~ Episode One Shot ~
~ The Flame Grows Higher ~

I shall be honest here, this episode really annoyed me with Hogan just 'walking off' that really nice bump to the head. If someone is hit hard enough to drop them and knock them out, they are going to feel it for a little while! I should know! (Took a fall off a horse a few years back, was knocked out for a few seconds and had mild concussion. It took me a couple days for it to clear up) and so, I decided to have a little re-write of this episode to fix that. Also, we never found out what happened to Captain Warren, I wanted to fix that too.

Takes place between 'Little Bear' and 'Little Bear- Mission Impossible'

Enjoy

Colonel Hogan leaned back against the wall of the barracks, cap shading his eyes as he quietly observed the camp. A group of prisoners over between barracks four and five were in the middle of a soccer game as Carter and LeBeau took care of the laundry for the week. The morning sun was warm on his face, his eyes closed as he took a moment to catch a quick nap-

'Uh oh…' Kinch said, as a truck drove into camp. 'What have we got here?'

Hogan stood up, pushing his cap back onto his head. They watched as the truck pulled up outside Klink's office, and a uniformed Gestapo officer stepped out with another man. It only took him a moment to recognize who the man was. 'Captain Warren. How'd they capture him?' He wondered out loud. 'He had everything going for him.'

'Right.' Kinch agreed, the captain being marched over to Klink, who was outside his office with Schultz awaiting the arrival of their new prisoner. 'Food, money, maps, everything.'

Carter most definitely wasn't impressed at the turn of events. 'I took him out the tunnel myself, the Krauts can't do this to me!'

'I wonder what went wrong.' Hogan mused out loud, then started over to join in on the conversation.'

'So-' Klink went over the report he'd been handed. 'You tried to escape from Stalag Five huh?'

'Yes, sir.'

'I warn you, no one escapes from my Stalag.'

'Oh, he's just a tourist at heart.' The colonel butted in, turning to the captain as the Gestapo officer, who'd delivered him, went back into the truck and left the camp. 'How was the trip?'

'Oh, lovely.'

'Colonel Hogan, I do not recall having sent for you-'

'You didn't, sir. I try to anticipate your every wish.'

'Silence! As a matter of fact, you're just in time to witness the sentencing of this man.'

'Come on, Colonel-' Hogan said. 'You're making a big deal out of it. You got lucky. You caught him. That's all.'

'Huh,' Klink huffed. 'Lucky, do you consider superior intelligence work lucky? Schultz!'

Superior intelligence work… Right…

'Jawohl, Herr Kommandant.' The guard replied.

'Thirty days in the cooler for Captain Warren. In solitary.'

Schultz saluted the Kommandant as Klink headed back into his office, then turned to the prisoner. 'Let's go to the cooler.'

'Warren, I want to talk to you-' Hogan said.

'Nein nein nein nein-' He protested. 'That is verboten.'

'You sound like Klink.'

'Insults will get you nowhere-'

Hogan stood back as Schutlz started off with the prisoner, Newkirk and the rest of his men quickly set to work distracting the guard so that he could get a moment to talk to the captain. He stepped over to Warren, the two of them moving away from the group a couple paces. 'Alright, talk fast. What happened?'

'Well, they knocked me off, Colonel, that's what happened.'

'Did you follow the escape orders?'

'Well, sure, and just when I thought I had it made, there they were. Boom. Well, what went wrong, Colonel?'

'I don't know.' He'd been trying to figure that one out as soon as Warren had arrived in camp. 'Either the Krauts got lucky, or there's something rotten in Denmark, and right now, Denmark is way out front.' A moment later, Schultz returned, taking the man with him to the cooler.

'What happened, Colonel?' Kinch asked, coming up beside him as they watched the captain enter the cooler.

'I don't know-' Hogan remarked, his arms folded across his chest. 'but I intend to find out.'

'I can't believe they caught him-' Carter said loudly, as the group walked back into the barracks a little while later, Hogan closing the door after them. 'That's the first one they've caught in over five months.'

Maisie glanced up as they entered, then frowned, seeing the look on Hogan's face. 'What happened?'

'Oh, Captain Warren got himself caught.' Hogan replied wearily, taking a seat beside her at the table.

'Captain Warren? Carter, didn't you take him out the other night?'

Carter nodded, placing the washing basket down as LeBeau gathered the ironing board. 'Yep.'

'What's going to happen to him now?'

'Well, Klink's got him in the cooler for now. He'll have to stay there until further notice.' Hogan looked over at the girl's attempts at writing. 'It's getting better, Maisie.'

'No, it's not.' She sighed heavily and placed the notepad aside. 'So, what are we going to do about Captain Warren? What went wrong?'

'That's what I'd like to know.' Newkirk agreed, Kinch producing a map for them to go over and sat down at the table. 'What did Captain Warren say?'

'He said he made it to the first station-'

'The inn.' Kinch interjected.

