With a huge smile on his face, Corporal Kielholz jogged over to where Corporal Langenscheidt was patrolling along the front fence of Stalag 13. His hands were cupped protectively around something. "Hey, Karl! Guess what!"
"What?" Langenscheidt turned to face him. "What's that in your hands?"
His grin getting bigger, Kielholz opened his hands. "Ta-da!" he sang. "Baby mice!"
A little bundle of six fuzzy, tiny mice was nestled in Kielholz's palms, all squirming and squeaking. Langenscheidt smiled, and gently began stroking the mice. "Are these from the ones you've been feeding in the mess hall?"
Kielholz nodded. "This will be our little secret, though. If Klink finds out we have mice… I don't want to think what he'll want done with them."
"Oh, he's too scared of mice to actually try killing them. I wouldn't worry too much about it."
"True, but there are some guards here who might be a little too eager to smack a mouse or two with a broom." Kielholz shifted the mice into one palm. "I actually want to keep one of them to raise myself."
"How are you going to keep a mouse in the barracks? You yourself just said some of the guards could want to hurt mice."
"I'll think of something."
"Talk to Sergeant Carter. He has Felix, remember?" Langenscheidt suggested.
"I do remember. Thanks." Kielholz grinned as he thought of all the times that he had captured the American POW's mouse when it had gotten loose. He kept his gaze on the mice for another few seconds before switching to Langenscheidt. "Anything exciting out there?"
"Not particularly. At least the weather's nice."
"True. It would be nice to go to the lake, wouldn't it? My brother could take us next time we get leave."
"Or we could give your brother a break and go by ourselves. We haven't done that in a while."
"If you want. I'm going to go put the mice back and then join you for patrol." Kielholz headed back to the mess hall, narrowly avoiding Corporal Fleischer, one of the other guards who was senior to him by date of rank, and was a bit of a prickly fellow who sought to discipline everyone for each little violation of the rules and regulations and certainly wouldn't approve of mice in the camp. Kielholz put the baby mice back by a hole in the wall and waited until a pair of adult mice came and started carrying the babies back inside by the scruffs of their neck. Once they were hidden and safe, Kielholz went back outside, finding Langenscheidt crouching by the fence, looking at something intently.
"Erich," he whispered, glancing up at his friend. "Look."
"What?" Kielholz whispered, crouching next to him.
Langenscheidt pointed, and Kielholz spotted something snow-white nosing around the bushes outside the camp. "I haven't gotten a good look at it yet," Langenscheidt said.
The two waited, then a pair of long ears emerged from between the branches of the bush. "It's a rabbit," Kielholz said. "Definitely not a wild one, though. It's much too big." Having grown up taking care of all different kinds of animals on his family's farm, he had a particular affinity for the smaller ones, especially rabbits since his father had been raised on a rabbit farm. It was certainly thrilling to see a rabbit again.
"I think you're right. It must be someone's pet or maybe a farm rabbit." Langenscheidt stood. "Should we go get it? I reckon whoever lost it is missing it."
Kielholz nodded. "Certainly."
The rabbit had moved and was sniffing around an old tree stump when the two approached it. It was definitely a very large breed of rabbit, and about as long as Kielholz's arm when laying stretched. Tied to its back with a piece of twine was a rolled-up piece of paper.
"Alright, come here, you." Kielholz gently picked up the rabbit. "I see you're very content with people," he said, noting how it never tried to flee from them. "Can you see what that paper is, Karl?"
Nodding, Langenscheidt pulled the paper from off the rabbit's back. He unfurled it to reveal a message in somewhat crude handwriting. "'Please help. They know who we are. Forest road to Hammelburg.'" He gave Kielholz a confused look.
"Well, today certainly got more interesting," Kielholz replied, rubbing his face.
"Indeed. There is no name or anything on here." Langenscheidt looked at the rabbit. "I highly doubt our new friend here wrote it. What could this possibly mean?"
"I don't know, but I cannot refuse to respond to a call for help. Our only clue on here is 'forest road to Hammelburg.'"
"Klink will have our heads if we just go chasing after a strange message!"
"Klink doesn't have to know, but Schultz will, and we can trust him. Wait here. I'll be right back." Kielholz dashed back into camp, finding Schultz standing just outside Colonel Klink's quarters with Corporals Steinhauser and Fleischer, giving them patrol routes for the day. "Sergeant!" he called. "Do you have a minute?"
