Samuel Müller woke up in the morning to the sound of his alarm, set for 6 am. There was no sun to stream through the flat’s windows and wake him at sunrise, as had been the case 11 years ago

He got out of bed and sat up with difficulty; his lower back was aching terribly. Although Dieter hadn’t forced him to do anything, it felt like the pain he’d first experienced.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Of course, he couldn’t find Dieter—he’d left the previous evening—but Samuel remembered what Dieter had said before he left:

‘This is an important piece of paper. Read it in the morning.’

Samuel’s eyes widened and he kept looking around until he spotted the piece of paper; he opened it immediately to see what was inside.

‘Samuel Müller, by order of the President of the Republic, you are instructed to report to my office at 8.30 am sharp for an urgent matter.’

Samuel read the note over and over again.

‘Is this a trap?!’

The question swirled in his head as he spoke to himself.

“Has the President used me and is he going to punish me?!”

Samuel threw the note aside, got out of bed and stood up, clutching his back and groaning. He leaned on the table by the bed and tried to continue walking towards the bathroom. 

He sat down on the toilet seat and cried out in pain; he had no choice but to stand up to avoid further pain. 

“Now I understand why no one in their right mind would choose.”

7.23 am

Samuel managed to take a warm bath, which eased the pain in his back, and he also managed to eat breakfast; he hadn’t expected there to be any food here… But it seemed Dieter had put it there during the night; he was sure that a flat ready for occupancy wouldn’t have food in it for no reason.

Samuel searched for his clothes whilst wearing his bathrobe, and after a quarter of an hour’s search, he found them neatly arranged inside the wardrobe.

“I didn’t tidy them away… Did Dieter do this?”

He didn’t really care and got dressed. Leaning against the wall, he began to wonder whether he should go and see Dieter or not.

“It’s an order from the boss, and as a man of the law, I must carry out his orders… But what if this is a trap? No, why would he need a trap or any sort of drama? He could simply have sent some police officers to arrest me, but to be honest, I’d like to meet him anyway.”

Samuel glanced at the clock hanging on the wall; it was 7.48 am.

“I’ve never stayed at home this late on a working day before… but I have to go to the palace now. Oh my God, what am I going to tell them? The guards there are very strict…’

He went back to the bedroom and took the piece of paper with him, noticing Dieter Brandt’s signature on the back… The guards wouldn’t stop him from entering if he had a note from Dieter… Or perhaps Dieter had told them he was coming.

8.17 am

Samuel Müller stood in front of the main gate of the Presidential Palace, took his first step and approached the gate, where the guards eyed him suspiciously. Samuel stood still for a few seconds, then took a deep breath, took the paper out of his pocket and handed it to the guard, who examined it and then nodded to the other guard, who in turn opened the door and allowed Samuel to enter. Upon entering the imposing palace—parts of which were still under construction as part of an extension, yet which retained an aesthetic reminiscent of Gothic architecture— Samuel had heard that the palace had been designed by the former head of state himself, but he hadn’t realised that he was a lover of Gothic architecture. Samuel bumped into one of the staff members, who brought him back to reality rather than allowing him to marvel at the palace’s beauty.

‘Sorry, I didn’t see you,’

He said this without looking at the staff member, who paid him no attention and carried on his way. Samuel didn’t know exactly where Dieter’s office was, so he tried to find someone to ask, and ended up having to ask a woman pushing a trolley full of files.

“Excuse me… where is the President’s office?”

The woman paused for a moment, pointed him towards a long corridor and said:

“Down that corridor you’ll find an office guarded by two men; the door is distinctive. It’s there.”

Samuel headed down the corridor without even thanking her, found the office, glanced at his watch and realised it was 8.28.

“Good. I’ve still got time.”

The guards looked at him and, without saying a word, opened the door for him; he went in straight away. As he stepped into the office, he saw Dieter Brandt, the imposing president and the ‘Iron Man’, reviewing several documents. Dieter noticed Samuel entering, took off his reading glasses, smiled that smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and said

“Good morning, Müller… Earlier than expected—that’s excellent.”

“Good morning, sir… You summoned me… Is there something important?”

“Of course it’s important—for you.”

“And what is it, sir?”

Dieter pulled out a piece of paper, handed it to him and continued,

“You’re to go to the Military Academy starting today.”

