The next morning, or at least Hogan assumed it was, the agents burst into the room and caught Hogan dozing on the bed. This time they were a bit more physical, dragging him over to the chair and uncomfortably cuffing both hands behind his back.

"Hey, all you had to do was ask," he protested.

"You've heard of this Papa Bear?" Schmidt demanded. "Perhaps you've had contact with him?"

"Yeah," Hogan replied. "And the wolf, the witch, and the rest of the bunch. We had dinner. Porridge. It was cold. What's with the fairy tales?" He asked.

Weis chuckled. "You're a real comedian, aren't you?"

"It's a calling." Hogan snapped.

"You know, I'm thinking of heading back to where we plucked you from and getting some help," Schmidt said patiently. "Perhaps one of the other prisoners might be more cooperative."

Hogan stayed quiet.

"Someone from your barracks," Schmidt continued. "There are two corporals, I believe, that may be willing to talk. Newkirk and LeBeau."

"I told you I don't know anything about the Underground, and neither do my men!"

This back and forth continued until Hogan just blatantly refused to answer any more questions. Surprisingly, the two agents left him sitting in the chair. Schmidt paused, went over to the door and told a guard to bring the prisoner something to eat. Several minutes later, Schmidt had unlocked the cuffs and watched as Hogan tentatively ate another sandwich.

"Here." Weis brought over a cup of water. "Drink it," he ordered. When Hogan was finished, Weis placed the empty plate and cup on the desk and then recuffed the now thoroughly confused Colonel.

Schmidt continued with the questioning. "We had an interesting conversation with your Kommandant, Colonel. How many times have you joined the Kommandant and his guest for dinner in his quarters?"

Hogan mentally counted six or seven times at least and several of those dinners had resulted in stolen plans or maps. "I don't know. Ask Klink."

"Unusual, wouldn't you say, for a prisoner to sit at a dinner table with the enemy and his company?"

"I was ordered, and my men were ordered to work at the dinners," Hogan replied.

"That's not what we heard. Apparently you have a habit of volunteering the services of your men, particularly this LeBeau, in exchange for favors."

"Electricity, extra blankets, extra rations. Check the other camps. I bet it's a common practice."

"Work details, maybe. But dinners? A nice amount of fraternization between you and this Klink, Hogan."

"What?"

"You and your men, Newkirk and LeBeau enjoyed an evening in Hammelburg after making a propaganda recording. (1) You also had dinner with Klink and General Burkhalter and two lovely young frauleins." (2)

Both times Hogan had slipped information to a courier. Had he been spotted? Concerned again that someone had talked, he kept his mouth shut.

"In exchange for information, Hogan?"

Fraternization, information. Now Hogan thought back to the accusations in Klink's office. Were these guys after Klink for being soft? Nah, couldn't be. Why take him, then? But, if so, he couldn't let them get Klink. The Kommandant was too crucial to their operation.

"We took a look at that camp. Seems like it has some design flaws. An officer of your rank, all those men. Surprising that Klink can keep his perfect record." Weis pointed out.

********

Klink had already faced Burkhalter's wrath over the telephone. He had no idea the General's signature was forged. And who was he to argue with Gestapo agents? Now he meekly sat in his chair and tried to put up with Hochstetter. He was having enough problems trying to keep the prisoners quiet. After all, they were quite upset. Hogan's aide, that Sergeant Kinchloe, had even demanded a meeting with him the previous evening, and asked if he was planning on pressing for the Colonel's return. Personally, he would have liked nothing better for Hogan to return unharmed. Everything seemed to run more smoothly when he was around.

"So, Klink. Two men claiming to be Gestapo agents entered the camp, and then produced forged papers authorizing the removal of one of your prisoners for questioning." Hochstetter was secretly amused that someone had managed to forge Burkhalter's signature, but he was outraged at the violation of his authority over this jurisdiction. Besides, if anyone would question Hogan, it would be him, eventually.

"Yes, Major. But first, they asked for a tour of the camp."

"I see. What kind of car were they driving, Klink?"

"The usual Gestapo staff car, Major."

Hochstetter ordered his assistant to call and check on stolen vehicles.

"Did Berlin confirm that these men were from the Gestapo?" Klink asked.

"No, Klink. It will take time. But they're not Gestapo."

"Not Gestapo." Klink repeated.

"We wouldn't bother to forge orders. If we wanted your prisoner, Klink, we would just take him."

"Lovely, isn't 'e?" Newkirk added his two cents. He and Carter were listening in on the conversation, while Kinch was on the radio updating Underground units.

