There will be a lot of German in this chapter, but I will translate it immediately. I just think that it's better to use German because it's more plausible that the Germans talked German with each other and not English, and therefore I think the story will be more realistic. If you don't like it or think there is a better way to use another language with the translation, please let me know it.
After evening roll call, Jout found himself standing in the tunnel wearing a German uniform and Newkirk made final preparations with his hat.
" 'ere ya go. I 'ave to say, ya really look like a Kraut officer"
"Hopefully the Jerries think that too"
Jout turned around and saw Hogan climbing down the ladder.
"Are you ready?" he asked his younger brother.
"Yes"
"Repeat the mission"
Jout rolled his eyes. In the last three hours, Rob wanted him to repeat everything at least a hundred times. You could wake him in the middle of the night by now and he still could tell you every single detail.
"You are Oberst Kurt Hagen from the 1st Panzer Division which is currently stationed at the Eastern Front near Stalingrad. I'm your aide, Hauptmann Erich Sommer. The reason we can attend the party is that we had information about a Russian resistance group and you had a meeting with the Gestapo in Berlin. There we received the invitation and tomorrow we are going back to the Eastern Front. While you talk to Keitel, I will go into his office, make photos of those plans in his safe, which combination is 2-18-69-5, will search for any other information in his office, and then I will make my way back to your side"
He looked Hogan in the eyes and said, "I can do it, trust me"
"Alright, let's move out"
"What happens when the two of you are not back before 10 o'clock?" asked Kinch.
He never showed it or said anything to anyone, but every time someone is leaving the camp for a mission, Kinch's stomach twisted and this feeling always lasted until they were back in camp. Today this feeling was even stronger, probably because of Jout's involvement.
"Let's just hope we come back in time, because I have no idea what happens otherwise," said Hogan and climbed up through the exit in the false tree stump.
Hogan waited until Joshua made it through the exit and motioned for him to follow. They sneaked through the forest behind the camp, careful that no one of Klink's guard noticed them. About two miles south of them was one of Klink's staff cars.
Jout took a deep breath when he sat behind the wheel and started the engine. He drove on a dirt road for the first mile, which lead to a paved road. After about five more miles they had to pass through a roadblock.
"What are we going to do now?" Jout asked nervously.
He already felt how his hands began to tremble.
"Just stay calm and let me handle the talking"
Jout stopped the car in front of the roadblock and cranked the window down.
"Sie müssen umkehren. Die Straße ist für jeden gesperrt," said the young soldier who kept guard. ["You have to turn around. The street is blocked for everybody"]
Hogan leaned over. "Gefreiter, ich habe eine Einladung zum Geburtstag des Führers bei Feldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel. Es würde ihm bestimmt nicht gefallen, wenn ich wegen einer Straßensperre nicht dieser Feierlichkeit beiwohnen könnte" ["Private, I have been invited to the Fuhrer's birthday party at Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel's. I think he wouldn't like it if I couldn't attend this celebration because of a roadblock"]
"Der Geburtstag des Führers? Natürlich können Sie weiterfahren, Oberst. Entschuldigen Sie die Unannehmlichkeiten" ["The Fuhrer's birthday? Of course you can pass, Colonel. Please excuse the inconveniences"]
The soldier hurried back to the booth and opened the barrier. He snapped to a salute as the car drove off.
"You really scared that kid," laughed Jout, every tension he had felt a few minutes ago vanished.
"Just gotta mention Old Bubblehead and they do whatever you want," smirked Hogan.
Twenty minutes later, they reached Keitel's mansion. Jout was shown where to park by a Kraut soldier. After he stopped the car, he looked at the pompously arranged entrance. There was a path leading to the doorway, framed by marble statues that reminded him of ancient Greek statues. On the right side was a fountain, and on the left stood a huge pine tree. As he looked closer on the doorway, he saw two soldiers securing the entrance with their weapon at the ready.
"Here we are," Jout said with his eyes still focused on the entrance.
Hogan looked at his watch. "It's a quarter past eight. We have to leave this place not later than a quarter past nine, so that we are back in camp when Klink's doing his bed-check"
"From now on we only speak German, understood?" he asked.
