It was around 10:30 at night, and in Stalag 13, the prisoners were preparing for bedtime in another half hour. Colonel Robert Hogan was down in the tunnel of barracks 2 on the radio with London discussing a mission of some matter. As for his four men and friends, Peter Newkirk, Andrew Carter, James Kinchloe, and Louis LeBeau, the four were in the main area sitting at the table playing a game of poker. For the moment, Newkirk was the one winning. With the fake bunk exposing the tunnel, Olsen was keeping watch for Schultz, Klink, or any other threat possible to expose the operation to.
"Raise yah four," Newkirk spoke, placing four chips in the center of the table.
"You sure about that, Newkirk?" Kinchloe asked.
"Of course I am, mate. I wouldn't have done so, otherwise."
"You don't have cards up your sleeve, again, do yah, Pierre?" LeBeau remarked.
"Are yah bloody mad; don't be ridiculous...had I had cards up my sleeve, yah three would've already lost." Newkirk answered back, making a wise crack.
Kinchloe and LeBeau glared at Newkirk, while Carter darted his eyes from one person to another.
"An Italian spy?" Hogan gasped, as he spoke with London on the radio. He had been discussing with one of the generals, General Berkman, regarding a missing in action Italian gestapo officer. He was highly valuable to Italy's army and Germany's gestapo headquarters, as well. At the moment, the American colonel was having trouble comprehending what General Berkman had told him.
"It may sound crazy, Colonel, but it's true." Berkman answered, on the other line.
"But why,"
"Don't know; he's after someone, and we have reasons to believe that that someone is you."
"Me, but why; how come?"
"I don't know the exact details of 'why' and 'how come'. I'll track down that information and report back to you with it later. All I know is that there is high suspicion that you're the spy's target to kill and exterminate."
"But what would an Italian spy want anything to do with me?"
"Again, I don't know, Colonel. Wish I did; I know as much as you do, for the moment."
"Do you know the name of this Italian spy?"
"That I do know; his name is Anthony Peretti. He was born in Naples, Italy and has been a proud and loyal Italian since. As for what he wants with you, that remains a mystery."
"Where was he last seen?"
"Somewhere in the northern parts of Italy's main island. He's either gone into hiding or has crossed over the Italian border into another country. I wish there was more I could tell you, Colonel, but unfortunately, that isn't the case."
"Isn't your fault, General. Is there anything I should do regarding this matter?"
"I would strongly advise you being alert and cautious of everyone and everything around you, for the time being, Colonel Hogan. This man is known to be extremely dangerous and violent."
"I'll take that into consideration. Let me know, when you find out anything."
"I will the minute I hear something. Oh, and Colonel."
"Yes,"
"Be careful,"
Hogan gave a sideways smile.
"I will, General; take care. Papa Bear out." Hogan spoke, and with that turned the radio off. He sat there for a minute running everything through his head he had just heard from General Berkman. A deranged Italian gestapo spy was blood thirsty for killing him. But what had he done? He had no connections to any Italian let alone to anyone in Italy. He could not put it together in his mind on just how did this man know who he was and why he wanted to kill him. Sure, he could see why gestapo officers in Germany would want to kill him, but they knew Hogan and his attitude towards certain situations. This, however, this was something completely different. He decided to leave it where it was for the night and report for bed. He would probably be able to think clearer in the morning. On top of that, he had not gotten much sleep, recently, due to severe stress.
Hogan put down the headset and walked over to the ladder that led into the barracks. Once up in the barracks, he saw LeBeau, Carter, Kinchloe, and Newkirk finishing their seventh poker game in a row.
"Four queens and a king." Newkirk spoke, laying in his cards.
All the men at the table moaned and threw in their hands. Newkirk smiled and took all the chips on the table in his direction.
"Newkirk, this is the fifteenth time you've won in the past two weeks." Kinchloe moaned.
"And I keep getting better every time, don't I, Kinch?" Newkirk replied, with a smile.
Hogan gave a tired smile and walked over to his men.
"Having fun, there?" Hogan asked, tired. He had decided to keep what General Berkman had said to him secret, for the moment being.
"Are you kidding me, Colonel? My mate, Newkirk, just robbed me of $40." LeBeau cried.
"To be accurate, $43.27." Newkirk replied, correcting LeBeau.
LeBeau muttered something to himself in French that no one understood.
Hogan sighed and sat down on Carter's bunk. He rubbed his eyes then pinched the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted and another night of no sleep would surely be enough to make him collapse some point in the morning.
Carter noticed Hogan and got up to go sit by him.
"You alright, Colonel?" Carter asked, worried.
"I'm alright, Carter...I'm just...a little tired, is all." Hogan answered, trying to keep himself awake.
