My German Lover, Part 26, chapter 2

Franz looked at Lutz and said to his lover:

"No way I'm going to let you go to the front! You have no one left in Germany to fight for! Thanks to Hitler, they are all dead! I won't stay here and see you go... and get killed for nothing. And if I have to, I'll do the same as Paul said: I'll shoot you in a foot, to make sure they can't send you to the front. I swear I will!"

"(...) Calm down guys...", Lutz answered... "I mean, it's not like if we had to leave tomorrow for the Russian front, huh?"

"(...) No", Paul calmly answered... "But it could come to that..."

"Yes...", Will answered, looking at Lutz... "It could come to that..."

They all remained silent for a while. Then, Will asked Paul:

"So...What do you want us to do, huh?"

"I don't know yet... I don't know. We'll have to think about that..."

Early in May of 1944 Hans, Lutz's brother, was discharged from the military hospital and came to Paris, to live with his brother and Franz...

One night, as they were all having supper at Paul's mansion, Hans unrolled a large map of Europe he had brought with him.

"Let's study the situation guys, shall we?", he said to his friends...

So they all looked at the large map as Hans began to explain to them:

"To the East, the Russians are on the offensive again. They have already taken Kiev, and are pushing towards the Dniestr River... here... To the South, in Italy... the Allies are pushing towards Rome, and I have no doubt the city will soon fall into their hands. Now, we know the Allies are massing troops all over England so.. we can expect them to soon try to land somwhere... here... in France!"

"Where?", Paul asked Hans, raising his head from the map to look at him...

"Don't know", Hans answered.

"Can't the Wehrmacht stop them from landing?", Franz asked...

Hans looked at his brother's lover and answered:

"I doubt it. You see, over the last few months, whole regiments have been moved out of France and sent to the Russian front, thus weakening our defences here, in France. So I guess unless the Kriegsmarine can sink the landing ships as soon as they leave England, I don't see how we could stop the invasion..."

"...I'm sure their landing ships will be well protected... A few might be sank, but the rest will reach France...", Lutz commented...

"Right!", his brother Hans answered. "That's what I think too..."

"...Do you think Paris could be threaten?", Paul asked, with a worried look on his face...

"Look Paul", Hans started to say, turning to friend... "If the Allies land in France, they will want to take Paris, that's for sure! That would be the grand prize... the city of light... That would be a very big lost for Hitler..."

"In that case... we must prepare ourselves... make plans...", Paul answered.

"Yes", Hans whispered...

A few days later, Franz called Paul.

"Hey... remember what we talked about the other night...with Hans?"

"Yes...", Paul answered.

"Well... I've been doing some thinking, and I think I have a plan..."

"Huh?", Paul answered, all excited...

"Yup!"

"Well... don't keep me waiting... What is it?"

"... Can't tell you at the moment. I'm at the Embassy (...) Anyway, you know that next week it's gonna be my birthday... or have you forgotten?", Franz asked, laughing...

"...Of course not...", Paul answered, laughing too...

"Well... my friends here at work are throwing a small party for me... and you, Will, Lutz, Ludwig and Hans will receive an invitation..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And I've ask our official photographer to be present... to take pictures of all of us as a group... but also of our friends separately..."

"Huh? (...) But why?"

"Ahhh... That's my secret... and it's part of my plan...", Franz answered, still laughing...

A few days later, Paul, Will, Lutz, Ludwig and Hans all went to the Swiss Embassy to attend Franz's birthday party and, indeed, they were all photographed...

"...Why the hell can't I smile?", Lutz asked the photographer, when is turn came to be separately photographed...

"...Oh come on Lutz!", Paul said... "Have you ever seen pictures of your mum and dad?"

"Yeah sure!"

"Well... Were they smiling on those pictures, huh?"

"...No. But why can't we smile?"

"I don't know Lutz", Franz answered... "But that's how it's done. So shut up, and don't smile, please?"

