The first thing Carter did the following morning was ask Hogan how the meeting with Veidt had gone, and whether or not Lechner had made a decision on where he wanted to go. Fortunately, the meeting had gone well, but Lechner hadn't made a decision.

"Veidt says he's going to bring a medicinal potion tonight for Lechner. After that, Lechner has to make his choice." Hogan was quiet for a moment. "I just hope he makes the right one."

"'Right' as in the least amount of risk, or 'right' as in what's best for him?" Carter asked.

"I'm still worried that Veidt is using Stalag VII C as a lure for Lechner. The second we're out of the picture, he's going to take Lechner back to Kaschel."

"I don't think we should force Lechner to go to London if he doesn't want to. I know Britain and the States are good to magic users, but there's still a big difference in culture and language for him to adapt to. If he doesn't want it, it'll just be harder on him."

"He would still be a hell of a lot safer there than in Germany. If Veidt is telling the truth, let's say he gets caught. He most likely gets executed for being a traitor, and then what happens when the Sorcery Division storms that camp? Lechner and every other magic user hiding out there get taken to laboratories and suffer until they either escape themselves or the Allies liberate them."

"Does that mean you will force him to go to London?"

"No, but when you talk to him, keep all that in mind. I'll let him choose where he wants to go, but I don't want to feel responsible for letting him get recaptured."

Carter nodded. "I want the best for him, Colonel, even with the risks. I mean, we put ourselves at risk every single day, when the best option for us would be to go to England. But we all chose to stay, because of how much good we can do here. I guess the consequences we can face if we actually get caught are just as bad as what Lechner will face."

"The only difference is that the SS wants to keep Lechner alive. We would be shot without a second glance. What's in store for Lechner is much, much worse. He told you what he went through. I don't think he wants to go through it again."

"I think he's well aware of the risks, Colonel. I'll still talk to him, if you want."

"I would feel better knowing we warned him, because once he leaves, it's all on him."

Carter kept that in mind as he descended the ladder down into the tunnels, where he found a tired and red-faced Lechner sitting upright in his cot with a bowl of plain oatmeal. "Hey, Lechner."

"Good morning, Carter," Lechner replied, voice hoarse and lethargic, though he seemed happy to see Carter again.

"The colonel… told me about last night. I wanted to see if I could help you make a decision."

Lechner was quiet for a moment, looking very unsure of himself. "I… guess I would appreciate that."

"I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do. Colonel Hogan thinks it would be best you go to England. Veidt thinks you would be better in Stalag VII C. I think you need to choose what you think would be best for you. Honestly, being in a place with your own people and a promise of protection from the SS sounds very good, but being in a place where it's a guarantee the SS wouldn't be able to get you sounds pretty good, too."

"There is still a chance that spies and operatives would be sent to find me if word got out that I made it to England," Lechner replied. "When Kaschel is unable to find me anywhere, he will assume that is where I went. I am far too valuable to lose. He will do whatever it takes to get me back. The fact that he has managed to find out I was in Hammelburg is frightening enough. Frankly…" Lechner rubbed his chin, "I think going to Stalag VII C will be a better option, as long as Kaschel remains convinced I am heading to England."

"You're sure?"

"I am sure. I know your colonel will not approve, but—"

"He's going to respect your decision, as long as you know the risks of staying in Germany."

Lechner nodded. "Tell him my thoughts. I am sure you can devise something to keep Kaschel thinking that I am going to England."

"I will. Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, thank you. I just want to sleep right now. Hopefully, if Veidt was telling the truth, he will be bringing medicine tonight that will heal me in about twenty-four hours."

"I hope he's telling the truth as well. I'm sorry we weren't able to do anything for you here."

"To be honest with you, Carter, I have been feeling like a burden to you and your team. I expected to be taken to England within a day of coming here, and sitting here and doing nothing has made me feel, well… useless."

Carter shook his head. "You're not useless. I know there isn't much you can do, but at least you're safe and we will help you as long as you need it." He gave Lechner another friendly squeeze on the shoulder before heading back up to the barracks, finding Newkirk, Kinchloe, and a few other airmen playing cards. "Hey, where's the colonel?"

"Outside," Newkirk replied.

"Thanks." Carter left the barracks, acting casual as he approached Hogan, who was watching a group of winter-weary prisoners attempt a game of volleyball. "Hey, Colonel. Lechner made a decision."

Hogan turned to face Carter. "What did he decide on?"

"He's going to go with Veidt. His main reasoning is that Kaschel is already convinced that he's heading to England, so as long as we can keep Kaschel on that trail, he should be safe in Stalag VII C."

"That's sound reasoning, and it's something I already thought of."

