Chapter 6:
Two days went by, and Klink's memorial service had finally arrived. Everyone there consisted of Kalina, Hogan and his men, Hochstetter with three of his men guarding the building, Burkhalter, and the guards of Stalag 13. Some people stood in silence, some people cried, and some fought back their emotions until they could be in private.
Newkirk was playing the piano, LeBeau, Carter, and Kinch stood near their friend, and Hogan stood with Kalina and Langenscheidt in the front row. Schultz stood on Langenscheidt's right and continuously wiped the tears falling from his eyes.
As for poor little Kalina herself, she stood in between the corporal and Hogan while she softly cried. The American wrapped an arm around her for comfort. The girl leaned against his side and continued to sob anyways.
In front of all of them, Burkhalter stood by a picture of Klink with a wreath covered with red and white flowers around it. He waited for Newkirk's song to end, then waited a few moments before starting his speech.
"Gentlemen...lady, today is a day about remembering. The Third Reich has lost a loyal member. A man that was taken too soon from a heinous, malicious, outraging act that should have never occurred. Colonel Klink was a man that was dedicated to his work. He was a man filled with responsibility and had a sense of duty. He knew the meaning of what a good officer is and what it took to have the men under his command have respect from him. He was not just an officer, however. He was also a very loved father. A good one, too. He taught his daughter to use manners, to be kind towards others, and to have respect for authority figures. He knew what it meant to be a good person."
As Burkhalter continued, Kalina started to silently sob harder, wishing her father was there now to tell her everything would be okay again. Hogan held her tighter and gently rubbed her back.
"Colonel Klink may be physically gone now...but he will remain with us in mind and spirit. He will leave a legacy of never having a single escape in his POW camp. He is with us in memories and the advice he had given us during his life. There will...never be another man like Klink was," the general said solemnly. He turned to the picture of his past subordinate. "Klink, you will never leave our memories. You will remain a part of all of us here in more ways than one. You will never be forgotten and continue to live on within your daughter and ways of living. You will always be one of my men." Burkhalter then took his arm and gave a strong salute. "Heil Hitler!"
"Heil Hitler!" All the Germans cried with a strong salute of their own. Even Hochstetter and his men saluted the Luftwaffe colonel.
Hogan and his men gave the American salute to Klink, and Kalina waved her hand saying 'goodbye', making her cry even harder.
While everyone did their salutes, Burkhalter frowned and softly sighed.
"Auf Wiedersehen, mein Freund...I hope wherever you are now that you're in peace," he spoke, a tear rolling down his cheek.
And with that, everybody said 'goodbye' to Klink: a man who would always be remembered as a hero.
The days after Klink's funeral service blurred together for Kalina. She withdrew from camp life, preferring to eat in her room - though, truth be told her tray remained untouched more often than not. The roll calls were held quietly and quickly, as Burkhalter spent most of his time hounding Hochstetter for information. The kommandant's body had not been recovered, nor his killers been located. The Gestapo and Luftwaffe even had a 74,000 marks reward for anyone that had any information or knew the location Klink's killers were traveling in.
Today had been one of the rarer days where she left her quarters and went to the recreation hall to play the piano. She sat there and played a sad song she had learned at a young age, when Hogan stepped inside to see who was making music. He spotted Kalina and gently closed the door behind him. He made his way towards the girl, sat down beside her, and watched her play for awhile without a single word.
Kalina eventually looked at Hogan for a moment with red eyes, then back at her music.
"That's Papa's spot," she said, meek.
"What?" The colonel asked softly.
"Papa always sat there and listen to me while I played...always smiled and turned pages for me."
"I'm sorry, do you want me to stand up?"
Kalina shook her head, tears starting to stream down her face.
"No...stay here." She croaked.
Hogan frowned and started to gently rub her back.
"Don't cry, Kalina...your father wouldn't want you to be so sad. It'd break his heart to know that," he said.
It was then the young girl began to break down and cry while playing.
"Colonel Hogan...make him come back...please bring Papa back to me." Kalina sobbed.
"I would in a heartbeat if I could...he's still here with you, though. He'll always be with you."
"Papa...I want my Papa."
Hogan wrapped an arm around Kalina and held her tight as she cried and finished her song, nothing but music surrounding them.
Night fell, and Kalina was in her quarters with all the lights turned off. She stood in the living room standing in front of the furnace that hid a secret entrance to Hogan's tunnel network below. She had a white, long sleeved dress with tiny flowers on with her black purse strapped around her. In her hands was her father's old pistol. She loaded the gun and closed the cylinder before zipping it up in her bag.
