Chapter 17 Betrayal
Betrayal
Berlin
Helene had been feeling under the weather for several days, especially in the morning. The flu was ever present, and she figured
she had picked up something during Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations with their families. Her grandparents and most of the
Jewish community had marked the holidays discreetly that year.
It had taken several weeks after the trip to Munich for Derek to recover his spirits. He was planning on leaving the army,
though he did not know what else he could do for work. Opening a jazz club when nearly all of Berlin’s cabarets and nightclubs
were closing would be impossible. Besides, he could not envision working nights when Helene was home.
That morning on the trolley, Helene was overcome with a wave of nausea and had to get off at the next stop. She walked the
rest of the way to the library through the freezing cold. Her teeth were chattering by the time she arrived. Lena gasped and
led Helene to the coal-burning stove, rubbing her arms to help get her warm.
“Why in the world did you walk in this weather?”
“I felt like I was going to vomit, so I thought fresh air would help,” Helene answered once her jaw stopped shaking so violently.
It felt both good and painful to have her hands close to the stove’s warmth.
“Klaus is acting weird. I think he’s going to join the Party but doesn’t know how to tell us.”
“Really? I don’t think he’s capable of actually doing it,” Helene said, glad to see Lena heating water in the kettle.
“I know, but I don’t think we can hold out much longer. By spring I’m afraid we’ll all be kicked to the curb.” She took out
a teapot and dropped in the tea.
“Let’s talk about something happier. How are wedding plans coming along?”
“They’re going well. I can’t believe it’s just three months away!” Lena was spending a chunk of time each day going over plans
and had already chosen her dress.
“Wow, time really is flying,” Helene said, pouring the tea while Lena set out some pastries.
“And you didn’t lift a finger to organize your own wedding!” Lena chided.
They both laughed.
Helene’s nose was back to its normal color. After the tea and a bit of work, she no longer felt nauseous. Eventually she looked
up and asked, “Where’s Klaus?”
“No clue. He hasn’t been in this morning.”
A few hours later, the door opened. Looking up, Helene expected to see Klaus.
But it was four men, and they were walking straight toward them.
Helene and Lena stood and braced themselves against the wall behind them.
A fifth man, wearing an SS officer’s uniform, entered.
Helene gasped at the transformation when she finally recognized who it was.
The dry, rasping voice of Rudolf Kummer reached her before his body did. “Helene Nathan, Helene Weber, Helene von Sholtz:
You are under arrest for high treason against the Reich.”
“But . . .”
“Seize her!”
The command was delivered somewhere between rage and delight. Kummer had waited too long to capture this prized prey, and
he did not want to lose another second.
Lena stepped forward and demanded in a shaky voice, “What is she accused of?”
“Spying, concealing banned books, working in an official organization despite being a Jew . . . the list is long.”
Helene gave Lena a terrified look as two of the men grabbed her by the arms. She did not even have the chance to put on her
coat.
“Call Derek!” she hollered to Lena as they dragged her away.
Lena watched helplessly. When the doors shut, she doubled over in pain and started gagging with tears.
Five minutes later, Klaus walked in and found Lena still in that position. He was terrified to ask but ventured with, “What . . . ?”
“They took her. Rudolf Kummer came with the Gestapo, and they took Helene.”
Lena crumpled again, and Klaus helped her to a chair. Then he called Derek and together they told him what had happened to
his wife.
Klaus could say nothing more. He could not tell Lena he had just joined the Party.
He was now one of them.