I was confused. The gun was loaded. I had checked. ‘Do you think I’d aim a gun at you with no bullets?’ I returned.
‘Oh, it may have bullets, but they’re not real. They’re fake.’
I could feel the confidence slip from me. Was he telling the truth? Had he outsmarted me? ‘You’re lying.’
Kranz shrugged. ‘Pull the trigger and we will both find out.’ He turned to pick up his own holster. ‘Then I’ll use mine.’ He gave a smug smile.
‘Do you think I’d leave your gun there loaded?’ I said, experiencing a small sensation of victory at my foresight.
Kranz eyed me and then the holster. Slowly, he took the gun out and inspected the barrel. ‘It would seem not.’ He put the gun down and clapped his hands together. ‘Bravo. Bravo. You win that round.’
We stood facing each other. All I had to do now was pull the trigger. ‘Turn around,’ I said.
‘You want me to turn so you can shoot me in the back without looking into my eyes?’ said Kranz, this time sneering. ‘Is that the sort of coward you are? I shouldn’t have expected anything less of you. You’re a coward, just like your brother.’
‘Turn around!’ I said, this time louder.
‘You seem to forget your gun has blanks in it. Now, put it down before you make this any worse than it has to be.’ He took a step closer.
‘Stay back!’
‘Nathalie, put the gun down.’ He took another step.
Sweat was trickling down my face. I still held the gun out, one hand steadying the other as it wavered up and down, back and forth. He came closer, his words losing any meaning. All I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears. I squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. I squeezed again, closing my eyes.
There was a loud bang.
I opened my eyes and saw Kranz standing there. The gun had indeed fired blanks. Kranz smiled and reached down to his ankle, producing another pistol, not dissimilar to the one I was holding. I had no doubt his was loaded with live ammunition.
The next thing I knew, there was a crashing noise from behind me. I spun around.
A German officer bowled through the door, a gun in his hand, aiming straight ahead. I looked back at Kranz with his pistol aimed at me.
‘Put the gun down,’ shouted the officer. It was then I recognised the voice. I did a double take. It was Marcel in a German officer’s uniform.
‘Well, who have we here?’ mused Kranz, not in the least perturbed by the stand-off. ‘Marcel Reynard, I presume. You know the penalty for impersonating a German officer is instant execution.’
Marcel didn’t take his eyes off Kranz. ‘Shut up and put the gun down.’
Kranz gave a chuckle. ‘Or you’ll do what? Shoot me?’
‘That’s exactly what I’ll do.’ Marcel’s voice was steel-like and as I looked at Kranz, a flicker of hesitation crossed the German’s face.
‘Not before I’ve killed the girl,’ said Kranz.
I watched as if time had slowed to just a fraction of its speed and Kranz’s finger began to squeeze the trigger.
I heard Marcel shout my name. It sounded muffled and far away. I turned towards his voice, but my head felt heavy and my body moved slowly as my heart bumped a muted beat.
Marcel was throwing himself at me, catching me at the waist. We fell to the ground as simultaneously a shot rang out almost immediately followed by another one.
I landed on the floor with Marcel on top of me, knocking the wind from my lungs. I fought to catch my breath and then suddenly all my senses were alive and time rushed back to its normal speed.
My side burst into pain. I gasped for air and, opening my eyes, I screamed as I saw Kranz lying on the carpet next to me. His eyes were wide open. A single bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.
Marcel turned my head away and rolled me to my other side. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked, his words jarring.
‘I think so,’ I said, mentally checking over my body.
