With a sputtering whimper, Eren ran up to the bed and threw himself into Levi's arms, burying the sobs in his chest. Levi looked stunned, but then clung to him, whispering "Chut, chut." Levi sighed, realizing this was not so different from him earlier, overwhelmed as he realized Eren was going to be okay.
"Es ist meine Schuld! It's my fault! My fault! Vergib mir. Forgive me. Please, vergib mir."
"Eren," Levi sighed, stroking his back to calm him. "It will be all right."
Eren desperately tried to keep quiet, but the sobs would not stop. Levi was now severely injured, yet he walked into this hotel full of Nazi officers, for him!
"Chut, chut." Levi cradled his head and kissed his messy brown hair. "It's not your fault," he whispered, rocking him slowly back and forth. "It was my choice. I don't regret it."
"But what if…" A sniffle choked up his throat. "What if you're killed—"
"Don't talk like that. It'll bring misfortune." He took Eren's cheeks in both of his hands and lifted his tear-drenched face. Those sad eyes broke his heart and also filled him with warmth. "Of course I stayed. There's no way I'm leaving again without telling you goodbye."
Eren's chest jolted, happy to hear that, and terrified. He strained to stop crying, but it hurt his heart so much to think that Levi actually chose him over his own life.
Levi held Eren's cheeks firmly as he leaned in and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss. The feel of his lips and the soothing caresses of his calloused fingers slowly calmed Eren. The pain eased away, leaving only the lingering warmth. He began to kiss back. His fingers combed through Levi's hair and stroked down his neck. His lips sought out Levi, so happy he was here, so desperate to protect him, so amazed that Levi would risk everything for him.
Just as Eren began to surge forward, Levi pulled back.
"We can't get carried away."
"Please," Eren begged, running his hand up Levi's thigh, sneaking up under the hem of the dress.
However, Levi firmly pushed his hand back down. "Not tonight."
"It could be our last night!" he cried out.
Levi put his finger to Eren's lips to silence him. "No. You can barely keep your head up without looking dizzy, and … to be honest, I'm in a lot of pain."
The finger on those trembling lips shifted, and Levi cupped Eren's cheek in his hand. He glanced over Eren's face, the blotchiness of tears in his pale cheeks and the regrets that quivered in his damp, teal blue eyes. When had he begun to think of this man as being so beautiful?
"I want to," Levi confessed in a tiny whisper, "but anything we do would not be enjoyable. It would be purely an act of desperation. You deserve better than that."
Eren obediently pulled his hand away from Levi's thigh. "We should probably get to bed," he whispered, but he glanced back up to Levi. "Can we … just hold each other? Only for a little while?"
Silently, Levi pulled Eren down until they both lay on the pillow, their faces close. Levi played with the ends of Eren's hair. Eren wrapped his whole body around Levi, arms and legs grasping with desperation. A small sob shook his chest again, but Levi's hands stroked along his back, keeping him from falling into depression.
"It'll be okay," Levi whispered, letting their noses rub together.
A tiny, weary, emotionally frail smile quivered on Eren's lips. He traced along Levi's jawline, admiring his face.
Levi's fingers caressed up Eren's brow. "Do you need me to pet your head until you fall asleep, like a scared little child?"
Eren laughed softly at the playful insults he had grown to love. "You don't need to, but it feels nice."
Levi gently stroked up his brow. Eren had to admit, his head was getting heavy very quickly. Levi's touches were putting him into a blissful, ataraxic state, making him drift off. He did not want to fall asleep and miss a single second together, yet as Levi began to hum a French lullaby, Eren felt his mind sink as his muscles went limp.
Levi smiled in a strange, protective joy as he hummed the old song. He could barely even remember the lyrics, but the tune was straight out of his childhood. He watched as all the anguish drifted out of Eren's face, and that soft innocence was left. Like this, he saw the boyish charms that the military had so far failed to carve out of their loyal little soldier.
As Eren's mouth dropped and his breathing went slow, Levi slowly pulled back. Yesterday, watching Eren unconscious, fearing if he would ever wake up, had been horrifying. Watching Eren asleep now, with all those emotions freed out of his heart, left Levi feeling at peace.
He eased his way down to the ground, but even the smallest pressure on his bad ankle made him hiss in agony, and that woke up Eren.
"Are you okay?" he sleepily asked.
"Don't worry about me."
He grimaced at putting weight on the cut leg as he eased down to the ground. Once settled, he crawled under the bed and wrapped up in the blankets.
"Is it comfortable?" asked Eren.
"Of course not, but it's a bed and it's relatively warm." He still shifted around. His back was throbbing from the attacker's throw, and he knew this was going to make it worse. "I wish I could prop up my ankle."
Eren went into the bathroom and came back with his towel rolled up. He tucked it under the bed, slipping it under the blanket so Levi could prop his ankle up.
"Is that better?"
"It still hurts, but I'll manage."
Eren reached under the bed and took Levi's hand. He could not stretch far, so Eren only squeezed his fingers.
"I'll see you in the morning. If you need anything…"
"Eren," he cut in. "Let me sleep."
He stopped and smiled. "Right. Goodnight."
He stood back up and stumbled slightly as he walked to the heater to turn up the temperature for Levi. Then Eren turned off the lights. He settled down under his blankets, still feeling the warm caresses to his forehead.
Levi reached up and placed his hand on the springs that held up the mattress. Then suddenly, he punched it.
Eren leaped up at the sharp hit to his back. "Ow!"