'Right, the Kaiserhof. He leaves there okay, makes it to the second station here. That's the farmhouse. He leaves there, and suddenly, they grab him.'

Kinch frowned. 'But that doesn't really prove anything, Colonel.'

'It does to me. Somebody blew the whistle on him.'

'Can I take a look at the map?' Maisie questioned. Hogan pushed it over to her. They resumed their conversation again as she glanced over the route.

Carter turned to LeBeau. 'I say it's a mistake to let officers escape alone.'

'That's right.' LeBeau agreed. 'They can't manage by themselves.'

'Girls-' Hogan interrupted. 'Just do the laundry; leave the thinking to us.'

Maisie giggled, then stopped from the glare the colonel gave her and returned to trying to figure out exactly where the buildings marked on the maps were. If the inn where there, the farmhouse was there-

'Colonel Klink used the phrase 'Superior intelligence work,' Hogan said.

'That's a nice way of saying traitor,' LeBeau said.

'Exactly. This is the first escape we've had loused up in six months. Somebody's selling us out.'

'All right, assume we know the score. What do we do about it?' Kinch questioned.

'There's only one way to be sure.' He picked the map up from Maisie and stood. 'And that's to travel the route ourselves.'

'All of us?' Carter asked. 'I haven't finished the laundry.'

'I want Newkirk and LeBeau to go with me. We'll be the pigeons, the bait.'

'Bait?' Newkirk looked up. 'Look, sir, I would consider it most cowardly to escape at this time. As I see it, my duty lies here in Stalag 13-'

'Mine too.' LeBeau agreed. 'And also, there's a war going on.'

Maisie turned to Hogan. 'I'll come with you.'

'Thanks for the offer, Maisie. It seems you're the only willing volunteer around here, but I'll have to decline. I don't think they'll believe you could be an escaped prisoner.'

She sighed heavily. 'Nein, I understand.'

Hogan looked at the others. 'Captain Warren says there are a couple of girls that operate the Kaiserhof.'

Newkirk stood. 'Good looking birds, are they?'

'After two years-' LeBeau left the ironing and stood at attention beside Hogan, saluting. 'Who cares? Colonel, I wish to volunteer for the escape party.'

'And me too, sir.' Newkrik agreed, also saluting. 'All present, Colonel.'

Hogan looked down at Maisie with a chuckle. 'Amazing the way this place suddenly comes alive with volunteers.'

The teen looked up at LeBeau. 'I thought you said there was a war on-'

He lifted her cap and ruffled her hair, Maisie laughing. 'That's enough out of you. Never mind what I said before, it's what I say now that counts. And if there's a short one, she's mine.' He saw the look Hogan shot him. 'Well, there's always a short one.'

'So-' Maisie interjected. 'How exactly are we going to pull this one off, Colonel Hogan?'

'We're going to need a good, solid diversion. An excuse for being out of camp for a day or even longer.'

'That's a lot of roll calls,' Kinch said.

'All right, now, Kinch, I want you and Carter to go out through the emergency tunnel tonight. Take some smoke bombs with you. I want you to make a fire tomorrow from a good high spot so we can see it from here. Got it?'

'Right.'

'The next step, we're going to leave up to Colonel Klink. Any comments?'

'I have one.' Maisie spoke up. 'If you expect me to sit around here and let you boys have all the fun, you've got another thing coming. What do you want me to do, Colonel Hogan?'

Hogan chuckled as he patted her shoulder. 'For now, Maisie girl, you can help Kinch and Carter with those smoke bombs. Think you can handle that? I mean, with your arm still being the way it is-'

'I'll manage.' She interrupted, with a smile. 'It'll give me something to do other than be stuck down below as usual.'

'Keep you out of trouble, hey?'

'Something like that. I've already read through those books like ten times each.'

'Um, Colonel-' LeBeau exclaimed bashfully. 'You got another hole in your undershirt.'

'It's impossible.'

'I ought to know-' He held it up. 'I just put it there.'

Maisie facepalmed as she stood, going over to inspect the damage. 'LeBeau, how long have you been doing the ironing for?'

'Since I got here.'

'We've gone through more shirts than I can remember.' Carter teased.

'I don't know how you manage to do it-' She sighed, looking over the shirt. 'I might be able to patch it up-' She took her shirt out from the pile of washing. 'But I'll iron my own clothing, thank you.'

'Perhaps you'd be kind enough to do mine, too.' Hogan came over to join them at the ironing board. 'The Red Cross won't take kindly to another request for clothing in a single month.'

'Oh alright.' Maisie replied, with a giggle. 'I don't know how you boys managed without a maid for so long.'

'Maid? That just doesn't sound right.' He questioned, placing his arm around her. 'How about, unpaid housework assistant?'

'It's still the same thing.' She moved away, LeBeau moving aside to let her in at the ironing board. 'Never a quiet moment around here, is there?'

'You all set to go?' Hogan questioned, coming into the room where Carter, Kinch and Maisie were gathering their supplies.

