Copyright of the Hogan's Heroes characters
belongs to others and no infringement or
ownership is intended.
Marty Breedlove
Chapter 4
Christmas Afternoon
The men of Barracks Two, recently back inside from their football game, were huddled around the stove warming their hands when the door burst open immediately putting a stop to the idle chatter and boasting.
"Blimey, Schultz!" Newkirk gasped. "I thought you were the ruddy Gestapo!"
"Colonel Hogan, Kommandant Klink invites you to his quarters for a game of chess." Schultz yawned. "And I've been sent to escort you."
Hogan's shoulders relaxed, as Schultz's presence registered, "Schultz, can't you knock?"
"Escort?" The Englander questioned. "That sounds more like an order. Somebody needs to give Klink a lesson on how to send out an invitation."
"Oui, an invitation can be turned down! Doesn't Klink know that?" LeBeau wrapped his arms around himself tucking his hands next to his body for warmth.
Carter took a step forward. "Yeah, Schultz, what happens if you go back and tell the Kommandant the Colonel doesn't want to play chess with him?"
Hogan sighed, "Then I get a room without a view for insubordination."
"You know, Schultz, if you'd learn to play chess, the Kommandant could leave Colonel Hogan alone," Kinch smirked.
"Pleeease," Schultz begged, his head spinning from the banter. "Then I would have to spend more time with him."
"You might get a promotion…" Kinch continued.
"Yeah," Newkirk jumped in, "or a three day pass!"
Schultz stopped to consider what he was being told…but only briefly. "No, it's not worth it. Come, Colonel Hogan. Kommandant Klink is waiting."
Hogan turned and, zipping his coat, asked, "Has Klink heard anymore from Major Grim?"
"Whooo?"
"Hochstetter."
"Oh." Schultz chuckled lightly as the sarcasm became apparent. "No, I don't think so." His smile suddenly changed to a worried frown. "Should he?"
"No, but you know the Gestapo…" Hogan answered, while herding Schultz out the door. "...always trying to take over Klink's command." Then, sticking his head back inside, whispered, "Somebody stay on the lookout in case Hochstetter returns."
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"Well, Major Hochstetter, what is this you're bringing us?"
Hochstetter turned to look at the Major walking up behind him. He was Hochstetter's equal in rank but not in date of promotion. Hochstetter was still the senior officer on that score.
A long sad line of terrified civilians were paraded past on their way to the holding cells.
"Ah, Major Hegel, I was just going to send for you. I've brought these people in for questioning about the munitions plant bombing. I can use your help in interrogating them."
"You suspect them in the bombings?"
"I suspect everybody!"
Hegel stood stiff and nodded, his eyes examining the faces passing before him. He understood Hochstetter's meaning. With so many acts of sabotage and so little evidence to go on they were going to have to start digging and…sifting…to find those responsible. Berlin was losing patience.
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Hogan looked edgily around the room. It took Klink forever to move his chessmen. He often wondered if it was part of Klink's strategy to wear his opponents down. Leaning back in his chair Hogan looked at the front gate. Still no returning Hochstetter, that was good. Maybe the Major was off filing his report. Hogan smiled at the thought. Dear Berlin, they got us again!
"Do you mind if I stand up and stretch, Kommandant?"
Without looking up from the chessboard, Klink waved his hand in agreement.
Hogan stood and after a good long stretch casually strolled around Klink's parlor looking for objects of interest.
"You won't find anything, Colonel Hogan."
"Hmm? I don't know what you mean, Kommandant. I'm just getting the kinks out."
"Mmm, hmm." Klink reached across the board and made his move. "You don't actually think I'd leave anything out for you to see do you?" Klink looked pointedly at Hogan. "It's your move."
Hogan frowned and walked back to the game. "Honestly, Kommandant, what would I do with any military information? I couldn't even get it out of camp."
Hogan looked briefly at the board, and dragged his chess piece into position. "Check."
Klink snapped his head down. Impetuous, Klink thought, as he settled in to study the new move.