"Verstanden," answered Jout. ["Understood"]
They left the car and made their way to the mansion. As they reached the two soldiers, Hogan took the invitation out of the inner pocket from his coat. He approached the soldiers and they snapped to attention.
Jout and Hogan saluted back, and Hogan said, "Ich bin Oberst Kurt Hagen, 1. Panzer Division. Das ist mein Adjutant, Hauptmann Erich Sommer. Ich habe eine Einladung von Feldmarschall Keitel erhalten, den Geburtstag des Führers zu feiern" ["My name is Colonel Kurt Hagen, 1st Panzer Division. This is my aide, Captain Erich Sommer. I have received an invitation from Field Marshal Keitel to celebrate the Fuhrer's birthday"]
He gave on of the soldiers the phony invitation. The German sergeant looked it over briefly, then gave it back to Hogan and stepped aside.
Hogan nodded thankfully, and the two brothers walked into the house. Immediately, one of the waiters came over and handed them two glasses of champagne. Then he led Hogan and Jout to the banquet hall.
After he left, Jout said, "Netter Service" ["Nice service"]
Hogan observed the crowd, which consisted only of highly decorated German officers, and tried to find his objective.
Jout did the same and laughed, "Ich kenne zwar unseren Kommandanten noch nicht lange, aber mit diesen hohen Tieren hier frage ich mich schon, wie er zu einer Einladung kam" ["I only know our commandant for a few days, but with this top brass here I really ask myself how Klink got an invitation"]
"Das frage ich mich auch," Hogan replied. ["I ask myself that, too"]
At last, Jout spotted the Field Marshal and pointed Hogan in that direction.
Hogan nodded and murmured, "Fangen wir an" ["Let's begin"]
They slowly moved to a small group at the back of the hall. Field Marshall Keitel was currently talking to a general and a colonel. The men's aides were standing next to them.
Hogan approached them and greeted, "Guten Abend, Herr Feldmarschall. Ich bin Oberst Kurt Hagen und ich wollte nur mal schnell den Gastgeber dieser Feierlichkeiten begrüßen und mich für die Einladung bedanken" ["Good evening, Field Marshall. I'm Colonel Kurt Hagen and I just wanted to greet the host of the festivities and give my thanks to you"]
"Ist doch nicht der Rede wert, Oberst. Immerhin ist heute der Geburtstag des Führers, den sollte man schon angemessen feiern," said Keitel. ["It was nothing, Colonel. Today, after all, is the Fuhrer's birthday which should be celebrated appropriately"]
Hogan tried to involve him into a conversation. "Ich möchte Sie nicht länger stören, aber ich wollte mich nur noch mal für Ihren Besuch an der Ostfront bedanken. Sie haben die Moral der Männer erheblich verbessert" ["I don't want to bother you any further, but I would like to thank you for your visit at the Eastern Front. You really improved the men's moral"]
"Das hört man doch immer gerne," the Field Marshal replied. ["That's nice to hear"]
Hogan was talking to Keitel and the two others for about ten minutes and successfully integrated himself into the group. He gave Jout a sign to start with the mission.
Jout slightly nodded and raised his voice. "Entschuldigen Sie, Oberst, aber ich habe gerade ehemalige Kameraden aus meiner Zeit in der Grundausbildung entdeckt. Dürfte ich mich kurz entschuldigen und sie begrüßen?" ["Excuse me, Colonel, but I just saw former comrades from basic training. Could I excuse myself and greet them?"]
"Natürlich, Sommer," Hogan said and turned his attention back to Keitel, who just told a story about a battle in Word War I. ["Of course, Sommer"]
Jout left the group and walked back to the banquet's hall entry. In order that nobody would get suspicious about the reason why he left the banquet hall, Jout asked a waiter where he would find the restrooms. Luckily for him, the restrooms were in the same direction as the staircase he was heading for.
He moved to the restrooms and after he made sure that no one was around, he turned right and went upstairs. Before he reached the upper hallway, Jout peaked around the corner. Everything was clear and he sneaked along the wall.
