Winfred

42

Official Report

British Intelligence

Code: 3986

Kathleen Winfred

The next morning I had breakfast, something that was not unlike my ordinary schedule as a prisoner. However, rather than just bread, with water, I was served some sort of sausage and potatoes, with eggs as a side. 

I admit that I ate rather ravenously, and probably had more than my fair share of the food. Some of the other German soldiers around the table in the dining hall looked at me rather curiously. 

That morning, I also began my duties as Von Steubon's secretary. The plan was that, in the morning, I would work for Von Steubon. In the evening, Pirot would teach me about my duties. 

I had never been in Von Steubon's actual office, as interrogations and such were always held in other rooms, bare of any accessory but the simple table and two chairs that was standard. 

His office was quite large, consisting of a big desk and a rather comfy looking armchair for his use. Filing cabinets lined one wall; bookshelves lined another. One chair sat across from the desk. Von Steubon's office was accessed through a door in the outer office, where my desk was. 

My desk was somewhat smaller than Von Steubon's, but still seemed big to me. Perhaps I had just spent too much time in prison and everything seemed strange as if someone had taken the lines of the world and blurred them ever so slightly, stretching and pulling them in one direction or another. A few filing cabinets sat behind my desk. Other than that, the outer office had a few chairs against the opposite wall, as if for a sort of waiting area for people wishing to see Von Steubon. 

I expected to be set immediately to work, but was surprised when exactly the opposite happened. 

Von Steubon, as it turned out, was rather organized on his own. I posed as his secretary because it was a good place for me to be while I learned how to act my part as a woman's guard. He did not really need my services. I spent a good deal of time sitting at the desk in the outer office, doing nothing.

Eventually, Von Steubon came out and handed me a pile of paperwork to file, as if he were making a conscious effort to give me something to do. 

Then he reentered his office, only to come out with jacket and cap.

"Are you leaving?" I asked, a bit nervous about being left alone to fend for myself should anyone come to the office.

He turned back to me, frowning and buttoning his jacket as he did so. "Deutsch," he said, reprimanding me, reminding me to speak German. 

"Es tut mir leid," I apologized.

He nodded, accepting my apology and, finished with his jacket, placing his cap on his head. I repeated my question. He told me that no one should bother me in his absense, but that he needed to go and oversee the transfer of prisoners that would be taking place within the next few hours. 

"Please!" I said, dropping any attempts to continue to speak German, much to Von Steubon's irritation. "I have to see Virginia before she is sent away!"

He was frowning, probably due to my lapse back into English, but he seemed to be considering it. 

Finally, he sighed. He told me to put on my uniform cap, do up my hair, and wear the glasses that Pirot gave me. "No one must recognize you," he said. "Make sure Virginia understands that that is imperative." 

He waited, somewhat impatiently, for me to ready myself and follow him.

We arrived in the hotel's courtyard, where the prisoners being transferred were being lined up. One line was for Ravensbruck. One for Auschwitz-Birkenau. Others went places I did not recognize, or had never heard of before. 

Von Steubon stood on a low platform before them all and, one by one, the lines began to move, out of the courtyard and down the road, towards the waiting train some distance away. 

When he came to the Auschwitz-Birkenau line, he paused, anouncing that "prisoner 0009542, Douglas, Virginia" would be detained. 

I could see, from my spot on the platform next to Von Steubon, that Virginia was confused. The rest of the line moved on, but she was brought forward by two guards. 

The guards departed, leaving her facing Von Steubon and I.

"Five minutes," said Von Steubon, stepping away and walking in the direction of the train. "Bring her when you are finished."

I turned to my friend. I rushed to tell her what had happened, trying not to waste too much of our time. I told her that I was going to serve as a spy, to try and help the Allies win this war, with the help of Von Steubon, Pirot, and Albert. She was happy for me, smiling the whole time I spoke and telling me how good I'd be, how brave I was. 

I shook my head, telling her that she was the brave one. I told her to be strong, to always stand up for herself as she had here. I told her I was rooting for her. 

I could see tears forming in her eyes as we quickly hugged, after looking around to make sure there were no Germans around to see.

Then we began the walk to the train.

And I watched as one of the best friends I had had here was put onto a train and carried off to face God knows what. 

I stared blankly after the train, even after it had disappeared around the bend and out of sight. Even after the rest of the soldiers began to make their way back to the compound.

After a few moments, Von Steubon laid a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present and reminding me that we had to return. I nodded, and he removed his hand, keeping his expression blank as he turned and made his way back to the prison. I followed, walking towards the setting sun.