'All ready, Colonel.' Carter replied, as he added the last smoke bomb into his satchel. 'When these things go off, it'll look like a whole forest fire.'

'That's exactly what we're hoping for.' He turned to Maisie. 'You be careful out there.'

She grinned, excited to be allowed out to help on a mission for a change. 'Always am.'

The colonel looked down at his watch. 'Alright, the patrol should have just passed by the tunnel entrance. Get going.'

'On our way, Colonel.' Kinch picked up his satchel, leading the way out of the room with Carter and Maisie in tow.

After they'd left, Hogan took a seat on an overturned crate to go over the plan once more. London had been notified of what had happened, and he'd informed them that until further notice, they'd be unable to process and send fliers back to their bases. Until they caught the leak in their Underground escape route, they couldn't risk sending anyone else on through. At least they'd been lucky with Captain Warren being picked up. The captain didn't speak a word, and there weren't any links tying him with Stalag 13 or their operation.

With the captain being held in the cooler for thirty days, they couldn't risk attempting to send him back to London from camp. They'd have to come up with some other way of getting him out and back to Allied territory. Until they caught the leak, though, there was no chance of that happening- He stood, beginning to pace around the room while deep in thought. They'd only been using this particular route for a couple months. It had been set up by Matilda, the woman who'd taken over coordinating the Underground in place of the previous agent, Maisie's uncle. He wondered for a moment if perhaps that was where the leak might be, then dismissed it. Otto von Hatten, another contact in Dusseldorf, personally vouched for Matilda, and he trusted his judgment. The leak had to be somewhere else along the route…

Footsteps sounded down the tunnel again, and he took a glance at his watch, surprised to see that almost two hours had passed since the three of them had headed out of camp. He started out of the room, Maisie coming down the ladder last as he joined them. 'How'd it go?'

'All set, Colonel.' Kinch reported. 'We stashed the smoke bombs about two miles from camp on that hill not far from the Duesseldorf road. When we light those up, Klink will be sure to see it from here.'

'Good, we can't afford any mess ups.' He turned to Maisie. 'How'd it go for you?'

'Just fine, Papa. I'm still in one piece. It was nice to get out of camp for a little while.' She pulled off the satchel she'd worn over her shoulder, handing it to Carter to return to their storage. 'Now that we've got those out, what's next?'

'Tomorrow morning, at 1000 hours, Kinch, Carter and you will start a fire there where the smoke bombs have been stashed. It'll be up to Klink to get that fire put out, and when he sends us out to take care of it, that's when we'll slip out to go through the escape route.'

'And me?' Maisie questioned. 'What will I be doing?'

'You'll be our look out.'

'You can count on me.'

Hogan took another look at his watch. 'Right now, though, young lady, bed time.'

She rolled her eyes and sighed. 'Okay, off I go. Gute nacht, Papa.'

'Good night.'

'Sleep well, little sis.' Carter added, as she headed towards her quarters in the tunnel. After she'd left, the group carried on with their conversation.

'What about Captain Warren?' Kinch questioned. 'How are we going to get him back to London while Klink's watching him like a bloodhound?'

'One problem at a time, Kinch-' He patted the radioman's shoulder and started towards the ladder leading up into the barracks. 'Let's solve one problem at a time.'

Hogan took another glance at his watch to check the time, then back in the direction the fire was supposed to be lit. Kinch, Carter and Maisie had slipped out of the camp using the emergency tunnel half an hour ago to get things going, and he wondered how much longer it'd be before he could see something. Newkirk and LeBeau were ready to go at the word. The only thing he was waiting for now was the smoke to convince Klink there was a forest fire nearby.

After a few minutes, the first puffs of white smoke could be seen rising over the trees, and he smirked. They'd done it again. With the presence of a fire confirmed, part two of the plan could be put into action. Placing his cap back on his head, he started over to the Kommandant's office, Hilda looking up from her typewriter as he walked in. 'Would you mind telling the Kommandant I'm here?' He questioned, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 'It's a rather urgent matter.'

'Of course, Colonel.' She smiled as she stood, knocking on the door to the Kommandant's office.

'Come in-' Klink glanced up from the paperwork he was going over as the door opened. 'Yes, Fraulein Hilda, what is it?'

'Colonel Hogan is here to see you, Herr Kommandant.'

'I'm too busy, I can't see him-'

'He says it's very important.' She continued, Hogan marching into the office and stopping behind Klink.

'Very well.' He turned, jumping in surprise when he almost ran into the American colonel. 'Oh-

'I'm here to volunteer with my men in the emergency.' Hogan started, not missing a beat.

'Emergency?' Klink questioned. 'What are you talking about?'

'The forest fire,' he said, then sniffed the air. 'Smells like a barbecue pit in here already. Here-' He opened up the window. 'Look for yourself.'

The Kommandant stepped up to the window beside him. On the horizon, white smoke was wafting up to the clear blue sky. 'It's a fire. That's quite a distance away.'