"Oh." Carter looked down at the ground, then back up at Hogan. "I take it you have a plan?"

"I do. Tonight, while Veidt is here, you and Newkirk go into town and sabotage Kaschel's staff car. Wreck the engine, slash the tires, anything to make it not function. I want him distracted by Underground activity long enough so I can get a trail of 'leads' up from here to the Dutch border."

Carter nodded. "Anything else you want us to do while we're there?"

"Don't get caught."

Kaschel sat in the hotel dining room, absentmindedly stirring a cup of coffee, while Veidt buttered a piece of toast. There hadn't been much conversation between them since they sat down, until Kaschel said, "I cannot remember having a lot to drink last night. Even celebrating, I do not drink myself into a stupor."

"To be honest with you, sir, I was not paying attention to how much you were drinking," Veidt said.

"I do recall you carrying me up to bed, though. I did not do anything embarrassing or stupid, did I?"

"No, sir. I brought you to your room before any such thing occurred."

"I greatly appreciate that, Veidt." Kaschel took a sip of his coffee. "Is there any news on our specimen?"

"No, unfortunately. Hochstetter's men were camped out at the barn all night. No sightings."

"Damn. I am not giving up on this. Lechner is far too important to let go."

"I am afraid we may have to accept that he has successfully escaped Germany."

"Nonsense. I will send spies to England if that is what it takes, but I will not spend the resources unless I am absolutely certain that is where he is headed. He is more valuable than any jewel or artwork in Reichsmarschall Göring's private collection. The odds of us happening upon another specimen like Lechner are next to impossible. We were fortunate he was sent to us by his commander."

He was betrayed by his commander, Veidt thought. There was movement in the corner of his eye, and he looked to his left to see Hochstetter entering the dining room.

"Ah, there you are, Standartenführer," Hochstetter said. "I have received a tip from a farmer over a kilometer northwest of here, saying he spotted something pale and human-like walking near their cattle field last night. I have already sent men to ask more questions and see if they can catch your missing specimen before he gets away again."

"Good," Kaschel replied. "I will accompany you, if you wish. Veidt, you should rest for the day."

"Are you sure, sir?" Veidt asked.

"Yes. You have been putting in a considerable amount of effort into this task, and you deserve some time to yourself. Go take a hot bath and have some cocoa. I will return in good time." Kaschel stood and put on his cap and jacket before leaving the room with Hochstetter.

"Oh, if only you knew the effort that I was putting into this," Veidt muttered. He certainly didn't plan on pampering himself that day—he had to prepare for that coming evening.

At least Veidt was certain that Lechner was safe with Colonel Hogan, so he wasn't worried about Kaschel actually finding him. The leads he was getting were undoubtedly false, and though Veidt wasn't sure just how Hogan was pulling this off, he was impressed that it could be accomplished from a prisoner-of-war camp of all places.

That night, Veidt waited until Kaschel was in his room and relaxing before leaving the hotel. The little bottle of medicinal potion was in his left breast pocket, which he intended on guarding with his life as he headed through the snowy streets of Hammelburg. Christmas was fast approaching, and several homes were decorated, just a little. It was nowhere near as cheery as when Veidt was a child.

He left Hammelburg and made his way through the deep snow in the fields and forests surrounding the town, occasionally checking his pocket to make sure he still had the potion. Eventually, he spotted a figure waving to him from the forest, and jogged over. "Thank you for agreeing to see me again," Veidt said as he approached Hogan.

"Do you have that potion?" Hogan asked.

"Yes."

"Alright." Hogan pulled out the blindfold. "Ready?"

"Am I allowed to say 'yes' and 'no' at the same time?"

"Yes, but that's not going to change anything." Hogan turned Veidt around before putting the cloth over his eyes and tying it tightly. He then guided Veidt through the forest, and over to the same tree stump as the night before, helping the tall officer down the ladder and back into the tunnel system.

Veidt took his blindfold off, and waited for Hogan to step off the ladder before saying, "Has Lechner made a decision?"

"He has," Hogan replied. "He wants to go to Stalag VII C."

Veidt nodded. "I… I guess I should apologize. I-I know he came to you originally to go to England, but—"

"Don't worry about it. I just hope you actually get him here."

"You are never going to fully trust me, are you?"

Hogan took a moment to think. "Maybe. 'Trust' has never been in our vocabulary, especially when it comes to strangers, and strangers in your uniform in particular."

"As much as I think this will be our only chance to work together, I would like you to know that my door is always open if you need help dealing with anything related to magic." Veidt reached into his pocket, pulling out several thin blue ribbons. "Corvid ribbons, so you can contact me easily."

