The T.V. show Hogan's Heroes belongs to Bing Crosby Productions. No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred, and no infringement is intended.

That's What Friends Are For

By Marty Breedlove

"Hold it tight against the wood and I'll tape it in place! I said tight!"

"I've bloody well got it tight…you're taping my hand!"

"Shhh! Now run the wires along…no, no, that way!"

"Carter, you're driving me around the bend! I know which way to go!"

Shhh! Now tie it into the plunger. Wait, make sure the plunger is up!

Oh, leave off! How much time do we have?

The young American sergeant looked at his watch, "We'll make it!"

"Here comes that bloody guard again!"

"Hide the detonator there, Newkirk, and let's get out of here!"

"Louis, are you about done?" he asked, materializing out of the darkness.

"Oui, just finished, Colonel."

"Good! Timing is important on this. When I turn the lights out, you get in and get out!"

"Oui, how much time will I have before the "packages" blow?

"About 25 seconds."

"Twenty-five seconds!"

"That's what I like, a man who works well under pressure!" Hogan exclaimed, disappearing into the night again.

Calm down you've done things like this a hundred times before. He reached up and pulled his crush cap further down over his eyes. Yeah, but this time it's different isn't it? This time it's for Kinch. They had one chance to pull this off. The American Colonel looked at his watch, "Where are those two?" Then he heard the sounds of footsteps and indecipherable chatter. The three men, creating the noise, came into view at the front of the building. Kinch was in-between, being propelled along on his way, for what he thought was going to be just another routine attempt at indoctrination by the Nazis. Hogan hugged the shadows at the side of the structure as the threesome passed.

"Hi, Colonel, where have you been?" Carter was practically giddy with excitement.

"Where have I been? I thought you two were going to be right here waiting for me?"

"Right, Colonel, but there was a guard that decided to make a pass and …"

"Save it for later Newkirk, we're running short on time. Don't forget, as soon as you see the lights go out, wait twenty-five seconds and then set off your 'show'!"

"Right, "Carter and Newkirk answered together.

The Colonel turned and started down the side of the building and then just as quickly swung back. "Better wait… five seconds more. That's thirty seconds altogether, have you got that?"

"Right, sir," Carter saluted, and Newkirk hit him with his hat, as the Colonel again disappeared down the side of the building.

Hogan reached the door and straightened his uniform, before nonchalantly walking in and mixing into the room of soldiers. A few indiscriminant glances past over him until his uniform was recognized as one of their own. Gradually, he faded to the back of the room. He took note that the door to the small supply room was slightly ajar, just as it should be. This meant LeBeau was watching, waiting for the lights to go out. Everyone knows their part. It'll work…it has to work…I owe it to Kinch ! Okay, here we go!

"CLICK!" Darkness surrounded them. It was the total blackness that accosts you before your eyes have time to adjust, and all you can do is stand waiting to recognize something so you can judge your up from your down.

LeBeau, having been in the dark to begin with, had a few seconds advantage. He emerged from his hiding place and rolled his handiwork where it would not be seen right away when the lights blared back on. Still, it was close enough for the Colonel to use it at the right time. His part of the operation performed, he shoved his way back out of the jostling crowd of noise.

There was a rustling of feet, as if someone was being encircled. They're surrounding Kinch. Hogan was waiting to hear the pop from the explosive packs overhead before he again threw the lights on. Thirty seconds of darkness should cause the lights to appear twice as bright when they pop back on. Silhouettes were just beginning to appear in the darkness, when --"POP…POP…POP"…-- Hogan threw the switch again and the lights blared. The smell of gun smoke wafted down from the rafters as the air became thick with the fallout from the explosions. The door again swung open, Carter and Newkirk came barreling in just in time to see Kinch jostled forward by the swarming crowd, and their Colonel fighting his way through to him. Louis worked his way around to his two Comrades by the door, and they stood watching the unfolding events.

Hogan reached Kinch just as the Sergeant was beginning to realize what was happening. The Colonel reached up and knocked some of the twisted orange and yellow debris out of the American Sergeants hair. Kinch's eyes adjusted to the light, and the face belonging to the familiar voice came into view. "Don't look so surprised to see us; we owed it to you!" The surrounded prisoner caught the wink, just as his Colonel quickly stepped back raising his hands as if in surrender and quickly brought them back down. The soldiers, surrounding Kinch and the Colonel, performed their next move in unison, and a huge cumulative intake of air was suddenly released in one great combined effort designed to put a stop to any desire to flee. And a chorus of mismatched voices bellowed out, "Happy birthday to you...!"