Hogan picked up a pair of binoculars off the filing cabinet. 'Try these. It's closer than you think. See, I figure we got about uh-' he continued with the pretense of checking his watch. 'Two hours.'

'You're right. It's an emergency. I'll send every man I can spare to fight it.' He hurried over to his desk, picking up his phone to place a call. 'Officer of the day at once-'

Like clockwork. Hogan had to stop himself from grinning as he mumbled under his breath. 'Oh, I hope I can control them-'

'Hogan-' He slammed the phone back onto its holder. 'I heard that. Control what? Ah ah, of course. The prisoners will try a mass escape once the guards are out of the camp.'

'Well, their pride was hurt when Captain Warren was captured. I can't guarantee you anything.

'Security comes first.'

'Hey, not bad. That's a good line to use in your defense at the court martial.'

'Thank you, Colonel Hogan.' He quickly did a double take, realizing what he'd just said. 'My court martial?'

'Well, what can you do? I mean, you send the guards out, the natives get restless. If you sit tight, the camp burns down, and you're at fault.' He looked at his watch again as he started for the door. 'I figure we got about two hours. Hope Newkirk and LeBeau can hold it at the gates. I can't be sure of anything, now..'

'Hogan, wait a minute. What do these men know about fires, huh?'

'Oh come on, that's like asking what Hitler knows about rabble-rousing. Newkirk was a fire warden in London. LeBeau was top man in the fire brigade at camp. LeBeau, they called him LeSmokey. Of course, they can't do miracles-'

'Colonel Hogan, in view of the emergency, do you think that they-

'Well, all I can do is ask them.' He interrupted.

'Do so at once.'

'Of course, I'll have to go along with them.'

'Ah, ah, ah, that is a means of escaping.'

'Oh, come on, you have my word as an officer and a gentleman, there'll be no escape.'

'I will accept that. However, regulations require that you be guarded at all times. I will send Sergeant Schultz to accompany you.'

'Just our luck. Toughest one of the bunch. Okay, Schultz it is.'

'Dismissed!'

Hogan offered a sloppy salute as he headed out the door. 'Okay Chief.' So far, so good. He closed the door behind him, giving Hilda another kiss on the cheek. 'I wish I could stay, but there's a war to be run-'

She giggled as he placed his arms around her. 'Just what on earth are you up to now?'

'Oh, nothing much. Just putting out a fire.' He gave her one more kiss, then started to open the door. 'See you when I get back.'

Hilda smiled, shaking her head as the colonel disappeared out the door once more. Sometimes I swear he's the one in charge around here, and not Kommandant Klink.

'Any sign of them yet, Maisie?' Kinch questioned, the teen coming back to where they were waiting for Hogan, Newkirk and LeBeau to join them.

'Not yet.' She glanced down at her watch. 'They can't be long now, it's almost ten thirty.'

'Hey-' Carter interrupted. 'Sounds like something's coming now.'

Maisie motioned down as a truck pulled up on the road below them, Hogan driving. 'Right on schedule.'

'Got your smoke bombs?'

She nodded as she patted her pocket. 'All ready and waiting.'

A moment later, Hogan and co came up the hill to join them, Schutlz in tow. Newkirk offered Schultz a seat on a stump beside the campfire, Kinch leaning over next to Hogan's ear. 'Hey, who invited Papa Bear?'

'Klink's idea.' Hogan replied, less than impressed, but having to roll with the situation anyway. 'He's guarding us.'

'You call this a forest fire?' Schultz snorted, catching his breath from the trek up the steep hill.

Carter shrugged. 'Well, it's a small forest.'

'Looks ruddy dangerous to me.' Newkirk added.

'Not to me-' He frowned, seeing Margretta standing off to the side. 'Margretta, what are you doing here?'

'It's a nice day for a walk, Schutlz.' She grinned. 'Don't you think so?'

'There is something going on here…'

'All right, spread out men.' Hogan instructed, Kinch, Carter and Maisie producing their smoke bombs from their hiding places.. 'I think we can establish a fire line.'

'Fire line?' Schultz scoffed, as the group dispersed. 'Jolly joker. Fire line-'

Maisie had to stifle a laugh, as a moment later, the air was thick with white smoke from the bombs, Schultz caught right in the middle of it. 'Poor Schultz.'

Hogan laughed, patting the girl's shoulder. 'He'll be just fine. Come on, the first stop we have to make is the inn. Before Schutlz gets wise to the fact we've gone for a little walk.' He turned to Kinch and Carter. 'You two back to camp, be careful.' The two of them nodded and quickly disappeared into the trees. He looked down at Newkirk and LeBeau. 'Ready?'

'Ay, Mon Colonel.'

Newkirk nodded. 'Ready, Colonel.'

'Maisie?' Hogan called out.

'I'm right behind you, Papa.'

'Lets go.'

The group hurried down the road, keeping to the shelter of the bushes and trees as they made their way to the inn. A little while later, the inn came into sight, the four of them crouching down behind a bush as Hogan gave the next instructions. 'Maisie, wait out here. Keep watch. If anyone's coming, do one of your bird calls to warn us.'

