Between The Lines WWTF book 5 (if you are following my series) Chapter 11, a hogan's heroes fanfic

belongs to others and no infringement or

ownership is intended.

belong to ML Breedlove.

Between The Lines

Chapter 11

The drama that had unfolded outside the barn, had also caused a stir inside the German truck where four recaptured prisoners sat waiting on their Commanding Officer to rejoin them.

"What do you think the Colonel and Klink are talking about?"

Kinch looked at the guard standing at the end of the truck and then at Newkirk. "Nix it. Let's just wait for the Colonel."

The guards from Stalag 13 could be heard milling around and nervously talking outside the truck when, suddenly, there was a lull.

"Shh, listen…" LeBeau cocked his head toward a voice . "…that's Hochstetter!"

"Blimey, what's he doing 'ere?"

Straining to hear, Carter jumped to his feet. "Holy Cow, he's arresting the Colonel!"

Waving his hands frantically, Kinch ordered, "Shh, I can't hear if you guys are talking! Sit down, Carter." Holding his breath, one muffled voice became clear. "Klink just ordered everyone to put their guns down."

"Put their guns down? What's going on out there?" Carter was on his feet again but LeBeau had him by his shirttail pulling him back down on the bench.

"Get off! Our bloody Kommandant stood up to the Gestapo? Are you sure you heard that right, Kinch?"

Hochstetter's voice, again, became dominant.

"What dead soldiers?" Carter asked.

Newkirk shrugged his shoulders. "You..."

"Will everyone just be quiet, I can't hear what Mon Colonel is saying."

LeBeau, unable to follow his own advice, soon exclaimed, "…a machine-gun in whose pocket?"

Hearing Hogan's return remark to Hochstetter, Kinch grimaced. Then, nodding with relief, he announced. "Klink is sending the Colonel to the truck."

Hogan soon appeared, his hands still in the air and a perturbed look on his face. "Can I put my hands down to get in the truck, Schultz?"

Schultz reached out and gently tugged Hogan's right arm down. "Ja, ja, you can keep them down, now."

Hogan grabbed the side of the truck and climbed in. "Hochstetter's here."

"Oui, we know." LeBeau mumbled.

Klink's next orders were heard by everyone inside and outside of the truck.

LeBeau scowled, "Did Klink just send us to solitary confinement?"

"That's what it sounded like, mate."

Carter spoke up, "Why solitary, Colonel? We usually just go to a cell for attempted escape."

"A Gestapo officer is dead, Carter. Klink has to act accordingly. Though, I'm not quite sure what that entails right now."

Hogan tugged his cap down shading his eyes, a technique used when he thought he was being too transparent.

Kinch had deciphered that sign early on.

"Trouble, Colonel?" Kinch asked.

Hogan snapped his head in Kinch's direction. Resigning himself to having been found out, he admitted, "Maybe." Leaning closer to his men, he lowered his voice. "Everyone just remember, we tried an escape and it failed, period. And I'm praying Klink will say the same thing."

"He bloody well better!"

Hogan shook his head. "If only Hochstetter hadn't shown up."

LeBeau looked past Newkirk and asked, "It sounded like they were trying to pin some other charges on us in addition to the attempted escape."

"Yeah, well, you know Hochstetter. Evidently, some soldiers were killed down the road."

"Watch out." Kinch nodded toward the end of the truck. "Some of the guards are getting ready to load in."

Newkirk and LeBeau began some impromptu chatter about their escape for the benefit of any German guard that could understand English; just to be sure they established, in the guards minds, the right story.

Putting his arm on Carters shoulder, Newkirk stated the obvious. "Yeah, mate, Kinch is right. It's our duty to escape, they can't blame us for trying!"

"Oui, and we would have made it if that German officer hadn't surprised us.

"Yeah, now it looks like we'll have a stretch in the cooler." Kinch added.

Playing along, Carter nodded. "I guess solitary makes sense. This time a German officer accidentally got killed."

The truck suddenly lurched forward and Hogan laid his head back against the canvas truck wall.

At least his men had the story straight. Now, time would tell if Klink did. Hopefully, Hegel wouldn't accomplish with his death, what he couldn't accomplish while alive—having them shot.

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Before the truck moved out, Schultz had climbed into the cab with the driver. Not sitting in the back with the prisoners was out of character for him. He would be missing auditory and visual cues necessary to direct his men and stay on top of any situation that might arise. But he needed distance from his prisoners right now. Their escape attempt was not only a disaster for them, but had possibly put him in jeopardy, too. He needed some time to think.

A Gestapo officer was dead and he had helped make that happen. It was his warning shout that started the sequence of events that ended in Hegel's death. He saw the gun before he recognized the officer and alerted the Kommandant, who gave the order to fire.

It all happened that fast.

Someone was going to pay for this. Schultz wondered if he would be held accountable, or would Hogan and his men take on that burden. It didn't matter, either way, he would carry the guilt for what happened.

The ride back to camp was solemn for all involved.

A death, no matter who's, tended to bring with it the contemplation of ones own life purpose, and the reality of ones own mortality. It was an innate gift to humanity that, at some point during ones life, the question of purpose would come up.