"What is it, Kielholz?" Schultz asked. "Why are you and Langenscheidt not on patrol? Commandant Klink will not be happy if he finds you away from your post!"
"We found someone's pet rabbit outside the fence," Kielholz explained. "We would like to go return it."
"In what world is saving somebody's pet rabbit more important than making sure the prisoners don't escape?" Fleischer asked.
"Maybe it's the pet of an important general or that of his children. I don't think you would want to get in trouble if that turns out to be the case and that rabbit wasn't returned when it was in our area."
"Do you have any idea how astronomically unlikely that is?"
"Yes, but it is still a possibility."
"Kielholz, I will weep for anyone under your command if you make sergeant, dealing with your bleeding-heart tendencies."
"You are a wonderful friend, too, Fleischer."
"Please, Corporal Kielholz, do not be rude to your fellow guards. I already have to deal with the prisoners doing the same thing." Schultz sighed. "You and Corporal Langenscheidt may go return the rabbit, but make it quick. I do not want to explain this to Commandant Klink."
"No problem, Sergeant." Kielholz turned on his heels, and ran back to the gate.
Langenscheidt was sitting on the tree stump with the rabbit on his lap. The rabbit was honking happily as Langenscheidt was petting it. "I don't think I am allowed to move now, Erich," Langenscheidt said as Kielholz approached.
"Well, we're going to have to. Schultz gave us permission to return the rabbit, but we have to do it quickly," Kielholz replied.
"That isn't exactly going to be easy. It could have come from anywhere."
"Let's check the forest road. That was only clue in the note."
Putting one arm under the rabbit and another protectively around it, Langenscheidt stood up. As they started heading down the road away from Stalag 13, he asked, "What if we don't find the owner? What do we do with the rabbit then?"
"Well, we could keep it, but I don't know how Klink would respond," Kielholz said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he is scared of rabbits."
"If he somehow has a reason to be scared of rabbits, I will be amazed, but also very concerned."
The two headed down the road, with Langenscheidt holding the rabbit, before coming to a fork. One way led to the forest road, the other headed to a more open, rolling road, dotted with farms and the occasional grove of trees and bushes. They were completely alone, aside from a horse and cart that passed them by. The wind rustled the leaves above them as they walked down the winding road, keeping a lookout for anyone or anything out of the ordinary.
"I really hope this is not a prank of some kind," Langenscheidt said. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if it was. I… I have had enough of pranks and tricks in my lifetime."
Kielholz nodded, heart suddenly feeling heavy as he thought back to that past winter, when a spirit relentlessly tormented Langenscheidt before finally being defeated through the combined efforts of Langenscheidt, Stalag 13's previous commandant, and Colonel Hogan and his men. It had been in the past for a few months, but Kielholz hated thinking about how scared and helpless Langenscheidt had been. He couldn't blame his friend for not wanting to be made the butt of some elaborate joke.
The memories and emotions associated with the incident with the ghost certainly hadn't gone away, and Kielholz vowed swift punishment for anyone trying to make Langenscheidt the victim of a prank. He also didn't like the idea that someone would put an innocent animal in harm's way for such a reason. Then again, what could a prankster gain from this? Someone opposed to the Nazis lumping him and Langenscheidt in with them and luring them out of camp? That probably wasn't a prank, but a set-up for murder. Kielholz unslung his rifle, his scanning becoming more frantic. With the Underground, one could never tell if their operations were going to be merely disruptive and annoying, or devastating and deadly, as was the case with the bridge bomb last autumn just northeast of Hammelburg, where his older brother, Tobias, had been badly injured when he was about to cross with some of his platoonmates.
"Are you alright, Erich?" Langenscheidt asked.
"Fine. Just… keep a lookout. I suddenly have a feeling this could be a trap," Kielholz replied.
"Somehow, I don't think so, and I am not really sure why." Langenscheidt looked down at the rabbit in his arms. "You have a way with animals. Can you sense anything malicious about this rabbit?"
"Obviously, the rabbit by itself is not doing anything wrong. It is whoever the rabbit's owner that I am concerned about. Then again—" Kielholz glanced at the rabbit, observing it looking so content in Langenscheidt's arms, "I think it trusts us."
