A Tale of Two Carters
What if what you knew to be true, turned out false, and what you knew to be false, turned out to be true?
I own nothing except the creations of my own characters the the crazy situations I put them into. The rest I am simply borrowing for my own twisted pleasure.
In this story there will be references to Ein Käfig voller Helden. This is the German dub of the American show Hogan's Heroes. As such, I have tried to be clear on some of the jokes that may not be clear to English speaks who obviously have not seen the dubbed show. One of them being Kalinke, Klink's housekeeper, and mistress. If there are ever any questions on this, please let me know. And as always, please R&R, I would love to know how I am doing! :D
This story takes place between the first and second episodes.
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Hogan was leaning against the side of his barracks tossing a baseball up in the air, when the LKW rolled in. Focusing his attention on the lorry, he noticed that there were two guards who jumped out, and then preceded to pull out a downed allied flyer. He sighed. He pained him every time one of his countrymen ended up in his pit. Resigning to the fact that there would be another man under his charge he tried to get a better look at him. Hogan gasped when he saw the boy's face. He knew that face! Searching his memory, the face came back to him.
"Carter…Lieutenant Carter…" he whispered to himself. He had to make sure he was wrong. How could Carter end up back up here? What went wrong with the escape route? Hogan's mind raced. Taking large steps, he preceded to try and head off the guards before they made into Klink's office.
"Halt! Sie dürfen nicht mit dem Gefangener sprechen. Der Kommandant musst zu erst mit ihm reden. Verstehen Sie? Verrrrbooooteeeen! (Stop! You are not allowed to speak with the prisoner. The Kommandant must first speak with him. Understand? Foooribiiiiddennn!)" The guard made large gestures along with his loud, slow speech. Even though Hogan understood him perfectly, he couldn't let on, and instead ignored the guard and continued with his demand.
"Look. I am the Senior POW officer. The head Kriegie. Now I want to be present when the Kommandant speaks with him." Hogan tried to catch a glimpse of the prisoner's face. From the view he got, it was Carter, but something was wrong. He was wearing sergeant's stripes.
"Gehen Sie weg! Sie dürfen nicht mit ihm reden! (Go away! You are not allowed to speak with him!)" The guards hulled the prisoner onto the porch and inside the Kommandant's office. Hogan turned around and as quickly as he could, returned to his barracks. Signally to his men, (Sergeant James Kinchloe, Corporal Louis LeBeau, and Corporal Peter Newkirk), the four of them went into this office. Kinchloe, or Kinch, plugged in the "coffee pot" better known as their speaker from the bug hidden in Klink's office.
"What's goin' on gov'ner? Was 'at a new prisoner they brough' in?" Newkirk asked.
"Yeah. And it wasn't just any prisoner. It was that kid, uh, Lieutenant Carter, from about…I'd say, five months ago." He paused, "let's listen to what ol' Klink has to say…"
"-ver a successful escape from Stalag Luft 13. Which means, for you, the war is oooover. Now, you were shot down over…Hamburg. Tell me what was your mission, what sort of plane were you flying, that sort of thing."
"Carter, Andrew Jonathan. Sergeant. Serial number 02763350." Carter's voice was heard shaking on the coffeepot.
"Colonel, I thought you said he was a lieutenant?" LeBeau inquired.
"Yeah he was, I remember." Kinch said thoughtfully. Hogan quickly hushed them.
"Very well, since you won't talk. I am assigning you to Barracks 2. But if you think of anything, don't hesitate to tell me!" Klink was cut off by Hogan unplugging the pot.
"No one talks to him about our mission. I want to see what is going on first. There is something here that doesn't feel right."
"Oui mon Colonel!"
"Do you want us to give him a thorough check, like normal?" Kinch asked. Hogan paused a moment before answering.
"It might be better. There is just something out of place here. Give him the normal rundown, plus a little shaking and turn him inside out, let's see what falls out. I want to know what's up, and why he's back here a whole rank lower. It could be a trick, or it could be nothing. Kinch, can you fill the guys in?"
"Of course, colonel."
"Newkirk, check his pockets."
"With pleasure. But I do slightly resent 'at you always think of me when it comes to slight of the 'and operations."
"That's because you're so good at it, Newkirk."
"Thanks guv…I think?"
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Hogan walked back outside just in time to see Feldwebel Georg Hans Schultz, Sergeant of the Guard, leading the new prisoner across the compound. He watched as Schultz had a hand on the shoulder of Carter, in almost a fatherly way, and was talking softly to him. Carter on the other hand was walking slowly dragging his boots in the dirt, starring at the ground, not saying anything.
"-nice guy. Really. But don't worry, people are really nice here." Schultz spoke softly to him, Carter merely nodded without raising his head. Hogan took a few steps closer to them as they approached.
"Hey Schosie (1)! Who's this you got here? I thought I was suppose to be informed when we got a new guy at our lovely resort."
"I'm sorry, Colonel Hogan. But he just came in. The Kommandant has already spoken with him. He is assigned to your barracks." Schultz took his hand of Carter's shoulder, as if leaving him in Hogan's charge.
