May 11, 1945

The last two days Hogan had spent in the tunnels on the radio with London. The debriefing was longer than anyone had expected, and with the attending Generals required to be present at other meetings, it stopped and started irregularly. LeBeau often appeared with a bite to eat for lunch or dinner if a session was running long, then disappeared back upstairs. In between, Carter or Newkirk would pop in with a cup of coffee to keep his throat lubricated against the constant talking before silently returning to the barracks. It was uncanny how they managed to appear just when he was facing a difficult portion of the mission and Hogan found himself bolstered by their phantom-like appearance. Other than those occasional brief visits, Hogan had been completely alone throughout the retelling of his ordeal.

Hogan fully intended to wrap it up today, although he was not looking forward to it. The previous session had ended with the events of April 27th before time had run out. The remaining few days of his time in the Führerbunker were emotionally intense, from Fegelein's execution, to meeting Eva Braun, attending Hitler's wedding, and finally their suicide and Hogan's failed attempt to stop it. No doubt the Generals would also want to hear of his escape from Berlin, which entailed his run-in and capture by the Russians as well as his second near-execution before being saved by his team.

Hogan was literally drained both emotionally and physically at the end of each session. He had a lot to account for while in Berlin and the Generals questioned him on many of his decisions. He had deflected and changed countless orders while being Pfeiffer's assistant; the Generals were appalled at what could have happened if the orders had been left to stand as issued. A few of the changes Hogan was challenged on, but once learning of the original wording, the review board was happy to let slide. Hogan had done his best in a bad situation and managed to survive, with the Allies benefiting a hundred-fold.

After each gruelling debrief, Hogan often sought out company to take his mind off of the emotional turmoil stirred up by the session. Often it was Tom or his team, sometimes it was a chess game with Klink. Surprisingly, his dreams were not as intense as they had been before beginning the debriefing and he felt like he was finally coming to terms with all he had experienced.


"…so when the troops were ordered out of Magdeburg, we also pulled out, with Lieutenant Colonel Hochstetter in custody and Captain Hogan along to testify since he was off active duty. The return trip was uneventful. We over-nighted in Erfurt and arrived at Stalag, er, Camp 13 on 7 May, at which point I made contact with Goldilocks and General Butler," finished Hogan, thankful he'd reached the end of his journey.

"Well, Colonel, you've had quite the adventure. It's been an extremely interesting tale, truth be told," said General Eisenhower. "Good job all round. I'm sure it has been fairly emotional for you rehashing everything. Such a toll on both body and mind. You'll be receiving a commendation of the highest order, Hogan, and your men as well. Now I must leave to catch up on all the things I've postponed in order to be here the last two days. I wouldn't have missed this debriefing for the world. General Patton will brief you on what happens next. Good day."

"Good day, sir and thank you," replied Hogan, pleased with the praise from the Supreme Commander. Much more satisfying to the soul than the compliments paid to him by Hitler.

"Alright then Hogan," began General Patton. "We've been in discussions outside of your debrief and have reached a consensus on a few items. First, and foremost, Erlich Strauss doesn't exist. He has never existed, if you understand my meaning. Any inquiries will be blocked, all record of your Berlin mission wiped. Records in Berlin will be cleansed as a matter of course. You and you men will not speak of it ever again. Is this understood?"

"Perfectly, General," replied Hogan. "I will make sure my core team are informed. They are the only ones who know the name I used; the other men in camp only know I was in Berlin but they will also be told of the non-disclosure."

"Thank you Colonel, I trust you will carry the order out immediately," said Patton. "As for the fate of your Operation, it was decided partial disclosure would be in order. In light of the pending trials for Hochstetter and Klink, certain details will have to be entered into evidence which would necessitate some knowledge by the court of the Operation. As such, you are hereby ordered to leave everything in tact as is, in the event something is required to pursue prosecution. Full details on how much information will be released will be decided at a later date, at which time, sensitive information will be returned to London. Until the public disclosure however, the Operation will remain under wraps."

