Hogan was on the ground clutching his belly grimacing in pain, as he sat up with his gun shaking in his left hand. Peretti had made a run for it, before he had made his decision and fired his gun three times at Peretti. His body had dropped to the ground after the third shot had been fired. After grabbing a hold of his breathing again, as best as he could, he slowly rose to his feet, his hand still on his belly, and made his way over to where Peretti's body had collapsed. It was dark, but from what Hogan could tell, he had fired one shot in Peretti's right shoulder, one in the middle back, and one in the back of his head.
Hogan took off his gestapo coat to reveal nothing more than an ordinary white shirt. He maneuvered Peretti's body around and put the jacket on him then back onto his front. Then he took his cap off and put it on Peretti's head, then put one gun in his holster and the other one in one of the pockets on the gestapo jacket he now wore.
After doing that, Hogan got back to his feet and walked a far distance, before his stomach had another onslaught of contractions hit him hard. Hogan cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. He clutched his belly and took in rapid, short breaths, until the pain finally subsided. Getting as much strength as he could gather, he stood back up and stayed in one spot for a moment longer. He knew he had to keep going no matter what, until he reached Stalag 13. Hogan was well aware that if he collapsed again, there was no chance of him getting back up. Ignoring his pain as much as possible, he made little by little effort to continue making his way back to Stalag 13.
"Hold on, guys...I'm...coming." Hogan gasped, fighting intense pain in his abdomen.
Kinchloe was pacing back and forth like a mad man. He was worried for Newkirk and Carter. Sure, he had another hour, until their expected return to camp, but not being there with them was driving him crazy. LeBeau sat at the radio table watching Kinchloe.
"Mon ami, you're going to drive yourself insane, if you continue doing that." LeBeau cried, feeling sympathy towards his friend.
"I know, it's just I hate knowing Carter and Newkirk are out there, when some deranged killer is out there loose just waiting for his next target." Kinchloe said, worried.
Just then, the two men heard two pairs of footsteps racing towards the radio room. Newkirk and Carter were back in their Allies uniforms and out of breath from running so quickly.
Kinchloe and LeBeau hurried their way and helped both of them to sit down at the table.
"Are you guys alright?" Kinchloe cried.
"You two look like as if you have just seen un fantôme." LeBeau said, worried.
"We...Newkirk and I...we were...putting up flyers and…" Carter stopped, trying desperately to catch his breath.
"What; putting up flyers and what?" Kinchloe urged.
"I was a...putting up flyers when I...I heard gunshots." Newkirk gasped.
LeBeau had left quickly and came back just as fast with two glasses of water for his friends. They drank them in one gulp and felt much better. Both set their glasses on the table now able to focus on telling LeBeau and Kinchloe what had happened out in Hammelburg.
"You heard gunshots?" Kinchloe gasped.
"Aye, mate; I think three, if I heard 'em correctly." Newkirk answered.
"Both Newkirk and I had a bad feeling something wrong was gonna happen the longer we stayed. Guess we made it out of Hammelburg with time to spare before one of us could be shot." Carter added.
"Did you see where the gunshots came from? Did you see anyone, anything?" Kinchloe begged.
"Not a bloody thing, mate, sorry." Newkirk sadly said.
"It sounded like it came from the forest up the hill nearby the city where we were." Carter added.
"It did sound like it came from that direction." Newkirk chimed in.
"You think could be just a gestapo officer with an escaped prisoner?" LeBeau asked.
"I don't know, but only one thing; no one, and I mean no one is to leave the camp on anymore missions, until we find out what that gunshot was and why it happened." Kinchloe ordered.
"What if London wants us to sabotage something?" LeBeau exclaimed.
"You know how London gets, when we delay 'em, Kinch." Carter said.
"We've already lost Colonel just barely even a little over a month, now; if someone else dies, the rest of us aren't gonna handle all the grief of two people well." Kinchloe snapped.
The three nodded, understanding completely.
"Oui, mon ami; I can't believe it's been a month already since what happened." LeBeau sadly spoke.
"How have we managed this far already without the Gov'nor here?" Newkirk said, sadly.
"I hope he doesn't think we don't miss him or need him anymore." Carter whimpered.
Newkirk turned to his best friend, smiled, then gently patted his shoulder and wrapped an arm around him.
