 Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines knowing you may never return alive? What you have just heard is the question asked during the war to agents of the OSS Ordinary citizens who through this question answered? Yes this is cloak and dagger Espionage international intrigue these are the weapons of the OSS Today's story the Brenner pass is the story of an American engineer who single-handed cut off the escape of part of the German army in Italy from unrushing American troops The Brenner pass is suggested by actual incidents recorded in the Washington files of the office of strategic services a Story that can now be told I don't want it Goza bed drink drink this feeling it will warm your insides. I Want to talk to you. I I want to tell you drink this first So tired rest then so So tired You you won't get me away. Will you you'll hide me if the Germans come won't you Padre? Won't you came to me my son because you knew I'd give you sanctuary? Any man has sanctuary in this house. Yes. Yes, but an oath really or me Anything you tell me only God and I will witness And if I had not taken this oath I still would not give you away Thank you father You are an American that much you have told me Do you want to tell me more or do you want to sleep first? No? No, it is better you sleep first. I'll sit beside you. I won't leave no No, Padre. I want to tell you That may not be much time. I Have a feeling that Time is running out for me my name was Donald Harper I Say was because Somehow I don't feel as if I have a name anymore When you're tracked down and hunted You're not a human being There's no past or future There's just the present and you run So much has happened in a few weeks that it's hard for me to remember Remember back from this morning when you found me unconscious on the steps of the chapel Back to the morning. I was sent on my mission November 12th 1944 Captain Harper, I'm well aware of everything we have to gain if this scheme of yours succeeds You still think it's just a scheme a kind of I don't have to think I know what your chances are of Actually getting through to the Brenner pass and blowing up that highway And I know what'll happen to you if the Italian fascists or the German police get you I know a couple of things too Colonel One of them is the country up there in the mountains Yes, I I nearly broke my neck half a dozen times when I was a kid climbing the rocks around my grandmother's hut And just before the war I took a trip from the States to see her again I Skied over every inch of that mountain near the Brenner pass Colonel. I know I can do it We've been through this before Harper. I'm aware of everything in your favor your Knowledge of the country the fact that you were an engineer before just give me supplies some TNT and Italian Uniform and some phony papers in case I tangled with the fascist tea. It's all I need Colonel. I Tell you I can do it. It's true if that highway to the Brenner pass could be destroyed It would take the Germans months to repair it it would cut off one of their retreats out of Germany Of course now we have them where we want them when the American armies advance They're backs to the mountains are no way up. That's it. That's it Your permission Colonel, please let me try it You say your grandmother's hut is right near your objective. Yes, sir I'll give you names to memorize of other partisans in the mountains who might help you on the way I'll have all the supplies you requested and you can leave From the beginning Padre. I had bad luck It snowed during most of the 40 mile journey and it was difficult for me to move quickly And the longer it took me the more chance I had of being discovered Then it came You know what a storm is like here in the mountains how it can blind you and throw you against the rocks When it was all over I Realized what had happened. I had been thrown off my course But that wasn't the worst of it My knapsack was gone all my supplies and the packet with papers the OSS had forged for me I had no identification now and no food But I still had the TNT for the highway near Ampetso There is a tavern Padre not far from Parola It wasn't sheer recklessness, but desperation that made me go in there knowing I had no papers Knowing the tavern catered to Nazis and fascist II Knowing the rucksack on my back was filled with explosives But there was no other place for miles and I had to get food or I couldn't go on Some bread and cheese if you have it and some coffee black very strong if you have it See I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible I hope the Germans would continue to be amused by the Italian girl and not asked to see my papers I Had nearly frozen in the snow a half hour before Now the sweat broke out all over my forehead Pay attention to her. I kept praying watch her watch her. Don't even look my way I know I I'm not important at all forgive me the the waiter should have served you first No, I Grazie seniorina, I I will just finish this coffee and then I must go Men are never rude to me If I ask you to drink with us you must no no, please seniorina some other time perhaps now now I must go and I prayed to drink beer. Oh You should be back in your mama's lap. I Will give you some beer now perhaps you will acquire a taste for it here put in my face I Felt it start to trickle down my neck and I could hear the Germans laughing themselves sick I wanted to snap that small neck of hers in half for making me the center of attraction Grazie waiter very sure you're not followed here to my house very sure Amiko and it's snowing again Even the tracks from my snowshoes are covered. We must be careful very careful all of us partisans The Germans are closing in on us. Do you know what would happen if they found out? I took you in an