My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps and loud laughter, four soldiers stumbled inside the tavern.

Based on the insignias they were carrying I was able to tell their ranks; two were simple SS-Schütze, they had no weapons on them for some reason, the third one was a SS-Oberschütze and had a Walther P38 in a waist holster, the last one must had been the squad leader as he had the rank of SS-Rottenführer, he had a MP40 slung in front, they seemed buzzed if not drunk already.

- Alright, alright! Where is the damn waiter here huh? – One of the SS-Schütze yelled.

The waitress came in to take their order, they were soon done ordering, as she turned to head back to the kitchen the same soldier that yelled earlier slapped her in the buttocks and said to his companions while laughing in a vulgar manner:

- She may be old but still has a nice ass! – They all bursted in laughter.

The waitress turned around and slapped him hard in the face, the soldier quickly responded by standing up and slapping her back in the face with the back of his hand, she fell to the ground after the hit, still on the ground she looked up, terrified, her right cheek was bruised and the lower lip was bleeding a little.

- You old hag! How dare you attack a soldier of the SS! – He said.

- You are nothing but a pig! – She replied.

- I will show you, you stupid bitch. – He said and took the handgun out of his friend´s holster, he pointed the gun at her.

- Kiss my boots or I´ll shoot you! – He ordered and pulled the hammer of the gun back, the men that were at the bar quickly fled, the other three soldiers were there just watching and laughing.

She spitted the boots of the soldier, him, enraged went ahead and kicked the woman on the groin twice, crouched and rammed the muzzle of the gun on her cheek, and the woman began crying desperately.

- That’s enough, put the gun down. – I said in an exasperated tone and remained seated.

The four of them froze and went completely silent, the poor woman used the distraction to run into the kitchen, they turned to see who had spoken, the one with the gun in hand looked at me started walking my direction, he stopped beside me.

- Now, what do we have here? A hero? Will you take the bullet for her? Why don’t you kiss my boots huh? - He spoke slightly slurred.

I gave him a hard right punch in the balls, he lurched forward in pain, placing the hand with the gun in the table to support himself, in a swift move I quickly grabbed him from the nape of the neck and slammed his head against the table, he fell to the floor, I kicked the gun away and stomped on his face twice knocking him out.

The SS-Rottenführer grabbed his MP40 and aimed at me.

- Who the fuck do you think you are? – He asked.

I removed the trench coat to reveal the uniform, grabbed the luger P08 from my holster and aimed at him.

- I´m SS-Sturmbannführer Alexander Von Herrmann and I´m ordering you all to stand down. –

The look on his face and the face of the other two was priceless, they were terrified.

- HA! I don’t believe that, you are too young for such title, you are a fake! – He yelled.

- Oh really? – I smirked.

I pulled the trigger twice shooting from the hip, the shots went into his right shoulder making him drop the mp40 and stumble with his chair falling backwards.

The other two raised their hands.

- I am really sorry Sturmbannführer, please forgive us, things got a little out of hand here – said the Oberschütze, terrified.

- Get that bastard out of my sight and find him a doctor, and also your drunk friend over here, out quickly before I have you all shot in the street like the dogs you are! If I see you again I will kill you all! –

The four soldiers rushed out of the tavern, I went back to my table and sat down, shortly after, the waitress was back with my food and a big bottle of schnapps.

- Thank you for your help a moment ago, this is on the house, you may take the bottle with you. – said the waitress.

- Oh no, no, no, absolutely not, that was just part of my job madam, such barbaric dogs are a shame to the Reich and the SS and should be killed like vermin. – I said while taking a cigarette from a little metal case and offering one to the waitress, she took one and I lighted both.

- Please, I insist, If I wasn’t for you the story could´ve been way different. – She looked at me, her eyes still teary from the commotion, I stopped to think for a moment and realized she wouldn´t take no for an answer.

- Very well then, many thanks. – I said smiling and took the bottle.

- Again, thanks to you sir. – She said smiling, afterwards she turned around walked towards some workers that came in and started taking their orders. I had my meal in silence and served myself a couple of glasses of schnapps, I just sat there for what seemed to be hours, thinking of Poland, my father, wondering how my mother was faring back in the U.S.

I got up after a while, thanked the woman for her service and went out, by that time the tavern was getting crowded and it was late, I started walking while having a smoke and with no destination in mind, I just wanted to walk a little and clear my mind…

Eventually I got tired of wandering around and decided to head back to my flat, after stopping for a moment to see where I was, I realized that it was just a couple of blocks away.

