Berlin, Das Brauhaus
June 28, 1944, 2015 hours

Major Hans Teppel entered the Brauhaus and waved wearily at Max behind the bar. Without stopping, he walked to his normal table in the back of the room, where Major Kurt Wagner was already sitting. He dropped down into the chair and let out a sigh.

"Rough day?" Wagner asked, taking a sip from his beer.

"You should know," Teppel replied. "You are going through the same thing I am." He looked up as Heidi set a large stein of beer in front of him. "Danke, Heidi. I needed this."

Heidi smiled at him. "You look like you have been in a fight," she commented lightly.

"In a manner of speaking, I have," he replied. "And I am beat."

Heidi looked around at the full room. "Well, I am busy now, but maybe I can help take your mind off of things later," she said and hurried away.

Wagner snorted into his beer at the remark, sending foam flying all over the table. "Is that all you two ever do?" he asked, wiping the beer from his chin and the front of his uniform.

"Jealous?" Teppel asked playfully.

Wagner shook his head. "I have got my own worries right now," he replied.

"Let me guess, one Captain Beckett of the SS," Teppel surmised. When Wagner nodded, he went on, "I thought as much. I have my own headache by the name of Captain Wurtz." Teppel took a sip from his beer before continuing. "I cannot understand why they do not trust us to do our jobs," he said.

"Hans, the SS does not even trust itself," Wagner commented. "They have been keeping an eye on us ever since they took over at the beginning of the month. And they will continue to keep an eye on us … looking for any little excuse to get rid of us."

"They probably will anyway," Teppel said.

"There is no probably about it," Wagner agreed. "I would be surprised if we last another month."

"You think it will be that soon?" Teppel asked.

"Hans, every day that they watch us, our SS advisors learn our contacts and sources of information," Wagner said. "Once they feel comfortable enough, they will not need us, and off we go – cannon fodder on the Eastern Front."

"But you do not plan to be here long enough for them to do that?" Teppel guessed.

Wagner shook his head. "Major Kurt Wagner will be involved in a terrible auto accident and his charred body will be burned beyond recognition," he recited.

"I do not think I want to ask about the body," Teppel said.

"Good, it saves me the trouble of telling you nothing about it," Wagner replied with a smile.

As if on cue, Heidi returned with two full steins of beer to replace the just-emptied pair on the table. "Danke, Heidi," the men said.

"What about you?" Wagner asked after Heidi had disappeared. "And her?"

"I am working on it," Teppel replied.

"Work quickly," Wagner warned. "I have heard that something may be happening in the coming weeks."

"Something affecting us?" Teppel asked.

Wagner shrugged. "Maybe not directly, if it is successful," he said vaguely. "But maybe fatally if it isn't."

Teppel nodded thoughtfully. He didn't have to ask what was going to happen. They had had several conversations about the potential of a plot against the Führer.

"Anyway, what did you find out today?" Wagner asked, changing the subject.

"More of the same," Teppel replied. "In Italy, they are slowly moving north and in France they are slowly moving south. In the east, the offensive that started two weeks ago is moving west … rather quickly."

Wagner nodded. "Same thing I found out," he replied.

"But that information is easy to find out," Teppel said. "The daily battle reports will have that."

"Will they?" Wagner asked with a tinge of sarcasm. "The people compiling the reports may have that information, but they may decline to put it in the report."

"Good point," Teppel said. "I have noticed the same from our advisors. If it is particularly unpleasant intelligence, it seems to be omitted from the reports … sometimes even altered to look like good news."

Wagner shrugged. "It is their way to ensure they are around to report the news another day," he commented. "Look out for your own skin. And that is just exactly what I plan to do."

Teppel nodded. "A very wise plan," he said.