American This would happen But I tell you there's nothing to worry about and I'll be gone in the morning The morning one one all I want is a night's rest. There is a bed in the back room You may use in your heart, but you are sure you are not followed. Yes Yes, and I'll be gone in the morning before you're awake What's that thinks in your that I'm being in this business of just beatable, but these times they're very bad times for all Yes, yes, I know it was important to Yes in order to fight back later one must leave now no yes. Yes. Yes clever Very clever if they knew you were here. I was too tired to stand there and listen to the old man's whimpering Too tired to watch his narrow eyes like small brown buttons dart about the room Looking first at the windows and then at the door half expecting the guest up or to come All I wanted to do was sleep. I fell across the bed But a few minutes later. I sat bold upright listening to the voices In the next room Here an American at the back room sleeping. Are you sure are you sure is it American father's name is harper don't hold harper American OSS and American oh How the German police would like to know that That girl the girl from the tavern the friend of the Germans I didn't stay to here anymore. There was a small door leading out to the back of the hut I knew Padre that somehow I must have come to the wrong house I didn't dare take any more chances and stop again until I reached my grandmother's and I was so tired so tired Nana Nana oh But how you look so thin so tired Nothing changes here does it? It could be six years ago or 10 Nana sitting here like this in this house Your papa how are they male does not come here easily any longer you have heard from them Yes, no no a few weeks ago. They're fine They tried so hard to get you to America when the war came. I would not go anywhere don't meal This is my home No one could make me leave my home Not the Germans not the fascistie Here I stay until the world writes itself again Huh, but what can I get you? The comedy make yourself comfortable. You are hungry. Yes, but I'm I'm too tired to eat I I just want to sleep do then I'll make up the room for you later for an hour rest here on this couch When you wake I will have food for you Like the old days come you my dear one. I'll be in the kitchen I Don't know how long I slept when I awoke I wanted for a moment where I was and then I saw her standing over me Like a little boy you sleep. I've been watching you you What are you doing here watching you sleep? You don't drink beer and you're afraid of girls and you sleep like a little boy You followed me here. You brought them. What have you done with my grandmother? I'll kill you. I should have killed you then I will now End of the Germans you little she devil. I'll kill you Don't know here here. What's going on? Then I you all right, of course. I'm all right. What are you doing Tony? What is wrong? Oh your grandson has his mother's heart telling blood in his veins He wants to kill me that's all I'm ashamed of you don't know though this girl. She's a friend Friend I will get the soup for you senora up a cell up. Perhaps some soup will cool But none I I saw that girl with the German. She's she told me about that She did not know who you were then. Yes, but I wondered why you disappeared from her father's house She knew the name Donald Harper because she had me speak of you often So she came here after you none I saw you asleep Then she understood why you had run away from her. She was with Germans. I was there. I heard that girl Donaldo is the leader of our group of Parsons Your leader, but the Germans I am use them Tell them funny stories and they laugh at me. Here's your soup They do not hear me laugh when I get them drunk and they tell me things I can use to our advantage Your soup drink it like Tony. I I'm sorry Yeah, Bella questor a cat said on Aldo no yes now the girl is very pretty senior at the cell you embarrass me Donald oh We are friends now See Tony Friends What are you doing? Oh drawing diagrams Nana? I've got all the plans made to blow up that highway early tomorrow morning, and I want to make sure nothing goes wrong here I brought you something to eat. Oh, you'll spoil me Nana But it was good to have you spoil me again these past few days How good it is to be able to Will you leave then tomorrow? After you do what you have to do. Yes, I must but I'll come back to say goodbye first Tony what are you doing here? Where is that partisan friend you were going to send to help me here what me me me me me I am the friend Oh, no, I can't do as good a job as any man Let me help you the now. No, it's crazy. Please. Please. Let me do it girl. It's crazy. It is not crazy Think think what it will mean for me after you were gone from these mountains Listening to my fat friends the Germans talk about the explosion and to know secretly that it was I who helped to make it Please please Ronaldo Meal, it's too late to get anyone else That's why I waited so long The only man to get on this short notice is my papa and he is a scared rabbit I was right the first time you are a little sheet Take her with you don't know though. All right then pay attention to this diagram Now there's a railway as you know going right over that highway if we plant enough tnt to blow that right under the road It'll be blocked up for months It was about four o'clock in the morning when we got to the highway and climbed up on the tracks of the railway Tony stayed up above and I made my way slowly slowly climbing down into the framework of the trestle Feeling my way along the girders. They were icy under my hands and two or three times. I almost slipped. It's all right Watch yourself Watch how you handle those explosives. Do not trouble yourself about me. I told