"Don't yah worry about that, Andrew; Colonel Hogan knows exactly how much we miss him and need him." Newkirk spoke with a smile.
"I'm sure he's happy, though, to see he didn't leave to see the operation crumble to an oblivion. He would hate knowing losing him caused us to stop doing assignments and missions from London or the Underground." LeBeau added.
"So...what do you we do about tonight; if London asks us to complete another assignment by tomorrow, and we still know nothing, we can't leave this prison camp risking our safety." Newkirk wondered.
"For now, let's just put it to rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we might have a better look at things and find out what happened in Hammelburg. Maybe Major Hochstetter will have already had an investigation group out there to search it." Kinchloe said.
"Sounds good to me, Kinch." Newkirk answered.
The four men nodded and left to sleep the rest of the night.
Morning came sooner than expected. Klink and Burkhalter were in Klink's office discussing the recent death of the gestapo officer found murdered four miles from Stalag 13. It was not until the door slammed open with Hochstetter stomp in did any of them start doing any real talk. The unexpected visit from the gestapo officer rattled Klink with fear, immediately causing him to rise from his desk and salute him.
"Major Hochstetter, what an unexpected surprise!" Klink gasped.
"Shut up, Klink!" Hochstetter hissed.
"Yes, sir; shutting up, sir." Klink quivered.
"Major Hochstetter...what brings you out here to Stalag 13?" Burkhalter questioned, rising to his feet.
"Last night, a man was found dead in the forest near Hammelburg." Hochstetter answered.
"Dead," Klink gasped.
"Yes, dead! Shot twice in the back and once in the back of the head. The one in the head we suspect killed him instantly. The man was found wearing a gestapo uniform. He apparently turns out to be an undercover spy sent here from Italy under direct orders of Benito Mussolini himself." Hochstetter sneered.
"What did this spy come here for Germany for?" Burkhalter asked, intrigued.
"I don't know; no one in Italy will comply with orders and respond. They say his identity will remain secret unless given strict permission from El Dulce Mussolini himself."
"It's just strange; what would an Italian have any reason to come to Germany?" Klink pondered over in his head.
"That's what I'd like to know as well, Klink." Burkhalter answered, giving a cunning smile.
"Well, would you look at that; we all finally agree on something." Hochstetter replied.
"Do you have the name of this man at least, Major?" Burkhalter asked.
"Anthony Peretti; his name was the only information the Italians gave us. I suspect he was sent here to gain information regarding the Underground for Italy's own personal gain." Hochstetter said.
"What would lead you to such a conclusion, Major?"
Hochstetter grew fairly quiet before answering. He was about to say something, when Burkhalter gave him a death glare.
"And don't say because yous suspect Colonel Hogan has anything to do with it." Burkhalter hissed.
Hochstetter took in a deep breath and closed his mouth.
Burkhalter then smiled.
"I thought so," Burkhalter spoke, sly.
"But Major, Colonel Hogan is dead; he died a little over a month ago, sir. What would an Italian want with a dead man?" Klink asked.
"I don't know, which makes this case all the more suspicious." Hochstetter sneered at the Kommandant.
Klink gulped growing anxious the longer Hochstetter was here.
"Yes, Major; I understand, Major." Klink spoke, softly.
Kinchloe, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter all sat in Hogan's room with the coffee pot turned on. They had seen Hochstetter's car pull up shortly before returning to the barracks. They suspected Hochstetter was there for some particular reason and we're intrigued by what they had heard so far.
"I don't believe it; someone actually killed the bloke dead on." Newkirk gasped.
"I sure wish I knew who did it, though." Carter said.
"We may never know; it didn't sound like the killer left anything behind for the gestapo to link a connection to anyone." Kinchloe answered.
"What if he committed suicide?" LeBeau asked.
"It's a possibility, but highly unlikely. It didn't sound like Peretti would be one to kill himself." Kinchloe said.
"Maybe it was someone from the Underground." Carter said, pondering ideas in his head.
"Someone who knew he killed Colonel Hogan and wanted revenge." LeBeau added.
"Possibly...but I don't know for sure; something's missing...we're missing some major part of the puzzle...but what?" Kinchloe asked.
"I don't know what yah talking about, mate." Newkirk said.
"I don't know, either, but I can't help but think we're missing something here." Kinchloe replied.
The four men sat and thought for a long while on what Kinchloe was talking about, but nothing ever came to their minds.
