Upfall

"The fools are coming to investigate the shooting in the woods" said Mofaz in Hebrew.

"The question is do we attempt to deceive them or shoot them?" said Yatom. "They will be here in a few minutes and will certainly discover our carnp if they go into the woods."

"We did take some German uniforms with us" offered Shapira.

"Feldhandler speaks German like a native, and I'm pretty fluent. These Poles probably wouldn't he sensitive to accent anyway."

"Beseder. Go play dress-up, hut hurry. We'll use him too" said Yatom pointing at Mueller. "And if he fucks up, we‘ll just kill them all. Make sure he understands that."

Shapira nodded and ran off after Feldhander, and the truck with the German uniforms and equipment. Yatom made his way along the line, told his men about the ruse.

They spread out further in the tree line. With their woodland pattern clown hats, and secreted within the tall grass and underbrush, they were nearly invisible. Yatom hurried back into the woods, and found Shapira and Feldhandler, clumsily attempting to dress themselves in uncomfortable gray woolen uniforms. Mueller stepped towards Shapira. Three Tavors were quickly pointed at the German who swiftly raised his hands.

"I only want to help" said Mueller emphatically. Shapira allowed him to step forward, and Mueller began adjusting the Lieutenant‘s suspenders, belts, buttons and buckles until Shapira looked half-way presentable. Then he did the same for Feldhandler. By the time Mueller finished Polish policeman were only fifty meters away, advancing cautiously with their pistols drawn.

"We need German weapons" Shapira said excitedly. Feldhandler crashed through some brush and secured a Mauser and MP-4o from a couple of Fliegel‘s men huddling nearby. The scientist handed the rifle to Shapira and kept the sub-machinegun for himself. Unfortunately, per Yatom‘s orders, neither weapon was loaded, the MP 40 obviously so, but it was already too late.

"No time" said Shapira, "let‘s go."

"What are we going to say?" whispered Feldhandler.

"Think of something" whispered Shapira, ushering Mueller forward as well. "Tell them we are a German SS unit and to stay clear." He paused. "Maybe we can get some infonnation from them first."

Shapira, Feldhandler and Mueller stepped from the woods. The startled Poles raised their pistols. In the underbrush Yatom and Mofaz put the sights of their Tavors on the Poles, laser dots dancing on the policemens‘ chests.

"Halt!" cried Feldhandler in German, stepping from the underbrush. "Waflen ab!"

The Poles holstered their weapons, upon recognizing German troops.

"This is an SS unit hunting partisans" Feldhander continued in German. "Stay away."

"We heard gunfire in the woods. It was our duty to investigate" the older of the two Poles said defensively, in good but heavily accented German.

Feldhandler nodded, but said nothing.

"Are you hunting the partisans who attacked the German camp near Sobibor station?" said the younger policeman, earning a sharp glance from the other man.

"Yes" said Shapira nervously. "What do you know about that?" he demanded with a little more authority, hoping attitude in his voice trumped accent.

"Nothing at all" said the older man.

"He asked about the camp" Shapira pressed. "How do you know?"

"We were informed by telephone just an hour ago and told to be on the lookout for partisans. Only doing our duty..." said the older Pole.

"What else?"

"That's all, I assure you, Mein Herr” said the Pole obsequiously.

"What German unit informed you of this?" broke in Mueller, sounding very much the SS man, so much so that the Poles quickly assumed that Mueller was in command—his uniform was filthy but of high quality, and his German precise. Feldhandler and Shapira exchanged glances, but went along. It was a good question.

"The Reich railroad command" said the Pole. "They discovered the attack this morning after a train was stopped on a damaged track a few kilometers away."

Mueller looked at Shapira, like a dog that had just done a trick and expected a treat.

"Return to you post, and say nothing more of this" said Shapira, trying to mimic Mueller's ease and confidence. "Do not report this meeting. Our movement is..." Shapira stopped searching for the right German words "...especially secret— you understand?" The Poles nodded.

”Warte mal” said Feldhandler suddenly. The two Poles looked at him nervously, out of fear and confusion. Who the hell was in charge here, they seemed to be thinking. It was most un-German. "You may inform your superiors that you encountered our unit if asked. We are heading north after the partisans."

The Poles exchanged a nervous glance at the change in orders.