Chapter 10: Returning
The car pulled into camp sometime after midnight. The driver opened Hochstetter's door first, then Hogan's. He undid one cuff, yanking Hogan out the door with force. Hogan wasn't able to keep himself from falling. All his weight landed on the leg he was shot in when he and Christopher tried to get Wright out of Germany. Wilson told him the bullet nicked the bone, causing a small fracture. Even though the wound has healed, the muscles are still weak.
Hogan glared at the guard, trying to hide his discomfort. The guard laughed. "Oops."
Hogan slowly stood, but said nothing. One of these days, oops, I put a bullet in your head.
Gritting his teeth, Hogan limped behind Hochstetter to the Kommandantur. "Who is in charge when Klink isn't here?" yelled Hochstetter
Huffing and puffing, Schultz entered the room. "Herr Major… I didn't expect anyone… to be visiting… at this time of night." Schultz smiled when he saw Hogan leaning against the wall.
"Bah! I'm returning Colonel Hogan." Hochstetter handed Schultz the paperwork for him to sign, accepting transfer of Hogan. "The Gestapo is finished with him, for now."
Schultz happily signed the paper. "There you go, Herr Major."
Hochstetter yanked the papers from Schultz's hand. He paused before he left the room. Turning toward Hogan, he said, "Mind your leg, Hogan," and walked out the door.
Hogan's mouth dropped open. Was it a coincidence he used the same words as Kewpie again? Maybe, but not likely. If Hochstetter was Kewpie, why did he always try to prove Hogan was Papa Bear?
Hogan's mind raced, trying to make sense of the possibility. Was it the drugs still in his system clouding his reasoning, or the bash he received on the head, or did it simply not make sense? Could Hochstetter be a double agent, working for both the Allies and Nazis? Could he have met with Hochstetter that night in the barn and Hochstetter didn't arrest him because… because why? He wanted to get more evidence against him? Discover how he was able to get in and out of camp? To test him if the brainwashing took? He may have dismissed his line of thinking from earlier too quickly.
"Colonel Hogan, is there something wrong?" asked Schultz
"Hmm? Uh… no. Why do you ask?" asked Hogan.
Schultz stared at Hogan's shirt. "Colonel, do you need to see the medic?"
"I'm just a little banged up. Nothing a hot shower and a long nap won't cure," answered Hogan.
"But Colonel, the blood on your shirt is fresh." Schultz pointed to the fresh bloodstains on Hogan's shirt.
Hogan looked down. When the guard yanked him out of the car, he must have reopened some of the wounds. "I'll be fine."
"Schultz, why was Hochstetter here? Colonel! You're back!" Kinch exclaimed, walking into the room.
"Good to be back, Kinch." Hogan smiled. Everything was going to be fine. It gave him comfort knowing Kinch was keeping any eye on things, even at this time of night.
"Sergeant Kinchloe, please talk some sense into Colonel Hogan. He needs to see the medic and he won't go," pleaded Schultz, pointing to his shirt.
Hogan zipped his jacket. "I will be fine. Just some scratches."
"I'll take him to the infirmary. Just make sure the guards know we can be out walking around." Kinch headed to the door. "Coming, Colonel?"
"The only place I am going is to my room and to bed." Hogan walked out the door.
"After a trip to the infirmary. We need to talk any way." Kinch steered Hogan toward the infirmary.
Schultz stood on the porch, signaling it was okay. A searchlight followed the two men to the infirmary.
Hogan took a deep breath. He was too tired and sore to argue. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get to bed. When the two men walked into the infirmary, Wilson was waiting for them. "What are you doing here?"
"I was told you were injured," answered Wilson. Hogan tried to walk without limping, but it was too painful. "If you would have taken my advice, you would not be limping now."
"I tried to stay off of it like you said. The Gestapo had different ideas though." Hogan sat on the table. That guard will pay for this.
"Besides your leg, what else is wrong?" asked Wilson.
"Nothing," Hogan said, as innocently as he could.
Kinch stood behind Hogan, pointing to his chest. Wilson reached for his stethoscope. "Open your jacket and unbutton your shirt, Colonel."
"Why? The problem is with my leg," said Hogan defensively.
