Hogan was wandering around in the forest, his pistol in hands reach ready if necessary. He blended in well for the most part considering his uniform was black, besides the red swastika arm wrap on his left arm. He kept an observant eye on everything around him, making sure no one else was around. For the most part, Hogan had no idea what he was looking for or where to look, but just went with the flow telling himself his instincts would eventually lead him to the Italian pig that wanted him dead. His mind was briefly taken off what his task was, when he thought of his men. He wondered how Kinchloe, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter were. How they were holding up, how the operation was going, if they were still managing to continue on in their lives regarding the 'loss' of him. He sighed imagining his four men grieving over him. He wanted nothing more than to just go back Stalag 13 and see them again. He wanted to let them know he was alright and coming back to them as soon as he could. He knew, unfortunately, that in order to be successful with his assignment, he had to let everyone believe he was dead in order to fool the Italian spy.
Coming out of his thoughts, he continued on his way through the forest looking for any clues or evidence that the Italian spy had been around the area. His search so far had come up with nothing. He paused, when he spotted a house not too far from where he was. It was out a ways past the forest, but close enough to a town in case of needing anything. Deciding it could not hurt, he made his way over to the house and knocked on the door. He was happy to see the two men who opened the door. Their mouths dropped and eyes twinkled immediately, losing the clouded look they had thirty seconds before hand.
"Colonel Hogan, you're alive!" One man, Mike, cried cheerful.
"Oh boy, are we glad to see you!" The other man, Jim, spoke smiling.
Hogan could not help but smile, then immediately shushed them.
"We'll talk more, if you let me in." Hogan spoke, softly.
The two nodded and let him in.
Hogan made his way in and to the couch in the living room. He sighed, relieved to finally be sitting down. He was exhausted from walking all day long looking and hunting down Peretti. His lungs ached, and his legs were sore. He rubbed his belly, grimacing slightly. It had begun to hurt earlier that evening for some reason. He quickly hid his discomfort with a smile, as soon as the two men sat down in chairs in front of him.
"So, when did you and Firefox decide to share a place?" Hogan asked, smiling at both men.
"Mike and I decided a little while back. Since we both work as communications people for the Underground and always need to talk with one another regarding work, we thought it was the most logical idea to do." Jim answered. Mike's code name was Blue Eagle.
"We heard about your death; how are you still alive?" Mike asked.
"It's a long story I don't have time to tell, but this must stay a secret between the three of us, understood? No one, and I mean no one is to know I'm still alive. It could be a huge threat to me and my mission." Hogan said, stern.
"How come, Papa Bear?" Jim asked.
"There's an Italian spy, Anthony Peretti, out for me. He wants me dead and right now, that's what I hope to believe, so his guard's let down. London wants me to kill him, before he kills me. In order to succeed and make sure my life is in protection, my death was faked in order to proceed further regarding my task. I am currently going by the alias Robert Holzhauser, a gestapo officer." Hogan replied.
"Do you at least want us to call Stalag 13 and let the guys know you're alright?" Mike asked.
"No, especially them; if word got out about me still being alive, I could be put in a serious situation that could end up in me actually dying, You two are the only ones who can know I'm still alive. As for everyone else momentarily, I am dead." Hogan answered.
"Got yah, sir." Jim said.
"Your secret's safe with us, Colonel." Mike added.
Hogan smiled.
"Thank you; now, is there a spare room you can let me use? I'm exhausted." Hogan said.
"One upstairs; feel free to stay as long as you need to." Jim answered.
Hogan smiled and nodded. He rose to his feet, walked upstairs, and entered the bed immediately sitting down on the bed. He groaned softly, rubbing his belly. He lifted up his shirt to see how his stitches were. There was slight pink around the scar and stitches, indicating they were irritated. His insides hurt a little, too, but he could not worry about his injuries, right now. His life was at stake, and unless he wanted to spend the rest of the war away from his men, Klink, and Schultz, he needed to toughen it out and focus on his task. He lay down on the soft mattress and closed his eyes. Hogan was soon enough fast asleep.
Newkirk and Annika had sit down on a log in the forest to let the Englander rest and collect his thoughts together. He had stopped crying, but was now tired and numb. Annika rubbed his back gently, and they talked out his feelings in order to make him feel better.
"It's okay to cry, Peter; he was special to you, Sergeant Kinchloe, Sergeant Carter, and Corporal LeBeau. I'm sure they feel exactly the same way you do." Annika softly spoke.
"It's not that they don't know how I feel, it's that someone needs to be the shoulder to lean on, while we're a bloody mess grieving over the Gov'nor." Newkirk whimpered, tired. His eyes stung from crying for so long.
"You don't have to be the shoulder to lean on; you all have to lean on each other. Your feelings are just as important to recognize as much as theirs are."
"I just wish I could see Colonel's smile, his face, hear his voice and wisecracks regarding the Krauts and Old Klink back at camp...now he's gone, and I'm never gonna ruddy see him, again."
