The wrong Side of the River 4

»Now, I wonder whether this is a good or a bad sign!«

Fiona looked at the tree-covered hill behind which the house of the Germans was located. There was some smoke, indicating that someone had put new logs into the oven. Though she was the only one wearing trousers, Lilly not only hoped it had been Daisy and Sayana who had stoked the oven because it meant they were okay, but it would also allow them to warm up once they were inside.

Now, the question was how they should pass the last 150 or so yards. The snow and the undergrowth made the way between the trees inconvenient and dangerous, on the path leading to the airing, they would be sitting ducks, and splitting up was also no good option, for they had only one gun. In the end, Fiona decided:

»We will use the trees along the path as cover and work forward, tree by tree! We have to get to the pine your friend – chopped down, it will give us some cover! By the way, I want to know how she managed to do that! It was almost like witchcraft!«

»It was witchcraft!«, Nesrin murmured. None of the girls complained as Fiona took the lead, and as she had told them, they slowly progressed, running from one tree to the next. Finally, Fiona was only ten yards away from the fallen tree, and she had a good look at the house. Then, she frowned: a bright red cloth had been tied to the pine.

»Wait!«

Cursing for having to do so in a skirt, Fiona rolled down the hill, in the cover of the pine. There, she grabbed the cloth to which a rolled sheet had been tied, like a script roll. She unfolded it and read the short message written in English:

»We must talk, but we need to see all four of you! If we can’t see four heads and four pairs of empty hands, your friend will pay!«

Fiona considered hiding the message, but Lilly had already followed her and now took the sheet. She stared at the redhead.

»Wha-what shall we do now? A-and why is she talking about one friend only?«

They waited for the other two and quickly debated. They still could retreat, as it was just a few yards to the next cover where the Germans would not get them, even if they had a rifle. However, the threat sounded very real, and in addition, Nesrin, Marguerite and Lilly wanted to know why they were referring to one friend only.

»Maybe, it means one of them escaped! I mean, we didn’t hear any shots!«

Of course, when they had been at the farmhouse, with all the villagers talking, they could have missed a distant shot, and also, there were silent ways of killing, too. Finally, Nesrin made a decision: she broke a branch from the tree, tied a white handkerchief she had found in her pocket to it and rose, so her head and upper body were visible from the house. Marguerite did the same, raising her hands, and Lilly was next in line. With a curse, Fiona put her Luger into her coat pocket and also showed up with her hands risen.

The door opened, and they could see Romy get out, carrying a rifle with a scope on it. She knelt behind the veranda railing, aiming at the direction of the pine, though she had only one hand on the weapon, indicating she wasn’t about to shoot instantly.

»I would have considered Blondie to be the shootist!«, Fiona murmured when she saw Trixi step out of the house, too. She was waving a huge white cloth, most likely a bedsheet. This, she draped onto the ground a few steps in front of the house. Then, she said:

»You may also lower your parliamentary flag! Just keep your hands where we can see them, and don’t make any fast moves!«

She made no attempt of hiding herself, and Fiona guessed that she could have hit her with the Luger. However, there was the other girl, and though she would need one or two seconds to reload the Mauser carbine, she could hit her or one of the other girls before they had reached cover.

Trixi went back into the house, only to return little later. Lilly could only see she was carrying something large and dark brown, but beside her, Marguerite whispered Daisy’s name. Whilst Lilly only saw that their friend was dumped onto the blanket, the others could see more gruesome details: Daisy had her hands folded at her nape, and her arms were pulled back, so her upper body was arched. A stick was positioned at her butt, to which not only her arms were tied, but also her bent legs, hogtying her. Something white covered her head, most likely a pair of panties.

»We better start negotiating, for I am sure that someone from Africa doesn’t like being outside in the cold!«

Actually, Daisy was from the Caribbean, but that wasn’t the main issue.

»Where’s Sayana?«, Nesrin blurted, and to her surprise, the blonde raised her right hand, as if she wanted to pledge allegiance.

