The Case of Mistaken Identity Raid
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 5
Hitch woke up when the lock turned in the door. It had been two days since his capture and this was only the second time the door had been unlocked. He sat up to face the officer who stepped into the cell.
The officer spoke and the dim light bulb once again illuminated the room. He studied Hitch for several seconds. "Tell me your name." The order was in English, so Hitch complied. "What were you doing in that wadi?"
Hitch didn't answer.
"It doesn't matter," the officer decided. "Captain Hertz would like to know, of course, but I don't really care." The officer studied Hitch some more. "You remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"That doesn't matter either," the officer answered. "I am Major Riche, General Vertag's aide."
"You're wasting your time Major, I'm not talking." Hitch answered.
"I have plenty of time," the major replied, "you, on the other hand, have a limited amount of time left to you. You shot General Vertaq when you attempted to escape. You will pay for that."
Hitch shook his head. "I didn't shoot anyone. I fell down a hill and damaged my rifle."
"No matter, the General was seriously injured and you are the only one we caught."
"Guilt by default?" Hitch asked.
"Precisely," the major nodded. "Captain Hertz wants to question you, but he is too crude. You might die during the interrogation, and I have claimed you for myself. I have been with the general for over thirty years, and during that time, we have become very close. No one else is going to kill you but me."
"And you came all the way down here to tell me that?"
"I thought you should know." He smiled at Hitch but there was no humor in the smile.
"What are you waiting for?"
"General Vertag is still alive. Right now, my time is better spent with him. If he dies, I plan on taking my time with you."
"Thanks for the warning," Hitch answered glibly.
"I wanted to make sure that you had plenty of time to anticipate your fate." The major smiled again. "Get some rest, I will be back." The major stepped back without taking his eyes off of Hitch. A guard stepped forward and closed the door. The lock clicked and the light went out again.
Hitch slumped back on the cot. He wondered how long he had until the major returned. "Come on guys, this guy sounds serious." He stretched out on the short cot and tried to go back to sleep.
The guards came for him several hours later. This time his hands weren't bound but he was led out into the street. He paused to let his eyes adjust after being in the dark for so long. A rifle poked him in the back and he was pushed forward. They passed the building where he had been taken before. Marching down the street, Hitch was able to see more of the security for the base. The more he saw, the less he held out any hope for the others coming for him.
One of the guards grabbed his arm and turned him into another of the buildings. The moment he stepped through the door Hitch knew where they were. He had spent enough time in hospitals to recognize the smell immediately. He climbed the stairs slowly, his sore knee too stiff to take the steps with ease. The guards didn't push him to go any faster until they reached the second floor. They turned a corner and Hitch stopped. Major Riche was standing in the hall facing him. The guards stepped back and allowed the two men to face off.
The major looked Hitch up and down with distain. "The general wants to see you. He is very weak so you will give short answers to his questions. You will show him respect. If you don't, you will suffer for any indignities you inflict."
Hitch took the warning seriously even as he shook his head. "I can't talk, you know that. I'll respect the rank, but I won't answer questions."
The major raised a fist only to stop when a weak voice called his name from one of the nearby rooms. "Coming General," the major called. He gave Hitch a warning glare and ordered the guards to escort him into the room.
Hitch stepped into the room and stopped. The patient in the room was swathed in bandages. Hitch had never seen him before, but there was no doubt that the man in the bed was very sick. Pale golden hair was plastered to a pasty white face by beads of sweat. It was the eyes that drew Hitch. Blue, eerily like his own, but bright with fever. A square jaw with a faint scar along one jawline completed the face that stared back at him. He took a step forward as he was shoved from behind.
The major stepped up next to the bed to put himself between Hitch and the general.
"Kurt?"
The major looked surprised. He looked down at the general with concern.
"Kurt, you're here." The general moved his hand to reach for Hitch.
Hitch stared at the general as he uttered the strange name. The general tried to sit up, a move that startled the major. Before the general could hurt himself, the major gently pushed him back onto the pillows.
"This is the prisoner Sir. You wanted to see him." The major nodded toward Hitch.