Hogan smiled and continued his stroll.
After several more minutes of silence, Klink spoke. "Who won the football game?"
Hogan jerked his hand away from the desk drawer he was reaching for and folding his arms in front of him turned to look at Klink. "Oh, were you watching…the game?"
"For a while, then I left to indulge myself with some music and to play my violin. You know, Hogan, a little classical music wouldn't do you any harm. It might help calm you." Klink looked again at Hogan. "I've noticed…" He gestured again with his hand, "…that you pace…a lot!"
Hogan straightened, "That might have something to do with my being a prisoner in the middle of Germany. It's not a good position to be in!"
"Which is exactly why a little violin music would be good for you; it would take your mind off of the war."
"I'm sure it would," Hogan mumbled bitterly.
"I…" Klink was interrupted before he could finish by a knock coming through the connecting door from his outer office.
A head soon popped through. "Herr Kommandant, you have a call."
"Who is it?"
Langenscheidt looked at Hogan and back to Klink. "Major Hochstetter."
Klink paled. Standing, he ordered, "I'll take it in there. Excuse me Colonel Hogan." Glancing at his desk, he added, "I'll leave you on your honor."
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Hegel circled the man sitting in front of him. This was the third person he had interrogated out of the group Hochstetter had assigned to him. Hochstetter had some very strong ideas about the sabotage activities taking place in the area. Albeit, very wild ideas…but with the lack of any other tangible leads who was he to criticize? Undoubtedly, these were the suspects Hochstetter felt were less promising. Of the first two, one was an old widower, whose mind was leaving him and the other a school teacher and an active member of the Nazi party. Neither of which, he had determined, had any vital information to share.
But this one was a baker. He had to see a lot of the population or at least a lot from his end of town. And with the Hoffbrau just behind him, there was a lot of potential here.
"Are you trying to tell me that you run a store in the heart of Hammelburg and you never see anything suspicious?" Hegel yelled. "I find that very hard to believe, Herr Schiller."
Schiller shifted in his chair, the first sign that Hegel was right. "We can make you very uncomfortable. You don't want me to have to resort to that. I'm very good at it." Hegel turned and walked to the table opposite his prisoner, composed himself and turned around.
"Tell me, Herr Schiller, do you consider yourself loyal to the Fatherland?"
The man swallowed hard. "Yes, Herr Major, I am a loyal German citizen. I have two sons fighting in the war." Tears of fear spilled out of the corner of his eye, but with his hands tied behind the chair, he was helpless to wipe them away.
"Two sons?" Hegel nodded and using the information continued, "I imagine you are very concerned for their safety."
Schiller held his breath. A thousand fears ran through his head as he tried to understand Hegel's meaning.
"There are some areas of fighting more…shall we say, dangerous than others. It would be a shame if one…or both…of your sons were assigned to such fighting."
"No…" It came out quietly in a gasp…or perhaps…it was a prayer.
Hegel walked to stand next to the shopkeeper and laid his hand on his shoulder. "I will give you the opportunity to prove your loyalty and as a reward perhaps save the lives of your sons."
Schiller stiffened; there was now no question as to Hegel's meaning. It was loud and clear.
"All you have to do is report to me…and only me…any suspicious activities you see or hear as your neighbors come and go in your shop. Of course, if you claim to not hear or see anything, I will assume you are keeping information from me and, therefore, are not the loyal German citizen you claim to be and you will be shot as a traitor."
The foulness of the offered proposition sickened Schiller. His anger mixed with his fear and for an instant he thought he could refuse, but…
Hegel stepped back and looked Schiller in the eye. "And if the father is a traitor…can the sons be anything less?"
...no…not his sons. He felt powerless to do anything… but…accept.
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1 Episode 35, "Diamonds in the Rough", aired second season, September 30th, 1966.
Major Hegel a Gestapo agent who learned all about Hogan's operation and demanded one million dollars worth of diamonds for his silence.