A Thief Among Us
Summary: Something or someone is stealing things and food and leaving piles of food all over the place in secret hidden places. The Culprit? A mouse. Felix! This is a where did Felix come from story! Hope you like.
Okay this is a true story… This is what happened to me! XD I found random piles of rice all over my room.. Turns out to be a mouse.. I'm still looking for him…
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Hogan was called to the Kammandant's office. "You wanted to see me Kammandant?"
"Yes Hogan, the mess sergeant has reported that some food has been broken into. Now if your men have been stealing."
"Kammandant! You think my men are responsible?" Hogan gave a surprised look.
"Frankly, Yes." Klink Shrugged as he answered.
"Kammandant, I assure you my men aren't responsible. It's probably Shultz."
"No I checked him first." Klink stood up from his chair and walked over to his liquor. "So you have no idea who could be responsible?"
"No, sir."
"Very well, but there will be surprise inspections in case you're lying. Dismissed!"
"Kammandant! You can't punish us for your over eating problems."
"Hogan!" Klink's warning voice wasn't intimidating to Hogan.
"I mean it Sir! You can't do that! According to the Geneva Convention-"
"Hogan, there is nothing in the Geneva Convention that forbids me to give surprise inspections. Now I said dismissed!"
Hogan sighed. "Very well. I'll tell my men but they wont be happy." Hogan saluted then left.
Back at the barracks they men were waiting for their Commanding officer to return so they could continue their planning to blow up a bridge nearby.
"The Colonel is coming!" Carter said from the door where he kept look out.
The door opened and in walked Hogan. "Cancel the plan. The Kammandant is putting surprise inspections into affect.
Lebeau stepped forward. "What? But why? We have actually been somewhat well behaved for once."
"Apparently someone is breaking into the mess hall at night and stealing food. Lebeau it would be best if you stayed out of the mess for a while."
"But mon colonel it was not me!" Lebeau shook his head the rest of the men in the barracks denied it as well.
"We've got to find out who is responsible. Or else we may not be able to continue this operation for a while."
"I could go check with the other barracks." Carter offered.
"Do that. Find out if any of them have been sneaking in." Hogan approached the table as Carter went out the door.
"So what do we do if it wasn't any of them either?" Kinch asked adjusting himself in his seat.
"I'm not sure. We may have to hold a stake out."
"A Barbeque?"
"That's Carter's line." Hogan said looking at Lebeau.
"I know I figured since he wasn't here someone should say something like that."
Hogan shook his head and smiled.
Shortly Carter returned to report that none of the other men had anything to do with the incidents at the mess hall.
They would have to find a way to get into the mess hall and watch for the culprit.
Hogan tried to get permission for Klink but was denied because Klink thought he might steal some while he was 'staked out'. So they would have to wait for a day or so.
The men readied themselves for bed and Carter turned back his covers to find a surprise. "Huh?"
Newkirk hearing the younger man looked over. There in the middle of his bunk was a small pile of oats. "Stashing it away for the winter mate?"
"I didn't put it there! Someone is trying to frame me!"
Newkirk shook his head and climbed into his bunk.
"Besides if I were to stash stuff away for the winter it wouldn't be in such a small amount or on my bunk."
"So are you sayin' you're admitting to some guilt in the matter?"
"No!" Carter didn't wait for a response he swept the grains off his bunk. He placed them on the table and, after making sure there weren't any other piles on his bunk, climbed in and settled down to sleep.
The light was turned off and everyone settled down.
About an hour after lights out Newkirk heard a noise below him. Rustle, rustle. It sounded like Carter was tossing and turning. Thump, Thumpity. "Carter if you don't mind, some people are trying to sleep."
"Huh? Sorry." came a young voice below him.
The noise stopped. However a half hour later and the noise resumed. Rustle, rustle. "Carter!"
"What!" Carter sat up the noise stopped.
"I said stop making so much noise!"
"I'm not making any nose!"
"You're tossing and turning that's what's making all the noise!"
"I haven't moved an inch! I've been as quiet as a mouse!"
"Yeah right!"
"All right what's going on?" Hogan walked out of his room.
