March 27, 1942

It had barely been two hours since the colonel left her to clean up her mess. She had started with the bookshelf, crying over the broken vase that had held the dried bouquet from her aunt and uncle's wedding. The bastard.

When the doorbell rang for the second time that day, she felt her chest squeeze. She wiped her tears and answered. "May I help you?" She peered suspiciously out at the twenty or so Nazis standing on her porch and in her driveway. She could feel how red and puffy her eyes were and saw all of their smug looks. She peeked at them through the small crack in the door she had created.

"I don't think so." The brown haired soldier shook his head. "We are here on behalf of Colonel Nicolas Roemheld." Her heart skipped a beat. Did he send an army of soldiers to finish what he started? Make an example out of her?

"The colonel has already conducted his search, gentlemen. I'm afraid your presence here is unnecessary." She jumped back in time for the soldier to push her door open farther.

"The colonel sent us to clean up." He barely gave her a second look as he filed inside, leading a line of soldiers with him. "Spread out. Let's get this over with and get back to base."

The soldiers laughed and winked at her as the went by and she hugged her robe tighter. Anyone who believed they were safe as long as they weren't a Jew was a fool. They adhered to no rules of engagement, they simply plowed through countries as if they were sandcastles to kick over. The French were no exception to their cruelty, despite what the propaganda was saying.

She watched them tidy up the disaster the colonel had left behind before slipping away to her bedroom. Her pantie drawer was still wide open and she shivered, recalling how he kept her white lace piece. She needed to meet with Belle, and soon. She went to her phone near her bed and picked up the receiver. Without dialing a single digit, she spoke in French, "Damn, I've forgotten the number." Then hung up.

The soldiers stayed for an hour before shuffling out without so much as a farewell, and headed back to their base. It didn't take more than a few minutes to pass before her doorbell rang for the third time that day. Belle stood on her porch with a freshly baked pie in her arms and a smile plastered to her face. Her brunette fringe fell over her brows while the rest was pulled into a bun that she wore low at the nape of her neck. She watched her eyes scan over her body and fixate on the red marks around her throat.

"I've been baking up a storm at home, and I brought you a treat." She pushed the pie at her and walked through the open door without invitation. Genevieve shut it behind her and followed her colleague to the lounge. Belle examined the bits of broken glass that still littered the floor in some places.

"So he searched your home already."

"Searched is not the term I would use. Ransacked would be better suited." Genevieve curled her lips at the memory. "He sent an army of men in just moments ago to clean it all up."

"He did?" Belle furrowed her brows. "Odd. I would have assumed that he would have left you to it. You know, driving his point home and all."

Genevieve nodded in agreement. "Tea?" She asked and Belle accepted happily. "Come into the kitchen and I'll make us a cup. I need it after today."

"Did he have you yet?" She asked upon sitting on the kitchen stool.

Genevieve busied herself with boiling the water in her copper kettle and setting the milk and sugar on the counter within Belle's reach. "Not quite. He doesn't seem to be the type of man to enjoy a woman taking charge. I'll have to change my tactics. It would appear he prefers his women to be unwilling and hard to break. How very charming." She snarled, and fetched two petite cups from her cupboard.

Belle smirked. "It sounds like he's quite the gentleman. And what of those?" She gestured to her throat.

"Occupational hazard." She waved away her concern. "What was he doing at the party that night? I wasn't supposed to cross paths with him until the search."

Belle shrugged. "Eric wasn't expecting him either. Raved the whole way home about meeting the famous Colonel Roemheld face to face. These people..." she stuck out her tongue and pointed to the back of her throat as she gagged dramatically. Genevieve giggled at her distaste for them.

"How is your husband?" She checked with a raised brow.

"Strategic. Never lets his guard down, except for me. I get to hear all the late night phone calls and what not. Usually nothing of importance other than the generic patrol orders, but once in a while...two sugars please." Genevieve had poured the tea and was gesturing to the sugar bowl. "I overheard him two nights ago talking to his superior officer about something called Ablenkung Planen."

"Distraction Plan?" Genevieve picked up the German words.

"Oui." Belle nodded. "Our command has never heard of it. Though, I suspect it involves your colonel and your doctor. Have you met the doctor yet?" Genevieve shook her head. "Consider yourself lucky. When the doctor goes door to door, its never as the neighborhood greeter. It will be difficult to keep them both alive upon transport, but I've seen you accomplish seemingly impossible feats before. The Führer, however, needs not be kept alive." She figured as much. "Command has ordered us to assassinate him by the end of the month, along with his right hand man, Heinrich Himmler. They have no preference of who accomplishes this, so it will be an interesting race. Colonel Nicolas Roemheld, and Dr. Joseph Broehm, are to be captured and transported over to the American lines where they can face criminal charges for their war crimes."

"Death would be too good for any of them." Genevieve sipped at her tea. "I quite like this. From England, before the war. I don't suppose I'll be replenishing my stock anytime soon."

"If all goes well," Belle smiled, "you'll be shopping for tea by the end of April."

"My birthday is in April." She smirked.

Belle nodded enthusiastically. The two women clinked their cups cheerfully and savored the bitter liquid.

"Any other developments with Achilles Heel?"

Belle hummed, enjoying her tea, and set it down on the counter. "Chloe has had men lining up outside her door. Sometimes more than ten a day, the poor mademoiselle." She tsked. "Other than pregnant French girl in need of your assistance within the week, I have no news to report so far. But its only a matter of time before she overhears something imperative to the cause. The men are bafoons. Boasting abou t their exploits as if us women were just statues." She rolled her golden brown.

Genevieve finished off her cup and poured another, opting for milk rather than sugar. "And what of Marie? Shona?" Shona was the only Jewish recruit. She had signed up, voluntarily, to work at a brothel. It beat being shipped off to a concentration camp, and gave her a strategic place to listen in to the Germans while their guard was down.

"Shona has reported unsettling news as of late. Some of the women are being forcibly impregnated by Jewish prisoners. As to what this will result in, we can only imagine for the time being. A few women, that were already expecting and had given birth at the brothel, well..." She swallowed the last gulp of tea and motioned for a refill. "The doctor came and took the poor dears. Some of the grieving mothers were killed in the middle of the streets to illustrate how little they tolerated their complaints. Shona has been performing abortions for the women as often as she can without getting caught."

"What of the babies?"

"No one knows yet. They were taken alive, and that is where the information stops unfortunately." Belle tipped her head politely in thanks of the fresh cup and blew some of the steam. "Marie was killed yesterday evening. Public execution."

Genevieve widened her eyes at the news. She had trained with Marie back in New York. "Was she discovered?"

Belle shook her head, waving a hand dismissively. "No, nothing like that. She was simply one of many homes that was raided by the Nazis. She, and four others, were shot. Chosen at random to make an example."

Genevieve put a hand to her mouth in shock. "That's what they do, though. They go where they like, when they like, and kill for fun. It will be a genuine pleasure to help send them all to hell." She raised her teacup and smiled, bringing it to her lips and flinching. "Damn, that's hot still."

Genevieve sipped at her own cup, pondering the news. "The day I can bring the colonel and doctor in, is the day I'll retire to a nice quiet home in the countryside. Red House, perhaps."

"That would be lovely. I prefer the city, myself. The lights of Paris are unmatched."

"We shall have to make it a point to visit one another often and experience the joys of both areas." She replied. "Until then, we are just two weak women in the hands of egotistical men."

"Weak indeed." Belle's lips curled up at the edges in a deceitful smile.