"Well, that's the last of 'em, Louis," Carter said as he finished searching the pockets of the sergeant's jacket he was holding. He tossed it onto the pile of uniforms on the bed; careful to make sure Newkirk's uniform remained separate from the rest.

"Did you find anything?" LeBeau asked.

"Nope, nothing. Guess they must have taken everything with them."

Just then they heard noises coming from the front of the house, and knew that Hogan and Kinch had returned from the cellar. They left the bedroom and headed down the hall in the direction of the front room.

"Here they come, now," Carter and LeBeau heard Kinch say in German as they entered the room.

Hogan was standing next to Kinch, and they were both facing the family that the sergeant had successfully coaxed out of the room in the cellar; although it had taken a bit longer when they'd caught sight of Hogan. But Kinch had convinced them that he was a good guy, and since they trusted Kinch, they'd decided to trust the American colonel.

Otto's eyes filled with apprehension when he saw the French corporal and American sergeant appear, and he instinctively drew his wife Gretchen and daughter-in-law Odette a little closer.

Noting Otto's nervousness, Kinch said in a calm, soothing voice, "It's all right, they're not going to hurt you. We just want to get our friend back."

"Your English friend, yes?" Otto uttered.

Kinch nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"He is not here?" Otto glanced briefly around the room.

Worry flashed across Kinch's eyes. "No, he's not."

Otto noticed Kinch's concern, looked at the makeshift bandage wrapped around his arm, and he couldn't contain his questions any longer. "Please, Sergeant, can you tell us what is going on? Who were those other men? Why were they here? What happened after your friend helped us get down to the room in the cellar? We heard a gunshot; and so much yelling…"

Kinch held up his hand and smiled. "How about I take those one at a time?" He replied; then went on to explain as much as he could to Otto and his family about what had occurred while they'd been safely sequestered below. In the meantime, Hogan directed LeBeau to keep a look out at the door, and sent Carter to the back bedroom to retrieve Newkirk's uniform. By the time Kinch was through filling Otto and his family in, Carter had returned, and Hogan was flashing all of them a time to go look.

"So, those terrible men stole my car, and took your friend with them." Otto said, looking at Kinch thoughtfully. Then a gleam appeared in his eye. "Something tells me they won't get far."

"Why do you say that?" Hogan asked, joining in on the conversation.

"Let's just say one of the tires needs repairs." Otto smiled.

Carter's eyebrows shot up. "Hey," he said in English, "Maybe we can catch up to them after all!"

Hogan slowly shook his head. "I don't think so. They still probably have a good lead on us, and if we don't start back for camp soon, we're gonna miss roll call."

Otto looked at Kinch questioningly.

"They're talking about trying to catch up with the car," Kinch explained.

Otto's eyes narrowed. "Do you all speak German? That is very strange…"

Kinch smiled. "We took a class together."

Before Otto could reply, LeBeau called out from the door, "Colonel, I see some men walking toward the house!"

"What?" Hogan exclaimed and hurried over to the door.

LeBeau stepped aside to let Hogan peer out the small opening in the door. "So there are," Hogan muttered, "And it looks like there's five of them." He turned around and looked at Kinch. "You better get them back downstairs," He said, glancing briefly at Otto and his family, "I think the Lieutenant and his men have returned."

"Yes, sir," Kinch replied, and turned back to Otto. "The bad guys are coming back. I think you all better go back downstairs to that room… Now!"

Otto's eyes flew wide, as did Gretchen's and Odette's. They turned and headed for the door to the cellar, Otto gesturing to the women to go first. Just before the farmer climbed down the stairs, he shot a grateful look at Kinch, and then he was gone.

As soon as the family had left, Carter piped up excitedly, "Is Newkirk with them?"

LeBeau, who had gone back to monitoring the door, replied, "I can't tell."

"Here, let me look," Kinch said as he strode up to the door. LeBeau moved out of the way, and Kinch peeked out in the direction of the group approaching the house. He spotted Rodriguez in the lead, and exclaimed, "It's them, Colonel! I can make out Rodriguez and Thompson…and there's Lieutenant Brown…and… Yes, I see him! It's Newkirk! He's a little farther behind, and it looks like Aikens is helping him."