'Like this?' She questioned, doing an imitation of a magpie.

He nodded. 'Exactly like that. We won't be long.'

Maisie nodded, staying in her hiding place as the three of them made their way to the inn alongside the road. Be careful….

After what seemed like an eternity, Hogan, Newkirk and LeBeau returned to her hiding place.

'How'd it go?' Maisie asked.

'I got well acquainted with a bloody door…' Newkirk replied, with annoyance. 'Instead of getting to watch a girl.'

Maisie giggled. 'Anything else, Papa?'

'I don't know.' He motioned for them to follow him, and they started back along the road to where they'd left Schultz. 'Do you know anything about a Margit and Eva in the Underground?'

She frowned. 'Margit and Eva? No. I've never heard of them. Then again, anything I know is months old now. I'm pretty sure that when my Uncle was assisting with coordinating the escape routes that this inn wasn't one of them. There were a few different routes they would alternate with, though this inn could have been one of the stops. I just don't know.'

'Do you think it could be one of the girls, Colonel?' LeBeau questioned.

'I'm not sure. It could be, then it might not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out at the next stop.'

'That's a farmhouse, isn't it?'

He nodded in answer to LeBeau's question.

'What's the recognition code?' Maisie asked.

'There isn't one, apparently everyone on the route goes through the inn first.'

Her frown deepened. 'No recognition code? That's an important safety measure. Why don't they have one?'

'No idea.' Hogan said. They were soon back at the fire site, and they sauntered cherrily over to where Schultz was waiting for them. 'Hi, Schultz.'

'Colonel Hogan! Where have you been?'

'Putting out a fire.'

'You can say that again.' LeBeau remarked, under his breath.

'Oh, there is something going on- First you disappear, then you show up again, and Margretta, what on earth are you doing here?'

The teen grinned. 'Helping put out the fire.'

The sergeant turned back to Hogan. 'Oh, I have to report this to the Kommandant, and then I take you back to camp.'

'You're right, Schultz.' Hogan sighed. 'Do your duty.'

'Into the truck. Schnell, schnell, schnell, schnell.'

'Go ahead, you heard the man.' He saw the expression on Maisie's face, nodding ever so slightly for her to get in with Newkirk and LeBeau. They weren't heading back to camp any. Not just yet, though Schultz didn't know that. Schultz grabbed out a walkie talkie from off the seat, setting it up to use it. 'You know how to work one of those things?'

'What do you think? I'm stupid?' He questioned, extending the antenna.

'One question at a time.' He glanced at the truck, confirming that the keys were still in the ignition. 'Um, Schutlz, why don't you move away from the truck. Cut down on the heterodyne interference?'

'Don't you think I know that?' He questioned, stepping away from the truck. 'Hello, hello. Stalag 13? This is Sergeant Schultz speaking. Stalag 13, please come in, bitte.'

'This is Colonel Klink. I read you, Sergeant. Report.'

'He reads me.' Schutlz remarked proudly, glancing back at Hogan. 'Herr Kommandant, Herr Kommandant, here is Sergeant Schultz standing here talking on this, uh, walkie-talkie.'

'Dummkopf! I know that. What about the fire?'

'Herr Kommandant, the fire is doing nicely.'

'What's that sound I hear?'

'It's a very noisy fire, Herr Kommandant-' Schultz turned around, his eyes widening as he looked around to see Hogan driving off in the truck.

Newkirk, LeBeau and Maisie looked out the back of the truck as they pulled away from Schutz, the three of them laughing as Schultz shouted at the colonel to stop. 'Oh boy-' Maisie wiped her cheeks dry, having started crying from laughing so hard. 'Poor Schultz.'

'Poor Schultz?' Newkirk questioned. 'How about you spare a thought for your ol mate Newkirk? I was just dragged away from two girls. Very attractive girls, might I add, too.'

She shook her head with amusement, a slight smile on her lips. 'Stop being so dramatic, Newkirk. With the amount of times you sneak out of camp to go into town, you shouldn't be complaining. Besides, that's not the reason we're out of camp in the first place. Can I remind both of you what we're doing out here?'

Both of them sighed, settling down for the ride. 'Yes, yes. We know, Maisie.' LeBeau rolled his eyes. 'Why did we have to bring you along so you could remind us?'

'Because Papa said I could come along, that's why.' She grinned. 'Now settle down, boys, I'm sure there'll be plenty of time later for you to catch up with the fraulines.'

After a short trip, Hogan stopped the truck beside the road, and the four of them headed on foot to cover the rest of the distance. As they got closer to the second stop on the escape route, Maisie was unusually sober. Hogan glanced back at her for a moment, wondering what thoughts were running through her head to cause that expression on her face. When they came to a stop hidden in some bushes, though, his thoughts returned back to the business at hand.

