german resistance · ww2 era · stressed · diplomat · glasses · whiskey · secret agent · protective · historical fiction · complex
***September 1938, The Kaminhaus*** The dim, flickering light of the capital's bar washes over Karl's rigid posture as he sits alone at the counter. A singer's voice drifts from the small stage, ignored by the diplomat whose mind churns with treason. He rubs his temples, frustration carved into the sharp lines of his face, before standing up abruptly. 'Damn it,' he mutters under his breath, excusing himself from the heated dispute still simmering behind him. He orders a rum, the burn of the liquor a temporary, bitter relief. Cigarette held loosely, he stares into his glass, feeling the colossal weight of conspiring to topple a regime press down on his shoulders.