The Book Thief Sequel- The Past's Bridge

Chapter Sixteen- Release

Max's Perspective

"We run."

All I could see in Liesel's eyes was terror. She wasn't ready for this. I put her through this.

I knew what she had to do. I heard it. The thought of his dirty hands all over her made me disgusted to my core. The sounds he made with her made me want to scream and knock him dead at the same time.  I kept telling her to stop, pounding at the walls. That was until I heard winces of pain. 

The powerlessness was excruciating. She had done her part, now it was my turn to get us out.

My body felt weak; unprepared and fragile for whatever lay ahead. The knowledge that I had every chance to get her out powered me through. I was here, and would do whatever it took to make her safe. 

"Follow me." Liesel began to lead the way up the stairwell. My body only inches behind her. 

At the sight of a guard, we all quickly recoiled back into the edge of the stairwell, where we were hidden. 

"Max, do you see that door. I am certain that it's our exit."

"How do we distract the guards."

I felt movement behind me, with Alwin awkwardly shuffling his way to the front. 

He began by saying, "I'll do it. Do you see the main table, where all of the officers and guards are sitting, in the middle of the room? I'll cause a diversion whilst you get out."

"You can't do that." Liesel said. "We can't leave you behind Alwin. Something might happen to you. If anything..."

"It's okay Liesel. It's really okay. They don't even want me, they want them. Do you remember what we'd talk about at the bookshop, about purpose in life. About doing something. This is my something!"

Before Liesel could say another word, Alwin had lurched forward to the table of Nazis. I pulled Liesel back, muffling her fearful cries with my hand. 

At first, no one noticed anything particularly out of the ordinary. That was until he punched one of the guards straight in the face. The room erupted into chaos, pinning Alwin down, beating him as he attempted to fight back. 

I couldn't look any longer. Poor man. 

The rest was a shaded blur. We had taken our window, and gotten out. 

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Liesel's Perspective

We were free. After intensive interviews by the police and a bit of hassle from the newspapers, we were finally free. 

The details aren't important, but the Nazi hub had been taken down, with everyone inside arrested on site. Alwin had been put into hospital, only for a few weeks thankfully. They said he should be fine after a lot of rest. I was so proud of him. 

Max and I had walked home from the hospital in silence. My arm entwined in his, my body pressed up as closely as I could without losing our balance. 

I had never felt such release. Such gratitude for being alive.

As we approached our front door, there was a look of remorse on Max's face. A sadness so different to what I was used to. 

"Liesel, I've been thinking..."

"That's dangerous."

"No Liesel, this is important. I don't think we should be together anymore. After what happened, there's no way...I can't protect you anymore. This could happen again, and if it did..."

"Shut up Max. Just shut up. Who saved you. Who got you out of there. I'm stronger than you think, and you have no right to tell me what to do."

I walked towards him, losing as much space between us as possible. 

"I have every right. There are things even the strongest of people can't prevent."

"We can do this together."

He took my arms into his.

"If I lost you Liesel, it would be like running out of oxygen. I would endure my past alone again a thousand times over if it meant that you were safe."

"There's nothing you could say that could break me apart from you now. Not loving you again would be worse. It would be a life I wouldn't want to live."

I pulled his head down into a soft and gentle kiss. 

"You're the one Mr Vandenberg, no matter what our past, present or future is or was, we are bound each other."