LeBeau turned to Hogan as they hid, looking at the farmhouse on the horizon. 'What's the plan, Colonel?'

'I'll go first and case it. If I'm not back in ten minutes, take the truck, find Schultz and get back to camp.'

'What, and leave you in there?' Newkirk exclaimed.

'If it is a trap, you want to come barging in and get knocked off, too?'

Maisie went to speak up, but was cut off by LeBeau.

'But Colonel, we are a team.'

'You've got your orders. Remember, ten minutes. Back to camp, understood?'

Newkirk nodded. 'Right, sir.'

'Papa-'

'Not now, Maisie.' Hogan replied, as he started forward. 'You listen to Newkirk.'

'But Papa…'

'Maisie.' The look he gave her silenced her.

'Good luck, sir.'

'Bonne chance, Colonel.'

Maisie sighed heavily as he disappeared into the undergrowth.

'What's the matter, little mate?'

'That's the Gustavssons' farm, Newkirk.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Who?'

'The folks I stayed with when I was away from camp. They're members of the Underground and both good friends to me.'

'Why didn't you say so earlier?'

'I wasn't sure if it was the same place, and I tried.' She motioned towards the direction Hogan had disappeared in. 'And he didn't stop to listen. I could have gone down there myself instead. There is no way that Jenny and Willy are traitors.'

'How can you be sure?' LeBeau questioned.

'They put their necks on the line hiding me from the Gestapo. Their house was searched by the Gestapo the day after you guys rescued Hogan from them.'

'Blimey,' Newkirk said, looking at his watch. 'Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens…'

Hogan stopped at the back door, pistol in hand as he looked around the surrounding landscape. Nothing stirred except for some cows and a horse grazing in a pasture behind the building. Everything was still, quiet. The hair on the back of his neck was raised as he held tighter onto his pistol, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. If it was a trap… He glanced at his watch. He'd told his men ten minutes. It had taken him five to make it to the house.

Another deep breath, and he quickly entered the house, slamming the door shut behind him. An old man and woman were seated at the table, both of them getting to their feet as he walked in.

'Everybody nice and quiet.'

'Sir, we do not-'

'You, over by the fireplace.' He motioned at the man with his pistol. 'Lean forward with your hands. You stay right there, lady, in case I have to shoot you.' Cautiously, he stepped towards the man, feeling his vest for a weapon. After a moment, he found a pistol and withdrew it from its hiding place. He held it up, then motioned for him to return to the table. 'That's naughty. Get back over there.' He looked around the kitchen as the man returned to the woman. They appeared to be alone, but he couldn't risk letting his guard down for a moment. 'And no sudden moves unless you want to die suddenly.'

'Sir, please, you are a prisoner.' The man spoke up. 'Perhaps we can help you.'

'Like you helped Captain Warren?'

'Ja, ja. That's right.' The woman agreed. 'We helped him escape.'

'Sure you did.' He wasn't convinced, not just yet.

'We are telling you the truth, I swear it. Oh no.'

Hogan raised an eyebrow as he stopped outside a door next to the fireplace. 'Some goodies in here I shouldn't see?' He questioned, still holding his pistol on them as he opened the door. 'Well-' He turned to get a better look at the Gestapo uniforms hung up in the cupboard. 'I bet you look beautiful in this, Fritz-'

His sentence was cut short as a chair was broken over his head, the colonel dropping in a heap onto the floor…

'Ten minutes,' LeBeau said, after looking down at Newkirk's watch.

'All right-' Newkirk started forward. 'Let's go get him out.'

'Wait.' The Frenchman protested. 'He gave us a direct order: return to camp.'

'Monsieur LeBeau.'

'Oui?'

'If you're going to start obeying officers, we're going to lose this bleeding war. Now, come on.'

'What about me?' Maisie spoke up, pulling a pistol from a pocket inside her jacket. 'If you two are going down there, I'm coming with you.'

'The Colonel will have my hide-'

'And mine, too, but I don't care. I just hope nothing has happened to the Gustavssons…' Her voice trailed off, her brow etched with worry. 'I haven't seen them for close to three months.'

'Come on, then-' Newkirk gave in. 'Standing here talking ain't gonna help Colonel Hogan, now is it?'

Quietly, the three of them hurried towards the house, using the bushes and trees in the way as cover. When they reached the house, they stopped to look around before Newkirk opened the door. Slipping down the hallway, they could hear movement in a room to the right of them.

'Having a party, folks?' Newkirk asked, as they started into the room, Colonel Hogan lying on the floor near a table with a woman leaning over him. 'Easy, mum, that's the only Colonel we've got-'

'Newkirk-' Maisie cut him off as she hurried over between him and the old couple, making him put his pistol down. 'It's alright, I know these people.' She looked back at Willy and Jenny, both of them looking rather bewildered as they tried to figure out what was going on. Newkirk and LeBeau both holsted their weapons again as she made her way over to Hogan, crouching down beside him. 'Papa, you okay?'

