Disclaimer: I don't own Hogan's Heroes. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
The characters in this story are fictional, any resemblance to
persons living or dead is coincidental.


Thursday, December 9th, 1943 – 05:45… Hammelburg, Germany…

Kinch sat at the radio and replayed the last two and a half hours. If I had just waited, he thought. I had a feeling they were almost home and I ignored it. Twenty or even just fifteen more minutes and they'd have been home

About fifteen minutes after the first group had escaped, Hogan and his tired, half-frozen group dragged themselves through the tunnel. Baker, who had been overseeing the escaping groups, had shouted for Wilson before relieving Carter of his half of their burden.

Newkirk had been drifting in and out of consciousness, but by some miracle, he was still breathing. They laid him on a cot in the radio room, since it was the warmest room in the tunnel. Kinch had quickly ordered the rest of the men to change back into their uniforms and go back to their barracks.

Kinch rubbed at his eyes. He should be going up top and getting ready for roll call, but how could he? Fifteen men escaped and it's all your fault, he condemned himself for the hundredth time. And the files… He looked over to the once neat, make-shift filing cabinets which were now in complete disarray. Many of the papers had been burnt, but the rest were strewn across the dirt floor and in some cases, ground into the dirt by the heavy foot traffic. We spent months putting together those files and I destroyed well over three-quarters of them in one night.

He was pulled from focusing on his piteous situation when Katazyna moaned from the cot beside the stove. She'd been in rough shape. Much like Newkirk, her hands and feet were cold and numb and she'd been shivering violently. Olsen wrapped her in a warm, dry blanket and whispered to her with the little bit of Polish he knew. She'd cried as the feeling gradually came back to her fingers and toes, but she cried harder when she found out that her papa wasn't there as promised.

Even though his teeth were chattering, LeBeau guided Baker through making some chicken soup and sweetened tea, per Wilson's instructions. After a bit of coaxing, the patients drank the warm liquids and their condition improved greatly. Wilson insisted that that Hogan, LeBeau, and Carter should also have some of the tea to hasten warming them up.

After they had eaten and warmed up, Newkirk was carried upstairs and put to bed in Hogan's office. Katazyna, who'd fallen asleep in Olsen's lap, was moved to the cot and tucked in. Wilson had to repeatedly assure the Heroes that they should both recover before they allowed the tired medic to go back to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, Hogan began the arduous task of putting the camp back in order. Kinch apologized when he'd returned from moving Newkirk. Hogan waved it off as spilled milk, stating that he could make it up by getting those fifteen prisoners back. So, that's what Kinch had been doing for the past couple of hours, taping out messages to the underground stations. He'd managed to get a hold of two of the three groups, but the last station had yet to respond.

"Kinch?" Olsen called from the bunk entrance, "Schultz wants us all out."

Kinch sighed and rubbed his eyes in a mixture of frustration and pure exhaustion before climbing the ladder. Hogan barely glanced at him before ordering everyone out for roll. He turned up his collar and shuffled out with the rest of the men, falling in line behind Hogan.

The heavy snow had eased into a light flurry, but the wind was starting to pick up. It blew the fresh powder into deeper drifts and into the faces of the miserable prisoners. They kept their heads ducked, only looking up when the guards tapped on their shoulders.

The German's weren't thrilled with blowing snow either. Besides making the process uncomfortable, it made it even more difficult to move around. Schultz made it to five before Corporal Langenscheidt waded through the drifts and interrupted him.

"Sergeant!" Kinch braced himself for the firestorm that was about to happen. "Barracks nine," the poor corporal panted. "They're gone!"

"What?!" Schultz's eyes widened, despite the blowing snow.

"REPORT!"

"Herr Kommandant," Schultz looked over to Hogan for support and started to stutter.

"Schultz, give me a report," Klink called over the wind. He was on the steps of the kommandantur with Aura-Lee. He gave her an embarrassed smile, "I have to keep my eye on everything all the time. You needn't have joined me, my dear."

"I couldn't sleep anyway, Liebchen," She smiled back at him, pulling her fur trim of her coat closer around her neck and turning her back to the wind.

Schultz tried to speak, but this time the words just didn't come. He'd had one or two men escape before, usually from barracks two, but he'd never had a whole barracks disappear!

"Mein Herr," Langenscheidt shouted, covering for his sergeant. "The prisoners of barracks nine have escaped."

Klink's eyes shot away from Aura's delightful form to his corporal and sergeant. "Why are you just standing there?!" he shouted, "Raise the alarms! Let loose the dogs!" Klink waded through the snow to Hogan, "this is your fault, how could you let this happen?!"

