Chapter 15:
As Bahnsen kept scanning for where Thomason and Kalina had run off to, Magnus picked up on a scent...but it was not the one he was looking for. He turned around to check what it was and snarled the minute he saw Buckley approaching them. His owner looked back to see what his search dog was upset about, and his mouth dropped within seconds. His eyes were bugging out of his head, his heart had stopped pounding, and he was almost certain that his lungs were collapsing along with it. The man everyone in Germany was on red alert for. The man that every German man, woman, and child feared currently was standing right in front of him. Armed and ready to attack at any given second.
Bahnsen's body began to quake with anxiety and lifted his shaky arm quickly to shoot. With his current shakiness, the bullet ended up going over Buckley's shoulder and landed in the bush he had been hiding in. The American looked back at where the gun had fired, stared back at the Gestapo major with his dead, hollow eyes, then snapped his pistol up and shot Bahnsen in the chest. The major fell off the ledge down onto the ground he had just been standing on, dead instantly. But that was not enough for Buckley. He wanted this man to suffer. To be beaten and abused as he was back at his former POW camp. To die just as brutally as his twin brother had when his deceased camp kommandant ordered the Gestapo to murder him in front of the captain's eyes.
Buckley glared down at the major's body before bolting down the hill. "You no good, God forsaken Kraut!"
Hearing the commotion from behind her, Kalina looked down from the hill, saw Buckley charging for Bahnsen's body, and let out a silent gasp. It was him, she thought to herself. It was Captain Buckley in the walking flesh. They finally had a face to the name and if he looked like anything from what she was seeing way above ground, it was creepy and dead. Buckley did not look like a person. He looked like something that remained once a soul left a body. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing to him.
As she was about to turn around and continue walking to safety, Hogan appeared in her mind. He was healthy, smiling, and talking. He gave her that kind, gentle smile he always had on his face and reminded her of his final orders.
'You get him safely to London for me. No matter what the others tell you," he said, with a wink. Hogan was soon gone, and Kalina's eyes narrowed with determination. She was not going back on Hogan. She vowed to him to follow every wish and command of his no matter what, and she was not breaking that promise to him now. Not when it mattered most. Not after everything he had done for her and her friends. She let out a deep breath of air and dashed back to the bottom of the hill.
Buckley stood inches away from Bahnsen's body and gnarled his teeth. He raised his gun high over his head and about to swing it down onto the major's head, when Kalina leaped onto his back and tried grabbing the gun out of his hand. Buckley flung his right arm out and shook the girl off of him. He made his way over to her as she shook her head and jumped back onto him. They squabbled over the gun for a few moments before he slammed Kalina down underneath his body. She flinched at the force and immense pressure on her tiny form, but somehow managed to crawl back onto his back. She banged his muscular arm with her tiny fist to try and get him to drop the weapon, but Buckley continued to try and fling her off.
The captain tripped over Bahnsen's lifeless form, sending both him and Kalina crashing to the ground. The little Klink struggled to get back up, bruised and sore all over, but managed one last lunge for Buckley. He took his gun and whacked her in the stomach, sending her to the ground and landed on a large, smooth rock near the edge of the forest.
Sensing something was wrong, Thomason looked down from where he was and saw Buckley hovering over Kalina ready to kill. His jaw dropped and momentarily debated following the others instead of face the insane captain. His cowardice immediately melted away when he saw the younger officer pull out his gun and point it at the little teenager.
Kalina tried to get back up, but her body was too beaten and exhausted to fight anymore. She tried to catch her breath and fight through the immense pain she felt all over, when she heard Buckley's gun cocked. She managed to open her eyes and lift her head to the man. Nothing. Absolutely nothing inside him anymore. Buckley was gone. All that was left was a sociopath willing to kill anyone that he found an enemy. Not even Hogan would have been able to deny that fact if he was there now. Boy, did she sure wish he was, though. Knowing she was about to die, she felt tears stream down her face as she thought of her father, realizing that she would never see him again after this. His sweet blue eyes, his contagious smile, his warm hugs that made her feel safe from everything in the world. She wanted him with everything she had at that moment. She wanted her papa.
