At the safe house, the girls were talking. They had discussed the plans as best they could already and had moved on to new topics. They carefully skirted one topic, getting a bit closer this time. Hilda took a sip from her glass, laughing lightly.
"So, you've seen him with his men, of course?"
"Yes?" Tiger said, wondering where this was going.
"Have you notice he's… How can I put this? With them, he acts like the parent of a bunch of wayward boys!" Tiger started laughing as well.
"Oh, all due respect and everything, but still! Once, they were doing something by the gates, playing around. And he kept reprimanding them and everything, but it was always with the fondest look on his face, like an indulgent parent. I had to duck back into the office to keep from laughing right there."
"Oh no," Tiger laughed. "I will never be able to stop imagining this now."
"I know," Hilda gestured with her glass. "I can't either. It's honestly distressing."
"Speaking of Hogan," Tiger began. Hilda leaned in expectantly. And well, they spent a good chunk of time demonstrating why you don't want two people you've been involved with to meet.
Meanwhile, Milla was curled up in a corner of her cell. One of the guards had taken pity and given her his jacket to use as a blanket. They weren't fans of guarding a little girl, especially when she was scared and crying- which wasn't exactly fake.
She'd been asked a few questions, which she knew better than to answer. No one was really eager to interrogate her.
"I've told you, I'm in charge of investigating this ring of children!" A familiar voice rang out. Milla poked her head up.
"I understand that sir, but I can't just allow you to talk to the girl unsupervised!" Another man, the one who'd interrogated her earlier, replied.
"Uh, sir, sir." A young man, she couldn't see his rank, ran up. "A general is calling for you, colonel." The first man sighed as though put upon. The colonel (thought really both men held that rank) looked uncertain before sighing as well.
"All right, go ahead. But only until I get back!" He warned, turning away. Colonel Hogan promptly hurried to the cell, catching sight of Milla right away. He sighed again, more genuine this time.
"Damn it. This is exactly why I said they shouldn't involve you. I knew they couldn't keep a kid safe!" Milla gave him a defiant look, before turning more apologetic.
"Look kid, we're getting you out of here. We've got a plan in the works, and someone'll ship you to England for the rest of the war."
"I don't want to!" Milla shouted, careful of what she said.
"Well you can't stay here. Frankly, I don't care what you want. Kids like you need to stay out of this war." Milla was petulant.
"They hurt you?" Hogan looked concerned. Milla shrugged.
"Kappel and that man with you slapped me a bit, but nothing bad." Hogan looked down, anger in his eyes.
"Can't believe they stooped this low. People don't hurt kids."
It was at that moment the colonel came back towards the cells.
"And when we get the paperwork in, you and all your co-conspirators are coming with me, where we know how to deal with you." Hogan said loudly.
"As I said sir, we are trying to get this worked out." The other said, sighing heavily. "One of my men just gave me a report. We have school records that interfere with her supposed missions."
"Oh?" Hogan asked.
"Ah, it's no matter. We still have enough on her to prove she's Underground."
"Good," Hogan said, looking like he meant the opposite.
"We can't do it! We can't prove her innocent and there's no way to deflect suspicion without others of our people getting arrested." Liesel said. Tiger nodded in agreement.
"We need a new plan. We tried, but they have too much information on her."
"Then we need to implicate someone not in the Underground." Hogan grinned.
"We can't subject an innocent person to the Gestapo!"
"Not unless they are Gestapo," Hogan said.
"How?" Hilda asked. Hogan grinned.
"I think it's time Stalag 13 held its next party."
Colonel Klink sighed heavily. This recent business in town was a mess. Since the girl was arrested, the Gestapo had been cracking down on rebellion. Everyone was panicking over their associations and any doubt. Why even he had just received a phone call from some Gestapo major about his association with the girl. It was at that moment Colonel Hogan came through the door.
"Why the long face?" He wondered as he entered.
"Colonel Hogan, I do not have time to deal with you today. The Gestapo are investigating everyone in town."
"Since the little girl? Whoo, that's a surprise. She never seemed the type."
"You knew her?" Klink caught onto his words. He had him! Hogan cringed overdramatically.
"Oh, you got me sir. Yeah, I met her a few times."
"Ah-ha! Getting messages from her?"
"Oh, alright. A few of the men did. But they weren't to help escape, honest! We know better than that, sir."
"Mhmm. You know, just today, she confessed to passing messages in this very camp. Believe me, there will be severe punishment for anyone who accepted them."
"Oh, understandable, sir. But what about you?"
"Me?" Colonel Klink looked alarmed.
"Well yeah, she snuck those notes past you. All of us wouldn't want anything to happen because of us."
"You think something might happen?" Klink asked.
"Oh, I wouldn't know sir."
"Oh, that's exactly what I was afraid of."
"If only there was some way to show them you're on their side, cheer them up. You know those guys always seem like they could do to unwind a bit."
"That's it! I will host a party for them! Remind them I'm with them and show them how well we run this camp. Then they'll know I'm on their side!"
"Oh, very clever sir. I don't know how you do it!"
"Oh, Hauptmann Kappel! It's so good to see you again!" Hilda hurried over to the man in question.
"Ah, yes. Fraulein…" He trailed off.
"Call me Hilda," she said. "I must apologize for my behavior the other day. I'll admit I was alarmed when I saw the spy was a child. It caused me to overreact. I understand now that people like her must be arrested for the good of Germany!"
"Yes, it is a disturbing case. Rest assured, we won't hold it against you."
"Oh, thank you, Hauptmann." She looked down, fluttering her lashes. "Now that's cleared up, I would love to get to know you better…"
While she was distracting Kappel, Newkirk slipped by. He carefully slipped a radio into a precarious position on Kappel. Hilda asked Kappel to dance.
As they moved to the dance floor, Carter pointed towards them while he was talking to Schultz.
"Look!" Schultz followed his finger, just in time to see the radio fall to the ground. In her next motion, Hilda stumbled over it.
"Oh my! A radio!" She feigned a look of distress. "One of the prisoners must have dropped it!" Kappel frowned.
"You should turn that in immediately."
"Yes, I will. Colonel Klink is just over there."
Shortly later, Colonel Klink and Major Hochstetter were gathered in the former's office.
"I don't understand! The prisoners are usually so well-behaved," Klink moaned.
"This proves there is something going on in this camp!" Hochstetter shouted. "I will find out what is going on here, Klink."
Just then, the radio began making noise. Both men leaned toward it instinctively, and Hochstetter grabbed a paper from Klink's desk. He copied down the message, and Klink leaned over to see it.
"What does it say?"
"It's in code, you idiot. I will transcribe it at my office. It looks to be about a meeting. We have them now!"