Milla Meier was well known in Hammelburg. She was always running various donation drives for the war effort, and she sold lovely, if a bit amateurish decorations. Her family had moved into Hammelburg not long after the war began. She was caring and exuberant and was just the image of a sweet little girl. She'd even come to the camp a few times and made the guards feel a bit more upbeat. She was one of those people who just cares about everyone. She was even nice to the prisoners.

Hilda smiled at the little blonde girl, who cheerily waved in response. She walked over to Milla, smiling when she saw the table of sweets clearly for sale. It was a pretty pitiful bake sale given how hard ingredients were to get with all the rationing, but it was a nice idea anyway.

Hilda decided to take pity and buy something, when all of a sudden a familiar man came up to the table.

"Hello, Fraulein Meier," he spoke. She babbled a response back. Hilda tried to remember how she knew him. "Or should I say, Alice?" Both girls frowned, though only one in genuine confusion.

"I'm sorry Herr Kappel, I don't know what you mean." Milla spoke, blue eyes holding only confusion.

"Are the Allies truly so desperate as to use child spies now?" He spoke, and Hilda gasped. She remembered him now. Milla's eyes widened and she started to shake.

"Please sir, I don't know what you mean!" She pleaded, starting to cry.

"Is this really necessary?" Hilda interjected, feeling sorry for the girl. The man scowled.

"Do not concern yourself with such matters, Fraulein. This is Gestapo business." She stepped back, unwilling to leave, but frightened at the prospect of interfering with the Gestapo.

The man grabbed Milla by the upper arm and yanked her out of her chair. He started dragging her to his car. She struggled at first, but wasn't strong enough to do anything. He slapped her across the face for it, and she bared her teeth for a second before arranging her face into a look of fear. It wasn't exactly fake.

Hilda watched the scene in horror. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She'd seen arrests before, violent ones even, but to arrest a little girl? How could they even think it?

Her thoughts were running wild. She didn't know what to do. Everyone knew what the Gestapo were like. She just couldn't let them torture a sweet girl like that. Even if she were guilty of something.

The men at the camp! She could go to them. She wasn't stupid. She knew that they could do something. They were good men, even if they were supposed to be enemies. Surely they would want to save an innocent child, especially if she were one of their own!

She had been headed home, but she could tell them tomorrow. Or could it even wait that long? Maybe it would be best if they got the word now. She could always pretend she'd left something at work if anyone asked.

She forced herself to act calm, and continue walking for several paces before casually looking down into her bag. She feigned surprise, turning quickly, ready to head back to camp.

She was just before the gates when a small hand wrapped about her mouth, stopping her from letting out the scream she wanted to. Without warning, she was yanked down into the brush. She was then grasped by the hand and led further into the tree line, one hand still over her mouth.

When they were free to stand up, she saw that her assailant was a woman, her short blonde hair in a stylish curly look. She had an intense look on her face.

"You are looking to contact the Underground through the camp, yes?" She asked. Hilda shook her head, trying to keep to her story.

"Do not lie. You saw someone get arrested and then you head to an Underground location you have no business being at." Hilda hesitated.

"If you go there you will only put her and everyone else at more risk. If anyone thinks she has a connection to the camp, it will be much worse for her." That made sense. Hilda shook off the hand.

"But someone must do something! She's innocent!" The other woman shook her head.

"She is far from innocent. That is the the problem."

"That's not my point!" Hilda hissed.

"We are trying. We do not want her hurt either. But we cannot involve the camp. There is no time anyway for them to make some elaborate plan." She looked pained as she said her next words. "It is a shame. Without them, her chances are not good." Hilda rather felt like stomping her foot like a child as she spoke.

"But we must do something!"

"I am alone on this mission. If you are willing..." The woman trailed off. "Well another pair of hands can't hurt." Hilda hesitated. It was one thing to turn a blind eye to a little spying. It was another to actually help. Still, she could be arrested for either, and she wasn't the type to let a child suffer.

"Alright. For Milla." The women smiled grimly.

"Oui. For Milla."

They tromped through the woods, heading for the safe house. Hilda looked up at the other woman curiously.

"What can I call you?" She asked, knowing better than to ask for a name. The woman looked at her suspiciously anyway.

"Tiger," She finally said.

"Alright," she said. "I'm Hilda."

"Yes, I know. You are the secretary at the camp."

"Yes, I am," Hilda spoke. She wasn't particularly surprised Tiger knew that. Someone was always keeping tabs on you nowadays. They trudged further through the underbrush, and Hilda heard running water. Looking around, she realized they were nearing a lake on the outskirts of town.

Tiger led Hilda to a rather rundown cottage a ways away from the lake. They entered, and though it was much more habitable inside, it still was clearly not in the best shape. The paint on the walls was faded to the point that no color was recognizable and the furniture looked one wrong move away from falling apart. Hilda wasn't sure if all Underground houses were like this, or if this was one they felt they could abandon if she turned on them. She was leaning toward the latter.

"I need to contact someone. Stay here." Tiger instructed. Hilda nodded, and Tiger headed up the small staircase.

Hilda took the opportunity to examine the room further. It appeared to be a small living room. A gutted radio stood on a table in the middle of the room. A bookcase with a few scattered books stood against the far wall. A door next to it led into a kitchen, which a quick glance revealed was surprisingly well stocked.

It wasn't long before Tiger came back down the stairs.

"I have radioed for help, but I am not hopeful we can get anything."

"May I ask, what was Milla arrested for?" Hilda spoke. She still couldn't quite believe that girl had done anything.

"She is a spy. We did not want to involve her initially, but she was persistent and it's true we are desperate."

"Why would she be so invested?" Hilda wondered aloud.

"Her name is not Milla Meier. Her family is not real. She is an American, visiting a family friend and trapped here when the war broke out."

"Oh my!" Hilda exclaimed.

"The Underground provided them with papers. She and her sister speak German fluently, so we kept them here. There were too many refugees to get them all out."

"So she wants to help her country," Hilda surmised.

"Yes. Apparently, her father serves, and she worries about him." That was understandable. Hilda knew many people who had gone to serve and she was always worrying for their sakes, and she wasn't a little girl. Milla must have felt helpless being so young.

"So her real name is Alice?" Hilda questioned, remembering Kappel's words.

"No," Tiger shook her head. "That is her code name. From the story "Alice in Wonderland." We do not know her real name. It would be too easy to put each other in danger if we did."

Hilda nodded. Hadn't she thought Tiger would use a fake name when they were introducing themselves?

Just then a bang came from the kitchen. Tiger shot Hilda an angry look, and Hilda shook her head at her. She hadn't alerted anyone! How could she in such short time. The only way was if someone else had been following her.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice rang out.