October 9
The Emergency Tunnel – 0147 Hours

Kurtz and Jozef had just left through the emergency tunnel a few minutes ago without the file, the briefcase and Schruss, all of which are gone and never to be seen again, the latter because of me. The Eclipse Plan is no more and shall never be released upon the soldiers that are still heading here and marching without thought that they'd all die.

The long journey from the motor pool to here, being along in this tunnel and very guilt-ridden, is as if it was all a dream. Never in my life, I will admit, did I ever come face-to-face with the person I will eventually kill. This is why I am here and not above celebrating at yet another job well done. Yes, it was a job well done, but there was another killed in cold blood. I, for one, do not consider it to be revenge for what the Shadow did to Kinch. I am guilty about this but feel as if somehow, I can redeem myself because again, the scale has been tipped and we are uneven. There is always something that will sooth me and tell me that everything will be as it should, but it isn't.

It feels as if that day, when I left the motor pool, I felt so innocent and carefree, as if I were that to begin with. I was thrilled that another mission was underway and solved mostly, but never resolved. This event, no matter how much I hated Schruss, will be embedded in my mind as the day I murdered someone and not helped them as I have vowed so many times and in so many different places in different times of my life.

Indeed, there was no nap in the quarters, but I did discuss with Rob what Kurtz said in the cooler. He, too, knew that Kurtz was hesitant in leaving Germany because of his fascination with the country and thrill of being an agent everywhere he went. However, Rob also knew that it was time for Kurtz to split because the Krauts might be on his tail.

"Kurtz played the part of a Kraut officer so well that he even identifies himself as one and doesn't remember anything else," Rob said as I was hanging his and my dress uniforms on the laundry line to dry in the Colonel's quarters.

I nodded as I pulled out the clothes pins that I had been holding out of my mouth. I pinned down my laundry. "He plays the part too well," I said. "Even when he came in here first and dragged me to Witte's quarters, he seemed to have acted out upon his own conscience, as the German officer, and not the one that he had originally as an Allied officer."

Rob was about to open his mouth to further this discussion, but had not time to reply. By the time I finished with my sentence, we heard a knock on the door. It was Baker, who pushed the door open a little so that all we could see was his head. "Colonel," he said (he could be addressing either one of us), "there is someone here to –"

The door swung open fully and revealed not only Baker, but Jozef, who interrupted our radioman without meaning to be rude. He appeared to be distressed, to say the least, and with this notepad gone, my nephew looked naked. I almost laughed at the scene.

Jozef talked to me in German, fast and furious that I didn't understand him at first until he repeated himself a few times, seeing my confused face. "Flower Aunt, Schruss has been searching the filing cabinets for the outlines of your operation in the file that General Witte brought with him. He has become angry that it isn't where it was supposed to be and he's harassing the secretary about it through his charms. She isn't taking it, though."

I quickly translated for the baffled faces that were now gathering around the doorway. Rob defended quickly, "Helga wouldn't tell Schruss a thing about where it is."

"Yes," I said, "but he's liable to blame us for it and have the prisoners shot. And I don't think it matters that he finds it or not, just as long as he has someone to blame and that someone are the prisoners and not Klink or any other German officer."

"W-what do we do now, Colonel?" Carter asked as he popped his head through a mass of men that were now engulfing the Colonel's quarters. The room was becoming hotter and was much stuffier than I remembered it to be, even when it was summertime.

"We should play it by ear," Rob turned into the commanding officer and one of his famous phases can into play once more. "Schruss shouldn't be barging in here wanting us dead for no reason. It'll cause the S.S. to be taken worse than they're viewed already, especially when Schruss unintentionally creates martyrs out of all of us. It doesn't help us, though."

"The dinner is an excuse to confront us," I said. "He's taking it as such as we are, using it to bail our agent out of here and save the operation."

"Right," Rob said, "so prepare to escape, all of you, if necessary. That is only if Schruss is willing to play the game of cat and mouse. If so, he doesn't need too many mice to play with him – only two colonels. The signal is as follows: if, in Klink's quarters, if the Colonel or I happen to pace five times by the front window, or if you happen to hear shots, then take it as the signal to flee. Otherwise, the plan goes as scheduled. Carter and Newkirk, you both escape using the emergency tunnels and hide in the usual places. If nobody gets you out by…" Rob looked at his watch and continued, "…2100 hours, then find Klink and Schultz and give yourselves in. And that's an order."

"It gives enough time for Klink to go after them with the guards and enough time for us to get rid of Schruss," LeBeau said over the crowds of men (I didn't see him, though).

