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Weaving A Web To Freedom ,
Book 3: Fliegerabwehrkanonen Spells FLAK
Chapter 27
Come With Me
Wilson stepped outside of Barrack Two as Klink's staff car was pulling out of the gate. "Colonel!" Wilson called out. He stopped suddenly, staring at the disappearing staff car. "He's going to be the death of me! Keeping one step ahead of the Colonel is like trying to outrun machine gun fire with both legs tied together!"
Kinch stepped out of Barrack Two behind Wilson and followed his gaze to the gate. "What's the matter? Oh," Kinch uttered. "Guess we're too late."
Wilson turned and looked at Kinch incredulously and then back at the gate.
"What?" Kinch shrugged and offered his defense. "The Colonel had no choice! I told Schultz you had to do a dressing change; he said you'd have to take it up with the Kommandant."
Wilson looked back at Kinch, "You know as well as I do that Colonel Hogan did not even mention to Klink the turn his wound has taken."
Kinch started to respond, but could think of no good argument and froze with his lips pursed and a, "what can I" say, look on his face.
"We'll get him as soon as he gets back!" Wilson grumbled and started to walk away.
"Uh, Wilson," Kinch faltered.
"Yeah," Wilson turned to face the troubled Sergeant.
"Who's going to tell LeBeau?"
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Captain Krantz marched into Gestapo Headquarters and stopped at the front desk. "I'd like to speak with Lieutenant Dresdner."
The Gestapo Sergeant looked serenely at the SS officer and saluted. Pulling a form from a stack of papers he began writing. "What is your name, Captain?"
"I am Captain Krantz. Lieutenant Dresdner and I met last night during the attack on the anti-aircraft guns."
"Is the Lieutenant expecting you, Captain?" The Sergeant asked without looking up.
"Nein, but my visit may be beneficial for both us," Krantz smiled.
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"Do you make it a habit to transport prisoners unrestrained, Kommandant?" Kaltenbrunner asked, nodding to the guards, as he saw Hogan emerge from the staff car. Klink, already standing under the overhang of the hospital entrance, turned to look at his POW.
"Colonel Hogan's behavior has been exemplary over the past few weeks, it hardly seemed necessary," Klink exaggerated, as the prisoner began exiting the staff car.
Hogan paused and looked unbelievably at Klink. Oh nice, Klink, sell me down the river why don't you!
"That's why he tried to escape two nights ago!" Kaltenbrunner growled.
The guards were already approaching the Allied Colonel, as he carefully exited the car and straightened to full height.
Hogan seeing the guards coming slipped on his grin, "G,morning fellas, can I…ugh." Turning him abruptly, the guards pulled Hogan's arms behind his back, and fastened the cuffs securely in place.
The General looked at Hogan with a hard stare acknowledging his comment. "Nobody was speaking to you, Colonel Hogan!Speak only when given permission."
Kaltenbrunner looked back at Klink. "His behavior is precisely why he is to be in restraints for transport. We have to much invested in him to risk his being shot while trying to escape."
Just as Hogan was about to fire back his retort, Knefler shoved the American toward the hospital entrance and indicated for the guards to follow. Walking next to Hogan Knefler advised. "Saved by the bell, Colonel Hogan. You really don't want to find out what talking back to the General will earn you."
"Where are you taking him?" Klink asked, as he watched Hogan being marched away.
Kaltenbrunner looked intently at Klink, "Colonel Knefler is taking him inside to the photographer to get the pictures for his dossier. Does that meet with your approval, Kommandant?"
Klink's eyes widened, "My approval, Herr General?"
"You seem overly concerned about your prisoner," Kaltenbrunner remarked.
General Burkhalter had exited the building, as Hogan entered, and while listening to the General's remarks, approached Klink and Kaltenbrunner.
"What is wrong here?" Burkhalter asked, rocking back on his heels looking at the two officers.
"Your Oberst doesn't follow military practice when transporting prisoners. Our prize prisoner arrived unrestrained. Need I remind you, General Burkhalter, what is at stake here?" Kaltenbrunner asked.
"The Luftwaffe knows its job, General Kaltenbrunner. We have conducted studies and are well educated in the running of prisoner of war camps." Burkhalter was now standing in front of Kaltenbrunner. "The Kommandant takes his job quite seriously, which is why I have kept Colonel Hogan in Stalag 13. For all of Klink's apparent ineptness, he runs a model prison camp."
General Burkhalter's eyes narrowed as he continued. "There have been no escapes and no major riots. I assure you, what appears to be disregard for regulations is a concern for order. A change in atmosphere at the camp, even a small change let alone the removal of the senior POW officer, can start a ripple that could turn into a wave of anarchy. Leading Colonel Hogan away in chains might have started that ripple I've seen it happen in other camps."