"Understood, sir, and thank you," replied a very relieved Hogan. "You have no idea what that will mean to my men. They were all dedicated to the cause, sir, and it didn't seem fair for them to have to carry the burden of never escaping, and possibly inviting their families and peers to question their loyalty and courage. Thank you for making it possible for them to share some of the truth about their lives here. It is something incredibly important to them. You will have restored their sense of pride, sir."

"Now one last item before I too need to head off to other pressing concerns," continued General Patton. "There is a small matter of your rank."

"What's the matter with my rank?" demanded Hogan when the General failed to continue straight away. He was dreading where this was heading, although not terribly surprised.

"You're still wearing eagles. I'm sure you were aware you were up for promotion prior to being shot down. Your promotion to Brigadier General came through eighteen months ago. We need to send some stars your way immediately."

Hogan's mind spun furiously. Eighteen months ago? He thought back to what was happening roughly around that time. The only thing unusual which sprang to mind was when he was ordered home and Crittendon was sent to replace him. 'A hero's welcome' he'd been promised. He knew Generals weren't normally kept prisoner and were often traded for equally high-ranked personnel. It all fit.

"If I recall correctly, I was ordered home at the time but I refused. What makes you think my answer will be any different this time?"

"At the time, you believed you were abandoning your men to Group Captain Rodney Crittendon," answered General Butler. "Knowing the Group Captain, I would think your sense of duty to your men would have won out over accepting a promotion."

"Darn right! Uh, sirs," replied Hogan, remembering his military decorum. Hogan winced. At least he didn't call them 'boy' like Carter would have.

"So now you have no reason to turn it down. The war is over, your men are safe. The Operation will be a known quantity before the end of the year. I don't see the problem," said General Patton. There was a long pause.

"It's the hand, isn't it Rob?" asked Group Captain Roberts. While Hogan's best friend had been mostly silent throughout the debriefing, he knew the way Rob thought. "You aren't settling you know. You truly earned the star, Rob. Might even get another one after everything you've told us over the last two days. Don't think of it as a consolation prize because we don't know whether you'll fly again. If that comes to pass and you decide to get out, wouldn't you rather retire as a General than a Colonel? Your career means everything to you – don't throw it away now out of spite."

A few of the points made by Roberts hit home with Hogan. He should have known his old friend wouldn't let this go unchallenged.

"Colonel," came General Barton's voice. "I once called you a sell out and a disgrace to the uniform before I had any idea of the sacrifices you willingly volunteered for. When I learned the full extent of what you had managed to set up and carry out even two years ago during the darkest point of the war, I would have promoted you on the spot, regardless of anything else you were able to accomplish afterwards or what your record was previous."

Hogan silently weighed the pros and cons and considered the words spoke by both Barton and Roberts. It wasn't the first time he'd wandered down this mental path but with the new knowledge of at what point he'd earned the promotion, he found the terms much more acceptable. Now to make it work to his advantage. Hogan smiled devilishly, glad it couldn't be seen by those in London.

"Gentlemen, there is one aspect of this entire business which has not been brought up as yet. While probably considered quite insignificant to you, it is of massive personal impact to myself," Hogan paused to let what he said sink in. "Against my wishes, my family was informed of my death. The emotional anguish they have suffered has been immense and I demand recompense before I ever accept a star on my shoulder. Tom is fortunate in the fact he has been able to see me in person, to heal from the wounds this mission has inflicted on him, an innocent bystander. My parents and other siblings do not have such a benefit. I want to speak with them in person to break the news as soon as possible."

"Colonel, what you are asking…" began Butler.

"…has been done more or less before, or are you forgetting the relay to contact the pizzeria in Brooklyn not long after we set up shop here? While I realize we didn't speak with Mr. Garlotti directly, we had to relay through the sub to Captain Henderson at HQ and then to New York, surely we can get some direct connection with all the advances we've made. Even we don't relay through the sub anymore," countered Hogan, not letting the Brass rail-road him in this matter a second time.

The radio lapsed into such a long moment of silence, Hogan was beginning to believe the Generals had either all walked out on him over his absurd proposal, or the line had been somehow disconnected. Finally an answer came.

"Agreed, Colonel," said Patton. "The request is understandable and not terribly unreasonable. Group Captain Roberts…"

"Actually, General," interrupted Barton, "if I may, I would like to take care of this matter. I owe the Colonel this at least."