"How is this my fault?" Hogan challenged.

"It is your duty to make sure they all remain in camp," Klink insisted.

"Actually, that's your duty, Kommandant," Hogan corrected, "I've been dealing with the flu running rampant through my barracks. Why, Newkirk had to stay in bed for the second day in a row because he's so sick."

Schultz shot him a suspicious look. He knew very well that Newkirk had been up and about yesterday afternoon. He'd even been present at evening formation.

Aura, having slowly and very carefully picked her way through the snow, overheard the tail end of Hogan's comment. Her brows drew together in concern, "oh, dear… perhaps you should send for the doctor, Wilhelm."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Hogan said. "Wilson is certain that he'll recover with some rest."

"I could check on him," Aura offered, "I was a trained nurse in the last war."

"Excellent idea!" Klink agreed, completely ignoring Hogan's protests. "Schultz, escort Fraulein Switz to barracks two then find those prisoners." He glared at the prisoners of barracks two, "I'm sure I don't need to remind you that the fraulein is my guest and will be treated with the utmost respect."

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz snapped to a salute as Klink went back to his office.

Schultz grumbled while shepherding everyone back into the barracks. He paused briefly at the door and whispered to Hogan, "I don't know what is going on here, but fix it before I get back." He gave a humph and went back to shouting orders amid the ever growing chaos in the camp yard.

Aura followed the men into the barracks. She gave Hogan a quizzical look, "what did Sergeant Schultz mean by that?"

"Just that I should get the men back into order," Hogan said smoothly. "This is very kind of you, but our medic is sure he'll be okay. You should probably head back to your quarters."

She shuddered as she took in the bareness of the barracks. It isn't much warmer than outside, she thought, unbuttoning the her coat and laying it on the table. "Where is this Newkirk?" she asked, taking off her black gloves and tucking them in the coat pocket.

"We don't need your help," Hogan said, his voice losing its friendly tone.

Aura didn't answer, instead she looked over the Allied prisoners. One young man caught her interest. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept well all night. "You have been sleeping poorly," she said, as a statement rather than a question.

Carter shifted uncomfortably, "y-yes, ma'am."

"I suppose it is hard between the congestion and the temperature. My goodness, it's cold in here," she shivered lightly and smiled, "I'll speak to Wilhelm about extra wood or coal even." Carter returned the smile and was about to thank her when a muffled shriek made him throw a panicked glance at Hogan. Aura frowned, "what was that?"

Hogan grabbed Aura's arm and led her to his office. "A quick look at Newkirk and then you go," he said, leaving her alone in the office.

She was curious about where the shout had come from, but the nurse in her put that curiosity aside and checked on her patient. He was wrapped in blankets tightly, so that only his face was visible.

She loosened the blankets to examine him and was disturbed to find his temperature high. He let out a series of deep, hacking coughs. She could hear his labored breathing. He's wheezing…

"Colonel," he mumbled, obviously in the throes of delirium. "Colonel."

Aura placed her cool hand against his forehead, "Corporal Newkirk?"

"We need to get her out of here," he croaked, desperately. He tried sitting up, but was too weak and Aura gently subdued him. "Please," he pleaded, grabbing her hand, "Colonel, you have to get her to England. Bahr will hurt her if you don't, please."

The reports were right… Hochstetter was right… the senior prisoner-of-war is running an espionage unit in a heavily guarded camp right in the middle of Germany. Aura could hardly believe it. "Rest easy, Corporal," she soothed, as more of the pieces began to fall into place. Rob is Papa Bear.

06:30…

Klink sat at his desk putting off the call to Burkhalter… perhaps, if he found them immediately then he needn't call him at all. The last thing he need right now was Burkhalter or the Gestapo, not with what he'd agreed to do last night. He shuddered just thinking about it.

He'd spent a couple of hours pacing, before deciding that there wasn't a thing he could do without sleep. If he could just clear his mind, he'd think of a way to smuggle her out of Germany. So much for a clear mind, he thought petulantly. Hogan did this on purpose… he's jealous of my success and would do anything to ruin me and my record.

The phone rang and he picked it up, "Yes? Send him in immediately."

Hochstetter's here… He barely contained his alarm. He knows… how did he find out?

Klink plastered his usual sycophantic smile across his face and as the door opened, he said, "Major Hochstetter, it is always a pleasure to see the Gestapo."

"Gestapo? Yes… Hochstetter? No," Major Bahr said, making no effort to be cordial. He motioned for his lieutenant and a sergeant to enter and take a seat along the wall before seating himself across from Klink.

