It was about 1500 hours before Rob and I snuck out of the barracks, loaded with apple strudel (LeBeau) and chocolate bars (Red Cross packages). Rob had to make a collection of candy bars from the men because we were in low supply and what we got was five (one plain chocolate, two raisin, and two with nuts) which might not be able to fancy Schultz into giving us anything, hence the apple strudel LeBeau made from the last of the supplies we received from town from Schultz himself. The apples were soft but it still created a delicious aroma around the barracks. The men of Barracks 14 even stopped their dealings to ask if LeBeau was making more strudel.

Schultz was, of course, guarding Klink's quarters which was being used by the Shadow for whatever time he was staying here in our little paradise (Klink was probably going to be there, but sleeping on the couch). Rob and I came upon him walking back and forth and murmuring to himself. So, we just stood there quietly as Schultz was oblivious to us until about the fourth time he turned around to face us. Then he noticed Rob and I were standing there.

Schultz smelled the strudel I was holding in my hands, but sadly, he remembered his job of guarding the Shadow. Taking up his gun, Schultz yelled, "Who GOES there?"

"It's only Laurel and Hardy, Schultz," Rob joked with his usual impish smile and twinkle in his eyes.

"Ha ha, jolly joker," Schultz said putting down his gun on the ground. "What is it YOU want, Colonel Hogan? I'm supposed to be guarding the Kommandant's quarters and –"

Schultz stopped his ranting mid-sentence and remembered that there was chocolate and strudel to be had. He walked over to me, for I had the most tempting treat, and watched as I opened the lid to the dish slowly with my right hand and waved the lid around so that he could get a whiff of the aroma. Schultz smiled at me and staggered over close, stopping in front of me and then taking his usual portions from the plate.

In between his eating, after he ate to most of his heart's content, I said to Schultz, "I just wanna ask you a few questions, Schultz."

"ANY-thing – for the little colonel," he said in his mouthfuls of strudel.

"Why is there all this security for this particular camp kommandant?" I asked indicating the building near us.

"Mr. BIG Shot Klink wanted to SHOW off the camp – and WHY…killing prisoners – isn't – right at all."

"Is Klink concerned about his record again?" was my next question.

"YES," Schultz said after his finished chewing the last of the apple strudel, whispering, "And shhh – there might be a promotion in for Mr. Big SHOT in there. Herr Direktor Liebehenschel is looking IN-to the camp, so PLEASE behave. Tell the…men that – too."

"All right then, Schultz," Rob said waving his side of the treats as soon as Schultz was done with the strudel. "So this is just for showing off and not for a real inspection of the other stalags?"

Schultz wouldn't be tempted by the chocolate. Already, he has said enough to me and he might get in trouble for telling why the Shadow was here. So, our guard just shrugged his shoulders and went back towards Klink's quarters, picking up his gun off of the ground as he went back. So, it was time for Plan B.

I nodded off to Rob. "How would he know?" I said to Rob. "Schultz knows nothing anyway, remember? We might as well leave." I shut the lid on the empty dish and motioned that Rob follow me back to the barracks empty-handed of information. Rob then linked arms with me after a few yards from the building.

Plan B worked, though. Before long we heard Schultz yell after us. "Wait, wait, Colonel Hogan, I know something!" Rob turned around and saw the blundering sergeant trail after us so out the chocolate bars went from Rob's pocket and in they went, like a vacuum, to Schultz's mouth. As soon as he was done, Schultz explained what we needed and this time it was the truth.

In a whisper, Schultz said, as he leaned towards us, "Herr Direktor Liebehenschel came here to see if there was anything wrong with the little colonel here." Schultz meant me, of course. "Mr. BIG Shot was saying how WELL he's handling her but Herr Direktor Liebehenschel suspects her of spying. He's hiding here to see if it's TRUE." Schultz leaned back straight and asked, "ANY-thing else?"

"No thanks, Schultz," I said. I was shocked. The Shadow suspects me of spying still and wants to stay here to see if he's right and to see if Klink's record is as he brags it to be. It's another game he's playing with me, a cat and mouse game: sure, do whatever you like but if I catch you doing it before you succeed and then you'll be dead before dawn at the firing squad. Even if I do succeed in helping destroy the oil refinery and he never catches me in the act, I know he'll try to take something away from me and find an excuse to do it too.

I was silently going paranoid and my mind raced. I promised myself that I wouldn't be emotionally attached anymore, but feelings deep inside of me were coming back up. He could kill one of the men. Wait a second, he knows about Rob. What if he kills Rob? WHAT IF he killed ROB?

Schultz was gone and back to work before long and Rob was by my side. "Nikki?" Rob was right behind me as I stood there and thought about what the Shadow could do to break me in. I knew that he had to catch me in the act of sabotage before he could kill me, and according to German laws, he has the right to kill those who are destroying the state (some random person could be targeted too).

"Nikki, what's wrong?" Rob was persistent. He poked me in the ribs.

All I could do was turn to back Rob, but I noticed that, beyond us, a curtain from Klink's quarters moved ever so slightly. He was watching us.

"Nothing, it's nothing at all, Rob. I need to check on Wilson in the cooler." I said some excuse as I shook my head and headed to the cooler alone with the dish minus the strudel. Rob didn't even follow me as I argued with the guard on duty at the cooler.