The T.V. show Hogan's Heroes belongs to Bing Crosby Productions. No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred, (except for the 7 new characters introduced in this story) and no infringement is intended.
Weaving a Web to Freedom,
The Truth is What We Make It
By MLM 13
Chapter 17
"Colonel Knefler," You're no doubt aware, the Abwehr has heard rumors that General Burkhalter may be guilty of treason. We have been investigating and reviewing the evidence. In so doing, we found that the SD had already been through much of the evidence we were currently going over. It is obvious that you had begun an investigation about a year ago. Isn't that true?"
"As usual, Major Teppel, the superiority of the SD shows through. Yes, we did and are currently actively pursuing this investigation. So you see you are a year to late to claim any credit for uncovering a traitor in our midst."
"Perhaps you are right, Colonel. But we do not want any credit; we simply want these acts of treason stopped. Would you be open to working together to solve this matter if I guarantee you that we will be completely under your direction?"
Knefler studied the Abwehr Major. He prided himself on his ability to read a man. Teppel appeared to be at ease, no flush to the skin, eye contact good; there were no physical signs to arouse suspicion. But it was out of the ordinary for the Abwehr to want to join forces. Doing so may be the best way to keep tabs on them.
"I can't imagine why you would want to waste your time on an investigation that we have already virtually wrapped up, Major, if this is any indication of how the Abwehr spends their time, it is no wonder they are so inefficient. But it is not my concern how the Abwehr is run."
Knefler, noded at Teppel, "Very well, Major, you may tag along on our investigation."
"Excellent! In that case, let me leave this folder with you. It contains the result of our investigation up to this point. It is most likely information you have already garnered."
Teppel stood to leave. "You can reach me at Abwehr headquarters. Please keep us informed. Good day, Colonel. Heil Hitler!"
"Heil Hitler!" the Colonel said standing."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
"Major, this is my area of expertise. Why don't you let me explore the woods around Stalag 13? I will look for tunnels and walk the perimeter." Steffan knew there were tunnels from the information he received at Stalag 4.
"But it will be getting dark soon. Wouldn't it be better to look in the morning?" Hochstetter inquired.
"I prefer to do both. I will start now at dusk and after sunset I will use a flashlight. Sometimes it is just a matter of the way the light hits that reveals a tunnel entrance."
Hochstetter looked through the barbed wire surrounding the camp. "All right, I will surrender to your expertise on this, Captain."
Steffan followed Hochstetter's gaze and offered, "You're more than welcome to stay and walk with me, Major. But if you have things to do, I have no problem working on my own."
Steffan was being truthful. He would rather work alone, without anyone interrupting his thoughts.
Hochstetter's drive would not allow him to stand by idle. "I have a few hours I can give you. Then I will need to leave for a late night meeting."
"Excellent, Major."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vv
"Ok, does everybody know what they're doing?" Hogan was going over their plans one last time, while they were finishing putting the 'shoe polish' on their faces.
Kinch could skip this preparation and used this time to check their guns and ammunition.
Hogan started his checklist.
"Carter, what time do we start the timers?"
"One a.m."
"Newkirk, when are you due back?"
"Uh, two a.m. sir, unless I happen to run into a pretty li'l Fraulein, and then two thirty."
"Two a.m., Newkirk!" Hogan reaffirmed.
"Yes sir, two a.m."
LeBeau piped in "Leave it to an Englander – 30minutes for Amour, any Frenchman knows you need no less than 2 hours."
"Oh, give me a break…"
"Knock it off you guys, now get serious. We've got to pull this off." Hogan chastised. Normally he didn't mind if they let off a little tension, as long as they were focused once they were underway, but he was feeling understandably cautious right now with Hochstetter in camp.
They moved down the tunnel to the ladder leading to the hollowed out tree stump that hid their exit outside the wire. Kinch raised the periscope that lay hidden on the forest floor and looked around the exit.
"Uh oh, Steffan is off in the distance next to the wire." There was a moment's pause. "He's walking the perimeter."