"I hear some wheezing," Wilson lied. "This will only take a minute."
Hogan glared at Kinch, knowing he tipped Wilson off. "You caught me." Hogan took off his jacket and shirt.
"How long were you plan on hiding these." Wilson pointed to the injuries.
Hogan shrugged. "I was hoping until after the war."
Wilson grabbed his supplies. "Why is your belt…" Wilson walked around Hogan "Oh. I see. What did they use?" Wilson carefully undid the belt. As gently as he could, he removed the blood soaked rag.
"A nail," said Hogan through gritted teeth. "And a whip."
Wilson shook his head at Hogan. Hogan's only response was a shrug. "Sit up as straight as you can. I will get this over with quickly."
While Wilson was cleaning the wounds, Hogan decided to take his mind off the pain by talking with Kinch. "Kinch, where are the others?"
"You didn't see them in Berlin?" asked Kinch with worry.
"I saw the Gestapo, Klink and General Lawrence." Sadness overcame Hogan as Lawrence's death replayed in his mind. "One of the Gestapo agents, though, sort of reminded me of Christopher."
"It probably was Christopher." Kinch shook his head and paced. "I got a call from LeBeau earlier. He said they had you and General Lawrence. How could you have not seen them?"
"Hochstetter didn't let me see much once we left Gestapo Headquarters. A Gestapo colonel and his men said the underground was planning a raid on the headquarters and we had to be moved to another location. I figured the Gestapo got wind of a rescue attempt. Between the poison Weissmuller gave me, being locked in a stall with high sides, and very little light to see by, I didn't see much." Hogan instinctively jerked away from Wilson as he cleaned the wound.
"Those Gestapo men were our guys. We had Teppel arrest them and haul them to Berlin for questioning. Unfortunately, Klink decided to go with them. You said you saw Klink?" inquired Kinch.
Hogan nodded. "Yeah. He talked Weissmuller out of turning me into a Colonel-kabob. He rambled about these tactics not working in the past. He diverted everyone's attention to Hochstetter to back up his story. Then he said I told him about Tom tickling me until I gave him what he wanted. I never had a conversation like that with Klink. I can't figure out why he would lie for me?"
"He told them what?" exclaimed Kinch and Wilson.
"Why would Klink make up a story like that?" asked Kinch. "Didn't he realize how much trouble he could've been in?"
Hogan shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm glad though. Klink distracted Weissmuller long enough to cause him to lose interest. You realize Weissmuller didn't stab me at random…"
"He stabbed you where it would cause the most amount of pain with the least amount of damage," finished Wilson.
"You mentioned Weissmuller gave you some poison? Do you know what kind?" asked Kinch.
Hogan tilted his head to stare at Kinch. "What's with the twenty questions?"
"Sorry, Colonel. I just wanted to know what happened and if we… if you… or he…" Kinch couldn't finish the sentence.
"If we talked?" Hogan finished. He shook his head. "No. We need to radio London, informing them Big Bird was killed before completing his mission," said Hogan somberly.
"What!" exclaimed Kinch. "How did that happen? The last word I got was the guys had you. Both of you were okay."
Hogan stared at the wall behind Wilson as he continued to clean the wounds. "He grabbed one of the Gestapo agents, took his gun and put it to his head. He threatened if we were not released, he would kill him. Hochstetter had me on the ground. It was too dark to see a great deal. I heard a gunshot and saw General Lawrence fall to the ground. Another one of the Gestapo agents confirmed he was dead. Hochstetter told me the underground killed him to keep him quiet. Are you sure it was Christopher I really saw?"
"Yes. Chances are he isn't dead. Faking his death was the only way to get him here and out of Germany without anyone looking for him. How many times have we faked a death to keep the Krauts from looking for the person we are trying to get out?" asked Kinch.
Hogan turned his head to face Kinch. Hope flickered in his eyes. "Are you sure they were our men?" Between the poison and the mind games, he wasn't sure what to believe.
Nodding, Kinch answered, "Yes, Sir." Kinch paused a moment before he asked his next question. "Colonel, are you sure you are all right? It isn't like you to not be observant."