"No, I don't suppose you would." Klink started to fiddle with a pencil. "If they aren't Gestapo, then who are they?"

Hochstetter began to pace back and forth and then snapped his fingers. "Abwehr."

"But what would they want with Colonel Hogan?" Klink asked.

"Bah. Shut up. I'm thinking."

"I'll shut up." Klink whined.

"Nerves of steel, that one." Newkirk commented again.

"There is another possibility, Klink."

"Yes."

"Hogan arranged it."

"You're joking."

"I never joke."

"No, you never joke."

"It's all part of an elaborate scheme to smuggle him out of camp and get him back to England." Hochstetter said triumphantly.

"I wish that was the case," Carter muttered.

"Wolfie's gone off the deep end." Newkirk added.

Klink came to Hogan's defense. "No, I don't believe it."

"And why don't you believe it, Klink?" Hochstetter was now in the Kommandant's face, unnerving Klink even further.

"He wouldn't abandon his men."

"That's our Kommandant! 'E knows our Colonel."

"How touching." Hochstetter headed for the door. "We'll check on the car and ask around. If he's still in Germany, he's probably somewhere in the area. It wouldn't make sense for whoever took him to travel far."

"Checkpoints?" Klink asked.

"And Underground units. They've been known to ambush our cars." The Gestapo major left, slamming the door behind him.

*******

"Those dinners. He's hiding something." Boswell and Garrett were taking a quick break. Garrett was now getting suspicious.

"I'm pretty sure of one thing," Boswell said. "I don't think he's been brainwashed. He's too calculating."

"Look, we can't raise the threat level. We know we won't carry through with it." Garrett then made a decision. "Let's go with the drugs. It's worth a shot."

Hogan was now convinced that the agents were using psychological tactics to get information about the operation by pegging him as a coward or traitor. Well it wouldn't work. He could care less what they thought of him. Confident that he had figured out their game, he relaxed a bit and thought about ways to get out of this mess. Frankly, he couldn't think of anything at the moment and his biggest fear was that these agents would either tire of him or give up and turn him over to others for more conventional methods of persuasion. Maybe they would take him to Gestapo headquarters and he would be lucky and be spotted, then rescued. He laughed at himself. He'd have to be the luckiest man in Germany for that to happen. Besides, he had no idea where he was. He wasn't sure these guys were even from the Gestapo and Kinch had most likely closed up shop by now.

The door opened. "Don't get up," Weis ordered, as he and Schmidt strolled in.

Hogan tensed as he saw the agents were accompanied by two of the guards. He didn't listen and started to roll off the bed. "It's not polite to stay in bed for company," he quipped.

"Lie back down." Weis removed his gun.

Hogan held up his hands. "All right. Take it easy. Now what?"

"Cuff him." The guards attached each arm to the bed frame, then left. "Your answers, Colonel, have not been satisfactory or believable. This morning, we will try a different method. Sodium Pentothal."

Oh Christ! Truth serum. Hogan's only experience with the drug had been as an observer. They had used it on Schultz to get a factory location, but it hadn't worked as expected. Schultz had a one-track mind, a track that always led to food and that's what he had divulged. Information about a kitchen. But their contact knew of agents who had given up vital information under the drug. (3) He wished the Allies had tested the drug on them during interrogation training, but they hadn't. Hell, he wished they had tested it on themselves back at camp. Now he had no idea what would happen and he was trapped. "Good, I need some dental work," Hogan cracked, although he was secretly terrified.

"You never fail to amuse me, Colonel. Relax." Weis injected the serum. "Trust me, you won't remember anything, now start counting."

"Go to hell," Hogan replied, as he kept urging himself silently to fight. "Using drugs on prisoners is against the…" The what? He couldn't remember.

In less than thirty seconds, Hogan was under the effect of the drug. Knowing they had to work fast, the agents immediately began their questioning.

"Hogan, tell me how many times you've tried to escape from Stalag 13?"

"Escape? No escapes."

"As an officer, isn't it your duty to escape?"

"No escapes. Orders."

"Orders? Whose orders? Yours?"

"My orders. Klink's record."

"You care about Klink's record?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Klink needs to keep his job."

"What about the other prisoners?"

"The other prisoners?"

"Are they under those orders not to escape?"

"Too dangerous," Hogan replied.

"Did you turn some of them in, Colonel?"

"Yes, not safe. Didn't want them hurt."

"Do you have a pro-German attitude, Hogan?"

Hogan appeared confused. "Pro-German? No."

"Klink seems to think so. Enough to wine and dine you."

Hogan let out a small laugh.

Schmidt motioned to his watch. The drug had a short life and they had to move.

