Sustaining the Wings, Part One Chapter 4: London's Orders, a hogan's heroes fanfic

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Stalag 13

November 1944

Day 2

Over in Barracks Two, Kinch was coming up from the tunnel. ''What did you find out, Kinch?" Hogan asked.

"It is Glenn Miller they've got. He was kidnapped by German commandos yesterday. The Allied Expeditionary Forces Band has been told that if they play in any further broadcasts, Miller would be sent back to England in a… sarg…" Kinch handed the paper to Hogan.

"Sarg?" Carter asked.

Hogan's expression was grim. "Coffin." He sighed and looked at the paper. "London's suspended the AEF broadcasts until they can get Miller back." He looked at Kinch. "Did you tell London we might know where Miller is?"

Kinch nodded. "They said if we can verify that it really is Glenn Miller, they want us to get him out of here and back to London, by any means necessary."

"How are we going to do that?" LeBeau asked.

Hogan already had the gears turning. "I'm not sure yet. But we're going to have to move fast. They're not going to keep him here long and we don't know how long we've got." Hogan went to the door of the barracks and looked out onto the compound. Burkhalter and Hochstetter were leaving. A guard stood outside the entrance to the guest quarters.

The rest of the heroes peered out the doorway with the Colonel. "Only one guard," Kinch pointed out.

"Yeah," Hogan said. "We shouldn't have any problem getting one of us in there to find out if it's really him. But first I'm going to try and see if I can weasel any information from Klink..." Hogan walked out of the barracks and across the compound to Klink's office. As usual, he walked directly into Klink's office without knocking.

Klink looked up from his desk, startled. "Oh Hogan, go away." After Burkhalter and Hochstetter and a highly important prisoner being brought in Klink wasn't in the mood for any shenanigans from Hogan.

"What's the idea of putting the camp on lock down with Burkhalter and Hochstetter?" Hogan started. "We're not allowed to see them come into the camp anymore, but we can see them leave? And what's with the guard outside the guest quarters?"

Klink sighed. "The Gestapo has a very important prisoner and they're having him held here temporarily. That's all I can tell you."

"Important prisoner? What kind of important prisoner?" Hogan paused. "An Allied prisoner?"

"Hogan, I can't tell you anything. None of it is of any concern to you nor is it part of any business of Stalag 13. It is a Gestapo prisoner and he is only here temporarily."

"If it's a Gestapo prisoner, how come he's not in the cooler?"

"He does not need to be held in the cooler. He is not a dangerous prisoner."

"But he has to be an Allied prisoner," Hogan surmised. "Why else would you put the camp on lock down? It has to be somebody the Gestapo doesn't want us to see. Who is it, Kommandant? A General? A Colonel?"

"Hogan, you're dismissed." Klink saluted.

"Are they really a prisoner....or a defector?"

Klink glared at Hogan. "It is not a defector. That is all I'm telling you. Disssmissssed, Hogan!" Klink looked down at his paperwork.

"If he's being held as a prisoner then he should be held in accordance with the Geneva Convention and as the senior POW officer of this camp I should be allowed to see him--"

"He is not a POW, Hogan! He is a prisoner of the Gestapo. Now, you were dismissed!"

Hogan backed off. Klink wasn't giving so much as an inch which meant that despite the prize of the Krauts capturing Miller, nobody was allowed to gloat about it. Quietly, Hogan turned and left the office. He paused in the area of Hilda's desk and looked back at the Kommandant's office door. Nobody's allowed to gloat about it... Hogan also realized that if Klink let something slip and if the entire camp knew that Miller was being held there, the Major would be moved out in no time flat. And that would be the end of any escape attempts. By the same token, Hogan knew he had to show his natural curiosity. Hopefully, Klink could keep his mouth shut.

Hilda was seated at her desk and the blonde secretary was watching the Colonel. "You're curious about the Gestapo prisoner?" she asked.

Hogan turned and looked at her. "Did you see who it was?"

"Only what uniform he wears. He is an American."

"Is he an officer?"

"I think so...his uniform looked like that of an officer. He had the same kind of hat as you."

Hogan nodded. "He's an officer." He looked at her for a moment. "What did he look like?"

Hilda shook her head. "I saw more than I was supposed to."

"They didn't want you to see him either?"

"No."

"Makes sense I suppose..." Hogan said as he came around the desk. "They figure one of us would ask you questions." Hogan smiled and leaned to Hilda and planted a kiss upon her cheek. "Of course, you've told me nothing..."

Meanwhile, Sergeant Shultz had been giving a task by Kommandant Klink, find out what the special prisoner needed for any additional personal items and get them. Klink had complained about the Gestapo not taking care of such business before sending Shultz on his way. Shultz had withheld his own answer to the complaint, that being that the Gestapo was taking care of it….by having the Luftwaffe take care of it.

Shultz nodded to the guard as he approached the guest quarters. He paused at the door and then knocked before entering. He found Major Miller was standing in the middle of the room, looking down at the floor with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. The American looked up as Shultz entered. "Herr Major," the Sergeant said, "the Kommandant asked me to ask you if there is anything you need?"

Miller looked at Shultz, remembering this was the guard that seemed to enjoy his reserved audaciousness towards Major Hochstetter. Miller decided he could risk a crack. "A ticket back to England?" he asked.

Shultz chuckled. "Jolly joker...Is there anything else that you need?"

Miller sighed. "Well, a kit would be nice." He looked at the cigarette he held between his fingers. His second to last one. "And a pack of cigarettes."

"A...kit?" Shultz raised an eyebrow.

Miller figured the German didn't understand the term. "Yeah. You know, a comb, toothbrush, shaving gear? Obviously I'm going to be here for a spell..."

Shultz looked at the Major. "You don't already have one with you?"

"The Gestapo didn't exactly give me time to pack, Sergeant..."

Shultz was mildly annoyed by this. The Gestapo really is having the Luftwaffe take care of this. He nodded to the Major. "I will get you a kit and some cigarettes. Is there anything else?"

Miller shook his head. "No."

"Very well." Shultz nodded and offered a salute to Major Miller. Miller returned it, although he found it odd to be saluting a German….let alone that a German would salute him. Shultz then turned to leave, the door quietly closing behind the Sergeant.