"Agreed then," replied Patton. "General Hogan, General Barton will be making the arrangements. The two of you can stay on the line to finalize details. Congratulations on your promotion. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen…"

Goodbyes were exchanged as General Patton left the conference room. Generals Butler, Walters and Boland, Air Marshal Woodhouse, and Group Captain Roberts quickly followed, assuming they were dismissed after the exit of Patton. General Barton gathered the information he needed to set up the call to Bridgeport, Connecticut and Hogan's parents. Tracking down Scott would take longer as Hogan had no idea where his brother was in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Barton anticipated it would take him a couple of days to set everything up, especially since today was already mostly over, which gave Hogan another idea Barton was only too happy to help execute. Soon the details were all hashed out and both parties signed off.

Hogan sat back, pleased. The debriefing was finally over, he had managed to persuade the Brass to set up a call with his family, and he had garnered a well-deserved and apparently long overdue promotion on his terms. General Hogan…I do believe I like the sound of that!


"So sir, is the debriefing finally over?" asked Carter when Hogan finally emerged from the tunnels hours after sequestering himself down there for the third day in a row.

"Yep. Got her all wrapped up at last. You want to get all the guys together? There's some news to share," replied Hogan, stretching after climbing over the bunk rails. Hours of sitting at the radio had not done wonders for his back and he thought about Kinch and Baker doing those lengthy shifts without complaint.

"Major Sullivan too?"

"Might as well, although not Captain Nichols. There are some sensitive things to go over."

"You got it, boy! Uh, sir," replied Carter happily before disappearing through the barracks door. Hogan chuckled at the sense of déjà vu from his debriefing; in a lot of ways, Carter hadn't changed a bit.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone requested was gathered around the main table, speculating on what the news would be this time. Hogan came out of his office and stood at the head of the table as he'd often done before and made 'quiet down' gestures.

"What's the news this time, sir?" called Greenburg. "Jerry surrendering again?" Chuckles and guffaws went around the room.

Hogan smiled at the men gathered. He was going to miss meetings like this, where the men felt at ease enough to banter freely.

"Alright, hold it down!" called Hogan even as the laughter died. "As you know, I've spent the last three days on the radio with London rehashing the last six weeks. General Eisenhower was greatly pleased and impressed by the job we did here, and there will be several medals and promotions awarded in the months to come. As I'm sure you can imagine, they are a little overwhelmed at HQ right now in light of the surrender."

Hogan paused for a moment to let the men comment between each other. Praise direct from General Eisenhower was nothing to sneeze at; in fact it was about the highest praise one could get in the US Army, shy of the President himself.

"You all deserve each and every award, citation, medal or promotion the Pentagon deems to give you so be proud of what we've done here. The Brass has made the decision the Operation will be partially disclosed at some point in the near future, due to the pending trials for Hochstetter and Klink. Until that time however, everything is to be kept secret. We will be informed in due course what exactly is being released, but rest assured, you will be able to tell your families about being a part of what we did here."

Cheering broke out and Hogan let it run its course. As he had thought, the men were more than pleased they would be able to speak with their loved ones about the Operation, and be able to explain why they never were able to escape. Hogan could almost feel the weight being lifted. Once things settled down again, he continued.

"The camp is going to remain in tact for a while longer. The Brass doesn't want to risk compromising any evidence against Klink or Hochstetter by destroying any part of the Operation at this point in time. Everything in the tunnels, barracks, offices, wherever is to be left until the conclusion of the war crimes trials.

"There is one more item I have been instructed to tell you. The mission I undertook these last few weeks is going to be buried. Anyone who knows anything about what I did needs to forget it immediately. All records are going to be cleansed and the matter is not to be discussed. Ever. Have I made myself clear?"

"Perfectly, sir." "Crystal, sir." "Yes, sir." echoed around the room.

"Does anyone have any questions?" asked Hogan, looking around to see if anyone did. Newkirk raised his hand and Hogan indicated he could speak.

"Iffen I might, sir," he began, "may I ask if there was any word on you getting a promotion?"

