Düsseldorf Hotel
DüsseldorfGermany
November 1944
Day 6

The Gestapo guard that was posted outside of Major Miller's hotel room door looked at Sergeant Schultz as the portly camp guard approached with Hogan and all the heroes in tow.

"What is this?" the guard asked.

"Colonel Hogan and these men would like to speak with Major Miller, about the broadcast tomorrow," Schultz said.

Hogan held up the borrowed sheet music he had. "These arrangements," he said. "We have to talk to him about these arrangements and have him take a listen to the vocalists, as we didn't have much time this afternoon." He pointed to Carter and Newkirk.

The Gestapo guard didn't understand a word Hogan said. He looked at Schultz.

Schultz translated and added, "It would not do any harm. They can not escape. We are on the sixth floor."

"That's true. How long will they be?"

Schultz looked at Hogan. "How long will you be?"

"Well, we're not going to have much of a chance to discuss anything with him tomorrow...let's say two hours?"

"Two hours?!" Schultz repeated. "Colonel Hogan---"

"Remember Schultz, strudel..." LeBeau said.

Schultz hesitated, gave a whine and then a sigh. He looked at the Gestapo guard. "They need two hours."

The Gestapo guard considered this for a moment. He really didn't see any problem with it. He nodded to Schultz and then turned and knocked on the hotel room door.

Major Miller stepped out of the wash room with a white hand towel in hand. His brown uniform jacket had been shed and was laying across the end of the bed, along with his neck tie. He hoped whoever his visitor was didn't mind his relaxed attire. He opened the door.

He was surprised to see so many faces looking back at him. The Gestapo guard pointed to Schultz.

"Herr Major," Schultz said. "Colonel Hogan and his men here would like to speak with you about tomorrow's broadcast."

Miller glanced at Hogan and his troop and then looked back at Schultz. "Certainly." He stepped back, opening the door wider and letting the heroes enter. Schultz looked at his watch and then looked at Colonel Hogan. "Two hours," he reminded.

"Two hours, Schultz," Hogan said.

Schultz nodded and stepped back. Miller closed the door and turned toward the room.

"How'd you manage this?" Miller asked.

Hogan grinned. "It's all the Propaganda Ministry's fault. They brought Carter and Newkirk in too late for you to get a good rehearsal with them for tomorrow's broadcast."

"Besides," LeBeau said, "convincing Schultz to bring us here was easy."

"Yeah, piece of strudel," Carter said with a smile.

"But the broadcast isn't until tomorrow evening. We'll have all day to rehearse."

"Yes, but we won't have all day to discuss escape plans," Hogan said. "I've the feeling that radio station is going to be crawling with Propaganda people in anticipation of the broadcast. Do you have that German script you're supposed to read from?"

"Sure..." Miller tossed the towel he had been holding onto the night stand and turned to the writing desk. He picked up a single sheet of paper and handed it to the Colonel. "I'm not sure I want to know what it says though..."

Hogan read the paper with Newkirk coming up beside him to read over the Colonel's shoulder. The two men were quiet as they read, but Miller, Carter, Kinch and LeBeau could all see the reaction on their faces.

Newkirk looked across the paper at Miller. "You're right, you don't want to know what it says."

Miller gulped, curiosity settling in. He looked at Hogan, who was still staring at the paper. "Colonel?"

Hogan paused, taking a deep breath. "I was right," he said softly, his eyes still looking at the paper. "You're denouncing everything with the Allied cause....you've been shown the error of your ways, and you believe that the preservation of the Aryan race is paramount. You're calling on the youth of Germany to except their responsibilty to the Fatherland..."

"Like hell I am."

"Non" LeBeau said, grabbing the paper from Hogan. He then tore it in half.

"LeBeau!"

"We can not let them do this, mon Colonel!" LeBeau said.

"We're not going to, LeBeau. That's why we're here right now so we can finalize the plans for tomorrow." Hogan took the torn paper back from LeBeau. He handed it to Miller and looked at the Major. "Should they ask, tell Reigels you figured out what they want you to say."

Miller nodded and turned back to the desk, putting the pieces of paper down. "If it makes you feel any better, LeBeau," he said, turning back to the group and the Frenchman, "I don't plan on having you fellas play any actual swing music tomorrow during that broadcast anyway."