»I swear, I have no idea! When I came, someone had taken her already! We have no idea who that was, but with a third party around, we should better work together!«

»She’s bluffing!«, Lilly whispered. Fiona took a deep breath before she asked:

»What do you want?«

Trixi waited for a few seconds before the answer, allowing the girls to hear one muffled ache from Daisy squirming on the blanket.

»Eva Heyden!«

It was clear to all of them that she was speaking of the very Eva they had just learned to know. However, Lilly noticed that Fiona wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

»It’s as if she has expected nothing else!«

»What if I refuse?«, Fiona asked, and Trixi shrugged. Then, she squatted beside Daisy and started tickling her left foot. The Black squirmed and mewed, and Nesrin shouted she should leave her alone. The blonde withdrew and shouted:

»Well, I will of course leave her alone, and so will Romy! She will stay like she is, and where she is, until you get us what we want!«

Ostentatiously, she turned her back to the girls. Over her shoulder, she added:

»I think we will get back into the warm! The faster you act, the less your black friend will have to shiver!«

She went inside, followed by Romy. A few seconds later, they could se her silhouette at the window, where she obviously was waiting to shoot anyone trying to get closer to Daisy. Fiona balled her fists. Then, she ducked behind the tree. After one last look at the bound and gagged Daisy, the others accompanied her.

»What now?«

Lilly could feel the snow under her hand, and its coldness told her that Daisy would not have much time. Nesrin and Marguerite were hugging each other, trying not to glimpse through the branches at their friend, and Fiona took a few deep breaths before she got up again.

»Let’s go!«

Without looking back, she walked back towards where they had come from, and the others reluctantly followed her. Lilly kept up to her.

»You want to – to do what she said?«

Fiona looked at her with an enigmatic expression.

»The question is not what I want, but what I have to do!«

Nesrin now asked:

»What do they want from Eva? And, what’s your relation to her?«

This time, they had to wait until Fiona had finished her inner struggle between keeping a secret to herself and informing her temporary allies:

»Eva Heyden has been involved in some research – chemical research! It seems that her doctoral supervisor in Vienna was about to develop a new kind of explosive. Save to carry around and easy to use, but still highly effective!«

The research had been done unofficially, and therefore, it had lasted until the summer of 1938 until the Nazis had found out about Professor Duren. The man had been cooperative, but after some time, he had admitted that a considerable part of his work had been done by his assistant, a young, but very promising student named Eva Heyden.

»At that time, Eva had already lost her job, for being half-Jewish! The German Abwehr tried to get her, but she managed to escape, taking her papers with her. Well, it turns out that it took the Germans as long as it took us to find out where she is now!«

For a while, each of them walked in silence, allowing the information to sink in. Only Nesrin gave a quick summary to Marguerite. Lilly thought of the blonde girl they had only met at the house immediately after it had burned down, and who was now hiding at her cottage. And now, those she considered her allies were coming for her.

And what would happen then? Sure, those mean women would take her to Germany, and then, they would make her cooperate, whether she wanted or not. In addition, her being half-Jewish would only make things worse for Eva.

»If we deliver her, we are condemning her to torture, maybe to death!«

However, if they refused to cooperate, Daisy would die. It was a terrible dilemma, but there was a deciding factor: Daisy was her friend whilst she barely knew Eva.

She let herself fall behind a few steps, and Nesrin and Marguerite did the same. In French, she whispered:

»I so much hope we can figure something out once Daisy’s saved – but until then, we have got to play their game!«

***

There had been three or four more pauses on Sayana’s involuntary trip up the mountains, and she was feeling exhausted and sore when now, the man shifted her position, cradling her in his arms. Then, she heard the creaking of an opening door, and she was placed onto a soft underground. The door was shut, and then, she heard some rummaging.

»Just a minute, beautiful witch, the room will heat up quickly!«

Sayana heard him light the fire, and then, he sat down on her bed, once again caressing her bare feet. She tried to sit up, and he assisted her, helping her to lean her back against the wall. Then, as the air grew warmer, he opened the blanket and removed it from her. Then, she felt being pulled down, so she was resting on his chest as he was caressing her shoulders.

