Düsseldorf Hotel
DüsseldorfGermany
November 1944
Day 7

Once the young musicians were inside the radio station and everything was secure, Hochstetter went with two of his guards in his Gestapo staff car to the Düsseldorf Hotel to pick up the star attraction of the broadcast.

Major Miller watched from his hotel window as the car drove down the street and disappeared around the corner to the front of the hotel. He then looked up to the horizon, looking north west, seeing the dark pines of the German forest against the cloudy sky. He wondered where he would be tomorrow...

He turned away from the window and stood in the middle of the hotel room, holding his crush cap in hand, waiting for Hochstetter's impending arrival.

Stalag 13

A little after four o'clock, Schultz came to the barracks and announced that it was time to leave. Hogan checked the time on his watch and then looked at Schultz.

"You know, making prisoners wait this long should be a violation of the Geneva Convention," he said as he started to walk out of the barracks.

"What does the Propaganda Ministry care about the Geneva Convention?" LeBeau complained following after the Colonel. Kinch, Newkirk and Carter filed out of the barracks as well.

"Only when it serves propaganda, Louie," Newkirk answered.

Düsseldorf Radio Station

Hochstetter and his staff car returned to the radio station no more than five minutes after they had left. Fritz and Emery were still watching from the Bierstube. Major Miller emerged from the car and paused on the sidewalk for only a moment, before being persuaded into the building by Hochstetter's two guards. At the same time, two of Fritz's sentries were making their move at the back of the radio station, knowing all the attention would be focused at the front of the building and removing the one guard at the back entrance would take little effort.

The first sentry, dressed as a Gestapo guard, walked up to the real one posted at the door. He talked to him, and in effect distracted him as the second sentry, wearing just civilian clothes came up behind the guard and knocked him down with a club. The first sentry grabbed the guard before he fell to the ground and with assistance from the second, they carried him down the alley way to the street where one of Fritz's disguised bakery truck was waiting. The unconscious guard was deposited in the back and the first sentry hurried back to the back door of the radio station to take his position.

One down....

HHH

Major Miller hardly had a chance to acknowledge the band members who were already in the studio when he had Reigels coming up to him. The Ministry Captain led Miller away from the bandstand and introduced him to two other higher ranking Ministry officials. The two officers didn't offer a hello or even a nod in acknowledgement. They just regarded Miller dourly, looking him up and down and seeming to be offended by either his appearance or just offended in general because he was an American.

Miller looked down at his uniform. During his seven days of captivity he'd managed to keep it clean and straight. He had shaved, his hair was combed. All in all he was neat as pin, despite his status as a prisoner. He looked back up at the two Ministry officials and gave each of them the once over, his brown eyes critical as he examined each officer's uniform. Truthfully, he could find little fault, but as long as they were going to look down their noses at him, he would let them know he wasn't going to stand for it.

He pointed to one of the officer's eagle and swastika emblems. "Your swastika's crooked."

The officer, startled by the American speaking, looked down at the emblem on his uniform. The badge wasn't really crooked and he looked back at Miller with a glare.

"Tsk," was all Miller said.

"Major Miller," Reigels spoke up, not wanting this scene to go further. "We would like for you to read from the script I gave you last night. Do you have it with you?"

"Sure..." Miller retrieved the script from inside his uniform jacket. He unfolded it and Reigels saw that it was ripped in two.

"Herr Major?"

"It ripped."

"I can see that. How?"

"Um..." With the other two Ministry officials eyeing him suspiciously, Miller figured maybe he better play this one dumb. He had no command of the German language and claiming that he figured out some of what the script said was an invitation for trouble, especially if he was asked which parts and what words. And truthfully, he wouldn't have been able to tell what was what. So he kept it simple. "Well, it fell on the floor and when I went to pick it up I stepped on it and pulled it up at the same time." Miller gave a shrug. "Sorry."

Reigels exhaled slowly. "Can you still read from it?"

Miller looked at the two pieces of paper and held them together. "I think I can manage."

"Very well. We're going to record you reading this message."

Miller hesitated. "Record it? I thought this was something for the broadcast?"

"It is, but we would like a separate recording of it." Reigels gestured with his arm toward the microphone that was set up in the middle of the studio. Miller glanced back at the microphone and Reigels gave a nod before walking with the two Ministry officers to the control room.

Major Miller turned toward the microphone, his back facing the control room for a moment. A recording? Damn... He looked at his watch. It was quarter after four. He could stall, sure, but could he stall long enough? He knew he had to try. He turned to face the microphone, catching a glimpse of the kids watching him. Their looks were concerned.

Once Reigels and the two other Ministry officers had settled themselves in the control room with Anna and a recording engineer, Miller went about doing his best to stall.

