No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.
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"Look, Kinch, there is Newkirk!" whispered Le Beau excitedly, making sure to keep Schultz out of earshot.
"What's he doing with Strohm dressed like that?" Carter asked.
"And where is the Colonel?" wondered Le Beau.
Kinch waved his arm out the window, trying to get the attention of Newkirk, who was standing near a chain link fence with Strohm close by. They seemed to be deep in conversation when Newkirk saw them and nodded. Turning quickly to Strohm, the two of them disappeared into the building.
"Hey, Schultz, that's Newkirk!" shouted Kinch, suddenly becoming animated and pointing to where the pair had been standing. He passed his thoughts to the others with a brief look.
"Where?" Schultz asked, almost running the car off the road. "Where is he, Sergeant Kinchloe?"
"I'm sure I just saw him and Captain Strohm going into that building there!" Le Beau said. "We will have to follow them."
Schultz wasted no time pulling over. He did his best to jump out of the car, forgetting his rifle, with his prisoners close behind. "Where? Where are they?" Schultz said. "Are you sure you saw them?"
"Oui, oui—they went inside here, Schultz," said Le Beau.
"Let's go," said Kinch, starting towards the door.
Schultz was pulled up by Carter. "Here you go, Schultz," he said, handing the guard his weapon. "We have to look like you're in charge."
"Oh. Danke, Carter," he answered, slinging it over his shoulder. Le Beau raised his eyes toward the heavens and shook his head.
They encountered Strohm as they entered the lobby. "Where are Colonel Hogan and Newkirk?" Le Beau burst, looking around. Neither was anywhere to be found.
"Yeah, what have you done with them?" Carter added, puzzled.
Strohm merely nodded to acknowledge their presence, refusing to become agitated by their anxiety. "Colonel Hogan is answering some questions for my colleagues," he said calmly. Hogan's men had flashbacks that they did not enjoy of their commanding officer's last question-and-answer session with the Germans. But they did not understand Newkirk's absence, or why he was dressed as an SS soldier. "Your Englishman is with him, and will be returned to you soon." Kinch, Carter, and Le Beau's eyes spoke to each other. That's not true. What's going on?
"Herr Kapitan," said Schultz, saluting nervously. "I have orders to bring Colonel Hogan and Corporal Newkirk back to Stalag 13 with these other men."
"Don't worry, Sergeant. They will go with you. I am sure they will be of very little use to us, when we are finished." He fixed Schultz with a contemptuous stare. "I thought these men were to be detailing your Kommandant's car."
"Jawohl, Herr Kapitan, they have done so. But they were waiting for Colonel Hogan to—to—"
"Yes, I know, to bring wine, bread, and a beautiful fraulein. I recall it exactly," Strohm said. "Wait here," he ordered. "I will bring you your Corporal." And he turned on his heel and walked away.
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"I will take you downstairs and organize for your men to get to the cars," Voelker said, as Newkirk put on his RAF jacket and cap. "That will be a simple process, and one which your Sergeant Schultz can oversee on his own."
"Good; Schultz can't handle anything complicated, like guarding prisoners," answered Newkirk. "How long before Colonel Hogan's due back?"
"The next shift should be starting any minute. We will wait for your Colonel, and then I will get you out."
"Do the others know who you really are?"
"I do not think so. They seemed concerned. Or perhaps they are just good actors, like yourself and your Colonel Hogan."
"Let's hope he's winding up his acting career on a high."
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Hogan found his way back to the room where Newkirk and Voelker were waiting, in a fog. He had survived the remainder of his SS guard stint by sheer force of will. Shifting his brain into autopilot, he steadfastly ignored the jackhammer in his head and the rolling waves in his stomach. As Luftwaffe plans were being ironed out and accepted, Hogan had taken in the words, now numb to their implications, and committed details of movements, supply locations, and tactics to memory. Then, when replacement guards suddenly appeared, he had come off duty with the smart salute of a Third Reich devotee, and parted company with the others as quickly as he could do so without arousing suspicion.
As Hogan closed the door to Voelker's room, all the strength went out of him and he sank involuntarily to his knees. Sick inside and trembling with weakness, he succumbed easily to the hands helping him toward the bed. "Gov'nor, what happened? Are you all right?"
He heard Newkirk's anxious voice somewhere nearby and tried to reassure him. "I'm okay… just… felt dizzy for a minute…." And he tried to wave him away, but winced painfully when he shook his head and stopped.
"Did they hurt you, Colonel?" pressed Newkirk.
"No," Hogan managed. "Just … have a headache…. It'll go away soon. Too … much… time with the bad guys." He was trying hard not to vomit. "Get—get these boots—off me."
"Bloody Gestapo scum," Newkirk seethed. He gestured for Voelker to help him do as ordered. He helped Hogan lay back on the bed. "Bleedin' filth," he spat. "Somebody's gotta put 'em in their place."
No one spoke as Hogan slowly regained his energy. Newkirk got him a glass of water, and loosened his uniform shirt around his neck. Eventually Hogan sat up again, vaguely pushing the caring hands away. "I'll be okay," he said, convincing no one. The throbbing in his head had receded so that he could hear more clearly, and the queasiness seemed to be under control for now. But the words he had heard wouldn't go away. They would never go away, he feared.
"We got what we needed," he rasped. "More than enough." Newkirk was still hovering like an anxious mother bird. "I'm fine," he insisted, trying to make his voice sound sterner and more in control. "I just got caught off-guard, that's all. Let me get this immoral uniform off and back into my own clothes and we'll get moving. How are we going with the cars?" Newkirk continued to look apprehensive. "Newkirk, will you cut it out? What's going on?" Hogan said, wishing instantly that he hadn't raised his voice.