»Are you still cold, or are you happy to be here with me?«

Sayana got what he meant when his hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs playfully pressing on her hardened nipples. She weakly tried to shake him off, but the man pulled her closer, still kneading her boobs. She forced herself to hold still, hoping he would further release her.

»Uncle Prashant told me you were beautiful, and sometimes, I thought he was lying or at least exaggerating! I hope that he will forgive me, wherever he is now!«

Continuing to massage her breasts, he told her that the man he called his uncle Prashant had actually been his great-granduncle twice removed.

»I think you knew him as ›Tiny Tim‹, and to honour his legacy, I am going under his nickname now!«

Sayana chortled, her massive gags not allowing her to do more, but he must have felt her reaction, for he said:

»So, you haven’t forgotten him either! And neither did he, for he never married when he returned to Nepal. For more than 60 years, all he had was his memory about you!«

He continued telling her about his uncle, and Sayana listened, feeling sad for Tiny Tim, and also feeling a bit flattered that she had left such an impact. She had almost forgotten she was still bound gagged and blindfolded when suddenly, Tiny Tim Junior chuckled, placing her nipples between his fingers.

»So, it wasn’t the cold, my beautiful witch!«

Indeed, the room had become quite warm now, and yet, her nipples were still – or again – hard and erect. Now, Sayana realized that whilst she had listened to the man talking, her body hadn’t been indifferent to his caresses. She let out a small sound when he now rose from the bed.

»I am also feeling the heat!«

He left it to her whether he meant the oven or her presence. She heard a rustle, and when he returned to the bed, she could feel he had taken off his clothes. Sayana chortled, but Tiny Tim just draped a blanket over both of them and then put an arm around her. His fingers found the whip scar on her back and caressed it, and his feet found hers. She twitched when she felt his cold feet, but he just chuckled and whispered:

»There is one thing Uncle Prashant told me about you, or maybe witches in general!«

His hand wandered to her knees, and he untied the rope around them. With her legs now free, Sayana held still as he gently brushed over the back of her knees. With her wrists crossed behind her neck, she could only lie comfortably on her back, and he had cuddled against her, so his head rested on her breasts. Sayana felt some fear, and she kept her thighs pressed together, but didn’t try to fight him off in any other way. Somehow, she wanted to know what Tiny Tim – the original Tiny Tim – had told his grand-nephew about her.

»I mean, that you are less powerful when gagged and blindfolded is nothing too special, for it would work for anyone else! However, he had learned one more thing about your powers. They do not come from your head, but rather from here!«

His hand wandered up her body, once again touching her left breast. At the same time, he shifted his head slightly, and Sayana knew he was feeling and listening for her heartbeat. Well, there was a very non-supernatural explanation why it was accelerated.

»Or, to be more precisely, they only partially come from your heart, whilst they are also – further down!«

Sayana let out a fluttering breath as his hand slowly brushed over her belly, until the tips of his fingers touched her pubic hair. Then, as he went further, she squeezed her thighs even tighter and shook her head, mewing faintly.

The man brushed over her pubic mound, playfully letting his fingers rake through her fuzzy curls, but he didn’t try to push his fingers between her legs or force her to open them.

»The centre of your powers, my beautiful witch! My beautiful Sayana!«

It was the second time he had used her name, and it felt like a caress. Her memories wandered back to either two days or 80 years ago, when Tiny Tim had learned enough about her powers to keep her under control.

Sayana was most powerful when she was in a state of arousal – and helpless as a baby for some time after she had climaxed. Tiny Tim had used that against her – ad the memory of how he had made her moan and scream from lust two times sent a shiver through her womb. The shiver seemed to meet the irritations caused by the man’s fingers caressing her pubic mound, and Sayana slightly wriggled her hips.

Still, he didn’t try to get further by force. Instead, he changed his position, so he could push his other arm under her. Again, his fingers touched the scar on her back, a constant reminder of her terrible passage on the slave ship. Somehow, the touch of this man brought back the old pain, but at the same time, his caresses felt like a balm. The wound had healed years ago (or centuries, if one also calculated the time jumps), but somehow, it was as if this was the first time someone took care of her scar in a way her soul could heal, too.