Hogan staggered in his walking, as he finally made it to the front gates of Stalag 13. He had on black boots, black pants, and a tattered white button up shirt. The guards on duty to watch the gate were turned the opposite way watching the prisoners, making sure no one acted up. Especially with a luftwaffe general and a gestapo major in the camp visiting.
Hogan's hand was clutching his belly. He had lost a lot of blood even with applying pressure with his hand. With that and the intense pain he was in, he knew he would collapse soon, if not soon, within the next thirty seconds. He looked around searching out a particular guard he needed to find. He finally saw Schultz standing guard by the Kommandantur's.
Hogan gasped for air, as he began feeling light headed.
"Schultz," Hogan gasped, barely even a whisper.
After that, everything around the American colonel turned black, and Hogan collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Schultz heard a 'thud' by the front gate and turned to see what it was. He saw the body then turned his attention back on the prisoners, but immediately snapped his head back, realizing who's body he had just seen. He dashed for the front gates, opened them, and knelt down next to the body. He gasped in shock.
"Colonel Hogan," Schultz gasped.
He knelt down besides the body and cradled Hogan gently in his arms. He looked up at the two corporals keeping watch of the gates, who were currently watching in amazement at what they saw. Hogan was alive, but they feared he would not be for long. Both guards were familiar with the colonel and both thought he was a nice man who treated everyone in camp with equality and fairness.
Schultz snapped up and looked at both corporals.
"Get the Kommandant...hurry!" Schultz wailed, worried for Hogan's health.
Both corporals nodded and immediately hurried to the Kommandantur's.
"All prisoners confined to barracks! Mach schnell!" Schultz hollered over and over, again. The screaming was driving Klink mad by the time he made his way out of his office wearing his cap and coat and carrying his swagger stick. General Burkhalter and Major Hochstetter were following the Kommandant from closely behind, both also getting irritated by the ruckus, as well.
"Schultz, what's the meaning of this?!" Klink hissed, but his eyes bugged out and jaw dropped, when he saw what was in front of him. The Kommandant snapped his head back at all the prisoners outside. "All prisoners confined to the barracks! NOW!"
The prisoners followed orders and quickly made their ways back to their assigned barracks.
Not believing his sight, Klink raced towards Schultz then knelt down and shook horrendously. There, before his very eyes, was his assumed 'dead' Senior POW Officer. He was pale as paper, his clothes were dirty, torn, and raggy, and there was a huge blood stain on the middle of his shirt. It looked like it was still wet and gradually getting worse.
"Hogan…" Klink quivered.
The Kommandant began praying to God that he would let Hogan live. Losing him again would be too much for him or anyone in Stalag 13. Dear God, how would he tell Kinchloe, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter regarding this matter. He would think of what to say later, but right now, his only attention was focused on Hogan.
Burkhalter and Hochstetter arrived to the scene a few seconds later. Both Burkhalter and Hochstetter gaped at the sight before them.
"Mein Gott," Burkhalter gasped.
"I don't believe it!" Hochstetter snapped.
"Herr Kommandant, Colonel Hogan is losing a lot of blood, and he's very hot and sweating quite a bit." Schultz said, trying to hide his concern as best as possible in front of Burkhalter and Hochstetter.
Klink turned around and met his eyes with Hochstetter.
"Major Hochstetter, call an ambulance at once!" Klink ordered.
"No! Let him die! It'll do the Third Reich getting rid of the most dangerous man in Germany!" Hochstetter snarled.
"You will do as Kommandant Klink says, Major, unless you wish to be transferred tomorrow morning to Stalingrad." Burkhalter sneered.
Hochstetter shuddered under Burkhalter's glare. Not only because he was sometimes afraid of the general, but he knew Burkhalter would do it within the blink of an eye. Hochstetter would be on a train to the Russian Front faster than he could draw his pistol from its holster.
The gestapo officer gulped and nodded.
"Jawohl, Herr General," Hochstetter grumbled.
Hochstetter left the scene and entered the Kommandantur's to call for an ambulance for a priority call.
Kinchloe, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter were looking through the sink periscope to see what was going on. The four of them had heard screaming and shouting from outside and was told by one of the prisoners, Hoffmann, that they were all confined to the barracks until further notice. Klink had sounded horrified, when he gave the order. Being the one now in charge, Kinchloe was the one watching through the periscope at what was going on by the front gates. Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter hovered over Kinchloe, all anxious to know what was going on.
