Chris came to, finding himself strapped to a table and unable to move. His legs, arms, and torso were tightly restrained. He struggled against the tight leather straps, but to no avail.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguUUrpxayh
A thick Russian accent made him stop. “You cannot escape, American.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0NBDDQTQb
Chris looked over and saw a Russian soldier coming toward him dressed in a brown uniform with a black leather belt, gloves, and boots. He had black hair, about two or three inches long, that hung over his ears and a scar that ran diagonally across his left eye from his nose down to his jaw. The dim lighting of the room made his eyes appear red. And in his eyes, Chris saw a hate so strong, it made the man seem inhuman.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Clrmx1YyW
“What is your name?” the Russian demanded.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Lmy12XKBw
“That is none of your business!” Chris snapped. His thick accent stood out to the Russian.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBA8DbY6U60
“What accent is that? German? Though, perhaps, with just a hint of Russian, no?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpv5EwN6GqA
Chris was silent.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSk5jVzqi8
The Russian smiled. “I ask you again. What is your name?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdGi3seTQr
Silence.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYaQ2epc4H
“Listen, you American! Or German, should I say? Let us use an old cliché, hmm?” The interrogator leaned down and whispered harshly in Chris’ ear, mimicking a German accent. “We have ways of making you talk.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB66wyZtzsq
Still silence.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrUpZhBdph
“Well. I guess I will just have to employ those ways.” The Russian forced a piece of plastic-wrap like material over Chris’ mouth and blindfolded him. Chris felt the table tilted to position his head below his feet. He heard the Russian laugh.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGsq3oovsm
Suddenly water was poured over his face. He gasped, but could not get air. The water ran down into his nose. He instinctively grabbed the sides of the table and tried to free himself, but to no avail. The Russian poured more water on his face. Chris felt his throat filling up with water. He gagged and exhaled, trying to get the water out, but he could not. The plastic over his mouth prevented the water from escaping, as well as prevented him from inhaling. Now he was out of breath, unable to get air, and still drowning. 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyD38j4WbDX
He suddenly found himself unable to move. His hands let go of the table without his mind consciously telling them to and he lay still. He felt himself on the edge of consciousness.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqtZ2GPAPH
The Russian quickly took the plastic off of Chris’ mouth, then tilted the table to the side. Much to Chris’ relief, he was able to get the water out of his throat. He coughed and gasped for air.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuJz9bXsZB
“Now, what is your name?” the Russian demanded again, yanking the blindfold from Chris’ eyes.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7HMa5GIoC
“Kristoff. Kristoff Williams.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6PCTmZLlR
“Your job?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdn9ZqI9xIe
“Air Force pilot.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhu4APwPRy
“Was that your plane that was shot down?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWvfvcDrH4
“Ja.” Chris nodded. 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu4sfj251p
“You are good pilot, Mr. Williams.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbRY4PPvas
Chris didn’t reply.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28wwTPsIjk
“Are you Americans planning to overrun this prison camp?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb25LIHF4O
There was the slightest hesitation, then, “No.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSTFepAf0G
“You are lying!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S8D68oOBm
“No! No, I am not!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfSTkK10Do
“You are!” The Russian slapped Chris across the face.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXuG0wO69p
“No! I am not!” But it was too late; he was already caught.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DTcZsbujE
The plastic was put back over Chris mouth and more water poured over his face, this time without the blindfold. Chris could see the pleasure the torture gave the Russian.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN06lIUKO2y
He held his breath for as long as he could, then he had to let it out slowly. Naturally, he tried to inhale, but was unable. Seeing that Chris was out of breath, the Russian poured more water on his face.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwx4K9VUlR
Chris fought the straps instinctively and clawed at the table. He once again felt himself drowning, felt himself on the agonizing border between life and death. He felt himself letting go of the table and slipping away. Again, the soldier freed him of the plastic and let him spit the water out.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBfTi5EY6f
“When? When do you plan on coming?” The Russian demanded.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iLoe9YHbV
“I will not tell you.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxukSniZxk
“I will kill you if you do not!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7B7B162cI
