The radio crackled in the frozen Ardennes forest, barely louder than Jakob's breathing. Cut off from his unit, he tirelessly transmitted messages that went unanswered. On the third night, he received a reply, not from command, but from a German soldier hiding just a mile away. Enemies in uniform, survivors by chance, exchanged coordinates, weather reports, and stories from home over the radio. When rescue finally arrived, Jakob destroyed the radio. Some wars, he decided, should end quietly.