Disclaimer: See chapter three
Author's note: Thank you to all that have reviewed. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to up date this story, I'm been having a week long party called Schoolies or for you Americans I think you call it Spring break. It's taken another week for me to get over Schoolies. Well any way here's the story.
A loud drone of a plane could be heard in the distance coming closer to the men waiting. Newkirk watched as LeBeau set the flares for the plane to navigate by. Major Liam Conner moved slightly next to him, Newkirk guessed he was nervous about going home. Newkirk jumped when he heard some one yell on the other side of the field.
"What was that?" Conner whispered.
"I don't know, hide." Newkirk commanded pushing the other man behind a tree. Newkirk listened as more yelling and shouting could be heard over the done of the coming plane. Newkirk looked around the side of the tree, he could see five figures on the other side of the field. He hoped that LeBeau had escaped notice of the patrol.
"I thought you said that all the patrols had been taken care of." Conner demanded sounding more like a major than he had all the time he had known him.
"The General said he was taking care of the patrols," Newkirk jumped again at the sound of LeBeau's voice.
"We have to do some thing." Conner cried as the plane came closer.
At that moment a gun shot sliced through the air. Newkirk could now see six figures on the other side of the field. One man was running across the field being followed by the other men. The figure looked vaguely familiar to Newkirk but didn't know why.
"What's going on?" Conner asked watching the running figures as they came closer. Newkirk didn't brother answering the question, for he had no idea to the answer. They watched as the men came closer. Another shot rang out and the figure in front swerved to the right, away from where Newkirk, LeBeau and Conner watched.
The lead man looked back the moon light showing his features, Newkirk gasped, grabbing onto LeBeau's shoulder.
"It's mon Colonel, we have to help him." LeBeau cried trying to pull away from Newkirk.
"We can't, we 'ave to 'ait for the plane," Newkirk whispered, LeBeau started cursing in French, as Hogan disappeared into the bush being followed by the five guards. "I hope your information is worth all this." Newkirk snarled at Conner.
***
'Okay I don't like this plan any more,' Hogan yelled silently, as he skipped through the bush. 'This is getting old, real quick.' Hogan thought as he dodged another bullet. 'Next time I see Hochstetter I'm going to complain about his dogs.'
"Halt!" one of the men yelled from behind him, 'Yeah, right as if that ever works,' Hogan thought as he skipped behind a tree and took a shot at one of the men. The man went down as the others hid behind trees and bushes. Hogan silently crept doubled over to the left keeping behind a large log. At the end of the log he could see a long deep ditch.
'It seems Lady Luck on my side today,' Hogan thought. If he could reach the ditch he could he could travel undetected away from his enemy. When he reached the ditch he rolled into it, once he reached the bottom he could stand without being seen. He silently ran along its length. At any moment he expected to hear shouting and gun shots. He guessed he was about 25 feet away when the ditch started to fill out.
Hogan guessed he was far enough away to double back. He would keep an eye on the patrol, while Newkirk and LeBeau got Conner on the plane.
***
LeBeau pulled out his torch as the plane came in flashing the signal. The plane slowed and turned coming back in for the landing. The plane landed without incident, as it had in the past. Newkirk grabbed hold of Conner's arm pulling him towards the plane.
"The sun shines bright in the day sky," the pilot said as Newkirk approached.
"As bright as the moon in the night sky," LeBeau replied.
"Here's your package." Newkirk pushed Conner forward, "Watch out 'e just ate bake beans."
"Thank, mate" the man said to Newkirk while giving Conner a hand into the plane. "Make yourself at home." He told Conner before turning back to Newkirk and LeBeau. "I'll see you lot next time,"
The pilot jumped back into his plane.
"Good luck," LeBeau and Newkirk called as the plane started up. The two friend watched as the plane took off.
"Well time to go home," Newkirk told LeBeau as the plane disappeared.
***
Hogan watched as the five men patrol watched the plane disappear. 'Good job Newkirk and LeBeau.' Hogan silently congratulated. The five men moved through the bush hoping to catch up with any stay member of the underground. 'Poor Hochstetter missed us again did you?' Hogan thought as he followed the patrol. He followed the patrol for another 15 minutes. Hogan stopped when he heard a high pitched beeping, he knew that sound it was a radio key. The other five men stopped upon hearing the same beeping Hogan could. 'Don't let this be Kinch, don't let this be Kinch,' Hogan pleaded. His worst fear was confirmed as a fire started to the left of him, he could just make out a Kinch running through the bush. The five men patrol ran after Kinch shooting when they could. Hogan followed at a distance. He lost sight of Kinch as he followed the patrol.
He heard a squealed and a thud and stopped in his tracks.
'Lady Luck I hope you're still looking down on us,' Hogan wished. He watched as the patrol stopped for a second then moved on. He came closer, he could now see a road, could see Kinch and a truck. Kinch was lying on the ground a tree at his back. He watched as a Gestapo soldier jumped out of the truck's front seat. Hogan heard himself snarl as the soldier pulled Kinch to his feet. Hogan could see that his friend was in pain. The patrol he had been following broke cover, the other soldier, a Colonel, stepped in front of the patrol.
"We have caught the radioman and are taking him back to Gestapo Headquarters." The Colonel yelled.
"Sir we were told to bring the man back with us." One of the patrol's men said.
The Colonel seemed to grow two feet as he advanced on the Major. "Are you implying that I can not look after one man?" The Colonel yelled.
"No sir!" The man said coming to attention and saluting.
"Good," The Colonel yelled, Hogan could see that the man was taking an effort to calm himself. "Never make that mistake again or you may find yourself at the Russian Front!"
Hogan watched as the Colonel turned and walked back to the truck, as the truck pulled away. He could see Kinch sitting in the back of the truck across from another soldier.