In the back of his mind, Kielholz was still wary of the fact that the rabbit could have been trained to lure unsuspecting victims into traps by appearing to trust them. He kept shifting his gaze to the rabbit as they walked, and ultimately decided they would figure out what was going on when they actually found the owner.
When they came to a point where they could see the roofs and steeples of Hammelburg through the trees, the rabbit's ears perked up, and it squirmed to get out of Langenscheidt's arms. It dropped to the ground, landing on its feet, and gave itself a good shake before hopping ahead.
"Where are you going?" Kielholz asked.
The rabbit kept hopping along. Kielholz and Langenscheidt had to jog after it to keep up, then stopped when they saw a bush on the side of the road rustle, and two small arms stuck out. The rabbit stopped, and nuzzled the little hands before a girl in a blue cloak crawled out of the bush. "Did you deliver the message, Edgar?" she whispered.
The rabbit turned to face the guards as they approached. Fear overtook the girl's face. Wispy blonde hair poked out from under her hood. She appeared to be no older than eight or nine. Her bright blue eyes widened as the guards got closer, and she picked up the rabbit, preparing to run into the forest.
"Wait!" Kielholz called. "We don't want to hurt you! Come back, miss!"
The girl kept running. Kielholz cursed to himself. "I don't want to chase her. It would scare her more, but I don't know how else we can help."
"We should definitely follow her, then. Let's go before we lose her." Langenscheidt began jogging into the woods, and Kielholz followed close behind.
It didn't take long for them to catch up to the girl. She looked over her shoulder once, and tried to increase her pace. Kielholz vaulted over a fallen tree to get around and ahead of her, and stopped her dead in her tracks when he appeared in front. Langenscheidt came up behind, a look of concern on his face.
The girl was backed against a stream, holding the rabbit tightly. "I won't go with you!" she shouted.
"We can talk about this reasonably," Kielholz said. "We are not going to hurt you or anyone else."
"Liar!" She set the rabbit down, and picked up a large, thick stick. She swung it at Kielholz, who grabbed it.
"That is not necessary, young lady," Kielholz grunted. He yanked the stick forward, pulling the girl closer to him and wrapping his arms around her. Her screams echoed through the woods until Kielholz clamped his gloved hand over her mouth. "That is enough!"
"Erich, you are just continuing to scare her," Langenscheidt said.
"Do you want her bringing the entirety of Stalag 13 here?"
"No, but—" Langenscheidt looked down when he noticed the rabbit standing on its hind legs and touching his boot. "Miss?" he said, glancing over at the girl.
Angry blue eyes turned to him. For once, she was silent.
Langenscheidt gently picked up the rabbit, then walked over to where Kielholz was holding her.
"Don't you dare hurt Edgar!" she snapped, struggling in Kielholz's arms.
"No, I would never hurt someone's pet," Langenscheidt said. "Do you trust your bunny?"
"Very much so."
"We both had bunnies growing up." Langenscheidt knelt in front of her. "Do you know how to tell when they are happy?"
"Obviously." The girl looked at the rabbit in Langenscheidt's arms. "I don't see why Edgar would be happy with you. You look like the men wanting to take Mama and Papa away."
"I believe that is because we don't want to take your mama and papa away."
"Then why are you here?"
"We saw your rabbit outside the fence at Stalag 13," Kielholz said. "We did not chase or trap him. He let us pick him up and read the message you put on him."
"What is it you need help with?" Langenscheidt asked. "Who are the men wanting to take your mama and papa away?"
The girl didn't respond to that.
Langenscheidt sighed, then Kielholz spoke up when he made a guess as to who the girl was referring to, having seen them around Stalag 13 countless times before. "We are not the Gestapo. We are broken airmen, guarding shot down Allied airmen."
"And we also have parents who we love very much, and would not want to see get taken away. Well—" Langenscheidt gave Kielholz a sad look, "I have both of mine. You just have your father."
"You didn't have a mama?" the girl asked, looking up at Kielholz.
"I had a mama," Kielholz said. "She died a little over a year ago, when the Allies bombed the city near where I lived. I miss her a lot."
A more sympathetic expression crossed the girl's face.
Langenscheidt took his helmet off. "There. Do we look a little more friendly now?"
Nervously, Kielholz relaxed his grip on the girl, then took his helmet off as well. "What is your name, miss?"
