Leipzig, House of Major Josef Freitag
July 20, 1944, 1435 hours

Marya turned off the radio and frowned at the message she had transcribed. "This is bad," she muttered. She had been staying with Jack – Major Josef Freitag – in Leipzig since leaving Stalag 13, and after receiving this message, she was glad that she was still around. He would not have been home to receive this message, and from the sound of things, time was not an ally.

She walked to the phone and dialed a number. When the other party answered, she said, "Josef, darling, this is your sister. I just received a disturbing message from home and we need to talk about it." She listened into the handset. "Yes, very important. Can you come home right now? You can? Good. I will see you soon." She hung up the phone.

While she waited, she thought. Teppel was in trouble – she hoped that he had figured out his escape plan already. He would have little time now to come up with one now. Michael was also in trouble and should leave. She had to get word to him, and would do so after talking with Jack.

Their plan of action would depend on how much Jack would be able to help … after all - he was a Gestapo Major and the personal aide to General Schlesinger.

- - - - -

When Freitag arrive home, Marya showed him the message she had transcribed. He read the message and looked at her. "Is he sure?" he asked.

Marya nodded. "Vladimir is sure," she replied. "He would not have sent the message if he was not."

"If it is true that he has a dead SS Major, he will be in danger," Freitag said.

"I know," Marya replied. "But the team is good – they will handle things. Teppel I am not so sure about."

Freitag looked at Marya. "How so?" he asked.

"Complications," she replied. "He may or may not have an escape plan, and he has, um, picked up a passenger."

Freitag nodded knowingly. "She would have to go with him or be left behind," he said.

"Michael is also in danger because they are closely associated," Marya said.

"Michael can get out," Freitag said. "He has it planned and we have a team in Berlin to help."

"But Michael will help Teppel," Marya said. "And he will need help with that."

"Do you have any ideas?" Freitag asked.

"How much can you help?" she replied.

Freitag shook his head. "Very little," he replied. "Word has not reached here yet, but I suspect I will be too busy rounding up enemies of the Fatherland to be of much help."

Marya nodded. "I thought as much," she replied. "But I have an idea. Teppel has friends … you met them – Colonel Hogan and his men."

Freitag nodded. "You think they will help?" Freitag asked.

"If you can get them out of Stalag 13 long enough," she replied. "I am sure I can talk Hogan into helping."

Freitag smiled. "I have seen how persuasive you can be," he said. He thought for a moment. "I think I can get them out. Periodically we take prisoners from the various camps and interrogate them."

"You can authorize that?" she asked.

Freitag nodded. "I will not need the General's permission, and if asked, he will verify that I can do it."

Marya nodded. "I need you to make such a request," she said. She thought for a moment before continuing. "Ask for four men. He has a small team, and two of his men, Kinch and Baker, will be useless posing as Germans in the daylight."

Freitag nodded. "They will need to have a guard who will drive them," he said. "Unless you plan to arrange transportation."

"An officer?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Some of the other branches required that," he replied. "Like the Abwehr when it existed. But we are the Gestapo and can do whatever we want." He said the last sentence with mock superiority.

Marya laughed. "Good," she replied. "I will leave today for Stalag 13 so I can talk to Hogan. Tomorrow morning I need you to call the camp and make the request. I will go out with them and we will meet Michael in Berlin."

Freitag nodded. "Are you planning to contact Michael to tell him he is in danger?" he asked.

"You do that," she replied. "And be sure to let him know that Hans is also in trouble. You know the code we've worked out?"

Freitag nodded. "I remember it," he replied.

"One more thing," she said. "I need you to draft some papers ordering a small SS team from the Hammelburg area to travel to Berlin to help round up conspirators. Hogan's men could make the papers, but with everything going on now, I want them to be legitimate."

He nodded. "I can have those within the hour," he said.

"Did I forget anything?" she asked.

He thought for a moment and shook his head. "I do not think so," he replied. "Keep in mind that I will most likely be called to Berlin to help with the round up. I can't help you directly, but I can try to keep the real SS teams away from you." Marya nodded. "And you should stress this to Colonel Hogan – if our teams meet and he is dressed in an SS uniform, I may have to order him to do things he might find unpleasant."

"I think he will understand," she replied.

Freitag nodded. "I think so as well," he said. "We had a long conversation when I was at Stalag 13." He paused and looked at Marya. "I just hope you are able to pull this off."

Marya looked back without smiling. "If I fail, it will be my last mission," she said. "I will not leave them behind."

- - - - -

Freitag picked up the phone in his office. He had just finished the papers that Marya had requested and sent her on her way to Stalag 13. Now he had to warn Michael.

"Get me SS Intelligence Headquarters in Berlin," he said into the phone. "Ja, that is correct – the former Abwehr Headquarters." He waited while the connection was made. He figured he would try to catch Michael at his office since it was the middle of the afternoon.

He heard a voice at the other end of the line. "Major Kurt Wagner, bitte," he said. "Ja, I will wait."

After a moment, Freitag heard Michael's voice on the line. "This is Major Wagner," he said.

"Kurt, this is your cousin Jakob," Freitag said, giving Michael the first sign that this was a coded phone call.

"Jakob, it is good to hear from you," Wagner replied.

"I wish I could say I was calling with good news," Freitag continued. "I just talked to Aunt Maria." Now Michael knew that there was some important – and bad – news that Freitag had heard from their intelligence network.

"Aunt Maria?" Wagner asked. "Is she all right?"

"She is fine," Freitag replied. "But Uncle Frederick was taken ill rather suddenly." Freitag had just given to code to warn Michael that he was in danger.

"Is he still alive?" Wagner asked. He wanted to know if his cover had been compromised.

"Ja, he is still alive," Freitag replied, telling him that he was safe for the moment.

"Do you know what caused his illness?" Wagner asked.

"His friend Hans died suddenly this afternoon and that greatly upset him," Freitag replied. "Aunt Maria says that Uncle Frederick becomes more ill as each minute passes." Freitag had just told Michael that he was in danger because his friend Hans had been compromised, and he would be in danger soon.

"I understand," Wagner replied. "I must call him and arrange to pay him a visit before he becomes too ill."

"That would be good," Freitag replied. Michael had gotten the message.

"Danke, Jakob," Wagner said. "Auf Wiedersehn."

"Auf Wiedersehn," Freitag said, hanging up the phone.