"Ah, well we can always use a new face around here." Hogan was anxious to get Carter inside.
"I'm glad we can help then." Shultz responded to Hogan, and then turned to Carter, "It'll be ok. People are nice here." Carter barely nodded but still said nothing, never taking his eyes off the ground.
"Why don't you come inside?" Hogan opened the door, then placing his hand on Carter's shoulder lead him inside, and closing the door behind them. "I'm Colonel Robert Hogan. What's your name?"
"Carter… Andrew… sergeant…027-" Carter spoke barely above a whisper, cutting himself off as he realized he was starting to give his serial number. He brought his eyes up long enough to look around the barracks and then brought them back to the floor. Hogan noticed the kid seem upset, scared, and stressed, so he led him to a bottom bunk next to the door; it was shared by Newkirk.
"Here is your bunk. Your bunkmate is a guy named Peter Newkirk. He's quite friendly, and really fond of good tea. So if you have any, don't let him know!" Hogan tried to lighten the mood. Carter merely nodded and stayed silent. Hogan was troubled that the boy was so quiet. Unsurprising, he thought, the kid is barely over 20 (2). And his whole world has been turned upside down and inside out. Hogan pulled up the bench from the table and sat down next to him.
"Look. I know it seems to be the end of the world. But trust me, this place isn't so bad. And if you want to talk…I have an office right through that door, alright?" Hogan spoke softly so the other men wouldn't hear. Once again, Carter merely nodded. Hogan stood back up, signalled to LeBeau, and they walked into his office.
"What's wrong mon Colonel?" LeBeau asked.
"I want you guys to hold off grilling Carter for a day or so, I don't mean don't question him, just be sensitive about it. I very much doubt this guy is a kraut in disguise, and the kid seems to have gone through hell. So, right now, just be a friend and let's see if he will open up on his own. But still, nothing about the mission unless cleared by me. This still could be a kraut trick."
"Oui Colonel. I understand."
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Hogan sat alone in his office for the next few hours. He was going nuts over their new guy. Sergeant Andrew Carter. Sergeant. Why was he a sergeant? And that name, Andrew. That didn't seem right either. Hogan was dying to get down into the tunnel and check the kid out, with Carter in the room not knowing about their real operation, it was impossible for them to open the tunnel without him noticing. Of course if it isn't a kraut trick there is nothing to hide, he went through here just some time ago. There is something wrong here. Something out of place…what is it!
It was getting towards dark, and Hogan knew that roll call would be soon. He opened his office-door which led into the main part of the barracks, and the first thing he saw was Kinch sitting next to Carter talking softly. Hogan smiled. Good, old Kinch. If there was anyone to get the poor, scared kid to open up, it would be him. Hogan quickly adverted his eyes, as to not stare. He walked over to the stove to poor himself some hot water. Wish the Red Cross packages would get here, he thought, we need some more coffee, ASAP.
Hogan tried to not listen in to the conversation between Kinch and Carter, but being incredibly curious, and sitting not a metre away, he couldn't help but overhear.
"-there was just flames…everywhere. Everywhere! There was nothing…nothing I could do…I-I-I…panicked. I panicked! I didn't know what to do! There was just flames! Fire! I had to get out…but I couldn't leave Steve behind. He's my best friend…was my best friend…"
"You had to leave him behind?" Kinch asked softly. Carter nodded.
"He was dead…" Carter barely whispered.
"There was nothing you could do. You're alive. That is something to be thankful for. Remember that."
"Steve isn't…my brother isn't..." he paused a moment, "you know what I wish for more than anything? That my brother and I were back in Bull Frog playing. I have this chemistry set you see, and well we used to experiment. It drove our mom nuts."
"Don't worry. You'll get home. We all will."
"Not Jimmy…" Carter paused for a moment. Kinch noticed him rub both his eyes and nose like a sad child. "Well Anthony….but we always called him Jimmy. He hated Anthony. Anthony Jimmy Carter. We had the same initials see? AJC. Anthony Jimmy Carter and Andrew John Carter."
"I can tell you were very close. Is your brother also fighting the war?" Carter nodded but continued to stare at his boots. "Were you in the same outfit?" Kinch started to softly probe to see if he could get some info out of Carter. Carter shook his head.
"No. We were both Air Force (3), but he was the pilot, I am just the bombardier. The Army separated us in case…in case…"
"In case on of our units got killed or captured?" Kinch finished his sentence. Carter again nodded, there was a slight tear in the corner of his eye. "So Bull Frog. I haven't heard of it." Kinch changed the subject.
"North Dakota. Great little town. Where are you from?"
"Detroit. North Dakota. Remind me again, where is North Dakota, my geography is a little rusty." Had Carter not been so upset, he would have given Kinch the weirdest look he'd ever received.
"Next to South Dakota." Kinch had to bit his tongue to keep from laughing out loud. Touché. "What's your favourite thing to do there?"
"To get a pop at the Five n Dime with my girl."
"Sounds nice."
"Nice? It's better than nice. They even have Nickelodeons!" For the first time Carter looked over at Kinch before returning his gaze back to the floor.
"Wow. Sounds like a special place. We didn't have anything like that in Detroit." Kinch was going to keep talking when Schultz came in.