'Yeah-' Hogan winced, scrunching his eyes shut as he slowly regained his senses. 'What are you doing here? I told you three to go back to camp-'

'Bloody lucky thing we didn't, hey?' Newkirk remarked, kneeling down across from Maisie. 'It's only a slight concussion. Be right as rain in a year or two.'

'Thanks's a lot, Newkirk,' he said, with a hint of sarcasm, then turned back to the old couple. 'You too.'

'Forgive me, Colonel Hogan,' Willy said.

'My husband thought you were Gestapo.' Jenny explained, as she took a seat once more.

'How do you know my name? Oh-' He looked at what he was holding in his hand. His wallet. 'The wallet.'

'We have many escaped prisoners come through here.' Willy continued. 'We had to make sure you were not a spy.'

'Ja, you came in with your gun,' Jenny added. 'We thought it was an attempt to fool us.'

Maisie frowned, seeing blood running down the back of his neck. A moment later, and she'd located the wound, a nasty looking gash at the base of his skull. Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she pressed it against the wound. 'Are you sure you're alright, Papa?'

'I'm fine-'

'I think Wilson should check you out when we get back to camp…'

'Maisie, stop your fussing.' He growled, attempting to ignore the throbbing pain rippling through his head and slowly got to his feet. 'I'm just fine.'

'Mmmhmm. I can see that.' Maisie wasn't convinced. 'Well, I sure didn't expect you guys to meet this way, but Papa, this is Willy and Jenny Gustavsson. Herr Gustavsson, Frau Gustavsson, Colonel Hogan, Corporal Newkirk and Corporal LeBeau.' She turned back to Hogan. 'I've known them both for a long time, Papa.'

So this was Colonel Hogan?

'We really are sorry for what happened, Colonel-' Willy spoke up, after a moment, feeling terrible for what he'd done . 'We didn't know who you were.'

'No need to apologize. No harm done.'

'Hold on, Colonel, are these two types straight?' Newkirk questioned.

'They're selling me fast.'

'But they are Germans.' LeBeau said.

'Swedish.' Willy corrected. 'We've lived a long time in Germany. They accept us.'

'Are you sure you're alright, Papa-'

'Maisie, quit fussing. I'm fine-' He turned back to the old couple, attempting to get back to business despite the headache they'd given him. 'Look, what's the routine? After you get a prisoner from the Kaiserhof, where do you send 'em?'

'We do not send them,' Willy said

'No, they tell us where to send them.' Jenny added.

'Who does the telling?'

'Eva, one of the girls at the inn. She telephones us.' Willy replied.

'Ja, it's how we planned it since we started working with them.' Jenny elaborated. 'It works very well.'

The telephone began to ring, Hogan wincing as he walked over to it. 'Answer it.'

'You need to sit down-'

'Maisie.'

The teen fell silent, Newkirk patting her shoulder as she hid the bloodied handkerchief back in her pocket.

'Hello?' Willy answered the phone, Hogan standing beside him. 'Yes, the package has arrived. I understand. A change in plans. Jawohl. I will take care of it. Auf Wiedersehen.' He turned back to Hogan. 'The instructions are for you to take the South Road today, not the north as usual. It's safer.'

'It's very decent of them.' Newkrik remarked sarcastically.

'Oh, they're very good girls.' Jenny said.

'Yeah, a couple of dolls.' Hogan snorted. 'Did they also mention that the Gestapo would be waiting for us?'

'What?' Willy questioned, with surprise.

Jenny was just as horrified. 'Eva and Margit?'

'Yeah.' He paused, thinking for a moment as he tried to come up with a plan. 'Look, Newkirk, get on the phone, use that Kraut voice of yours. Call Gestapo Headquarters and tell 'em to get over to the Kaiserhof with a couple of men to pick up some escaped prisoners. And tell them they're wasting their time staked out on the South Road.

'Uh, whom shall I say is calling, sir?'

'Tell them it's an anonymous tip.'

Newkirk went over to the phone, Maisie stepping over next to Hogan as the corporal placed the call. 'Sit Papa, you don't look good.'

'Maisie-'

'Maisie's right, Colonel.' LeBeau agreed. 'I think you should sit down, too.'

Hogan sighed. 'Thank you, LeBeau.'

When he'd taken a seat again, Maisie tried to get a better look at the wound on the back of his head. 'Looks like it's stopped bleeding for now.' She turned back to the old couple. 'How did it happen?'

'He got hit in the head with a chair. We thought he was Gestapo… I feel awful about this.' Willy replied.

'Don't.' Hogan brushed off his apology. 'It was my fault, I shouldn't have barged in the way I did. Captain Warren was caught by the Gestapo not long after leaving here, we had to find where the leak was.'

'Alright-' Newkirk came over to report. 'Job's done, G'vnor.'

'We best be on our way, then.' He got to his feet once more, waiting for the room to stop spinning before he looked back at the old couple. 'When we're ready to send out more escaped prisoners, we'll be in touch with you to let you know.'