Burkhalter finished and then looked at Klink sternly. He would deal with Klink's insubordination privately. The Luftwaffe General's justification of Klink's actions was not solely for the Kommandant's sake. Klink, after all, was where he was because Burkhalter put him there. And if Klink's actions were considered suspicious, Burkhalter's actions could be questioned as well. Klink was grateful for Burkhalter's intercession but the look that passed between them warned the Kommandant of the confrontation that was yet to come.
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"What do you expect to learn from our dossier of these POW's that we have not?" Dresdner looked warily at the Captain with whom he had been vying for custody of the American Colonel. Major Hochstetter would not want to give out information that would take his prize suspect out of his hands.
"I hope that your information will convince me that your Major has reason to suspect these men of espionage. SS headquarters was broken into last night and we have little to go on. You know as well as I that getting the General staff to relinquish Colonel Hogan will require rock solid proof. If I can't get it on the American Colonel, I must look for a weaker link."
"And you think you will find it in his men?"
"Let us just say, I have seen their leader and believe it would be worth looking at an alternative approach."
"And what will we get from this symbiotic relationship?"
"After I expose him, you may have him to milk for information. My satisfaction comes in the unmasking."
Dresdner thought on this for a moment. "Very well, you may see our files. Come with me."
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The guards removed Hogan's handcuffs and Hogan carefully flexed his wrists as Knefler and the photographer discussed the pictures that were to be taken.
I hope this doesn't take all day. Hogan absentmindedly rubbed his forehead, trying to relieve the pounding going on behind his eyes. The German Oberst looked at his watch just as the door opened and a small man in a white lab coat entered and after quickly looking at Hogan, went to stand next to Knefler.
"I think we're ready, Colonel Hogan, take off your shirt and we'll get started."
"Whatever happened to 'please'?" Hogan sighed, threw his cap and jacket onto a metal hospital chair and began pulling out his shirt tail, "You're wasting your time."
Knefler smiled,"Let us worry about that!" The German Oberst looked Hogan up and down. "You're moving rather slow today, Colonel! Didn't you sleep well last night?" Knefler taunted.
"Since when do you care how I sleep?" Hogan asked, while unbuttoning his shirt.
"I've always been most interested in everything you do, Colonel. I'm surprised you haven't noticed." Knefler answered, as Hogan pulled his shirt off.
"Right!" Hogan's voice was full of irony. "Where do you want me to stand?"
"Stand?" Knefler looked at the man welding the camera, "Do you need him to stand or lie?"
"Standing is good for my photos," the photographer answered.
"Colonel Hogan, may I introduce you to Ernst Brinker, your photographer.
"Herr Brinker," Hogan nodded. "Now that the amenities are over, can we just do this?"
Knefler looked at the man wearing the lab coat, standing to his left, prompting him to answer, also. Looking at Hogan suspiciously the man nodded and answered, "Standing will be all right if you can promise my safety. I just want your guarantee that he will not attack me."
Knefler smiled, at the man's apprehension. "Very well, doctor. Guards cuff the prisoner's hands in front of him."
"What?" Hogan laughed not believing what he was hearing. "You've got to be kidding me!" He looked questioningly at Knefler.
Knefler motioned the guards toward Hogan. "This isn't necessary!" Hogan assured as he held out his wrists and the cuffs again clicked into place.
Knefler walked over and grabbed the chain running between Hogan's cuffed wrists and led him over to the examination table, positioned in the middle of the room. Pulling Hogan's hands down on the exam bed, Knefler placed the belt restraint attached to the bed, between Hogan's hands and over the chain that connected the cuffs, securely cinching Hogan's hands down against the bed.
"Don't you think this is a little extreme? What do you think I'm going to do? You have two guards, with guns, standing behind me!" Hogan complained.
"Now, now Colonel, we can't blame the doctor for being apprehensive. After all, it was only two days ago you tried to escape," Knefler said.
Looking back at the man in the white lab coat, Knefler assured, "That should limit his movement sufficiently to guarantee your safety."
The photographer moved in, checking his camera, while Knefler and the other man talked quietly. Hogan noted the concentrated conversation going on behind his back, and then turned his attention to the photographer.
"Nice camera!" Hogan remarked, as the photographer adjusted his settings. "Is that one of those new Leica cameras made in Wetzlar?"
"Ja, it came out just last year. How did you know?"
"We occasionally find stray newspapers the guards have discarded. I remember seeing a picture and an article in one of them."
"Are you…I mean, were you a photographer before the war?" Brinker asked, as he walked around to the other side of the bed opposite Hogan and held the camera for Hogan to see..
"Oh, I've taken a few pictures in my day." Mostly top-secret German military installations and classified documents! Hogan joked to himself. "Nothing on the magnitude that you do, I'm sure."
"It is a 35mm rangefinder," the photographer bragged.
"So how does it work?" Hogan asked.
The conversation, taking place behind Hogan, ended and the doctor went to remove Hogan's bandage. Knefler watched the interaction between Brinker and Hogan with interest. You appear to be very sociable today, Colonel. I hope you remain this talkative when we have our discussion!