"Nonsense Major, I know my own son." The general sounded stronger than he had only seconds before. "I don't understand. What are you doing in that uniform?" The general motioned for Hitch to step closer.
Drawn to the old man, Hitch moved closer.
"Kurt. Where have you been? Your mother has been so worried."
"I'm sorry Sir," Hitch began. He didn't know what the general was saying but he knew he wasn't who the general thought he was.
"He has been working undercover," the major interrupted. "We must speak only English while he is here on the base. His cover must be kept intact for his own safety."
"Of course, his cover," the general nodded. He switched to near perfect English. "No matter," he assured Hitch with a pat on his hand. "Your mother will forgive you for causing her so much concern. It is so good to have you home again."
"Sir..." Hitch tried again.
"I'm sorry," the major interrupted. "I know you would like to catch up, but the general is very tired right now. You can come back after he's had a nap?"
Hitch nodded. "Of course." He tried to step away but the major shook his head and frowned. Hitch held his place.
"But I wanted to talk to Kurt."
"I know you do General, but the doctor has ordered rest for you. He only allowed Kurt to see you so that you would know he was here. I will bring him back later, after your nap."
"Very well Major, see that you do. I will rest for now. Bring my son back later tonight." The general turned to Hitch with a weak smile. "When you return, you must tell me why you are wearing that uniform." The general's voice dropped off as the old man fell asleep.
"What's going on?" Hitch asked as he was ushered out of the room. "Who does he think I am?"
The major didn't answer. He told the guards to take Hitch back to his cell. The major went in search of a doctor.
Hitch was trying to sleep when the door to his cell was unlocked again. Lack of food and water may have addled his thoughts but he couldn't figure out what had happened in the general's hospital room. He sat up as the major stepped through the door. From the look on the officer's face, he thought he knew what he was going to say; he was wrong.
"The general is delirious. He doesn't know what he is saying."
"That makes two of us," Hitch answered. "Who did he think I was?"
"His son."
"Well, I'm not," Hitch answered. "You told him that, didn't you?" Something in the major's face made Hitch pause. "You did, didn't you?"
"I couldn't," the major answered. "The doctor said that the shock of the truth could kill him."
Hitch leaned back against the wall. "What truth, the fact that his son isn't an American? He knows that doesn't he?"
"Right now, he thinks you are his son," the major insisted.
"He noticed the uniform," Hitch answered. "How are you going to explain that?"
"I told him that you were working under cover. I also told him that you need to maintain your cover. That will explain the uniform."
"Yeah, how long do you think that will work?"
"Until he comes to his senses. Once he remembers, I will explain everything."
"Explain what?" Hitch demanded. "Nothing happened."
The major looked like he was in pain. "I have a proposition for you Private."
"What kind of proposition?"
"You will continue to play the part of the general's son. In return, you get to live a bit longer."
"Not much of an incentive."
"Would you rather I have you killed right now?" the major asked. "I would have done it already but I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the general. If you do this, you might get a few more days of life."
"Still not much of an incentive."
"All right," the major nodded. "How about this? If you do this, I will kill you quickly, as painlessly as possible. If you don't, I will turn you over to the Gestapo and let them practice their newest methods on you?" The major knew he had won when he saw Hitch's face pale.
"Don't you think he's going to know the truth when I don't know anything about him or his son?"
"I can help you with that. I told you, I have been with him for over thirty years. I knew Kurt as well. I can give you stories to talk about, stories that they share."
Hitch wanted to say no, but the threat hadn't sounded like an idle one. He told himself that that was the only reason, but he knew better. There was something about the general that drew him to the old man. "All right Major, I'll do it."
The major nodded. "I will have you taken to the showers. The general will expect you to be well groomed." Hitch's stomach chose that moment to growl. "I will have some food sent in before you see the general again. We don't want the general thinking you haven't been fed."
The officer stepped into the hall and the heavy door slammed shut again.
Hitch shook his head at the turn of events and tried to go back to sleep. He dreamed about an old man with tears in his eyes. That was bad enough, but he had also seen the love and pride that the old man felt for his son.