4 July 1939
Team wandered into Serbst around sunrise (5:00am)
Spotted by Katerina Rehak feeding chickens. She ushers them into her house
Observed by Zdenka Jirankova – informed to Gestapo
Jan Rehak was a freelance journalist until press pass was revoked by Germans. Daughter Sofia is 8.
Jan Rehak provided the following information about Father Andrei.
- Father Andrej is a local priest wanted by the Nazis and hiding somewhere in the wild.
- He was the priest of the church at Krupna, a tiny village just outside Karlstein. People always said he was exceptionally kind—a true angel.
- Three times in the past three months he has rescued groups of imprisoned locals and other captives from the Nazis; two of these were groups of children, rescued from Castle Karlstein itself, the third was during an attack on a Nazi transport coming to Karlstein from the town of Beraun, several miles to the north of the Karlstein area, and was a group comprising both children and adults.
- After each rescue, the Nazis have repeatedly searched houses in the vicinity, looking for something. They tortured and killed Father Pavel of Karlstein church after the first rescue, and executed five villagers from Serbst in reprisals after the third, most recent rescue.
- It’s unknown what is going on up at the castle, but people believe the children were to be used in experiments.
- In fact, it’s not just children being transported to the castle—there are rumours of entire families being taken. But until the latest rescue, Father Andrej only rescued children—it’s unknown why. No one knows what has happened to the adults Father Andrej did not rescue.
Gestapo arrives with soldiers to search the town.
Jan Rehak and his family flee with the team, taking them back to the field where they landed. They dig up their equipment and avoid being spotted by another patrol.
They take the road the away from where the halftrack went with the previous night, which leads to the road from Serbst toward the river.
They avoid the returning Gestapo patrol and come across Antonin and his grandson Piotr en route to the market in Karlstein Station. He is the elderly neighbour across the street from the Rehak’s. He enlists the team to pull the cart as cover.
They come across a halftrack at a stone bridge. The driver and the officer are debating whether the bridge is safe. When the officer spots the wagon, they drive across without incident. The halftrack stops and the officer makes small talk with Evelyn and Kristina, but eventually they drive off.
The trip to Karlstein Station is uneventful. They are stopped at the checkpoint entering the town around noon, and there is tense moment until one of the soldiers commandeers a bottle of schnaps Antonin had hidden in the bed of the wagon.
They parted company with the Rehak’s and went with Antonin to a tavern, where they spotted an old friend of Antonin, Gustav. Gustav will attempt to make contact with the resistance. He tells them to meet him at the Krupna church at 3:00.
Evelyn expertly noted a probable Gestapo man sitting in a corner by himself watching everyone without looking. The team arranges to leave separately, and they are not pursued.
The regroup and buy a wagon and some cargo for a cover and to hide their equipment in.
Chance bribes a small boy who took an interest in them.
They make their way toward Krupna.
They are stopped at the checkpoint on the other side of the river. The guards are suspicious, but let them pass. As they are leaving, Chance sees one of the guards go into the guardhouse and pick up the telephone.
The Team
- Sgt. Jack “Killer” Killarney, Irish British Army Sniper – Jordan
- First Lt. Nathan “The Professor” Chance, American Military Attache and expert on occult matters – Jon
- Evelyn Rose-Wolfe – SOE operative – Lucien
- Petty Officer, Second Class Gus Anderson – Navy Diver and Demolitions expert – Blake
- Tomáš Plašil, Czech Resistance Member – Kyle