It's just that...during wartime...you could hear the clock ticking.

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The truck pulled into camp stopping in front of the cooler and immediate concerns again took precedence.

Schultz slowly climbed out of his seat and trudged to the back of the truck. Lowering the tailgate, he motioned his recaptured prisoners to get out, and then sent the truck with his men back to the motor pool. Schultz would deal with the prisoners, alone.

"Come, line up," he ordered, and then turned his back to unlock the gate that allowed access to the cooler.

A discreet amount of grumbling ensued, as LeBeau threatened to cut off Schultz's strudel connection and Newkirk his card games.

"You should not have tried to escape." Schultz scolded.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Newkirk answered, "Give us a break, Schultzie. Tell us you wouldn't try to escape from an American prison camp!"

"Shh, You have enough trouble." Schultz ordered, remembering the machine gun fire that killed Hegel and ripped through the barn. "You're all lucky to be alive." Looking at Hogan, he motioned him to the head of the line and held the door to the cooler open.

Hogan vividly remembered the last time he was ordered to lead his men down a set of stairs. He felt virtually hopeless that time. This time…we'll see.

Bringing up the rear, Schultz directed Hogan to lead his men down the corridor to the isolation cells. With eyes downcast he then stepped behind the line of men and ordered, "All right, everybody stand in front of a cell."

More mumbling ensued.

Schultz never enjoyed putting men into the cooler, but he particularly disliked putting them into solitary.

Starting at the end of the line, he began to frisk and send them into their cells one by one.

"Face me, Sergeant Kinchloe." Schultz quickly searched him and opened the cell door. Kinch looked over his shoulder and nodded, "It could be a while before anyone knows, Colonel."

Schultz stopped and looked at Hogan. "Knows...what?"

Hogan watched as Kinch entered his cell. "He just means before the men in camp figure out we're in the cooler."

This was important because, it took two men, one inside and one outside, to open and again seal the entrance into the tunnels from an isolation cell. Stones that moved to allow entry to the tunnels were locked into place on the tunnel side to prevent them from being found by guards. They would all actually be prisoners until someone came.

"Oh." Schultz relaxed and turned to Newkirk.

"Hey, Schultz, what do you know about the dead soldiers Hochstetter was talking about?" Hogan asked.

"That was the first I had heard anything about it." Schultz answered, as he began frisking Newkirk. "But I'm sure we will all hear more."

As Newkirk entered his cell he quickly turned and stuck his head back out, "Hey, I've got a complaint. My light bulb is burnt out."

Schultz put his hand on Newkirk's shoulder, turned him back around and nudged him forward into the cell. "Jolly, joker…you know there are only 6 hours of light in solitary."

As the door squeaked closed, Newkirk griped, "I've got a complaint about that, too!"

Carter already had his arms raised when Schultz got to him. Schultz paused and glanced at Hogan.

"Seems like a waste of time, doesn't it, Schultz?" Hogan affirmed.

Finishing his frisk, he ordered. "Okay, Carter, step in." Carter looked at Schultz saying nothing. But the look was enough.

"Don't look at me like that. You know I don't like doing this." Schultz whined.

Locking the cell door, Shultz turned to face LeBeau.

"Are you really going to frisk me, Schultzie?"

"I have too." Schultz answered as he began the pat-down. "Those are the rules."

Schultz held the cell door open and LeBeau without looking inside, folded his arms and asked, "Are you not even going to give us blankets?"

Schultz nodded, "I'll see what I can do."

Closing the cell door, he approached Hogan.

"Raise your arms up, please, Colonel Hogan."

"Schultz, I'll save you some time. There's a gun in my right hand jacket pocket."

Schultz's eyes grew large as he reached for that pocket first. Pulling the gun out, his face saddened. "Oh, Colonel Hogan, why did you have to do that?"

"Sorry, Schultz."

"Don't you know what they can do to you for this? How…where did you get it? No…don't tell me."

Schultz continued his frisk as he tried to figure out what to do. This could be the firing squad for Colonel Hogan. But after being involved in Hegel's death, he was afraid to not report the gun. What if it had belonged to Hegel or some other officer and it came up missing. He couldn't risk getting caught with it.

"Colonel Hogan, I have to report this."

"I know, Schultz. But only to your Commanding officer."

Schultz frowned and answered, "Ja?" Not yet understanding Hogan's meaning. And then it donned on him. "Oh-Jaaa!" Nobody else had to know, at least, not from him. Opening the cell door, he motioned Hogan in.

Hogan zipped his jacket up against the cold dampness of his cell. As long as Klink and Schultz were the only ones who knew about the gun, he had a chance to avoid being shot or hung for being in possession of a firearm. He felt reasonably sure Schultz and Klink wouldn't say anything. But surviving Hegel's death was another matter.

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Discovering Hegel's dead body under the blanket at the barn breathed new life into Hochstetter. The death of a Gestapo officer was serious. And if handled correctly, might just give him the leverage he needed to get Hogan.

