Stalag 13, Barracks 2
December 14, 1943, 1230 hours

Kinch lay on his bunk reading a well-read Perry Mason paperback. Actually, for the last half hour, he had been reading the same page of a well-read Perry Mason paperback. Reluctantly, he dog-eared the page and put the book aside. His mind was too preoccupied to concentrate on reading today.

Ever since this morning, Kinch had been thinking about Colonel Hogan's predicament. Why wouldn't the Colonel receive any mail at all? It's not that unusual to go a mail call or two without getting a letter, but once the Colonel's mail found him in this camp, he didn't miss one. He always got something, either from Lisa or his parents, or usually both. The Colonel is so upset about Lisa's mail that he probably doesn't realize that he hasn't received anything from his parents either.

Kinch looked around the room. The rest of the small group of men that made up Papa Bear's outfit were playing cards at the table in the middle of the barracks. Every one of us would feel bad about not getting any mail ourselves. But this group of men would also feel bad when one of the others didn't receive mail. We're all hurting now to see the Colonel going through this. But why – why has his mail suddenly stopped?

Kinch got out of bed and walked towards the door. "I'm going to take a little walk," he said to the men at the table.

"In this weather?" Newkirk asked. "Bloody cold out there, it is!"

"It's just a bit brisk," Kinch lied. He knew it was cold outside, he wanted to have a talk with Schultz, and Schultz was not here in the barracks. If you can't bring the mountain to Mohammed, he thought. Then Kinch takes a walk to Mount Schultz!

---------------

Kinch knew that Schultz would be minding the Kommandant's outer office today while both Hilda and Helga had the day off. It was a rare occasion that one of the two secretaries was not in the office, and on those rare days, it fell to Schultz to keep the secretarial chair warm.

Kinch entered the outer office to find Schultz sitting in the chair, feet out in front of him and his head back, snoring softly. He shut the door rather loudly, startling the portly sergeant into springing forward to look busily at the papers on the desk.

Kinch laughed. "Relax, Schultz," he said. "It's only me, not the old Bald Eagle."

"Sergeant Kinchloe, you should not scare me like that," he replied. "It is bad for my nerves!"

"Is the Kommandant in his office?" Kinch asked.

"Ja," Schultz replied. "He said he would be busy all day and not to disturb him." Schultz narrowed his eyes and looked at Kinch. "You are not planning any monkey business, are you?" he asked.

"Not at all, Schultz," Kinch responded. "I just want to ask you to do something for the Colonel."

"Why would you want me to do something for Colonel Klink?" Schultz asked.

"Not Colonel Klink," Kinch said. "Colonel Hogan."

"Will it get me into trouble?" Schultz asked. "Because you know I do not like to get into trouble with the Kommandant."

"I know, Schultz," Kinch replied. "You want to know nothing, nothing!"

"It is much easier to retain my neutrality that way," Schultz said.

"Schultz, do it for the Colonel," Kinch insisted.

Schultz sighed. He knew that Kinch would keep pestering him until he did whatever it was that Kinch was going to ask him to do. But sometimes Colonel Hogan got him into so much trouble. "What is it the Colonel wants me to do?" he asked.

"He doesn't know," Kinch replied. "I'm the one that wants you to do it."

"Do what?" Schultz asked.

"Schultz, the Colonel is really depressed about not getting any mail," Kinch explained.

"I know," Schultz said. "I hate coming into the barracks on mail day now."

"Why, Schultz?" Kinch asked. "Why isn't the Colonel getting any mail?"

"I do not know," Schultz replied. "The mail courier doesn't bring him any."

"Find out why, Schultz," Kinch begged. "Ask the courier if he knows why."

"But what if he doesn't know?" Schultz asked. "What if it is just because nobody is writing to him?"

"Schultz, think about it," Kinch said. "All the time he is here, he's getting two or three pieces of mail each time – at least. Then for two months, nothing at all. Does that make sense?"

Schultz shook his head. "No it doesn't," he replied. "But ..."