"—Well, Colonel," Newkirk said, shaking himself back to work, "Voelker has shown me where the cars are kept, and he was just about to take us downstairs to get to them. Le Beau, Carter, and Kinch are down there with Schultz."
"How are you planning to do that?" asked Hogan.
"Well, Colonel, we could do another round of guard duty—" This time it was Hogan's turn to shoot a withering look. Voelker stopped. "But I presume that would not be the preferred method."
"No, it would not." Hogan put up a hand to stop Voelker from continuing. "Newkirk, have the fellas got any more car polish left?"
"I don't know, Colonel; I haven't spoken to them yet."
"Doesn't matter. I'm sure they can manage to scrape some up. Voelker, what if they get volunteered to do a nice spit and polish job on the Luftwaffe cars as well?"
"That may work; they have told me they are already done with your Colonel Klink's car. But they do not know me yet, Colonel. They may be reluctant to carry out a sabotage job with me in their presence."
"You don't know my boys," said Hogan, smiling slightly for the first time since they arrived in Hammelburg. "They could smile in Hitler's face if it meant being able to stab him in the back. We'll just explain everything; they'll be fine." He stood up, unsteady but determined. "Come on, there's work to do. I don't know how much longer that meeting's going to go on. They seem to have had things pretty well planned when I was there, and I want to make sure they have absolutely no chance to put any of those theories into practice."
"Please, Colonel," broke in Voelker. "I have already promised your men I would bring Newkirk to them. They think you are being interrogated." Hogan started, then simply eyed Voelker angrily. "I am sorry; it was the only way to explain your presence at the Landgasthaus to your Sergeant Schultz. If I take Corporal Newkirk downstairs, it will give you time to change and recover. And I would like to have a word with you, as a gentleman."
Hogan, torn between his sense of urgency and his need to stop, even for just a few minutes, silently agreed, and Voelker and Newkirk departed.
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"Pierre, are you all right? Did les porcs harm you? What about le Colonel?"
"Settle, settle, Louis, I'm fine," soothed Newkirk as he approached his colleagues from the lift. "Colonel Hogan is okay, too." He pulled in closer to them as Schultz praised Strohm for the safe return of at least one of his missing prisoners. In a low voice, he added, "That's Voelker," and nodded, then quickly straightened as the faces of the others registered surprise, and even anger.
"Sergeant Schultz. Since your men seem to have so much time on their hands, and since you insist on waiting for your Colonel Hogan before going back to you Luftstalag, I think it would be very … nice… if they would give the same care and detail to the cars in the adjoining lot as they have to your Kommandant's vehicle," Voelker suggested.
Schultz balked at the idea. "I—I—Herr Kapitan, I just have to make sure I get Colonel Hogan and head back to the Stalag. He is our senior POW officer," he said pleadingly. "How long will he be tied up?"
"A fine choice of words," said Voelker, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Newkirk shook his head. Good thing I know he's on our side. I think. "Hogan will be… tied up… for a bit longer. Certainly long enough for those cars to be well looked after."
"Herr Kapitan, I cannot let these prisoners stray away. Not again!" Schultz protested.
Newkirk, with a wink to the others, quickly piped up, "Atta boy, Schultzie, you tell 'im who's boss!"
"Yeah, that's right, Schultz, you give him what for!" Carter added.
"Your job is to look after us, Schultz—never mind any possible court martial," said Kinch.
"Or transfer to the Russian front," Le Beau continued. The others laughed heartily, trying to show Schultz how much they admired his rebellious streak.
"The Russian front?" Schultz repeated, his eyes widening.
"That's right, Schultz—defying a superior officer. That's really big of you, Schultz, looking after us like that," said Newkirk, with a sniff. "Makes me feel warm all over."
"Yeah, why should we look after some Kraut's car—no offence," said Le Beau with a nod towards Voelker.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Schultz finally stammered. "You boys have nothing better to do while you wait for Colonel Hogan; I think you should head out to the cars and do as you have been ordered to by Herr Kapitan Strohm."
The foursome groused and grumbled as they headed outside, followed by Voelker. "Hey Schultz, at least let me have something to eat," Newkirk said. "You don't think my hosts were kind enough to provide lunch, do you?"
"Hosts…jolly joker," mumbled Schultz. "Fine, you will take the picnic basket with you." He turned to Le Beau, who was starting to get his temper up. "I know, Corporal Le Beau, I know—no one else will touch your food."
Le Beau smiled and went to the back of Klink's car, away from Schultz, quickly loading the basket with charges and handing it to Newkirk. "There may even be enough for you to have seconds, Schultz," said Le Beau graciously.
"Seconds? You mean thirds," said Kinch.
"Fourths," corrected Carter.
"I will let the guard know of your job. I want to see these cars looking their best when I come back. No excuses!" Voelker barked.
"Jawohl, Kapitan Strohm," agreed Schultz.
"I will check on the progress of your beloved Colonel Hogan," Voelker sneered. "You would be wise to be working diligently, Sergeant."
"Jawohl, Herr Kapitan," said Schultz again. "Jawohl."
After Voelker had words with the SS guard watching over the parking lot, he ordered Schultz and the heroes in, and disappeared back inside. Le Beau handed out some snacks from the basket to Schultz and the other guard, while Carter carefully removed the explosives. Newkirk and Kinch then began to polish the bonnets of the cars farthest from the men with the rifles, and asked to open the hoods, so even the engines could have a luster to be proud of.