"If you fart in your sleep, I will knee you in the arse from down here."
Eren broke into a brief, sharp laugh and covered his mouth to hold back the sound. That was so like Levi, to end the night on a grouchy threat. "If I fart, it's only because you're snoring."
"I do not snore." Levi kept touching the mattress, really wishing they could have slept together. He sighed and whispered, "Hob a gite nakht, neshomeleh."
Eren felt a jolt at hearing the Yiddish phrase. "That word!"
Levi smirked and pulled the blankets tighter around him. "Go to sleep."
Eren grinned in the darkness. Gite nakht sounded close enough to gute Nacht to know that Levi had wished him a goodnight, and that word: neshomeleh. Sweetheart. Eren blushed as he snuggled down into the mattress.
In mere minutes, Levi heard Eren breathing heavily. Poor guy. He was thankful, though. Eren seemed to be fine, and after a drug-free sleep, he should be fully recovered.
He would be okay.
Levi wished he could say the same for himself.
He wished he could crawl out now, while everyone was asleep. He wished he could lower a rope and slide out the window. He almost wanted to crawl back up to the attic. At least up there, if he was caught, police would think he was an intruder and Eren would not get into trouble.
Yet as he heard Eren heavily breathing, Levi was privately glad he was here with him. His eyes drifted down, and finally Levi managed to fall into a deep, desperately-needed sleep.
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Samuel Linke and Daz Venable – In the manga, Samuel's full name is Samuel Linke-Jackson, in homage to Samuel L. Jackson. I picked just the first part of his hyphenated surname for this story, since "Jackson" isn't a German surname. Daz is never given a last name, so his surname is after his English voice actor, Brad Venable, who passed away in early 2021. RIP, good man!
Theo Magath – In the manga, Magath is a general. Here, he is a Regierungs- und Kriminaldirektor (Government and Criminal Director); in other words, like a chief inspector. NOT someone you want to mess with. During World War II, members of the Gestapo held both their police title and military ranks within the SS, although most were not members of the SS. So he also holds the rank of Oberführer, the highest rank a staff officer can achieve. It was one down from a Generalmajor, so close enough to his manga rank.
Mickey Finn – a drug put into someone's drink with the intent of knocking them unconscious, also known as slipping a mickey. The practice was named after Mickey Finn, the owner of a Chicago "black-and-tan bar" (AKA, a desegregated tavern, deemed low-brow at the time, the patrons didn't care so long as the booze was cheap).
From 1896 to 1903, he promoted the Mickey Finn Special, a rather pricey drink compared to his usual cheap beer and whiskey, made from a mix of alcohol, Tabasco, snuff-soaked water, and a "special ingredient": chloral hydrate, a sedative that can knock out a full-grown man in seconds. He bought the drug from a voodoo doctor -slash- drug dealer. (Yes, really.) The higher price was so the people who ordered it had some money on them. Once unconscious, Mickey Finn's crew of bartenders and house girls (prostitutes) dragged the patron into a back room, stripped him of his possessions, threw him out into an alley, and split the loot between themselves. It took seven years before a house girl named Gold Tooth (guess why) ratted Mickey out to the police, and he was finally arrested.
15 years later, over 100 waiters in Chicago were arrested in a sting operation that uncovered they were slipping customers what they called Mickey Finn powder, obviously inspired by the man who drugged and robbed his patrons. As the Roaring 20s led to more booze and drugs, and as Chicago mob bosses grew to rule the streets, the phrase "slip a mickey" came to mean any drug added to a drink to sedate a victim.
The term is rather antiquated today. (My husband had never even heard of the phrase slip a mickey, but then again he doesn't watch mobster movies like I do.) It has been replaced with "being roofied," named after the drug Rohypnol, although Ketamine or GHB can also be used. These drugs are odorless, tasteless, and dissolve instantly in liquid. They lower inhibitions, increase sexual desire, and make it difficult to move or resist, sometimes with amnesiac side effects so that the victim is awake through the assault but has no memory of it. This is why it is so important to NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR DRINK when you are at a bar or club. It is estimated that 1 in 13 college students are slipped a mickey (or roofied) at some point, 80% of those victims are female, and this usually results in sexual assault.
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POLICING FORCES IN NAZI GERMANY
RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Main Security Office) was created to centralize the power of the police force in Germany. Before Hitler took power, the police were decentralized, run by local governments. Hitler knew that taking control of how Germans were policed was key to his vision of a new National Socialist Germany.
First, he combined all the various offices into this one security office.
Orpo (Ordnungspolizei, "Order Police")– regular uniformed police force in Nazi Germany.
SiPo (Sicherheitspolizei, "Security Police") – consisted of two groups:
- a) Kripo (Kriminalpolizei, "Criminal Investigation Police") – detectives involved in fighting crime;
- b) Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei, "Secret State Police") – detectives and inspectors tasked with suppressing political dissent, espionage, counterintelligence, etc.
While Orpo and Kripo had to follow due process, the Gestapo had the right to imprison a person without a trial. They still had to follow some basic laws when dealing with German citizens, but when it came to foreigners, there pretty much were no rules or regulations.
In Germany itself, the Gestapo dressed in plain clothes, but when they were in occupied territory, they needed a way to separate themselves from civilians who may be hostile. (The confusion of plain clothes men trying to enter a military base actually caused the deaths of a few detectives.) So they wore SS uniforms with a blank black collar patch and green police shoulderboards, showing their blend between being part of the police, and an arm of the Nazi Party.
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Dangerous Territory