"Okay okay... but only because you ask...", Lutz answered, not happy at all...

So all the pictures were taken, and obviously, Franz was very happy!

A few days later, Franz called Paul:

"I've got to see you...", he said.

"Sure... Why don't you and Lutz come for supper tonight?"

"No no... just you and me! (...) I could be at your office on the Champs Elysées at ten, tomorrow morning...", Franz said.

"Sure... But you've got me worried..."

"No need! You'll be pleased..."

"Okay then... At ten tomorrow morning..."

"Fine!"

And indeed at ten the morning after, Franz was sitting right in front of Paul in his office...

"So I'll be pleased, huh?", Paul asked Franz, grinning...

"Yup!", Franz answered, with a big smile on his face...

Then Franz took something from a large envelope and gave it to Paul...

"What are those?", Paul asked...

"Look at them...", Franz answered, beaming...

Paul took the first passport, opened it... looked at the picture in it... then, he went through the second... the third... then the fourth...

"I don't understand... Swiss passports? For Lutz, Will, Ludwig and Hans? (...) Why? (...) They are fakes, aren't they?", Paul asked, stunned...

"Oh no... they are not! Those are real and valid Swiss passports! Our friends are now Swiss citizens..."

"But... those are not their names...", Paul said, looking at the names in the passports...

"Of course not!"

Paul took one passport and again opened it... He saw Will's picture in it, but the name under it said "Wilhelm Schmidt", from Kloten, Switzerland. Then he opened another one... with Ludwig's picture in it... "Ludwig Keitel", from Einsiedeln, Switzerland...

"All those guys really do exist. Each one of them has the right age... and they are all... farmers!"

"Farmers?", Paul asked, looking at his friend...

"Yup!", Franz answered, laughing his heart out...

"But why? I don't understand..."

"Look Paul... I've borrowed their identities... Those guys are farmers, they don't travel, and they've never asked for a passport! Probably never will either. And certainly not before this damn war is over! Where would they want to go?"

"...So that's why you wanted those pictures taken at the Embassy the other night!"

"Yup! (...) So now, with those passports, not only can they come to Switzerland... but they can go to Spain, Portugal... even England, where they would never get arrested, just because they are Germans... So if we ever have to flee someday, it will be easy to cross the borders..."

"Right!", Paul answered, laughing... "Great idea... But for the moment, let's keep that a secret between you and me, shall we?"

"Of course...", Franz answered, grinning...

Paul looked back at the Swiss passports right before his eyes and then said:

"You're brilliant, Franz!"

"Thanks!", a beaming Franz answered.

And that brilliant idea didn't come too soon for on June 6th, 1944... the Allied did land in Normandy, and began pushing East and South...

At the end of July, Paul called Oberstleutnant Koch, Will and Lutz's superior officer...

"I need to see you Herr Koch... it's urgent!", Paul said to the German officer...

And they met...

"...Do you remember, last November, when you said we could count on your help?", Paul asked the officer...

"Yes"

"Are you still ready to help us?"

"Yes... But how can I help?", the officer asked.

"The Allies are closing fast... and I've heard the Résistance in Paris is very active..."

"...Yes... They are shooting at our guys from every corners. We've already lost a few of our guys..."

"That's what I've heard...", Paul answered, looking at the officer. "And I want you to report that Will and Lutz have been shot, but that their bodies haven't been found..."

"What?", the German officer exclaimed...

"Yes Sir... That's what we need you to do, in order to save their lives. And as soon as it's done, let me know: I'll make sure Will and Lutz really disappear from Paris, never to be seen in the city again... No one will find them!"

There was a long moment of silence, as Herr Koch was obviously thinking about what Paul was asking him to do...

"(...) You're asking me to falsify a report! (...) And do you realize that as soon as such a report is filed with the authorities, both of them will be officially dead... both of them will cease to exist..."

"Precisely! That's what we need...", Paul answered, grinning... "Can you do that?"