"I am Melina, and that's Edgar." She pointed to the rabbit. "I named him after a friend of Papa's who was taken away a few years ago."
"That sounds very sweet," Langenscheidt said. He sat cross-legged across from Kielholz and Melina. "I'm Karl, and this is Erich."
"Can I have Edgar back?" Melina asked.
Langenscheidt nodded. "You are not going to run off, are you?"
"I don't know yet. Mainly because you are not who I was trying to send that message to. I don't even think you can do anything to help."
"Who were you trying to give that message to, then?" Kielholz asked.
Melina fell silent again. She sat on the ground when Langenscheidt gave her the rabbit back. "I can't tell you."
Sergeant Carter was the last person to climb down the tree stump ladder, making sure that a pair of German Underground operatives, a middle-aged man named Paul and a woman roughly the same age named Helen, had gone in first before anyone could have seen them. Once he was on the ground, he began unbuttoning the gray SS uniform he had been wearing as a disguise, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief before heading to where Colonel Hogan was waiting for him and the couple, also taking off his disguise. "Mission accomplished, Colonel. That went better than expected."
"You both did wonderful. Even I was fooled, and I have seen you both before." Paul, a thin man with graying dark hair, paused before his voice turned somber. "Our daughter is still missing, though."
"The problem is that we don't know where she could have gone," Helen added. "All we know is that she took her pet rabbit and ran away this morning."
When he and Hogan arrived at the couple's home in their disguises, they barely had time to process the fact that their eight-year-old daughter, Melina, had disappeared. They were more focused on getting the couple out to safety before the Gestapo showed up. "Does she have a favorite place to go?" Carter asked. "Maybe there's somewhere we can look."
"The woods around Stalag 13," Helen replied. "We forbade her from going when the camp was being built. Honestly, I would not be surprised if she is hiding out there."
"We will not go to England without her," Paul said.
Carter looked at Hogan. "Colonel, can I—"
"Go ahead. Make it quick. I'll keep the watchtower guards distracted."
After getting changed into his regular uniform, Carter headed back out to the tree stump tunnel. At the top of the ladder, he lifted the top of the stump, looking around and making sure the coast was clear before crawling out. He ducked behind the stump when one of the watchtower guards turned in his direction, then dashed into the woods when the guard turned his back.
Their mission that morning had been an impromptu one. Hogan received an emergency message from Paul's radio that the couple were going to be arrested after a neighbor tipped off the Gestapo. Without much time to prepare, Carter and Hogan got into SS uniforms and hitched a ride with the veterinarian into Hammelburg.
Carter let Hogan do the talking. The colonel was in his element when he could make things up as he went along, taking advantage of every situation that came his way. Unless Group Captain Crittendon or Russian spy Marya were involved, then it felt like a whole other theater was added to the war, and an extremely complicated one at that. Thankfully, in this case, things went smoothly, without any rude interruptions. Paul and Helen were "taken by the SS for interrogation," and the local Gestapo agent originally sent to collect them bought Hogan's act.
At least, things had gone well up until Hogan and Carter learned that the couple's daughter was missing.
Carter couldn't imagine what Melina was thinking or feeling. It pained him knowing she spent her entire life seeing nothing but fear and mistrust, though he was glad to see she had very brave and heroic parents. The only reason they decided to leave Germany now was because of her. They would have stayed and found another way to cripple the German war effort had Melina not been around, but, as Paul had stated on their way back to Stalag 13, "She has been robbed of a normal childhood for long enough, and we cannot imagine what the Gestapo would do with her if we were arrested."
She must be absolutely terrified right now, Carter thought. That must be why she ran away.
He remembered Helen saying that Melina's rabbit was pure white with ruby eyes, something that would stick out pretty easily in the woods. Melina herself was probably wearing a dark-blue hooded cloak, as it hadn't been seen on its hook by the front door when Hogan and Carter went to rescue the couple. Dark-blue cloak with a white rabbit. Should be easy enough to find.
Everything in the woods was in full-bloom. Birds were chirping, bees were buzzing around in search for open flowers. Carter looked up to see squirrels chasing each other in trees, then he nearly jumped for joy when he spotted something white in the corner of his eye, but saw it was only a badger nosing a patch of blooming clovers. Carter muttered a quiet curse, then kept walking, glancing in every direction to seeing if anything popped out at him.