Hogan looked at his watch and back to Kinch. "Great! Steffan you're a pain in the …neck"
Newkirk moved to the bottom rung of the ladder with Baker right behind him in preparation of making a quick exit.
"Go, Newkirk." Kinch whispered.
Peter headed up the ladder. He reached the top and carefully opened the lid, checked out the area and quickly climbed out. He lowered the lid and hit the ground, as the searchlight made a sweep of the woods.
Seconds later, Baker hopped out and closed the lid. The first twosome moved out quickly before the next sweep of the light.
Hogan moved into Kinch's position and Kinch headed up the ladder, this process was repeated until all were outside and in route to their destinations. Hogan had his Lugar in his hand as he picked his way through the trees. The brush was thick in this part of the woods. LeBeau's height was a definite advantage when it came to ducking through the tangle of branches.
They moved without talking and made their way toward the airfield. Once there, they circled around the fence to an area with the least light and traffic, patrolled by a guard walking a long stretch of the wire fence. They waited until he had moved away and then went to cut the wire.
Hogan took a thin piece of wire out of his pocket and, after they slipped through, wrapped it around the two cut ends pulling them together and masking the break in the wire that they had created.
Moving silently in the shadows, they reached the backside of the first hanger, clinging to the wall of the building, they worked their way up to the corner of the structure. Hogan motioned LeBeau to move forward across the open runway into the shadow of the first plane. By the time Hogan reached the same spot, Louis was already at the mid-point of the line of planes, placing the first explosive pack. Hogan made his way past LeBeau, moving further down the line, to the plane third from the end and laid his first charge. He was working his way back toward the middle, when the guard patrolling this area approached. Both Hogan and Louise climbed up onto the wing of the plane nearest them and lay in the shadow the fuselage created over the wing. As the guard made his return sweep, the two lowered themselves to the ground and continued their work. When they had finished, they retraced their steps back to the fence and slipped through the cut wire.
Hogan again drew the ends of the wire back together before following Louis into the shadows of the woods. They headed for the rail yard and arrived just as Baker was returning from laying his explosives along the train-track".
"Any problems Baker?"
"No sir, everything is quiet."
"Good, you and LeBeau stay here. There's something I've got to do." Hogan ran up to the boxcar opposite the station house and watched the activity inside. He stealthily slipped up onto the wooden deck in front of the station house and moved next to the wall. Taking an item from his pocket he laid it in the corner where the wall and deck met, and shoved it firmly into place.
Newkirk having finished his work in the rail yard, joined Louis and Baker.
"Where's the Colonel?"
Baker pointed at the station house.
Newkirk frowned. "What's he doing up there?"
"He didn't say. Why don't you ask him when he gets back?" LeBeau suggested.
"Very funny!" Newkirk looked over his shoulder for patrols and then back at Hogan.
Hogan peered through the window over the deck. Seeing nothing suspicious, he moved back into the shadows of the boxcars and out of the rail yard.
The next step was to rendezvous with Kinch and Carter. As Hogan approached he motioned for his men to move on; he would take up the rear. Arriving at the bridge, the foursome crouched in the grass at the edge of the ravine and watched the Wehrmacht guards patrolling the bridge.
Carter and Kinch had just finished placing the explosives. Carter was holding up his hand and looking at his watch. At the right moment, he lowered it, signaling to Kinch to start his timer.
Kinch and Carter climbed down the bridge supports, to the ravine and started up the steep side.
Kinch climbed without much effort, pulling Carter up behind him. They were careful to stay in the shadow cast by the bridge, when suddenly the ground crumbled around Carters feet sending gravel rolling down into the ravine in an echo. The guard peered over the side of the bridge and Kinch and Carter froze becoming part of the shadows. The guard closest to Kinch and Carter called to the guard on the opposite end of the bridge.
Hogan drew his gun. "When the times right get them out of here and head back to camp." He ordered, and quickly moved off in the opposite direction allowing himself to be seen by the approaching guard.
