The Daughters of Marburg

by Terrance Williamson

  “You’re right,” Mr. Sommer sighed and returned to sitting, but Lilly caught his crooked glance towards Mrs. Baumann when she wasn’t looking.

  “What about the original plan?” Lilly asked.

  “What’s the original plan?” Mr. Sommer shook his head.

  “The kil…uh…liquidation of Major Wagner,” Lilly whispered.

  “I think that would only add to the suspicion,” Edith spoke up.

  “I agree.” Mrs. Baumann looked reluctantly at Lilly. “The timing is wrong.”

  “He’s the only one who knows, though.” Lilly leaned forward as passion overtook her, yet she couldn’t believe that she was seriously discussing the murder of another person, regardless of how much he deserved it. “If he connects Sergeant Wolf to us, then there is no hope. If we can get to him before that, then we may have a chance.”

  “I don’t know. It’s—” Mr. Sommer leaned back but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  The room went silent. No one dared speak a word as they looked around the table at each other, wondering if anyone was unaccounted for.

  Again, the knock came a bit louder. It wasn’t hostile, and no one was demanding access.

  “It’s me,” Wilhelm’s muffled voice could be heard through the door, and both Lilly and Mrs. Baumann immediately stood and hustled out of the dining room and towards the entrance.

  With her hand to the door, Lilly braced herself to find him in a similar condition to her father and mentally prepared herself not to react too outrageously.

  Swinging the door open, Lilly was pleasantly shocked to see that he was unharmed. Even Mrs. Baumann seemed a little surprised, and the two ladies stood perplexed before him.

  “Come in, come in.” Mrs. Baumann waved for her grandson to come inside, yet Lilly noticed that her excitement had been replaced with apprehension.

  “Everyone is here, I’m assuming?” Wilhelm asked.

  “Yeah, uh, yes, they’re all here.” Lilly fumbled with her words and pointed to the dining room.

  Lilly believed that her thoughts likely mirrored Mrs. Baumann’s. Leaving the prison unmolested could mean only one thing: he talked. He can’t be the spy, can he? Lilly narrowed her gaze as she followed Wilhelm back into the dining room.

  “Sit, sit.” Mrs. Baumann tried to remain positive, but Lilly caught the inflection in her voice.

  Sitting at the table, Wilhelm looked around at everyone nervously, and it was clear that he understood their opinions.

  “How are you feeling, son?” Mr. Sommer asked cautiously.

  “I don’t know what to think,” Wilhelm began.

  “Were you arrested?” Edith asked, and Lilly recognized that she, also, was suspicious.

  “I was.” Wilhelm nodded.

  “Then, what happened?” Mr. Sommer tilted his head.

  “Absolutely nothing.” Wilhelm looked around with wide eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, but I didn’t say a word. I wasn’t even given the chance to confess. The major had me taken to a private cell. I didn’t see where they had taken Sergeant Wolf or if he had been beaten. Then about an hour ago, the major came to my cell. Without a word, he unlocked it and led me to the main doors. I thought he was going to shoot me. I considered that he was trying to lure me into a false sense of security by making me ‘escape’ the prison so that I would be shot by one of the other guards. I simply walked and kept walking until I came back here.”

  “I don’t buy it.” Edith frowned and looked at the others around the table.

  “It’s too convenient,” Mr. Sommer agreed reluctantly, and Lilly noticed that even Mrs. Baumann remained silent.

  “I think this is part of the major’s game.” Lilly came to Wilhelm’s defense.

  “Lilly,” Edith scoffed, “you have to think objectively and not alter your judgment because you have affections for him.”

  “You do?!” Mrs. Baumann glanced at Lilly, who blushed uncontrollably.

  “How do you know that he wasn’t sent home on purpose?! I am being impartial, trust me,” Lilly defended as she closed her eyes, trying to shun the awkwardness. “The major, when I was alone with him in this house, said that he loved ‘the game.’ I think that he arrested Wilhelm and then released him without a scratch so that we wouldn’t trust him anymore. He’s trying to collapse the house from within.”

  “That seems like a stretch.” Mr. Sommer looked apologetically at Wilhelm. “If he knew that Wilhelm was involved with the resistance, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.”