"Did you feed the Germans information in exchange for special privileges?"

"They decorated my quarters." Hogan laughed again. "And coffee and pastries. With Klink."

"You and two of your men agreed make a propaganda recording."

"Yes. Had dinner out of camp. Got burnt in a fire."

"Are you and Klink involved in the black market, Hogan?" Weis got no response. He shook the Colonel, but Hogan had fallen asleep.

"Interesting," Weis stated. "Let him sleep it off." They removed the cuffs and left the room.

Hogan woke up and, for several minutes, he had no idea where he was or what had happened. Within fifteen minutes, the fog began to lift and he recalled everything up to the point of being cuffed to the bed. Then the faucet opened and his memory came flooding back, but only to a degree. No matter how hard he tried, he had no idea what he had divulged while under the drug.

Well, at least they didn't shoot me right here, he thought to himself. Despite the food and lack of physical abuse, his captivity had now left him tired, a little weak and very irritated. By no means was the Colonel suicidal, but he was beginning to wonder if it was time to make a break for it and see what would happen. The use of drugs had removed any semblance of control and he dreaded a repeat performance.

********

Boswell and Garrett had again stepped outside to compare notes.

"You know Garrett, I was a bit surprised at how well the truth serum worked. It seemed like he was more than willing to answer anything. I thought we would see some kind of internal struggle, for sure."

Garrett agreed with his partner. "Yeah, it was surprising. What have we got? Klink's record. He cares about the no-escape record."

"Wants to keep him there, I suppose."

"I think he's stringing this guy along to get favors, maybe better treatment."

"For himself or everyone?"

"Not sure. He may be working with a few other prisoners. Maybe LeBeau and Newkirk."

"Possible."

"It doesn't jive with his previous record." Garrett pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. All right. Let's go over this. Klink's Luftwaffe. Old school. Follows the Geneva Convention. Not too bright. This hotshot Colonel gets shot down. Stellar record. Mouthy. Known for being daring. Spends two years in Klink's camp. No escapes. Gets cozy with the Kommandant. Why?"

"Threat to other prisoners? No threat that we can see."

"He wasn't scared of Klink, that's for sure."

"You know he knows something about the local Underground. I'll bet on it, but how much?"

"But he hasn't turned them in."

"Hasn't used them to bail out of there, either."

"A sell-out who wants to sit out the war in comfort, with Klink."

"With Klink. It's possible the two of them may have a little business on the side. Black market?"

"Or selling information? Maybe there's a Swiss bank account out there somewhere."

"Frankly, I'd like to get this guy back to England and let the army lawyers sort it out. I think it's time we had one last go at the Colonel."

Hogan heard the bolt move and before the door opened, he flung himself onto the bed and pretended to be asleep. Weis entered the room and ordered the Colonel to get up. Getting no response, he motioned for his guard who, with his gun drawn, headed for the bed and shook the Colonel's body. Hogan, pretending to be woozy, slowly sat up and with a quick move that astonished everyone in the room, including himself, managed to knock the pistol out of the guards' hand. Unfortunately, his scramble for the weapon ended in failure, as Schmidt stood in the way.

"Feisty, aren't we?" he said, his pistol pointed directly at Hogan's chest. "Sit down!" Again, Hogan had no choice but to comply. Now securely attached to the chair, he sighed and slumped in defeat.

********

Newkirk and Carter climbed down into the tunnel to check on Kinch's progress and bring everyone up-to-date on the meeting between Klink and Hochstetter.

"Anything?" Carter asked anxiously.

"Nothing from the cells and nothing from London. The only thing I'm sure of is that these goons must be after information. Otherwise, they would have come in and thrown us in front of a firing squad, no questions."

"Or taken more of us." LeBeau added. "Hochstetter has a point, Kinch. Why risk a long drive?"

"All right. Let's assume they didn't go too far. They're not at Gestapo headquarters."

"Not at Abwehr headquarters, either. We checked," LeBeau pointed out.

"So they took him somewhere between here," Kinch had grabbed a map and pointed to a road, "And the turn off."

"The further they drove, the more chance they'd run into partisans or a checkpoint." Carter noted. "So I think we should start to search closer first, and then spread out."

"That's the best we can do." Kinch sighed. "And it's going to take time. We only have a few agents to send out."

"Well, this area's not heavily populated. Remember?" LeBeau reminded the group. "It's mainly farmland."

"Hopefully someone will spot the car." Kinch went back on the radio. "And hopefully, the Colonel can hold out."

(1) "Axis Annie"

(2) "Top Hat, White Tie, and Bomb Sight"

(3) "At Last-Schultz Knows Something"