"Halt!"
Gunfire echoed through the ravine as the two guards fired at Hogan and gave chase.
Baker, Newkirk, and LeBeau ran over to where Kinch and Carter were climbing and assisted them up the crumbling sides. The heroes then took off for Stalag 13.
Hogan circled through the woods leading the guards in the opposite direction of Stalag 13, staying just far enough ahead to give the guards an occasional glimpse as he led them into the swamp. This was familiar terrain; he had been chased through here before. This time of the year the standing water was at it's highest.
The guards were getting closer and he could see more lights coming up behind them.
Reinforcements. The thought had barely passed through his mind when a bullet whizzed past his head. He hurriedly waded out into the cold water of the swamp.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vv
Kinch was the last one down the ladder. He had hoped Colonel Hogan would join him as he sent the others one at a time back into the tunnel.
"Go change back into your uniforms. I'll watch for the Colonel."
Kinch looked at his watch, two a.m. they were right on time. He raised the periscope and scanned the woods to look for the Colonel as one by one the others joined him.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Hogan made his way back to Stalag 13 shivering in the cold night air. His arms and legs were stinging and he was struggling to keep moving. He could see the tree stump and began to approach it, when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.
Steffan. Doesn't that guy ever sleep? Come on. Move along. ~
The shivering was becoming non-stop. He knew he was becoming hypothermic and needed to get out of his wet clothes, but he couldn't get to the tree trunk without Steffan seeing him.
"I see him!" Kinch exclaimed.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "I also see Steffan."
"Carter, LeBeau, go and cause some commotion, enough to start the sirens. Hurry," Kinch ordered. Newkirk get up at the top of the ladder, in case the Colonel needs some help.
Kinch resumed his watch via the periscope and Newkirk climbed the ladder.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vv
Carter and LeBeau entered the barracks yelling at the sleeping men,"Get up!" LeBeau demanded, "The Colonel needs your help; Hurry!" LeBeau pounded on the bunks as he walked past. Carter and LeBeau began a loud fight and took it out into the compound. The other men followed, surrounded them and joined in the commotion by yelling and encouraging them. The spotlights hit them, the guards came running, and the sirens went off.
Steffan finally took off running toward the gate to see what the commotion was about.
"NOW NEWKIRK! Peter jumped out of the tree trunk and Hogan came running forward. Newkirk steadied him as he climbed into the opening but he couldn't make his hands grip the ladder. Wrapping his arms around the rungs to keep from falling he slid in. Kinch guided him from behind. As soon as they got Hogan away from the ladder, they began stripping off his wet clothes. He was shivering violently. Kinch grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around him and began rubbing his arms to try and generate some heat.
Newkirk ran to get Hogan's dry uniform.
"Oh man, I was c…cold." He was starting to feel warmer now that his body heat was not being wicked away.
Newkirk returned with the clothes and a hot cup of coffee and held it up for him to drink.
"Thanks." He said, as he grabbed the mug with the palms of his two cupped hands. The shivering had become sporadic.
"Newkirk would you hand me my clothes? What time is it I think my watch has stopped?"
"Two thirty a.m., Colonel."
"I'm thirty minutes behind schedule. Where are Carter and LeBeau?"
"They went to create the diversion, so we could get you inside." Newkirk explained.
"Tell them, thanks."
"We will, Colonel. Come on, we've got to get you back to solitary."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv
"Schultz what's going on" Klink demanded.
"Herr Kommandant they were fighting"
"Dummkopf, I can see that. What were they fighting about?"
"He woke me up with his snoring." LeBeau complained.
"I can't help it. I didn't know I was snoring. I was sleeping for crying out loud." Carter shouted back.
"Silence! Schultz put them both on report. I will deal with them in the morning. Now get everyone back to bed."
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."
Newkirk and Kinch appeared in the barrack door and nodded at LeBeau and Carter.
"You heard the Kommandant, everyone back to bed!"