Hogan looked at Miller. "You said that earlier...what are we going to play?"

"Noise."

"Noise?" Hogan grinned.

Miller nodded. "If you recall, the Fraulien from the Propaganda Ministry so graciously pointed out that the Reich frowns on such noise. So that's exactly what she's going to get."

The heroes laughed. "l like your way of thinking, Major," Hogan said.

Miller gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Colonel."

"Propaganda Ministry won't like it tho'..." Newkirk said.

"Won't matter by that point. I think we can use that as our cue for Fritz and his men to come in. What time is that broadcast supposed to start?"

"Eight o'clock."

Hogan nodded. "Okay. Most of the big shots should be there by seven-thirty or quarter of. At the very least, Fritz will be able to swap out those Gestapo guards in 15 minutes....though, it might be better if does it earlier in the evening."

"What if Fritz can't make the change until after the broadcast starts?" Kinch asked.

"That's where we all come in," Hogan said. "If the Major here is going to have us play noise, the Krauts will cut that live feed in a heartbeat. We'll all get hell for it but I think we can stall long enough for Fritz and his boys to move in."

"What about the kids who might be listening to the broadcast?" Miller asked. "Even if it goes bust, the Gestapo could still move in and do a sweep."

Hogan nodded. "I'm going to see Fritz later tonight and have him put a message out to the clubs to be aware of any broadcasts on German radio featuring you and your music. If they're not listening that should spare them from any Gestapo raids."

Miller nodded.

"By the way," Hogan continued and turned to Newkirk. "Fraulien Gebhart has tried before to snap pictures of Miller and the band and I'm sure tomorrow will be no different. I'll leave that up to you to make sure she doesn't get any pictures?"

Newkirk grinned. "I can take care of that, no problem."

There was a knock on the hotel room door and the men all looked to see Schultz poke his head in.

"What's the matter, Schultz?" Hogan asked.

"I do not hear any singing."

"We haven't gotten to that yet."

"Oh..." Schultz paused and then narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't be thinking to plan any escapes would you?"

"Now Schultz, how could the six of us escape with you standing right out the door there?"

"Hmm." Schultz nodded. "That is true...." He stepped back and closed the door once again.

The heroes and Miller chuckled as Hogan turned back to face them. "That oughta hold him for awhile. But all the same we probably better sing a song or two here. Carter, Newkirk..." Hogan handed the sheet music to Carter and he stood next the Newkirk. They each cleared their throats and then began to sing.

"To you,
my heart cries out Perfidia.
For I found you the love of my life,
in somebody else's arms

Your eyes,
are echoing Perfidia.
Forgetful of a promise of love
you're sharing another charms..."

After two sang "Perfidia" and "Skylark" Hogan returned to business. As he recapped what they had so far Major Miller sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up his uniform jacket, going through the pockets. He found his lighter but failed to find any remaining cigarettes. He frowned.

Newkirk saw this. "Oh, we have something for you, sir..." he said. He sat down on the other side of the bed and produced a package of cigarettes from his RAF uniform jacket for the Major. "We overheard Reigels tell Hochstetter to remove the cigarettes from your pack before you got it back."

Miller nodded. "I wondered what happened to them...." He paused to open the pack and remove a cigarette. "And I knew I wouldn't be able to conserve what I had left in my pocket." He paused a moment to light the cigarette and savored the first drag. He looked at Newkirk. "Thank you."

Newkirk smiled. "You're welcome."

As Miller grabbed the ash tray off the night stand, LeBeau pulled the chair from the desk, which was to Miller's left, and brought it closer, sitting down. Carter and Kinch did the same with the two remaining chairs in the room, bringing them up toward the end of the bed. Hogan remained standing by choice.

Miller paused. "Colonel....what about those kids?"

Hogan turned to Miller. "With all due respect, Major....we've had this conversation. Frankly, this isn't really a good time to be sentimental."

"Yes, and we're going to have the conversation again. I'm not being sentimental. I'm feeling guilty. Those kids shouldn't even be here and the only reason they are is because..." Miller cut himself short, refusing to put the blame on the Colonel. Instead he put it on himself. "...because I agreed to do all this."