As Carter ventured through the woods, the sounds had been calming and soft. Despite his circumstances, Carter remembered his first summer night in Stalag 13. The animals and birds were different here than back home, and he remembered asking Newkirk what some of the bird songs he was hearing that first night.
"I'm no expert on birds," Newkirk had said, "but, I believe you're hearing a nightingale."
"I've read about them, but never actually heard one before," Carter replied.
"They do have a lovely song. I mean, there's a reason people have been writing about them for thousands of years. It's a bit odd. They're not much to look at but, blimey, their song… Bit like people, in a way. Sometimes the dullest-looking fellow has some interesting things to say."
Carter took those thoughts to heart over the next several months, as he became initiated into the network known as the Underground, comprised of many, many ordinary people, but all of whom were far from ordinary in spirit and resolve. He imagined Melina was no different.
The tranquility of the woods was disrupted by a sneeze some distance away. Hair standing on end, Carter ducked behind a tree, looking around frantically. His gaze settled on something blue-gray across the stream, obscured by a bush. The figure moved into a more open area, and Carter raised an eyebrow when he saw the figure was Langenscheidt. What's he doing out here? If he's here, Kielholz probably isn't far behind—and what's that?
Following just behind Langenscheidt and holding his hand was a little girl in a blue cloak, carrying a white rabbit.
Kielholz gave a heavy sigh when Melina told him that she couldn't tell him who that message was intended for. "Was it for someone in the Underground?"
Melina looked at the ground, then gave him a shy nod. Tears filled her eyes. "What is going to happen now? Mama and Papa have probably already been taken away. I have nowhere to go."
Kielholz suddenly felt like he had been punched in the chest, especially when Melina started to cry. A particularly raw wound had opened deep in his heart as memories of his mother's death flooded back with the force of a tidal wave. He remembered how his father became extremely despondent and withdrew himself from everyone else's lives, spending the majority of his time in his bedroom. He remembered just how quiet the funeral was, and how he and his brother went to the tombstone a few days afterward, just to ensure themselves that what happened was real and not a nightmare that they had become trapped in.
Melina had to be no older than eight. Kielholz was seventeen when his mother died. Then again, that didn't matter. He wasn't prepared for such an unexpected loss, but he imagined Melina was even less prepared. He gently put her back on his lap and hugged her. "I'm so… so sorry." What am I saying? That's not going to do anything. I would know. Kielholz sighed, his throat beginning to close as tears welled up. Melina sobbed heavily into his jacket.
Langenscheidt went over to join in the hug, with one arm around Kielholz and the other around Melina. Instinctively, Kielholz wrapped one arm around Langenscheidt. I have almost lost you to an angry ghost. I have almost lost Tobias to a bridge bomb… I could not prevent this girl from losing her parents, but I have to help somehow. Kielholz drew in a breath, letting go of Langenscheidt in order to dry his face with his sleeve. "Well, obviously it's not safe to bring her back to her home."
Langenscheidt shook his head. "What about your brother? Is he back on duty?"
"He has been for the last couple of months, yes. I don't think he would be able to take her in, unfortunately." Kielholz looked down at Melina. "Are there any relatives we could take you to?"
Melina didn't respond. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was wet and shiny with tears.
"I don't think that would be a good idea. If the Gestapo knows about her, they will interrogate relatives and family friends first," Langenscheidt said. "We have observed Hochstetter long enough to know how this works."
"You are right." Kielholz looked at his damp sleeve. "We could ask my father, or my sister. My niece is only a couple of years younger than Melina." He looked back down at Melina. "What do you think?"
"I don't care. I want my mama back!" she cried.
"What do you want us to do? Storm the local Gestapo office?"
"Honestly, with enough bags of seeds and breadcrumbs, we could get those overly aggressive pigeons to do that," Langenscheidt said.
"Oh, yes, Karl, it won't look suspicious at all if we are caught dumping seeds all over the sidewalk in front Hochstetter's office!"
"There is no need to get angry over this, Erich."
"She has lost her parents, and there is nothing we can do about that! If we get in trouble, our families will suffer the same fate as hers, and I have lost enough!" Frustration boiled in the pit of Kielholz's stomach, and more tears stung his eyes. "We are already going to be in trouble when we go back to camp for taking too long, but I am not going back until we have a solution for Melina."
"I understand why you are upset, but we need to think about what is best for her."
