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Welcome to <i>Zwischen Uns</i>.
[[About]]
[[How to Play]]
[[Credits]]
[[Begin.->1]]
//Returning player? Click //Saves// and select your most recent save file.//You are now logged into the Berliner Polizei Information System. Please input your search:
[[Krieger crime family->2]]//Zwischen Uns// is a story that plays out the way you, the reader, dictates. It is an interactive short story where every choice you make, no matter how small, is important.
The story follows a recently separated couple who reconnect in order to settle their affairs.
<b>Content warning</b> for domestic abuse and extreme violence.
<<back "Return.">>//Zwischen Uns// is written and maintained by K.M. White. Find her at @scribiterx on Instagram.
Twine was created by Chris Klimas in 2009. Find it at twinery.org.
<<back "Return.">>//Zwischen Uns// is a third-person interactive novel made with Twine 2.0.11. Select the options in blue underneath the text to make decisions and progress through the story.
Select //Saves// to record your progress and come back at a later time. To ensure that these save files retain information even if you close out of the program, select //Save to Disk.// To load, select //Load from Disk// and search your "Downloads" folder for "zwischen-uns(#).save". Select the highest # for the most recent save. Do not press //Restart// unless you are sure you have saved.
<b>Remember to save.</b> Markus' husband is a cruel son of a bitch.
<<back "Return.">>K.M. White<<if $start is "yes">> [[Inventory]] <<endif>>HEINRICH KRIEGER
Aliases: (See ALIASES: KRIEGER, HEINRICH)
Sex: M
Race: White
DOB: 07/02/1977
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Build: Muscular
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Green
Address: Unknown
Heinrich Krieger is the current head of the Krieger crime family, a Berlin-based organized crime syndicate. Wanted for money laundering, drug trafficking, robbery, and murder.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS. IS KNOWN TO CARRY A FIREARM AT ALL TIMES.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Krieger is married to [[KRIEGER-ULZHIEMER, MARKUS.->Krieger-Ulzhiemer, Markus]]
[[Back->3]] <<set $info to $info + 1>>MARKUS KRIEGER-ULZHIEMER
Aliases: (See ALIASES: KRIEGER-ULZHIEMER, MARKUS)
Sex: M
Race: Asian
DOB: 01/09/1985
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Build: Lean
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown
Address: Unknown
Markus Krieger-Ulzhiemer is a high-ranking member of the Krieger crime family, a Berlin-based organized crime syndicate. Wanted for several counts of murder and criminal conspiracy to commit an assassination.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS. IS KNOWN TO CARRY A FIREARM AT ALL TIMES.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Krieger is married to [[KRIEGER, HEINRICH.->Krieger, Heinrich]]
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[[Search complete.->3]] <<set $info to 1>><i>375 results (0.66 seconds)</i>
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[[Krieger, Heinrich]]
[[Krieger-Ulzhiemer, Markus]]
<<if $info >= 3>>[[Log out.->4]]<<else>> <<endif>>You have successfully logged out of the Berliner Polizei Information System.
[[Next.->5]]Wake up, Markus. I know you can hear me.
[[Next.->7]]"I can't believe you're still so good at ignoring me. Though I guess a few months of separation doesn't erase five years of marriage. Does it?"
Silence. It's quiet for just a second, then:
<i>"I know you can hear me, motherFUCKER!"</i>
[[Wake up.->8]]Now, come on. [[Wake up.->6]]Markus Krieger-Ulzhiemer woke up in his ex-husband's home office, blinking against the dried blood crusting his left eye closed and trying to ignore the bile rising in his throat. The cold barrel of a gun was pressed against the back of his neck and he was bordering on certain that his arm had been shattered, and the thing he decided to focus on was the fact that his ex-husband hadn't redecorated since he left. It was a large and gaudy room, with floor-to-ceiling windows behind a mahogany desk. The carpet was actually a large hand-knotted rug that had cost five figures. He remembered rolling his eyes when his ex had bought it, griping about how they could have used the money better on a shipment of AR-15s.
Shit, their wedding photo was still on his desk. He recognized it even with the large score in the paper where his face should have been.
"Oh, thank God," his ex-husband said, tapping the barrel of the gun against his skin. Markus shivered. "You're up. I was starting to think Ludwik had actually <i>killed</i> you and that was a conversation I was not looking forward to having."
Heinrich motherfucking Krieger.
That son of a bitch.
"So," Heinrich said. "It's been so long since we've had a good talk. What have you been up to lately? Besides, you know, cheating on me and constantly fucking me over?"