  “I know, believe me.” Wilhelm shifted his jaw. “I prepared for this reaction and, quite honestly, I would assume the same as you are now. The only problem is, I don’t know how to rectify the situation.”

  “I do.” Edith stared at him.

  “Good. How?” Wilhelm stared back at her.

  “Kill the major,” Edith blurted.

  “And how is he going to accomplish that?” Mr. Sommer scoffed.

  “We’ve been collecting intel,” Edith replied. “It’s incomplete, but I’ll do some more reconnaissance and have a thorough plan for tonight.”

  “And who’s going to kill him?” Mrs. Baumann took her turn scoffing. “Wilhelm is just a boy.”

  “The task was assigned to me,” Mr. Sommer spoke solemnly. “It should be me who carries out the deed.”

  “My dear Karl”—Mrs. Baumann lowered her gaze patronizingly— “in your condition, the major will spot you from a mile away. He’ll assume you’re there for revenge.”

  “Edith’s right. It should be me,” Wilhelm chimed in.

  “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you anywhere near that man.” Mrs. Baumann crossed her arms.

  “I can’t let a boy complete what was assigned to me.” Mr. Sommer rubbed his sore jaw. “Edith, you mentioned that you had some intel.”

  “We go to the Society with the major’s niece,” Edith began, “and she mentioned that her uncle is meeting Clementine this evening to dine in the market. It will be crowded, but that may provide an advantage.”

  “He’ll have dozens of guards with him.” Mrs. Baumann frowned sharply. “It would be a suicide mission.”

  “I disagree. If he’s meeting with Clementine, he’ll try to make it more intimate.” Wilhelm looked around the table. “I think he’ll be without his escort.”

  “That’s too hopeful. Mrs. Baumann is right; he’ll have his guards with him. It will be too open to attempt anything in the market.” Mr. Sommer sighed. “I’ll wait until it gets dark enough. If he’s still at the market, I’ll be able to trail him from a distance. If an opening presents itself, I’ll take my chance. Tonight, I’ll kill Major Wagner.”

  Chapter Thirteen:

  Liquidation

  “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

  Anne Frank

  “You don’t have to do this.” Lilly placed a gentle hand on Wilhelm’s arm as they sat alone in Mrs. Baumann’s living room later that day.

  A handgun was set on the coffee table in front of them, and Wilhelm was staring at it timidly with his chin resting on his folded hands.

  “They’re right to be suspicious of me. I know I would be as well,” Wilhelm replied as his voice wavered. “I need to prove myself.”

  “You don’t need to prove anything!” Lilly grew angry with Wilhelm’s recklessness.

  “The major needs to die.” Wilhelm turned towards her, and Lilly noticed that his shoulders were stiffening. “We both know that is true. Your father is not in any condition to proceed with the liquidation himself.”

  “And you’re just a boy.” Lilly tilted her head.

  “I’m not a boy!” Wilhelm grew indignant at the perceived slant against him.

  “So, you need to kill to prove that you’re a man?!” Lilly looked at him with grief already striking at her heart.

  “That’s not what…never mind.” Wilhelm became annoyed. “I think I can carry it out without getting caught. The major won’t even see me c
oming.”

  “And how’s that?” Lilly crossed her arms, unimpressed.

  “You mentioned how nervous he gets around Clementine.” Wilhelm took a deep breath in to calm his nerves. “I’ll mention that she would like to speak with him, alone. I’ll lead him to a quiet area, and then, um, finish, uh, finish him.”

  “That’s your plan?!” Lilly stood in a rage. “That’s ridiculous!”

  “What would you suggest then?!” Wilhelm barked back.

  “I would suggest you leave this to men of experience!” Lilly threw her hands onto her hips.

  “That’s not an option!” Wilhelm stood as he grew flustered.

  Not willing to press the issue further, Lilly relented and left the matter alone for a moment. Studying Wilhelm, she watched as he began to tremble, and she knew that he was petrified.

  “Come, sit.” Lilly grabbed his arm gently.

  Relenting, Wilhelm sat beside Lilly, and the two remained silent as he stared at the wall, pondering the correct course of action.

