Chapter 4: Enemies or Allies
The truck stopped in front of Abwehr headquarters in Berlin. Klink exited the truck first. He stared down the street toward Gestapo headquarters. He wondered what they were doing to Hogan. What kind of unspeakable pain was he feeling?
As the men exited the truck, each glanced in the same direction as Klink, and then bowed their head. No one wanted to think about what was happening to Hogan. They followed the guards inside, where they were put into different cells.
Klink tapped Teppel on the shoulder. "Ja, Herr Oberst?"
"When will you start your questioning?" Klink asked.
Teppel glanced at his watch. "In about an hour. I have some work I must attend to first."
Klink nodded. "I shall return. Do not start interrogating them until I return."
"Colonel, we are at Abwehr now. We have many things to do. Here, we do as I wish. We will start interrogating them in one hour with or without you," said Teppel, firmly.
"Right. See you in an hour." Klink walked toward Gestapo headquarters. He didn't want to go in there. He knew, though, if he was to help Hogan, he needed to know what was happening in there. Would it seem out of place for him to check on his former senior prisoner of war? He took a deep breath, looked both ways, and crossed the street.
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"There is nothing to tell. I already told you, I have no big secret. I was tired of flying a desk and wanted to get back into the action. Torturing Hogan isn't going to give answers which don't exist," said Lawrence.
"If that were true, you would have been part of a squadron or something, not by yourself. Give me the answers I want or watch Colonel Hogan suffer," informed Weissmuller.
Lawrence started to give his cover story. "I lied to the men. I said we had clearance to take the plane. My request to fly again was turned down by my superiors. They said I was too old. I figured if the bombing mission were successful, it would show them I wasn't too old. That is why we weren't with a squadron."
"I see. I believe you Americans call it 'being a Lone Ranger'?" Weissmuller asked.
"You could say that. Imagine how you would feel being told the only thing you could do was paperwork. No more interrogating prisoners or doing anything else active in the war effort?" Lawrence said, grasping at straws.
Weissmuller faced Hogan. "Colonel, has this man ever lied to you?"
Hogan tried to keep his voice calm. "No, he hasn't"
"Would you lie to me, Colonel?" asked Weissmuller
Hogan remained silent. Weissmuller pressed a little harder with the nail, prodding an answer from Hogan. Hogan squeezed his eyes closed. Sweat poured from his forehead. Hogan stared Weissmuller in the eye. "Do you think I would lie to you, knowing what you could do to me if I did?"
Hogan bit his lip to keep from screaming. He shut his eyes as he bent forward, trying to catch his breath. The pain, however, came from a place he wasn't expecting; the top of his left leg.
When Hogan was eight years old, he was playing in a barn with his brother and sister. He fell on a board with a nail sticking up. The nail went deep into his leg. He remembered sitting on the ground crying as Tom wrapped his handkerchief around the wound. The pain then didn't hold a candle to the pain this nail caused.
"You son of a diseased dog! You don't have to do this. I already told you everything," pleaded Lawrence.
Weissmuller stepped aside so Lawrence could see where exactly he placed the nail. Hogan grunted when Weissmuller pulled the nail out of his leg. "I'm not that cruel. Unless I am forced to be. It is okay to scream, Colonel. No one will think any less of you." Weissmuller glanced at Lawrence. "Since Colonel Hogan knows what we are capable of, I believe him. You however, I do not. Now you can see I have no reservations about causing Colonel Hogan pain."
Hogan squeezed his eyes shut as Weissmuller jammed the nail into another part of his body. Hogan realized Weissmuller was not choosing places at random. He was inserting the nail in places where it would cause the greatest amount of pain with the least amount of damage. By doing this, it allowed him to last much longer. Would Lawrence hold out as well?
Hogan looked upward. Lord, please spare me this pain. I know I cannot get out this myself. Please, somehow get us out of here.
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Klink stopped at the front desk to inquire which cell Hogan was being held in.
"I am sorry, Herr Oberst. Oberst Hogan is being interrogated at the moment. No one is allowed to see him," the clerk answered.
Klink set his jaw, if it worked for them, why not him? "I want to see what kind of progress they are making. I have known Hogan for a long time. I might have some ideas to make the Gestapo's job easier."
"I… I can't…." the clerk stammered.
Klink leaned over the desk. "Corporal, I demand to see Colonel Hogan now! Where is he located?"
The clerk shrank back. "Sublevel two. Interrogation room at the end of the hall."
"Danke." Klink's heart pounded. It felt strange, yet good, to be assertive. He found the stairs leading to the sublevels.