Samuel cried out in a tone that combined shock and bewilderment,

“The Military Academy! Sir, what’s the reason?! Only those applying for a position in the Republican Guard go there!”

“I know that, Samuel. I’m the one who founded the regime—have you forgotten?”

Samuel calmed down a little and sat down in front of Dieter. He bowed his head and remained silent for a few seconds, then said,

“But why? I mean, I haven’t applied for a post in the Guard; it’s a demanding role and requires someone suited to it.”

“And why do you think I’ve enrolled you at the Academy? You’re not suited to a post as a guard in the Republican Guard… You’re suited to the role of Commander of the Republican Guard.”

Samuel’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open at what he’d heard.

“Sir… are you all right? I’m just an ordinary police officer—I’m not even a detective… How could I hold a position like that?! I’m not suited to it; I might let you down.”

“ No, you won’t. I can tell by looking into people’s eyes. Don’t doubt my choice of you, Samuel; you’re the best person for the job.”

Samuel looked down at the floor, trying to take in what was happening… Just yesterday he’d been lying beneath Dieter’s body, and today Dieter was telling him he wanted him to guard him personally! Was this a dream?! It had to be a dream.

​"No, Samuel, this is as real as it gets... I see potential in you because you are desperately looking for a purpose, and that makes you fiercely loyal."

Samuel looked at Dieter, furrowing his brow in disbelief at all this… But how had he heard his thoughts in the first place? Samuel took a deep breath and then said:

“But the costs…”

Dieter cut him off 

“It’s all out of my own pocket. Don’t worry about it.”

“But why are you doing all this?!”

he shouted as he rose from his chair and stood angrily in front of Dieter 

“You’re not behaving like a normal person! Yesterday you were sleeping with me, and today you want me to become commander of the Republican Guard!! You must be up to something! Yes, you’re either trying to cover up our relationship, or you really are gay and want me to stay close to you—that’s right, yes!”

Dieter looked at him coldly, with an expression that was a mixture of boredom and pity. He shook his head and said:

“Samuel, if I wanted you to stay close to me, I wouldn’t have sent you to the Academy.... You know that studying there can sometimes take years, don’t you? And let me be frank with you once more: I’m not gay, and I never will be.”

He raised an eyebrow, glanced sideways at him, and continued:

“Do you understand?”

“All right, I’ve got it! But you haven’t told me why you’re doing all this! This isn’t help—it’s a conspiracy, I’m sure of it.”

Dieter sighed wearily and said:

“I hate conspiracies, Samuel… but I’ve told you, I’m doing this for your sake. Why are you rejecting what I’m doing? You’re not behaving like a normal person.”

“I reject what you’re doing because nothing in life is free! You want something in return from me!”

“To work directly under my command rather than under the Minister of the Interior – isn’t that something in return, in your view? Understand this, Samuel: you’re a loyal person, and I need someone like you for such a sensitive position.”

“Loyal? Loyal?! How do you know whether I’m loyal or not? How can you be sure I won’t betray you?”

Dieter smiled a different kind of smile… a smile one might only see on the face of a devil. He laughed a laugh devoid of any warmth or merriment and said in his usual cold voice:

“You can’t do anything against me… Just think about it… You know there’s a powerful party behind me, and they’re ready to cut you into little pieces whilst you’re still alive if you so much as think of harming a hair on my head!”

Samuel swallowed hard and wiped his forehead with his hand as he realised what he meant. He knew full well that the Völkische Einheit party were not kind to those who encroached upon the party’s symbols, so what would they do to someone who encroached upon the President personally?!

“I have no desire to harm you, Mr President, but… I was angry because you trusted me so quickly… I’m truly sorry for what I said—I was just… worried about you.”

Dieter looked directly at Samuel and smiled a sly yet peaceful smile, saying calmly:

“I know you’re telling the truth; lawyers like me don’t miss a single detail.”

“Do you mean you know I was worried about you?”

“Of course. You were looking for a reason for my trust in you because you weren’t confident in yourself.”

Dieter rose from his desk, approached Samuel, took hold of his right shoulder with his left hand, and continued:

“I told you I can read people by their eyes. You’re someone who’s looking for a purpose, and I’ve created one for you. All you have to do for me is keep an eye on my bodyguards… That’s not difficult, is it?”

“Certainly not, sir. That’s not difficult.”

Dieter patted Samuel on the upper back and said:

“Good boy.”

To be continued……