Hogan looked down at the table top for a moment, considering what to reply. He looked up again when he spoke. "It is not official as yet, but I have been awarded my first star. Until I am presented with it however, you will still refer to me as 'Colonel'."

More cheering and congratulations were given from around the room. The team was proud. Tom was amazed – his brother had made Brigadier General!

"If there are no further questions…" Hogan looked around the room and saw no indication anyone had anything more to add. "Remember, if you are not sure if you can speak about a something, don't say anything and check with me. Dismissed."


Hogan strolled across the compound towards the cooler, his gait easy. He looked up and took a deep, settling breath of fresh air, releasing the last of his tensions. The sky was awash with a myriad of colour as the sun set and glinted off the barbed wire.

Hogan was much more relaxed now the report to the Brass had been filed and accepted. He had been unsure what reaction to expect when he had failed the main portion of his mission – to bring Hitler in for trial – but it appeared the High Command was happier having Hitler dead and not having to prosecute him at the war crimes trials. Hogan suspected Hitler's trial alone could have gone on for a year or more, and certainly the trials for Göring and the other high-ranking Nazis would take months, if not a year, to complete. Hogan wondered how much he would be called on to testify for, if at all, given the fact his mission was to be wiped. Maybe it was a good thing Hitler was dead; Hogan would have not wanted to testify at his trial. It was going to be bad enough for Klink's and Hochstetter's. He had never liked lawyers with their crafty ways of turning your words back on you to paint things in a totally different light then the way they had been intended. Here's hoping the trials are straightforward and quick, he thought.

Arriving at the cooler, Hogan indicated for one of the guards to accompany him inside. Private Perkins seemed overly eager to please, and he couldn't help but liken him to Carter just after he was let into the Organization.

"Good evening, Colonel," greeted Hogan as he arrived outside of Klink's cell.

"Hogan," acknowledged Klink. "What's going on here?" he asked, indicating the guard.

"Feel up to a little walk?" asked Hogan. Klink could tell he was up to something by the way he rocked and bounced on the balls of his feet. Klink was happy to see it; Hogan's stillness was the one thing which had bothered Klink the most when he had paid his respects to his fallen Senior POW Officer. The man was always in motion.

"Where to?" asked Klink suspiciously, wondering what Hogan had up his sleeve this time.

"My barracks. I have something to show you," replied Hogan, not giving anything away.

"Let me check my schedule," said Klink, pretending to read his desk calendar. "You're in luck. Looks like I'm available."

"Figured you'd be chomping at the bit to get out of this place for a while," commented Hogan as Perkins used the key to unlock the cell door.

"Let's just say I'm more sympathetic to why you were always trying to get your men out of their 30 days in the cooler," replied Klink, walking out of his cell for the first time in over a month.

"Too bad you didn't learn that sooner!"

Klink snorted and fell in behind Hogan, with Private Perkins in the rear. Together, the trio crossed the compound to Barracks 2.

"Wait out here, Perkins," ordered Hogan. The Private acknowledged and took up a guard position outside the barrack door.

Stepping inside the hut, Klink noticed not much had been altered since his impromptu visit to Hogan's quarters those many weeks ago. He remembered at the time thinking how dismal the place was. It was funny how one's perspective changed depending on the circumstance; Klink had always believed the barracks were adequate while he was Kommandant, but after opening his eyes to Hogan's life here and now knowing Schultz and Langenscheidt were imprisoned in them, Klink realized how laughable the huts truly were and felt a pang of regret. A multitude of excuses instantly flooded his brain: his hands were tied by budget restraints, they were the same as other Stalags, Burkhalter would have arrested him for giving comfort to the enemy… Klink mentally swiped them all away.

"So where is everybody?" asked Klink, noticing they were alone.

"Over at the Rec Hall listening to Tommy Dorsey records," replied Hogan.

"I see. So what did you want to show me, Hogan?" asked Klink, focussing on the matter at hand.

"Just this," said Hogan, walking over to one of the double bunks. Klink watched as Hogan hit the side of the rail twice, then his jaw hit the floor as the bed of the lower bunk rose and a ladder descended into the earth below.