The little Klink closed her eyes and silently sobbed as Thomason came running down the hill and lunged himself on top of Buckley's back. The captain tried to shove him off, but it was difficult now that it was someone his own size. Thomason tried pulling his arms behind him and yanked the back of his hair as hard as he could. Buckley screamed out in pain and elbowed Thomason off of him. The colonel landed against the edge of the hill and ran up it to trail Buckley away from Kalina. The two officers swung fists at one another, Thomason managing to get a few shots at the captain's face. Buckley got a swing in and knocked Thomason to the ground with an 'oof'. The colonel got back to his feet, kicked the captain in the shin, then swung another punch at his cheek and raced up the hill further, Buckley on his tail.
Once on the ledge overlooking the waterfall, the two officers again tried swinging their fists at one another. Both continued to miss one another, when Buckley took his fist and whacked Thomason in the stomach. He fell and rolled on the ground with a 'oompf'. He took a minute to get back to his feet, but jumped back onto the captain's back and roughed him by the shoulders a bit before yanking Buckley's ear back. The captain screeched in agony and shoved Thomason off of him, sending the colonel nearly over the edge. He grabbed onto the ledge and could feel his legs swinging over the 50 foot drop into the icy cold water below. He tried to pull himself back up, but failed miserably.
Buckley slowly walked towards where Thomason was holding on for dear life. He put his boots right up to the colonel's hands, like he was ready to kick him off into the watery grave below him. Thomason grunted and whimpered, struggling to get back up onto the ledge. His yelps made their way up to where Kinch and the others were. LeBeau turned around at the sound, felt his eyes widen at the sight down below, then pulled his gun out and made a run back down for the cliff side.
Kinch looked back to see what all the commotion was, spotted Buckley hovering over his commander, then pulled out his pistol and attempted to shoot Buckley down. His shots were poor due to the lack of light and far distance between them. As he continued to fire his gun, Carter ran to the other end of the hill and fired at the captain, while Thomason continued to grunt and squeal as he felt his fingers slowly slipping off the ledge.
Kinch fired his last round of ammo and grew frustrated when he realized his gun was empty. He chucked it to the left and ran to Newkirk, who was at the moment just standing there watching in shock. The sergeant tried grabbing the gun out of his friend's hand, but he pulled back on the weapon.
"Give me it," Kinch ordered.
"Let it go!" Newkirk remarked.
"Give me it!"
"Let go!"
Newkirk yanked the gun out of Kinch's grasp, cocked the gun, then aimed it at Buckley, using Kinch's shoulder to steady his shaky hand. As Thomason struggled for his life and LeBeau was on his way to attack Buckley, the Englishman gulped and hesitated to fire. One wrong shot, and he could send Thomason down to his death. His body began to shake and tried to find the right time to fire.
"Shoot," Kinch said. "Shoot, Newkirk, shoot!"
Newkirk closed his eyes and looked away as he slowly squeezed the trigger. The gun fired and sent the shadowy figure standing over Thomason falling off the ledge and down the waterfall. Newkirk opened his eyes little by little until he saw his job well done. He felt his jaw drop and heart skip a beat as Kinch spoke.
"You got him...Newkirk, you got him!"
"Oh boy, was that a great shot or what?!" Carter cheered, joining the duo.
The corporal's eyes rolled and collapsed to the ground with a sigh.
Kinch and Carter looked down at their unconscious friend, turned to one another sharing a look of concern, then knelt down beside Newkirk and began attempts at bringing him to. Meanwhile, LeBeau finally reached Thomason and helped the colonel back onto the ledge as he was about to let go and fall. The little Frenchman pulled him a few feet away from the waterfall, Thomason gasping for a breath of air.
"Are you alright, Colonel Thomason?" LeBeau asked.
"I'm fine," he answered, waving him off. "Get Kalina. She's hurt bad."
"Oui, Colonel."
LeBeau made his way down the hill to the little Klink as Thomason gulped huge breaths of air down. He was soon joined by Kinch, Carter, and Newkirk, who helped him up into a sitting position.
"Are you alright, Colonel?" Carter asked.
Thomason panted and struggled to regulate his breathing. "Buckley...gun...tried...killing…" the colonel gulped another breath of air into his deflated lungs.
