No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"You've got a what?"
"A transmitter coming in from the local Underground," Kinch repeated. "It's due here any day."
Hogan's jaw dropped when Kinch told him about the arrangement the prisoners had with the local Underground. "So, bit by bit, you guys have been building a radio?" Hogan shook his head. "Amazing. Where—how—?"
Kinch smiled and nodded his head. "I know, it seems impossible, doesn't it? But the locals have been great. The local vet, Oskar Schnitzer—he comes in and changes the guard dogs every day. And when he comes, sometimes he happens to slip us something we need: food, medicine…lately parts. We only have the transmitter left, and that's coming in the next few days…we hope."
Hogan nodded. "How long has this been going on?"
"Since just before Hayes flew the coop. One day a dog got away from Schnitzer. The men were terrified, thought the thing was going to tear them apart. That is till we noticed that the animal was trying to play with us. Turns out Schnitzer has trained the dogs to get used to the Allied uniforms; he's encountered a few escapees in his time. And he was none too anxious to get them back to the Germans."
Hogan shook his head. "Good man," he said, as a smile crossed his lips. "So where's the rest of the radio?" he asked. "I don't see anything here."
"Ah…but there's more," Kinch smiled. He led Hogan over to the bunks near the far window of the common room and banged twice on the wood on the side of the upper berth. Suddenly, the bottom mattress and its support rose up, revealing a ladder and a gaping hole underneath it.
Hogan was astonished. "That's—that's—" he spluttered.
"The beginning of a tunnel. We've been working on it for a long time," Kinch said, pleased with Hogan's stunned reaction. "Hey, Newkirk," Kinch called down into the hole.
Hogan's eyes widened when he saw the RAF Corporal poke his head out from below. "Yeah, Kinch?—Oh, hello, gov'nor. Getting the tour at last, are you? Come on down."
Hogan looked at Kinch, then took to the ladder to follow Newkirk down into the dimness. "I'm speechless!" he admitted, looking around him. There, over in the corner, was a table and chair, and what appeared to be most of a two-way radio set up. Wires led up from one of the boxes and through to the barracks floor. Hogan pointed. "Where does this go to?"
"Out into the compound. Our aerial is above Klink's office." Kinch pointed to a lever on the wall. "Pump that and the flagpole goes up…and so does our signal. Only when we want it to. That's the plan, anyway. When the rest of the stuff comes."
"This is incredible," Hogan breathed. He started walking. "How far does this go?" he asked.
"Not as far as we'd like it to," Newkirk said, chagrined. "We don't know where to put the rest of the dirt. We've been sneaking it out a little at a time. But it takes too long, and we're running out of excuses."
Hogan nodded. Newkirk shot a look at Kinch. His mind's ticking over, he was trying to tell the Sergeant. Kinch nodded. Newkirk smiled, fascinated, as he watched Hogan pace the small area and study the radio equipment.
"Y'know, Stalag 13 isn't very welcoming to newcomers," Hogan said casually.
Newkirk frowned his misunderstanding. "Sir?"
"When I got here I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of color," Hogan continued. "No, not very welcoming at all." He continued pacing slowly, then stopped and looked at the two men. "What this camp needs is a beautification committee. A group of men willing to put in the hard yards, to make this camp a home away from home." Kinch and Newkirk exchanged concerned looks. "A group of men who don't mind getting their hands dirty," Hogan continued, now with obvious relish. "Who get a real joy out of moving the earth. Especially if they're moving it from a tunnel… to somewhere that no one will think it's out of place."
Light dawned on Newkirk and Kinch at the same time. Newkirk's worried face melted into a smile. "Gov'nor, that's brilliant." He laughed as Hogan took a mock bow. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"So this is another reason we've been happy to leave escapes on hold for awhile. We want to get this stuff in place so we can make it easier for everyone in the future," Kinch said.
Hogan nodded. "Understood." He sighed wistfully, then got a faraway look in his eyes but said nothing. Suddenly, Hogan snapped back to reality. "I've gotta go see Klink this morning about the lights in Barracks Three and the faulty shower taps. That'll make a total of three visits to the Kommandant today." He smiled grimly and shook his head as he once again surveyed his surroundings. "Amazing," he said. "Just amazing. Thanks for showing me all this," he said. Kinch and Newkirk just nodded. "We won't let it go to waste."
He hopped back up the ladder with a little less spring in his step than he had come down with. Kinch started to follow. Turning to Newkirk behind him, he said, "Let's get the Escape Committee together tonight."
"Shall we tell Colonel Hogan?"
"Not yet. I'd like to propose something first without him there. I have a feeling he'd put up a fight, and I don't think he can take that yet."
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Colonel Klink stood on the steps outside his office, smiling broadly. A small group of prisoners was determinedly digging and sorting, rearranging small boulders and clearing a patch of the compound in front of Barracks Three. Flowers would be planted there, as soon as Schultz returned from the nearby village with some blossoms. "I am very pleased that the men are taking an interest in your Camp Beautification Committee, Colonel," Klink said to Hogan, who was observing the proceedings beside him.