Hogan stood beside the bunk taking in Klink's reaction with a smug grin plastered across his face. Klink slowly approached the bunk as if afraid he was going to fall in if he got too close. He peered over the rail and was surprised to see light glowing from somewhere below. He straightened up and looked at Hogan.

"Your tunnel?" Klink asked.

"The Escape Committee's been exceptionally active while I've been away," replied Hogan cheekily. When Klink rolled his eyes, Hogan added, "Yes, that's our tunnel. It's been here since a few weeks after I arrived. Care to take a look around?"

"Seriously?" asked Klink, touched Hogan would show him his big secret.

"Why not? It's going to be made public at your trial as well as Hochstetter's. You might as well know what it was we kept from you."

"And how badly I was hoodwinked," muttered Klink, not quite believing he could have been so oblivious.

"Well we did keep you distracted with theatrical productions, snowman making and basket weaving contests, volleyball and football games, violin recitals, art shows, and the like."

"Hogan, will I ever know everything that went on right under my nose?" asked Klink suddenly.

"For your sake, Colonel, I hope not," replied Hogan. "Now down you go…"

Klink climbed over the rail and onto the ladder, carefully climbing down. Hogan followed him most of the way down before jumping off a few steps from the bottom to land gracefully beside Klink.

"Do this often then?" said Klink, noting the ease and familiarity Hogan demonstrated dismounting from the ladder.

"Sometimes five or six times a day," replied Hogan as he led Klink to the radio room. "This is the hub of the Operation," he began. "The radio and planning room. Sergeants Kinchloe and Baker were my chief radio operators. From here we could communicate with the local Underground to set up meetings and supply drops, and with London directly to receive orders and pass on Intelligence gathered. We often requisitioned submarine pick ups for down fliers or arranged planes for the pick up of important visitors."

"London direct? That would have taken quite a large antenna. Where did you hide it?" asked Klink, actually impressing Hogan by showing some knowledge of how a radio works.

"This lever raised the antenna located in the flag pole on top of the Kommandantur building. If you ever noticed the swastika flying at half-mast, it was because we were on the line to London."

"I thought someone had lowered it out of respect for some higher up dying!" exclaimed Klink. "I never could track down the man responsible. Didn't think Schultz would have done it without orders."

Hogan wove his way through several tunnels, coming out into a larger area again. "This is our wardrobe department, headed up by Corporals Newkirk and LeBeau. Uniforms, all ranks and services, civilian attire, black clothing for sabotage raids, you name it, we've likely got it."

Klink flipped through some of the clothing hung on racks. "Hogan, there are Generals uniforms in here!" he said, floored at what he was finding. "Gestapo too! And…Hitler's uniform? Do I want to know?"

"Oh, I don't know, I thought Carter was pretty impressive. Even had Burkhalter backtracking when he showed up out of the blue."

Klink gasped. "That was Sergeant Carter? But he's always so mild mannered and polite!"

"He was channelling his inner tyrant," replied Hogan sagely. "And yes, we had to play General a lot. Seems most of the German military was deathly afraid of higher-ups. It was amazing what people would do when they heard the rank 'General' to prevent going to the Russian Front. General Kinchmeyer, General Hoganmuller, General Carterheim – name didn't matter much, just the rank."

Klink fell silent, recognizing some of the names Hogan had thrown out off the cuff. He realized now how poorly Kinchloe, Hogan, and Carter had Germanized their names and yet he had fallen into the trap as easily as some others it appeared. At least that gave him some comfort, knowing he wasn't the only one to fall prey to Hogan's shenanigans.

Hogan was moving on now, showing Klink various tunnels which led to most of the buildings in camp, including his old quarters. He stopped at the photo dark room and Carter's lab. Klink had no idea the Sergeant was an explosives expert. Seemed there was more than meets the eye when it came to Carter's talents.

Klink tried the periscope beside the emergency exit and popped his head out of the tree stump to see where Hogan and company went in and out of camp. Klink was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it all.

It was after 2200 when Hogan ended the tour by opening the cinder block into Klink's cell.

"So let me guess," said Klink, "you never really spent a week in the cooler ever, did you?"