"Thanks." Hogan took the ribbons, and looked over them for a moment before putting them in one of his pockets. He then led Veidt to Lechner, whose cheeks and forehead were flushed with fever.

Veidt glanced at Hogan, certain that if he made one wrong move, he would be swiftly removed from the tunnel. He knelt in front of Lechner's cot. "Hello again."

Lechner looked at him with glassy, feverish eyes. Veidt pulled one of his gloves off to feel Lechner's forehead. He was warm. Far too warm for an ice Conjurus to be. "I brought something that will help," Veidt said, taking the potion out of his pocket. It was a pale, pinkish color.

Slowly, Lechner sat up. "I cannot express how much I appreciate this."

Veidt pulled the cork out. I am trying my best to prove my loyalty, though I am afraid no matter what I do, I will never be trusted. "You do not have to thank me."

The bottle was small enough for Lechner to drink the potion in one swallow. He returned the empty bottle to Veidt, and settled back down under his blanket. "I will thank you anyway."

Veidt allowed himself a grin. "I had mentioned last night that this will take at least twenty-four hours to work. I think tomorrow night will be a perfect time to start heading out." He looked over his shoulder at Hogan. "Will that be alright with you?"

"Do you have transportation?" Hogan asked.

"If we walk to Augsburg, it will take at least forty-eight hours. I do not know if I could come up with a good excuse to tell Kaschel about being away for that long."

"We can get you a vehicle from the motor pool."

"How?"

"Oh, we'll think of something, and leave Kaschel to us. Come back in another twenty-four hours. This time, we're going to meet at the abandoned farmhouse at the top of the hill half-a-kilometer away. We'll have a vehicle and Lechner ready to go for you."

Veidt breathed a sigh of relief. "I do not know how to thank you, Colonel."

"Just remember you'll have company."

Veidt nodded. "I understand. Thank you, again, Colonel. I will see you tomorrow night."

Carter found himself holding his breath so as not to let anyone see it in the bitterly cold night as he crouched by Newkirk, who was pouring sand inside the gas tank of a German staff car. Hammelburg was eerily silent this time of night. Some candles glinted in windows, but other than that, there weren't many signs of life. Every window in the hotel was dark.

"Puncture the tires, Carter," Newkirk whispered. "Let's make this thorough."

Nodding, Carter crouch-walked around the car and drove the blade of his pocketknife as deep as it could go into each of the four tires in turn.

"Right," Newkirk said, closing the gas tank. "I don't think Kaschel will be going anywhere anytime soon. They'll have to take the bloody thing apart to get the sand out."

"Yeah," Carter replied. "I almost feel sorry about doing this."

Newkirk gave a heavy sigh. "Don't, Andrew. Let's get out of here before we're seen."

The two stuck to the shadows as they made their way out of Hammelburg. Carter felt increasingly paranoid that someone was watching them from any of the darkened windows in the buildings that lined the street. Eventually, the buildings were more spread out, and Carter's nerves eased a little.

He heard Newkirk's occasional remarks and comments, but found himself thinking about what was going to happen when this was all over. He had never liked walking around a street at night. Something about the silence and darkness made him uncomfortable. It wasn't natural, though he was aware everyone was just sleeping. Activity would return in the morning, and the emptiness would be replaced with life. Despite that, he knew it was going to be harder to feel safe. Being distrustful and extremely cautious had been drilled into him when he decided to join Hogan's team.

And yet, he found it easy to trust Lechner. It came so naturally, and he hated being distrustful unless it was obvious someone couldn't be trusted. That was the hardest part, though—sometimes it was difficult to tell whether or not someone could be trusted.

When they began sinking up to their knees in snow, Newkirk said, "I can't wait for spring. Winter can't end fast enough, and it's not even Christmas yet!"

"It is supposed to snow more tonight, right?" Carter asked.

"Yeah. Around two, I think. It'll cover our tracks," Newkirk replied.

"If Lechner was healthy, he could've taken care of covering them."

Newkirk nodded, glancing around to make sure they were still alone. "You're gonna miss the ice fella, aren't you?"

"Yeah. A lot. At least we're helping him get somewhere safe."

"I just hope this Veidt person is telling the truth."

Carter nodded, looking toward the inky black silhouette of the forest nearby. "I think he is."

"I'm glad you're optimistic, Andrew," Newkirk said. "Just don't let it blind you."

The two returned to Stalag 13 to find Veidt preparing to leave. Newkirk didn't give Veidt a second glance, while Carter paused to look Veidt in the eye.

The taller, thinner man looked uncomfortable with being stared at. "If you have nothing to say, I must be off," Veidt said.

"Sorry. Um… I'm Carter. I'm going to be coming with you and Lechner to Stalag VII C," Carter replied, unsure of how else to start a conversation with Veidt.