Hogan felt his anger rising; slamming into him like an internal tidal wave; there was only one reason Newkirk would need help walking. As Kinch kept watch at the door, Hogan looked at his other two men and said, "Okay, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that we've got to take care of these guys, and get Newkirk back." He reached down and pulled out the gun he was carrying from where he'd tucked it into his belt, and nodded at Carter and LeBeau to do the same. "Hopefully we won't need to use these; I'd like to take them all alive…especially Brown." His eyes flashed darkly when he mentioned the Lieutenant.

LeBeau and Carter nodded grimly.

"Here they come, Colonel," Kinch stated; then turned his head to look at Hogan. "They're almost to the house, and it looks like they're headed straight for it."

Hogan nodded. "Then let's get ready."

* * * * * * * *

"Aren't we there, yet?" Brown complained as they trudged back to the farmhouse. "We've been walking for ten minutes, already!"

"I'm sure we're close, sir," Thompson piped up from his position just ahead of the lieutenant.

"Yeah," Rodriguez added, who was in the lead, "We should see the house any minute, now."

Newkirk and Aikens were lagging behind; mostly because Newkirk was having a hard time keeping up. His knees hurt, his side ached, his head was throbbing from the previous beating, and his face felt like a hundred Flamenco dancers had decided to use it for practice. He took another step and stumbled, and was surprised to feel an arm wrap around his waist from behind. He glanced to his right, already knowing it had to be Aikens.

"Here, let me help you," Aikens said as he gripped Newkirk a little tighter to steady him.

"Thanks," Newkirk replied, leaning on the American corporal.

They'd gone a few more steps before Aikens whispered to him, "Thanks for lying for me back there."

Newkirk glanced at him. Then he whispered back, "Thanks for gettin' that bloody loony off me."

Aikens didn't say anything for a few moments. At last he replied, "I'm sorry, Newkirk, I should have told him the truth…"

Brown turned his head to look behind him at the straggling pair. "Less talking, more walking!" he yelled.

A few more minutes went by, when, at last, they could see the house in the distance.

"Finally!" Brown exclaimed, unconsciously quickening his pace.

The rest of the men walked a little faster to keep up; all except Newkirk and Aikens.

Rodriguez was nearing the building, Brown right behind him, when suddenly Brown stopped, calling out, "Hold it!" to the sergeant in front of him.

Rodriguez stopped and turned around. "What's wrong?" he asked, impatiently.

"I don't know… Something doesn't feel right," Brown answered.

Rodriguez sighed in frustration. "What are you talking about?"

"I just have this feeling, all right?"

"Oh, you're just being paranoid, as usual!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brown replied angrily.

By now, Newkirk and Aikens had caught up to them, and Thompson was hovering close by, looking uncomfortably at the two men who were arguing.

"It means that you've been like this since we busted out of that prison camp," Rodriguez chided Brown, "Why don't you just give it a rest!"

"Why don't you shut your mouth!"

"You two keep yellin' like that, and you're goin' to ruddy bring the nearest German patrol down on us!" Newkirk hissed loudly.

"He's right, sir," Aikens quickly added when he saw Brown turn to look at Newkirk; the lieutenant's eyes blazing with anger, "And they'll probably shoot us!" The image of his fellow crewmen being arbitrarily shot in front of him suddenly appeared in his mind, and his heart started pounding faster.

"They're not gonna shoot us," Brown replied, scowling at Aikens.

"They might, sir, I've…seen them do it before…" Aikens swallowed hard, his fear was rapidly escalating. He glanced furtively back and forth; then blurted out, "We've got to get out of here, now!"

"He has a point, sir," Thompson said, "About a patrol hearing us, I mean. Maybe we should go look for that spare, so we can get back to the car and get out of Germany, like we planned."

"What, now you're all ganging up on me, is that it?" Brown glanced around and glared at each of them. At last he heaved a sigh and said, "All right, all right! Let's go check the house. Maybe that spare is in the cellar, and if it isn't, I'm gonna find a way to open that room down there and make that farmer tell me where it is!"

* * * * * * * *

"What's going on out there, Kinch?" Hogan asked the sergeant who was at the door, peering out the small opening, "I hear a lot of yelling. Are they still coming towards the house?"

"They're just standing there at the moment, Colonel," Kinch answered, "The lieutenant seems to be very upset about something… Oh, it looks like he's done now, and, yes, they're starting to walk this way again."

