My Enemy Is My Savior

Chapter 61 - Sturmbannführer Adler

Chapter 61
Rouen, France
2 August 1943

It was a simple Monday, just like any other Monday. The traffic in the streets were not as active as that in the night or on the weekends. The sun was high above at its peak.

Adler and Brandt were walking down a street in Rouen, a city located just north of Paris. The civilians passed by, not giving any eye contact or glances towards the two, and it was something that Adler expected from the people.

The architecture of the structures were vintage and appealing, with façades from 17th century France and prior.

"How many of these people do you think have links avec la resistance?" Brandt asked, emphasizing his broken French.

"Je ne sais pas. Vous savez?" Adler inquired. "We've been here for a while, Brandt. I'm surprised you have not learned much of their language. Maybe if you learned more of it then you could perhaps communicate with your prisoners much easier." Brandt nodded at the suggestion, and the two continued to walk.

Adler's mind would always wander back to the topic of his brother and of his comrades no matter what situation he was in. How hard would it be for him to find him? And how dangerous would it be? He asked many times if he could be transferred to the eastern front. His commander declined all requests and said that he should be thankful he was not over there. But Adler would do anything to find out about this investigation, even if it put his life in danger. Life was dangerous anywhere in times of war, he would tell Brandt. Brandt seemed to support the commander's decision, however.

A couple young men walked by at an abnormal hastened pace. They both glanced over at Adler, and he reciprocated the look.

Before he was able to turn over to Brandt and ask anything, the small crowd of people that were crossing the street was rushing to the sides of the road. A black car rushed down the street. Gunshots were being fired from the car, and Adler turned around to see that the two young men were beginning to dart away. The officer in the car yelled at Brandt and Adler to run after them when it passed by.

Brandt and Adler started to rush after the two young men after being told to do so. They were shoving people out of the way, turning left and right, running across the road, and knocking over newspaper stands. Gunshots rang out as Brandt was trying to hit one and, if possible, both of them. Adler had knocked a woman off of her bicycle, and he was being cursed at by her.

"Get them before they go into any building!" Brandt shouted over to Adler as he rushed ahead. Adler took out his handgun and fired a couple rounds, hitting one of the men in the leg. The car was still chasing after the other one. The people were screaming and rushing into any hideout to keep their bodies away from stray bullets.

Brandt got a hold of the man that was hit in the leg. He was groaning and trying to free himself, but there was no use. Adler caught up with them and leaned against the brick wall to catch his breath.

Another car pulled up beside them on the street and on the passenger side it was Ulrich Metzger.

"A fun game today, wasn't it?" he asked and got out of the car. The young man that was held in Brandt's arm winced and squirmed. Metzger held the young man's chin in one of his hands and studied his face. He was still young, perhaps nineteen or twenty. His eyes were hazel and his hair was a shade of chestnut brown.

Adler was still leaning against the wall as he watched Metzger. Brandt's grip was tightening as the young man tried to release himself.

"Too young the rebel," Metzger muttered and shoved the man away. The man slumped back and stared at the ground. Blood was still dripping out from his leg and down onto the pavement, forming a small crimson pool beneath him. The car that had been chasing the other one returned, and Adler could see that the other one had been caught as he was seated in the backseat.