He stopped in his tracks when he heard laughter coming from the hallway with the office. His heart sank to his boots. He looked panicky for a hiding place, and decided to hide in the room behind him. He quietly opened the door and quickly moved inside. He gently closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall in complete darkness. He heard his heart pounding in his ears and tried to control his breathing. The laughter came closer and Jout hold his breath. He heard the laughter passing the door and moving away. He carefully opened the door and looked around once more. Since he saw no one on the hallway, he left his hideout and walked over to the office.
Jout tried to open the door, but it was locked. In that moment, he smiled and said to himself he needed to thank Newkirk. Before he left the camp, Newkirk came up to him and handed Jout his picklock and said, "Better safe than sorry". He set to work and a few seconds later, he managed to open the door. He put the picklock back in his uniform pocket and went inside to look for the fake liquor cabin. He found it and opened it up, retrieving some books and money until he held the right plans in his hands.
Jout spread the plans on the desk, making pictures of the German defensive positions along the Siegfried Line in the Netherlands with a tiny camera hidden in his sleeve. He put the plans back in the safe and looked through the other plans and books. He found a plan for a new offensive at the Eastern Front, with troop movements and new war plants. He photographed that, too, and looked at his watch. It was already 9 o'clock which meant they had to leave in fifteen minutes. Jout placed everything back in the safe and made sure it looked exactly the same to prevent Keitel from noticing that someone meddled with his safe.
Back at the banquet hall, Hogan became more and more anxious as the time passed. The longer they were staying at the party, the higher was the risk that their cover would blow. He stared at the doorway without attracting Keitel's attention and hoped his brother would come back soon. Much to Hogan's relief, Jout entered the hall smiling.
Hogan turned his attention back to the Field Marshal, looked at his watch and said, "Sehen Sie nur wie die Zeit vergeht meine Herren! Ich muss mich jetzt aber leider verabschieden" ["Time flies, gentlemen! I'm afraid I have to say goodbye"]
"Jetzt schon, Oberst? Es ist doch gerade einmal neun Uhr," pointed Keitel out. ["Already, Colonel? It's only 9 o'clock"]
"Ich würde wirklich gerne bleiben, aber ich muss morgen wieder an die Ostfront zurück. Ich bin schon lange genug weg und meine Männer brauchen mich. Dann auf Wiedersehen," Hogan said and walked towards Jout. ["I really would like to stay, but I have to be back at the Eastern Front by tomorrow. I'm gone long enough and my men need me. Goodbye"]
Hogan joined Jout and together they left the house and made their way back to the car.
"I can't believe it worked and that we made it out without any major incident," exclaimed Jout.
He laid back into the seat and closed his eyes.
"Did you get everything?"
"Yeah, plus pictures about a new offensive and new war factories"
"Carter will develop the film tomorrow morning and someone from the Underground will pick it up in the evening"
Hogan looked at his brother and said, "Let's drive back. We don't want to be late"
Carter, Newkirk, LeBeau and Kinch sat at the common table in their pajamas and waited for the Colonel and Jout to return.
"What should we do if they don't make it in time?" Carter asked. "I mean, how should we explain that to Klink?"
"Don't worry, André. I'm sure they will be here in a few minutes," LeBeau calmly said.
LeBeau tried to appear as confident as possible; but he had to admit that he was also worried about them. He never was fond of officers, but he really liked the Colonel. Hogan was the first American soldier he met who wanted to fight the Nazis and free his beloved France as much as LeBeau wanted.
"I sure hope nothing happened to them. After all, they stepped into the lion's den," said Carter.
Newkirk was about to say something when the tunnel entrance opened and Jout came up.
"Hey, guys," he greeted.
Hogan was right behind him and closed the entrance after he had stepped into the main room.
"Colonel! Jout! Boy am I glad you're back!" exclaimed Carter.
"And not a moment too soon," Kinch said. "It's 5 to 10"
"Then let's go to bed fast, we talk after Klink left," announced Hogan and everyone did as he said.
Right after Jout had closed his eyes, the door was torn open by Klink. Everyone moaned in order to show Klink their displeasure. He left the barracks five minutes later, happy that nobody had escaped, and marched off to the next barracks.
Hogan opened his door and the sabotage group went to the table to talk about the obviously successful mission and to learn about the further procedure.
At the end of the day, Jout lay in his bunk, proud of himself for getting the badly needed information and because of that helping the Allied war effort tremendously.