"Because I told you to agree to it," Hogan said, correcting the Major. The Colonel didn't look at Miller, but the bandleader was studying him closely. The heroes were looking back and forth between the two men, knowing what conclusion the Major was coming to.

"You haven't thought once of those kids....you didn't have a plan at the time I walked out of that cooler, did you?"

Hogan looked up at Miller. "Of course I've thought of them! I'm not heartless here! And as for having a plan at the moment you walked out of that cooler, I'll admit it, no, I didn't have a specific one. But I wasn't about to leave you in there."

"Would've been all right by me."

"No, it wouldn't have..." Hogan said. "Major, you have no idea what could have happened to you in there. You have no idea what they might have done to you, once they decided they weren't going to waste their time with you anymore. I've only known you for a short time, Major Miller, but I know you would've resisted come hell or high water. And being that you are an officer of the United States Army, I'd expect no less. But when it reached a point that you were going to be no help to the Germans, they sure as hell wouldn't be sending you back to England alive. They would have made an example of your demise, I'm sure..."

Miller looked away from Hogan.

"There were a lot of variables the gov'nor had to consider," Newkirk said, offering something for the Colonel's defense. "The Propaganda Ministry, the broadcast, how long they were going to keep you at Stalag 13. Plus he had London breathin' down his neck. None of us had any idea what the broadcast was going to be. And certainly none of us expected them to bring kids in for that band!"

Miller looked at his cigarette for a moment and then turned his dark eyes to the Colonel. "Well they're here now," he said. "And if I make it back to England, the Propaganda Ministry and the Gestapo will take it out on them."

"Couldn't the Underground get them out?" Carter asked innocently. "There's only what? Nine of them?"

"Maybe," Hogan said. "But that's not what we've planned for. We don't even know if all of those kids would be cooperative in the escape, and if any of them got away from us and got back to the Gestapo, we'd be finished."

"You mean if they're picked up by the Gestapo," Miller said.

"You're assuming none of these kids would go to the Gestapo?"

"You're assuming they would? Colonel, these kids were arrested by the Gestapo. They hate the Gestapo and in turn the Gestapo is not too fond of them. They'll question those kids if they're left behind and if the Gestapo doesn't hear the answers they want, those kids will pay a price."

"Gestapo will question us too," Kinch said.

"That's to be expected," Hogan said. He paused for a long moment, thinking. He then looked at Miller. "You're right though, those kids will be questioned. And I know they've seen us talking." Hogan paused. "You're going to make my job all that more difficult aren't you?"

"I promised myself I wouldn't," Miller replied. "Of course, I was in the cooler at the time...."

Hogan was quiet in thought. He looked down at the floor, considering ramifications, possibilities. Could it be done? Nine kids, plus the Major...ten people total, in one shot? Could Fritz's people do it? Hogan took a deep breath and figured there was only one way to find out. He looked back up at Major Miller. "How many of them do you think will go with you?"

Miller's look turned hopeful. "Based on what I've learned about these kids, I'd bet on all of them."

"Even the Hitler Youth ones?" LeBeau asked.

Miller nodded. "They're swing kids before they're Hitler Youth."

"You sure about that?" Hogan asked.

Miller looked at the Colonel, surprised at the bluntness of the question. "I'm sure. I've only spent about 8 hours a day with them for the last three days."

Hogan nodded. "I'm not purposely trying to cut you down here, but you have to understand my orders are specific: Get you back to London. Period at the end. Granted, the Underground could probably get those kids out too, but they may decide not to, or may not be able to. You're the priority." Hogan paused, seeing the Major wasn't completely agreeable with that. "I told you it wasn't a good time to be sentimental...or guilty."

"But Colonel, I don't understand. You just said yourself that those kids have seen us talking. They tell that to the Gestapo, thinking that you and I have been discussing nothing more than the broadcast, the Gestapo going to assume some things and come down on your organization. Hard."

"And like I told you yesterday, that's the risk I have to take."

Miller sighed not wanting to repeat his argument from the day before with Hogan. Instead he looked down at his uniform jacket laying on the bed. "Fine," he said. Still looking at his jacket, the brass buttons, the rank insignia on the shoulders, the US emblems on the collar, he thought of the possibilities of what could happen to those kids, knowing it would bother him for a long time. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"We've managed to discredit anything the Gestapo's had on us up to this point," Carter said. "We can do it again."

