Disclaimer: see chapter three.
'Out of all the bad luck' Hogan swore. As one of the patrol's men handcuffed him.
"Lousy Krauts, what do ye think ye're doing?" Hogan yelled in a strong English accent. He had decided within the few short minutes of being captured that with an English accent would benefit him nicely, for if Hochstetter heard that an American had been captured he would be banging down the door to get to him. He was also lucky that he was covered with dirt, for his raven black hair was now a dull brown, and his features were hard to see under the dirt. The more out of character he was the longer it would take Hochstetter to realise who he had in custody.
"Be quiet Englander or we'll silence you," the captain of the group yelled holding up the rifle he carried as a threat. Hogan had already been hit twice with the thing he didn't want to feel it a third time. He stood silently as one of the men called for a truck to take them to Gestapo Headquarters. When the truck arrive Hogan was thrown roughly into the back of the truck his handcuffed hands unbalanced him and he crashed to the floor. The Germans laughed as Hogan painfully struggled to his feet. One of the Germans jumped into the back of the truck with him. Hogan stepped back the wall of the truck stopped him from going further. The German gave him a cruel smile before pushing him down onto the wooden seat that lined the back of the truck on both sides, Hogan could see a second man behind the one that stood in front of him.
"The pain you feel now Englander is nothing compared to what awaits you at Gestapo headquarters," the German said in heavy accented English, making his friends behind him laugh. Hogan felt the sudden urge to punch the smiling German right in his fat, ugly face, but the fantasy was short lived as he saw the butt of the rifle heading towards him seconds before he tumbled into oblivion.
***
"This is 260 requesting a truck for a suspect to go to Gestapo headquarters." Said a German voice over the radio in the truck. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and jumped from the front of the truck.
"We have a problem some one else has been captured." Mike said sitting in the back with Kinch and Carter. "What are we to do?"
"Did they give a description?" Kinch asked. 'Maybe it's not Hogan,' he thought hopefully.
"They didn't give one," Mike said.
"Okay we'll just have to take a chance." Kinch told them. "We'll just have to go to the Gestapo headquarters. How far are we from stalag 13?"
"Not that far?"
"Good, we'll pick up Newkirk and LeBeau and get our uniforms." Kinch sat back in his seat. "It's going to be a long night."
***
When Mike arrived at Gestapo Headquarters he put Kinch in one of the holding cells while he went and rang the General to inform him of the situation. While he was waiting for the general to pick up, he looked around the headquarters. The late hour meant the he and two others were the only ones in the office. All around him was silence it was no surprised that shouting at the door grabbed the attention of the office. Two men were dragging in a third who was shouting and cursing. One of the Germans raised his gun and hit the man in the stomach, Mike flinched, as the prisoner doubled over in pain. The man quieted down slightly, Mike could now make out that the man had an English accent.
"He looks like trouble, where did you pick him up?" Mike called over to the men.
"We picked him up along the Hammelburg road, sir," one of the guards said.
'That must be our man,' Mike thought. "Put him in the cell second from the right." Mike said out loud, before picking up the phone that he didn't realise he'd put down.
"Yes, sir," the two men said simultaneously, as they dragged the prisoner out of the main office. The man's cursing quietly faded leaving the office in tense silence.
"General Krotz speaking, Heil Hitler."
"Heil Hitler, General we have a problem, we need you to come and release a prisoner from Gestapo Headquarters, sir." Mike said quietly so no one but the General could hear him.
"I'll be there as soon as I can Colonel Cruger. Heil Hitler."
"Heil Hitler," Mike whispered hanging up the phone.
Mike stepped outside and made his way to the waiting truck parked down the side of Gestapo headquarters.
"I think your man was just dragged into a holding cell, do you want to make sure it's him?" Mike asked of the three men within the truck.
"I'll check," Carter cried, tripping over the truck's guard rail in an attempt to exit the vehicle.
"Whoa," Mike chuckled as he grabbed Carter before he hit the ground.
"Thanks," Carter mumbled, standing straighter.
"Clam down Carter, I'll go and see if it's the gov'nor," Newkirk said jumping down from the truck in one swift movement.
Mike and Newkirk walked towards Gestapo Headquarters leaving the disappointed Cater in their wake.
When Mike and Newkirk arrived at the prisoner's door, Mike pulled out the key for the door and unlocked it, then stood back as Newkirk slipped into the room. Mike closed the door after him. Newkirk jumped as the door closed, having a sudden flash that this was a trap. However all thoughts of a trap were dashed from his mind when his eyes found a figure by the opposite wall.
"Gov'nor?" Newkirk moved closer to the figure, which remained silent. "Colonel 'ogan?"
The figure stirred, groaning Newkirk grabbed the man's shoulder. Newkirk was sure it was Hogan he was looking at in the faint light from the door.
"Colonel 'ogan?" Hogan didn't respond.
"Colonel call in the troops, we need to move now," Newkirk called to Mike on the other side of the door. "Tell Carter to bring along some of 'is toys and LeBeau should stay in the truck, I'll help the gov'nor." Newkirk listened as the other man's foot steps faded away before turning back to the man next to him.
"Gov'nor can you hear me?" Newkirk shook Hogan's shoulder.
"Yeah, lousy Krauts," Hogan mumbled, as Newkirk pulled him to his feet.
"You got that right gov'nor," Newkirk whispered, as he pulled open the cell door. The sounds of Carter explosions echoed down the hallway.
"Good old Carter, you can always trust him to make a diversion." Hogan mumbled.
Carter, LeBeau and Mike came running towards him.
"LeBeau I asked you to stay in the truck," Newkirk said as he passed Hogan over to Carter.
"Not when mon Colonel needs help," LeBeau stated his chin pointing forward in defiance.
"Never let a Frenchman do a Englishman's job, I'll get the truck." Newkirk disappeared around the corner as Mike opened Kinch's cell door. Newkirk made his way outside without any resistance. He jumped into the truck and started the engine as the rest of the group arrived.
"Let's go home," Hogan called, still being helped by Carter. Newkirk drove back to stalag 13 passing Hochstetter's car on his way into town.