This excerpt is from my book, "The Hidden War", which explores the experiences of 4 characters navigating their way through the Second World War. The book is a historical fiction based on the idea of "What if the countries in World War II war pitted...
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February 26, 1933, Berlin
"No! I cannot set fire to the entire building! Are you insane?" shouted Tom through the black receiver.
"That is the only way, dear. The Nazi party is our best shot. I am already working for Hitler. I am essentially one of the most powerful ladies in Europe. Besides, we cannot have those Kommunistisch take over our country. They will never thrive!" exclaimed Pearle.
"Pearle, what if they catch us? And what about the people? Will they really believe the fascists? And does your conscience say nothing? There have been so many resources invested in the Reichstag. Our entire government depends on it. A fire like this will destroy years of history, of politics, of the dream we have! Think, Pearle, think!"
"I already have, Tom. I have living nightmares painted with blood and fire, telling stories of death, disgrace, and punishment, none of which are as bad as what I have to endure every day for our country. We cannot let our conscience hold us back, Tom. A whole world cries in pain, waiting to be relieved of these tainted souls, these disgraceful humans. If we want the world to change, we must change ourselves. We have to do things that no ordinary person could think of. Otherwise, there will be no sane people left in this world."
"There has to be another way, though! Fire and fury cannot be the only way. To cross a wall, you must climb it, not break it down."
"Yes, but if that wall is too high, it must be burned down."
"Surely the wall ends somewhere. Surely there is a gate, with a key, to get to the other side."
"That key is the Nazi party, dear. We must bring them into power. In order to destroy the darkness, you must associate with it yourself."
"Okay. But never again will I commit an act so heinous."
The line went dead.
***
Tom woke up with a plan.
One that would ensure total power over Europe.
He sat up on his bed, struggling to keep his eyes open. His eyelids felt like they were made of iron and his eyes stung from the dryness.
He rubbed his eyes and opened the curtains even though it was still dark outside. He went to the bathroom and splashed the ice-cold water on to his face. He returned to his bed and flicked on the light, wincing at the sudden flash. He produced a yellow notepad and a pen, and began to write down his plan.
The first obstacle would be the soldiers.
At this unearthly hour, surely security would be at its minimum. If he could create a distraction, he would be able to get close to the building. But how would he get inside? He thought about it further until he remembered: to every wall, there is a gate. A gate with a key. A key that he had to steal.
But where would he find a key that would allow him to burn down the basis of German democracy?
As Tom started to get lost in his thoughts, he noticed an empty beer can lying next to the trash. He turned around to his desk where his pocket knife was kept. He had an idea.
He grabbed the red knife and picked up the can. After cutting off some parts of the can, he was able to produce a rather small square of silvery aluminum.
If the locks were small enough, this would get him into the building. But this wouldn't be enough. He would have to use brute force. A hammer.
He kept the knife and aluminum sheet next to the brass hammer on his table and got dressed. He glanced at his gold plated watch.
11:23 p.m.
He had to hurry up.
He grabbed the tools and stuffed them into his satchel. He shot out the door and walked through the streets as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion.
As he approached the bridge over the Spree, he was able to see the top of the Reichstag. Much to his despair, this would be his first and last time seeing the magnificent building.
As he got closer, he realized that there were no soldiers. No guards. No security.
'Why would the building have no security?' wondered Tom.
And then he heard shouting in the distance.
'A distraction,' he thought.
He hastened his pace. Once he got to the front of the building, he got to work. He fashioned the aluminum into two rectangles with a protruding curve. He jammed the two pieces of metal between the shackles and the brass casing. He wiggled them, waiting for the lock to click. No sound. He tried again with more force. Apparently, he had forgotten how strong German locks were.
He unscrewed the base of his brass hammer to produce a small awl. He jammed it into the lock where the key should have gone and moved it around vigorously until he heard a click. And another.
However, the lock did not budge. He took out the brass hammer and gave the lock two swift blows before trying again with his knife. He repeated this another two times without a care about the sound.
Suddenly, a blast of hot smoke knocked Tom to the ground as he heard a thunderous explosion and the shattering of glass. He looked up to see clouds of red and orange fire with black smoke pouring into the surroundings.
'Is this it?' wondered Tom. Tears flooded his eyes, blurring the fiery painting in front of him. He did not want to die here. Not yet. The dark, sulfurous smoke surrounded him as Tom struggled to get up on his feet. Another loud explosion came, this time accompanied by blue ribbons of fire that reminded him of a cruel version of the 'Starry Night,' until he realized that they looked more like a sentence. That was Tom's last thought as the ornate marble facade crumbled, engulfing him in darkness.
***
A wide-eyed Eva stared at the fire in awe. Who knew she could ever cause something so beautiful? But this awe was short-lived because soon, the marble facade of the building collapsed. And right below it was a body. Tom's body. How was he still stuck outside if the building was already alight? She then started cursing at herself. She promised to keep Tom safe. But it didn't matter now. Eva was the most powerful woman in the world now. She was finally winning, and no one could stop her now. She could fulfill her role; initiating Protocol World War II.
***
Meanwhile, Hitler paced across his private chamber with impatience.
Where was Schatz? He glanced out the window and his eyes widened in astonishment. The city was illuminated by a warm glow from the Reichstag where the fire was slowly rising into the air, lighting up its gigantic glass dome. His plan had been executed.
