Disclaimer: CSI: NY and all the characters from the show are owned by CBS, Paramount, Jerry Bruckheimer, Anthony Zuiker, and other people who are much more creative and wealthier than me. Any other characters are my own and resemblance to any other person is a pure coincidence. Well mostly. Probably. No wait, mostly.
Thanks as always for the very kind reception. Here is Chapter 10. Enjoy.
Chapter 10: Future Plans
Commandant von Touffel thoroughly enjoyed his brief trip to Rome. The Italians are utterly miserable as allies in war, but they are the best when it comes to the finer things in life. The Commandant had been only mildly upset when he had to loosen his belt after the delicious meals that he had consumed while in the Italian capital. He had even met Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop, who had come to Rome in theory for trying to help prop up Mussolini and his Fascists. In reality, the Von Touffel found the Foreign Minister enjoying the wine of Rome more than the company of any Fascists. Von Touffel himself had almost no interest in politics. In fact, he thought the Nazi's were little more than street thugs when they first came on the scene. However, they were now in charge and he was just a soldier; he would obey their orders. After all, Prussian officers don't disobey their orders, no matter who is in charge.
Lieutenant Schmidt, the Commandant's driver, pulled up to the gates of Camp Percival. All the soldiers not on duty are present to welcome their commander back. At the head of the soldiers is Captain Kressing. The Captain had informed von Touffel of what has been going on. The Commandant doesn't really approve of the Captain's methods, but they are effective and in the end, that is what really matters. At least, that is what matters to von Touffel's superiors.
Commandant von Touffel looks over at the Americans. He knew that four of them had been executed by Captain Kressing, but there seems to be something out of place. The Commandant can't put his finger on it, but something feels wrong.
The car stops and Captain Kressing opens his door and gives him a salute. Von Touffel preferred the old salute, before the Nazi rise to power, but he doesn't pay it much attention.
"Heil Hitler! Welcome back Commandant."
"Thank you Captain. What happened here yesterday?"
"Unfortunately Sir, we had an incident last night."
"What incident?"
Kressing clears his throat. "Well Sir, one of the Americans set fire to our auxiliary communications building. It was completely destroyed along with the equipment inside. Luckily no one was hurt."
"Who was responsible for this?"
Captain Kressing looks directly at the Commandant. "Major Taylor took full and sole responsibility for the sabotage."
The Commandant swears under his breath. "You didn't kill him did you Captain?" von Touffel looks at Kressing skeptically.
The Captain shakes his head. "No Sir. Following your lead, I placed him in solitary confinement for seven days without food."
Von Touffel sighs and rubs his hand on his face, trying to formulate his reaction. While he usually has little use for Kressing or his brutality, in this instance, the Captain may be right.
"Captain, I will not change the punishment you gave the Major. Changing it now would show dissension in our ranks, which I will not tolerate. However, I want it guaranteed that the Major gets adequate water every day; at least a pitcher of water daily as well as a toilet of some kind. If the Major dies of starvation well that is unfortunate, but I will not have him die of dehydration. Am I clear Captain?"
"Yes Sir."
***
"What the hell was the Major thinking?" Messer explodes. In truth, he is feeling anger more than anything about what Major Taylor did. It just made no sense. "That was so stupid! He's lucky Kressing didn't shoot him then and there!"
"The Major isn't an idiot Corporal." Flack replies.
"Yeah, well he sure as hell acted like it."
"Oh really? And it isn't like you've never done anything stupid Messer. After all, trying to escape so many times from that other camp was very rational." Flack responds in a clearly irritated voice.
"The difference is I wasn't dealing with a lunatic like Kressing." Messer's voice starts to rise.
"And you think Major Taylor didn't consider that when he planned this?"
"It was damn selfish of him. What if he had gotten someone else killed? Kressing already killed Weems, Grant, Smith and Davis. What's to stop him from shooting any of us because the Major did something stupid?" Messer is almost shouting now.
"Back down Corporal, actually give your CO the benefit of the doubt. He gives it to you." Flack says through gritted teeth. The other three of them: Hawkes, Hayes and Ross keep glancing at each other, trying to see which of them will prevent Flack and Messer from coming to blows.
