THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER

THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER (Episode 3 of 5) Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

“WE CAN’T GO THERE,” Grace said to Jack. 

“The belegshaft plant is in Yantzberg,” he said in a hushed voice. “Don’t worry, it’s the last place the SS would look.”

She leaned in close so only he and Miles could hear. “You know what happens in these facilities.”

“I won’t let any harm come to you,” Jack said, glancing to Miles for confirmation. “We’ve got a plan. Trust me.”

“You keep saying that, but what if we end up in a pile of bodies like in those pictures I saw?”

“You won’t. Jack and I will see to it.” Miles gave her a serious look. “Have I ever lied to you, Miss Grace?”

Had anyone else asked it of her, she would never have come this far. Still, it required a great deal of faith on her part. “How long till we arrive?”

“About two and a half hours,” Miles said. “Now, first thing we all have to do is get changed into the same grey outfits they’re all wearing.”

She looked around the freight car. The warm morning light seeped through cracks in the wall and the tiny windows at the top of the walls. All the prisoners wore the same indistinct gray outfits she saw in the photos of the forbidden archives. They looked like pajamas.

A girl who looked to be about fourteen leaned over. “I wish we were going home to sleep in our own beds.”

Did she even know what was happening?

“What’s your name?” Grace said.

“Hermea,” she glanced down at the markings on her shirt. “But to the guards and people who ran our camp, I’m Prisoner 5632.”

“I’m Grace. Where are you from?”

“What do you mean?”

“In which city or district did you grow up?”

“I grew up in a belegshaft labor camp in Delaware, lived there my whole life.”

“Any chance of finding some spare prison clothes?” Jack said, a grin forming on his face. It faded as soon as Hermea’s eyes turned to the ground with a grave expression.

Grace looked down to what looked like a family sleeping in the corner. “I don’t want to take their clothing, what will they wear?”

Hermea shook her head. “That’s my cousin’s family. They died last night.”

“Oh no,” Jack said, his voice empathetic.

Grace put her arm around Hermea and pulled her close. Her body was as frail as twigs and so light that every time the train pitched she felt she might fall. “I’m so sorry. Was it illness, starvation?”

“They took some poison,” Hermea said. “Before they said goodbye, my uncle and aunt said they’d rather take their own lives than allow the Nazi’s have their way with them.” Her wide eyes locked onto Grace’s. “I’m so scared!”

Miles carefully stepped over to the bodies, gave Hermea an apologetic look, and then proceeded to remove their prison garb.

None of the other prisoners objected. They just stared vacuously at the little rectangular windows above, through which they could see the brightening blue skies, and tree branches going by.

After about three minutes, each of them taking turns behind the other two, Grace, Miles, and Jack had transformed into Infekt prisoners, just like those in the freight car.