»It was one of the few occasions I ever saw Uncle Prashant get angry – when he told me about your scar, and how he could not punish the bastard who had inflicted it upon you!«

Sayana cringed as for a second, it felt like on that moment so many years ago, when she had been tied to the ship’s railing. She had been lucky to only get one stroke with the heavy bull whip – not out of clemency, but because they didn’t want to diminish her value. Tiny Tim Junior withdrew a bit, and he asked:

»Did I hurt you?«

Given the fact how he had treated her, the question was a bit strange, but Sayana shook her hooded head, and when he again caressed her back, she lolled around a bit, to feel his hand more. The pain turned into a tingle that wasn’t unpleasant. However, it had been the true concern in his voice that had broken her resistance.

»More than 60 years, he couldn’t forget about you, Sayana! And somehow, from the first tie on he told me about you, I felt that he was right!«

Another tingle radiated through her, below her waist this time, culminating in her womb where she could still feel his fingers gently touching her. Maybe, it was just flattering, maybe, it was a way of tricking her into a weak position, but there were also so many pleasant – very pleasant! – memories, memories that cried for refreshment.

Sayana opened her legs, and she reared up with a sigh when his hand cupped her pubic mound and started to massage her hot and moist middle.

***

Shortly before Eva’s cottage, Fiona stopped the others.

»I will do it! Once I have her – ready for transport, I will call you in!«

The other girls nodded silently, accepting the terrible decision they had to make. They went behind a bush, so they wouldn’t be seen from the road by passers-by, and they watched as Fiona approached the small hut and knocked at the door.

It took some time for Eva to peek through the window shutters, push away the cupboard from her door and finally unlock it to let Fiona in. The last hour, she had spent in fear, not even daring to slip outside for a minute to pee.

»Where are the others?«, she asked. Instead of an answer, Fiona closed the door behind her and then, Eva suddenly looked at the muzzle of her Luger. She grinned wryly.

»Is this some kind of joke?«

Fiona didn’t laugh, but she didn’t lower the gun either. She pointed at a scarf and ordered:

»Tie that over your mouth!«

Eva obeyed, staring at Fiona with widened eyes. Had the Englishwoman gone mad? Fiona then told her to lie down on her bed, turn on her side and grab her ankles with her hands. Having done so, Fiona inspected her looks and nodded: on the first sight, Eva looked as if she had been gagged and hogtied. She still aimed at the blonde as she said:

»As I told you, the Germans are after you. And I guess you – hey! Don’t change your position if you hang on your life!«

Eva, who had let her ankles go, grabbed them again. Through the cloth that slightly muffled her speech, she demanded an explanation, and Fiona told her about the blackmailing by the two Germans. Then, she added:

»So, if I do as they told us, we will now tie you up and gag you for real and then, we will get you to these two lovely Ladies. I don’t know their exact plans, but I think it will be Berlin for you rather than Vienna! Maybe, Prinz-Albrecht-Straße!«

Actually, Fiona had no idea if Romy and the blonde were working for the SS or any other German institution, but the Prinz-Albrecht-Straße, where the headquarters of both SS and Gestapo were located, had become synonymous for stately terror in Germany – and, according to the fearful look in Eva’s eyes, also in Austria.

»There’s an alternative, however!«

»What alternative?«, Eva immediately asked through the cloth, and Fiona had to oppress a grin. So far, her devious plan worked.

»How about us going to Switzerland, then to France and finally to Great Britain? My superiors are as interested in your research as the Nazis are, but they would treat you with more respect, and they are not intending to kill you for what your father has been.«

The woman lying on the bed was highly intelligent, and so, Fiona didn’t have to give any further explanation.

»The other girls won’t like that alternative!«

»That’s why we have to play a trick!«, Fiona admitted. »I will now call them in, and once they are inside, we take care that we will have a head start of a few hours!«

For a few seconds, Eva hesitated. After all, this plan meant that perhaps – most likely – the Germans would kill their hostage. However, as Fiona had pointed out, the alternative was her getting kidnapped, tortured and maybe killed. So, she nodded. Fiona looked around and picked a sock from the clothesline. Then, she untied the cloth in front of Eva’s mouth. She protested and wanted to know what this was about.

