The French Resistance

Chapter 1

Monday, March 6th, Paris, France.

"I am not a resistance spy." I said with a calm voice, as if a gun was not pointed at my head. I simply sat there not showing my discomfort. "I have no reason to help such people. The Reich has done nothing but help my family sir, why would I help destroy it?" I tilted my head a bit, annoyed.

"We've seen you talking with men we believe to be a part of the resistance; you speak fluent French as well." The officer said with disdain, I just laughed and shook my head, raising an eyebrow.

"Old Raoul, a resistance member- Hah! That old man can barely walk anymore, how is he going to fight against the Reich? He's an old family friend, he's been all for the Reich since before the war! Don't be foolish officer, Old Raoul would never do such a thing. Now his daughter, Miss Simonne Batteux, is the one you should be worried about officer. I haven't got much evidence, but she very much so is a French nationalist." I explained, leaning back in the chair. "Her husband Mr. Louis Batteux is as untrustworthy as the French get, he's unemployed, French nationalist, born to a family of French nationalists, and his parents have both been tried and sentenced as resistance members." The officer nodded, writing the information down. I sat with my legs crossed and waited for the next thing he would say.

"You are positive that Raoul Crozier is not a resistance member?"

"Very."

"Understood, you may leave." He waved me off and I stood up and left, dusting myself off. I didn't truly care what happened to the old man, but I saw no reason to lie to the officer. It would have been foolish to do so. Even if I was a resistance member I wouldn't have lied. Of course, I have my secrets, but I'm not a liar, little half-truths are not lies.

"So how did the meeting go with Officer Heilmann? Everyone knows he's trigger happy." I shrugged, making a small hand gesture to say 'so-so' "You're alive, so I think it went better than 'So-So"

"I still had a gun held to my head that entire meeting though, alive, or not it was uncomfortable. Lesson learned; Officer Heilmann thought an old man who uses a cane was a resistance member! Old Raoul Crozier of all people! He's just a stupid old man. I don't even know if he can see anything, he's as blind as a bat!" I laughed, my good friend slapping my shoulder.

"Pfft, that's hilarious, let me guess, he was questioning you because you were talking to him the other day?"

"Yeah, old Raoul of all the men to get me questioned." We laughed together about the situation. I could feel my face flush as he held my arm, grinning. It was unfair that he could just make me blush like it's nothing. "Hey, wanna go to a restaurant today? My good buddy opened a place not too far away, and it's not French, his parents make real beer, not this French shit."

"Sounds great, you always know the best places Goldblatt, I'm glad you used to live here."

"Used to? Buddy we're living here now!"  I pulled him out of the building and onto the rough, beaten streets. Around us was men and women rebuilding some places that had been broken during the invasion, we ignored such people, as members of the Reich we were not to speak to those 'bellow us' in their eyes. I just held my head high as I was supposed to, stepping over the rubble. I ignored the eyes staring at us, their opinions don't matter. I smacked his hand "stop sweating, you look suspicious." I whispered through my teeth, my heart slamming in my ears "come on look the part Buchtel!" He quickly straightened himself, holding his head up. I swallowed my anxiety as we stepped inside the small bar. "Ah! Magnus! My good friend!" I cheered, walking over to him, hugging him close.

"My good friend, I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Same to you Ian, been a while! Glad to see you here. Would you like your regular seat in the back?"