Ultimatum

Three weeks passed, Daniela was finally able to take off the bandages and most of the wounds caused by Landa's whip had healed better than expected.

Aldo had led her and the rest of the Basterds through Austria and into Switzerland, making their way to an American military base near Zurich.

They were treading quietly over the freshly fallen leaves when Aldo threw his fist into the air.

Daniela was the last to stop walking when she saw that every man had became still; they would have looked like statues if they weren't breathing.

Daniela turned back to the men, and watched as they all took their guns into their hands.

"What's going on?" she asked Aldo, whom she was standing closest to.

"I hear voices, we're not alone," he said, extracting his own rifle.

Daniela's hands began to shake, fearful of what Aldo meant by 'not alone'. She thought the worst: Did Landa have people looking for her? And what would happen to her if she were caught?

Her thoughts changed to horrific flashing scenes of her life might be if she was in Auschwitz.

Her pent of fear was consuming her and she squeezed her hands together, feeling the cold sweat on her palms.

"Stay here." Daniela nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Hugo's hot breathe close to her ear. "Get behind one of the larger trees and do not move until I come back for you."

Daniela could only nod and she looked frantically around the surrounding area for a sturdy-looking tree while Hugo and Aldo and the rest of the men made their way passed her and into the uncharted woods ahead.

Stay calm, Daniela, she thought to herself. Just breathe, everyzing is going to be fine.

She tiptoed over to the first large tree she found. It was a large oak and she sat down against the rough bark with her knees to her chest and arms around her knees.

Her senses were heightened in the quiet of the Autumn forest. She could no longer hear their footsteps, but every rustle of leaves or breaking of branches she heard sent her heart racing.

She just hoped that if whatever Aldo heard would be significantly unprepared for Aldo and his men.

"AMERIKANER!" Daniela heard someone scream in her native tongue, German. The men had found the origin of the minute sound Aldo detected.

Daniela reacted to the explosion of gunshots that echoed against the bark of the trees. She covered her ears when she heard screams of dying men; she wasn't sure if were the men she was with or the Germans but either way the sound was horrific.

Although her own death had been within her grasp only weeks ago, it was different hearing this abrupt ending of life happening only yards away from her.

She pressed her hands tightly over her ears, but it was useless; she was hearing everything. Daniela squeezed her eyes closed, thinking that if she shut them tightly enough then all noise would disappear.

After a few minutes she heard nothing. No gunshots, no voices, no movement.

She unlatched her hands from around her ears, confirming that even without muffled hearing she still heard nothing.

Slowly she opened her eyes to find Hugo's face staring eye-level with her own; scaring her.

"My God, Hugo!" she exclaimed harshly, clutching her heart.

"Sorry," he replied, before extended a hand. Daniela took it, Hugo pulled her into a standing position without any effort.

"You're shaking," he said, resting a warm hand on her back.

Daniela balled her hands into fists and held her arms tightly by her side. "I'll be all right. Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, ve're all alive," Hugo replied, flipping his gun onto his back for safekeeping.

Daniela looked passed Hugo and saw Aldo, Donny and the rest of the men returning to the spot where they had left her.

"What's matter, gurly?" Aldo asked when he saw how shaken up Daniela was.

"She's all right, Aldo." Hugo told him.

Daniela glanced at Aldo, afraid to see his condescending face. In the last three weeks Aldo had made it clear that Daniela was a burden, complaining that she was another mouth to feed when the health and lives of his men were more important that hers.

"You don't look fine ta me," Aldo said, resting his hand on the hilt of his large hunting knife. "Scared?"

Daniela didn't have to nod or even answer, he knew her answer before he even asked the question.

"After our stay at Zurich you will no longer accompany us," Aldo told her. Daniela knew this was him politely telling her that she was going to be left behind.