"He's still here, Peter; he's right there inside you, Carter, Kinchloe, and LeBeau. He would not leave you four altogether. He's up there smiling down at the four of you, proud of you guys and making sure you guys are safe and out of trouble."
Newkirk slightly chuckled.
"Bad luck for him; he couldn't keep us out of trouble while being alive. I don't think him dying will change that factor."
Annika giggled.
"Probably not, but he can certainly try."
Newkirk gave a small smile and nodded.
"Thanks for the talk, mate. I feel a little better, now." Newkirk answered, smiling.
"You're welcome; what are friends for?" Annika replied, smiling in return.
Newkirk kissed Annika's forehead, then Annika gave Newkirk a kiss on the cheek. Both smiled at each other and the two of them went over the outline for their current assignment from London before the Englander had to head back for camp.
Kinchloe paced back and forth like Hogan had done, when waiting for one of them to come home from a mission or meeting. Carter and LeBeau sat at the radio table watching Kinchloe carefully.
"You're gonna make yourself sick, if you keep doing that, mon ami." LeBeau cried.
"I'm sorry, I'm just worried; Newkirk should've been back by now." Kinchloe answered, still pacing.
"Not to sound rude, but can you please stop? Sorry, it's just you make me think of Colonel, when you do that." Carter meekly spoke. He was fighting tears back in his eyes. He for some reason missed Hogan terribly, tonight.
Kinchloe turned around and saw the look on Carter's face and sighed. The radioman walked over to Carter and wrapped an arm around him and held him close to him. Carter started softly crying and buried his face into Kinchloe's side.
"It's alright, Carter; I miss him, too." Kinchloe answered, sadly. He rubbed the young sergeant's back, as he cried over Hogan.
"It isn't the same without the Colonel here...I feel like we're missing someone from our team. We aren't a team without him here. We're missing someone from our family." LeBeau sadly spoke.
"I'm sorry, Kinch...I just miss him so much." Carter whimpered.
"You're alright, kid; you cry as much as you need to. No one will judge you in here." Kinchloe said, with a small smile.
"I know one thing for sure; it's certainly gonna be a long time, before we're able to move on from losing Colonel Hogan." LeBeau sadly spoke.
Newkirk entered into the radio tunnel back in his Allies uniform and saw Carter wiping his eyes with a handkerchief Kinchloe gave him.
"Blimey, what's wrong with Andrew?" Newkirk asked, concerned.
Kinchloe and LeBeau turned to Newkirk and saw his eyes were pink and a little puffy still from crying.
"Why are your eyes red, Newkirk?" Kinchloe replied.
"No particular reason whatsoever; allergies this season, I tell yah. They're a bloody misery." Newkirk answered, acting in denial.
"Uh huh...that's it." Kinchloe spoke sly.
"Pierre, you don't have allergies." LeBeau commented.
Newkirk sighed, finally giving in.
"Fine; I was crying. Annika was giving me moral support, when I broke down over holding my feelings inside for so long regarding losing the Gov'nor." Newkirk sighed.
"Carter hasn't been having a good night, either." Kinchloe said.
Newkirk walked towards Carter. Kinchloe got out of the way and let Carter be comforted by his best friend. Newkirk rubbed his back gently, while Carter continued wiping his red, wet eyes.
"I don't think I've ever felt so empty in my entire life until recently." LeBeau sadly said.
"No one in camp nor the Underground is taking the loss over Colonel easily." Kinchloe remarked.
"He was the best commanding officer I ever had, and I'll never respect another one." Newkirk added.
"Newkirk...what do you think Colonel Hogan would want us to do, right now?" Carter whimpered, tears still making their way down his cheeks.
Newkirk sighed thinking intently.
"I think, first off, he would order us to stop crying and act like men." Newkirk answered, smirking softly. He remembered exactly how much Hogan tolerated whining and crying.
"Crying over missions and work related issues, oui; this is yet another topic. We've never gone through something like this, before." LeBeau said, pondering through his thoughts.
"If Colonel were here, right now, I think he would appreciate how much we miss him and wanted him here with us, but I think he would feel bad for hurting us like this and want us to continue on with our lives as best as we can without him." Kinchloe answered, walking around slightly.
"I hope he knew how much we cared about him. I don't wanna believe he died not knowing." Carter meekly said.
"Don't worry, Carter; I'm positive Colonel Hogan died knowing exactly how much we loved and cherished him as a commanding officer and friend." Newkirk answered, smiling small.
"Do you think he died afraid? I hope that wasn't the case."
"Colonel Hogan wasn't afraid of anything; the only thing that scared him was something happening to one of us." LeBeau answered.
"If I'm correct, I think Colonel's up there in that night sky looking down at us, right now. I wouldn't be surprised, if he were our guardian angel, now." Kinchloe said, smiling.
"You think so, Kinch?" Carter asked, hopeful.
"It's just as I said earlier; Colonel would never abandon us."
Carter gave a small smile, while Newkirk continued rubbing his friend's back.
