The Darkest Hour

by Roberta Kagan

  The door opened with a creak and she jumped.

  “Kriminalkommissar Becker. You wished to see me?” The Gestapo officer offered a smile that did not reach his cold grey eyes.

  Sabine would have liked to scream at his brazenness, but she returned the same fake smile and said, “Please, what is this about?”

  Becker took the opposite seat, placed his elbows on the table and steepled his hands together beneath his chin. He stared at her for a long moment, before he spoke.

  “I am here to make you an offer.”

  “An…offer? I don’t understand.”

  He smirked. “Oh, I think you do, but we will play this game all the way out. We need your help in a delicate case.”

  “My help?” Sabine felt as if she was caught in a nightmare as Kriminalkommissar Becker’s words registered.

  “Yes. We need information. I believe your neighbor Fräulein Kerber already discussed this topic with you.”

  Sabine felt herself flush under his cold stare, memories of the unpleasant dispute with her former classmate Lily Kerber flooding her brain. Werner had, as always, been right. She shouldn’t have called Lily a tart. Actually, that woman was a million times worse than a tart, as no doubt, she was responsible for both Werner and Sabine being in Gestapo custody right now.

  “She mentioned something about working for the government,” Sabine pressed out through clenched teeth.

  “Fräulein Kerber is a good German citizen, and you should follow her footsteps and work for us.” He scrutinized her face, saying, “It shall not be to your disadvantage. The Party is generous to those who support her.”

  The heat on her face intensified as she remembered what kind of work Lily did for the Gestapo. “Sir, I…I am a married woman…”

  He cast her an amused smile. “We can change this, if you insist.”

  Sabine’s eyes went round and she violently shook her head. “No. No, please.”

  “Everything would have been so much easier if you had only agreed to Fräulein Kerber’s proposal. But since you didn’t we had no choice but to give you an incentive.” The smile suddenly reached his eyes as if he truly enjoyed the situation.

  “An incentive?”

  “Yes. Your husband is with us and I am willing to exchange his life for your collaboration.”

  “You have my husband? Can I see him?” Sabine jumped from her seat, but fell back when she realized she was giving away how much Werner meant to her.

  “I’m afraid not. You’ve done nothing to earn such a reward. Once you start bringing me the requested information I may reconsider.” He looked at her with an expectant expression on his face.

  “But how do I know he’s still alive?” Sabine asked, despite tremors running through her entire body.

  “You’ll have to trust me on this, Frau Mahler. He is alive. For now. But his fate lies in your hands.” For several long moments silence filled the room until he raised his voice again, “I need your answer. Now.”

  Sabine stared at him, half expecting him to hit her, but he just gazed at her with that cruel smile, apparently truly enjoying the cat and mouse game. Soon enough, her fear won the internal war and she dropped her gaze. After taking several breaths, desperately attempting to gain a small measure of control over her emotions, she asked, “What do I have to do?”

  A glimmer of victory entered Becker’s eyes. “Good choice. As Fräulein Kerber already explained, we need you to infiltrate a particularly devious resistance group and report back to us with the names of those in charge. We will take over from there.”

  The tiniest part of her still hoped she was having a nightmare and would soon wake up, but this cruel sadist sitting across the table was as real as the muffled cries behind the steel doors.

  For the past ten years she’d kept her head down and minded her own business, convinced that cautious behavior would keep her out of harm’s way. And suddenly she’d been thrown into the middle of a conspiracy plot with the Gestapo, some devious resistance group and her former classmate as main players. For God’s sake, she wasn’t a spy. She was a housewife enlisted to help the war effort by working in a munitions factory.

  “Fine. How do I make contact with these subversives? And won’t they be suspicious of me?” she asked, still reeling from the shock.

  “Fräulein Kerber was right, you are an intelligent woman,” Becker said, jotting down some notes on a piece of paper. Sabine wasn’t sure whether she should acknowledge his compliment or not. In fact, she wasn’t sure about anything, except that she would do everything in her power to save her husband’s life.