you I can work as well as any man Then work as quietly as one The troop train of Germans would be coming over the railway soon and I had to finish before it came I had a coil of wire around one arm and a pair of pliers hanging on a thong from my waist Tony you hear me Yes, I hear you hand me down those packages of explosives one at a time Here Here you are All right, thanks I shoved them in where I wanted them. Don't be so slow about it I'm doing it as fast as I can I hashed the grenade on top of the braced explosives wound it tight with a wire twisted it with pliers Finally, I was finished There was snow on the ground and yet my shirt was wet with perspiration Last finishing touch That does it for this side Tony Now let's get to the other side see Give me your pliers before you drop Okay I I have helped you much this far See See You've helped me much No, no, we haven't any time to argue that train will be along any minute Please please let me set off the explosion. Let me have that pleasure I will follow your directions. I will do it just the way you told me. No I The train it's coming. Just tell me when to pull it All right, you win But heaven help you if you make a mistake Hold it now steady and don't pull on the wire yet. I will pull it softly Softly lightly, but firm No, no, what is it? It is nothing These attacks come on after Tony some water quick. No, I will stay with her the now You must leave quickly. No, I'll stay you go on this section We'll be swarming with soldiers after what we've just done and if they find you they'll wonder what you're doing here Men do not know how to take care of the sick. I will stay and help you All right Get the water I would have been all right. All right. Don't talk. Just rest donald. What is it germans coming to this house? I can see from the window. Oh, no. No, no, you should have gone before not wait Oh, no, no, it's all right Do this one thing more for me. I won't leave while you hold them off for me Is that what you want? I know them. I am a favorite of theirs. Please carl meal You can escape and do more important work and I will not be harmed if I stay behind Is that I had my son escape escape There is still time the girl knows them Upstairs upstairs. They may be around the back too. So go upstairs jump from the window to the roof of the barn You can make it from there. No, Tony. Go go go. I say promise not to turn back promise And up the stairs to the tiny attic I heard the door close downstairs. So I knew they had come in I could distinguish their voices too, although I couldn't hear a word they were saying I opened the window and saw it was an easy jump to the roof Then Tony screamed And I forgot my promise to her and went back Flattened myself against the wall at the head of the staircase When I jumped him brought up, but the other german was not so simple a matter Shoulders pinned down and I couldn't move then I saw Tony standing over us a heavy candelabra in her hands Good work, Tony Now listen to me carefully, Tony take my grandmother back to your house No one will know you were here If others question you tell them my grandmother was here alone when someone a stranger took refuge here And killed the officers who came then she went to your house because she was afraid Well, will you remember that all of it? Go quickly If they come you will do like this breaking down the door not make trouble patry. I warn you No, no, this is the house of god. It's all right patry It's all right You're mistaken. My name is not donald harper. I'm an italian soldier I I was lost in the snow. I my my papers are gone. Come come. This is tiresome admit it You are the american who blew up the highway Answer you are mistaken here help my new We will see it nice am I see That's how it's in here. What is this man's name? Be heist there for the seniors and american Now I have told you you will let salon see you have talked enough gonna you will leave my daughter and me alone And the old lady too now that I have told you we have nothing to do with it Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but you will not tell my daughter you promise remember she has a soft heart it would distress her take him away Nothing to say Everything has been said for me that highway has been completely destroyed I'm delighted to hear it that many loyal soldiers as well. I have been killed Well, thank you for telling me and what is more you are in italian uniform a spy Bullets are too good to waste on you american But they rope can be used again Sergeant your high heart man Take this man out And hang him and I do you will do as you are told her doctor Here is the death certificate of the american who was hanged this morning Sign it and the cause of death you want and I should write as I told you just as I told you Heart failure A petty Some weeks later Two retreating german battalions found their escape through the brenner pass blocked Captain harper had done his job well and the onrushing american troops caught the enemy with their backs to a mountain Though donald harper did not live to see victory He shared in it And once again the record of an oss agent closes with the words mission accomplished A further adventure in black warfare is next week's Cloak and dagger Heard in today's cloak and dagger adventure where everett slone hester sondegard barry croger louis soren virginia pain Raymond edward johnson carl weber and borris aptland Script was by winterford wolf music was under the direction of john gart Today's true oss adventure was based on the book cloak and dagger by corrie ford and allister mcbane This has been a louis g cohen production in association with alfred hollander and was under the direction and supervision of sherman marx Stay tuned for the second big mystery high adventure on nbc