"On a happier note, how was your date, Newkirk?" LeBeau cooed.
Newkirk groaned.
"Blimey, Louis; I told yah it wasn't a date!" Newkirk cried.
"Did she kiss you, buddy?" Carter asked, cheerful.
"No," Newkirk lied.
"Really, because a see lipstick on one of your cheeks." Kinchloe smirked.
Newkirk took his hand and rubbed the lipstick off his left cheek glaring coldly at his new commanding officer and friend.
"Come on, Pierre; give us the details. Do I hear wedding bells in the near future?" LeBeau sighed, dreaming of Newkirk's perfect wedding.
"No; there's no ruddy wedding taking place, and I'm not getting married. I told you blokes over 70 times that Annika is just a friend, nothing more!" Newkirk exclaimed.
Olsen came down the ladder leaving another prisoner to maintain watch at the barracks door for a guard or Klink.
"Did I hear Newkirk's getting married?!" Olsen cheered.
Newkirk hung his head back and sighed.
"Gov'nor, where are yah, when I need yah?" Newkirk moaned, softly.
Another prisoner came rushing down the ladder, and his eyes were bugged out, out of breath from running so fast.
Kinchloe, Newkirk, Carter, LeBeau, and Olsen all turned around to see the prisoner.
"Willy, what's wrong?" Kinchloe asked.
"Kommandant Klink...staff car…" Willy gasped.
"What about Klink's car?" Newkirk asked.
"I don't know...but...screamed...really loud about it." Willy gasped.
The five men hurried up the ladder and soon afterwards, Willy came up the ladder. After everyone had left the tunnel, Kinchloe banged the fake bunk bed, and the bunk lowered and the ladder rose back into place.
"What should we do, Kinch?" Carter asked.
"Old Klink should be coming over here in about thirty seconds." Newkirk answered.
"Just all act natural." Kinchloe ordered.
He, Carter, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Olsen all sat down at the table. Kinchloe grabbed a magazine and started reading it. Newkirk got a deck of cards and started playing a game of gin with Carter, LeBeau, and Olsen. It did not take long before the barracks door slammed open, and Klink stormed inside. Schultz was behind him and stood by the open door.
"Alright...I wanna know who did it and who did it, now!" Klink hissed.
Kinchloe looked up from his magazine at the Kommandant acting as if he had no idea of what was going on.
"Something the matter, Kommandant?" Kinchloe asked.
"Yes, Sergeant Kinchloe, there is something wrong...someone sabotaged my staff car!" Klink wailed.
"Sabotage; of what sort do you refer to, Klink?" Newkirk asked, immediately looking back down at his hand of cards.
"Don't act so innocent; I know it was one of you!" Klink hissed.
"Well, we have no idea what you're talking about, so you might as well say what kind of sabotage job was done." LeBeau answered, not even looking at the German colonel. He was furious with all Germans that came his way, besides Schultz. He felt the reason Hogan even died was because a stupid gestapo officer took him out of the safety of Stalag 13 which gave the Italian spy easy target to kill his beloved commanding officer.
"Someone smashed the front end of my staff car and blew out two of the wheels. The windows are smashed in, too!" Klink moaned.
"Sounds like yah got a killer after yah, Klink." Newkirk commented.
"But why would anyone want to kill me?" Klink asked, worried.
"Même raison que je souhaite Major Hochstetter serait tomber raide mort." LeBeau murmured.
"What did that cockroach say?" Klink ordered.
"Trust me, yah don't want to know." Newkirk spoke, laying down a card on the table.
"I didn't know you spoke French, Corporal." Olsen gasped.
"I don't; but it don't need translating to understand what it meant."
Klink glared at the five men at the table.
"Somebody better come clean and tell me who killed my car!" Klink demanded.
"No one here ruined your precious car!" LeBeau mocked.
"No, but I have a feeling I know who did." Kinchloe answered, coming to realization.
"Who," Klink begged.
"Same person who killed Captain Schneider and Colonel Hogan." Kinchloe replied.
The four men at the table nodded, knowing Kinchloe was referring to the Italian spy. To Klink and Schultz, it was some German gestapo officer blind mad that had no existence.
"The mad gestapo officer?!" Klink gasped.
The five men at the table nodded in agreement.
"But, what does he want with me?"
"Isn't it obvious, Kommandant; this guy wants revenge for you having the most dangerous man wanted in all of Germany." Kinchloe answered. The African American knew all about Hochstetter, and his continuous obsession with Hogan.
"That makes sense," Klink stated.
"Now that Colonel Hogan's dead, he wants to go after you, next." Olsen said.
Klink shuddered, then grew sad.
"But my car...I loved that car!" Klink whimpered.
Kinchloe walked over to a record player one ot the prisoners had and played 'Amazing Grace' in the key of C major. He, Newkirk, Carter, LeBeau, and Olsen then hummed to the song, making Klink start sobbing like a baby. Schultz felt very awkward regarding the whole situation, but said nothing knowing Klink's car was very important to him.
