The boys of Barracks Two were awake long before roll call. Colonel Hogan came out of his quarters and immediately noticed that Carter's bunk was empty. He didn't see him anywhere in the room, and peeked out the door, finding him sitting on the bench. The American sergeant was staring into space, and didn't even hear the colonel when he called his name.
Sighing, Hogan closed the door, nodding at LeBeau, who was making coffee. Each man in the barracks was awake…even the ones who weren't part of Hogan's team. Everyone's worried about Newkirk, he knew. He sighed again, accepting the cup from LeBeau.
The little Frenchman walked out the door and dragged Carter back in, forcing him to sit at the table and shoving a mug into his hands…hands that Hogan could see were shaking.
"Carter?" he said, concerned.
Carter sighed and looked at him. His face was pale from worry and grief. "I had a…a dream," he whispered.
No one asked what it was about.
Everyone sat quietly until Schultz came to get them, and they all filed out the door. Corporal Turner again pretended to be Newkirk, and roll call lasted much shorter than usual, as no one was up to the usual joking.
"Kinch," said Hogan, as they walked back into the barracks. "I want to send a message to London before we leave, so get the radio ready."
"Right, Colonel," he said, before heading into the tunnel.
Everyone followed, watching as Hogan picked up the microphone, waiting for Kinch to signal him when ready.
"Papa Bear to Mama Bear, come in Mama Bear."
"Mama Bear here, over."
Hogan sighed. "Regret to report blue cub missing from den," he said, knowing that they'd connect 'blue' with Newkirk's RAF uniform color. "Request any information, over."
Silence. Everyone fidgeted until the radio came alive again.
"Mama Bear to Papa Bear; we've received no information on missing cub. We will check our sources and get back to you, over."
Hogan looked at his watch. "Group will be searching for missing cub. Please relay next message at 1800 hours. Over."
"Will do, Papa Bear. Out."
"That was a good idea, Colonel!" Carter said, finally looking slightly alive. "Maybe they'll hear something."
"I hope so, if we don't find Newkirk first," Hogan said, putting down the microphone.
Everyone quickly headed for the tunnel ladder, and climbed up through the stump. Two miles later found them at the destroyed bridge, and everyone stood still, afraid to go any further.
Wordlessly, Hogan led them to the end of the bridge where Newkirk had set his explosives, and they began the heartbreaking task of searching the rubble.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey…hey? Wake up!"
A sound filtered into Newkirk's consciousness, and he eventually realized that it was someone's voice. He opened his eyes slowly, finding Fritz bending over him.
"Are you awake?" the German boy asked.
The way Newkirk felt, he hoped he wasn't. He blinked his eyes a few times, feeling disconnected with reality. His shoulder was throbbing with seemingly endless agony, his head was pounding, and his leg was fiercely aching. It didn't end there, either…his ribs were sore, his wrists were stinging as if they'd been burned, and it felt like he had bruises all over his body.
"Hey…what's your name, anyway?" Fritz asked.
The question took some of the fog away from his brain, and he remembered that he'd given Hans a fake name. "Dawson," he whispered, closing his eyes again. A hand squeezed his arm, and he reopened them.
"Listen," Fritz whispered. "You must've had other guys with you, right? Any idea where they might be?"
Newkirk frowned, confused. "Why?"
Fritz looked towards the door for a second before looking back at him. "I want to get you out of here. I can't set you free, but I can go find help!"
Newkirk woke up fully when he heard that. He tried to sit up, but his body sorely betrayed him, feeling terribly weak.
Fritz got an arm under him and gently sat him up, leaning him against the wall.
"I 'ave friends…four of 'em," Newkirk told him, his eyes trying to close against his will. "They're lookin' for me."
"Where should I go?" Fritz asked.
Newkirk sighed. "I dunno about this, Fritz…it's too dangerous."
"Hans is sending me into town to pick up a few things, he won't know what I'm really doing!"
"If he finds out, 'e'll kill ya," Newkirk continued.
Fritz looked towards the door again. "Can I still come with you?"
Newkirk nodded. "Of course, mate."
Fritz shrugged. "Then he can't hurt me."
Newkirk smiled. "Do ya know where Stalag Thirteen is?" he asked.
Fritz nodded.
"Go in that direction. They'll probably find ya before ya find them. They'll be suspicious, so tell 'em that ya comin' with me so we can get ya out of Germany."
Fritz nodded. "Is there a certain man I should speak to?"
Newkirk nodded. "Ask for the Colonel."
Fritz smiled. "Okay…I'll leave as soon as I can." He started to stand, but Newkirk reached out his hands and grabbed his arm.
"Thanks, Fritz."
The German boy smiled, and left the room.
Newkirk sighed and closed his eyes again. Well, things are finally lookin' up, he thought. I just 'ope the lad doesn't get 'imself into any trouble…
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hours passed without Colonel Hogan and the others finding any trace of Newkirk within the rubble of the bridge.
Carter was trying to be optimistic. Not finding Newkirk meant that he could still be alive somewhere…but if so, then where was he, and what in the world had happened to him? He wondered if the gunshots were a connection, or a simple coincidence. But what about his dream? In it, Newkirk had been shot, and died. Was his body laying somewhere in the woods, and they simply hadn't come across it yet?
"Oh, no!"
Hogan, Kinch, and LeBeau dashed over when they heard Carter's words, terrified at what they would find. They found Carter standing there, staring into space.
"What is it?" Hogan asked.
"What if some wild animal found Newkirk, and dragged him off somewhere!"
Everyone blinked.
"What?" said LeBeau.
"I dreamed that someone shot him and he…died," said Carter. "What if he was laying in the woods somewhere, and a wild animal dragged him off?"
Hogan sighed. He couldn't blame Carter's mind for running rampant…he also knew that what Carter mentioned wasn't out of the question. "If we don't find him here, then all we can do is keep looking, Carter."
The American sergeant sighed.
Hogan laid a hand on his shoulder for a minute, before they all went back to their search.
TBC
