The service car rumbled through the barbed wire gate. Captain Marx pulled the vehicle up in front of the Commandant's office where Klink waited for them on the porch. The balding man clasped his hands together before opening the door on Major Klaus' side then Captain Marx's. Both men sported red arm bands carrying the swastika and pistols attached to their hip. Eagle eyes scoured the camp, and the prisoners lined up.
"Welcome to Stalag 13," Klink greeted, a toothy grin on his face. "We are the most efficient prison camp in all of Germany. Not one escape in over 200 attempts."
The Captain rolled his eyes while the Major placated the Colonel. "Thank you, Colonel Klink. We've heard of your record," Klaus said, nodding to the man. "We hold a similar record, which we would like to keep. Now, as we discussed on the phone, my Captain and I would like to search every inch of this camp."
"Of course, Major. My men are at your disposal," Klink assured.
"That won't be necessary. My Captain and I have found the average guard can be quite…careless. We would prefer to search the camp ourselves," the Major replied, removing his gloves.
Klink gulped, causing his Adam's apple to bob up and down. "Of course, Major. I just have to warn you—"
A prisoner interrupted Klink by sauntering up to the two German officers. "Good morning, Major, Captain," the American said, tipping his hat. "Colonel Klink tells me you're looking for an escaped prisoner."
"A diseased prisoner," Captain Marx emphasized. "We think he may be hiding here."
"Well, I can assure you both that no one sneaks in or out of here. Klink is too good for that," the man assured the officers.
The officers shared a look and Major Klaus asked, "Colonel Klink, who is this man?"
"He is Colonel Hogan, the senior prisoner of this camp. And he was just about to get back into formation," Klink replied, sneering in Hogan's direction.
Colonel Hogan stayed, however, and proceeded on, "I just thought these two officers wouldn't mind a personal tour of the camp. I could share the wonderfully awful times my men and I have had, and you two could search to your heart's content."
The Major smirked and cracked his knuckles. They were worn knobs from the cold and years of service. "Thank you, Colonel Hogan, but as I told Klink, we prefer to search on our own."
"As you wish, Major. Just let me know if me or my men could be of any assistance," Hogan said before going back to stand in line with his men.
Major Klaus eyed the men and particularly how they stood. There were five noticeable gaps in the line. There was no report of five men dropping dead. Something else was afoot. "Colonel Klink," the Major started.
"Yes?"
"I see you are missing five men in your line up. Where are they?"
"Oh, there's been an outbreak of pink eye. I tried to explain—"
"A sudden outbreak of pink eye?" Major Klaus questioned. Captain Marx's hand rested coolly on his pistol.
"Y-Yes. Colonel Hogan came to me yesterday with the complaint. We had to quarantine them in barrack two and move the rest of the men to barrack four."
"You didn't think this suspicious?" Captain Marx asked.
Colonel Klink shook his head and answered, "No, I mean, yes, but Colonel Hogan assured me that he would never let a diseased prisoner near his men."
Captain Marx opened his mouth to continue to interrogate Klink, but the Major held up his hand. They needed no more information to know something was up. Klaus informed the Commandant that they would begin making their rounds and waved his Captain forward. In a low voice he said to the other, "Check their arms. The rat could be hiding amongst them." Captain Marx nodded and marched up to the line of soldiers.
It was clear to the Major that Colonel Klink still believed this to be a disease of the body and not one of the soul. Colonel Hogan's beliefs were another matter. The Captain had similar thoughts as he started grabbed the soldier's wrist and pushing up their sleeves. There were many protests about it until Hogan told his men to pipe down. When the Captain came to a particularly surly man in an RAF uniform, the Brit asked him if he lost his livestock. That earned a glare from their Colonel.
Marx found no brands or cover ups on any of the men. That didn't mean, however, that the five missing men weren't Foster. "Clear!" the Captain called, waving the Major over. The Major walked over, mulling over the next course of action in his head. They needed to see the quarantined barrack, however, they were here to catch a pink triangle, not pink eye.
"Colonel Hogan, we need to inspect barrack two. Do you have any protection equipment my colleague and I could use?" Klaus asked the American, certain the Red Cross must have sent something.
"Of course. Newkirk, LeBeau, fetch these two officers the supplies from last night's delivery," the Colonel ordered. A Brit and Frenchman replied and hurried off to another set of barracks. The Englander looked like the same one that gave Captain Marx trouble only a few seconds ago. Klink should train them better.
The Corporals came back carrying a large, white crate with a red cross painted on the side. The contents had clearly been used, but what the two officers needed were still inside: surgical masks. They took them out and tied them around their faces. Now they could enter the barrack without catching anything unwanted.
Major Klaus went in first with Captain Marx close behind. The Captain shut the door as they stood in the middle of the barrack. Five men laid in different bunks with their eyes closed. Captain Marx inspected the men in the same manner he had outside. One man opened his eye to reveal a small buildup of pus and redness. This caused Marx to jerk away, not wanting to get infected.
"I don't think that Hogan is making this pink eye business up," the Captain commented as he walked up to the Major. Like outside, no one in here had a brand on their arm nor any trace of make-up.
"Maybe not, but I am still curious on what exactly is going on. Let's hurry up in here, though. No use getting sick ourselves," Klaus said, going over to look under the bunks. Marx nodded before going to the officer's quarters. He looked inside the footlocker, cupboard, and under the bunk yet found no trace of the prisoner.
The German officers exited the barrack and peeled off the surgical mask. "Dispose of these," ordered Klaus, throwing the mask at the Brit. The soldier frowned as the man continued, "We will search the other barracks now. You are all to stay out here until the search in completed. If you happen to, as they say, 'get fresh', Captain Marx has orders to shoot you where you stand."
The soldiers said nothing while their eyes held contempt for the officers. It brought a grin to Major Klaus' face. Rats needed to learn their place.
The officers slowly made their way through the barracks leaving no stone unturned. They even went as far as to check the cooler and solitary. Nothing came up. Major Klaus could see the content look on Hogan's face a mile away. He cursed under his breath and ushered the Captain away from prying eyes.
"What do we do now, Major?" Marx asked, folding his arms. "We've checked every Stalag on the way here and have found nothing. It's possible the boy is dead and rotting."
"Maybe but that would still qualify as a successful escape," spat Klaus. "I will not have my record tarnished by some queer. Not to mention I think that Colonel Hogan is taking us for a ride."
"What do you want to do about it, sir?"
The Major cracked his knuckles and neck. What can one do about a pest problem this big? "Marx," Klaus started, "inform Colonel Klink that we will be staying here a few more days just to be sure the prisoner is neither hiding somewhere in the camp nor is he simply late to the party."
"Yes, sir. Right away," the lower ranking officer said. The Captain marched back to the center of the camp and into Klink's office to tell him the Major's orders. The Major trailed a few yards behind, strolling back to the center of camp.
"Find everything you were looking for, Major?" Colonel Hogan asked, walking up beside him.
"Not exactly, Colonel Hogan, but we do not give up so easily," Klaus explained, giving him a slight smirk. "My Captain is currently informing the Commandant of our plans to stay here for a few more days. This won't be a problem for you I hope."
Hogan returned his smirk with a rather strained one and replied, "Not at all, Major."
"Good. Auf wiedersehen for now," the Major hummed, giving the other a wave.