While Hochstetter was on the phone with his superiors, Klink was on another line making his call to General Burkhalter. Now it was a waiting game to see whose superiors outranked whom.

Finished with his call, Klink retreated to his desk, where he began filling out his paperwork on the night's activities, while, Hochstetter worked on getting transportation.

"Send another car and another prisoner transport truck. And-send a mechanic!"

Hochstetter slammed the phone onto the receiver and turned to face Klink.

Leaning over Klink's desk he explained. "I want to be ready when the order comes down for me to take Hogan in for questioning."

Klink looked up, smirking. "Ha! That's laughable. The only order you're going to get is to 'get busy' and catch the criminals responsible for ambushing Hegel and his party to begin with."

"You'll be laughing out the other side of your monocle, when they start investigating how you shot and killed a Gestapo Major!" Hochstetter slammed his fist on Klink's desk.

The smirk faded. "I told you, I didn't know he was in the barn with the escapees."

Then, remembering his conversation with Burkhalter, he smugly added, "I'm not worried. General Burkhalter will get this straightened out."

Klink's air of confidence was fueled by the knowledge that Hogan, even though unwilling, was a key participant in the Third Reich's experiments on mind control.

Hochstetter shot Klink a sideways glance and emitted a guttural sound between a growl and a satisfied moan, as he anticipated getting Klink for interrogation, in addition to Hogan.

Just then the phone rang and Hochstetter pounced on it before Klink could reach it.

Snapping to attention, he answered, "Major Hochstetter here…Jawohl…" The gleam of hope in his eye, faded and he slouched. "Jawohl…yes but…" Again snapping to attention and clicking his heels he let out a resounding "Heil, Hitler!"

Klink liked what he saw. "I take it you will be leaving, Major!"

"Don't get too cocky, Kommandant. You and Colonel Hogan still have a hearing to get through."

Klink smiled and waved his hand. "A mere formality. You and I both know these things are decided before any hearing ever begins."

Hochstetter slapped his hat on his head and headed out the door. Klink was right. Whatever punishment was going to be handed out, it wasn't going to put Hogan into his hands.

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Klink's victory celebration over Hochstetter was brought to a halt as his phone rang for the second time.

"Hello, this is…"

Klink straightened in his chair.

"General Burkhalter…I was waiting to hear…yes, the Major just left. Oh it was marvelous, he… what? Oh, he is in the cooler in solitary confinement along with his men. I thought as long as Hochstetter was here, I…Yes, Herr General…keep him there until the hearing? He's not going to like it."

Klink held the phone a safe distance from his ear, while Burkhalter, emphatically, stated how much he didn't care whether Hogan liked it.

"You are right, Herr General, it is for ...the good of the 'Father-land"…we are doing a great service for him."

Klink pulled at the tie around his neck. He didn't think Hogan would agree that Germany had been doing a great service for him.

"Yes, General, I am still here…continue to administer the medicine… in his food, Herr General? But the rations for prisoners in the cooler is… a special diet…oh that is brilliant, Herr General."

Klink listened closely as General Burkhalter switched the topic.

"I was on their trail almost immediately…No, sir, there was no time for them to ambush anyone, they had no weapons, so you see, Herr General it was impossible… Yes sir, I said no weapons...Hogan said Major Hegel caught them by surprise at the barn…yes sir...

No, Herr General, you are correct, I had no idea he was in the barn with my prisoners…he came out with a gun and in the dark we thought it was a prisoner and… yes, very unfortunate."

Klink began to relax as Burkhalter's voice and anxiety began to lower.

"The Gestapo will conduct the hearing? But…yes, I know it was their man, I just thought…,yes, Herr General, I won't think…You will do the thinking. The hearing should be sometime next week…you will let me know the date...when the details are worked out. Yes, sir. Heil Hitler!"

Klink had barely hung up the phone when there was a knock on his door.

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"Come in."

Schultz entered.

"I am sorry, Herr Kommandant, I would have reported on the prisoners sooner but I was waiting for Major Hochstetter to leave and then you received a phone call."

"That's all right, Schultz. Make your report."

"The prisoners are in their cells. I frisked Sergeant Kincloe he had nothing on him, I frisked, the Englander, Newkirk, he had nothing on him…"

Klink pinched the bridge of his nose. "Schultz, you don't have to tell me you found nothing on each man."

Feeling some of the tension he had been carrying in his shoulders leave, Klink slouched back in his chair. His prisoners were at least tucked away where they couldn't get into any more trouble tonight.

Looking back to his paperwork he stated, "Dismissed!"

"Herr Kommandant…" Schultz took the gun from his pocket and laid it on the desk.

Klink looked at the gun and then questioningly at Schultz.

"I found it on Colonel Hogan. Well actually, he told me he had it before I found it."

Briefly closing his eyes, Klink breathed in trying to control his anger. If this got out it would be a game changer.

"Does anyone else know about this, Schultz?"

"No, sir. Colonel Hogan was last to be frisked and placed in his cell. He and I were alone in the cooler."

"Forget you saw this, Schultz. Do you understand?"

Relieved, Schultz eagerly agreed. "I see nothing, Herr Kommandant."

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