"Well, sir, the men had a talk, and they've decided they have to take pride in their surroundings," Hogan said cheerfully. He nodded at Newkirk, who had just appeared from behind Barracks Two with a wheelbarrow full of dirt and was spreading it evenly around the work area. "And after all, some of these men will have nothing to go back to after the war. They need to learn some new skills. Horticulture is the way to go, sir."
"It is?"
"Everyone has a sweetheart, sir. Flowers are always needed, always wanted, always loved."
Klink sighed contentedly and nodded.
"Speaking of which, Kommandant: the men would like permission to plant around all the barracks as time goes on."
"All the barracks?"
"And maybe around your office and the guards' quarters, too, sir. After all, we want to be like a family. And one family can't live in splendor while another lives in a slum."
Klink frowned at the idea of being the family with the unattractive home. Still… "Don't you think that is taking things a little too far?" he asked.
"Oh, no, sir. Gardening is good for the soul, sir. And we want your home to be as beautiful as ours." And just as useful in taking some of the dirt from the tunnel.
"I must say, Hogan, I am impressed," Klink said, nodding his approval. "Permission granted; you may let this committee dig wherever it likes around the camp."
Hogan smiled to himself. "We were hoping you'd say that, sir."
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"So how are we going?" Hogan asked.
"Well, sir, in the last week and a half we've managed to get the tunnel dug almost to the fence line." Newkirk smiled as he reported their progress. He just couldn't believe anyone could pull this off. And now here was Hogan, twisting Klink around his little finger, and they were doing things they could only have imagined before. "That's more than twice as far as we've gotten in the last four months."
"That's fantastic," Hogan said, shaking his head. "You guys have done great work."
"It's been fairly easy, considering we're doing it right in front of Klink's face," Kinch grinned.
"Well, that does have its distinct advantages," Hogan chuckled. "Klink thinks we're learning a trade for after the war is over. He's sure we're all going to go home and open greenhouses." The men laughed. "Listen, you're doing a great job. Keep it up. The first time somebody uses this tunnel, you'll be prouder than you've ever been in your life."
Le Beau looked at the others, who nodded. "Mon Colonel, we would like you to be the first to use it," he said quietly.
Hogan turned to Le Beau, still caught up in his previous train of thought. But his face went serious when he realized what had been said. "What's that?" he asked, looking from one man to the next, and back again to Le Beau.
"The Escape Committee took a vote on it and decided they want you to be the first one out once the tunnel is finished," Le Beau said.
"But—but why?" Hogan asked. "There must be dozens of men who've been waiting for months. Why me?"
Newkirk cleared his throat and spoke up. "Well, sir," he started hesitantly, "to be honest we don't like the way you came in 'ere. The Krauts went too far." Hogan tried to see Newkirk's eyes, but the Corporal wasn't ready to meet his look yet. "They humiliated you. They hurt you. And let's face it, gov'nor, they haven't given up yet, have they? Klink's still at you every day—"
"I can handle Klink," Hogan interrupted, dumbstruck by the proposition being presented. Some of these men had been here for months, some more than a year—and yet they were offering him the chance to get away?
"Yeah, but it's not just Klink, is it?" Newkirk rejoined.
"Colonel, we see the look in your eyes whenever some big brass comes to visit the camp," Le Beau said. "You are never quite sure if they are coming for you. We are all scared, Colonel. But none of us has to live with that. We want you to go. It will give us some pride back."
"I don't know what to say," Hogan said.
"We also think that of all the men here at the moment, you're probably the one most likely to be able to pull it off," Kinch said, knowing that Hogan was going to need some convincing. "Remember when I told you the men had lost heart? Well I wasn't making it up, sir—it's true. None of them thinks he can do it, even though they've all been pretty excited with this tunnel thing happening. They need someone to show them, Colonel. To do it first and remind them it can be done."
Hogan shook his head in disbelief. "What about the radio?" he asked, trying to think clearly, a difficult task with his head spinning as it was now.
"Delayed," Kinch said. "Schnitzer told us today—the bit we needed was smashed on its way in. They're waiting for another one, but we don't know how long that will take. It could be days, it could be months. We want to help, Colonel. And we want to say thanks."
Hogan looked away.
"Oui, Colonel, to say thank you," Le Beau repeated. "For giving us something to hope for again."
"For reminding us about the kind of men we can be," Newkirk added.
"The kind of men you are," Hogan said, his voice carrying more emotion than he cared to show. He looked at the three before him. "I've never met anyone like you men before."
Happy to break the heavy emotion in the room, Newkirk said, "Then you can consider yourself lucky up till now, gov'nor!"
They all laughed. "Thank you," Hogan said, feeling the words were most inadequate. He cleared his throat. "I'd better go for my next cross-examination," he said. And standing up, he quickly left the barracks, before anyone could see the tears in his eyes.