"Sir, Carter wont stop moving around and its keeping me up!"
"I haven't moved an inch!"
"All right! All right! Carter you sleep in my quarters so you're not disturbing any of the others."
"But Sir! I-"
"Move Carter!"
Carter shot Newkirk a death glare and got up. He looked at the table. "Hey…"
"What is it Carter?" Hogan asked on his way back to bed.
"The Oats are gone!"
Hogan stopped. "What oats?"
"The ones that I found on my bunk. I put them on the table and now they're gone!"
Hogan started putting two and two together. "You mean you found oats that weren't on your bunk before, you placed them on the table and now they are gone and you never touched them?"
"Right! Someone must have taken them!" He turned to Newkirk. "That's probably the noise you heard."
"Or maybe it was you having a midnight snack!"
Carter groaned and was led into the Colonel's quarters where he slept the remainder of the night.
The next morning The men sat at the table drinking coffee and playing cards when Hogan came in from talking to Klink.
"So? I've talked him into it. Apparently a complete five pound bag of flour just disappeared."
"Really?" Lebeau made room for the Colonel.
"Yeah, but the strange part is, the five pound of flour are gone but the bag it was in remains."
"Huh? But how would you carry it off? That would just be more hassle!" Carter was so confused.
"Yeah, Klink doesn't know what it is." Hogan poured himself a cup of coffee and sipped it. "Carter you said that there was a pile of oats on your bunk last night?"
"Yeah. And then I out it on the table but then it was gone a few hours after."
"And Newkirk, what noise did you exactly hear."
"Carter tossing and turning." Newkirk said plainly.
That didn't satisfy the colonel. "He didn't make a sound when he was in my quarters last night."
"See!" Carter said indignantly pointing a finger at Newkirk who knocked it away.
"Well the noise stopped after Carter left!" Newkirk still believed it was Carter.
"Hmm. And you didn't hear anything afterwards?"
"No sir."
"Well it wasn't me that was making the noise in the first place!
Hogan shook his head, this bickering wasn't going to get them anywhere! "Alright you two! Both of you will accompany me tonight to watch for whoever is responsible."
"Roll call!" Shultz's voice from outside could be heard.
"All right men we'll continue this later."
Newkirk gabbed his boots and put them on. "Blimey!"
"What is it?" Hogan asked concerned looking over to the Englander.
Newkirk took his boot and while looking at the colonel tipped it in mid air causing a pile of oats to fall out.
"Hey those must be the ones from last night!" Carter said happily.
Hogan inspected the oats and went into this quarters to get something to put the oats in. Carter and Newkirk heard him call them into his quarters. When they entered he was standing in front of his desk. There in his drawer was another pile of oats. "Is this some kind of a joke that Klink is playing?"
The men looked to one another and shrugged. "He doesn't seem smart enough to pull a prank like this sir." Newkirk eyed the pile of oats. Who would stash small piles of oats all over the place?
They were interrupted by Shultz's demanding pleas for roll call!
At roll call the Kammandant was giving warnings to whoever was responsible for the food theft of the mess hall. Once finished he called Hogan over when the men were dismissed.
"Yes, Kammandant?"
"Have you found out who is responsible?"
"No sir, but I'm eager to find out."
Klink became suspicious. "Why?"
"Because whoever they are they are trying to frame me and my men by leaving small little piles of oats all over the place."
"How can I believe that?'
"Why would I stash a small pile of oats in Newkirk's shoe?"
"I don't know!"
"Look, tonight we'll try and find out who is responsible."
"Fine but I will be there too, to make sure there isn't any funny business!"
"Why don't you just send Shultz then?"
"I want to catch he man red handed!"
"Alright!" Hogan wasn't going to argue.
Throughout the day the men found more and more piles of oats all over their barracks. Even Klink told them that he found a pile in his office drawer. Hilda even had a small pile in one of her filing cabinets.
Finally night had fallen and the men sat in the mess hall waiting. Newkirk was getting bored and stiff from where he was crouched. Carter was on his belly listening. Hogan and Klink sat back looking around ready to flash their lights on whoever may come in.