“Go ahead. I will never tell you, even if it means my death, so help me God!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DHux2639H
Again he was faced with the waterboard torture. This was repeated several times before the interrogator finally realized that the prisoner was truly not going to tell him, no matter what.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs3VWicHrZ
“Fine,” the Russian interrogator said angrily. “Do not tell me. But you will regret it later. I will see you again, soon.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtVwAWK7iB
He opened the door and called for two other soldiers to take Chris away.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQnIZNPyDI
298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgBKcjLgij
He was led to the barracks after being forced to change from his flight gear to a plain green uniform similar to his ACUs, but with more pockets. He hadn’t wanted to wear it: the idea of being forced to wear the enemy’s uniform disgusted him. But here he was now, doing just that. The only thing he had been allowed to keep was his Bible and the Eisenkreuz, or German iron cross, which hung around his neck.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV4ceOR0ag
The soldiers threw him into a small room with about ten other people. They all sat against the opposite wall, watching as the man stood up shakily, only to nearly fall and lean against the wall. Chris felt himself shaking so badly, and he knew that his knees could not support him right now, so he slid back down. He coughed several times, still feeling that there was water in his throat.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBILDi9oq8
“Are you alright, man?” one of the men asked.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwPCPc2Zl6
Chris nodded.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1b4xuhIZgn
“What’d they do to you?” another asked.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4Tbpg7R7N
“Water…” was all Chris found himself able to say, repeating it several times. He realized that even though he had not broken under the stress of the torture, he was experiencing shock.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IXXROSjVj
“Water? You need water?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnphAQtUCw
“Nein! Nein, nein, nein!” Chris said quickly, shaking his head and waving his hand to dismiss the thought.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4YovxHAoA
After several minutes of silence, Chris finally calmed himself enough to be able to speak.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZKOcwkvdt
“Where am I?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6ucdMAET1
“Voronezh. It’s a Russian prison camp.” 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJtjRgolL5
Chris pondered the man’s words for a moment before speaking again. “So, I am a prisoner of war?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjb56k0x1w
“Yeah.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVARVvAq3r
Chris put his head in his hands. “Oh, God, no!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xzbvAqf56
“Calm down, man. Don’t put yourself under pressure.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmFScQDc2s
“Don’t put myself under pressure?” Chris stood quickly, feeling a rise of panic. “Don’t put myself under pressure? I am in a Russian prison camp as a prisoner of war, and you are telling me don’t put myself under pressure?” Chris lost his temper, which seldom happened. He stood, and began swearing in German. He pounded his fist into the wall and paced back and forth, yelling angrily in German with not one of the men understanding a single word he was saying. They watched him oddly and fearfully from across the room.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBDKzCWC7D
Finally he silenced himself and stood with his head against the wall. Then one of the men spoke up.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95gOXu8VVz
“You’re not a Nazi, are you?” he asked.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFFefV2qsY
Chris turned his head without moving it from the wall and glared at the man. He wanted to yell at him, but decided that, since he had just yelled so angrily in German, the language of the Nazis, the man had a reason for asking him that. He simply rested his head in the palm of his hand.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe7331ydCf
“No. I assure you, I am not a Nazi. Please, do not call me that.” He turned and sat back down against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest. For the first time in a long while, he felt insecure in a situation. He ran it through his mind.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPyLj1Ihqp
Here he was, imprisoned in a Russian prison camp as a prisoner of war. He had already been tortured, and something inside of him told him that the terrible experience of being waterboarded was not even close to the worst that he would experience during his time here. In fact, he didn’t even know if he would make it out of here alive.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZy78IvBHi
And for right now, on a less serious matter, but troubling to him nonetheless, he was stuck in a room with ten people he did not know. He had never been one who felt the need to be around others, he had to admit, if only to himself, that he did have a slight fear of people. He wanted to be alone. 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk2JD70El2
One man, the one who had first spoken, came over and sat by him. Chris, startled, quickly moved away from him. 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXVopIMZoS
“Not a people person, eh?” the man asked.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6C2PrkBUA
“Uh…no. No, not really.” 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsj8YqSogf