The two men continue to argue, their voices rising in anger. Finally, Messer pushes Flack while they are yelling. Quickly, Hayes and Hawkes rush over to pull them both back before a full-fledged fight breaks out.
In a moment filled with tension, Ross speaks up.
"I don't know why Major Taylor did that, but I know he must have had a good reason."
Messer is about to argue when Ross glares at him. The intensity coming from the normally quiet mechanic keeps Messer quiet.
Ross presses on. "Major Taylor, he saved me. He offered to be shot in my place. I would have been killed by Kressing if it wasn't for him. He saved my life. I trust him."
Silence fills the air. Both Flack and Messer appear to have cooled down.
Messer takes a deep breath and looks at Flack. "Look, I'm sorry Don." He extends his hand. "No hard feelings."
Flack watches Messer closely and then reaches out to shake the extended hand. "No hard feelings Danny."
"Everybody friends again?" Hayes asks.
The two men shaking hands nod.
"Good. Now, the bigger question; what do we do about the Major's condition?"
Hawkes offers his insights. "The human body can last at least seven days without food. A person as strong as Major Taylor can definitely make it as long as he gets water."
"What will he be like when he gets out doc?" Ross asks with some nervousness.
"He'll be weak, very weak. If he can do something simple like walk I would be surprised. It's his mind that I'm more worried about."
"What do you mean?" Hayes asks.
"Major Taylor is going to be spending seven days in what I think is total darkness. He'll have nothing to do but think about what has happened, the terrible hunger he is going to be feeling, and anything else that haunts his mind. That is a lot even for a man like the Major."
"So what do we do?" Messer asks in frustration.
"We wait. There is nothing else we can do." Hawkes says simply. Hayes nods in agreement.
Messer shakes his head. "Sorry doc, but we can't just sit around here for a week waiting to see if the Major is okay. We need to be doing something."
"Like what?" Hawkes snaps. "You want to try something and get shot Corporal?"
"The Major did!"
Flack steps in. "Look, before we start fighting again, let's think about this for a minute. First off, why would the Major do something like this?"
Each of them ponders an answer to that question.
Hayes has an epiphany. "Remember what Kressing told his men? 'I can't kill this man, he's too valuable.' Major Taylor knows that Kressing was using him against us. He must have done this to try and take that away from Kressing."
"But there are easier ways to do that than torching a whole building. What was that about?" Ross asks.
This time Hawkes is the one with the idea. "He was trying to prove that we can still fight."
"Who was he trying to prove that to?"
"Everyone. Us. The Germans. Hell, maybe even himself."
***
Even though it is not Thursday, Stella makes a trip to Camp Percival. Ostensibly it is to welcome the Commandant back from his trip. In reality, it is to see what happened to Mac. To keep up his trust, she brings Commandant von Touffel a bottle of wine as a welcoming back gift and she can't help but notice how one of the buildings that was there last time is no longer there. It isn't hard for her to connect the dots; orange sky last night, building destroyed, the smell of smoke, and no Major Taylor. He must have burnt it down and is now being punished.
Stella spends most of her time this visit trying to make nice with Commandant von Touffel. She knows the Commandant spent a few days in Rome, so she tries to make idle chit-chat about his trip. She has to keep his trust, particularly after arguing with him about that troublesome American Major the last time around. She can't help herself though, thinking about him, Mac, causing these Germans trouble, it makes her smile.
After spending some time with the Commandant, Stella makes ready to leave. One of the American soldiers comes up to her and she is suddenly struck as to how familiar he looks. She remembers seeing him from somewhere. Then it hits her; the photo that the nurse Lindsay had given her. This was the man she was looking for. Stella is so pleased with her discovery that it is a tough blow when he tells her what happened to Major Taylor. Seven days without food. The thought of him in that blackened hole, starving, it is a terrible weight on her mind.
On her way back to town, Stella makes two decisions. One, she isn't going to the camp on Thursday. He won't be there to see her, to greet her, and to talk to her. Being that close to him and imaging what terrible things he is going through. She can't bear it. Secondly, she is going to meet with Nurse Lindsay as soon as she can; at least one of them deserves some good news.
Good? Bad? I really am interested in your opinion. Don't be afraid to send me any comments or reviews.