I got to the front of the apartment building, I noticed a young girl sitting on the front steps, after getting closer I noticed that it was Trudi. She was holding an envelope in her hand, she raised her head as I approached her and just like she did earlier she stood up quickly and clumsily, almost falling down in the process.

- Fräulein Trudi, what are you doing here? – I asked.

- I have a message for you SS-Sturmbannführer, new orders I believe, the Oberführer was tired and he was going home so he sent me to find you and give you the message, I couldn’t find you in the tavern so I thought that you´d eventually wind up here.

- Have you been waiting for long? – I asked as I took my trench coat off and wrapped her with it.

- An hour, maybe more. –

- Scheiße, I´m really sorry, allow me to make it up to you, how about a cup of tea? –

She remained silent, looking down, she was blushing again.

Having noticed that I might said that too bluntly I tried to correct myself.

- I apologize, perhaps I was too sudden, is there someone waiting for you at home Trudi? –

She looked up to me and said:

- No, not really, it’s just that I´ve never been alone with someone… you know, in their house. – She said blushing even more as she finished the sentence.

I just smiled a little.

- It´s ok Trudi, I´ll behave, I promise that I have no wrong intention. – I Said smiling and raising my hand as if making an oath, trying to act funny to ease the mood up a bit.

Finally she loosened up a little.

- A cup of tea would be great, It´s surprisingly chilly for this time of the year. – She said.

She stood up, we went inside the building, up the stairs, and into the apartment.

- Please take a seat, I will bring some tea in a moment.

She went ahead and sat on a big burgundy leather couch that I had in the living room.

- Weather is not looking good Sturmbannführer. – She said from the living room while I was in the kitchen placing the teapot on the stove.

- Oh, well after we are done with the tea I can call the motor pool and have a driver pick you up and take you home. – I said while walking back to the living room.

- Much obliged Sturmbannführer. –

- Alex, call me Alex please, no need for such formalities here. –

- Well then, thank you…Alex. –

- Much better, you´re welcome Trudi. –

The tea pot began to whistle back in the kitchen.

- That was quick. – I muttered.

I went to the kitchen and turned off the stove, I took two cups from the shelf and walked back.

- Thanks. – Trudi said as I poured her some tea.

It began raining outside.

- Amazing, it´s June! Seems like you were right, weather is up to no good tonight. – I said.

- Alex I must ask, your German, although flawless, It lacks an accent, funnily enough It lacks German accent or at least any accent that I´ve heard, it is very…standard, Where are you from? –

- Well Trudi, I was born American, in New York to be precise. My father is German and my mother is American, they met when my mother came to Berlin for business, and my father followed her back to the U.S, but when the Fuhrer made the call to all Germans to return to the motherland, he, being a huge fanatical nationalist urged my mother and I to go back to Germany, my mother of course refused but after a lot of insistence I complied with his wishes, upon arrival I enlisted and when the war started I was soon deployed to the front, after some months my father got depressed and began drinking, a few weeks ago he fell off a bridge and died, I do not know if it was an accident or suicide. – Trudi sat there listening to the whole thing and she just remained in silence, I realized that I had given more information than what she asked for.

- I´m terribly sorry Trudi, it´s just that… - I said and made a pause but before I kept going she interjected.

- It´s alright, have you talked about this with anyone else? –

- Come think of it, no, you´re the first one. –

- I see. –

She finished her tea, the rain was getting heavier and the wind was getting stronger, hitting the windows very hard.

- The rain is worsening, let me call the motor pool. – I said.

I stood up and walked towards the phone when suddenly I heard a loud cracking sound and a thump, the power went out, leaving the apartment completely dark, I heard some muffled voices and steps from the neighbors upstairs, I picked up the phone but it was dead.

- The lines must´ve been knocked down. – said as I looked out the window, a sudden gust of wind and big water drops impacted the window, It felt as if would break.

- Alex get away from the window, it´s not safe. – Trudi said.

- Yeah, you´re right, Where the hell did this weather came from anyways? –

- Welcome to Berlin, Sturmbannführer. –

- Well, we´ll have to make some time and see if the rain stops, Worse case scenario you´ll have to spend the night, care for some wine? –

Trudi chuckled a bit.

- Are you trying to get me drunk and seduce me Alex?, take me to bed perhaps? -

- Maybe... Would you mind? – I said.

- perhaps not... after 2 or three glasses of that wine, that is. –

- Now that´s mean, am I that ugly? – I asked, faking insult.

- not at all, not-at-all... – Her voice faded to a whisper.