Night fell soon enough, and Hogan stood by the door buttoning up his coat over his white shirt. After placing his cap on his head, it would have been impossible for anyone to guess he was not a gestapo officer.
Jim and Mike came out from the kitchen and smiled at their commanding officer.
"All set, Captain Holzhauser?" Jim asked, with a smile.
Hogan looked up from buttoning the last few buttons on his jacket and smiled at the two young men.
"Jawohl, Herr Firefox." Hogan answered, using an excellent German accent.
"Is there anything we can do to ensure your safety, sir?" Mike asked.
"Another gun or something?" Jim wondered.
Hogan shook his head smiling holding up his hand.
"I've got everything I need...the only thing left for me to do is pray that my idea goes over well." Hogan answered.
Jim and Mike nodded, saluted goodbye to Hogan, then Hogan walked out of the house and closed the door. Out in the forest again, Hogan scanned all surrounding areas for a clearing. Seeing nothing was out of the ordinary, he silently continued making his way farther into the forest. His hand hovered over the holster where his pistol was, being ready at any moment to pull it out and defend himself. His stomach started aching again, but was gradually growing worse by the hours. Hogan clutched his belly and moaned, louder more than each time before. He knew he would soon need medical attention regardless he killed Peretti or not. He just kept praying that tonight he would be done with, so he could return to Stalag 13 and receive immediate medical treatment.
After taking a couple breaths to ease the pain away, Hogan got back to standing straight. He put one hand on his belly, the other one hovering his holster, and continued making his way through the forest with the help of the moon's light.
Down in the tunnels in the radio room, Kinchloe and LeBeau sat at the table waiting for Carter and Newkirk to finish changing into their uniforms.
"You think this plan will work, Kinch?" LeBeau questioned.
Kinchloe sighed.
"I sure hope so, Louis; that's the most honest answer I can give you, as of now." Kinchloe said.
"I hope this guy pays his life just as bad as he made Colonel die." LeBeau sneered.
Kinchloe leaned over and patted LeBeau's shoulder gently to comfort him.
"Don't worry, Louis; that I'm determined to accomplish." Kinchloe said with a smile.
LeBeau gave a small smile. Both he and Kinchloe turned their heads, when they heard footsteps coming from another tunnel. Both smiled seeing Newkirk and Carter in their luftwaffe uniforms. They looked just like real Germans.
"How do we look?" Carter asked with a smile.
"And if yah say 'good enough to kill', I'll make sure to put ruddy coons in both of your footlockers." Newkirk added in, slightly irritated about this mission.
"Newkirk, you'll be just fine. Quit your worrying." Kinchloe said smiling.
"Oui, Pierre; you and Andre will be just fine." LeBeau said.
"Until that bloody rucker shoots me square in between the eyes." Newkirk groaned, pointing at the middle of his forehead between his eyebrows.
"You guys better get going; the longer you wait, the more you put yourselves in greater danger with Peretti." Kinchloe said.
Newkirk and Carter nodded, saluted to both Kinchloe and LeBeau, then made there ways out of the tunnels. Both men made their ways to the exit that went up to the fake tree stump. Newkirk unlocked the latch and lifted the lid carefully to check and see if the guard tower light was far away enough to be safe. Seeing the area looked good, Newkirk jumped out and hid behind a tree and waited for Carter. Carter proceeded with the same cautious actions as Newkirk did. When seeing the coast clear, Carter quickly made his way out, locked the latch, and hid behind the same tree as Newkirk.
"Come on, Andrew; the sooner we get back to camp, the better." Newkirk softly spoke.
"Got 'cha, buddy," Carter answered, softly.
Newkirk and Carter were in the city of Hammelburg finishing up hanging up the rest of the 'Wanted' posters. Carter stood by the truck from the motor pool back at camp keeping watch, while Newkirk hung the posters up in windows, telephone poles, doors, and various other places around the city.
"How much longer do you think it'll be, buddy?" Carter asked, whispering.
"Not much longer, Andrew. Just keep yah eyes were they need to be." Newkirk remarked.
Carter nodded and continued keeping watch.
Unknown to them, Peretti was watching them from up a hill in the forest nearby where they were putting up flyers. Peretti smirked and pointed his gun right at Newkirk's head. He steadied his target and was about to fire.
Not far behind Peretti, Hogan was silent searching for Peretti. His eyes gaped, when he saw him laying flat on his stomach holding what he assumed was a gun. Hogan silently unbuttoned his jacket, hurried over to Peretti, ripped the gun out of his hands and put it in his jacket pocket, and rolled him over pointing his gun at the Italian.
"Don't move," Hogan hissed.
The American checked the rest of his body for any other firearms. There were none. Curious, Hogan looked down the hill to see who the gun was aimed at. He gasped, when he realized who the two below were. It was Newkirk and Carter. From what he could tell, they were disguised at luftwaffe guards hanging posters of some kind. Hogan gulped a knot in his throat and held back his anger as much as he could. Thankfully, he had found Peretti when he did; Newkirk or Carter would have been shot to death had he not been there any time later.
Hogan made his attention back to the Italian he had pinned to the ground. He slowly rose to his feet keeping his gun right on Peretti's head.
"Get up," Hogan snarled, softly.
Peretti chuckled smug then rose to his feet.
"Colonel, last time I checked, you were left for dead." Peretti spoke, smug.
Hogan pursed his lips trying desperately to not let the urge to kill the Italian under control. It grew more impossible the longer he waited to fire.
"Guess we we're both wrong, weren't we?" Hogan replied, sly.
"You don't scare me, Colonel." Peretti said.
Hogan lock and loaded his gun; the only thing he had left was squeeze the trigger at the right moment.
"You seem pretty determined to protect your men there, Colonel...why?" Peretti growled.
"You leave them alone; it's me you want, not them." Hogan snarled.
"How's that gunshot wound, there?"
"That's none of your business's far as I'm concerned."
Peretti walked closer towards Hogan. When he got close enough, he hit Hogan in the stomach right where his wound was healing. The American doubled over clutching his belly, moaned out in pain, and collapsed to the ground gasping for air. The pain was almost unbearable. He grimaced and suddenly felt something wet on his hand. He lifted his hand from his shirt and noticed a dark stain starting to form; it was blood. Peretti had reopened the wound.
The Italian cackled with glee.
"Looks like you won't get away with your plan this time, will you, Colonel?" Peretti snarled.
Hogan looked up with fire brimmed in his eyes. He glared at the Italian. He had no idea he could have so much hatred towards one person.
"Newkirk...how much longer are yah gonna be? It's getting cold out here." Carter whimpered.
"Just another second, Andrew; you're as bad as Kinch, mate." Newkirk moaned.
"I'm sorry, it's just...I can't shake this feeling I've got."
Newkirk paused and turned around to look at Carter.
"What kinda feeling, Andrew?" Newkirk asked, worried.
"I just feel like something bad's gonna happen at any minute, now." Carter answered, shaky.
Newkirk understood his friend's worrying; he too had been getting the feeling of something possibly happening the longer they were there. Newkirk nodded, letting his friend know he heard and understood him.
"I'll be done as soon as I can, Andrew." Newkirk spoke, softly.
It was then out of no where that both Newkirk and Carter heard three gunshots go off and sounded very close by.
"What was that?" Carter cried.
"I don't know, but let's get the bloody hell outta here! Quick!" Newkirk replied, his body quickly being engulfed by fear and anxiety.
Both men got into the truck and drove back to Stalag 13 as fast as the truck would take them.