Chapter 21---The Noose Begins to Tighten
Captain Fuchs was sitting at the counter enjoying a cup of coffee as Myra and her husband were cleaning up. They were now the only three in the café. He knew they were preparing to close for the night. He had remained in the café all day with no sign of Diels. The frustration could be seen on his face. But he knew from experience that sometimes this happened during a stakeout; sometimes for several days. But because this involved Colonel Hogan, an entire day with nothing happening meant one day more that Diels had Hogan in his custody.
Henrik looked at Fuchs. "Would you like some more coffee, Fritz?" he asked, his hand holding the coffee pot.
"Nein," Fuchs replied. He glanced at his watch. "When I finish my coffee, I will be leaving and come back tomorrow."
Henrik and Myra exchanged glances. He looked at Fuchs again. "You will do nothing of the kind. We have a spare room in the back. You are welcome to stay there tonight and as long as it takes to find Colonel Hogan if he is in Windheim."
"Please say you'll stay, Fritz," Myra pleaded. "This way we can visit for awhile, and you won't have to travel back and forth."
Fuchs sighed wearily. He was tired, and he did not look forward to the long drive. The only thing he would regret was not being able to see and hold Lilli in his arms and hugging his son. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled.
"I accept your offer. I just need to call Lilli and let her know I won't be home so she won't worry."
"Use our phone in the kitchen. You will have privacy there," Henrik advised him.
"Danke," Fuchs replied getting up and making his way around behind the counter, disappeared through the curtains. After he had, Henrik looked at his wife.
"I am worried, Myra," Henrik told her in a hushed voice.
"About what, Henrik?"
Henrik glanced over his shoulder before continuing. "This Captain Diels. I am terrified for Colonel Hogan. What will happen if this Captain kills the Colonel?"
"Do not even think that, Henrik," Myra responded in an equally hushed tone. "Colonel Hogan will be all right and he will be found alive. Fritz will find him."
Before Henrik could reply, the phone rang. Myra sighed wearily.
"Who could this be at this hour?" she asked no-one in particular. Picking up the receiver, she put it to her ear. "Heilmans." Her husband saw his wife suddenly stiffen and look in his direction. "Ja, Mr. Hermann, we do have about two strawberry pastries left. But we are closed." She saw her husband hurry through the curtains and come back moments later with Fuchs. They both stood silent and listening.
Myra looked at them. "Ja, Mr. Hermann, we can hold one for you for tomorrow. What time will you be here? Ja. We will keep one for you. Auf Wiedershen." She hung up the phone and looked at Fuchs; anxiety showing on her face.
"That was Mr. Hermann, I mean Captain Diels. He is coming here tomorrow morning at about eight a.m."
Fuchs smiled. "Gut," he remarked. "When he leaves here tomorrow I will be following him, hoping he will lead me to his hideout and Colonel Hogan. But we have much work to do. I must use your phone. We are going to need many underground members here for a meeting."
"What for?" asked Myra. "You said you are going to follow Captain Diels."
"And I am. But I will have to keep far behind him or he'll spot me, and that could be fatal for the Colonel. Besides, the road in this town is paved. I would have no way of telling which way he went. We are going to need many underground on every block in this town who can hand signal me which way he goes. Should he leave town, the road is dirt. I will be able to be able to follow him without him spotting me."
Myra pointed to the phone behind the counter. "Use this phone," she said.
Carter sat in the radio room monitoring the radio and doodling on a sheet of paper while Kinch was asleep on the bunk he kept in the radio room when he was monitoring the radio for long hours. Suddenly, the radio came alive with a message that was in Morse code.
"Kinch, wake up!" Carter yelled.
"What's wrong?" Kinch asked sitting up on his bunk. "What is it?"
"There's a message coming in. I think it's from the underground."
Kinch jumped up from the bunk and sat down at the radio, putting on and adjusting the headset. "Go get LeBeau and Newkirk," he said as he listened to the remainder of the message. Carter ran from the radio room.
When the message ended, Kinch tapped out a response requesting the message be repeated. The Morse code repeated again. Kinch began copying the message down on his pad. As the message continued, LeBeau, Newkirk and Carter entered the radio room. They waited patiently while the message continued. Finally, it ended.
"What does it say, Kinch?" asked LeBeau. "Carter said the message came from the underground."
"Wait a minute," Kinch said in response as he read the message.
"Well, are you gonna keep the bloody thing to yourself then?" asked Newkirk.
"Okay. The message is from the underground in Windheim. It seems Captain Diels may be in Windheim and will be coming to the café run by the Heilmans tomorrow morning at eight a.m. Bluebird plans on following him when he leaves the café and hopefully he'll lead him to the Colonel."
There was excited chatter amongst the others. Kinch, for the first time since everything began, allowed a slight smile to appear on his face.
"Blimey. I hope Bluebird is able to find the Gov'nor," Newkirk murmured. "I don't even want to think what the Colonel went through during all this time."
"Oui," LeBeau agreed readily. "The Colonel will be found alive and we will take care of him until he is well. You will see. Captain Fuchs will find him. He will bring Colonel Hogan home."