[['"Not much else, really."'->9a]]
[['"Where is Alois?"'->9b]]
[[Don't answer.->9c]]Markus took a deep breath to steady himself. In all honesty, he was buying himself time: to think. Before he had finished breathing in, he had come to a few conclusions. His nose was broken. He was missing a tooth on the left side of his mouth. His arm had been fractured in several places and it hadn't stopped Heinrich from lashing each of his limbs to a part of the chair he was sitting in.
By the time he had breathed out, he had really only focused on one thing. If Heinrich pulled the trigger, it would sever his brain stem and he would be dead before he had even registered the bang.
But he said nothing.
Heinrich cleared his throat. "Did you hear me? I said, <i>so what you have been up to?"</i>
[[Keep quiet.->9d]]
[['"Fuck you."'->9e]]Markus took a deep breath to steady himself. In all honesty, he was buying himself time: to speak, to think. Before he had finished breathing in, he had come to a few conclusions. His nose was broken. He was missing a tooth on the left side of his mouth. His arm had been fractured in several places and it hadn't stopped Heinrich from lashing each of his limbs to a part of the chair he was sitting in.
By the time he had breathed out, though, he had really only focused on one thing. If Heinrich pulled the trigger, the bullet would sever his brain stem and he would be dead before he had even registered the bang.
But fuck if it didn't feel good to get back into the swing of this relationship.
"Not much else, really," Markus said, wrinkling up his face to feel the hot sting of his broken nose. "Whoring around, sucking dick, giving out family secrets to everyone that would listen. Just having a damn good time tarnishing your reputation."
"You were cheating on me even before you left," Heinrich said. "I'm not surprised."
"You shouldn't be."
"Slut." Heinrich pointed over Markus' shoulder to one of the doors. "Hey, you know that room don't you?"
[['"Yes."'->9g]]Markus took a deep breath to steady himself. In all honesty, he was buying himself time: to speak, to think. Before he had finished breathing in, he had come to a few conclusions. His nose was broken. He was missing a tooth on the left side of his mouth. His arm had been fractured in several places and it hadn't stopped Heinrich from lashing each of his limbs to a part of the chair he was sitting in.
By the time he had breathed out, he had really only focused on one thing. If Heinrich pulled the trigger, it would sever his brain stem and he would be dead before he had even registered the bang.
But there was something more important at stake here.
"Where is Alois?" Markus asked. "Where is he?"
Heinrich <i>tsk</i>-ed disaprovingly.
"Never offer that information voluntarily," he said, ruffling Markus' hair. "If I didn't already know that you had a boyfriend on the side, I would now. And I would make damn sure to drag him here and hook him up like a pig at the slaughterhouse." Markus could feel the man shrug behind him. "But I already knew that, so we don't have to worry about that."
[['"You son of a bitch. You piece of shit."'->9h]]Markus grit his teeth and said nothing. It was easier to focus on the pain jutting from his splintered arm up to his shoulder and chest, rolling it around in his mind like a ball of heat.
Just don't say a word.
"Alright," Heinrich said, and pointed to one of the door behind the desk. "You know that room, don't you?"
The other door lead to Heinrich's bedroom (he would know, as much time as they had spent there), but <i>that</i> door lead to the basement. And the interrogation room. Markus had been there a lot--first, as a recruit, finishing his initiation with his fingertips dipped in acid to destroy his prints, filing his teeth to throw off dental records, rubbing salt into open wounds to prove his loyalty. Later, as the one preparing the vials of acid and sitting down with the novices to bring them into the fold via blood.
He and Heinrich had fallen in love in that room.
"What if I said your boyfriend was in that room?" Heinrich said. Markus jolted. "Alois? He's such a sweet young man. I'd hate to have to kill him just to get you to talk. Such a waste of good leverage."
[[Break.->9f]]
[[Break.->9f]]
[[Break.->9f]] "Fuck you," Markus said.
Heinrich paused. There was a bit of a release on the pressure on the back of his neck, like it had taken him by surprise.
"I'd say you already lost that chance," Heinrich said. "You gave that up when you started fucking somebody <i>else</i> behind my back. Like, say, the man in that room right over there."
Heinrich pointed, and Markus' eyes landed on the door to the side of the room. The one on the right led to Heinrich's bedroom (he would know, as much time as they had spent there), but the door on the left led to the basement. And the interrogation room. Markus had been there a lot--first, as a recruit, finishing his initiation with his fingertips dipped in acid to destroy his prints, filing his teeth to throw off dental records, rubbing salt into open wounds to prove his loyalty. Later, as the one preparing the vials of acid and sitting down with the novices to bring them into the fold via blood.
He and Heinrich had fallen in love in that room.
And now--
"Alois is in there," Heinrich said. "Hooked up there like a pig. He misses you so much."
Markus wanted to puke in fear.
"I'll kill you," Markus said. "I'll kill you, I--"
Heinrich's next breath came out as a hiss.
Fuck.
