Colonel Johan Schmidt walked into the interrogation room smirking evilly at Corporal Billings. The small undecorated room with grey walls held a table in the middle with Billings handcuffed to the one of the wooden chairs. He stared forward with no recognition of anything going on around him and snapping fingers in front of the American's eyes brought no reaction. The man was the same as he'd been for nearly twenty-four hours. Schmidt hoped that this would loosen the tongue of the terrified corporal who no longer spoke. The option a calculated risk, if it would work or push the man over the edge, but since the lieutenant remained unconscious, all Schmidt could do is try. Besides, if the corporal was a lost cause, he would be used in the same exercise on the lieutenant. These Americans were so weak, and this one was only a shell of a man, Schmidt thought with a wry chuckle. Still, he was determined to get something useful out of them; he declared to himself as he ran a hand through his dark greying hair.
"Corporal, shall we start again? If you don't want your fellow soldiers to believe you're a coward, I'll give you a chance to prove you're not. Take a good look," Schmidt knocked on the mirror* that covered about three feet of the middle of one wall. A private turned on a light in the other room. "As you can see Sergeant Mitchell is in that room. Now, his fate is in your hands. I will ask you some questions, and your answers determine what happens to him. Do you understand?"
Billings had no response. "Tell me at what base your squadron is stationed." Not getting anything Schmidt tapped on the glass and the private hit Mitchell with a baton. "How many fighters escort your bombers?" "What radio frequency do you use?" The questions continued, for each no reaction could be seen, and the private would hit Mitchell each time. Schmidt was enraged; he'd never had such difficult prisoners. They'd always broken before he killed them. This time it appeared the prisoners were winning which was unacceptable. "Corporal, you will talk now or I will blow your head off! You might not care about your fellow soldiers, but how about your own miserable life?" Schmidt yelled. Frustrated and angry the colonel drew his gun and pulled the bolt back priming the weapon placing it between Billings' eyes. A knock came on the door, and he lowered the firearm. "WHAT?" he screamed at the intruder.
"I'm sorry sir, but there's a call for you from headquarters," Captain Albert Burkeman said stepping into the room.
"Well, Billings, that call might have saved your sorry self for now. But it didn't save his!" Without looking Schmidt fired breaking the window separating the rooms emptying his pistol into Mitchell's already dead body. A round also found its way into the SS private's arm. Schmidt stormed off to answer the call he'd been dreading for days, not caring about his injured man.
Burkeman ran to take care of his private ordering for Billings to be returned to his cell. When the cell door closed, a single tear fell from Billings' eyes.
Michael Prust and Oscar Schnitzer entered the kitchen in the back of the house, where Lisa and Mady were sitting at the table. Lisa had helped Mady get cleaned up and changed into some clean clothes while they waited for news.
"How is he?" Mady asked with fear in her voice.
"He'll be fine. He'll sleep for a while longer, but you can sit with him if you like," Prust answered with a genuine smile.
"Thank you," Mady said as she ran to be with Andrew.
"How bad was it?" Lisa asked as she handed both men a cup of coffee.
"Not too bad, he'll make a full recovery. Oscar, we need to tell Robert what's happened," Michael said taking a sip of his coffee. Both men walked into the den and pulled out the radio contacting Stalag 13. Kinch answered, and then quickly got Hogan downstairs to talk to the doctor.
"Michael, Kinch said there'd been trouble. What's going on?" Hogan asked with worry in his voice. The doctor rarely contacted him.
"One of your cubs, Carter, was injured, and I needed to perform surgery. He's resting comfortably," Michael explained calmly.
"What happened? How seriously is he hurt?" Hogan demanded in a protective manner.
"He was shot, but not as serious as first appearances indicated. He'll be all right. Schnitzer will bring him home in a few hours, and I'll come by tomorrow to check on him. Don't have the details on what happened, but Mady will be able to explain." Michael understood Hogan would worry until Carter was home no matter what he told him. That was the mark of a good commander.
"Was Mady, or the baby injured?" Hogan asked equally concerned for the young mother-to-be.
"She has a few bruises, but I didn't know she was expecting. I will examine her. Thank you for telling me," Michael said. "When Oscar brings your man back, he'll need assistance getting him down into the tunnel."
"Tell him we'll take care of that, and to go to the usual place by the dog pen." After making the drop off arrangements Hogan signed off the radio. He blew out a worried breath then he and Kinch climbed the ladder back into the barracks.
