Cavalcade of the Iniquitous

BONUS CHAPTER: Honesty Above All!

The camp was in total disarray, distant shouts floating through the pungent smoke. But here, by the Western wall, the world felt strangely calm. Almost surreal. They were getting out. They were finally getting out, and this time, no-one had to die to make it possible.

Doris only wished Oliver could be here with them. Not the fastidious, report-obsessed Oliver who always wore a smile both warm and chilling, but the Ollie she had grown up with. Her big brother, who had read her stories from his beloved book collection. Who had sat with her as she cried herself to sleep the night their parents died. Who had protected her from the older kids at the orphanage. Who had tried to talk her out of joining the army with him, only to then help her enlist when it became clear she would not be persuaded.

Oliver. Her big brother, Ollie.

They were talking about him, the others, explaining to Omen how they'd left him behind. Why they had to leave him behind. There really was no other choice. He'd already sold them out once before, and it was almost certain he'd do the same again if he knew what they were doing.

She knew she was just being silly. The Oliver they were discussing was practically a stranger to her now. Stripped of empathy, remorse, perhaps even love. The Oliver they were leaving behind was but a husk of his former self. And yet, she felt awful about it. Abandoning the brother who, until only a couple of years ago, had always been there for her.

"Do you think he'll be happy here?" she said quietly. "Without us?"

A hush fell across the group. Some of them looked at her while others avoided her eye. Only Yakov kept his composure, a sarcastic grin spreading across his face.

"With orders to obey and reports to fill out? He'll be happier than a pig in mud."

Doris knew he'd meant it as a joke, but it still cut deep. She had never been made to ingest poison, and he had never been rendered unable to disobey orders. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand.

"It's not his fault," Doris said. "He can't help it. He was hypnotised. Conditioned, like me."

At this, Yakov's grin faltered, his expression becoming serious.

"We know that, Doris," he said, moving closer to her. "But he really will be better off here. This is where he belongs."

Doris sniffed again, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "You're right. I'm being silly, I know, but it's hard to let go. To let go of the hope that one day he might..." she let the sentence fade into the night.

"That one day he might turn back into the Ollie you grew up with," Yakov finished for her. He brushed his fingers against her shoulder. "I know it's not much of a consolation, but don't forget, you've still got them." He jerked his thumb to the side. Doris looked over to see the concerned faces of her friends—Hans, Elias, Helga and Omen. Despite her tears, Doris couldn't help but smile. Ollie was family—no-one could ever replace him—but her friends were her family, too.

She gave a small start as Yakov brought his hand up to her face, gently brushing his thumb across her cheek, brushing away her tears, his dark eyes staring straight into hers, an almost apologetic look on his face.

"You'll have to put up with me, too, I'm afraid."

There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice.

You'll have to put up with me...

The words were playful, but his tone was serious and for a moment she was back in the subject containment rooms, several years younger and huddled in a corner, crying over some mean thing one of the scientists had said to her. She'd been so weak back then. Well, weaker than she was now, at least.