"Schultz, the Colonel would help you if your family couldn't communicate with you," Kinch said. He watched as Schultz closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, I knew that would get to him. He knows that Colonel Hogan would help his family, and now he'll tell me that he'll do it.

After a moment, Schultz said, "I will see if I can find out why."

Kinch smiled. "Thanks Schultz," he said and he walked out of the Kommandant's outer office, leaving Schultz lost in his thoughts.

---------------

Schultz didn't hear Kinch leave the room. He was absorbed with the thoughts of his family and Colonel Hogan.

It pained him to see the Colonel so despondent about his lack of mail. Colonel Hogan had always been good to Schultz. Yes, he has gotten me into some trouble every so often, but he has always gotten me out of it before I got shipped off to the Eastern Front or worse. And even though I always got the feeling that he would only help me if it were in his best interest, I never got the feeling that he wished me any harm.

Schultz thought back to the incident about eight months ago, in April, when Colonel Hogan was able to talk the Kommandant into allowing him to take his leave and go back to Heidelberg to visit his family. He wanted me to deliver that potted plant to the fräulein he had met when he was shot down. Schultz chuckled. So he said. After the fiasco with my wife at the gate, and then with the Kommandant for tearing up my pass, Colonel Hogan was able to talk Klink into giving me another pass to see my family, apparently looking out for my health. But the main reason he got Klink to allow me to leave was to deliver the plant ... that of course had necessary radio parts for the underground contact in Heidelberg.

Schultz smiled to himself. Imagine my surprise when the fräulein turned out to be my oldest daughter, Elena. Gretchen and I had known that she was involved in the underground, but both of us had turned a blind eye to that activity. We didn't want to know anything about what, or who, she was involved with. But now this had placed me right in the middle, as a courier. I now had no choice but to be involved.

Schultz could still remember when he told Colonel Hogan about delivering the plant.

---------------

April 1943

"Colonel Hogan, I delivered the plant as you wanted," Schultz said.

"Thanks, Schultz," Hogan replied. "Was I right about her? Isn't she a dream?"

"Ja," Schultz replied. "I have always thought so."

Hogan looked both confused and worried. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Schultz smiled a small remorseful smile. "That woman is my oldest daughter, Colonel Hogan," he said.

Hogan's eyes grew wide. "Your what?" he asked incredulously.

"She's my daughter, Elena," Schultz replied. "Gretchen and I have known she was involved with the underground, but never knew any of the details." Schultz paused and stared directly at Hogan. "Until now."

Hogan was at a loss for words. He stared at Schultz, wondering what the big man's reaction was going to be.

"Colonel Hogan," he said. "I am not a Nazi. I am a toymaker. I would rather my factory made toys that made children smile than bombs that made them die. My daughter feels the same way, but unlike me, is more active in her opposition to the brutality being imposed on the German people. I know that she is, but do not know all the things that she does. It is better that way. I worry enough as it is."

Schultz paused. Hogan was silent, letting him compose his thoughts.

"Colonel Hogan," he continued. "I have known for a while that there is monkey business going on in this camp, and many times I was being used in this monkey business. I have chosen to see nothing up to this point."

"And now?" Hogan prompted.

Schultz sighed. "And now I will choose to see nothing, hear nothing and know nothing ... on one condition."

"If it is something I can do, I will do it, Schultz," Hogan replied.

"If it is in your power, protect my family if they ever find themselves in danger," Schultz said.

Hogan smiled at the guard. He was expecting him to ask about his own safety, but instead he asked about his family's safety. "Sure, Schultz," he said. "I'll do whatever I can for them ... and you. I will make sure that you are safe, so that you can return to your family when this war is over."

"Danke, Colonel Hogan," Schultz said softly.

---------------

Colonel Hogan had been true to his word. There had been several times in the past eight months when Schultz had almost found himself being transferred away. Colonel Hogan had managed to prevent it each time.

Schultz put his feet up on the secretarial desk. Yes, I will do what I can to find out about your mail, Colonel Hogan. It's the least I can do.