A wartime revenge pledge resurfaces decades later, when only two former comrades remain committed to fulfilling it.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
The Wartime Vow
During World War II in the Netherlands, resistance leader Arie is killed. His comrades respond by pledging to avenge him.
Key Events
Wartime Netherlands — The story begins during World War II in the Netherlands.
Location: The Netherlands
Resistance Leadership — Arie is identified as a leader of the resistance. Characters: ArieLocation: The Netherlands
Occupation Conflict — The resistance operates during the wartime occupation.
Location: The Netherlands
Arie Is Killed — Arie is killed by a Dutch SS officer. Characters: ArieLocation: The Netherlands
Comrades Mourn — Arie's comrades are left behind after his death.
Location: The Netherlands
Vengeance Vow — The surviving comrades pledge to avenge Arie's death.
Location: The Netherlands
The Past Returns
Thirty-five years later, one former comrade encounters the officer associated with Arie's death. The encounter revives the unresolved promise of revenge.
Key Events
Vengeance Vow — The surviving comrades pledge to avenge Arie's death.
Location: The Netherlands
Vow Takes Root — The pledge becomes the surviving group's stated purpose.
Location: The Netherlands
Thirty-Five Years Pass — The narrative advances thirty-five years beyond the wartime events.
Location: The Netherlands
Old Enemy Returns — One former comrade encounters the officer connected to Arie's death again.
Location: The Netherlands
Past Resurfaces — The renewed encounter brings the old revenge pledge back into focus.
Location: The Netherlands
Execution Decision — The former comrade decides to organize a killing.
Location: The Netherlands
A Reluctant Reunion
The former comrade gathers his old friends to organize an execution. Their reunion reveals that they are no longer equally devoted to the original pledge.
Key Events
Execution Decision — The former comrade decides to organize a killing.
Location: The Netherlands
Old Friends Contacted — He begins gathering the former resistance comrades for the planned execution.
Location: The Netherlands
Former Group Reunites — The old friends are brought together again after decades apart.
Location: The Netherlands
Commitment Is Tested — The reunion tests whether the former comrades still support their wartime pledge.
Location: The Netherlands
Resolve Has Faded — The former allies are no longer as devoted to the revenge plan.
Location: The Netherlands
Pledge Divides Survivors — The old vow separates the committed survivor from the less devoted comrades.
Location: The Netherlands
The Last Loyalist
Only Gerben, a former communist, has maintained his commitment to the vow. He joins the execution alongside the comrade who revived the plan.
Key Events
Pledge Divides Survivors — The old vow separates the committed survivor from the less devoted comrades.
Location: The Netherlands
Gerben Remains Loyal — Only the former communist Gerben has remained faithful to the original pledge.
Location: The Netherlands
Execution Partnership — Gerben joins the surviving comrade in carrying out the execution.
Location: The Netherlands
Revenge Reaches Its Target — The execution against the officer responsible for Arie's death is carried out.
Location: The Netherlands
Original Vow Fulfilled — The killing fulfills the surviving comrades' original pledge to avenge Arie. Characters: ArieLocation: The Netherlands
Story Breakdown
Wartime Resistance — The story begins in the Netherlands during World War II, where Arie leads the resistance.
Dutch Occupation — The resistance exists within the wartime Netherlands.
Arie Leads — Arie is established as the resistance leader.
Arie's Death — Arie is killed by a Dutch SS officer, leaving his comrades behind.
Leader Killed — The death of Arie becomes the central past event.
Comrades Left — His comrades remain after the killing.
Vengeance Pledge — The surviving comrades promise to avenge Arie's death.
Promise Made — The comrades collectively pledge revenge.
Revenge Sustained — The pledge remains relevant across the later time jump.
Decades Later — Thirty-five years pass before the old conflict returns to the characters' lives.
Time Advances — The narrative moves thirty-five years beyond the war.
Past Returns — A former comrade encounters the officer again.
Execution Plan — The renewed encounter prompts an effort to gather the former comrades and kill the officer.
Old Friends Gather — The former comrade rounds up his old friends.
Killing Proposed — The group is gathered for an intended execution.
Fading Commitment — The reunion shows that the former comrades are no longer equally devoted to revenge.
Resolve Weakens — The old friends have lost their former devotion.
Pledge Divides — The original promise no longer unites the entire group.
Gerben's Loyalty — Gerben, identified as a former communist, is the only comrade who has maintained the original pledge.
Former Communist — Gerben is described as a former communist.
Vow Honored — Gerben remains committed when the others are not.
Revenge Fulfilled — Gerben joins the execution, completing the revenge promised after Arie's death.
Execution Joined — Gerben assists the comrade who organized the killing.
Vengeance Completed — The execution fulfills the original pledge to avenge Arie.
In WWII Netherlands, resistance-leader Arie is killed by Dutch SS-man Niels, leaving his comrades, who pledge to avenge him. 35 years later, one of them, Ab, confronted with Niels again, decides to round up his old friends to kill him but they're no longer as devoted. Only former communist Gerben has stuck by his pledge and joins the execution.