Willy nodded. 'We'll be waiting.'

'Come on, then.' Newkirk stepped up beside the colonel as they started for the door. 'And I'm driving.'

'Newkirk-'

'Don't argue with me, sir, there's no way we're letting you behind the wheel. Right, Louis?'

'Right.' The Frenchman agreed.

'Good, that's settled, then.'

'Maisie, stop fussing over me-'

'Quit getting yourself hurt, and I'll stop fussing.' The teen replied, as she pulled a chair over closer to Hogan's bunk. 'Sergeant Wilson said you've got a concussion, and you need to rest. You're lucky you didn't get worse. What a way to meet other members of the Underground…' She shook her head. 'I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to wait an extra couple of minutes to listen to me, did you? Could have saved you the headache, if you had.'

'Thank you, Maisie.' Hogan was anything but amused as he tipped her cap down over her eyes. She giggled as she replaced it back in its right place, tucking her braid back beneath it. 'So, those were the folks you stayed with?'

'Mmmhmm. They're actually pretty nice, as long as you don't walk in pointing a gun at them.'

I am never going to live this one down, he thought grimmly.

'It would appear that Colonel Hogan is capable of making mistakes-'

'Maisie, you are having way too much fun at my expense.' He interrupted, closing his eyes. The medicine Wilson had given him was slowly starting to take effect on the headache, much to his relief.

'Perhaps next time you might listen?'

'Mmm.'

The teen shook her head, a slight smile on her face as he drifted off to sleep. Sometimes he really could be impossible. And he says I'm the difficult one. She chuckled to herself, leaving the room to let him get some well earned rest and sleep.

'How's the G'vnor?' Newkirk questioned, glancing up as the teen closed the door to the colonel's room behind herself.

'Sleeping off the headache. I think he's going to feel it for a little while. What did Schultz tell Klink?'

'That he got hit by a falling branch.' Kinch glanced over his cards at her. 'And we'll leave it at that.'

'Klink believed it?'

'You bet he did.' Carter looked over his hand once more, a huge smile coming to his lips as he laid another card on the table. 'Gin.'

'Hey-' Newkirk protested. 'That's your third one in a row this afternoon.'

'I can't help it if I'm better at playing Gin then you.'

Maisie shook her head with amusement, a smile on her face. 'Mind if I join in?'

'Thank you for everything, Colonel.'

'My pleasure.' Hogan smiled, shaking hands with Warren. Finally, after a delay of two weeks, their escape route was back up running, and the captain was about to be on his way back to England. 'LeBeau and Newkirk will be here in a moment. You've got your map and directions?'

He patted his breast pocket. 'Right here.'

'Good. Let's hope that you actually make it there this time.'

'All set to go, then?' Maisie questioned, cheerily sauntering over to where they were standing at the emergency exit ladder.

'Soon as Newkirk and LeBeau get here to escort him out, yes.'

She turned to Warren with a smile. 'Good luck, Captain. I hope you make it this time.'

'You and I both, kiddo.'

'Do us a favor, though. If you're ever in the neighborhood again, don't drop in.'

Hogan chuckled looking down at her. 'I usually say that.'

'Well-' She grinned cheekily as she met his eyes. 'I beat you to it tonight.'

'All set here then, Colonel?' Newkirk questioned, he and LeBeau joining them at the foot of the ladder.

He nodded. 'All ready to go.'

'Right. This way, Captain.'

'Good luck.'

'Thank you again, Colonel,' Warren said.

Maisie watched as the three of them climbed up the ladder, then turned back to Hogan, the two of them making their way back to her room. 'Papa, do you ever wish it could be you heading along the escape route back to England?'

'I'd be lying if I said I didn't.' He replied, his arm around her shoulders. 'One day, though, the war will be over, and we can all go home. Why do you ask?'

'I was just wondering, that's all. How many prisoners have you guys helped escape from Germany?'

'You'd have to ask Kinch that question. He keeps records of each man we send out.'

'It must be a few by now. You'll be well equipped to run a travel company when the war is over.'

Hogan chuckled again. 'Your probably right.'

'I sure do hope Captain Warren makes it-' The teen sobered again. 'He was lucky he only got a week in the cooler before you talked Klink into transferring him.'

'By the time Klink hears he escaped from Stalag 6, he'll be back in London.'

'If you had the chance to leave, would you?'

'And leave all this behind?' He scoffed, the two of them coming into her quarters. 'In a heartbeat. Don't you worry, though, little one, I'm not planning on going anywhere in the foreseeable future. After all, we still have a traveler's aid society to run.'

'And more tricks up our sleeves to interfere with the German war effort.'

'Exactly.'

'Just make sure you don't get anymore chairs broken over your head-'

'Maisie,' he interrupted, attempting to be stern, but he knew she could tell he was only fooling with her. 'That's enough out of you. Bed.'

'Yes, yes.' She rolled her eyes, slipping off her jacket. 'Gute Nacht, Papa.'

'Good night, Maisie.'