"Okay, everyone, get ready…"

* * * * * * * *

Rodriguez reached the door first. He noticed it was open just a little bit, and looked back at Aikens. "Didn't you shut the door when we left?" He asked him.

"Um, no, I don't think I shut it all the way," Aikens replied. In truth, he couldn't remember for sure; he just wanted to get inside as quickly as possible.

Rodriguez rolled his eyes, and then he pushed the door open and entered. Thompson was next, followed by Brown, Newkirk, and, lastly, Aikens.

"Everything seems pretty quiet in here," Rodriguez remarked, "Just like we left it."

As if on cue, Hogan, Carter, and LeBeau leaped out of their hiding places; each man aiming his gun at one of Newkirk's captors. Kinch, who had been behind the door when it opened, slammed it shut and stood in front of it, blocking their exit. Brown and his two sergeants began to reach for their guns, but Hogan and his men quickly raised theirs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hogan stated firmly, clicking the safety off his gun. LeBeau and Carter did the same.

Brown and his men froze; all of them noting the deadly serious look in Hogan's eyes.

"Now take your guns out – slowly – and put them on the floor," Hogan ordered.

As the three men started to comply, a huge smile broke out on Newkirk's face. "Blimey, am I 'appy to see you, Colonel!"

Hogan glanced at Newkirk and inwardly winced when he caught sight of his face; it was covered with bruises, and his bottom lip was swollen and bloody. He was about to reply, when, with lightning speed, Brown grabbed Newkirk's arm and yanked the corporal in front of him; while simultaneously raising his gun and jamming it against Newkirk's head.

Kinch, who was the closest, immediately lunged at Brown, but the lieutenant managed to side-step away from him, dragging Newkirk with him. Thompson went after Kinch, while Rodriguez hurled himself at a surprised Carter. LeBeau instinctively raced over to help Carter, while Hogan stood there, trying to get a clear shot at Brown. Aikens, meanwhile, had stepped back and plastered himself against the wall in an obvious attempt to stay out of the way.

Suddenly the sound of a gunshot ripped through the room, causing the struggling men to stop and look towards the source of the noise. Brown had apparently fired his gun at the ceiling to get their attention, judging by the bullet imbedded in it just above his head, and now had it once again pointed at Newkirk.

"All of you; stop right now, or I'll put a bullet in your English friend's head!" Brown yelled.

Thinking quickly, Carter grabbed Rodriguez's gun and aimed it at him, noticing that Kinch had been able to snatch Thompson's gun away from him, as well, and was pointing it at the big sergeant.

"You do, and your men are going to get it!" Hogan shot back, glancing at Carter and Kinch while nodding slightly. Then he returned his gaze to Brown and glared at him.

Brown shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead," he replied casually, "I can find other men to help me… I'm rich, after all." He looked first at Rodriguez, and then at Thompson, and smiled. "People will do anything for money, won't they?" Then he began to edge toward the door, pulling Newkirk with him. "I think I'll keep this one with me, though," he said, "At least until I get out of Germany. Never hurts to have an insurance policy."

"What?" Rodriguez shouted, "You're just going to leave us with these guys?"

"What can I say?" Brown replied, "Rank has its privileges."

"Oh, don't give me that!" Rodriguez exclaimed angrily, "We both know you're not even an officer!"

Brown's eyes briefly flashed with fear and surprise, but he quickly recovered. "I don't know what you're talking about; of course I'm an officer!"

"Oh, come on! I know who you really are… You really want me to tell everyone?"

"Go ahead! It doesn't make any difference now, does it?" Brown snorted.

"Fine!" Rodriguez snapped. "In case you're interested," he said, glancing around the room at the faces staring at him, "His name isn't Brown, it's Jackson… Private Jackson. Lieutenant Brown was one of the pilots on his plane when they got shot down, and he didn't make it. So Jackson here decided to masquerade as the lieutenant; not only to get treated better, but because he knows about Brown's bank account in Switzerland."

Silence descended on the room for several moments, as everyone digested the new information. At last Thompson looked at the man he'd been following all this time, confusion written all over his face. "So, you're not a lieutenant?" he asked.