Brinker continued enthusiastically explaining his camera, as Hogan looked on apparently fascinated.
Hogan listened carefully, "What's that little button there on the back for?" Hogan inquired, suddenly grimacing as the bandage came off.
Knefler continued studying Hogan. Hmm, are you just using Brinker as a diversion to deal with your current circumstances, or do you have something else up your sleeve? The one thing I'm certain of is that there is a reason.
"Oh, that releases this door for the film," Brinker answered.
"Yup, that's a nice compact little camera." Hogan nodded smiling, and then jerked as the little man on his left pressed down on either side of the raw skin.
"Hey, buddy, look but don't touch, if you don't mind." Hogan demanded, looking down on the crouching doctor.
The doctor looked up at Hogan and then looking over at Knefler, stood and stepped back out of the way.
"Your wound looks like it's sore, Colonel," Knefler commented.
"This?" Hogan looked down at his side. "I hardly notice it," the American lied.
"Really, well then, you won't mind if we get these pictures done."
"Would it matter if I said I did mind?" Hogan asked trying to turn enough to see Knefler, who was standing behind him at the door.
"Not at all," Knefler smiled.
"I didn't think so."
The photographer moved in and began clicking the shutter. "Get a close-up of the entry point and the track it skidded along." Knefler ordered. "We want to show angle of entry is consistent with a man swinging his legs up to jump over a railing, just in case we have to defend our ruling later."
"You mean the General's word isn't good enough?" Hogan jibed. "If I were the General I'd worry about that. It's hard to know who you can trust these days isn't it? I mean, if you can't trust the Gestapo to not try and cast doubt on a General's character, who can you trust?"
Hogan would like nothing better than to see some strife among the German ranks. If he could keep the Nazis busy with one another, they would have less time to see any operations he put into action.
Knefler circled to the front of Hogan "Trying to sow a little discord, Colonel Hogan?" Knefler asked, making eye contact.
Knefler, not surprised at the American's tenacity, studied Hogan's face. "I know what you're feeling."Knefler announced. "You have doubts. You don't know whether your actions were based on your morals or our indoctrination."
Hogan held his gaze steady, willing himself to show no emotion. He would not give Knefler the satisfaction of confirming he was right. But, on the inside, he was squirming under the Oberst's analyzing stare Okay, so he got lucky. That was a logical guess.
"What you're trying to cast as suspicion is really an example of our checks and balances. It prevents mistakes by making us thorough and is how we, the German army, are able to function with precision. No man is above suspicion. Having to prove our action virtually eliminates mistakes."
Looking at the photographer he continued his circling pattern and ordered, "You may continue."
"And yet," Hogan added, the spark from his eyes flashing in defiance, as he watched the German Oberst. "You have 'traitors' giving your secrets away one minute and standing next to you the next, reciting the Fahnenheid, swearing their allegiance to Hitler. And still other, loyal Germans, looking the other way when the underground is out blowing up trains and bridges."
The photographer faltered on his approach when he observed Knefler's continued interest in his subject.
Knefler had, by this time, walked around behind the American and smiled approvingly.
He was happy Hogan was still thinking. If they were making progress with him, they were doing so without completely destroying the man inside.
Grabbing Hogan's upper arms from behind, he leaned in next to his ear and whispered, "The Allied forces have their traitors too! And we are making good use of them!"
Knefler noted the warmth of Hogan's skin. "I don't think that's all temper, Colonel Hogan. You're sick with infection."
There was no verbal retort this time, no denying the obvious.
Knefler looked at the photographer and nodded, and then again took his place next to the doctor, softly talking so as not to be heard.
Brinker, who had paused from taking pictures while the Oberst spoke to the American, resumed his picture taking, and moved around his subject from front to back. As Brinker finished, he commented, "We should be able to get some good frames out of these, Oberst!"
"Excellent. You may leave us now. The doctor will need a little time to finish up here. Meet us in Major Hochstetter's room in an hour," Knefler said as he opened the door.
"A little time to…" Hogan already slightly flushed with fever, turned a deeper red as his temper flared.
"Just slap a bandage over it. Our camp medic will take care of it when I get back!" Hogan demanded. He tried to turn to look at Knefler, but found he was only able to shoot a fleeting glance over his shoulder before the cuffs on his wrists stopped him, causing him to give them a yank out of frustration. The burst of pain that shot out from his wrists was rivaled by his aching side, and forced him to quickly turn back toward the bed. Leaning down on his elbows, he bowed his head and bit his lip to keep from moaning.
"I'm sure your medic does an admirable job with what he has to work with. But I can't afford to let you die from an infection," Knefler said, as the photographer walked past him and out the door. "General Kaltenbrunner has a decisive interest in you." Then looking at the doctor he added, "These guards will ensure he gives you no trouble. I'll leave the Colonel to your care," Knefler finished as he exited the room.