"I think it is a combination of the poison, antidote, and the lack of food and sleep that is affecting me. I should be fine once the poison is out of my system." Hogan stretched and yawned. "And get some sleep. Do you have an ETA of when the guys will be back?"
"Poison!" Wilson and Kinch exclaimed.
"What kind of poison? Kinch get on the radio to London and …" Wilson was cut off.
"Hold it! This is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would over react." Hogan waited for Wilson and Kinch to stop grumbling before he continued. "I am fine now. Hochstetter gave me the antidote. Nothing to worry about."
"You still haven't answered my question. What kind of poison was it?" asked Wilson.
Hogan shrugged. "I don't know exactly. All I know is it's experimental." Hogan scratched his head. "I think it causes pain, confusion and memory loss. I am having a hard time remembering the details."
"Kinch, make sure he is under constant watch. I want to know if his condition worsens," Wilson ordered.
"No, problem," answered Kinch.
Hogan rolled his eyes. "I told you I am fine."
"Precautions," answered Wilson.
Hogan watched Wilson walk over to the medical cabinet. When Hogan saw the needle in Wilson's hand, he moved away from him. "What's that?"
"Penicillin. It's all I have at the moment to help you fight any infections," said Wilson.
Before Hogan could protest or move farther away from Wilson, he stuck the needle in Hogan's arm. "Ouch! That hurt."
Wilson and Kinch both stared at Hogan in amazement. "After all you've been through, you complain about a little needle?" asked Kinch.
"Never mind. Back to my original question. Do we have and ETA on when the men will be back?" asked Hogan.
Kinch nodded. "LeBeau said tomorrow morning." After glancing at his watch, he amended, "make it later today."
Wilson put the finishing touches on Hogan's leg. "I suggest you get some rest. Colonel, if you don't listen this time, I will put you in a cast and strap you to the bed. This isn't a threat either. It's a promise."
"Like I said, blame the Krauts. Can I go now?" asked Hogan.
Wilson nodded. "As long as you are going to bed."
Hogan put his shirt and jacket on. He slowly stood up. "I think you put the bandage on too tight around my leg."
"Would you prefer a cast?" said Wilson with a cocked eyebrow.
"On second thought, it's just fine." Hogan walked with some help from Kinch. He didn't need the help. He hoped it would help keep him out of trouble with Wilson.
Kinch helped Hogan out the door. Once outside, Hogan stood without Kinch's help. "I want to know the second anyone comes in the gate or a message comes in."
"I have Baker monitoring the radio tonight, while I monitor the compound. We have everything covered," informed Kinch. "Nothing for you to worry about."
"Kinch, have I told you lately how proud I am of you?" asked Hogan.
"Just doing my job, Colonel," answered Kinch.
"Ever thought about becoming an officer?" inquired Hogan.
"Why the punishment? I thought you were proud of me?" laughed Kinch. "Good night, Colonel. Get some rest. Oh, I almost forgot. While you were gone, we had three truck loads of new prisoners come in. I handled the arrangements. I'll go over them with you later."
"How many prisoners does that bring us up to?" asked Hogan.
"1700 and some change," answered Kinch.
"That is a lot of prisoners for only 82 guards," said Hogan.
Kinch help up his finger. "Make it 125 guards. More came in with the prisoners. Most of them were injured in combat. The Krauts are using them to replace Stalag guards who are able to fight in combat."
Hogan pinched the bridge of his nose. "This camp was only designed to hold 1500 people maximum, including guards. I guess I will have to talk Klink into allowing us to turn the Rec Hall into a barracks or build some more. Thanks, Kinch."
"Um, Colonel, the Rec Hall is where I put the men I wasn't able to put in barracks. It was either that or the cooler," said Kinch.
"You mean to tell me we are out of beds?" asked Hogan. Kinch nodded. Hogan stared at the spare bed in his private room. "If you bunk in here with me, it will free up one more bed."
"I'll think about it. Get some sleep, Colonel," said Kinch as he left.
HH HH HH
Kinch was honored Hogan offered the bed to him. He couldn't take it though. The privacy of the room was all Hogan had to help him maintain sanity and the only place he could go for a short vacation.
