The sun had not yet risen when a rapid staccato sound woke me. It was the explosive coughing and rumbling to life of Organization TOT’s engines. I sat up in the seat of the car and looked out the window at the surrounding TOT trucks. Like grey specters. the TOT soldiers moved quietly around their vehicles while the blue slits of their truck headlights curved away from my vision and disappeared in the early morning fog.

I saw Colonel Schlabach talking to an Army officer who appeared to be the ...