Chapter Seven:
"Do you have those messages sent off yet, Kinch?" Hogan asked as he walked over to the radio.
"I haven't sent them yet, Colonel. I just finished connecting the antenna to the radio." Kinch said. He fiddled with the switches, knobs and dials for a few moments. He placed the headphones onto his head.
"Papa Bear to Mama Bear, do you read me, Mama Bear? Papa Bear to Mama Bear, do you read me?" Kinch asked into the microphone
"We read you loud and clear Papa Bear, stand by for further communications." A British, distinctly female voice said over the radio.
"We've got it, Colonel!" Kinch said with a smile.
"Good work, Kinch!" Hogan said, patting his teammate on the back.
"What the bloody 'ell happened the other day? We waited for three hours for the information! Why couldn't you relay it to us?" A male British voice said over the radio.
"We lost our antenna and could only replace it today." Kinch said into the microphone.
"Well, at least we are up and running now. So what is the information you have concerning the ant…hofbraus?" The officer on the other end slipped, almost relaying the message without using the code. Kinch quickly relayed the anti-aircraft locations to London without trouble.
"Merry Christmas, London. Papa Bear out." Kinch said as he cut off the communication.
"The hard part's done. Now all we have to do is get the antenna off of the tree without it being damaged or destroyed and without Klink suspecting what we're doing." Hogan said, sighing with relief. He walked over to a support beam, placed his arm on it and rested his head on it. "Now how are we going to get the antenna off of the tree without it being damaged or destroyed and without Klink suspecting what we're doing?" Hogan paced in the limited space of the radio room. Kinch simply sat by the radio and watched, waiting for Hogan to find a solution to the problem.
"I've got it!" Hogan exclaimed. He looked thoughtful for a few minutes, then suddenly looked crestfallen. "I don't have it." Hogan walked towards the ladder that led up to his barracks.
"Have you thought of something, Colonel?" Kinch asked
"No, I'm hoping Klink will give me an idea." Hogan said as he climbed the rough wooden ladder. He stood up in the barracks and brushed any dust that may have accumulated on his clothing. Kinch climbed up behind him and tapped the bed frame to disguise the entrance to the tunnel once again.
"Hey, Colonel, Schultz is looking for you. We sent him off to barracks five, which sent him to barracks three, which sent him to barracks four." Carter said as he came inside the barracks from the compound. "He said that if we saw you to send you to Colonel Klink's office."
"Thanks, Carter. Did any of our host of the year's guests arrive?" Hogan asked
"Major Braun showed up, but the other Stalag's kommandants chickened out at the last minute. We have two that are sick, one that has to attend to family matters, and one that just got transferred to the eastern front." Carter said, ticking off the guests on his fingers.
"Great, the fewer experienced kommandants who may get curious as to what we're doing the better. Carter, you said that Major Braun has arrived?"
"Yeah, I did. He put all of his camera gear in the rec hall."
"Good work. Newkirk," Hogan motioned the British corporal over to the table, "How long would it take you to take the film out of the camera?"
"About ten or fifteen minutes if there's a guard." Newkirk said
"Carter, who's guarding the rec hall?" Hogan asked
"Schultz is on duty in about two minutes."
"Oh, well then I say it will take me five minutes, and a large slice of strudel." Newkirk said, laughingly.
"I'll try to hold them for that long, but please forgive me if I can't. I'm only human." Hogan said, sarcastically. He opened the door and stepped into the compound.