  “Can you believe Christmas is approaching?” Wilhelm scoffed as he pointed at the calendar.

  “I forgot about it entirely.” Lilly shook her head in astonishment.

  “We never celebrated the holiday too seriously anyway.” Wilhelm shrugged. “So, really, it’s not that detrimental to forget about it this year. Besides, after tonight, I don’t think I’ll have much longer.”

  “Don’t you dare talk like that!” Lilly gave him a generous smack on his arm in protest. “You’ll be around for many years to come.”

  “I doubt it.” Wilhelm’s shoulders slouched in despair.

  “Pity is a limited resource.” Lilly shot him an unappreciative glance. “If you use it all on yourself, there will be none left for anyone else to shed any on you.”

  “Where did you read that?” Wilhelm raised an eyebrow.

  “I…wrote it myself.” Lilly bit her lip as she grew bashful.

  “You made it up?” He tilted his head.

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Just now.” Lilly delved further into embarrassment before waving her hand frantically to dissuade any further attention. “Let’s talk about Christmas some more.”

  “No, no, no.” Wilhelm shook his head as a cheeky grin formed in the corner of his mouth. “I want to hear more from Lilly the stoic.”

  “That’s hardly stoicism,” Lilly scoffed.

  “Obviously!” Wilhelm laughed. “I don’t seriously perceive you as on par with Marcus Aurelius. I was making a generalization of your philosophizing.”

  “So, in essence, you initially determined to mock me, then when I clarified, you proceeded to confirm you perceive me as less than intelligent.”

  “Where is this stemming from?” Wilhelm threw his hands in the air in frustration. “If you are convinced that you are as great as one of the stoics, then you’ll have no further argument from me. But you have to concede that is unlikely.”

  “We’ve steered largely away from the topic at hand.” Lilly glared at Wilhelm out of the corner of her eye before returning her gaze to the weapon sitting ominously on the table.

  “I thought it was a pleasant distraction.” Wilhelm also returned his attention to his menacing task.

  The pistol rested before them, patiently waiting for Wilhelm to collect it and carry out its vindictive yet righteous purpose.

  “Why didn’t you celebrate Christmas?” Lilly asked after a moment.

  “When my sister passed, not the one living in Frankfurt, my parents found the idea of a holiday focused on celebrating the ideal of family to be too painful. I think they erred in this regard, though.”

  “In what way?” Lilly looked intently at Wilhelm.

  “My sister isn’t suffering, but my parents are. I’m certain that my sister would want for nothing else than for them to be happy and not dwell bitterly on the past.” Wilhelm paused as he collected his thoughts. “I understand that’s much easier said than done but, because of their agony, they snubbed a lot of potentially happy memories.”

  “That I understand.” Lilly reached out and took his hand in hers. “When my mother passed, the first Christmas without her was excruciating. I can grasp how it would be much simpler to ignore it altogether.”

  “Speaking of ignoring things”—Wilhelm pointed to the red jacket that Lilly had brought from the house— “I forgot to ask why you brought that.”

  “It’s one of the few items of the previous family that the movers didn’t take for resale.” Lilly looked at the red jacket, recalling the first time she spotted it on the floor of their new residence. “I thought that it would be best if it was returned to her. I hoped to have saved some other items, but I was busy trying to keep my father alive.”

  “I wanted to keep the movers away from most of the belongings but thought it would make me seem a little suspicious. Is it nice to have your stuff back?”

  “It most definitely is.” Lilly smiled. “Can I give her the jacket? I would really like to meet her.”

  “Her father wouldn’t allow it.” Wilhelm shook his head adamantly.

  “I understand.” Lilly felt a little disappointed. “Maybe your grandmother could deliver to her?”

  “I’ll ask.” Wilhelm smiled briskly.

  “So, how are we to deal with the major, then?” Lilly shifted the conversation back to the looming subject hanging over their heads.

  “If you were me, what would you do?” Wilhelm asked her sincerely.