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Hogan's head fell forward from exhaustion. He tried to force his mind elsewhere. He thought about the summers he worked at the airfield on Sopwith Camels and other planes. He concentrated on the first time he went up in a plane. The feeling of freedom he had was so peaceful; he didn't want to land.
The plane changed around him. It was spinning out of control toward the ground. Hogan jerked his head back. When he opened his eyes, he saw Weissmuller staring at the blood-covered nail in his hand.
"I am afraid I have run out of places to insert the nail, Colonel. This means I will have to try something else." Weissmuller nodded to a guard. The guard left the room and returned a short time later with a cart. The cart contained a tub of hot coals with a poker sticking out of them.
The muscles in Hogan's body shook with fear and anticipation. When he was captured on his first spy mission to Berlin, and the mild interrogation did not produce anything except that they were innocent German civilians, the Gestapo upped the stakes. The hot poker was one of the techniques they used to threaten him. He hoped it was to scare him again, and not to be used.
"Is there anything you wish to say to General Lawrence before we start phase two?" Weissmuller asked, extracting the poker. He stared madly at the glowing tip.
Hogan noticed the look of pleasure on Weissmuller's face. The look confirmed Hogan's fear. Weissmuller was planning to use it on him.
"What information are you hoping to gain from this? I told you the truth. I used to be a good storyteller. If it's a story you want, I am sure I can make one up for you. I know, how about I am on a secret mission to Germany to deliver toys to all the good girls and boys. Or how about I am here to air mail a package to London." Lawrence said, using the coded message they had come up with on their first mission together.
Hogan picked up on the message. Lawrence was there to pick something up and take it to London. Hogan looked at the straps securing his hands to the chair. He pulled on them, testing their strength. He had to get out of this situation soon. Whatever it was Lawrence was to get to London, it must be very important for him to come here.
There was a pause. Hogan looked at Lawrence with pain and sadness. "I know why General Lawrence is here."
Hogan saw Lawrence's eyes go wide with disbelief. It was the reaction he had hoped for. He wanted Lawrence to believe he was going to betray him. His reaction would help give credibility to the story he was about to tell.
With a confused look, Weissmuller asked, "You have not been alone with him. How could he have told you with out us knowing?"
"Did he tell you he was coming through a radio communication with Stalag 13?" asked Hochstetter. Everyone stared at Hochstetter in silence. Hochstetter shrugged. "I figured since we were questioning Hogan, I would see if I could get him to confess to being a member of the underground. At least, tell about the secret radio he has hidden."
"Major, I think you have been working too hard. Why don't you take a nice long vacation," suggested Weissmuller. Turning back to Hogan, "When did he tell you the nature of his mission?"
Hogan looked away from Lawrence with shame. "Sorry, General. I have to tell them. I… I can't take it any more." Hogan took a deep breath. "He came here to take someone to London."
"Traitor!" yelled Lawrence, pulling on his restraints. "When we get out of this, I am going to see you are punished to the full extent!"
"Did he tell you who?" inquired Weissmuller.
Hogan nodded without looking at anyone. "Major Hochstetter."
"What!" exclaimed everyone.
"Why would he want to take me to London?" asked Hochstetter. "Is it because I am getting close to proving you are Papa Bear?"
Weissmuller replaced the poker then strode over to Hochstetter "A very good question, indeed."
"It appears Hochstetter is too zealous on his quest to extinguish the underground. London wants him out of the way before he uncovers the whole underground operation," answered Hogan.
"Do you expect me to believe that? If anything, he is probably helping the underground. It is the only logical explanation for his area having the highest sabotage rate and the fewest results," accused Weissmuller.
"I assure you, I am a loyal German. I am doing the best I can trying to catch the ones responsible for the sabotage," defended Hochstetter. "I have made great progress. The sabotage in the area has gone down. It can only mean I am getting close."
Hogan nodded. "That's true. Every time something happens and he has no other suspects, he comes to camp accusing me of it. I noticed he hasn't been around much lately."
"Shut up, Hogan!" yelled Hochstetter.
"Just trying to help," said Hogan as innocently as he could. Distraction was one of his specialties. It wouldn't last long, but he hoped long enough for him to figure something else.
Hogan caught the look Lawrence gave him. Lawrence gave a quick wink, noting his approval. As much as Hogan wanted to listen to the conversation, he had to think up of a plan.
Unfortunately for Hogan, the arguing stopped with Weissmuller saying, "We will deal with this later. Right now, we have more important matters." Weissmuller removed the poker again. "Colonel, do you have any idea what I will do to you if you are lying to me?"
Hogan nodded, staring at the business end of the poker. "I think I have a pretty good idea."