  “You must become friendly with Frau Klausen. We believe she’s a key part of this group.”

  Sabine gasped. “The sweet elderly lady? She’s a subversive?”

  “She may look sweet on the outside, but in reality she’s a devious and mean-spirited woman conspiring against the regime,” Kriminalkommissar Becker said. “What do you know about her?”

  “Not much. She came to work at the factory a little while ago. She has the workstation next to mine and had difficulties adapting at first, because as a mother of four she’s never had to work before…” Sabine cast him an accusatory glance, before she continued, “I gave her some tips and after the first week she caught up and now always meets her quota.”

  “It’s an unfortunate, albeit temporary, setback that mothers have to work outside the home to further the war effort. But Frau Klausen’s children are all grown up and at least one of her daughters is involved in the hideous conspiracy against the core beliefs of our nation.”

  Sabine wondered what atrocious deeds Frau Klausen had done. She couldn’t fathom the kind woman doing anything to hurt someone. “If you know she’s an insurgent, why don’t you simply arrest her?”

  Becker shot her a hard glance that made her shiver. “It seems you’re not so intelligent after all. We don’t care about Frau Klausen. She’s a minnow. We want the leaders of this heinous organization. Understood?”

  “Yes, Herr Kriminalkommissar,” Sabine pressed out before her voice could abandon her.

  “You will befriend Frau Klausen, earn her trust, and report back to Lily Kerber everything you find out. Every last detail could be important, no matter how small.”

  Reporting to Lily? Sabine sensed the disgust forming a big lump in her throat, but she nodded her agreement and then launched the question burning on her tongue, “And my husband? Will you return him once I have finished this… task?”

  Becker cocked his head. “That’s what I said. If you work well, you’ll get him back safe and sound.”

  “I’ll do anything you want. Please don’t kill him,” Sabine said, before she could temper her impassioned plea. But he probably already knew her feelings. The satisfied smile that pursed his lips gave him away. He walked to the door and then gestured for her to follow him.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I will take you back to your work, unless you would prefer to walk the five miles.”

  She didn’t want to spend a single moment longer in his presence, but she also didn’t want to walk the long way back. If he drove her to work, she’d at least be there for the second half of her shift. As she hurried behind him through the long hallways of Gestapo headquarters, she saw him greet several other men who seemed to work here.

  “Any luck?” a dark-haired man asked.

  Becker answered with a smile, “If you don’t break them with fear or pain, love for a family member will always do the trick.”

  Sabine felt rage taking hold of her. For him, holding her husband hostage was nothing more than a part of his atrocious game. What kind of depraved monster was he?

  It dawned on her that maybe Werner’s tales had painted the Gestapo in too good a light. The icy hand of desperation clenched around her heart. Could she even believe a promise made by a Gestapo officer?

  How on earth had her ordinary life become such a muddled mess?

  Chapter 9

  “Frau Mahler!
” a gruff voice called to her as she tried to slip unseen to her workstation.

  She turned to see her supervisor, Herr Meier, standing two steps away like a towering dragon with his arms crossed over his chest. “Where have you been all morning?”

  “I’m sorry, just when I arrived here for my shift this morning, a…” She stopped, deciding she shouldn’t tell anyone the Gestapo had blackmailed her into working for them. Her mind raced and she hung on to the first plausible idea: “…a policeman arrived to tell me my husband had been involved in an accident. He urged me to come with him straight away. I apologize, but I was too shocked to even remember that I should have told you.” It wasn’t difficult to look concerned about her husband’s condition. He was in Gestapo custody, after all.

  Herr Meier stared her down for a moment and then seemed to deflate. “Is your husband well?”

  “Considering the circumstances, yes. I’ll do everything to help him recover,” Sabine said, clasping her hands together.