"Easy, Sir, easy there," Kinch said, putting a hand on Thomason's shoulder. "It's alright now. Bahnsen's dead, so is Buckley. It's over, Colonel. It's all over now."
"I just, I just...I just wanted him to drop the gun."
"We know, Colonel. We know, it's alright," Newkirk said sincerely.
"Water," Thomason panted. "I need...water."
Carter pulled a caintain from underneath his leather jacket, unscrewed the cap, and handed his commander the heavenly beverage. Thomason took it gratefully and gulped large amounts of water down his sandpaper like throat. He finally pulled away the caintain, wiped his mouth, then handed it back to Carter.
"Thank you, Sergeant," he said.
Two sets of footsteps slowly approached, and LeBeau came up the hill with an arm wrapped around Kalina's tiny shoulders. She looked as worn and defeated as Thomason appeared.
"Aw Kalina, are you okay, kiddo?" Kinch asked, making his way to the small girl and bringing her into his arms.
Kalina slowly nodded, shuddered, then shook her head.
"It's alright, kiddo. It's alright," Kinch said, gently rubbing her back.
Kalina sniffled. "I couldn't save him," she whimpered. "Colonel Hogan wanted him alive, and I couldn't save him."
"It's alright. It's alright. Colonel Hogan would've understood what happened...but if you ever do something that stupid again, I'll order him to strike lightning down on you, got it?"
"Easy on her, Sergeant Kinchloe," Thomason said, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "Don't get upset with her...she was being loyal to your Colonel Hogan."
Newkirk walked over to Kinch and Kalina and gently picked the teenager up into his arms. He took his blue jacket, wrapped it around her like a blanket, then held her close to him and told Kalina to close her eyes and just rest.
Kinch let out a soft sigh before turning to all of them. "Come on, guys," he said. "Let's go home."
Carter and LeBeau placed one of Thomason's arms around their shoulders and helped him limp back to camp. He grimaced with each step he took, but the six made their way back down the hill and home to Stalag 13.
(Two weeks later…)
Thomason suffered minor burns and bruising in his abdomen, shoulders, and tibia. He walked with a nasty limp for a few days and had told Klink he had fallen from his bunk during the middle of the night. Kalina suffered minor burns as well along with bruising on her back, abdomen, and collar bone. Both Bahnsen and Buckley had done a major number on the two of them, and Wilson had said they were damn lucky Buckley had not hit them any harder. Had Kalina landed with anymore force on the rock and had Buckley hit Thomason any harder with his gun, both of them could have suffered extensive internal injuries requiring emergency surgery to repair. The little teenager's excuse had been Bahnsen barged into her room the night he died, slammed her around demanding her to confess she was a traitor to Germany, then marched out of camp when she continued to say otherwise.
It had been two weeks now from that night, and things were settling down for the most part. Thomason and Kalina had recovered from their injuries for the most part, LeBeau was still set on getting revenge for the tattoo Newkirk had given him, and Hochstetter had gone back to Headquarters now that Buckley was dead.
While everyone was scattered out and doing their own thing, the door to barracks two opened, and Kinch stepped inside grinning with a familiar face walking beside him. In his Army Air Corps uniform standing strong and healthy was Colonel Robert Hogan himself. He had woken up from unconsciousness right as Klaussner was about to turn off life support on him, but the colonel told the doctor he wanted to surprise everyone with his return. Earlier that morning, Klink and Kinch had gone to the hospital thinking they were going to discuss final arrangements for Hogan's return to the States only to be shocked with the exact opposite.
"It's good to have you back, Colonel," the radioman said sincerely.
"I'm glad to be back, Kinch," Hogan answered fluently. It was as if his stroke had never occurred to begin with.
"I'm still trying to figure out how that seizure managed to reverse your stroke after-effects."
Hogan smirked. "Believe me, I think Richard's gonna spend the rest of his medical career wondering the same thing."
The two laughed and were about to start a new conversation, when the fake bunk opened and exposed the tunnel entrance. Thomason leaped out into the barracks with a loud wail.
"Oh! Rats," he exclaimed. "Filthy vermin!" He ran right passed Hogan and Kinch and out the door screaming bloody murder.