Making sure she had all of her necessities, she slid the furnace over to expose the tunnel entrance. With an air of determination, she climbed down the ladder and closed the entrance.
She walked down the path leading towards the emergency exit, when she got to the radio room and saw Hogan and his men surrounding the radio. They must have been given a new assignment from either London or the underground.
"Anything from the underground, Kinch?" Hogan asked, putting a hand on his hip.
"Otto has about ten agents out looking for Corporal Tyler right now as we speak. So far no one can seem to track him down. Either something happened, or he's gone into hiding," Kinch said, taking off the headset.
"He's gotta be somewhere around the area. The Gestapo don't got him, so where could he have gone?" Newkirk asked.
"What if he already found a member of the underground, and they're lying low until this whole investigation dies down?" Carter suggested.
"If that were the case, the underground would have notified us in code to send the message. He's out there somewhere still, Colonel," Kinch answered, turning back to his commander.
"How do you suppose we find him then? We can't search all of Germany, it's impossible!" Newkirk exclaimed.
Hogan pursed his lips and tried to think of an idea, when he felt someone's presence in the room. He turned his head and was stunned to see Kalina standing there watching them. Her eyes were filled with daggers and brimmed with fire.
"Kalina," he said. "What are you doing down here? I thought you went to bed early."
"I'm leaving," she answered simply.
"Leaving?" Carter gasped.
"For where?" LeBeau questioned, a bit surprised.
"Berlin...I'm gonna find the men who killed my father and make sure they pay for it," Kalina said, her voice a bit dark.
"With all those Gestapo and Luftwaffe patrols wandering around out there, are you crazy? You'd get yourself killed." Hogan remarked, authority filled in his tone.
"Little mate, I know you're sad and angry, but this is going a little far. You're not thinking clearly right now," Newkirk said, with empathy. He did, however, understand Kalina's current mindset. She was angry...furious. Her blood was boiling and blinded mad. She wanted revenge, and she wanted it now. He had felt the same fury when Germany first attack London.
"I'm thinking just fine, thank you." The girl hissed.
"Kalina, listen to Newkirk. You're grieving right now. Your mind's filled with yearning, sadness, fear, and anger. Those emotions can become so strong in your position that you become blind to rational thinking. You need rest and time to clear your mind," Kinch said, trying to coax Kalina into doing otherwise.
"Kalina Klink, your father made me promise to protect you when he left for Berlin. I intend to keep that promise. You aren't just a member of my team, you're also our friend. I refuse to send you out there alone in an unstable mental state," Hogan ordered, firm.
"I'm finding those men that took Papa from me, and I'm making them suffer for their crime even if it kills me!" Klink's daughter snapped. Her eyes were starting to water, but with tears of rage.
"You heard Major Hochstetter, little buddy; he'd search every inch of Germany until they're found. And if I know Major Hochstetter, he'll keep searching for what he's looking for until he finds it," Carter spoke gently.
"Oui, ma petite ami. Listen to us. Colonel Hogan would not steer you wrong. He knows what he is saying, believe me." LeBeau added.
"You don't get it," Kalina said, her anger melting and sadness settling in. "I can't rest until I know those men have been caught and suffered for their crime. They took my entire life from me. They took my best friend away from me...I won't stand here and not let Papa get his vengeance. He didn't deserve to die, especially in the manner he did. Can't you understand that?"
The American officer's facial expression soften.
"I do understand...I know what you're talking about, and I know how empty you feel right now. But you can't just randomly leave camp and head to Berlin all by yourself. There's Gestapo, the SS, German spies, and much more unknown danger in Berlin. You might even possibly run into Hitler himself. If he caught you wandering around all alone with intentions of killing two Gestapo officers, who knows what consequences you might face," he said.
Kalina started to shake, tears started to stream down her face, and she slowly pulled her father's pistol from her bag and placed it on the radio table. She stared at it for a moment, then an idea came to her mind. She looked up at Hogan with wet eyes and curiosity.
"What if you went with me to Berlin?" Kalina asked.
"Me?" Hogan remarked, a bit stunned.
"You'd be there to keep me rational and from acting out. I wouldn't be alone, and you could disguise yourself as a German officer to keep your real identity safe."
"Kalina, I can't just get up and leave camp. It doesn't work that way...or can it?" Hogan asked, a light bulb sparking in his mind.
"What are you thinking of, Gov?" Newkirk questioned.