"Do you want to change anything you have told me? You see, I doubt he told you any of that information just now. I do not believe he told you anything. I think this is something you had arranged from when you served under him."
"I am telling you the truth. Major Hochstetter's reputation has made it all the way to London. Before I got shot down, we referred to him as the evil Santa Claus, because he liked to deliver bad presents to people. Hence the giving gifts part of General Lawrence's story. It is up to you whether to believe the story. Wait a minute. You are not allowed to make such decisions. Hitler tells you what to believe," Hogan said.
Weissmuller drew the poker back to hit Hogan, when the door opened. "Halt!" Hogan saw Klink standing in the doorway. Why on earth is he here?
"Klink, what are you doing here?" growled Hochstetter.
"I was in the neighborhood and thought I could be of some assistance," Klink said, walking toward Hogan.
Weissmuller lowered the poker as he stood next to Klink. "I assure you Colonel, we have everything under control. Now, if you will let us get back to our interrogation..."
"I have had this man in my custody for many years. Major Hochstetter has tried on countless occasions to extract information from him. Tell us, Major Hochstetter, have you ever had any success?" asked Klink.
"No, I haven't. I have discovered Colonel Hogan has a high pain tolerance. As of yet, I have not had any success in getting him to tell me anything useful." Hochstetter hung his head in shame. To the Gestapo he was a disgrace. To London, he was Hogan's savior.
"Tell us, Colonel, have you discovered the chink in his armor?" asked Weissmuller, replacing the poker for the second time into the hot coals.
"I don't know if this is any help, but Hogan did tell me once his brother use to pin him down and tickle him until Hogan told his brother what he wanted to know. But who am I to tell you how to do your job," said Klink.
"I told you that in confidence over a chess game," yelled Hogan, going along with it. If he had to be tortured, tickle torture would be the way he would choose. "How dare you tell them? I trusted you."
"Have you forgotten which uniform I wear? By the way, I gave your men the message. They are currently doing what those over them tell them to do. I will let you get back to your job, Major, while I get back to mine. Sorry for interrupting." Klink paused at the door. "Hogan, tell them what they want to know and end this."
"It's not me they want the information from," said Hogan, confused as to why Klink really stopped by or made up the story about him being ticklish. Why would he be in the neighborhood? Stalag 13 was a long ways from here.
After Klink left, Weissmuller turned back to Hogan. "So, shall we pick up from where we left off or is the general going to talk?"
"Why would I want to save someone who is a disgrace to the US? You have been in a POW camp for almost three years and haven't escaped from the likes of him? That is patheticsa," said Lawrence.
Hogan laughed. "Have to blame my CO for the lousy training."
Hogan noticed Weissmuller didn't have the enthusiasm he once did. Could Klink's interruption have caused him to lose his momentum? Hogan watched him pace in a thoughtful manner.
"Take them back to their cells. We will continue later," said Weissmuller
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Klink thought as he went back to the Abwehr headquarters. He had only heard about some of the extreme measures the Gestapo used to get people to talk. What puzzled him was they didn't want Hogan to talk. It must have something to do with the general in the room.
He laughed to himself at the story he came up with. It was absurd enough to be one of Hogan's ideas. He didn't even know if Hogan had a brother. It was something however, his brother used to do to him. He hoped it bought Hogan enough of a breather. At least now he had some information to tell Hogan's men.
Klink strode into Teppel's office. "I need to speak with Corporal Newkirk before you start."
Teppel glanced at the clock. "You have ten minutes."
Klink marched to Newkirk's cell. After the door was opened, he turned to the guard. "I am taking the Corporal for a short walk. I will bring him back in ten minutes."
"I shall accompany you, Sir," the guard responded.
Klink patted his holster. "No need. I know how to handle him." Klink motioned for Newkirk to follow him.
With hesitation, Newkirk followed. When they reached the outside, Klink leaned close to Newkirk's ear. "I know who Colonel Hogan is and what you can do. I just got back from visiting him. From what I am able to gather, they are torturing Hogan to get some general to talk. I have a feeling they will make Hogan die a slow, painful death if he doesn't get out of there soon. The general appeared to be unaffected by what they were doing to him."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. What do you expect us to do? We are being held by the Abwehr, and Gestapo surrounds the gov'nor," answered Newkirk.
"I know Hogan is responsible for everything around Stalag 13. Do you want them to torture him to the point where he talks?" asked Klink.
"I don't know what we can do?" said Newkirk.