"Oh I was here," said Hogan, "I just popped in and out a lot based on the guard rotation. And LeBeau used to bring in gourmet dinners, not the slop served in the Mess hall. I also had extra blankets to stay warm."

"Well, I must say Hogan, the tour has been enlightening. I never had a chance, did I? Truly remarkable."

"It was a group effort. Well, it's getting late…" Hogan drifted off and made moves to head into the tunnel. The sight of the bars surrounding him, even with the door open, was bringing back unwanted memories.

"Hogan, wait." At Klink's words, Hogan stopped and faced the other Colonel. "There's one thing I don't understand. You obviously had the means available to you, why did you not escape from Hochstetter? You said you didn't know it was all a setup."

A flippant answer came quickly to Hogan's tongue, but instead he paused, feeling the need to say more to Klink then he normally would have for some reason. "You're right – I didn't know it was a setup," said Hogan, pacing a little in the small space as he gathered his thoughts. "First of all, Hochstetter didn't have me in this cell. He chose one of the solitary cells where we didn't have access."

"But surely your men could have come in through this entrance and freed you?" asked Klink.

Hogan laughed bitterly. "They actually knew! They had radio contact after I left to meet Hochstetter, but couldn't contact me to let me in on the whole thing. Which brings me to the second reason; Hochstetter had several guards throughout the building. If my men had come up through the tunnels, the Gestapo would have picked them off one by one as they climbed out." Hogan sighed and sat heavily on the cell bunk.

"There's a third reason, isn't there?" said Klink, showing a rare bit of intuition.

Hogan pinched the bridge of his nose with his good hand, wondering what had possessed him to open up this honestly to Klink of all people. "Yeah," he confirmed quietly, dropping his hand back to his lap and looking up at his former captor. "Ehrenwort."

"Word of Honour?" translated Klink automatically. Ehrenwort was something the Germans took extremely seriously. Beyond being just a promise, it tied one's actions to their personal integrity. Such pledges were not given lightly. "To Hochstetter?" asked Klink incredulously.

Hogan nodded. "He made me a deal; I went through with execution willingly and he would leave my core team alone and not slaughter half the camp under the guise of a riot."

Klink was speechless after that revelation. He had often wondered what hold Hochstetter had over Hogan that would make the man capitulate without hesitation. Now he knew and the answer didn't surprise him; the safety and lives of his men.

Klink sat in the chair by the little table they used to play chess on, and turned it to face the man on his bunk. Hogan and he were certainly cut from different cloths. Klink tried to imagine a little role-reversal, and could not picture himself giving up his life for his guards, half of whom he couldn't recall their names. Klink bet Hogan could name every man under his command and he had three hundred more than Klink did. He'd like to think he'd at least consider making the sacrifice for Schultz but wondered if he would chicken out in the end and feel guilty for the rest of his life. Here's hoping I never have to find out, thought Klink.

"After he caught me, we went to Hammelburg Gestapo Headquarters, where I had to sign a statement declaring I was the spy Papa Bear," continued Hogan softly. "He was right, but it hurt to have to admit it after hiding it successfully for so many years. Felt like I was betraying everything we'd worked for…"

Klink continued to listen, not knowing what to say and afraid Hogan would close up again if he interrupted. He could hear the bitterness in Hogan's voice; a little strange considering how overly cheerful the man always seemed to be whenever he barged into Klink's office to barter for something. Klink was certain Hogan was one of the best actors he had ever met; no one could be so exuberantly happy all the time.

"Then Hochstetter returned me to camp and you met us in the compound. It was crazy but the overwhelming disappointment I felt knowing you knew I'd been outside the wire…it was like I'd been disowned by my father or something."

His father! Did Hogan really see me as a father-figure? Klink felt his face flush a little with embarrassment. "I couldn't believe you had confessed," he said just as quietly, fingers absently twiddling a chess piece. "Hochstetter was more than happy to present me with a copy of the documents. I recognized your signature from the reprimand reports we have to co-sign whenever anyone is disciplined. I knew it wasn't forged by the way you weren't protesting or demanding I call General Burkhalter. I couldn't understand what happened, how it happened…I didn't get back to sleep for the rest of the night. Hochstetter had assured me he had immediately sent copies of the documents to Berlin, both Gestapo Headquarters and Burkhalter's office. I talked to General Burkhalter as early as I dared call to try and put a stop to things, but there was nothing to be done; Hochstetter had everything sewn up perfectly and it was out of Luftwaffe control. I never thought I'd be able to tell you I was sorry I couldn't do more."

