First of all, I want to clarify that there's a chance the captured family Carter saw is still alive. Apparently Carter's grief at the end of the last chapter was misinterpreted at least once into looking like him realizing that they'd all been killed. I only meant to imply that Carter was in shock from, you know, being tortured by a crazy Gestapo officer and his henchman, and that now he was in relative safety he felt secure in breaking down to relieve all that pent-up stress.

And now, another jarring chord for our (un)favorite Gestapo officer: Dum DUM DUMMMMM!

The staff car containing Hochstetter and Burkhalter was less than a minute away from Stalag 13, and the poor driver had already been threatened with court martial, a firing squad, and the Russian Front if he didn't get there faster.

Several times.

In rapid succession.

Part of him wanted to make some kind of comment on how there was a war on, and gasoline didn't grow on trees.

He decided to be sensible instead, and kept his trap shut.

It probably wouldn't have surprised anyone that much if Hochstetter had started foaming at the mouth. As it was, he was drumming his fingers on the seat in front of him like a hyperactive squirrel, complete with excitedly chattering under his breath.

When the gates of the Stalag finally came into view, Hochstetter barked a satisfied laugh, eyes burning feverishly.

Soon they were pulling up at the gate and demanding entrance into the camp; naturally Klink was at their sides as soon as they exited the car, fawning over Burkhalter and wanting to know what had brought him here at this time of night.

"Major Hochstetter tells me that he has some information on who is responsible for the factory that exploded a few hours ago," Burkhalter said, fighting back a yawn.

"Oh, yes, I heard about that, it was just terrible that such an act of sabotage could occur here," Klink babbled. "There was another explosion on the far side of camp earlier that we investigated, but it turned out to be just a few fireworks that someone had set up-"

"Aha!" Hochstetter crowed. "That would be our dear Colonel Hogan's work!"

"Did someone say my name?" asked Hogan.

All three Germans jumped, and fell over themselves spinning around to see the chief POW, who was standing behind them with his hands tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket, and an expression of polite curiosity across his face.

Hochstetter composed himself rather quickly, before saying with malice, "Colonel Hogan, I believe you have a man missing."

"What?!" Klink squealed.

Hogan, on the other hand, merely raised his eyebrow. "Really? I didn't know that."

"Of course you didn't." Hochstetter looked back at General Burkhalter. "One of them went for a little walk earlier this evening, and made his way into the factory, dressed in a Gestapo uniform, and was responsible for its destruction. But he was arrested, and I have been interrogating him for the past few hours."

To his surprise, Hogan's response was to snort with laughter.

"Been hitting the schnapps a little, Major? None of my men are missing from camp. The Kommandant did a count earlier, and we're all still here."

The little major jerked his head around to glare at Klink.

"Is that true?"

Klink stumbled over himself a little. "Well, eh, Sergeant Schultz did say they were all present and accounted for-"

"And you believed him?!" Hochstetter snapped. "I will prove it to you myself!"

With that, he marched towards Barracks Two. After a second, the others hurried after him.

Hochstetter nearly knocked the door off its hinges, startling the group of men inside, who were in the process of getting ready for bed again after that tedious surprise inspection.

Burkhalter peered inside, and finally growled, "All the bunks appear to be occupied, Major."

"Hah!" Hochstetter snarled, turning to Hogan. "Which bed is normally your precious Sergeant Carter's?"

Hogan gestured to the one; from the top bunk, Corporal Newkirk squinted down at them, adjusting his nightshirt and wearing an expression that seemed to ask, What the bloody h_ is going on?

In the bunk below, a figure lay stretched out under the blankets, his cap pulled down over his face. All you could make out of him from this angle was that he was fair-haired, and on the tan-to-pale side.

Hochstetter immediately began advancing toward him-only to find Hogan standing in his way.

"Now wait a minute," he said urgently, "you really shouldn't disturb him. He's been having insomnia lately-I think it's a problem with the food, the bread's been a little less ersatz-"

"Get out of my way."

Slowly, with concern in his eyes, Hogan allowed Hochstetter to march towards the bed, and yank the cap off the man's head-

He froze, his expression twisted into utter bewilderment.

"Oh, hi, Major," said Carter, blinking and squinting in the sudden influx of light.