The German officer looked at Paul straight in the eyes... then said:

"I could be shot should my superiors ever find out about that false report... (...) But I said to you I would help you, and I'm a man of honour! I think I can manage something... But don't do anything before I give you a call. And don't tell Will and Lutz! I want them to act as normally as possible right until the last moment. And as soon as I call you, do what you have to do to make sure they really disappear from view! No one must find them... cause otherwise, we will all be shot!"

"Thanks Sir! And don't worry about that: Not only will they disappear from Paris, but each one of them will have a new identity! And shall you ever need my help, remember: I'll be there for you, just a phone call away...", Paul answered.

"Thanks monsieur de Brion. I shall remember that..."

Two days later, Paul got a call from Oberstleutnant Koch:

"Tomorrow morning, they will be officially dead!" the officer laconically said.

"Thanks!", was all Paul answered.

That night, Lutz, Franz and Hans came for supper and after the meal, Paul told his friends:

"Will and Lutz... tomorrow morning, the two of you will be officially dead!"

"Huh?", Will and Lutz exclaimed...

Paul burst out laughing... then explained everything to them...

"First thing tomorrow morning, we're all moving to Bagatelle...", Paul stated.

Then, looking at Lutz and Hans he said:

"Tonight, you're not going back to your flat on rue Lapérouse: It's too dangerous. You'll spend the night here, so we can leave very early tomorrow morning. And Franz... I suggest you go back there, and pack their belongings..."

"Yes", Franz answered... "I'll be back later..."

"Oh and Franz?", Paul said...

"Yes..."

"Don't bother packing their uniforms... just get rid of them, and make sure no one finds them..."

"Yeah!", Franz answered, laughing...

"I can't believe we're doing this...", Will said, looking at Lutz...

"Want to go fight for Hitler on the Russian front, huh?", Lutz answered, looking at his best friend straight in the eyes...

"No", Will answered, looking down at his two feet... "Not really..."

"And don't forget Will... we have Oberstleutnant Koch's blessing... and he's our superior officer!", Lutz added...

Will raised his head to look at Lutz and after a few seconds he answered:

"That's true... He's a good man. I sure hope he's gonna be okay!

"Oh don't worry about him...", Paul said... "I've already contacted our friend from the Résistance and I've explained every to him. And before the end of the week, Herr Koch will be kidnaped... Our friend swore to me they will take good care of him... and when the time comes, they will make sure he can go back to Bavaria..."

"Are you kidding?", Will exclaimed!

"No...", Paul answered, laughing... "I told Herr Koch I would be there for him... and I will! Of course, he doesn't know about our plan... but as soon as the guys from the Résistance put their hands on him our friend will explain everything to him..."

"You're the devil!", Lutz said, laughing... 

"Oh and that's not all", Paul said to his friends as he gave them their new passports:

"Thanks to Franz... you are all Swiss citizens now... Always carry them with you, so should you get arrested, you'll be able to prove you're from Switzerland, not Germany..."

"Right", they all answered, each one of them looking at his new passport! And of course, they were all laughing...

"Franz is brilliant!", Lutz said, laughing, looking at his passport...

"Yeah! That's what I told him", Paul answered, laughing... "Now guys, we have work to do: Let's start packing... I brought a big truck from the Head office. It's parked in the uhnderground garage... and you'll find empty boxes in it... use them to pack all you want to bring with you at Bagatelle...", Paul said.

Later that night, Franz came back from rue de la Pérouse and said to Lutz:

"I've packed all my things... and all of Hans' belongings... and a few of yours..."

"What did you do with the rest?", Lutz asked, a bit puzzled...

"I've spread your cloths evenly between the two bedrooms... Remember: Will and you are suppose to share that flat, and Hans and me are not even suppose to live there. So if tomorrow the military policemen go there... they will be convinced you two left for work as usual, not knowing what was going to happen to you later...", Franz answered, grinning...

"Good idea...", Paul answered.... "And what did you do with their uniforms?"