Despite his questions, it had been easy to convince Franz to drive me. He’d believed my reason, even though it baffled him, and he’d thought it was considerate of me to look out for Hania and Irena. Then again, he knew nothing of Fritzsch and little of my time in captivity, so of course he didn’t suspect anything.

Poor Franz. Irena would be furious when she found out, and I could almost hear the Yiddish curses Hania would spit at him. I would have bribed a neighboring farmer to take me if I hadn’t needed Franz to know where I was. Perhaps Irena and Hania would have guessed once they noticed my absence, but I needed to be certain they knew. I needed them to come, just not right away. Not until I was ready for them.

I didn’t expect them to understand. How could they? This was between me and Fritzsch. I didn’t want them endangered, and I wouldn’t allow them to stop me. This was something I had to do—to hear the truth at last, to get justice for my family, to hold Fritzsch responsible, to put an end to the nightmare I had lived for the past four years. Facing him alone didn’t concern me. I had a long history of recklessness.

“I’ll be fine,” I added to silence Franz’s questions.

That part wasn’t a complete lie. Before we’d left, I’d organized Irena’s pistol.

Chapter 35

Auschwitz, 20 April 1945

WHEN MY FINGER touches the trigger, Fritzsch pushes his shoulders back, as though inviting the bullet into his chest. One bullet, and I won’t have to battle through a trial or attempt to speak of what took place here. I’ll bury the memories, never to unearth them again, and this will be over. I just want it to be over.

But a bullet isn’t part of my strategy.

Killing Fritzsch is not my plan; that’s never been my plan. He deserves to spend the rest of his life paying for what he’s done. By now, Franz must have returned to the farm, where Irena and Hania will have demanded to know where he’d taken me. They’ll think something is amiss, and they’ll come for me. Surely I’ve kept Fritzsch occupied long enough. My friends are on their way, I know they are. Once they arrive, we’ll take Fritzsch to one of Franz’s connections, who holds the power to formally arrest him. He’ll confess to each atrocity and face the consequences.

Or I could shoot him.