The Stammlager (main camp) lay on the slope. At the top of the hierarchy - and the slope - lay the SS-Verwaltungszentrum (organizational building). Below it came the barbed wire fence with the entry gate, and then the barracks. They had been built so that the more important ones were closer to the SS building and the other ones further and further down the hill. There were always two next to each other, and then, parallel to those two but a few steps lower, came the next pair. First came kitchens and tailoring - useful barracks, then ones for sleeping - they could each house 150 men, but in truth, they housed many more, and then eventually the ones where the sick and dying were held. The construction of several more of these barracks was underway.
Martin and Reißer followed Kramer and Hirt down the path on the left side of the barracks next to the barbed wire fence. Martin eyed it curiously. He thought it would have been much higher, but in truth, it didn't reach all too far over his head. Still, it would be impossible to climb over and escape. You'd be far too cut up from the sharp little wires and, even in the dead of night, the SS would see you.
Every so often there was a watchtower.
They were a greyish-blue, made of clean wooden planks. They didn't look scary to Martin - but the big, round light in each one of them did. He tore his gaze away from the light, but the image remained in his mind's eye. He could see the camp at nighttime and could vividly see those lights casting strong beams over it, swooping down, searching for any abnormality among the barracks and the prisoners. He shook the image out of his head. He wasn't the one they were looking for, so he needn't worry.
It only took about five or six minutes to walk from the entry gate to the barrack where the experiments would be done. The one reserved for the Ahnenerbe. The camp was much smaller than Martin had expected. He'd only ever seen photos of Auschwitz - where the Stammlager was much larger.
They entered the barrack (Block 5) which was empty except for the 15 men that had been selected - by Hirt personally - for the trial and Dr. Wimmer*, who stood next to a Kapo Martin would later recognize as Ferdinand Holl*.
Hirt had told him briefly about Luftwaffenoffizier Dr. Wimmer, but Martin had forgotten pretty much everything he'd been told. It didn't matter much, anyway.
Wimmer met Kramer, Martin, Reißer and Hirt inside. He'd already set up most of the things needed for the experiment, and he had the liquid mustard gas (Yperit) with him. "Do we need the Kapo if you've got Mr. Weiher with you?" He asked August Hirt and nodded over to Martin. "He could hold their arm, couldn't he?"
"I'd rather he stood by the other ones in the waiting room. Made sure they don't get into a fight." Why they would brawl Martin had no idea - it wasn't like they were excited to try out whatever horror Hirt had planned for them.
"Alright then." Dr. Wimmer said.
"Haben Sie alles, Professor Hirt? Do you have everything you need?" Kramer asked politely. August Hirt nodded.
Kramer and Reißer stepped out. The latter shot Martin a look over his shoulder that Martin read as: good luck.
Martin waited for Hirt to tell him exactly what to do. He felt out of place and unnecessary as the two men busied themselves with the preparation. "Mr. Weiher, please go into the room on your left and send out the first subject." Professor Hirt instructed. "You heard what I said to Dr. Wimmer, make sure that they keep it down. Will you?" He handed him a list of names and told him to call them forth in that order.
"Of course." Martin scurried past them and past Holl who eyed him suspiciously. Did Holl recognize some of his own reluctance in Martin? The Kapos were also prisoners, they didn't want to assist the Nazis, but their position was safer and they were treated with more respect, and given better food rations. An opportunity no one would want to mess up.
He entered the waiting room. The 15 men looked up at him. He slowly read the first name out loud, one of them stood up and left. It was inappropriate to say 'good luck', so Martin just gave a curt nod.
The barrack they were in had several rooms. One was where the men waited, and where they had slept, where Martin was currently standing with them. Then there was another room, where they would later wait after coming in contact with the substance. Finally, apart from a storage room and the adjacent, unlabelled room Martin never saw the inside of, there was the room where Hirt conducted his experiments with the help of Dr. Wimmer and the Kapo.
As Martin waited for Kapo Holl to appear and tell him he could call out the next subject Martin leaned against the wall and let out a small and relieved sigh. He didn't have to be there when they did it. He didn't have to see what was happening. Not that he would have seen much anyway: it took about 10 hours for the poison to start affecting it's victim.