Klink stopped walking. "I figured everything out after the cave in. I know a cave in did not cause Colonel Hogan's and Sergeant Christopher's injuries. I also believe Sergeant Wright did not die in the cave in. I doubt he is buried under the showers. I will try to arrange it so we can leave the Abwehr soon. Then it will be up to you. I will do whatever you want me to do."
Newkirk shook his head. "Who put you up to this, Kommandant? Do you think we would really fall for this trick?"
Klink slammed Newkirk against a wall. "They were ready to skewer Hogan with a red hot poker. Is that what you want?" Klink released his grip then backed up. He looked around to see if he had drawn any attention to himself. A few people had noticed, but quickly went on their way. "I guess I had you figured all wrong. You don't care about what they are doing to him, or how much pain he is in over there."
"Don't tell me about not caring. I have nightmares from when Koch tortured me in front of him. Knowing I caused the pain in his eyes hurt worse than anything Koch did to me." Newkirk glanced around. "If we are able to do something, and I say if, what guarantees do I have this isn't a trap?"
"You have my word as an officer. I know it probably doesn't mean much to you. Right now it is all I have. I took a vow to help a certain person and I will fulfill it or die trying." Klink hoped Newkirk could see his sincerity. Later, he would prove his loyalty.
"Arrange for all of us to meet in a room with running water and no guards," Newkirk said after some thought.
"I will see what I can do. We must return." Klink led Newkirk back to his cell at the Abwehr headquarters. As he turned to leave, he saw Teppel walking down the hall. "I was just coming to see you, Major. I had an interesting talk with Corporal Newkirk. I recommend you put all the men in a room where they can talk amongst themselves. I suggest a room with running water. They might be more cooperative. If they don't feel they can talk freely, it might not work."
Teppel arched his eyebrow as he glanced at Newkirk. Newkirk gave a slight nod. "I will take it into consideration. If you don't mind, I have a job to do."
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The door shut and locked behind the men. Newkirk was impressed. He turned the water on.
"What's this about?" asked LeBeau
"Klink and I had a talk. He knows or suspects the truth about the gov'nor and us. He told me what they are doing to him. Klink made a vow to help Hogan escape or die trying," said Newkirk.
Carter laughed. "That's a funny one, Newkirk. Why would Klink care what they do to Colonel Hogan?"
"Why would he stick his neck out for him?" asked Olsen. "The only person Klink ever cared about was Klink.
Newkirk motioned for them to quiet down. "I don't have all the answers. Could be because Klink realizes Hogan is the reason for his perfect no escape record. I don't really know or care. All I know is he wants to help and we could use it."
"What makes you think we can trust him?" asked LeBeau
"He gave me his word as an officer," said Newkirk.
"You take the word of Kraut!" Carter exclaimed. "That will be the first."
"Klink seemed very sincere, but it is more than just his word. It was the emotion behind his words. Even the emotion in his eyes supported what he was saying." Newkirk paced, thinking through things. "My gut tells me to trust him. Since all of our lives are on the line, I want your thoughts. Do we trust him, or not?"
The men looked at each other, each trying to figure out what the others were thinking. If it were a trap, they would all die slow deaths, just as would Hogan if they did not rescue him soon.
Christopher placed his hand on Newkirk's shoulder. "I'm with whatever you decide. Kinch placed you in charge because he believes you will make the right choices."
Carter nodded. "I didn't come all the way to Berlin for nothing."
"I say we trust him," said Foster. "It is better than the plan we have now."
"I didn't know we had a plan," said Carter.
Foster smiled. "That's my point."
"I don't have anything better to do," Olsen said.
LeBeau scuffed his foot on the floor. "I agreed to be with Colonel Hogan to the end. If this is the end, I want it to be saving him. He would do the same for any of us."
"That settles it then. I'll tell Teppel to let Klink talk him into getting us out of here. Now this is what I have planned…"
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Klink nervously paced the room they let him wait in. Was he making the right choice? What would happen to him if Hogan's men felt threatened? What would happen if things went wrong? How on earth are they going to be able to pull this off? I need a drink.
The door opened. "Herr Oberst, the Englander wishes to speak with you," said the guard.
Klink took a deep breath. He followed the guard to Newkirk's cell.
"We agree. Just get us out of here," said Newkirk, sternly.
"I will see what I can do." Klink practically ran to Teppel's office.
"Colonel Klink, am I allowed to interrogate them now or are you going to keep interfering?" Teppel asked with irritation in his voice.
"I am not going to delay you any longer." Teppel started to walk out the door. "Could you please finish quickly though? I need to get back to camp as soon as possible."
Teppel rubbed the bridge of his nose. "If there is no more interference, I will have this over with shortly."
"Gut!" Klink exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.
