A Plot Hatches

The barracks were fairly quiet, since there had been a big mission, and all the core team, including Kinch, was outside the wire. They had been gone for several hours, and were not expected back until just before roll call. As usual, when this happened, the "second-string" team had little to do, and most of them were bored silly.

The only one who had always had a job at times like this was Baker. He was at his post in the radio room, and even he was bored, because radio traffic was completely silent. In fact, he was nearly dozing when a call came through from London.

"Mama Bear to Papa Bear, are you there, Papa Bear?"

Baker answered quickly. "Papa Bear, here."

"We have the information regarding your package. It is that time again, after all. Expect a drop tomorrow 0200 at X-14. Acknowledge."

"Acknowledged, 0200, X-14."

"Very good. Mama Bear, out."

Baker signed off, and finished copying down the message for Colonel Hogan. He smiled. At last! A break in the tedium. He stood and stretched, a scowl marring his handsome features as a thought occurred to him. He sighed and glanced at the message again. Won't matter. The core guys always get the stories first. Like everything else, we have to wait. I need a cup of coffee.

He looked around and spotted one of the shovels Newkirk had managed to smuggle into the tunnel. No one ever asked how he had managed it, probably because no one really wanted to know. The Germans were notoriously fussy about keeping track of any item that could possibly be used to aid in a prisoner's escape. Baker chuckled. Not that it did them any good.

He grabbed the shovel and stood on the desk, and pounded on the ceiling four times. He then climbed down, dusted his boot prints off the desk and waited. Within five minutes, Garlotti was there, with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, and a handful of rather battered cookies in the other.

Baker's eyes lit up. "Thanks!"

Garlotti shrugged. "Mamma sent me a batch of 'em for my birthday. Schultz only took a few this time."

He eyed the desk critically and pointed. "You missed a spot."

"Huh?" Baker looked at the desk. "Oops." He cleaned the offending dirt off the desk with his sleeve.

Garlotti grinned. "Y'know, you better be careful standing on the desk like that. If Kinch catches you, you're dead meat."

Baker smiled as he ate the last cookie. "Never happen. Besides, I'm surprised he hasn't thought of it himself."

Garlotti looked amused. "At his size?"

Baker reconsidered. "Well, there is that."

"So, any traffic tonight?"

"Just one message for Colonel Hogan. The coordinates for the delivery of the Papa Bear Award stories."

Garlotti's eyes lit up. "That's right! He did mention he was expecting London to contact us soon…" Baker saw the same frustration dim the enthusiasm in his buddy's eyes. "But every year, we barely have time to read them."

And suddenly the two looked at each other. Garlotti's chin came up, fire lighting his eyes once again. And Baker grinned and folded the message into quarters, and dropped it into his jacket pocket.

Garlotti went back up to the barracks and got all the guys from the second string together for an impromptu meeting. Baker stayed on the radio, but the two had already hatched out a plot. Now they just had to get the others to agree. Because their idea would never succeed if all the men weren't on board. And Garlotti only had a couple of hours to convince them.

Some of the men had been enthusiastic immediately. Others had taken longer to come around. In the end, though, they all agreed that they were tired of being the last guys to do, well, anything. They saw some action, sure, but once—just once—it would be nice to be first at something. And the Papa Bear stories…what a tempting idea! After all, no one would be hurt, and they would turn them over to the colonel in time for the core team to read them…if they hurried.

And thus, began the great Back-Row Rebellion. Little did they know that it would turn into the most epic game of hide-and-seek any of them had ever participated in.

~HH~

The Rebellion Begins

Foster was one of the men who hadn't been so sure about the plan. A few hours before the plane was due to make the drop, he suddenly thought of something. It was an ideal time to check out the detail that was bothering him, because the core team was in Colonel Hogan's office. He turned to Tony Garlotti. "Hey, have you guys figured out how you're gonna get out of camp to pick up the stories tonight?

Garlotti grinned. "Yup. Olsen is gonna sneak out and pick them up. He figures he can get in and out pretty quick, without anybody noticing, since nobody except the colonel keeps track of him anyway. An' if Colonel Hogan catches him, he's gonna tell him he had a date."

Foster's eyebrow raised. "A date? You think the colonel will let him get away with that?"

Garlotti shrugged. "What's he gonna do? Throw him in the cooler?"

Thomas scratched his head. "True. As long as he doesn't get caught heading out to get the stories, we're good. Anybody going with him?

"Nah. The last thing we need is a bunch of us outside the wire. Danny can handle it."

"Okay, but if he gets caught, Colonel Hogan will have all our hides."

Tony grinned. "You worry too much. It'll be a piece of cake!"

Somehow, that didn't make Thomas feel any better.

~HH~

Late that night, Olsen snuck out of Barracks Two. None of the core team paid much attention, because Colonel Hogan often sent Danny out at odd times. Carter was awake, however, and he filed the detail away, as he did everything that happened around the barracks. He turned over in his bunk and, as he listened to Newkirk's window-rattling snores, wished for the thousandth time he had a set of earplugs. Olsen's foray beyond the gate was forgotten as he settled down with a weary sigh.

A/N: And yes, I know canon never gave Olsen a first name. I picked Danny a long time ago, and have used it ever since. If that name doesn't strike your fancy…you are free to edit it in your heads! Same with any other canon O/C that did not come equipped with a first name. (Unfortunately, some never came equipped with any name, but I will try to avoid them to keep confusion down to a minimum.)