“Alright. Well, I won’t invade your space, but I want to introduce myself, seeing as how we might be here together for a while. I’m Brad Jackson, but you can call me Reaper.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMLMIM4LJ9
“Chris Williams. Call me Germany.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2diqbikRN0
“Germany? Cause of your accent?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyvhr5sXm4
“Well, ja. And I grew up there. Well, there, and here in Russia. And I have a German uniform, which is why I first got called Germany.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbALh8AmVZ
“You grew up here in Russia? And now you’re having to fight against it?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8fZAlIRT6
“Ja. I grew up right here in Voronezh. ”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BAb3EKR5y
“Whoa. What’s that like?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiWPbRb2vL
“It is…not particularly easy.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZxLa3aZU4
“How do you do it?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFUjTBRV9N
“Well, I know that what the Russians are doing is wrong.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GVyXUzlv1
“Makes sense.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6xthVy8Ms
A few moments of silence went by. Then Chris asked, “Reaper? How did you get a name like that?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VLmQBehbw
“Originally it was Grimm Reaper, but they shortened it. I have a morbid sense of humor. Well, did have. Being here though…the things I’ve seen…none of it was funny. It’s been the worst hell I’ve ever known. Nothing is funny anymore.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSya2uSjE2V
Chris nodded in acknowledgement.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15P11frK77
“You don’t talk much, do you?” Reaper asked. 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV3puGxCMX
“Nein. I mean, no. No, I do not.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanh7R4dPo9
“Okay then. I’ll leave you alone now.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNeeUEZDvK
Reaper went back to the other side of the room. There were several minutes of silence, then Chris spoke. “How bad is it here?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtdlhR5FSv
Several of the others looked at each other. Reaper spoke.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzJ3vuYccX
“As long as you do exactly what they say and don’t fight back, it is torture. But if you do fight back, it is beyond hell. They take you away from here and lock you up in a cell with one other person if you’re lucky and torture you nearly every day, unlike once or twice a week here.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeEEDmNnyy
“Scheiße,” Chris muttered angrily.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBxOAWPH6H
“What’s that mean?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwynBq7zpz
He looked at Reaper and smiled slightly at the American. “It means shit.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHDEeMyzv9
“Why do you say that?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFWVyLEKmj
“Because I have already decided to put everything I have into fighting against these Russians.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG2SLZBnXc
“Don’t. It’s not worth it.” 298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoS4KEA9xo
“Oh, to me it is, and once I have made up my mind to do something, I am going to do it, even if it kills me.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMUKEdL4uB
“Come on man. Don’t. The things they’ll do…just don’t...”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiQ3Z1NMw7
“I am sorry, but I have to. I will not tolerate them treating me like this.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0am52FhRY
“It’s suicide!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwVBqc9BYV
“Oh well.” Chris sighed.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzYgsg6tzI
“Listen. If you obey them, you can get sent to a different camp. This is not even a regular prison camp! All they do here is torture. That’s their specialty. Torture and Interrogation. I was sent from another camp to here for disobedience and not giving knowledge. But if I obey here, I can get sent away from this one. You can too!”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIr2ktGQvP
"So you told them what you knew?” Chris asked in disbelief.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JHQUkgUyg
“No. But I had to do something. So I told them a bunch of lies. Fortunately for me, they believed it.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50hJDvg2ZM
“I’m sorry. But I have to go against these people with everything I have. I will not submit myself to being owned by them.”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzDW0d3V7L
“Why?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YdAbq4Pp7
Chris looked at him for a moment. “I do not know. I suppose it is just in my nature.” He paused. “I suppose another reason is that…well…it just is very unnerving to be treated like this when you grew up here. Russia is almost as much of a homeland to me as Germany.” Chris sighed, remembering his childhood spent there.298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4XbRJxW1U
“I’m sure it is. But still, wouldn’t you rather try to live and make it out of here alive?”298Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4U8e5LVUH
“If I do make it out of here alive, I would rather do so knowing that I did all I could to show these Russians that I will not just sit back and let them do whatever they wish with me while they destroy the country’s defenses. I will not let them take my country. I would rather die fighting against them than not doing anything at all.”
Penana
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