"If the men who killed Klink were caught and arrested, the investigation would close, and the Gestapo patrols would be pulled. And if the patrols are pulled, we might just be able to locate where Corporal Tyler is hiding," the colonel said, gears turning in his brain. "Our situation would be solved, and Klink would get the justice he deserves."
"But how do we sneak you out of camp, Colonel?" LeBeau asked.
"Hochstetter and Burkhalter found both you and Kalina missing, suspicions would bound to come up." Kinch added.
"Kinch, how's flu season looking right now?" Hogan asked.
"It hit Stalag 12 pretty bad. I think at least seven guys are in the infirmary in quarantine, why?"
"Carter, get Wilson and another prisoner in this camp that looks awfully similar to me. Bring them back here, and I'll explain further."
"You got it, boy! Sir!" Carter cried, with energy, and hurried off to another part of the tunnel. Once he was gone, Hogan turned back to his second in command.
"Kinch, radio the underground. Tell them I need a man disguised as a Gestapo captain to meet Kalina and I tomorrow night near Hammelburg Rd. Have him bring a car, too," the American officer continued.
"Yes, Sir," the staff sergeant answered, and started to make the call.
"LeBeau, I need you to find a Gestapo uniform for me. Make it a general," Hogan said.
"Oui, Colonel," the Frenchman said, and quickly made his way to the sewing room.
"Newkirk, get Kalina and I fake papers and get me a gun. Have our names be General Rudolf Hoffman and Clara Hoffman. Make Kalina my niece."
"Got it, Sir," the Englishman said, and rushed out of the tunnels.
With all his men on their assignments, Hogan made his way over to Klink's daughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt a grin come to his face, when he saw a small smile on Kalina's face.
"When do we leave, Colonel Hogan?" She asked.
"Tomorrow night. Midnight," he said.
"You think we'll find the men who killed Papa?"
"With your stubbornness, I'll be surprised if we don't find them."
Kalina gave a little giggle in response, pleasing the colonel.
"That a girl," he said.
The teenager's smile grew a tiny more and hugged Hogan tight. The officer hugged her back and held her close. Eventually, Hogan turned his eyes to the ceiling, and Kalina looked up at the colonel.
"Kommandant, I can hear you screaming my name now," Hogan said.
And at that moment, Kalina laughed for the first time in over a week.
The next day went by fairly quickly. It soon became nighttime, and Hogan and Kalina were at the emergency exit by 11:55PM.
Hogan had a black fedora, suit, and tie on with a swastika pin at the top of his tie. As for Kalina, she wore a light pink dress with a white long sleeved shirt underneath covered up with her blue pea coat and white mittens and scarf. Her black bag was strapped around her shoulder.
As soon as midnight struck, the two climbed out of the fake tree trunk and silently slipped into the forest outside of camp.
When they got far enough into the woods, Kalina turned to look at Hogan.
"How far is Hammelburg Rd. from here anyways?" She asked.
"Oh, not too far. About a ten minute walk from camp." The colonel answered.
"And you're sure Fritz will be there?"
"Fritz is one of our most trusted agents. You'll like him...just don't ask him to sing any Christmas carols. He tends to go a little overboard this time of year."
Kalina smirked, and the two continued walking until they hit the end of the forest. They looked down the hill at the road for any sign of Fritz. Sure enough along the side of the road sat a black staff car and a very young man dressed in a Gestapo captain's uniform waiting for the both of them.
"There he is," Hogan said, with a grin.
Kalina nodded with a smile, and the two made their way cautiously down the hill towards Fritz. Hogan and Kalina both saluted the underground agent, who returned the same gesture.
"Fritz, good to see you again," the colonel said.
"You as well, Papa Bear. And you must be Star," Fritz said, using Kalina's codename.
"Guten abend, Herr Fritz," Kalina answered, with a slight bow.
The underground agent opened the back door of the car for Hogan and Kalina to enter inside. Once both in, Fritz slammed the door and got into the driver's seat. He started the ignition and looked back at his passengers with a smile.
"Where to, Herr General?" He asked, with a wink.
"To Berlin, Captain. We have an important business call to make," Hogan said, with a heavy German accent.
The teenager sitting beside him gave a silent laugh, then turned her head to look out into the night. It was a clear sky, and the stars sparkled bright like a bunch of diamonds. She smiled, then saw a star that stood out to her. It had a bluish tint to it and seemed to twinkle more than the other stars.
Knowing who it was, Kalina felt a tear roll down her cheek and gave a sad smile.
"I miss you, Papa. I hope you're safe...wherever you are," she said, soft.