  “If it were me”—Lilly paused as she stared at the coffee table as a wrathful rage overtook her— “I would execute him in broad daylight. I would shoot him in the street. I would send a message to the Nazis and the SS that they will never forget. Whether they’re a major, or a lowly soldier, or behind a wall of iron, or dining in the market, there is nowhere that they’ll find safety and security as long as they persist in their wickedness.”

  Wilhelm watched her for a moment, and Lilly thought he seemed to be looking at her with a sense of reluctant awe.

  “We know where he’s dining tonight,” Wilhelm spoke apprehensively.

  “And I think I have an idea.” Lilly bit her lip as a plot formed.

  “Oh?” Wilhelm studied her curiously.

  “You’re not going to like it.” Lilly glanced at him apologetically.

  “Why? What’s your plan?”

  “It involves me.” Lilly took a deep breath.

  ◆◆◆

  “I don’t see him,” Wilhelm whispered to Lilly as they waited in the marketplace.

  “He must be late,” Lilly whispered back and glanced at the large clock on the brick building in the market.

  A cold breeze swirled by, and Lilly shivered as the two stood on a side street that faced the restaurant. Wilhelm was prepared for action with his grip firmly on the handlebar of his bicycle, and Lilly was mentally preparing the lines she would say to the major. From her position, she noticed that neither Clementine nor the major were at the restaurant and wondered where they could be.

  “You know what’s odd?” Lilly asked after a moment.

  “What’s that?” Wilhelm asked, although he wasn’t entirely paying attention.

  “I haven’t eaten a decent meal since I arrived in Marburg.” Lilly chuckled to herself but then hinted, strongly, “What I would give for a handsome gentleman to spoil me again.”

  “If we pull this off”—Wilhelm gave a nervous grin— “then maybe I’ll find you a handsome gentleman.”

  “You’re too kind.” Lilly smiled back at Wilhelm.

  But Lilly’s brief cheer faded as she began to study him. She wondered if it would be the last time that they spoke to each other. She didn’t want to be ignorant about how dangerous their self-assigned mission was. The likely outcome was unfavorable for either of them.

  Still, Lilly found it unusual how calm she was. She wasn’t nervous or scared, as she expected to be. Rather, she sensed that this act of sedition was precisely what providence ha
d intended from the beginning of time. While she also understood that this sentiment was entirely disproportionate, what she really, truly sensed was purpose.

  She had persisted through existence with, though she hesitated to admit it, a hedonistic attitude. She had craved nothing more than fine dress, the attention of other men, and the trivial quest to position herself securely within the inner sanctum of high society.

  It wasn’t until their arrival in Marburg that she consider her life might have a purpose beyond her immediate desires. While she lamented the wasted time of her past reality, Lilly understood that the only way to progress was with a raised chin and a determined attitude.

  “We’re going to succeed, right?” Wilhelm glanced at Lilly.

  “We have no other option,” Lilly replied solemnly.

  “Is your father aware of what we’re attempting?” Wilhelm asked with a hint of fear.

  “I didn’t see the need to involve him.” Lilly shook her head. “He would’ve stopped me.”

  “Well, of course he would’ve.” Wilhelm chuckled nervously. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “You know the plan.” Lilly looked at him earnestly. “It will work. Trust me.”

  “There he is!” Wilhelm pointed, and Lilly watched as the major entered the market, absent of an escort but with Clementine at his side.

  “You were right! He came alone!” Lilly turned towards Wilhelm excitedly.

  “I thought that they’d arrive separately.” Wilhelm shook his head. “I don’t like this.”

  “But he’s without his escort. He’s unguarded.” Lilly held up a finger. “This is our only chance. I’ll get him alone, trust me, and then you can carry out the deed.”

  “Be safe!” Wilhelm reached out and grabbed her hand.

  “I will!” Lilly replied over her shoulder as she walked briskly towards the major and Clementine.

  Passing through the crowded market, Lilly was determined not to lose sight of her target. Her heart pounded in her chest as she closed proximity with the major, and she began to think of how peculiar this situation was. Only over a week ago, when she was in Berlin, she could never have imagined that she would be planning to carry out an assassination on a Nazi official. It was beyond comprehension. Regardless, Lilly knew that to save her family, and Wilhelm, this act was of the highest necessity.