Chapter 20: The cornice in the ground

Hogan led the way down the stairs, Newkirk following slowly behind him with his burden.

Klink looked up hopefully at the sound of their steps, his face falling when he spied the bundle in Newkirk's arms.

Klink rose to his feet, gripping the doorway of the cellar to keep upright.

"Is she... Is Anna gone?" he croaked, his hand fisted around the nightshirt wrap.

"She's alive," Hogan said shortly, unable to meet his eyes, "but she's hurt bad. You both need medical attention. Shultz here yet?"

Klink shook his head and then shrugged, his eyes never leaving Anna's body in Newkirk's arms.

"What did he do to her?" Klink asked in a whisper.

Newkirk made a pained sound deep in his throat, but Hogan spoke up again.

"Later. Let's get out of here."

Hogan went to support the Kommandant, helping the beaten man to hobble towards the open front door. LeBeau kept his eyes carefully forward to his surroundings and not to crimson-striped Klink.

Suddenly Hogan stopped with an inhale of surprise. Klink was shoved away, stumbling into an umbrella stand as Reifschineider came up behind the American Colonel, poking a knife against his ribcage.

The men froze.

"So," Reifschineider said, blood matting one side of his mussed blond hair, "Hochstetter was right about you after all, Papa Bear. I will get a medal for catching you."

Reifschineider's eyes moved across Hogan's frozen men and over to Klink.

"I never suspected you had so much to confess, Oberst Klink."

Klink fought his way to his feet, leaning heavily on an umbrella.

"Release him. It is me you want. I am Papa Bear," Klink claimed, endeavoring to stand tall even with only the remnants of his nightshirt as his uniform, "That is why they came for me. Verstehen?"

Reifschineider blinked quickly, trying to process. Then he smiled.

"Of course! Only one of the Master Race could be so effective against us. It is too bad that you did not use that brilliance to serve the Fatherland, Oberst." His smile fell and he gestured at Klink with a jerk of the chin, "Very well, I am willing to trade a small fish for the shark."

Klink moved towards the Gestapo man and Hogan, leaning heavily on his makeshift cane.

Reifschineider moved slightly away from Hogan, preparing to trade captives. That's when Klink made his move.

Klink raised the umbrella and half ran half fell towards the Gestapo man, jabbing the metal point into the blond's gut. Reifschineider stumbled backwards, the wind knocked out of him. Klink continued his attack, his whole body leaning forwards as he shoved his torturer back. Everyone except Klink jerked in surprise when the umbrella opened. Reifschineider took one more fatal step back.

There was a short scream as Reifschineider fell backwards down the steep cellar stairs, the wet thunk of flesh and bone against stone echoing for a few seconds as his body tumbled.

Hogan shifted the grip he had on Klink's shoulder as he felt the man regain his balance. The Kommandant had almost joined Reifschineider in his trip down the stairs.

"Well," Hogan said, breaking the sudden silence, "I guess we don't have to worry about what we're going to do with him anymore." He took a deep breath and then smiled at Klink, "Thanks, Kommandant."

Klink nodded numbly, releasing the umbrella to bounce quietly on the floor.

Carter tripped up the front steps.

"Shultz is here with the car, boy. I mean, Colonel, sir," he said, shuffling awkwardly and not looking at anyone.

Hogan huffed out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, something's going right. Ok, Carter. You and LeBeau stay here and wire the place to blow. Set a timer and be back to camp before it goes, though. We need everyone to have an alibi. Newkirk, let's go."

Newkirk practically sprinted to the car, an anxious Schultz opening the back door for him and his precious package.

"Mein Gott!" Schultz exclaimed, looking at the still and sheet-wrapped Anna, and then at the blood stained and limping Klink, "Colonel Hogan! Did the Gestapo..." Schultz cut himself off, "Where are the Gestapo men? Did you...?"

"We took care of them," Hogan said shortly, helping Klink carefully slide into the back seat next to Newkirk and Anna, and then jumped into the front passenger seat, "We need to get back to camp and get them some help. Drive!"

Schultz squeezed in behind the wheel and started towards camp.

"What about Carter and the Cockroach?" he asked, looking back as they turned onto the road.

"They'll get back to camp on their own. Just go!" Hogan answered shortly, trying to come up with a cover story for all this.

He looked at Klink in the backseat. The Kommandant was leaning forward, trying not to let his shredded back touch anything, but his eyes were on Anna. Anna, who Newkirk still cradled in his lap like a child, was utterly still. Blood coated her face, painting across the bruises there without hiding them. Her nose was crooked and looked broken, her closed eyes swollen. Newkirk was whispering softly to her, his words lost in the roar of the engine as they crept through the dark. Hogan turned away, swallowing hard.