"What difference does it make?" Jackson responded, "I can get Brown's money out of his account; that's what matters!" He took another step toward the door. "And now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen… It's time for us to go." He let go of Newkirk's arm and reached behind him to grab the doorknob, keeping his gun pressed firmly against the Englishman's head.

Aikens, who had made himself virtually invisible during the scuffle by pressing himself against the wall, suddenly leaped at Jackson, grabbing the arm that held the gun and jerking it away from Newkirk. As Aikens attempted to take the gun from him, Hogan strode quickly up to Jackson; while Newkirk, seeing the look in the colonel's eyes, stepped out of the way.

Jackson gave Aikens a big shove, and just as he pulled his arm away from the corporal, Hogan grabbed him by the front of his shirt, drew his arm back, and punched him in the face as hard as he could; his fist connecting solidly with Jackson's jaw. Jackson fell backwards against the door, inadvertently letting the gun fall from his hand, which was quickly snatched up by Aikens.

Jackson slumped against the door, looking dazed. Hogan, his fury still running high, took hold of the private's shirt once again, and raised his fist for another blow. He was about to swing his arm when he heard Newkirk's voice next to him, and paused.

"No, Colonel, let me! I'll bloody sort 'im out!"

Hogan realized at that moment he was about to beat up a defenseless man, and as much as he knew Jackson deserved it, it wasn't his way. He forcibly reigned in his temper and lowered his arm. "No, Newkirk, it's over," He stated, letting go of Jackson's shirt and pushing him back against the door, with a little more force than necessary. "He'll get what's coming to him, and so will his friends, when they get back to London." Hogan was still looking at Jackson, and now a small, satisfied smile appeared on his face and he said, "Hope you like prison; you're going to be there for a long, long time."

"He should; he's been there before," Newkirk quipped.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hogan responded.

Kinch, who had just taken a quick glance at his watch, now spoke up. "Uh, Colonel? I think we better be heading back soon."

Hogan raised his arm and took a peek at his own watch. "You're absolutely right, Kinch." He agreed, and looked back at Jackson. "All right, Private, hand over the key to the handcuffs…slowly."

"And me lock picks," Newkirk piped up.

"And his lock picks," Hogan repeated. When Jackson had done so, Hogan turned and handed Newkirk's picks to him, and unlocked the cuffs on his wrists.

Newkirk grinned and rubbed his wrists. "Blimey, it feels good to be rid of those ruddy things!"

"I'm sure it does," Hogan smiled back. Then he looked at Carter. "Carter, I want you to go get the uniforms from the back bedroom and bring them in here."

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, handing his gun to LeBeau before heading off down the hall.

"After everyone has changed, we'll head back to camp," Hogan stated.

"Should I let Otto and his family know we're leaving, Colonel?" Kinch asked.

"Oh, yes, that's a good idea, Kinch. You can tell them just before we leave. And if they have any questions, here's what I want you to tell them…"

As Hogan was conversing with Kinch, Newkirk happened to glance at Aikens, and noticed that the corporal was looking very nervous. He walked over to him and asked quietly, "Why so worried, chum? We're safe, now."

"What's going to happen to me?" Aikens replied, his voice trembling slightly, "I…I don't want to go to prison."

Newkirk smiled and put his arm around Aikens' shoulders. "'Ere, now, don't you worry about that, mate; me and Kinch will put in a good word for you. Why, if it 'adn't been for you, we'd be on our way out of Germany right now, with that sorry sod over there." He nodded in Jackson's direction. "You know, come to think of it, you're the one, what saved the day!"

"You really think so?" Aikens said, desperately wanting to believe him.

"Yes, I do," Newkirk answered sincerely.

Just then Carter returned carrying an armload of uniforms. He walked over and dumped them on the sofa; then picked up the top one, which was Newkirk's, and brought it over to the Englishman. "Here you go, Newkirk. I bet you're glad to have this back!"

"I sure am, Carter," Newkirk smiled wide at him.

"Okay, you, Rodriguez," Hogan said, pointing to the sergeant, "Go get those uniforms and hand them out. Then I want you all to get dressed quickly; we've got a long walk ahead of us, and we need to get started."

"More walking!" Jackson mumbled under his breath, "Oh, I just knew we shouldn't have come back here!"

Newkirk heard him, and inwardly chuckled.