Echoes in the Shadows

24

The phrase "obey orders," like the last straw that broke the camel's back, pierced straight into Klauberger's heart. As an officer educated in the Prussian tradition of military honor, these few words were a fatal weakness for him. Klauberger realized that his rank, his Knight's Iron Cross, and even his legendary privileged family background were all utterly useless at this moment.

"Major, you surely won't need me to help you with your trousers!"

The medic's gaze fell on the major's stiff body. He held the syringe filled with medicine, advancing step by step towards the major like a soldier with a rifle approaching a defenseless and cornered prisoner of war.

As a once-celebrated hero, honed in numerous brutal battles, Klauberger's sense of reason and calm finally sparkled at this critical moment.

A sudden calm surged in Klauberger's dark eyes, completely overshadowing the previous panic and humiliation.

"I'm sorry, who said I was leaving now!" Klauberger straightened up, his face once again adorned with a cold but polite smile. He snatched his documents from the medic's table, put them back in his chest pocket, and turned around, walking back into the hall with his usual steady gait. Along the way, when girls flung themselves at him, he no longer dodged but always managed to politely and elegantly dissuade them before they could touch him. His every move exuded an inborn aristocratic air and military pride, blending to near perfection.

In the watching crowd, several old soldiers familiar with Klauberger's behavior suddenly tensed up, with one or two quickly discarding the girls on their laps, standing up, ready to endure the medic's needle at the door and make a quick escape. They knew Klauberger's character too well: whenever the major seemed incredibly reliable and poised...in other words, when he appeared exceedingly dependable, he was most likely to do something utterly unreliable with tremendous destructive potential. Especially in the absence of Lieutenant Bormann, this destructive power was likely to be doubly unleashed.

Klauberger swiftly ascended the curved staircase, his composure derived not from his military demeanor, but rather from the painful experiences of being relentlessly pursued by high society ladies at various banquets and salons before his engagement. Upon reaching the second floor, he quickly approached a girl unaccompanied by soldiers.

"Miss, if...it's convenient, could you take me to your room?" he asked.

The girl was momentarily stunned, not only flattered but also astonished by his directness. Beyond the envious and curious glances of other soldiers, the officers' romantic escapades often became juicy gossip for them.

"Of course!" the girl soon replied with a smile, leading the seemingly delectable major to her room with a triumphant sway.

"My name is Tina," she whispered seductively into Klauberger's ear as they entered her room. Her hand delicately traced from his shoulder to his chest on his crisp uniform, her experienced touch immediately confirming the major's allure. Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand, now starting her alluring performance by unbuttoning her own dress.

At this moment, Klauberger was completely oblivious to Tina's fiery affection, as his attention upon entering the room was immediately captured by something he truly desired — a window of sufficient size. He ignored Tina's flirtatious gestures and walked straight to the window, forcefully opening it. The view outside offered him the exact escape route he needed, like a snowdrop flower determined to avoid the dreaded needle.

Just as Klauberger's military boots touched the windowsill, a pair of soft, pale hands desperately clutched at his uniform.

"Does my body disappoint you that much?" Tina's eyes blazed with anger and hurt, which seemed potent enough to burn a hole through Klauberger's uniform. Moments ago, her seductive advances had been completely ignored by him. Even as she undressed, he chose to attempt an escape through the window rather than touch her.

Already leaning out of the window, Klauberger was startled by the sudden appearance of the naked woman behind him. The elite German mountain trooper, once used to carrying 70 pounds over snowy mountains, nearly fell off the small brothel's second-floor windowsill, almost ruining his reputation in the most undignified manner.

"Put... your clothes on!" Klauberger desperately clutched at the window frame, trying to maintain his balance while attempting to free himself from Tina's grasp. Faced with a naked woman rather than an enemy combatant, Klauberger realized how his world was filled with nothing but military experience.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps and doors being kicked in echoed clearly. A group of men in black leather coats and brown trench coats rushed through the corridor below the window, followed closely by several figures in Gestapo uniforms — among them, a silhouette all too familiar to him. The sounds of rough searches, shouts, and the clomping of military boots on stairs were unmistakably audible.

"I think... you came here for the girls, not for the Gestapo," Tina said, her hands now firmly clinging to Klauberger's arm, her eyes flashing with a mocking challenge.