"Hey, at least you tried, which is more than I thought you might have done, given it meant confronting the Gestapo," replied Hogan. "I knew going into the deal there was only one way out."

"Hochstetter wouldn't let me visit you either, to let you know my hands were tied or to say good bye," said Klink regretfully.

"I know. He made sure to brag about his 'ring of steel' around the cooler." The conversation lulled for a bit, each man lost in his own thoughts about that night.

"I didn't sleep that night either," said Hogan out of the blue. "What was the point? Might as well make the most of my last hours on Earth."

"Seriously?" asked Klink doubtfully.

"No," replied Hogan, who grinned sheepishly. "I was exhausted and fell asleep for a few hours. I was automatically up in time for roll call; recharged my batteries enough for my mind to start running over things. Thought about my family, some good times from my past, regrets, prayed a little…just tried to come to terms with dying I guess. I know I was in the middle of a war, and I know running the Operation was dangerous and could have ended in disaster at any given moment, but dying was only a possible outcome in those situations. This time it was different. It was a certainty; at least I thought so at the time. It makes a man think, being faced with your own mortality. I couldn't deny it was going to happen. I was angry for a while; not sure if I was madder at Hochstetter for catching me or myself for being caught. But eventually I came to see it was going to happen and there was nothing I could do to stop it. After that, it wasn't hard to accept since it was for the greater good. I think it ticked Hochstetter off I was so compliant."

"I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again. You're a brave man, Hogan. It took all I had just to stand on the porch to watch and I threw up once it was over. But you, you were the picture of calm, trading barbs with Hochstetter, marching to the front of the firing squad like it was something you did every day. In that instant, I was proud to have known you."

"Thank you," said Hogan humbly, amazed at the depth of feelings the two men had exchanged this evening without being awkward. Silence fell for a few moments before Hogan rose from the bunk. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I've had a long, gruelling day. I'll send Private Perkins back to lock up so don't go anywhere. I'm also locking the cinder block entrance behind me, so don't even think about trying to escape. Good night, Wilhelm, and thanks for the chat."

"Good night, Robert. And thank you for showing everything to me."

"You're welcome. You deserved to know."

Hogan pulled the block shut behind him, a little awkwardly with only one arm, but Klink helped to push it back in place from the other side. Hogan then worked his way back through the tunnels to the main exit. Climbing up to Barracks 2, he triggered shut the tunnel entrance and opened the barracks door.

"Perkins? What are you still doing here? Colonel Klink's already back in the cooler. Better go make sure his cell's locked!" Hogan called to the hapless Private still guarding the door.

Perkins didn't know whether to believe the Colonel or not. He was positive Klink had not come out passed him, but he also didn't want to disobey a superior either. Seeing as Hogan was a Colonel, Perkins decided he'd better do as he was told and scampered across the compound to the cooler. Dashing inside, he was stunned to find his prisoner asleep on his bunk, the cell door still wide open.

Now how the heck had that happened?


A/N: Hogan Go Home – Season 3, episode 19. I realize Crittendon's rank was always specified as Colonel, however as an RAF officer, it should properly be Group Captain. Authors Patti and Marg on this site did a similar connection with the episode and Hogan's promotion in their story End Game. I liked it so much, I borrowed it. Hopefully they won't mind.

The Pizza Parlour – Season 1, episode 22

The Pentagon was built during WWII and was dedicated on Jan 15, 1943. It is the world's largest office building with 17.5 miles (28 km) of corridors over 7 floors (5 above ground, 2 below). It is approximately the same distance wide as the Empire State building is tall. It houses 25,000 military and civilian staff as the headquarters for the US Department of Defence. It is so large, the US Postal Service has assigned it 6 zip codes.