[[Brace for impact.->10]]Markus wanted to puke in fear.
"I'll kill you," Markus said. "I'll kill you, I--"
Heinrich's next breath came out as a hiss. "There we go," he whispered. "There we go. That's what I like to hear."
Fuck.
[[Brace for impact.->10]]"Yes," Markus said quietly.
Of the two doors behind the desk, one lead to Heinrich's bedroom (he would know, as much time as they had spent there), but <i>that</i> door lead to the basement. And the interrogation room. Markus had been there a lot--first, as a recruit, finishing his initiation with his fingertips dipped in acid to destroy his prints, filing his teeth to throw off dental records, rubbing salt into open wounds to prove his loyalty. Later, as the one preparing the vials of acid and sitting down with the novices to bring them into the fold via blood.
He and Heinrich had fallen in love in that room.
"What if I said your boyfriend was in that room?" Heinrich said. Markus jolted. "Alois? He's such a sweet young man. I'd hate to have to kill him just to get you to talk. Such a waste of good leverage."
He and Heinrich had fallen in love in that room. The fact that Alois was there now made him want to puke in fear.
"I'll kill you," Markus said. "I'll kill you, I--"
Heinrich's next breath came out as a hiss.
Fuck.
[[Brace for impact.->10]]Markus flinched half a second before the blow landed. His head jerked forward, his vision swimming, his broken arm screaming in protest against the sudden movement of the rest of his body.
It took him a little too long to realize he hadn't been shot. Heinrich circled around the chair holding the pistol like a bludgeon.
"Look at me, dear," Heinrich said. He crouched in front of the chair, tilting his head to get a better look at Markus' downcast face. Heinrich was a handsome son of a bitch, the perfect example of German ancestry. Slicked back hair, bright eyes, a scar running over his forehead and cheek. "Hey. <i>Hey.</i> Look at me when I'm fucking talking to you."
Markus grit his teeth as Heinrich gently pushed his chin up, forcing even just a moment of eye contact. That moment was far too long. His head throbbed.
Heinrich smiled. It was a winning smile that had bought off judges and juries alike. Markus wanted to smash his teeth out. "There we go. You mean nothing to me anymore, you know that? I don't give a single shit that you're my husband. As soon as I'm done with your boyfriend, I'm going to kill you. I'll make you watch as I kill Alois and then I'll hook you up there with him. Sounds like fitting punishment for adultery, right?"
<i>"Fuck you,"</i> Markus managed.
"And the more comments like that you make," Heinrich said, "I'll make <i>both</i> of your deaths that much slower. It's only fair."
[['"What do you want?"'->11a]]
[['"Burn in hell."'->11b]]
[[Spit in his face.->11c]]"You son of a bitch," Markus said. He didn't mean for his voice to come out in a whimper, but it did anyway. "You piece of shit. Don't you dare."
"What was that?" Heinrich said. "I didn't hear you. And maybe if you speak a little louder, your Alois will, too. He's just in that room, right over there. See?"
Markus' eyes landed on the door to the side of the office. The one on the right led to Heinrich's bedroom (he would know, as much time as they had spent there), but the door on the left led to the basement. And the interrogation room. Markus had been there a lot--first, as a recruit, finishing his initiation with his fingertips dipped in acid to destroy his prints, filing his teeth to throw off dental records, rubbing salt into open wounds to prove his loyalty. Later, as the one preparing the vials of acid and sitting down with the novices to bring them into the fold via blood.
He and Heinrich had fallen in love in that room. The fact that Alois was there now made him want to puke in fear.
"I'll kill you," Markus said. "I'll kill you, I--"
Heinrich's next breath came out as a hiss.
Fuck.
[[Brace for impact.->10]]"What do you want?" Markus said.
Heinrich frowned. "Excuse me?"
[['"What do you want from me?"'->11d]]
[['"A trade. What about a trade?"'->11e]]"Burn in hell," Markus said.
"Oh, I already plan on that," Heinrich said. He stood up and checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his pistol. "The first thing I'll do is take out your kneecaps, so you can't run. Then I'll bring you in to see Alois. Sound good to you?"
[[Close eyes.->12]]Markus sneered and spat a mouthful of blood into Heinrich's face. Heinrich gasped, his face covered in a splatter of red droplets. Finally, after coming to his senses, he blinked a few times and wiped his cheek with the back of his sleeve.
"You haven't changed a bit," Heinrich said, leaning over and letting a string of saliva fall to the floor in an attempt to get the taste out of his mouth. "Jesus Christ. I'm almost impressed. And you know what? I'm going to go ahead and kill you for that. I don't have time for this shit."
He stood up and checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his pistol.
"I'll make sure Alois sees your corpse," Heinrich said. "I'll at least give you that. Dying in the same room is quite romantic, isn't it?"