"It seems more like you're about to collapse from fatigue." Kinchloe replied, seeing how tired Hogan looked. There were black circles around his eyes, and he was shaking whenever he walked or moved.
"Maybe I should help yah get back to bed, sir." Carter commented.
"I'm fine...I just need to go to sleep, is all." Hogan answered.
With help from Carter, Hogan stood up and slowly made his way to his quarters. Once he was gone, the four men continued conversing.
"Sure hope Colonel's alright." Carter spoke, worried.
"A good night's sleep is all he needs; he'll be fine in the morning." Kinchloe answered, smiling.
"Yeah, Andrew; yah know the Gov'nor's tough enough to get through anything. Sleep deprivation is nothing to him." Newkirk chimed in.
"You sure; he seemed pretty exhausted." Carter replied.
"Positive; Colonel will be back to himself after a good night's rest." Kinchloe spoke, softly.
Newkirk yawned.
"I think we should do the same. It's getting late." Newkirk answered.
"Oui, Pierre," LeBeau responded.
The four men got ready for bed and crawled into their bunks. They soon enough fell asleep and waited for morning roll call to arrive.
Morning roll call soon came around and afterwards, LeBeau was preparing breakfast for everyone. Newkirk and Carter sat at the table waiting for their meals, and Hogan was in bed sleeping. During roll call, he had been dozing off after another sleepless night. A doctor came out shortly after and gave the American colonel two sleeping pills to have him get the needed rest his body was not getting from stress.
Kinchloe was down in the tunnel on the radio picking up any messages that were coming from London regarding any upcoming missions. At the moment, none were coming through. Kinchloe was writing something down, when clicking and beeping began coming through. He grabbed his pen and pad and wrote down what London was telling him. When he was finished, he read the note and sighed.
"Better go tell the guys." Kinchloe spoke to himself.
He climbed up the ladder to the barracks and closed the tunnel entrance by banging the bunk twice.
"Just got a message from London." Kinchloe spoke, handing the note to Newkirk.
The Englishman read it, as he took a drink of coffee.
"Prisoner in need of getting out of Germany immediately. Meet at rendezvous point tonight at 1800 hours with Hawkeye. Whatever you do, do not let Colonel Hogan go out on this mission by himself, or have someone come with him and stay by him at all times." Newkirk read.
"What for," Carter asked.
"Have no idea, but it sounds important." Kinchloe answered.
"Wonder why,"
"What I'm more curious to know is why they ordered Colonel to stay here or have someone be at his side at all times." LeBeau remarked.
"We should tell the Gov'nor." Newkirk spoke, finally.
"Later; poor guy's been having such trouble falling asleep recently, I want him to sleep as long as possible." Kinchloe replied.
"You're right on that one, Kinch. I feel bad for him. There's gotta be something we can do to make his life a bit easier. He's dealt with too much stress, recently." Carter suggested.
"I know what you mean. Anybody, even Colonel, can't handle all of this. Staying up past 3 AM taking radio calls, mission after mission, running a prison camp, making sure all of your men are alright, keeping the Kommandant out of our hair...it's getting to be too much even for Colonel." Kinchloe replied.
"What are you going to do with the message, though?" LeBeau asked.
"Colonel's gonna get mad, if he finds out we kept this from him." Newkirk added.
"We'll let him sleep, then I'll tell him, when he wakes up." Kinchloe answered.
All of them agreed on that and continued on with their days.
Time passed by, and Hogan had woke up from sleeping. He felt refreshed and awake, again. He sat at his desk working on paperwork needed to be done for Klink, when a knock came on his door.
"Come in," Hogan greeted, friendly.
Kinchloe, Carter, LeBeau, and Newkirk hesitantly walked in.
"How are you feeling, Colonel?" LeBeau asked.
Hogan smiled at his four men.
"I'm just fine; what about you four? What's going on?" He asked, smiling.
"A message came through from London for you, Colonel." Kinchloe said, handing him the folded piece of paper.
Hogan looked at it and read it thoroughly. He nodded and handed it back to Kinchloe.
"It sounds like a trap." Hogan answered, slightly concerned.
"What do you want us to do?" Carter asked.
"Nothing; you guys stay here. I'll go out to meet with Hawkeye, tonight."
"Colonel, it says you must stay here or have someone come with you."
"London said so," LeBeau added.
"Why does London want you to stay here, anyways?" Newkirk asked, wondering.
The American colonel did not know whether to tell his men what General Berkman had told him late last night now or keep it to himself until later notice. He finally sighed, knowing his men deserved to know what was going on.
"Alright...I'll tell you what's going on." He finally answered.