BREAKING THEM UP ISN'T HARD TO DO
Submitted by ColHogan

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ColHogan was busy enjoying lunch in the tunnels with Hogan and his men. They were talking about the trial and what had taken place so far. The men, knowing they only had about two hours for lunch, had LeBeau prepare grilled cheese sandwiches just a bit differently based upon ColHogan's suggestion of adding crispy bacon inside the sandwiches. They all had two sandwiches each with a bottle of red wine. The men, having never tried grilled cheese sandwiches with crispy bacon inside enjoyed it immensely.

"You know something," Hogan remarked to the writer using his name as her pen name. "We really appreciate the heads-up you gave us about ShadowHawk's plans for a story about Major Hochstetter. The plan now is what to do about it."

"She's so infatuated with Hochstetter right now he probably has her eating out of his hand," said LeBeau, worried.

"You're bloody right about that, mate," Newkirk agreed.

"How could she dump you for Hochstetter?" asked Carter looking at Newkirk. "Personally, I don't see the fascination."

"Do you have anything in mind, Colonel?" asked Kinch.

"Not a thing at the moment," Hogan replied running a hand over his dark hair.

Finishing her grilled cheese sandwiches, ColHogan suddenly snapped her fingers as her face brightened. "I have an idea on how to break up Hochstetter and ShadowHawk. At least I think it'll work."

Hogan and his men all exchanged puzzled looks before looking at their lunch guest.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Kinch.

"There's someone who I know from another writer who is in New York for the trial but for reasons of her own is staying away from the courthouse. You need to contact her and have her come to court."

"Who is this person you have in mind?" asked Hogan as he sipped some wine casually, looking at ColHogan. She bent her forefinger and wiggled it at Hogan indicating for him to come closer. She whispered something in his ear. A smile crossed his face as he listened. "It's brilliant!" he exclaimed. "You're certain of the name of the hotel she's staying at and the room number?"

"Definitely," said ColHogan with a devious grin.

"What's the plan, mon Colonel?" asked LeBeau with a smile.

"Kinch, get on the radio and call the Hotel Manhattan and ask to speak with a Ms Lisal Burke, room 301. Tell her about ShadowHawk and Hochstetter and that if she still cares about Hochstetter, she'd better get to the courthouse in about an hour and watch for him. I'm sure she'll know what to do when she sees him."

"You got it, Colonel," Kinch said with a grin as he got to his feet and headed to the radio room. While Kinch was gone, Hogan became serious for a few minutes.

"Something wrong, Colonel?" asked ColHogan, concerned.

Hogan suddenly dusted a bit of dirt off his bomber jacket as did Newkirk. He looked at ColHogan. "I have two questions I'd like to ask you."

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"You have Kinch, Newkirk and I trapped underground in a cave-in after the Allies dropped bombs near Hammelburg. And I have to deal with a revengeful General Metzger who wants me to get his stolen art collection back for him." Hogan fingered the bandage on his chin. Also, the bandages wrapped around his wrists could be seen. "What's going to happen to me with Metzger and with me, Kinch and Newkirk in the cave-in?"

ColHogan sighed. She wanted very badly to tell Hogan what was going to happen to him with Metzger and to him, Kinch and Newkirk in the cave-in, but couldn't. But she didn't want to leave the Colonel looking so depressed.

"Let's just say you and your men won't be disappointed at what I write."

"I'll accept that for now," Hogan replied, willing to take a chance with one of the defendants who had given them an advance warning of imminent trouble. Everybody looked up as Kinch returned.

"I made contact with Angel," Kinch said. "She said to say thank you to ColHogan for the warning about ShadowHawk. She will see us at the courthouse this afternoon."

Smiling broadly, Hogan finished his wine. "Gentlemen and lady, I suggest we all head back to court. I want a front row seat for this show that's going to take place before the trial."

She hid in a downstairs stairwell after entering the courthouse. She figured she wouldn't be seen but could see everyone who came into the courtroom. She brushed her shoulder-length blonde hair over her shoulder. She was glad she let it return to its natural color. This was the way her Wolfgang remembered her when he last saw her. She was so thrilled to have been resurrected just for this trial. She hadn't changed so much that he wouldn't recognize her when he saw her. Sighing, she saw Hogan, Kinch, Carter, LeBeau and Newkirk entering through the front door into the building and walk down the long hallway and enter the courtroom. About ten minutes later, she saw a woman she didn't recognize and wasn't quite sure exactly who she was. Was this the woman who was after her Wolfie? After the woman entered the courtroom, she followed her inside and sat on the same side as Hogan and his men but in the last row. The woman she had seen was seated beside Hogan with her arms encircling his. She wondered if this was the writer known as ColHogan. If it was, she'd have to thank her personally.

