X

Germany, 1935

Dr. Braun sat in his study, his chessboard in front of him and the vile placed squarely in the center. It was the height of the king piece, which he moved off its square and replaced with the vile. His chest and back of his neck were drenched with sweat, his third glass of whiskey sat empty next to him. He stood to refill it, stumbling and nauseous. He retrieved the bottle from where he’d set it on the bookshelf, but kept his eyes on the vile. The gold swirling dust bounced off the glass, making it teeter in its chess square. He sat down quickly to catch it, and then poured another glass. He drank and studied the vile, picking it up and setting it down. He gripped it as hard as he could, like he could break it, then relented and loosened. The...

Please subscribe to keep reading.