[[Close eyes.->12]]"What do you want from me?" Markus repeated. His voice sounded thick and heavy. Whether it was the blood welling up in his mouth or tears choking him, he wasn't sure. "Just tell me." Markus swallowed hard and looked up. "What was it you said? Cut out my tongue, cut off my hands, and brand your name across my throat. Make sure I can never go to the polizei and kick me out into the world."
Heinrich frowned as if he was thinking.
"I won't talk," Markus said. "I'll leave the country if you want me to. Just let us go."
"Interesting," Heinrich said. "When did you start begging for your life? I thought you Asian types were prouder than that."
Markus sneered.
"Sorry, was that rude?" Heinrich said. "Apologies." He waved his hand. "But that's an interesting offer you're making. Would you be okay with me doing the same to Alois if it meant letting you go?"
[['"Yes."'->11g][$question1 = "yes"]]
[['"No."'->11g][$question1 = "no"]]"A trade," Markus said. "What about a trade. Alois' life for mine."
Heinrich paused, and then began to laugh. He shook his head, affectionately slapping Markus' cheek. Markus winced.
"How sweet," Heinrich said. "Are you willing to die for him?"
It wasn't even a question. Alois was an innocent man. He had a mother and a father who loved him, a niece he adored and a cat named Mausebär. Sure, he had been a bit of a military man, but he had spent his time as a medic. They had spent two years together, going behind Heinrich's back to meet up at cafes in Prenzlaur, and Alois had even started talking about moving to a small town and getting married if Markus could ever get away from "that awful job" of his.
In the months that Markus had spent hiding from Heinrich, he had never been happier.
Alois deserved better.
"Are you?" Heinrich said.
[['"I am."'->11f]]"How sweet," Heinrich said. "How touching! True love! But, uh, no." He stood up and checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his pistol. "The first thing I'll do is take out your kneecaps, so you can't run. Then I'll bring you in to see Alois. Sound good to you?"
[[Close eyes.->12]]<<nobr>>
<<if $question1 is "yes">>
Heinrich winced. "Wow. I don't know how to feel about that. You know, I would have actually asked him." He shrugged. "But still, no. I told everyone here that I was going to kill the both of you and I really don't want to explain that I didn't."
<<else>>
"Then no," Heinrich said. "Absolutely not."
<<endif>>
<<endnobr>>
He stood up and checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his pistol. "The first thing I'll do is take out your kneecaps, so you can't run. Then I'll bring you in to see Alois. Sound good to you? Hmm?"
[[Close eyes.->12]]<i>Bang.</i>
Heinrich sighed and looked up.
<i>Bang bang bang.</i>
Somebody was knocking on the office door. Markus let out a shuddering breath as Heinrich took his finger off the trigger and crossed his arms.
"Who is it and what the fuck do you want?" Heinrich called.
"It's Ludwik, Herr Krieger," came the voice from the other side of the door.
Heinrich sighed. "Come in."
The door opened just a crack, and Ludwik stepped in. The man had aged badly in the few months Markus had been away. It used to be that they would smile at each other and chat when they passed each other in the hall. Ludwik had referred to him as "Herr Ulzhiemer" in an attempt to differeniate him from his husband. Sometimes, when they got drunk together in the back room after a particular harsh errand, Ludwik would call him "Frau Krieger" as if he was the madam of the house. They had always gotten a kick out of that, tipsy and covered in blood.
There was none of that now. Markus tried to look over his shoulder at him, but his broken arm started to protest and he slumped in his chair.
"Yes?" Heinrich said.
"Frau Krämer is here," Ludwik replied. "She's getting impatient."
Heinrich rolled his eyes. "Fuck," he said, drawing it out like an annoyed teenageer. "Fine. Hopefully the bitch won't talk for too long. Go let her in."
Ludwik nodded and left.
[[Look to Heinrich.->13]]Markus looked at Heinrich to find him staring at the floor in front of his feet, a little red around the neck.
"I was going to go ahead and shoot you," Heinrich said, "but knowing my luck, I'd hit an artery and you'd bleed out before I got back. So I'll settle for this."
Heinrich shot the floor beside Markus' ankle. He flinched so hard his broken nose ached in response. A hole had erupted in the old hardwood, splinters sticking up like thorns.
"Don't move," Heinrich said, gesturing at him with the muzzle of the gun. "If I come back and a single <i>speck of dust</i> is out of place, I'll make sure I skin Alois alive."
And with that, Heinrich tucked the gun into the holster beneath his blazer and ducked out of the room, locking the office door behind him.
Markus took a deep breath. Jesus Christ.
[[Attempt to get out of the chair.->14]]
[[Wait.->Wait thread]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.