"Yes," I said, "and it also gives enough time for our agent to escape."

"Which guard are we happenin' to use?" Newkirk asked as he pushed his way past Jozef, who was a bit confused by all of the voices around him. There was too many for comfort and I think being in a prisoner of war camp in England makes Jozef a little more nervous than if he were with just a small group. I think it's only an issue of space. After all, our camps are just as shabby as those here in Germany.

"I have one in mind," I said before Rob could answer. "So we better make sure he'll be assigned to the job. And I think we'll just need Schultz to help us organize that." And indeed, one Kraut guard was going to be in the center.

~00~

The uniforms were dried, so we colonels ready to leave for dinner at 1930 hours. Schultz came in to escort us to Klink's quarters as he felt obligated to come along. I was a lady, after all, and even though Rob had his arm entwined with mine, Schultz felt as if I needed another person to take me to "the dance." Klink had, indeed, suggested a gourmet dinner, as according to plan, to Schruss and because Schruss was tired of the mess hall fare (so was I and I miss LeBeau's fancy meals), he accepted with great enthusiasm.

Jozef and Kurtz were to be there as well because Schruss asked to have his aide and the new member of his staff to be at hand when dinner was served (or, to witness his possible confrontation to us). I think that Schruss had meant that he wanted to watch Kurtz because, even since Witte had been murdered, his eyes have been in places Kurtz has toddled minus the cooler visit (I might have thought he spied on us too, but I wouldn't have a way of knowing). I wouldn't know if he trusted Jozef or not because that child has his nose in his notepad every time I turn around and doesn't say much. Schruss doesn't exactly have his eyes on the aide, however, so I am hoping that the professional bond between them is strong.

When we reached the outside door to Klink's quarters, Schultz left to keep guard, but this was the phase in which I was suppose to tell him that we needed Private Polsenhelf to keep guard. Flattery, of course, works well with Schultz. "Thanks for taking me to the dance, Dad," I teased Schultz, my loose dress uniform almost flapping in the light breeze that ensued. "I'll be sure to tell you if my date touches me."

Rob laughed, but Schultz wasn't that amused. Perfect…it's giving him a very authoritative mood.

"Jolly jokers," Schultz said, scoffing as he went his way. He stopped about a few feet away from the gate and started that march of his, back and forth, back and forth…slowly, with small steps, and at the end, stopping and turning around ceremoniously. It was routine for him.

"Hey, Schultz, I didn't mean it!" I said, causing him to stop mid-step. "You know, the camp's Sergeant of the Guards should have a little fun once in a while. You're supposed to be off-duty tonight, right?"

Another light wind was whispering in my ears this time, warning me of disaster, as I heard Schultz answer me. "Yes, but Kommandant Klink asked that a guard be posted outside here in case of monkey business."

"But you didn't tell him which guard he has to have out here?" Rob asked.

"No, but I feel RE-sponsible to be out here," Schultz said with misery in his voice, making that sadness well-known. I can feel pity in my stomach for the sentry, but I also knew that it wasn't the time to swim in Schultz's gloom. This was the time to get him off-duty and to discredit another for sleeping on-duty.

"Schultz," I said, "why don't you appoint another person to watch the post, since Klink doesn't know that it was you that was standing out there? You look tired. Go get some well-deserved sleep."

"Yeah, that does sound GOOD," the fat sergeant said, yawning with this observation.

"Private Polsenhelf never had any experiences doing this sort of thing," Rob suggested innocently enough. "So why don't you order him to come here and watch the door?"

It took a few minutes of silence and dubious looks to Klink's quarters, but eventually, we heard the scampering of feet to dirt. It never sounded as sweet in our ears as Schultz took off to station another person to the post. I was, in the meantime, happy that phase two was going as planned. Dinner and the escape are the next phases and if they went well, then we can sleep easier at night (as if we slept at night, anyhow).

Rob opened the door for me, the perfect officer and gentleman that he is, and let me in just as Schultz was yelling at Private Polsenhelf to move his ass and get to his post at the gate of Klink's quarters.

My eyes, as I entered, were blinded by the brilliant lights that illustrated the quarters, and, as the prisoners (waiters for the night) weaved themselves to and fro, we seated ourselves around the overly-large table. Kurtz and Jozef sat to either side of us colonels (Kurtz was to my right and Jozef to Rob's left). Klink and Schruss faced us from the other side with their blue eyes (Schruss next to Jozef and Klink next to Kurtz).

As wine was served to us and dinner slowly behind it, I thought, of all things, what Major Hochstetter said when I had first arrived at Stalag 13, and it seemed appropriate at the moment: So the game begins.