The duo looked off in the direction the young colonel had run off in, Hogan turning his attention back to Kinch with a puzzled expression to his face. The sergeant shook his head, his eyes explaining everything. I haven't the slightest idea, Sir, they read. Hogan pursed his lips in response as Carter stuck out his head from below the ground and looked in the direction Thomason had run in.
"He's not a rat, he's a mouse!" Carter claimed, with offense. "And his name is Felix!"
"Let me guess," Kinch said, crossing his arms. "Thomason isn't a pet person, is he."
"Well he was fine when I showed him Irving," he said, referring to his pet frog. "It was Felix that made him act out like that."
Hogan smirked. "Not everyone's a rodent fan, Carter," he said.
"I guess not, Colonel," Carter answered nonchalantly. It took less than a second for the technical sergeant to realize what he had just said, looked up, and saw what was supposed to be his deceased commanding officer. "Colonel!" He screamed, paling as if he were seeing a ghost.
"Miss me?"
"Colonel! How, how are you, you're supposed to be, how did...how…" Hogan cut him off before he could finish his stuttering.
"Let's just say not even my doctors know."
"And you can talk! Colonel, you can talk! Colonel, you're back!"
Hogan chuckled. "And I never thought I'd say this: I'm glad to be back at Stalag 13," he said sincerely.
"Oh boy, Colonel, if it weren't disrespectful, I'd hug you right now, Sir!" Carter cheered.
Hogan shook his head while a wide grin was plastered on his face. He held his arms out. "Come here, Carter," he said.
The technical sergeant sprinted towards the officer and wrapped his arms tight around Hogan as if he were reuniting with his father. Hogan gave an 'oompf', then chuckled and patted Carter's shoulder. "Easy, Carter," he said. "Don't exactly gain your strength back right away after having a major seizure."
"You got it, boy! I mean Sir."
Hogan's grin brightened, when Newkirk crawled up from underneath the tunnels looking completely exasperated. "Alright, Louis, I've just about had it here. You win, where the bloody hell are you?!"
As if by command, LeBeau popped his head up from below the ground and gave his fellow corporal an irritated look. "Why don't you look right in front of you? I've been hiding behind the ladder the whole time," he remarked, climbing over the bunk and closing the tunnel entrance.
"You think my vision is 20-20 down there?" Newkirk asked.
"Get some glasses then, Monsieur Crabby pants."
"I'll stay crabby until this blue hair of mine grows out."
"And I will stay crabby until your honteux tattoo comes off." (1)
"You two still having this fight with each other?" Hogan asked, wrapping his arms around himself.
The two corporals shot their eyes to the door, saw the colonel standing there, then both screamed and jumped back a few feet. It got a soft smirk out of Hogan in response.
"Co, Co, Co…" Newkirk stammered.
"Sacré chats!" LeBeau exclaimed. "It cannot be!"
"Colonel, is it you, Sir?"
"Certainly isn't General Patton if that's what you're thinking," Hogan answered, wearing his famous lopsided grin.
"You can talk!" LeBeau gasped.
"I think we've established that already, Louis," Kinch said.
"But how? We were told you were brain dead, Sir," Newkirk answered.
"As Richard told me himself, the human body can work in mysterious ways sometimes," Hogan said.
"A bloody miracle's what it is."
"Does that mean you're here to stay, Colonel?" LeBeau asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
Hogan gave a warm smile in response. "Yes, LeBeau, I'm here to stay." He replied sincerely.
As everyone was about to surround Hogan and welcome him home with pats on the back and a bunch of stories, the door to barracks two again opened, and little Kalina came barreling in with red, wet eyes. She stood in front of the colonel and Kinch and cried uncontrollably.
"Little mate," Newkirk said, he, LeBeau, and Carter all running to her. "What's wrong?"
"It's gone! It's gone, he's gone, I lost him!" She sobbed.
"What's gone, ma petite ami?" LeBeau asked.
"Colonel Hogan's jacket! Someone stole it from me. It's gone, he's gone, I lost Colonel Hogan!" She hyperventilated and resumed sobbing hysterically.
"No, he's not," Newkirk said firmly. "No, he's not. He's right there." He continued, pointing to Kalina's heart.
"Colonel Hogan will never leave us. He is with us in spirit." LeBeau added.