  “Good. If you ever need to leave again, tell me first. Our work here is very important for the war effort and must be a priority to us all. For today I will allow you to leave after filling half of your quota. But this is the first and only time, and only because your husband is a fireman.”

  “Thank you, Herr Meier.” Sabine hurried to squeeze into her workstation and took up her tedious task of assembling rifles. For the first time since beginning work in the factory, she rejoiced that her job didn’t require mental effort. It gave her time to think over her bleak situation.

  But whichever way she considered it, there was no way out. Werner was in the hands of the Gestapo and she had to become their informer if she wished for him to survive. A lump formed in her throat threatening to choke her. Her situation was making her desolate.

  Although, what harm would it do to exchange some friendly words with Frau Klausen, and report back on noncommittal small talk? With that idea in mind, she even mustered a small smile.

  The rumble in her stomach indicated lunchtime, and she ventured a glance at the clock hanging on the wall above the supervisor’s office. Two thirty p.m. Lunch break was long over. Another, stronger rumble reminded her that she’d skipped breakfast as well.

  When finally, the gong sounded to indicate afternoon break, Sabine scurried to her locker, only to remember that in her hurry to visit the fire station this morning, she’d forgotten to pack lunch. Her stomach would have to continue rumbling until she returned home in the evening.

  A dreadful thought. Returning home to an empty place. Knowing that Werner was somewhere in a prison cell in that awful building in Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse.

  “I overheard your conversation with Herr Meier,” Frau Klausen said with a warm smile. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

  Sabine stared at her with barely concealed hate. For starters you could turn yourself in to the Gestapo and tell them to let my husband go free.

  Frau Klausen, though, seemed to mistake hate for grief and put a hand on Sabine’s arm saying, “I will pray for your husband.”

  “He’s…alive,” Sabine stammered, pondering whether she should tell the older woman the truth. But how would that help? Instead she resigned herself to her new role as Gestapo informer and mustered a smile. “Thank you. Your kindness means a lot to me. Maybe we can talk a bit after our shift?”

  Frau Klausen nodded, but sent her a suspicious glance and avoided talking to Sabine for the rest of the afternoon. Obviously she’d picked up on Sabine’s desperation to become friendly with her. Or she’d simply thought it strange that after being so standoffish the last few weeks, Sabine now wanted to be friendly all of a sudden – or she knew about the Gestapo…

  Icy droplets trickled down her neck, causing her to hunch her shoulders. With nothing better to do, she fumbled for her perfect rolls and curls, trying to find some reassurance in the normality of her life. Her fingers crudely reminded her of the truly extraordinary situation, when they found only the bun made in a hurry this very morning. Tears stung at her eyes, as the revelation hit. Her entire life was shattering around her.

  It was only a stupid hairdo. But this hairdo had been her last shred of hanging onto a happier life before the war. Reality had caught up with her.

  After her shift she returned home, to an empty house with the ghost of Werner present in every single detail. The knowledge that he was a prisoner of the Gestapo took an iron grip around her heart, sending pangs of pain throughout her body and barely allowing her to breathe.

  She brewed a cup of tea and settled on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She sat motionless, staring at the wall with tears in her eyes until sleep finally overtook her, her dreams infested with horrid images of torture and pain. And Lily with a smile upon her face, her fancy clothes and furs telling the tale of her allegiance to the Reich. When Sabine begged her for help, Lily puffed on her cigarette in the long holder and laughed at her. “Bet you’re wishing you hadn’t called me a slut, now.”

  Sabine woke with a start and reached out to her side, only to become aware that she was still half-lying on the couch. She knew she should go upstairs, but she couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping in the bed she’d shared with Werner, afraid she’d never see him again.

  Chapter 10

  Continuing to go through the motions of normal life was taking a toll on Sabine. It had been several days since she’d been summoned by Kriminalkommissar Becker, but his cruel, unpitying stare still followed her wherever she went. She jumped at every noise, fearing it was him or his henchmen, coming for her again.