Klink laughed nervously, "My apologies, Major Bahr." He quickly opened his humidor and offered it to Bahr, "however, any friend of Major Hochstetter's is a friend of mine!"

"We are not friends," Bahr snapped. He selected a cigar before adding, "I want Colonel Hogan brought to this office."

Klink frowned, "I'm afraid Hogan is confined to his barracks, but if you would like we can go to the barracks. What is this about, anyway?"

"There was an incident in Hammelburg that may have some connection to him." Bahr puffed on the cigar.

"Kommandant, might I ask why he's in confinement?" the lieutenant asked.

Klink shifted uncomfortably, "There was a small discrepancy in the prisoner count. We are searching for the missing men now, but out of an abundance of caution we have confined the remaining prisoners to the barracks."

"You mean there was an escape?" Bahr questioned, leaning forward with renewed interest. Perhaps Hochstetter is onto something. A camp escape and the disappearance of the girl on the exact same night… it can't be a coincidence.

"Well, one might classify it that way," Klink amended, offering a faint smile, "but I assure you that my men are searching everywhere for them and they will be caught."

Bahr rolled his eyes, the whole Hammelburg area is infected with asininity. "Did it ever occur to your feeble mind that my incident and your escape are connected?," he stood and waited for Klink to do the same. "We shall see him… now."

Klink nodded, timidly, "You shall see him now."

Klink went to the coat rack and donned his heavy wool coat. He draped the fine, white scarf around his neck as Bahr tapped his foot impatiently. Klink put his cap on his balding head and opened the door. Bahr swept out followed by the lieutenant and the sergeant. Klink rolled his eyes up to the heavens wondering why he'd been forsaken.

Helga bumped into Bahr in the doorway. She apologized to him, but quickly turned her attention to Klink, "Oh, I'm so sorry to be late, Kommandant." She smiled, apologetically, "Papa had dig out the sleigh in order to bring me. We got over twenty-five centimeters of snow."

Helga caught the uncomfortable look Klink gave her and refrained from saying anymore. She slid out of the doorway and Bahr bumped her shoulder as he brushed past. Helga skillfully retained her balance, but shot his retreating form a dirty look.

"What's going on?" she asked after they had all gone. Langensheidt, who had been manning her desk, grabbed his coat and joined her at the door. "What did that ogre want?" she added, distastefully.

"He has a witness," Langensheidt said, quietly, "they're looking at Colonel Hogan as the culprit." Helga paled as Langenscheidt put on his coat and stepped outside. "I'm going to rejoin the search party. I don't want to be here when it happens."

H~H

As soon as he shut the door, Hogan crossed the common room. Kinch had opened the bunk entrance to allow Hogan to climb down without stopping. He climbed down, not quite sure what to expect, but was not a sobbing, little girl rushing up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She sobbed against him and kept yelling, in what he assumed was her native tongue. The only word he could pick out was 'mama'.

He swallowed against the lump in his throat and tried to get her attention, "Katazyna, sweetie…" He pulled her arms from about his waist and knelt down. "It's okay," he soothed, pulling her into an embrace. "You're okay."

"She said she was having a bad dream about her mom," Olsen said, squatting down beside him. Katazyna's sobs eased into whimpers as Hogan rubbed her back. "I figured you could use some help translating."

Hogan cleared his throat and pushed the child away from his body so that he could see her face, "tell her that she needs to be quiet. Tell her that she's safe here as long as she stays very quiet."

Olsen spoke slowly, mixing in some German when he didn't know the Polish words. She wiped at her eyes and hiccuped a few times before she could speak. They spoke haltingly, back and forth for several minutes until Hogan tapped Olsen's shoulder and asked what was going on.

"Sorry," Olsen said, his body language alerted Hogan that something was up. "She's lost her doll."

"Does she know where?" Hogan asked, "In the tunnel or outside or..." Olsen translated as Hogan spoke. Katazyna shook her head furiously, sending her pigtails whipping around her face. She wiped her nose against her sleeve as she spoke and pointed down the tunnel.

"She thinks she left her against the fallen tree LeBeau left her on while you guys were getting Peter down the ladder," Olsen said. "It's still dark, so I can run out and check. It'll only take a minute or two."

Hogan nodded, "Okay, but be quick about it."

Olsen hurried down the tunnel leaving Katazyna staring at Hogan. She cocked her head to the side and asked him something about her papa.

"I'm sorry that he isn't here, sweetie," Hogan spoke slowly in German, hoping she understood, "but you'll see your papa soon." He rubbed her shoulder, sympathetically.

