Page 14 of Wicked Deceptions
“He’s been beaten.”
“How?”
The other man chuckles. “With our fists,” he says, holding up his bloody fist.
“Stand him up,” I say. “Bind his arms above his head with his feet barely touching the floor.”
They immediately move to do as I ask, and I watch with intent. Gerhardt winces when they pick him up.This is so hard.
When they are finished securing him, I say, “Good. He will remain this way for the next twenty-four hours. He is to have no food, and if you see him fall asleep, he must be awakened. If he has to relieve himself, he does it from where he is.
“Katerina, please,” he begs. His voice is labored and weak from the beating, but he continues. “They’re lying. I would never betray my country.”
I can’t look at him. I know if I do, I will struggle with doing what I need to do and let him go. He was my friend. My confidant. I have to do this. He betrayed Germany, and while I hate Germany and every last German—except for Malcolm and Gerhardt—if I am ever going to fulfill my vow, I must do this.
“Let him hang,” I say to the two men who are helping me. As I walk toward the other side of the room and sit in one of the chairs, the other two men join me. “I don’t believe we have been formally introduced. I’m Katerina.”
The bigger of the two men says, “I’m Olaf, and this is my brother, Gustav, but everyone calls him Gus.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say and then wince. My words aren’t really an appropriate thing to say under these circumstances, but it is too late now. As usual, my voice speaks before my brain can think about it.
I watch Gerhardt struggle for roughly two hours before I decide to talk to him. If I can get this over quickly, it will be easier for both of us. I’ve got my resolve back, and the weakness that was tugging at my heart has temporarily subsided. “Gerhardt, we can make this so very easy. Just tell me what you did. Admit to it, and I will have Gus and Olaf take you down, and we can attend to your wounds.”
He smirks, “Only to kill me.”
“Probably so, but we can make it quick and you wouldn’t have to suffer any more.” I walk up close to him. He’s breathing heavily and perspiring. It is rather warm in here, but I’m sure the added stress doesn’t help much. “Just tell me,” I plead.
He spits at me but misses. “Never!” he exclaims. “I’ve done nothing wrong and will not admit to a crime I did not commit!”
“Suit yourself.” I turn my back toward him so he cannot see the tears streaming down my face for him and his fate. When I get over to the other side of the room where the chairs are, I whisper to Olaf, “Work him over again. Do we have something to strike him with while he is racked up?”
Olaf nods and walks to the other side of the room. He comes back with a cane. Holy crap, just the thought of this thing striking an already-battered body tears at my heart.Stay strong, Katerina! You have to graduate!
Olaf proceeds over to Gerhardt and stands behind him. He takes the cane and strikes at his back, just about where his kidneys are. Gerhardt cries out in pain. Olaf looks at me for confirmation, and I hold up five fingers and nod. He nods and continues to strike Gerhardt five more times.
Gerhardt’s screams, each louder than the last, are sheer torture to my ears. I am relieved when Olaf is finally finished. I walk back toward him, and he’s whimpering. His eyes meet mine, and he glares. He’s not gonna talk. Not yet.
Over the course of the next several hours, this torture continues. Gerhardt is not going to survive this, and I plead with him to talk, but he continues to refuse. He’s making this so much worse than it has to be. If only he would confess.
At about sixteen hours into his interrogation and torture, Gerhardt calls to me, “Katerina.” It’s barely audible. He’s so badly beaten and he has to be so fatigued with his arms suspended over his head and his toes barely touching the floor. I can’t even imagine.
“Are you ready to talk?”
“I can’t take any more, Katerina. Please have mercy. Nobody will know if you stop and allow me to rest. Let me lie down and let me sleep, please,” he begs.
“You know I can’t do that. You are a traitor, Gerhardt. No matter what we have shared in the past, I don’t look at you the same now. You are no longer my friend. Germany comes first, and you betrayed her.” I caress his hand. “Just tell me what you did.”
“No!”
I look over at Olaf and he nods. He knows exactly what I want. Five more strikes should do it. We are so close. We’ve broken him.
Olaf makes the first strike, and Gerhardt screams, “You win! Yes, I gave German secrets to Russia!”
Relief washes over me. “Take him down,” I instruct Gus and Olaf, and they do as they are told. Gerhardt falls to the floor, and I sit on the floor beside him. “Tell me everything,” I say, stroking his face.
He begins to talk, and he is very detailed. Once he is done, he says, “Now kill me.”
“That is not for me to decide.” Just then, the man who brought me here comes into the room, followed by General Von Schmidt.