Melina got off of Kielholz's lap, still holding Edgar. Her face was still red and wet. The raging defiance in her eyes had all but faded away, and what remained was a terrified little girl. Kielholz hated to think of her as an orphan, but it seemed that was what she was now. When he managed to catch his breath, he said, "We won't leave you out here alone. We need to find a suitable guardian."
"Mama and Papa can't be gone," Melina sobbed. "They just can't! Can't we still save them?"
"I don't know," Kielholz said. An increasingly helpless feeling made him feel nauseated.
"There has to be a way. The Underground has saved people from the Gestapo before."
"We are not part of the Underground."
Langenscheidt tapped Kielholz's shoulder. "Can I talk to you in private?"
Kielholz nodded. "Can you give us a moment?" he asked Melina.
The girl nodded, then turned her attention to Edgar.
Kielholz stood, facing Langenscheidt. "What is it?"
Langenscheidt glanced around to make sure they weren't being watched. "I will probably never fully trust the Underground, not after what happened with your brother, but… I have looked away from some rather sketchy things that Hogan has done before. Things that I probably should have reported to Klink. I say we let her get her message out to whoever her original contact was."
"It might take a while for her contact to show up, though."
"I know. I am willing to take care of her until then."
"How? We cannot take her back to camp."
"We can take her up to one of the abandoned barns. Bring food periodically."
"You think we would be able to get away with that?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
Kielholz was a little surprised at how Langenscheidt was taking charge of this, but at the same time, he wasn't. Langenscheidt had always been quite shy and tended to follow Kielholz in the majority of situations, but Langenscheidt had a soft spot for children. After all, he still had his old stuffed animals in his foot locker, and planned on giving them to his own children someday. On the other hand, Kielholz had never stopped to give much thought about having children. He loved spending time with his niece and even gave her his teddy bear when she was born. For a few years, that was the extent of his involvement with children. I'm a wonderful uncle, but I don't know if I would make a good father. I'm too impulsive, too emotional. Sighing, Kielholz replied, "No, I don't have a better idea."
"Well, if you think of something, let me know." Langenscheidt looked down at Melina, holding out his hand. "Come along, sweetheart."
Melina looked hesitant for a moment, and Kielholz couldn't blame her. She was putting her life in the hands of two strangers. Her eyes darted around, like she was contemplating running away. Then she shifted her grip on Edgar and reached out to take Langenscheidt's hand.
They walked deeper into the woods, avoiding trails in case the Gestapo were searching the area for Melina, who was withdrawn as she trailed Langenscheidt. With all the plants blooming, it was inevitable that pollen would be everywhere, so Kielholz's constant scanning of their surroundings was disrupted a few times by Langenscheidt's aggravated allergies. Looking over his shoulder, Kielholz saw Langenscheidt rubbing his eyes and trying not to go into a fit of sneezing, though his resistance was futile.
After it was certain Langenscheidt's sneezing fit was over, Melina said, "Bless you, a hundred times."
"Thank you." Langenscheidt sniffed. "That probably won't be the last."
"That's why I added a hundred to my first bless-you."
"How sweet."
Kielholz's ears pricked when he heard a twig snap behind them, and turned just in time to see something ducking behind a tree trunk across the stream. He silently gestured for Langenscheidt to find cover, then dropped to one knee, unslinging his rifle.
"What is it?" Langenscheidt whispered.
"There is something behind a tree over across the stream," Kielholz whispered back.
"Are you sure it is not just an animal?"
"I cannot tell yet."
They waited for some time. All the while, Melina was huddled close to Langenscheidt, and at some point, she said to him, "Is there someone following us?"
"We aren't sure," Langenscheidt replied. "Don't worry. We will keep you safe."
Another minute passed by with no movement, aside from a badger digging up clovers. Kielholz lowered his rifle, and let out a sigh. "Let's keep going. I don't think there is anything there."
"I would not be surprised if Klink has sent guards in search of us," Langenscheidt said.
"If he had, I doubt they would be hiding behind trees. They would have called out to us."
"Now that has me wondering why no one has come searching for us yet. We have been gone for almost an hour. Surely Fleischer would have started pestering Schultz about it."
"Well, let's hurry up before he does."
Author's Note: Corporal Fleischer belongs to GrrraceUnderFire. Thanks for letting me use him.