"Nein," she shook her head again and tapped her finger on his leather jacket. "You are his papa?" She pointed down the tunnel where Olsen had disappeared.

Hogan couldn't help but be amused by her misconception. "His papa?" he chortled, the laughter fading as he remembered why he'd come down here in the first place. "No, sweetie, I'm his commanding officer," he scratched the back of his head when she frowned in confusion. "Uh, his…"

A shout from up in the barracks cut him off as the ladder slid up and the bunk dropped down; effectively trapping him down in the tunnel. He stood as Katazyna squeaked in alarm and asked in a panicked voice, "Co jest nie tak?"

Hogan put his finger up to his lips and shushed her as he listened. Probably just Schultz… or Klink, he thought, trying to remain calm. Kinch can easily handle Schultz and maybe even Klink, too. He heard the scrambled footsteps of his men as they hurried to cover up any trace of the operation.

He heard the door slam shut then an eerie silence before a deep, but muffled voice said, "where is Colonel Hogan?"

Katazyna's eyes widened even further as she clamped both hands over her mouth and stumbled backwards, landing against the earthen wall. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she began to rock back and forth. Hogan's heart sank as he realized to whom the voice belonged. He wasn't even sure if he would be able handle Major Bahr, how in the world would Kinch?

"What can I do for you, Major?" Hogan recognized his second-in-command's voice and the sound of footsteps. Take it easy, Kinch, he silently instructed.

"I know your eyesight is poor, Sergeant, but I assume you can tell the difference between a black man and a white one," the Major said, switching to German.

"Yes, sir," an unfamiliar voice said in such a low tone that Hogan almost missed it. "The man who came to Hammelburg was white."

Hogan cursed, if he gets one look at Newkirk, we're all done.

Olsen came through the tunnel with a small doll and a grin that quickly disappeared. He hurried over to the child and gave her the doll before wrapping her up in a hug. She buried her head against his neck.

"Remove them." Bahr ordered.

Hogan could almost see Baker and Kinch being yanked toward the door. He bit his lip, that left Carter and LeBeau standing between Bahr and Newkirk. He knew he had to get up there, but how?

"Who are you looking for, sir," Carter's voice piped up, "I mean, we could probably find him for ya real quick."

I could go up through barracks three… he thought, but quickly dismissed that idea. There will be a guard outside every barracks door.

"I want Colonel Hogan," Bahr demanded. "and I want him now."

Hogan heard footsteps crossing the floor and, what he assumed to be, his office door open and close. He decided on using the opening under Klink's quarters. He tapped Olsen's knee and whispered, "C'mon, we need to get up there."

"I can't just leave her," Olsen whispered back, "she's scared to death."

"Okay, you stay with her," Hogan agreed, "I'll cover for you."

He sprinted through the tunnels and hurried up the ladder. He put his shoulder against the wood that covered the exit and slid it to the side. He climbed out of the tunnel into Klink's bedroom and pushed the dresser back into place.

Hogan sneaked through Klink's office and peeked into the outer office. Helga was the only one in the room and she was seated at her desk with her head buried into her arms. He shut the door behind him and reached for her elbow.

"Psst," he whispered, "honey."

Helga sprang out of the chair and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Rob," she murmured, "they have a witness…"

"I know," Hogan pried her arms from his neck and pulled her through Klink's office, into his bedroom. He slid the dresser to the side, "I need you to go to the radio room and stay with our guest. Tell Olsen to go to the infirmary and get Wilson."

"But..."

"No 'buts'," Hogan said, helping her onto the ladder.

Once she disappeared from view, he closed the opening and went back to the outer office. He checked on the guards tasked with watching the barracks.

The guards in front of barracks one and six were standing at the door with their backs to the wind. The guard at barracks two was standing with Baker, Kinch, and a lieutenant. Popping up the collar on his jacket, he stepped outside and down the steps.

The guard's jaw dropped when he spotted Hogan, "Colonel Hogan, was ist los?"

"Where's Kommandant Klink?" Hogan demanded. "He's not in his office."

"Colonel Hogan, you are not supposed to be out of the barracks," the guard snapped. He pulled the rifle off of his shoulder and pointed it at the American's midsection. "Put your hands on your head."

Kinch and Baker, both gave Hogan a concerned look as he complied, saying irritably, "I need Klink, where is he?"

"Private Troeger, you stay with these two," The Lieutenant took Hogan's arm and guided him to the door. "Major Bahr has some questions for you, Colonel."


Translation:

Co jest nie tak?- What's happening?