»Your gag has to look more convincing!«

Eva gulped. Then, she opened her mouth, retching as the wadded sock was pushed inside. Fiona pulled the cloth between her lips and tied it considerably tight. Eva fought her reflex to pull on the gag and instead once again grabbed her ankles and turned half onto her back, so she would appear hogtied and gagged to the others.

Fiona opened the door and waved. Then, she sent a grim nod towards Eva as they heard the approaching steps.

Lilly, Nesrin and Marguerite entered, silently approaching the bed. Eva, playing her role, writhed and moaned, and the three girls seemed reluctant what to do next. At that moment, they heard a thud from behind as Fiona closed the door. They spun around, only to look at the Luger pointing at them.

»What the-«

»As I said, it’s not about what I want to do, but what I have to do – for the greater good of my country, and maybe of mankind!«

The girls watched with dismay as now, Eva got up from the bed, obviously not restrained at all, and untied the cloth from her mouth.

»Ugh!«, she commented as she spat out the sock. Fiona asked her if she had some rope and a knife, as they would have to tie up the girls now. Pale as a sheet, but quiet, the blonde went for a chest in the corner, staggering slightly as she did so.

»Qu'est-ce qui se passe, qu'est-ce que c'est?«, Marguerite asked in a shrill voice, getting more and more excited. Nesrin tried to calm her down and tried to grab her hands, but Marguerite almost violently freed herself, and by accident, she slapped Fiona who got distracted for a moment.

It was more a reflex than anything, and she knocked her knee on the table when she jumped forward, but Lilly managed to slam both her fists at Fiona’s wrists. With a curse, the redhead punched her against her chest, sending her against the table. However, now, Marguerite suddenly threw herself upon her, and both slammed against Eva. Nesrin grabbed the next heavy-looking thing, a frying pan, and stood there, waiting for an opportunity to hit Fiona, when Lilly spotted the Luger on the floor.

»Freeze! Stop it!«

With both hands, she held the weapon. Lilly had no idea if this gun needed to be unlocked, but somehow, she managed to look threatening enough, for Fiona stopped struggling, and a panting Marguerite came to her feet, jumping behind Nesrin who held the frying pan like a club.

»All right, bitches, get on your knees and fold your hands at the back of your head!«

Both Eva and Fiona obeyed, the blonde trembling like aspen foliage, the redhead looking for a chance to turn the tides once again. Lilly knew that she could not play the tough girl forever, and so, they had to act quickly. In French, she ordered Marguerite to get the rope and to cut some lengths. Then, switching to German, she told Eva to get to her feet.

»Listen, we can-«

»Shut up!«, Lilly shouted, knowing that her voice had sounded to shrill to be considered reasonable. Nesrin, who understood that they now had to focus on following that path, no matter how much they would be disgusted by themselves later on, grabbed the sock Eva had spat out, grabbed Eva’s scalp and forced it deep into her oral cavity.

»Don’t dare to spit this out!«, she hissed, in a voice that made Marguerite gasp, and even Lilly was impressed on how threatening the shy Persian could become.

Nesrin tied the scarf that had been used as a fake gag between Eva’s lips, pulling the ends tight before knotting them off. Then, she grabbed the second sock and a rag. Fiona accepted her gag without a sound of complaint.

Now, with no further interruption to be feared, Nesrin and Marguerite tied Eva for transport whilst Lilly aimed at her and Fiona with the gun. They started by tying her wrists behind her back, then also tied her elbows before wrapping a third rope around her arms and upper body a few times. With her upper body immobilized, Eva stood there, panting and mewing, as Nesrin tied her legs above the knees, lifting her skirt to do so. Now, Eva could walk, but not run.

Marguerite draped Eva’s better coat that reached to her calves over her shoulders and buttoned it close. When they had put the sleeves into the pockets, from the distance, only the gag would tell that the girl was tied up.

To further hide her bondage, Marguerite now rummaged through Eva’s clothes until she had found a coloured headscarf. She draped it over the blonde’s head and knotted it tightly under her chin; then, she pulled a woollen scarf over the girl’s mouth and nose and tied it off at her nape.