"Roll Call! Roll Call! Everybody out. Raus, raus, raus! Macht schnell! Geh ma', geh ma', geh ma'!"
„Again Schultzie? But we just did this morning." LeBeau teased Schultz.
"Jolly Joker." Hogan walked towards the door, catching Kinch's eye as he lead Carter out the door. Kinch gave a the barest of nods to Hogan, which Hogan interrupted as: all clear.
The barracks exited outside into the early spring air as Sergeant Schultz walked up and down the line counted the men. The prisoners, deciding to show off for their newest member, shifted around, throwing off the count; forcing Schultz to recount five separate times, before Kommandant Klink threatened them with not only being thrown in the cooler, but throwing the Tommy Dorsey records in there as well, in order to get them to stop long enough for Schultz to get an accurate count. Colonel Hogan, usually full of sly remarks, and witty come-backs for Klink, waited impatiently for roll call to end, and as the last barrack guard, reported that all prisoners were accounted for, and the prisoners were dismissed, quickly made a B-line for Klink's quarters, Kinch had to run in order to catch up with him.
"Co-colonel!"
"What is it, Kinch."
"I've-I've got-got-ten him to open up a little…may, may I ask where you are going, sir?" Kinch tried to catch his breath as he slid into pace with is commander.
"Klink's quarters. I'm going into the tunnel that way to radio London about our new member. Since we can't use the entrance in our own barracks, and I don't want to risk using the entrance under the dog kennel. We really need to expand the tunnel to some of the other barracks. Have some of the guys start workin' on that tomorrow."
"Oh. I suppose that makes sense." Kinch paused a moment to recollect his thoughts, "I was just saying, I've gotten him to open up a bit. He's quite traumatized, I very much doubt he is a kraut. Really sir. Given enough time I think I can find out why he is back here as a sergeant. But I do request that people are sensitive for a while sir. He's just a scared kid."
"Granted. Now if you excuse me. I have a call to make." With that Hogan cracked the door open and slide inside the room.
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Kinch returned to the barracks and looked over at their newest member. He was lying on the top bunk, facing the wall. Kinch sighed sadly, remembering all too well how the boy is currently feeling, thinking of when he himself was shot down. But, being shot down once, breaking out, and then being shot down again…that has to take a toll on you. I wonder why he hasn't asked about breaking out of here yet? Unless he doesn't remember it was this camp? Kinch shook his head and sat down at the table. He missed playing cards with his old Russian friend, Vladimir Minsk, he tried not to think about his friend being gone, but it was at moment likes these that he missed him the most.
"'Ey Kinch!" Newkirk hopped off his bottom bunk. "Wanna play some cards?"
"Sure. But leave your hands on the table where I can see them. And roll your sleeves up. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just, I don't trust you." Kinch smiled. Newkirk grinned.
"I'd feel 'urt if it wasn't true. Should we get me new bunkie involved?" Newkirk tilted his head towards the top bunk.
"Nah. Let him sleep. He deserves any sleep he can get after what he's been through." Kinch picked up his cards that Newkirk dealt him. From his position facing the wall, Carter was far from asleep and listening to every word they were saying.
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"What do you mean "uncapable of telling me at this time"? You have all the information! All I want to know is who I currently have laying next to my rabbit hole and if he is a threat to our little waltz? Over." Hogan screamed into the radio. A moment later a calm, crisp English voiced answered.
"Sorry old chap. "No can do" as you Yanks say. We are having a bit of mole in our information department. It has everyone's knickers in quite a bunch. Alas, I am unable to forward your request, Papa Bear. You lads must have other methods, eh? Over."
"Look, Mama Bear. I need to know if he is a threat! I can't keep hiding the operation from him if he's safe. And if he isn't I want to get him out of here! Over!"
"I daresay that is a bit of a sticky wicket…-"
"'I daresay', Mama Bear that I don't like the idea of having a man here I know nothing about. He came through here 5 months ago, as a lieutenant. And I want to know why he is now a sergeant. You don't bust a man like that for nothing. Over."
"I'm sorry, Papa Bear. I wish you lads a spot of luck though. Surely you'll figure out something, eh. We will get back to you when we can. Cherrio! Mama Bear out." Hogan heard the click on their end and hung up the radio set. That was defiantly not the answer he was looking for from London.
"'We will get back to you when we can'. Thanks London…" Hogan mumbled under his breath. Standing up he automatically started heading towards the tunnel entrance under barracks two, as he got ready to signal, he remembered he couldn't use the entrance quite yet. Sighing he walked to the other end and headed towards the entrance in Kommandant Klink's quarters. We really need to work on expanding the tunnel. At least to some of the other barrackses. One, three, and five. Four is never used, so we can do that one later… Hogan started planning as he cautiously made his way up the tunnel entrance and snuck across the Kommandant's living quarters and back towards his barracks.
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(1) One of my crazy German EKvH references, a nickname for Schultz
(2) I made Carter younger because in the USA in the 1960s they used older actors to play kids. And it works for my story better.
(3) US Army Air Corp became US Army Air Force in 1942