The Price We Pay

Chapter 37

         Peter's figure tensed. Someone stepped closer towards us from the trees. Despite the darkness, I could feel the Nazi's piercing eyes. His hair was freshly buzzed leaving only a thin layer of stubby strands. His gun was raised, aimed directly at Peter. His face looked like it had been chiseled from stone, with sharp, stone like features.

Peter's voice wavered. "Tomek? What are you doing?"

My focus shifted between the two boys. A heavy tension grew thicker between them. Tomek didn't seem to notice me--his eyes were intently fixed on Peter.

"You're in no position to be questioning me." he spat, he took another step forward, "Why don't you tell me what you're doing running around past curfew and stealing from our camp?"

Peter held his ground, refusing to step back. "Why don't you go back to the camp and pretend you saw nothing?"

An evil grin spread across Tomek's face, "You think I haven't heard what you've done? " I glanced at Peter, which time was he talking about? I could easily make a list. Tomek stepped forward again, "Do you have any idea how much praise I would receive by bringing back a traitor to camp?"

Peter lowered his gun, "You know I wasn't happy--"

Tomek's face turned a dark shade of red, he threw up his arms, "So you left? You filthy  rat! Do you not believe in the future of Germany?"

My fists balled, Germany's future shouldn't rely on invading other countries. By eliminating a population. Nothing about what Germany was doing was right. Their Swastika didn't deserve to fly on our government buildings. They didn't own the streets they patrolled on. I bit my tongue, very well knowing that saying something would only make our situation worse.

Peter managed to keep his words calm and collected, "Just let us go Tomek."

For a second, Tomek looked taken back as he processed what Peter had said. For the first time, he acknowledged my presence.

A wicked grin smeared across his face. "Wow Peter, You got yourself a Polish girl." he taunted. He stepped towards me, reaching out to touch my face. Peter flinched, but before he could intervene, I lifted my gun, "Don't touch me." I growled.

His cheeks turned an ugly shade of pink, he pulled away his hand, "Drop your gun." He ordered. I rolled my eyes, why did they always think I would just drop my weapon?

Peter shot Tomek a nasty glare, "Come on Ada, we're leaving." He said more to Tomek than to me.

I glanced at Peter, did he forget Tomek was carrying a gun? We couldn't just walk away. Peter acknowledged my hesitation. "He won't hurt us. He might get himself in trouble for coming after us alone."

Tomek shifted uncomfortably. He was young, only a few years older than Peter. His uniform was empty of any medals or badges--he was just another one of the minions.

Tomek recovered, "Maybe you're right." he countered. He kicked my throbbing ankle, which I had obviously been favoring. A shooting pain flared though my leg. I dropped my gun and collapsed to the ground, doing everything in my power to keep from screaming. Peter pounced forward, but Tomek grabbed my gun and shoved into his pocket, then aimed his own at me. "Make another move and I'll kill her." He threatened. My fingers trembled in pain, Tomek lifted me to my feet by the front of my shirt. Tomek stared Peter down, "He won't shoot--either of us." he whispered to me.

I tried to shift my weight off my throbbing foot, but he only pulled me closer. Peter's hands were shaking as he lifted his gun. I gave him a slight shake of my head, the two of them had obviously known each other, they might have been friends once. I wasn't going to have Peter kill another person--especially for me. "Don't shoot Peter." I said.

Tomek chuckled, "Listen to your girl Peter." He grabbed my jaw, "You don't want me to hurt her...do you?."

I sneered at him, "I'm not his girl." I elbowed him in the chest and tried to pull away, but he kept me in between him and Peter, using me as a human shield. Peter's lip trembled.

Even though Anna had hurt and betrayed me, I still wouldn't ever hurt her. I couldn't ask Peter to do that for me. Instead I locked eyes with Peter, "My bag." I mouthed to him. He barely acknowledged me, "I'll give you one more chance." he said calmly. He didn't take his eyes off me as he spoke.

"Or what?" Tomek taunted. My pounding ankle warned me to not put pressure on it, but I leaned forward anyway. Just enough to grab the gun aimed at Peter. I twisted it out of Tomeks hands and ducked. Peter, not missing a beat, leapt to my bag. He swung in a circle, and let the bag come into full contact with Tomek's head. The cans clanged on impact. I yelped as Tomek crumbled down on top of me. My face was pressed against the cold dirt and my ankle was twisted beneath his weight. Peter ran over and pushed his body off of me. "He's bleeding." Peter mumbled.

I sat up, my vision blurry from the pain. Tomek's body was limp on the ground, and blood was spilling from a cut on his head. I rushed next to Peter, I put my fingers on Tomeks neck, checking for a pulse. "There's a blanket in my bag," I said. I noticed the canteen swung around Peter's body, "And hand me that."

Peter didn't move, "He was my friend." He whispered. "He was the first person I'd met when they first brought me there. I thought he was different. I thought he wouldn't give in." Tomek's wound was still bleeding but Peter didn't seem to notice anymore. "But they got to him. They got into his head."

He took a shaky breath and stood. He swung the bag over his shoulder, "He didn't care if we lived or died. It was all a game to him." He stepped away from the body. I looked down at Tomek. I was positive the cut wasn't fatal, at worst he would wake up disoriented and with an awful headache. As I stood, I ripped the Swastika from his uniform and rubbed it in the dirt. Peter watched me do so then picked it up, ripped it several times and tossed it back onto the ground. "They took my friends." He choked. "They took them."

He took one last look at Tomek's body and turned his back. My heart felt like it was being wrung. It had only been a few days ago when Anna did the same thing to me. She had betrayed me, and I saw the same pain in Peter's eyes.

"We should go." Peter said. I didn't object. We shared the silent pain as I walked beside him, away from the camp.