Miller opened his eyes and looked at Carter. "I hope so," he said.

"I only point out the harsh reality because the possibility is there," Hogan said. "However, that doesn't mean I won't make a case to the Underground for you. But even I can't guarantee anything. Once you're on the escape route, you're in the hands of the Underground and they're the ones that call the shots at that point."

"I understand, Colonel."

Newkirk looked at the Major. "Those kids really are good musicians..."

Miller nodded. "Yeah, they are...but even if they were bad musicians I'd still want to take them back. I've asked them to go against one of their strongest principles but I can't tell them why. And in not being able to tell them, I'm essentially using them for my own personal gain, and possibly risking their lives in the process. And I don't like that. I have to do something for them in return."

"Those kids seem pretty fond of you," Kinch pointed out. "It's possible they would risk their lives for you."

Miller paused, recalling Hans and Ahren basically telling him to get the hell out of Germany anyway he could, as soon as he could. They had to already know what they would face from the Gestapo if that happened. Certainly Miller knew it. And that was why he was being something of pain to the Colonel now.

"I'd never ask them to do that," he said finally, shaking his head. "I especially wouldn't in a situation like this, where these kids didn't have a choice to be involved in this or not to begin with."

"But you're willing to risk your life..." Hogan said.

"I had a choice, Colonel. I didn't have to join the Army. But I chose too. I didn't have to bring the band over to England, but I chose too. I insisted on it." Miller paused. "Music is what I do, it's all I have to offer. I love my country, and if I was twenty years younger and didn't have such terrible eyesight I would've been first in line to enlist in whatever branch would take me, to defend my country. But now, I'm no good as a soldier. So instead of a rifle in my hand I come with the only thing I can. An instrument. Music. And I give all I can to keep the morale up for those who are the good soldiers, for those who are doing the fighting."

"Major," Hogan said, coming to stand behind the chair Carter sat in and looking directly at Miller, "you're more soldier than you realize..."


Stalag 13
November 1944
Day 6

Before leaving the hotel in Düsseldorf, the heroes sang one more tune, to keep Schultz from getting suspicious again. Hogan then told the Major to get a good night's rest, as the next day would be very busy. Not knowing if he would have another chance, Miller thanked each of the heroes for what they were doing. As he shook their hands in appreciation, and good night, he committed each face to memory. He would not forget these five men.

Back at Stalag 13, the heroes gathered in Hogan's quarters.

"You're going back to see Fritz?" Kinch asked.

Hogan nodded. "I've been thinking though. We need something to make sure that radio broadcast is terminated. Completely." He looked at Carter. "We need something that can sabotage the works..."

Carter thought for a moment. "Well, I've got one of those magnesium pencils left, we could set a timer and detonator cap to it. Put it somewhere in the paneling of the broadcast controls. When the magnesium ignites it'll meltdown the wires."

Hogan nodded. "But we'd have to find time to slip that pencil into the works in the control room..."

"Yeah. Could be tricky. But it wouldn't take any more than a minute to just slip it in."

Hogan nodded again. "I think we're going to need a back up though, incase we can't get into that control room tomorrow if there's too many people crawling around."

"What kind of backup?"

"The transmitter."

"Sabotage the transmitter?" Carter said. "Colonel, if getting into the control room is going to be tricky, how are we going to get to the transmitter with all that Gestapo around during the day?!"

"Exactly. Which is why we do it tonight. We can go back right now, rig it, go see Fritz and be back in time for morning roll call."

"This is turning out to be another long night," Newkirk grumbled.

"The next three days or so are going to be long, Newkirk." Hogan looked at Carter. "You got something to hit the transmitter with?"

"Sure."

"Go get it. Kinch, we're going to need a taxi from Hammelburg."

Kinch nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Newkirk, you, Carter and I will go tonight. We'll need Gestapo uniforms."

"Right sir..." the Englishman got up and went to collect the uniforms.