"Colonel Hogan," Kalina cried. "I want Colonel Hogan!"
Standing behind her in silence, Hogan felt his heart break in two as he listened to the little teenager's cries. He hated knowing she was hurting so much because of losing him. He swallowed a lump in his throat as Newkirk resumed speaking.
"Aw, little mate, don't cry."
"Colonel Hogan wouldn't want you to cry, little buddy," Carter said.
"He'll never know, he'll never know how much I loved him." Kalina wept.
"He knew, ma petite," LeBeau said, before looking up at Hogan. "He still knows."
"I want Colonel Hogan...I want Colonel Hogaaaaan!"
"Alright then," Newkirk said. "The wish is granted."
Kalina sniffled, starting to calm down a bit, and looked up at the Englishman with her wet, confused eyes. "What?" She whimpered.
"I said your wish is granted," he answered her. "You can have Colonel Hogan."
Kalina looked at Newkirk completely dumbfounded. Either the man was having an aneurysm, or he had gone around the loony bin as the Allies put it. She sniffled again. "Newkirk, I think you're having a stroke," she said, meek.
"Just turn around," he told her bluntly.
Kalina raised her eyebrow at him as if he had just grown a second head, but complied and slowly turned to face what was behind her. Her jaw dropped from its hinges the minute she lay sight on the person standing beside Kinch.
Hogan smiled wide, his brown eyes twinkling with glee. "And you thought you could get rid of me that easily," he said.
The little Klink felt the burning tears return to her eyes and bolted for Hogan. She wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could, buried her face into his belly, and let out her heavy sobs. The colonel hugged her close and hushed her a few times. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head, then gently rubbed the back of it.
"I love you, Colonel Hogan." She cried. She got another kiss on the head, then lifted her eyes towards his. Hogan gave her a warm grin and winked at her in response.
Kalina lay her head back against Hogan's belly as he resumed rubbing her head. Her crying was slowly calming, felt a small smile make its way to her face, then nestled her face into the colonel as Kinch, Carter, Newkirk, and LeBeau looked on with smiles of their own.
"I love a happy endin'," Newkirk said, his blue eyes twinkling bright.
"Oui. Moi aussi," LeBeau said, in agreement.
"Well, I say we celebrate, what do you mates think?"
Kalina turned her head towards the others, spotted something glittering on the sleeve of Newkirk's jacket, and her eyes widened. "Newkirk," she croaked, still hugging Hogan. "You got a little something here." She continued, pointing to the top of her shoulder.
The Englishman looked at her befuddled for a moment, then turned his eyes downward to his jacket sleeve, and his eyes bulged from their sockets. Bedazzled to his issued military jacket was the French flag, and he instantly knew who was behind the crime. Forgetting all about Hogan's homecoming, Newkirk let out a steamy breath of air through his nose, resembling a bull ready to charge. "LOUIS!" He hollered.
"Au revoir," LeBeau said, and dashed out of the barracks.
"Boy, wait till I get me hands on you," Newkirk gnarled, chasing after the Frenchman. "How about I bedazzle Ol' Winnie's face right on your forehead!"
As the two corporals became out of sight and hearing range, Kinch let out a heavy sigh. "That did it," he said, grabbing a cleaning bottle that was hanging on his belt. "I'm gonna end this once and for all."
"What's in there, Kinch?" Carter asked, causing the radioman to pause in front of the doorway.
"Something I've been working on in your lab for a week now," Kinch answered, leaning in from outside. "Skunk spray scented cologne. They'll be scrubbing themselves in the shower for three days after a couple sprays of this. Wish me luck."
Kinch's voice vanished just as a new voice could be heard bellowing across the compound. It was Klink.
"Schultz!" Hogan, Kalina, and Carter could hear. "What is this colonel doing on top of the roof?"
Hogan and Kalina turned to look at one another, then tried to peak out one of the windows to see what was going on outside.
The young sergeant in front of them rubbed the back of his neck in awkward silence before he finally broke the quiet atmosphere around them. "So…" he began. "Anyone want ice cream?"
It did not take Kalina long to smile wide and nod eagerly. Hogan merely gave a silent laugh. He was home. At long last, he was finally home.
(1) Honteux - shameful