"As much as I do not think a companion is necessary, I will not argue."

There was a lot of hurt in Veidt's voice, although Carter was well aware that it could very well be a trap. Part of him hated assuming everyone around him was a liar, but Veidt's uniform did him no favors.

Hogan walked over, holding a blindfold. "Carter," he said. "Go get changed and get some sleep. You have a big trip tomorrow night."

"So, this is it? We're going to the new camp tomorrow?" Carter asked.

"Yes." Hogan tied the blindfold around Veidt's eyes. "We have a plan to get a vehicle, and Veidt will be meeting you and I at the farmhouse. Then you'll be on your way. It's a three, maybe four-hour drive. If it takes longer, we'll do our best to cover for you."

"Our only means of communication will be by bird," Veidt said. "I will bring food to attract ravens tomorrow. Bring some of the ribbons I brought for you."

Carter nodded again, then watched Hogan help Veidt up the ladder and out of the tunnel. He walked into the room where Lechner was sleeping. Veidt must have brought the medicine, because Lechner's face looked less red, and he was sleeping peacefully.

There would be work to do in the morning, but Carter wished he could spend just a little more time with Lechner. Before going to sleep in his bunk, Carter made sure to write down his address on a piece of paper so Lechner would be able to find him after the war.

"This is absurd. How on Earth did someone do this and not get caught?!" Kaschel's face reddened, and he seemed to be resisting the urge to kick his own car.

Standing on the sidewalk just outside the hotel, Veidt stared at the deflated tires of Kaschel's staff car. "Honestly, I am impressed."

"I am, too, at their audacity and stealth." Kaschel sighed. "This has to be the work of the Underground. First, they cut the wires to my phone in my hotel room, and now they destroy my car!"

"It seems rather petty, if you ask me," Veidt said. "This is disruptive, yes, but not lethal. I would think they would have put a bomb inside."

"This is not unusual, at least, according to what Hochstetter told me about the Underground in this area. Their activity ranges from disruptive pranks to murder made to look like accidents. I have a feeling this will escalate."

"Do you think they know why we here?"

"That is irrelevant. All that matters is finding who is responsible and putting an end to this."

Veidt nodded a little. "Have we made any progress on finding Lechner?"

"No, and I am beginning to suspect he has indeed moved on to another town. Every lead has come up empty, and if we do not leave soon, we won't be able to intercept him."

"Perhaps… Perhaps it would be better we split up on this, sir. Let me stay here in Hammelburg. I will do what I can, then meet up with you in a few days."

Kaschel sighed, looking down at the ground and pacing a little. "Let me think about it."

Veidt feigned disappointment. "Am I not experienced enough?"

"You have put in a lot of work for this assignment. It is a shame nothing has shown for it, though." Finally, Kaschel made eye contact with Veidt, and gave him a nod. "Alright. I will let you stay in Hammelburg."

"Thank you, sir." Veidt pretended to resist a smile.

"I have faith that you will—"

Kaschel was interrupted by a uniformed man approaching him from the hotel and saying, "Standartenführer! Telephone call for you, sir!"

"Excuse me." Kaschel jogged up the steps of the hotel, leaving Veidt alone in the snow.

Veidt was still silently congratulating himself on getting Kaschel out of the way for now when the bigger man left the hotel several minutes later, looking rather shaken. "Is everything alright, sir?" Veidt asked.

"No. My sister is in the hospital. She slipped on ice that had formed on her front steps and broke her hip. She will be alright, but… I must go see her." Kaschel's breathing had quickened. "Please, Veidt, I am entrusting this mission to you. I do not know how long I will be gone, but—" Kaschel suddenly swore aloud, and finally kicked his staff car. "Damn these saboteurs!"

"I am sure the Gestapo can lend you a vehicle," Veidt said. "I believe Stalag Thirteen has vehicles as well."

"Honestly, I do not care. I will go back to Augsburg on foot if I have to!" Kaschel stormed off to the town's Gestapo headquarters.

Veidt followed close behind, and heard Kaschel shouting at Hochstetter when he entered the building. The dull ache of concern in his chest was genuine. He had never seen Kaschel so upset, though he wasn't surprised given that his immediate family were the only people Kaschel ever showed any kind of compassion or affection toward.

Kaschel didn't say a word to Veidt as he left the Gestapo headquarters, headed to a lot with some spare vehicles he could borrow. He remained where he was as he watched the car kick up snow as it left Hammelburg, and despite having wanted to be left alone in order to accomplish his own mission, Veidt suddenly had no idea what to do next. He knew everything was in place for the trip to Stalag VII C that night, and dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he realized he was likely going to spend the rest of the day worrying about it.