"LeBeau, you and Kinch will have to stall Schultz if for some reason we're not back by roll call in the morning. If it runs too late you'll just have to say we escaped. Barring all else, we'll try to get back here as fast as we can."

"Oui, Colonel."


Düsseldorf Radio Station
DüsseldorfGermany
November 1944
Day 6

Colonel Hogan stood by the fire escape of the two story building that housed the radio station and looked up and down the little back alley he was in. Thankfully, the fire escape was in the back of the building where no one would see them from the street.

He looked at his watch and then looked up the ladder to the roof top. "C'mon fellas," he whispered loudly.

"Almost done, Colonel!" came Carter's hushed reply. He took the two sticks of dynamite that Newkirk held and placed them together near the point where the station's wire came through the roof to connect with the transmitter. They were then bound around the metal leg of the transmitter with fastening tape. The detonator cap and timer were then affixed to the leg of the transmitter.

Newkirk clicked on the small flashlight and held it to the timer so Carter could set it. "What time you got?" Carter asked.

"Twenty-three hundred, eighteen."

Carter nodded and set the current time and then the time for the explosive to go off. Twenty hundred hours, three minutes.

"We'll synchronize the magnesium pencil to go off at the same time, assuming we can get it in there."

"Right." Newkirk watched as Carter made the last adjustments to the explosive device, as if he were a florist fixing a flower arrangement. "Have I ever mentioned you're scary to watch when you do this?"

Carter grinned.


Fritz's Bakery
Düsseldorf, Germany
November 1944
Day 6

Fritz was surprised to see Colonel Hogan, Newkirk and Carter arrive at his bakery dressed in Gestapo uniforms, especially since Hogan was the only he had been expecting. Hogan quickly explained the sabotage set up they had just completed and got right down to business for the final details for the next day's activities.

"Everything is ready, Colonel," Fritz said. "We will have transportation by tomorrow morning and can swap out the guards at the outside entrances at any time after that."

Hogan nodded. "Good. The broadcast is scheduled for eight o'clock, Major Miller will be providing your cue. When you hear the sound of musical instruments making the most hideous noise you've ever heard, that's when you move in. You'll know for sure when the radio goes silent because either the Propaganda Ministry will pull the plug or the transmitter will have blown."

Fritz nodded and as he thought about it more, he chuckled. "Hideous music?"

"Major Miller had already decided he wasn't going to allow the band to play any real swing music for this broadcast. Instead he's just going to have us play noise." Hogan grinned.

"Sounds like the Major will do more damage than the sabotage you have set up."

"His method will be most effective, that's for sure. But it won't serve as a timely warning to anybody listening. We think the Gestapo is looking to do a sweep of the Swing Youths...is there anyway you can get a warning out to them to not tune in to the broadcast?"

Fritz nodded. "We can."

"Ok. I also have a request from the Major..."

"Of course."

"He would like for the kids to make the escape with him."

Fritz smiled. "Colonel...we are all ready prepared to take the boys as well."

Hogan blinked. "You are?"

"Ja. Those that wish to go, that is. The Hitler Youth ones naturally give us pause, but the other boys we know will just be sent back to camps and they most likely would rather go to England."

"But there's nine of them. With Miller that makes ten. In the two years you and I have been working together, the most we've ever sent back to England at one time was four."

"I know Colonel, but we are prepared. We have safe houses, clothes and the means. We can take all nine of the boys and the Major." Fritz paused. "It would not be fair, to leave those boys behind..."

Hogan felt a little ashamed as he looked at Fritz. He let out a slow breath. "No," he said. "It wouldn't." Hogan glanced at Carter and Newkirk. "I feel like a fool...bound by the chains of command."

"We don't envy you, sir," Newkirk said. "But we don't fault you either."

"We knew you didn't want to see anything happen to those kids," Carter said. "But we also know that, priorities had to be placed...and that certain promises couldn't be offered."

Fritz looked at the three Allied prisoners with question. "Colonel?"

Hogan looked at Fritz and chuckled softly. "I've been debating with Major Miller for two days about those kids. I know better, where there's a will there's a way. I had no idea that as you were preparing for all this, that you were preparing for the kids too."

"I am sorry, Colonel. I should have told you."

Hogan waved it off. "It's okay. The Major will be very happy....and so am I."