Two hours passed and still nothing. Finally on the third hour there was a soft rustling sound coming from the pantry. Hogan looked among the men. No one had gone passed the door. Slowly and quietly they snuck to the pantry the opened the door slightly. It made a creaking sound causing the noise to stop. After a few minutes it resumed. The pushed the door open again this time quickly. It made hardly a noise. They looked around. They saw nothing but they heard it. A rustling sound came from one of the shelves. Hogan flashed his light on the noise. Squeak! there in a twenty pound bag of oats sat a started mouse. It was a large one too. Probably from having consumed that five pound bag of flour. The twenty pound bag of oats was half gone. The mouse stared at them and they stared back. Nearly five minutes passed before one of them decided to move. The mouse lowered it head slowly and made its way off the shelf.
"Get him!" Klink yelled!
The mouse took that as his cue and bolted. Carter leaped and got the mouse in his hand. The mouse squirmed a little then settled down in the human's hands.
"I got him." Carter said happily. "See Newkirk I told you it wasn't me."
Newkirk rolled his eyes.
"Well Kammandant we found the culprit." Hogan walked over to Carter to see the mouse.
"That little mouse did all this?"
"Apparently."
"But how did he carry all those oats?"
"That's a good question."
"Well I don't care get rid of him!" Klink stalked out and called a guard to take the prisoners back to their barracks.
"Kammandant does this mean the surprise inspections are off?"
"Yes Hogan it does! But I warn you…"
"I know I know!" Hogan entered the barracks with his other two men.
"So what do we do with it?" Newkirk asked.
"Can we keep him?"
"Carter! Do you know what a ruddy menace that thing is?"
"He's only a mouse!" He looked back at the plump, scared creature in his hands. "I think I'll name him Felix!"
Newkirk rolled his eyes.
Hogan walked over to Carter and rubbed the mouse's head. "I think it's a good name Carter."
"Thanks Colonel."
"But we can't keep him."
"But Colonel!"
"No, he's caused a lot of trouble for us. He temporarily stopped our operation here remember?"
"But sir!"
"I'm sorry Carter."
"But sir? What am I going to do with him?"
"That's up to you Carter. Probably just put him in the woods."
"But sir, I can't just leave him out there!"
"Then find a place to put him. Go on."
Carter was scooted to the tunnel and down he went and out he went.
A few hours passed and Colonel Hogan was getting worried. "Where could he be?"
"Perhaps, knowing Andrew, he couldn't part with the critter and now he's going to try sneaking it back in."
"He better not." Hogan said warningly.
The bunk to the tunnel rose and Kinch came to the surface. "Andrews back!"
Hogan and the others went down to see their friend just as he came down the ladder from their tree stump.
"Andrew…" Hogan looked at Carter who seemed very upset. He didn't want to do this but he had to be sure the mouse wasn't snuck back in. "Arms up."
Carter's surprise was evident but he obeyed anyway. "I put the mouse in one of the other Stalags. He was so sad when I let him go."
Hogan finished the search and found no sign of the mouse. "You didn't bring him back?"
"No sir."
Hogan nodded then placing an arm around the man's shoulders they went up to their barracks.
That night Newkirk heard Carter tossing and turning, this time it didn't sound like it did before. He heard sighs and tossing below him. Finally sometime in the night Carter finally fell asleep. Shortly before sunrise there was a noise below Newkirk. Rustle, Rustle. He sighed and grabbed his torch from under his blanket. Aiming it down he turned it on to see a mouse sleeping next to Carter's head. It was a large mouse. It had found it's way back. Newkirk couldn't help but smile. He put his torch away and went back to sleep.
The next morning Carter was pleased to find the mouse. He kept it a secret for weeks until he found out that it only slept in their camp. It ate at the camp he had left it at. He would be able to keep Felix after all. Eventually the men found out about Felix but seeing as he didn't cause so much trouble as he did before Hogan allowed Carter to keep him.
That is the story of Felix and how he became one of the Hogan's Heroes.
[AN] This is a true story of the mouse in my room… although I'm still looking for my mouse! I named my mouse Felix too! XD well I hope you liked it! Please R&R