  Becoming friendly with Frau Klausen proved harder than imagined. For one thing, Sabine wasn’t a social butterfly and didn’t have much experience warming up to people. That had always been Werner’s job. And while Frau Klausen was kind and warm-hearted, she never once talked about anything personal, except for tales about her children from years ago.

  The restraint in the older woman’s behavior left Sabine wondering if they would ever become the sort of friends the Reich hoped for.

  Sunday morning arrived, and Sabine used her only day off to clean the small house. She was mopping the kitchen floor when a sharp knock came on the front door. Whoever can this be? She put water bucket and mop aside and wiped her hands on her apron before she opened the door.

  And wished she hadn’t.

  Kriminalkommissar Becker stood in front of her, wearing what seemed his best Sunday suit. He raised his hat and asked, “Don’t you want to invite me in?”

  “Of course, please step inside,” she said with a trembling voice, racking her brain about what he might want. Wasn’t she supposed to report back to Lily? Not that she had done it, but there hadn’t been anything newsworthy to report either.

  “I’ve been patiently waiting for news, but now my patience is coming to an end,” he said, stretching out on Werner’s place on the couch as if he owned it.

  Sabine fought the lump closing her throat and said, “I’ve tried to become friendly with Frau Klausen, just as you told me to. But so far she hasn’t said anything remotely compromising.”

  “We know she works for the enemies of the Reich.” Herr Becker glanced around, stopping at the framed wedding photograph of Sabine and Werner. He walked across the room and took the picture into his hands. “Such a beautiful couple. It would be a shame if you had to put a mourning edge around it.”

  Sabine almost collapsed from a heart attack the moment the macabre words left his thin lips, but Becker ignored her predicament. “I believe you’ll have to try a lot harder.” His finger caressed Werner’s face on the photograph.

  “If…if you already know Frau Klausen is part of the resistance, why don’t you just arrest her?” she stammered.

  “I told you before, and I will tell you again, Frau Mahler.” He put the framed image back onto the chest of drawers and walked over to stand in front of Sabine. His nearness sped up her heartbeat. “Frau Klausen is a minnow. We want the heads of the organizati
on. And you will lead us to them.” His finger caressed her cheek the same way it had caressed her husband’s picture, and Becker muttered, “Such a lovely couple…a real shame.”

  The icy grip of terror squeezing the air from her lungs, Sabine barely managed to keep upright, saying, “But how?”

  “You should be grateful to have me thinking for you,” Becker said, giving her a very smug grin, “because I have the perfect plan. You are going to move in with Frau Klausen and her daughter Ursula.”

  “Me? I’m going to move in with them?” Sabine couldn’t believe her own ears. This man couldn’t be serious about her moving in with random strangers.

  “Yes. We need to speed things up.” He licked his lips, enjoying this brilliant idea of his.

  “But…I have a home of my own. Why would I move in with someone else? That doesn’t make sense. And why would Frau Klausen even agree to this?” Sabine voiced the myriad of questions running around in her head.

  “See, this is where I come into the picture. We’ll visit the office for housing assignments and tell them your house was bombed, and thanks to my connections you’ll be immediately assigned new housing.”

  Sabine shivered at the evil plan. “But…it would be…next to impossible that they would assign me to Frau Klausen and not to someplace else.”

  “You leave that part to me. My people can make just about anything happen in this country.”

  She didn’t have the slightest doubt that he spoke the truth. No agency in Germany had more power than the Gestapo. If Becker wanted her to live with the Klausens, it would be one of his easiest tasks to arrange.

  “So, how do you like my fantastic plan?” he asked, genuine joy visible in his face.

  How could this sadistic monster be so…narcissistic? Didn’t he have a modicum of feeling for his fellow humans? Actually, she already knew the answer and said, “It’s a devious plan. I would never have been able to come up with this.” Then a doubt entered her mind and she spoke aloud, “What if anyone finds out my house didn’t really get bombed?”