If only they hadn't taken so long to find them. If only they had hidden Anna in the first place. Hogan glanced back at Klink, his stomach churning. The Kommandant had proven to be stronger and more trustworthy than he had expected. The man had obviously said nothing about Hogan and his men and even saved all of them in the end.

Hogan knew it paid to be suspicious in this war, but even so this was too much. Klink looked shell-shocked, and why wouldn't he? But if they couldn't get him back to semi-normal then they would end up losing him as a cover. Worse yet, Klink would end up back in the hands of the Gestapo and there would be no rescuing him. And Anna...

Hogan leaned forward, willing the car to go faster so that he could get away from these quiet moments of thought and back into action. Action he could handle, but the idea of what that Gestapo monster had done... He shuddered and gripped the dashboard. It was his fault. If only he had trusted Newkirk or Carter or just took a chance and had pity on the woman. Or even later if he had done what Klink had suggested and found some way to get her out of Germany. But no, Hogan's plans had to be complex. Trust and common sense never came into the picture. And now she had paid, and Klink had paid, and by the expressions on Newkirk and Carter's faces his men had paid for his hubris as well.

The noise of the gravel pinging against the metal car frame faded into the quiet whir of the cement road leading to camp. Hogan tried to pull himself together. He and Schultz were the only ones able to think in this situation, and Mr. 'I know nothing' wasn't going to be of much help.

"Colonel Hogan," the man in question broken in, "What are we going to do? The Kommandant and Frau Anna! They need a hospital. But the Gestapo..."

"I know, Schultz! We can't take them in- you know what will happen. Hochstetter will be on them faster than you can say heil Hitler, and then it's all over but the crying. We have to get them back to camp and make up some story. Maybe whatever Anna had was contagious. Maybe a quarantine. I don't know. But Wilson's our only hope at this point." Hogan said, wiping his damp hands on his pants.

"Colonel," Newkirk's hoarse voice broke in, "Anna... Anna's hurt bad. Will Wilson be able to help her?"

Hogan turned and looked at the damp-eyed Englishman.

"I'm sure Wilson will do his best," Hogan comforted quietly.

"What did he do to her?" Klink asked again, curled up and shivering in pain.

Newkirk's bottom lip trembled and he looked away from the wide, blue eyes of the beaten Kommandant.

"He... He did things no decent man would do. Just when I thought you Krauts couldn't get any worse..."

"Enough," Hogan broke in as they approached the gate, "Newkirk, you get Anna into Klink's quarters, preferably without attracting attention. Schultz, go in and get Klink's coat. Bring it to the car and get him in it. Then get him inside as well. Stay with them and stand guard. Nobody else comes in except me and Wilson."

"What do I say if..." Schultz started.

"Quarantine, something contagious. The Black Plague if you must. Just keep everyone out until we can get them treated and come up with something better. If no one asks, don't volunteer any information. You know nothing, right?" Hogan said sternly.

"Ja," Schultz agreed, nodding, "Nothing!"

They made it through the gate without issue, and Hogan sprinted towards the barracks as soon as the car came to a stop.

"Wilson! Grab your medical bag on the double," Hogan ordered, ignoring the clamor of questions as he entered the room, "Kinch, keep an eye out for Carter and LeBeau. They should be coming in the tunnels. When they get here, let me know. Wilson, you're with me."

"Colonel!" Kinch broke in, "What's going on? Should we expect the Gestapo? Do we need to be ready to bug out?"

"Hochstetter could show up, but once Carter and LeBeau get back from their mission we should be able to deny everything. Klink and Anna are hurt, bad. That's the priority right now. Everything else... well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it," Hogan said, slipping back out of the door with Wilson in tow.

Schultz let them into the Kommandant's quarters with a relieved expression on his weary face.

Wilson immediately went to the bedroom where a faint whimpering could be heard. Hogan hung back, not wanting to see Wilson's expression when he found out what had been done to his patients - especially Anna.

"Colonel Hogan, the Kommandant is... they hurt him very badly. And Frau Anna... How could they do that to a woman? To beat them, whip them..." Schultz's cheeks trembled with emotion.

A loud curse from Wilson and a wail from Klink had Hogan cringing.

"Was ist es?" Schultz started, looking petrified.

"They did more than beat her," Hogan said sharply as he moved towards the bedroom. Newkirk would need him. Heck, Klink would need him.

Hogan took a minute to compose himself before he went in. There would be time to be sick later, in private. For now he was in command and everyone's lives hung in the balance.