"Alistair, do you know something that we don't know?"
The US President had known this day would come eventually, but he hadn't guessed it to be so soon. The Chancellor was accusing him of espionage, or in the least, withholding crucial information that could aid or destroy the Third Reich.
"I don't know what you're reffering to, Adolf." He responded, keeping his calm. For the time being he wasn't scared. There was no war, not yet, so why would Hitler get horribly angry? At worst he was prepared to see his friend irritated, but not more.
"I don't know either, Alistair, not yet." He spoke slowly, and he smiled at the end of his sentence. "But I will get it out of you one day."
"Maybe." Alistair answered with a smile and a shrug of his own. "I doubt I know anything truely valuable to you."
"I'll be the one to decide what's important and what isn't."
"Fine."
"Anyways, no worries Alistair. We remain on good terms. In fact, I have a present for you."
"Yes?" Alistair was surprised and horrified. He'd have preffered anger over a 'present' from Hitler. The man walked around the table until he stood just in front of Alistair.
"I'm sending you on a trip to Dachau." His words couldn't have been more terrible. "Then you will see what happens to people who do not follow my orders. You will see what happens to traitors, to misinformers." Alistair shuddered, but not at Hitler's words. He hadn't been able to hear anything after 'Dachau'. Hitler was sending him to 'visit' a concentration camp? Was this code for sending him there for good? He didn't think so, otherwise Hitler wouldn't be so friendly. But it was a warning.
"Tomorrow?" Alistair asked. Hitler nodded. "Alright. I can't say I'm truely looking forward to seeing it, but at the same time..." It would be interesting. He'd learned so much about the Holocaust. But no matter how 'interesting' it was, he never wanted to have to see it live with his own eyes. "I thank you for the opperunity, Adolf."
"Your welcome, Alistair. Now how about we go get some tea?" Hitlers smile returned and some color returned to his pale cheeks. Alistair however was white as snow; it was almost as if the rosiness had been drained out of his cheeks and had seeped into the Führers instead.
Dachau.
Alistair shudderd at the thought. It was the first concentration camp in Germany. And a terrible one at that. Home to many political prisoners, many opponents or communists. And all of them living in hell. Alistair remembered the words of a Jewish man who'd spoken about the Holocaust after having been there himself, he'd said something along the lines of; I used to believe in God until I got there. Then I stopped. How could there be a God if all of this suffering was happening? I do not believe that a God could just stand there and watch.
Alistair wasn't very religious, but he feared he'd lose more than his religion on the trip to Dachau. He'd lose his faith. His trust in the world. And perhaps, as some like to say, perhaps it would even chip off a piece of his soul. Leaving him wounded forever.
Alistair made a mental note to go to visit his psychiatrist first thing after waking. He couldn't deal with it anymore. He needed to get out of the viscious cycle of dreams. He needed to escape out of Hitler's grasp. But a second after this thought had formed he was handed a cup by the very man he feared, and he was poured a hot tea. "This will warm you up, you look cold." Adolf noticed. He poured a cup for himself and took a careful sip.
"Would you care to come to Berghof again at the weekend?"
"I'd love to."
"Perfect. Then we'll see each other again there. I don't think Kurt will be there but feel free to bring Anne."
"Thank you, I'll ask her."
"Maybe this time we can take a hike through the snow if there's a sunny day to spare." Hitler said. The smalltalk with the German Chancellor made Alistair uncomftorable. He couldn't stop thinking about Dachau. But after Hitler had explained the best hiking route he'd already warmed up to the man again. He had a way about himself. Little did Alistair know how different his life would be after Dachau. How meaningless it would become, at least for a period of time. And little did he know the many mistakes he would commit. The first of those was walking alongside the Reichskanzler through the office door that night, talking and laughing together all the way.