Glancing around the room, Kinch though about how they might be able to arrange the barracks to accommodate more people. Every way he thought of, something to do with the operation prevented it. Whether it was the location of the tunnel entrance or the hiding place of secret documents, more beds wouldn't fit.
The operation. With the demands of camp life as well as the demands of the operation increasing, he didn't know how much more Hogan could take. Hogan was a strong man, but everyone has their limits. I will have a private talk with the men to head off any camp problems. Sorry, the operation problems are yours. Kinch glanced at Hogan's door. Rest well, Colonel. This war will be over with some day.
HH HH HH
The drive back to camp seemed to take forever. The men in the back of the truck slept while Newkirk kept Klink awake. Klink did most of the talking. He talked about the glory days of the First World War and Germany's proud past.
Newkirk found Klink's stories incredible. He never suspected Klink of doing some of the things he said he did. Then again, he probably stretched the stories to impress him.
Not once did Klink mention anything about the mission, how he discovered Hogan was Papa Bear, or their involvement. He never mentioned why he wanted to help them. It bothered Newkirk as to Klink's real motive. This type of behavior was not normal for someone who would turn his mum in to keep from getting sent to the Eastern front.
Newkirk figured the only way to get answers was to ask. "Kommandant, how long have you known about us and Colonel Hogan?"
"All is quiet. Must be a slow night for the war," Klink said, ignoring Newkirk's question.
"You didn't answer my question, Kommandant." Newkirk stared at Klink, waiting for an answer.
Klink quickly glanced at Newkirk. "I had my suspicions when Koch took Hogan from camp. I read the transcripts from the interrogations. I was appalled at what they were doing. At the time, I was too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"It doesn't explain how you knew about the gov'nor. If he talked during the interrogation…" Newkirk was cut off.
"He didn't." Klink said quickly. "No smart answers either. He only said his name, rank, serial number, and begged for your lives."
Newkirk shifted uncomfortably. He stared at the dark sky as the nightmares of the interrogation flooded his mind. It was the only time he ever saw Hogan beg. Usually, anytime Hogan wanted something, he manipulated the person into seeing things his way. That time there was no manipulating. The pain they were inflicting upon him by forcing him to watch the men closest to him tortured was greater than anything else they could have done to him.
Koch didn't want any military secrets. All he wanted was for Hogan to admit he was Papa Bear. He didn't care or have any proof of it being the truth. Koch only wanted to succeed where Hochstetter failed. Hogan knew if he admitted anything, Koch would demand to know everyone connected with the underground. Then the cycle would continue. He would make Hogan and everyone involved with the underground pay dearly. He wouldn't let Hogan see death until he had watched the collapse of the entire underground network.
It was a hard choice for Hogan to make. Save the men closest to him and sacrifice the entire underground or sacrifice the lives of his men to save the underground. Newkirk was glad he wasn't in Hogan's position. He knew he would've broken long before Hogan did.
Klink broke the silence. "I wonder what made them change their mind and reassign Colonel Hogan from Stalag 1 to Stalag 13? I was surprised when Colonel Geiger brought him back to camp1."
"What? Right. It was a surprise to us also." Newkirk faced Klink again. He was thankful for being brought back to the present.
"At first I had my doubts he would ever recover. Very few have. I knew if anyone could recover though, it would be him. I was glad when he started to make progress. I guess it's a good thing he's stubborn and doesn't give up easily." Klink glanced again at Newkirk, to see if he was listening. "I believe the bond he has with his men helped as well. As for me finding out about his secret, for some reason, after the cave in, everything started to make sense. For once, I saw things as they really are.2"
Newkirk knew the question he had to ask, but was afraid to. After a moment of talking himself into it, he asked, "Kommandant, how are things going to change now at camp?"
Klink slammed on the brakes, shifting everyone. "How…why… what makes you think things will change?"
"What happened?" came a groggy voice from the back.
"Nothing. Deer crossing the road. Go back to sleep." Newkirk lied. A few minutes later, when Newkirk thought everyone was asleep, he continued. "I want to make sure you're not going to do anything to make our job harder."
Klink shook his head. "I vowed to do whatever it took to help get that maniac out of office. I will do what I can to make your job easier, without looking obvious. I will have to maintain discipline at camp and act like I am in control still. Besides, if the Gestapo ever found out, your lives are not the only ones in danger."