Then she saw him. Her Wolfie. Handsome as ever in his black Gestapo uniform. There was a woman who looked like a teenager following close behind him. As they took their seats, the teenager wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. This was the last straw! Getting up, she slowly approached the opposite side of the court where Hochstetter was seated. Her heart pounded as she stared at him. Just seeing him took her breath away.

"Hello, Wolfgang," she said softly.

Hochstetter, hearing his first name, turned to see who addressed him as did the girl. Hochstetter's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged as he saw what he thought was a ghost. He staggered to his feet, completely disengaging himself from his female companion.

"Lisal....is it you? I mean, is it really you? Or am I seeing things?"

"It's me, Wolfgang." Angel replied, glaring at the girl seated beside her man. "I hope you're happy to see me after all this time? I know I'm happy to see you."

"This can't be happening. You're dead! You died in that explosion! I believed you had perished in that building when it blew up! Hogan killed you!" Hochstetter glared at Hogan as he and his men and the woman clinging to his arm were watching.

"No, no, no.... It wasn't this Hogan, whoever he is. But the building was bombed. I was injured very badly in the explosion, and have only recently been discharged from the hospital. Then I heard about this trial and hoped you would be here. I wanted so badly to see you."

Hochstetter looked into Lisal's blue eyes. The love he felt for her bursting inside. He loved her; had never stopped loving her. Wanting her. Even when he thought she was dead, he still wanted her. He looked at the teenager seated in the chair beside his and then again at Lisal.

"Let us go outside in the hall and talk," he told Angel as he squeezed past ShadowHawk and grabbed Angel's hand. Suddenly ShadowHawk jumped up and grabbed Hochstetter's other arm.

"Where are you going, Wolfie?" she asked, desperately clinging to his arm.

Angel glared at the teen. "Aren't you being just a little too familiar with Wolfgang?" she asked in a taut voice. "From where I stand, you're just a little girl with a teenage schoolgirl crush."

"Not exactly," ShadowHawk replied defensively. "I adore him! And he's mine so take a hike!"

Hochstetter yanked his arm free from ShadowHawk. "I am not yours, Fraulein," he said. "And do not talk to my Lisal that way. I have loved her from the moment I first laid eyes on her." By now Hochstetter was very close to Angel. He gently touched her face just to make certain she was really there and that he hadn't been speaking to himself. Just the feel of her soft skin with his hand excited him. She was really here. Alive! And she still loved him. He leaned forward and gently kissed her in front of ShadowHawk.

Hogan, still watching, leaned towards ColHogan and whispered: "This is better than the trial itself."

All ColHogan could do was chuckle as she watched. She clutched the Colonel's hand tightly.

ShadowHawk was stunned. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her Wolfie was kissing this....this....woman. What was she going to do about it? She had to do something. But what?

Once he pulled back from her, Angel wrapped her arms around Hochstetter and with everything she had in her, she pressed her lips against his and gave him the most passionate kiss she could. It was so passionate that some of the people sitting in the gallery whistled as they watched the couple.

But as far as Angel and Hochstetter were concerned, they were the only two in the courtroom. When they pulled apart, they looked into each other's eyes.

ShadowHawk grabbed Hochstetter's arm again and started pulling on him. "Wolfie, I love you! I would never leave you like she did! You can't love her! You can't!"

Hochstetter jerked his arm away from her. Lisal was all he had on his mind and was the only one he wanted on his mind. This young girl meant nothing to him. Compared to his Lisal, ShadowHawk was a child. He took Angel's hand in his and squeezed. Then, he looked over his shoulder at the teenage girl.

"You will get up and find somewhere else to sit. This seat is for my beloved Lisal."

"But Wolfie...."

"Mach schnell, fraulein!" Hochstetter snarled with a wave of his hand. "My liebchen is waiting to be seated."

Realizing that everybody in the courtroom was now staring at her, ShadowHawk ran out of the courtroom. Hochstetter escorted Lisal to the now vacated seat and sat down beside her, squeezing her hand. She laid her head on his shoulder, promising herself she would never leave him again. Ever.

She suddenly raised her head and looked into his face. "I thought we were going into the hall to talk, Wolfgang?" she asked.

"Later, liebchen," he replied stroking her cheek. "The bailiff has just come into the courtroom and the trial is about to resume. We will talk later. We have much to discuss."

Smiling, Lisal again laid her head on Hochstetter's shoulder to watch the proceedings beside her man.