"Bloody right he will, LeBeau," Newkirk agreed. "And if that bloody Kraut Captain's hurt the Gov'nor, I'll make sure he gets paid back."
"We sure will, boy," said Carter eagerly. "Nobody hurts Colonel Hogan and gets away with it." He looked at the radio man. "Right, Kinch?"
Kinch didn't answer right away. He bit his lower lip as something was on his mind that took up all his thoughts.
"Kinch?" LeBeau asked, concerned. "Is something wrong, mon ami?"
"I can't explain it," the radio man said finally. "But I have a nagging fear eating at me all of a sudden."
Carter, LeBeau and Newkirk all exchanged worried looks. Finally, Carter spoke up.
"What do you mean by a nagging fear?" he asked, suddenly concerned. "A nagging fear about what, Kinch?"
The radioman shook his head. "I don't know. I just have this fear that whatever this Captain Diels has done to the Colonel during the time he's held him prisoner, I have a feeling the Colonel isn't going to get over it as soon as we'd like."
"Why would you say that, mon ami?" asked LeBeau.
"As I said, LeBeau, I can't explain it. It's just a feeling I have. I believe this Captain Diels has done something to Colonel Hogan that he might not recover from so quickly."
There were so many underground members in the kitchen of the Heilmans' back room that Fuchs had lost count after awhile. He and the Heilmans looked at the crowd.
"May I have everybody's attention," Bluebird began. The murmurs of the crowd quieted down.
"I called this meeting because I need your help tomorrow beginning at six a.m.," he continued. "Captain Diels will be coming here to the café tomorrow at eight a.m. I intend to tail him when he leaves here and hopefully he'll take me right to where he's holding Colonel Hogan. However, I'm going to need all of you to place yourselves, two on each block in town to motion to me in which direction Diels travels. Since this road is paved I'll have to stay far enough away from him so he can't spot me. If he does, it could endanger Colonel Hogan."
"Do you still believe Colonel Hogan is alive?" someone asked.
Fuchs sighed wearily. "Yes, I do. I believe he is alive and I intend to find him and bring him back to Stalag 13 safely." Fuchs hoped he wasn't lying about his last sentence considering Diels was using drugs on the Colonel. "At six a.m. tomorrow morning, I want all of you to be two on each block and keep your eyes open. You all know what Captain Diels looks like. Colonel Hogan and I are counting on your help."
Diels had walked upstairs to Hogan's room. He checked his watch. It was going on ten p.m.
So far, Diels knew Hogan had been without an injection since six p.m. and soon would begin to feel the beginning of withdrawal. And by the time Diels woke up tomorrow morning, the Colonel would be in total withdrawal and ready to spill everything. He opened the door to Hogan's room and looked in.
The Colonel appeared to be asleep. But from the doorway Diels could tell Hogan was restless. He also appeared to be tossing and turning. He chuckled as he noticed that the Colonel seemed to be in the early stages of withdrawal and knew it would only get worse.
He chuckled. Tomorrow, Colonel Hogan, he thought, tomorrow you will tell me everything. And afterwards, I will get your signature on a confession. Then, Colonel, you will die after I give you one final injection.
Diels had his plan laid out for the coming morning. He would go out and have breakfast, pick up a few things at the local grocery store, and by the time he returned home, Hogan would be in full withdrawal and ready to talk.
"Tomorrow, Colonel Hogan," he said softly, not wanting the Colonel to know he was there. "Tomorrow will see the end of Papa Bear and his operation. And the beginning of the benefits I will reap by your destruction." He quietly closed the door leaving the Colonel to his misery.
The morning came too quickly for many people. For some, there was hope; for others there was despair; and for still others, there were things to be done whether they are good or bad.
Diels was awake early and was dressed. He knew Hogan had been without for more than ten hours as he walked upstairs to check on him. He was pleased at what he saw when he opened the door.
Hogan was curled up within himself, in obvious discomfort. He noticed Diels looking at him as the Captain entered the room. Hogan was sweating and had the shakes, chills, severe muscle and bone aches, nausea, and the cramps were becoming unbearable. He looked up at Diels with watery eyes and wiped the watery discharge from his eyes and nose with the back of his hand.
"Help me," he begged in a shaky voice. "I hurt so bad. You have to help me feel better. Please, please help me."
Diels smirked. He approached the bed and proceeded to shackle Hogan's wrists. "That's so you won't try to get away before I get back. I have to go out for awhile, Colonel."
Hogan, turning his head to the side, buried his face in the pillow. He began to cry uncontrollably. "No. You can't leave me alone. I don't have anybody. Don't leave me! Please stop the pain!"
"Not now, Colonel. I shall return in a few hours and we will talk in great detail about many things. Then, you will sign a paper and at that point, I will see that you never hurt again. Trust me."
"No! I hurt so bad! I need it! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!"
"Be patient, Colonel. I shall return. I promise you." He turned and headed towards the door.
Hogan strained against the restraints as he tried to break free. He was screaming for Diels not to leave him alone and to come back. He watched the door close. He felt an anxiety attack beginning and fell back on the bed and curled up into himself hoping to relieve the pain and the cramps.