Newkirk nodded in agreement. "Kommandant, are you planning on telling the gov'nor when we get back? I know he will want to talk with you about our new arrangement."
Keeping the operation a secret from Klink took priority on Hogan's list. Newkirk broke it to save their life. It was a risk he had to take. London gave them a job to do. It wasn't like he had much of a choice. Besides, Klink had approached him for help.
How would Hogan react? Would he kick him off the team for this? Newkirk hoped not. He loved working with Hogan and the other men. If Klink got scared enough and started to hint or ramble about the operation, Hogan would hold him responsible.
Don't worry gov'nor, if he breaks my trust, I will accept full responsibility and correct the problem. Newkirk glanced at Klink. Don't let me down, Colonel.
"What will you do if the Gestapo show up, pressing for answers about the sabotage activity? Can you come up with a convincing lie to cover for us in case we are not there or get caught out of camp?" asked Newkirk.
"They already think I am an incompetent fool. I will continue to act the part." Klink stared ahead when he answered "I will do my best to cover for you. Remember though, I have to run the camp as if there is nothing going on. I don't want to draw attention to it by changing the way I run things. If it involves more than me discovering it, for example, late to morning roll call, I will have to treat it as an escape and punish the person when they are caught."
Newkirk saw the regret in his eyes. Was it for having to act like a fool or having to punish the men when he didn't want to? For the first time, Newkirk realized Klink wasn't a fool. He figured out enough to make him dangerous. As for being a coward, it took courage to interrupt a Gestapo interrogation. Klink's courage had grown tremendously in the past day. With a little help, everyone might make to the end.
Newkirk thought back to the first time he was caught outside of camp because he didn't follow Hogan's orders. He had never been so scared in his life. Not even when he was shot down. When he was shot down, he had the Geneva Convention to protect him. Now, the Geneva Convention would not protect him because he was a spy.
He sat all alone in his cell with nothing to do but listen to the screams of people being tortured and to think about what will be done to him. He didn't know if he was more afraid of being tortured or letting Colonel Hogan down. How long would he be able to last before he gave up the operation?
It took all his self control to not jump up and down for joy when he saw Hogan in a Gestapo uniform standing in the door way. He wanted to give Hogan a big hug as a thank you, and then buy him a beer at the Hofbrau.
That night, he learned a valuable lesson. Be careful. Don't get cocky. Never let your guard down. Most importantly, Hogan has your back. Colonel Hogan was the first officer he respected. It wasn't because of his rank. It was because of his character. He would not ask someone to do something he wasn't willing to do himself. If it was too dangerous, he would only risk himself.
Newkirk thought back to the first time Hogan had earned his respect and when he first referred to Hogan as gov'nor.
"Do you still have problems taking orders from an officer, Newkirk?" asked Hogan after he freed Newkirk from the Gestapo.
Newkirk shook his head. "Gov'nor, I would follow you into Hell and back. Just say the word."
Now there was another officer to add to the list; General Lawrence. He's a tough officer, but straight forward. Newkirk believed deep down, Lawrence helped make Hogan the man he is. The bond the two men shared was amazing. Sure the core group had a close bond. Everyone worked together like the fingers of a hand. None of them had a bond that strong.
Newkirk watched Klink drive in silence. Oddly enough, another officer was creeping onto his list. It is the last person he would have suspect of being on his respect list; Colonel Klink. In the last little bit, Klink earned himself some respect. If he stayed true to his word, Newkirk might even consider giving him a salute. Yeah, right. I don't even salute the gov'nor.
None the less, Newkirk had learned everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. Newkirk stretched as he repositioned himself. "You know, Kommandant. You're not too bad for a Kraut, I mean German. Sorry, old habits are hard to break."
Klink laughed at the comment. "You're not to bad for an Englander. Did I ever tell you the story of a girl I dated once from England?"
Newkirk rolled his eyes. Aren't we there yet? Help me someone. Please. For the lack of anything else to do, he answered. "No, sir. You haven't"
Klink smiled. "I met her while I was attending the Gymnasium…"
1 Broken by Nitestalker
2 Brainwashed by Nitestalker