Before Hogan explained what had happened, Schultz came into the hut. "Colonel Hogan, where's Carter? He's supposed to be cleaning the Kommandant's office," Schultz asked out of breath. He sat down leaning his rifle against the table.
"Carter's not feeling well. Olsen and Jacobs will go over there and make sure the office is cleaned," Hogan said. Both men taking the colonel's cue immediately got up and headed over to do the cleaning.
"What's wrong with Carter?" Schultz asked looking around the barracks for the young man. "Where is he?"
"He's in my room resting. We're not sure if what he has is contagious yet or not." Hogan said putting a leg on the bench, his arms on top of his leg as he watched the German sergeant.
"Contagious!" Schultz said standing up. "I should go. Tell Carter, I hope he feels better." Schultz hurried out the door making a u-turn to get his rifle.
"Stephens, watch the door," Hogan ordered gathering his core team around. "Carter ran into trouble in town and somehow got himself shot. Prust says he'll be fine and Schnitzer will bring him home later. Newkirk and Kinch help get Carter and Mady down into the tunnel. Newkirk, make sure Wilson knows to expect a patient."
"How bad is he hurt, Gov'nor? Is Mady all right?" Newkirk asked worry evident on his face.
"I don't think it serious, but we'll know more when he gets here. Mady has some minor injuries, but will be fine. Now, how is it going getting everything ready for our other guests?" Hogan asked looking at LeBeau.
"We're ready for the ladies and David. I've put extra blankets down there and made a crib for David. He'll be comfortable and we found a few things he can play with too. Mon colonel, what information do we have about how Carter was shot?" LeBeau asked the question on everyone's mind.
"Nothing, you know as much as I do. Don't worry, Carter is in good hands," he assured them with a smile. "We all have work to do so I suggest you get back to it," Hogan ordered. The men scattered to complete their assigned tasks. Hogan went into his office and closed the door, pacing worriedly.
At 3:00 pm while the guards were changing, Bluebird, Lilly, and David were outside by the tree trunk entrance. Bluebird scanned the camp watching for trouble in any direction. A few seconds later, LeBeau's head popped up as he opened the tree trunk lid. With another quick scan, Bluebird handed his sleeping son to LeBeau who climbed down the ladder with him. Fritz helped Lilly into the stump then took cover while she climbed down. Satisfied it was safe, Fritz made his way down to the tunnel seconds later.
"Welcome to our home," LeBeau said to Lilly still holding the sleeping child. Lilly went to take her son back. "Non, it's all right. I have him," LeBeau said with a smile rocking the baby slightly.
"Do you have one of your own?" Lilly asked seeing how much LeBeau was enjoying holding David. She removed the scarf she'd used to cover her light brown hair.
"Not yet, but I have many nieces and nephews. I've prepared a place for you to stay and we did the best we could for a crib for him." He answered as the three walked through the tunnels.
Lilly had never been in the tunnels before, and astonished at what the men accomplished and how large they were. Looking at the maze of off shoots, she was afraid she'd get lost in them. LeBeau explained that all the offshoots connected back to the main tunnel and ever few feet an arrow pointed in the direction of the main corridor. If she got lost to follow the arrows and somebody was usually around in the main area that could help her.
"Is Mady here yet?" Fritz asked following LeBeau into the room setup for his family.
"Non, but she will be soon. There was some trouble in town and Schnitzer will be here in a few minutes with them." LeBeau answered placing David in his make-shift crib. They'd taken a cot and built bars around it then covered the bars with blankets so he wouldn't fall out.
"What type of trouble?" Fritz asked setting the suitcase down.
"Carter went into town to get her and somehow got himself shot. We don't have the details yet, but Doctor Prust patched him up and Schnitzer will bring him back in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you get settled and I'll let you know when they're here?" LeBeau suggested then left the Fuchs family and went upstairs to find Hogan.
LeBeau found Hogan outside watching for the veterinarian's truck and told him about the Fuchs' arrival. They both stood there anxiously waiting for the next arrival. Exactly at 3:30 pm, Schnitzer's truck entered the compound and drove straight to the dog pen. However, Corporal Kohler* went with Schultz to greet the vet, and he took up a protective stance between the pen and the back of the truck, blocking Hogan's men from retrieving their injured friend.
*Two way mirrors were patented in the US in 1903.
**Episode Hogan's Trucking Service…We Deliver the Factory to You, Corporal Kohler is the guard that captured Crittendon.