He cleared his throat and waited for the cue from the recording engineer. Then in his usual unanimated, straightforward baritone voice, he spoke, "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this land a new nation, conceived in liberty--"

"Herr Major," Reigels said sternly through the intercom. "Please read the script."

"Don't you want to do a test run first?"

"We don't have time for a test run."

"Well, I at least need a minute to warm up."

"You don't have a minute."

"Okay, okay..." Miller looked at the script again and then made like he was having trouble reading it, bringing it closer then holding it further away. "You wouldn't happen to have a better copy would you?" He looked up at Reigels, who took in an agitated breath.

Miller held his other hand up. "Never mind, I said I'd make do with this one. Okay..." he cleared his throat again. He looked about ready to start to read it when he looked up at the people in the control room. "Would any of you happen to have a cigarette?"

Anna buried her face in her hands. The recording engineer looked at Reigels, annoyed. Miller hid his smile by looking down as he patted the pockets of his uniform jacket. "Oh, never mind, I have one..." He withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and held it up. He then took his time lighting it and taking in that first drag. The smoke he blew out hung in the air of the studio, and he looked through it at the people in the control room.

"Are you ready now, Major Miller?" Reigels asked.

"Yes, yes...sorry. I'm a little nervous, I'm sure you understand. My German's terrible. Truthfully I think you should just have me keep my mouth shut."

Anna looked at Reigels. "That may not be a bad idea..."

"Major Miller," Reigels said offering a phony smile and trying to maintain some sense of control of the situation. "Please, just read from the script. I'm sure you'll be fine once you start. Remember we have heard you on the Allied broadcasts and you've done fine."

Miller shrugged. "If you say so..."

The Bierstube

From the Bierstube, Fritz and Emery could see the bakery truck get into position for swapping out the guard on the side of the radio station building. Fritz nodded to himself. His men were taking advantage of the lull in activity. Good. If things remained quiet, he and Emery could probably switch the guards at the front door soon.

It took approximately a minute and the second guard had been switched. The bakery truck then backed up and backed into the narrow alley behind the radio station. Now it was up to Fritz and Emery to make their move when they were ready.

But they would have to stand pat for a moment. Major Hochstetter had come out of the building and was standing on the sidewalk, looking to be waiting for something, or someone.

Road to Düsseldorf

The truck from Stalag 13 rumbled over the dirt road on its way to Düsseldorf. Accompanying Hogan, his men and Schultz was Kommandant Klink, obviously looking for a brown nose opportunity with the Propaganda Ministry. After all it was prisoners from his Stalag that were volunteering to help in an effort of the Third Reich. At least, that's what Hogan let Klink believe. That they were willfully volunteering to help the Reich.

The other reason Klink was going with them to Düsseldorf was to make sure Hogan and his men behaved. He would not tolerate being embarrassed by Hogan and have to hear about it later from General Burkhalter. The Kommandant hoped his presence would make Hogan think twice.

Of course it wouldn't. Hogan had no intention of doing anything different, whether Klink was there or not. Truthfully, the more audience members there was, the bigger the show Hogan would try to pull off. The only thing that might change was whether or not there would be an opportunity for Carter to slip the magnesium explosive device into the control room. The sergeant had it with him, Hogan knew, but they also all knew that the more eyes that would be watching them, less chance they had of using it for what they wanted. Hogan took some relief in knowing that the transmitter, at least, would be destroyed.

The men were all quiet as they rode. There was nothing left to discuss anyway, each man knew what had to be done.

And they would do it.

The Bierstube

Fritz and Emery watched as a staff car pulled up to the radio station and a portly Luftwaffe General emerged. Hochstetter greeted him and then led him into the radio station. The staff car pulled up and around the corner to park with Hochstetter's and the Ministry staff cars.

"Burkhalter," Emery said. "This is turning out to be a big crowd."

"Mmm," Fritz agreed. He watched the scene in front of the radio station. Burkhalter's driver stepped out of the car and started across the street, heading for the Bierstube. "His driver is heading this way. Act normal."

Emery nodded and picked up his paper, turning the page. Fritz looked down at his half eaten sandwich and beer stein. The driver came into the Bierstube and walked past Fritz and Emery, heading for the bar. Now it was Emery's turn to watch. The driver looked to be no more than a kid and appeared to pose no possible threat. A stein of beer and pretty girl, and he would be oblivious to anything going on at the radio station.

Emery looked at Fritz and gave a slight shake of his head. He will not be a problem.

Fritz nodded. He glanced at his watch. It was a little past four-thirty. He looked back out the window to the radio station and wondered where Colonel Hogan and his men were.