Echoes in the Shadows

27

The bystander, Tina, witnessing the colonel pulling out a gun to threaten the uncooperative Gestapo officer, started to seriously consider if she should follow the colonel's earlier method — escaping through the window.

"Of course! If you want to stop me, the only way is to shoot me directly!" said Klauberger as he thrust the heavy pistol into Iser's rigid hand. The words, colder than the muzzle of the gun, brushed past Iser's face. Then, he let go of Iser's hand and focused entirely on dealing with the Nazi eagle-embossed uniform belt buckle.

As the metallic clasp of the belt buckle was undone, the sharp clinking sound of metal striking metal filled Iser with a mix of shame and bewilderment.

He turned his head to look at the pistol in front of his face, feeling a fleeting impulse to pull the trigger. Yet, the reality of his helplessness and humiliation held him back. Reality and reason constantly reminded him that such an act would be futile. He couldn't sacrifice his own life just for a perverse, devilish colonel.

"Stop!"

Regardless of the internal struggle between intellect and instinct, when Klauberger finally started to unbutton his own clothes, Iser, almost naked on the bed, lost his rationality and raised the gun in his hand.

"I told you, you have the right to resist, and you can shoot me anytime if you wish."

Klauberger wore an indifferent, devilish smile, his uniform jacket already completely off, and his trousers unbuttoned.

"Don't worry! It's just a 150 Reichsmark uniform. I'll compensate you with a better one later!"

The demon spoke as he quickly stripped off his trousers and casually grabbed the Gestapo uniform he had just stripped from Iser.

"Honestly, these trousers really don't fit you well..."

For a moment, the room held two half-naked men, both wearing looks of inexplicable astonishment, staring at Klauberger as he began to don the Gestapo uniform on himself.

"The jacket is okay... but the shoulders are too tight! And the sleeves are a bit short..."

Klauberger delightedly donned each piece of Iser's uniform on himself, completely oblivious to the fact that he had shattered the nerves of the two unfortunate souls in the room. He then stood in front of the room's only mirror, contentedly raised his arm, brought his heels together, and saluted the two undressed individuals in the room with a standard Nazi salute – "Heil Hitler!"

Afterward, he lowered the brim of his hat and quickly vanished through the room's door.