"What do you see, mon ami?" LeBeau asked.
"Schultz is cradling someone in his arms; looks like a gestapo officer. There's a lot of blood on the belly of his shirt." Kinchloe answered, trying to get a better look at who the man was. It was difficult with Klink kneeling down and over at the man. On top of that, Burkhalter was blocking the view, as well." Kinchloe said.
"Who is it, Kinch?" Carter pleaded.
"I can't tell; I can't see the face first off, and with Klink and Burkhalter in the way, there's not a chance of me getting that answer." Kinchloe answered, trying a different angle. Nothing.
"Can you see any familiar physical features; maybe we can identify him that way." Newkirk suggested.
"Nothing too distinct; just looks like another average gestapo officer." Kinchloe said. "Although Hochstetter made a pretty fast run back to the Kommandantur's. Seems this man is utmost important for some particular reason."
"Seems to be a sticky wicket they're in." Newkirk answered. "Sure would love to know who the bloke is, though."
"What if it's someone we know?" Carter asked.
"Who would we know that works for the gestapo besides Hochstetter, mate?" Newkirk questioned, a bit irritated.
LeBeau gulped, as if he had realized who the man was.
Newkirk turned around and grew concerned for his little mate.
"What's wrong, Louis; something bothering yah?" Newkirk asked, worried.
"We have two Underground workers that work with Hochstetter in gestapo headquarters: Bluebird and Gray Wolf." LeBeau quivered.
All men turned around, looked at one another with fear growing in their faces, and gulped.
"He's right, yah know; it's a possibility it could be one of the two." Newkirk answered, meekly.
"Oh, please God; let it be someone we don't know." LeBeau muttered gazing up at the heavens.
Kinchloe turned around and saw the man was already boarded into the back of the ambulance. The four Germans out there saluted to the paramedic and stood watching the ambulance disappear beyond the hill. Hochstetter and Burkhalter were headed back towards their cars. Kinchloe assumed they had nothing more to discuss with Klink. Schultz walked back in and took his post at the entrance of the Kommandantur's. Klink, on the other hand, was headed directly towards barracks two.
Kinchloe immediately made the sink go back to normal.
"Klink's coming this way, and he's in a hurry." Kinchloe gasped.
"Everyone act natural," Newkirk ordered.
The men hurried to the table and sat down. Kinchloe grabbed a magazine and started reading it. LeBeau and Carter grabbed some paper and pens and started drawing pictures. Newkirk got out a deck of cards and began playing a game of solitaire, when Klink opened the door and immediately headed towards the four of them.
"Sergeant Kinchloe, you and your men will come with me." Klink commanded.
"What for, Kommandant?" Kinchloe asked, looking up from his magazine.
"We've done nothing!" LeBeau spat.
"Nothing here, Kommandant." Carter chimed in.
"I do not have to give reasons as to why I'm requesting you four to come with me. Now I order all of you follow me." Klink hissed.
"Only if yah tell us what's going on, Klink." Newkirk replied, now giving his attention to his Kommandant, or as Klink called himself, the Iron Eagle.
Klink sighed, knowing the men would not be going anywhere, until he gave them a reason as of why they were being asked to follow him.
"The four of you are coming with me to the hospital." Klink answered.
"The hospital; are you alright, Kommandant?" Kinchloe asked, trying to sound worried for the German.
Newkirk got up and examined Klink's facial features and took his left arm in his hands to inspect it.
"Now sir, tell me; where does it hurt?" Newkirk questioned.
Klink snapped his arm away from the Englander's hold.
"Not me, I'm fine...I hope." Klink gulped, beginning to grow worried, when he finished.
"Who's in the hospital and why must we come?" LeBeau asked.
"I'll tell you there, just go!" Klink ordered. To the four men, it sounded more like begging.
The four men sighed and followed Klink. Klink walked off to the motor pool once the four men were in front of the Kommandantur's. They all looked at each other and gulped.
"I sure hope it's not Gray Wolf or Bluebird." Kinchloe spoke freely. Thankfully, Schultz had gone on break leaving no one guarding the Kommandantur's.
"We can only pray, mate...that's the only thing we can do." Newkirk answered, growing worried.
