Chapter 10

Hogan and his men exchanged looks. Why would Burkhalter being staying here at Stalag 13? And more so, why would he want it kept a secret?

"I don't understand, General Burkhalter," said Klink nervously. "Why would you want to stay here? And why don't you want anybody to know?"

Burkhalter sighed. "Klink, have you heard of a man called the faceless one?"

Klink thought about it for a brief moment. He shook his head. "I never heard of him. Who is he?"

"He's called that because nobody has ever seen his real face," the General explained. "Yesterday, I received this in the mail." Reaching into his inner coat pocket, Burkhalter pulled out a folded letter. He handed it to Klink who, unfolding it, read its contents. He gasped.

"This is a letter threatening your life, General Burkhalter!" He handed the letter back to Burkhalter.

"I know what it is, Klink," Burkhalter replied, exasperated. "This man has assassinated three other high-ranking officials of the Luftwaffe in the last two years. When I received this, my staff thought it might be better and safer for me to go where there was no chance of this man getting to me. So, Klink, here I am...unfortunately."

"But, General Burkhalter, couldn't you own security have..."

"Dummkopf!" Burkhalter replied, raising his voice. "If I could trust my own security do you think I'd be here with you?"

Klink shrugged nervously. "Just thought I'd ask."

"Well don't!" Burkhalter smiled as he got to his feet. "Klink, my suitcases are in the car. You will have them taken to your quarters where I will be staying while I'm here."

Klink smiled just as nervously. "Certainly, Herr General. I will see that...wait, my quarters? But...but...where will I sleep then?"

Burkhalter looked menancingly at the Colonel. "You have guest quarters don't you?"

"Yes, General, but..."

"Then you have your answer, Klink. Now, see to the bags!"

Hogan pulled the plug from the coffee pot. He raised an eyebrow. "So, Burkhalter's hiding out here from this assassin," he said. "Isn't that cozy?"

"What about this man Burkhalter said is called the faceless man, Colonel?" asked Kinch. Something was troubling him. He needed to speak with Lancelot asap.

"Not sure, Kinch. If nobody's ever seen his face, I'm wondering if this man could be a master-of-disguise. In which case, he could be really hard to find."

"Do you think we can find him, Colonel?" asked Carter, concerned.

"We'd better," Hogan admitted. He was lost in thought.

"So what do we do, Gov'nor?" asked Newkirk with a sigh.

"First thing we do..." began Hogan, "is double check all the guards in this camp. Make sure they're all who they say they are. Find out if anybody's here who is on record as being on leave or ill, etc. Can you do that, LeBeau, Newkirk?"

"Oui, Colonel," LeBeau said with a smile. "We'll do it tonight after Klink leaves his office."

"Good. Kinch, contact Lancelot. Ask him to for a meet at the usual place tonight, 2100 hours. Carter, I want you to meet him and bring him here."

"Right, Colonel."

Kinch was puzzled. "Why the meeting with Lancelot, Colonel?" he asked.

Hogan wheeled his chair away from the desk. "I need the underground to ask around and find out if there's anybody new in town lately who's been asking about Burkhalter. Maybe it'll give us a lead on this guy."

"Hey, Colonel..." Carter began.

Stopping, Hogan partially turned his chair to enable him to look at the young Sergeant. "Yeah, Carter?"

"Why not just let this faceless man bump off Burkhalter? I mean, why are we busting our backsides saving a Kraut anyway?"

"I'm not crazy about the idea either, Carter," Hogan explained. "But keep in mind, if Burkhalter gets knocked off he could easily be replaced by someone else who might end up sending our illustrious and incompetent Kommandant to the Russian front, replace him with someone who we might not be able to housebreak, and put us out of business...permanently."

Carter mulled it over for a moment or two. He shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask," he said innocently.

Hogan began wheeling himself out of his quarters, but then Kinch began pushing the chair the remainder of the way. Hogan glanced over his shoulder, a grin on his face.

"Why thank you, Kinch."

"My pleasure, Colonel," Kinch replied with a smile. "Besides, I always wanted to chauffeur a superior officer."

Hogan winked at the Sergeant. "I won't tell anybody if you won't."

Kinch wheeled Hogan up to the table where Tucker and Benson were sitting, having coffee before he went to the bunk and slapped the hidden mechanism causing the lower bunk to rise.

"LeBeau, watch the door," Hogan ordered.

"Oui, Colonel," the Frenchman replied getting up. He cracked open the barracks door to keep watch.

"Want some coffee, Colonel?" asked Tucker, starting to rise.

"Yeah, why not, Chris. Thank you."

"No sweat, Colonel." Tucker grabbed Hogan's coffee cup off the window sill and proceeded to pour a full cup of coffee. He handed it to Hogan.

"I hope it's all right, sir," Tucker said as he sat down.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Hogan, puzzled. He took a sip and immediately made a face. He looked at Tucker who looked apologetically at the Colonel.

"Newkirk made it before roll call, sir," he said sheepishly. "I warned you."

Hogan smirked and shook his head. "As long as it doesn't put me into a coma I'll live," he replied.

Newkirk, hopping up onto his upper bunk, feigned being hurt. "I find that highly insulting if you must know, chaps."

Tucker and Benson both looked up at the Englander. "Sorry, Newkirk," Benson apologized with a wry smile.

Hogan smirked as he looked at Newkirk, a mischevious gleam in his eyes that the Englander knew had been missing since the Colonel's injury. "Pay no attention to him, Newkirk. If anything, at least it's hot. And that's something anyway."

Just then...

"Colonel, here comes Schultz!" cried LeBeau.

Benson jumped up and and slapped the hidden mechanism on the bedframe. The lower bunk dropped down. He then stomped twice on the floor as a warning to Kinch not to come up. Company.

He had no sooner sat down again than the door opened and Schultz wandered in. He approached Hogan.

"Colonel Hogan, Kommandant Klink has requested your presence in his office right away."

Hogan looked up. "Why, Schultz? What'd I do now?"

"Why do you ask that? Did you do something you shouldn't have, Colonel Hogan?" Schultz asked, a mischevious look in his eyes.

"No. But I could if you give me some time, Schultz."

Schultz suddenly looked concerned. "Do I want to know what you would do?"

Hogan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Schultz. Do you?"

"Somehow, I don't think I want to know. Colonel Hogan, we're getting off the reason I came here to begin with."

"And what would that be, Schultzie?" asked Newkirk, laying down on his bunk.

Schultz looked up at Newkirk. "I came here to tell Colonel Hogan that the Kommandant wants to see him in his office right away."

"Well why didn't you say so in the beginning," Newkirk remarked. "You can't expect a bloke to read your bleedin' mind."

Schultz groaned, exasperated. He again looked at the Colonel. "Colonel Hogan, please..."

Hogan finished his coffee and put the cup on the table. He moved his wheelchair away from the table. "Okay, Schultz," he said, "Let's see what Klink and Burkhalter want."

"Just let me...wait a minute. How did you know about General Burkhalter being here? I didn't say anything about General Burkhalter!"

"Process of elimination, Schultz," Hogan explained at Schultz pushed the wheelchair out the barracks door which Benson held open. "Y'see, if Hochstetter was here, Klink would've come to see me personally. But since you came instead, it has to be Burkhalter. Understand?"

"Yeah. I think I do." Hogan didn't have to look to know by now Schultz had a totally baffled look on his face. Inwardly, Hogan could only smile. God it feels good to be active again even if I don't have use of my legs right now, Hogan told himself with a grin on his face.