»Now for you!«, Lilly stated, aiming at Fiona who was still kneeling on the floor, gagged and with her hands behind her head. She had to get up, and Lilly said:

»Believe me, I am hating this more than anything, and if we can do anything to free Eva once Daisy’s rescued, we will do so! But now, we have to do what we have to do – no matter how much we despise it!«

It was more or less the same justification Fiona had used, and so, she didn’t protest as Lilly ordered her to strip. She took off her coat, boots, socks and then, she unbuttoned her dress, too. On Lilly’s order, Nesrin emptied the chest and then stuffed all clothes inside. To Fiona, who stood there with her hands on her hips, she said:

»The chemise, too!«

With a groan, the redhead obeyed. Now, she was wearing her white bra, matching lace panties, her garter belt and stockings. Lilly thought of making her remove the bra, too, but decided against it. Instead, she ordered Fiona to lie down on the bed, and Marguerite and Nesrin tied her wrists and ankles to the four posts.

»We better make sure she won’t alert anyone within the next few hours!«, Nesrin stated and took the towel from the hook, tying it over Fiona’s already gagged mouth. Then, the girls worked together to pack all clothes onto the chest, including Eva’s underwear. When the lid had been closed, Lilly told Nesrin and Marguerite:

»We will place the box outside, some 100 yards away! So, if you somehow manage to get free, you won’t be able to alert someone immediately!«

They checked the redhead’s bonds, and then, they left. Lilly walked close behind Eva, pressing the gun into her back. The blonde staggered, coping with having to walk with her knees tied, but she didn’t scream or try to run away. Nesrin and Marguerite carried the chest, glad they could dump it after they had passed the first hill.

Now, the feared breakdown came. Lilly, who felt her hand tremble, managed to hand her gun to Marguerite who had never before seen a modern gun, let alone used it, but she knew that by pointing it at Eva’s back, she could keep the girl under control.

Nesrin had slung her arms around Lilly who now sobbed on her shoulder, overwhelmed by her role in the latest events. Nesrin also had tears in her eyes, and none of them felt that they were doing the right thing, though it was the only chance for them to save Daisy.

After a while, Lilly sniffled, wiped her eyes and when Nesrin asked her whether it would go, she nodded. Then, she suddenly giggled.

»Do you know what is funny?«

Nesrin just waited, knowing from the way Lilly spoke it wouldn’t be actually funny. Lilly shook her head and said:

»A few months ago – I mean, a few months in our time, I was allowed to vote for the first time. European Parliament, you remember?«

Slightly puzzled, Nesrin nodded. It had been her own first election, too, and she had no idea what Lilly was about to say.

»Well, I voted for a rather left-wing party, because I didn’t want the European policy on refugees to become too restrictive! And right now, I am delivering a refugee to the Nazis!«

***

Once Fiona and the other girls had left, Trixi and Romy had taken the rug from the living room that was a large white sheep’s fur, and they had put that under Daisy instead of the now wet and partially frozen sheet. It wasn’t an act of clemency, but Trixi wanted their hostage to be alive if her friends would return. With some frostbite, perhaps, but alive.

»I am sure they are missing the time when they could just go to the market and buy a new one of your kind!«, she had joked, and then tickled the girl’s soles as she had refused to laugh. Then, she had withdrawn to the house, sitting by the window so she could have an eye on both the Black and the path from which Fiona and the others had to come.

In the same room, sitting at the table, Romy was using the radio. In the mountains, the connection only randomly worked and therefore, they had to use Morse code. Trixi had learned the alphabet and could work herself through a written message, but only Romy could get some sense into the faint chirping from her earphones and send an answer almost instantly.

Now, Romy put down her headphones and held a note so Trixi could see it.

»I reached Berlin! They are pleased that we are about to accomplish our mission – and they have ordered a slight change in plans! But see for yourself, I will quickly see after our captive! Maybe, she will warm up if I make her twitch and squirm a bit!«

She handed the note to Trixi who scoffed once she had read it. It wasn’t a big change in plans, but it would make things a bit more difficult.

***