Chapter 12
Hogan lay in his bunk, going over the plan for the thousandth time. He had spent time before lights out going over everything with the men. He pointed out the exact positions on the map where the explosive charges would be set, and made sure that they knew where they had to be once the diversion began.
He was impressed with how quick they grasped everything. This may be their first time, but they had shown their willingness and aptitude during the preparations. And why not? We were able to set up a successful operation before – why wouldn't we be able to do it again?
Even so, the fact that Klink would be accompanying them in the morning was a development that he had not anticipated. With Klink there, the guards would be even more alert, which could jeopardize the whole operation. He would have to be extra careful – this was not the same old Klink.
So why am I nervous? I've done this before – I've even done riskier operations successfully.He sighed, shifting on his thin mattress to try to find a comfortable position. Am I nervous because Klink isn't as easily duped as I am used to? Could it be that I still don't completely trust Hochstetter? Am I afraid that my men won't be able to pull it off successfully?
He chuckled softly to himself. True, I do have Carter going along with me. That's enough to make anyone nervous. But I have to admit – I'd feel a lot better if Carter was the one setting the explosive charges. He may be bumbling at times, but when it comes to explosives, he's never let me down.
And so Hogan kept worrying. He worried that Hochstetter wouldn't be able to set the charges correctly. He worried that Erika wouldn't meet them at the barn. He worried that they wouldn't be able to find the abandoned mine. He worried that Klink would somehow manage to prevent the escape from happening. And in the ultimate irony, he worried that he was worrying too much.
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The next morning's roll call seemed to go on forever. It was colder outside, which was a mixed blessing to Hogan. If the guards were worried about being cold, they would be less attentive to what the prisoners were doing. But it also made it harder for his men to concentrate on their work.
"Schultz," Hogan whispered to the German Sergeant standing beside him. "What's the hold up?"
"The Kommandant is going over things with Captain Gruber," Schultz replied. "Since he will be leaving camp for the day."
"What's he expect, a mass escape while he's gone?" Hogan retorted sarcastically.
"He is a very careful man, Colonel Hogan," Schultz replied solemnly.
"He's also inside where it is warm," Hogan countered. "He wouldn't be so careful if he were standing out here."
"Ja, it is cold today," Schultz agreed. "I am not looking forward to standing outside all day."
"Neither am I, Schultz," Hogan said.
"But you will be working," Schultz pointed out. "You will stay warm."
Hogan laughed softly. "Just say the word, Schultz, and we'll escape so you can run after us," he said jokingly.
"Colonel Hogan, please do not even joke about that," Schultz warned.
"You're right, Schultz," Hogan replied. "After all, who'd want to leave all this?"
Schultz snorted. "My name should be on top of that list," he joked.
Hogan smiled. "Why, Schultz, I'm surprised at you!" he exclaimed.
Schultz shushed him as they saw Klink emerge from his office and begin to walk in their direction. Schultz walked out to greet him and report that all prisoners were present and accounted for. The two Germans had a brief conversion before Schultz waddled off in the direction of the motor pool.
Klink walked over towards Hogan. As he got closer, Hogan could see that the Kommandant was bundled warmly to fight against the cold.
Klink stopped next to Hogan. "Well, Colonel Hogan," he said, his voice muffled slightly from the scarf around his neck. "Are you regretting your request for a work detail today?"
Hogan shivered slightly as a gust of wind blew through the camp. "Not at all, Kommandant," he replied, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "There's nothing I find more invigorating than a nice case of frostbite."
Klink laughed. "You must dress appropriately, Colonel," Klink replied. "Layers. Dress in layers."
Hogan gave a sarcastic chuckle. "I'm wearing my layer, Kommandant," he replied.
"Ah yes, so you are," Klink replied glibly.
Hogan glared at Klink, though the German was not paying attention to him. Why you arrogant German bastard, Hogan thought. You know we're cold and you do nothing to provide us more winter clothing. And you have the gall to come out here dressed for a Siberian winter sleigh ride, and remind us how warm you are! Ha, the last laugh may be on you, Colonel Klink. If all goes well today, Carter and I will be in hiding and you'll be frantically trying to cover up the fact that your perfect record is history!
"Do you still wish to have your work detail, Colonel Hogan?" Klink asked.
"We'd like to have the firewood, Kommandant," Hogan replied. Well, at least that's what you are to believe, oh Bald One, he thought. "What about you – why are you insisting on coming along?"
"Why, Colonel Hogan," Klink said in a surprised tone. "I must come along to keep an eye on my favorite rodent."
Hogan tensed. For a moment, he thought he wasn't going to be able to fight off the urge to bash Klink's head in for that comment. Then he realized that he had brought this on himself – the cornered rat comment seemed to make Klink more wary towards him. Even though the comment felt good at the time, it was turning out to have some bad side effects.
Klink laughed. "Besides, I am not a bit cold," Klink replied.
Hogan smiled. "I wouldn't say that too loud if I were you, Kommandant," he replied. "You might just find yourself on a train heading east."
"They wouldn't dare transfer me to the Eastern Front," Klink said indignantly. "I'm too valuable here!"
Hogan's smile broadened and he let out a small chuckle. "Step on anyone's toes lately?" he asked.
Klink regarded Hogan silently for a moment. Hogan knew what was going through his mind. The military hierarchy was very political, and it was very common for men to backstab superiors in order to move up the chain of command. The man that you belittle today just might be the one to stab you in the back tomorrow. Finally, Klink said, "Colonel Hogan, have your men ready to board the truck as soon as it pulls up." He turned and walked back towards his office porch to wait for the trucks.
Hogan laughed softly to himself. You just wait, Klink, he thought. Today I'll be the one to stab you in the back – your little cornered rat.
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Hogan sat in the back of the truck as it bounced its way down the road towards the clearing. Looking at the truck following behind them, he could see Klink sitting in the cab, keeping a suspicious eye on the prisoners. Hogan was tempted to wave at the Kommandant, just to see if he could get a rise out of him, but decided against it. Now was not the time to antagonize Klink – the impending escape should do that quite nicely.
The trucks pulled into the clearing, and Hogan held his breath to see if they pulled into the same spots as before. When they did, he breathed a sigh of relief and led his men out of the truck.
Hogan quickly looked around the clearing, but saw no sign that Hochstetter's men had been there. He had a momentary spasm of doubt, but then realized that if he didn't notice it, then the guards wouldn't notice it either. You must be nervous, forgetting something like that, he thought. Then he spied a log by the crosscut station that hadn't been there before – it was in the precise place that Hochstetter had said the wires for triggering the explosives would be. Looks like we're in business.
Initially, Hogan had wondered if the triggering mechanism would work – he knew that they needed a small current to trigger the charges and the lack of a plunger bothered him. Carter had patiently explained that the plunger did generate an electrical current, but if there were a battery somewhere along the circuit, touching the wires together would be enough to complete the circuit and trigger the charges. He had tried not to laugh when, with a completely straight face, Carter said, "Even a child knows that, um, sir." Yeah, and I'd hate to be the parents of a child that knows that much about explosives!
Hogan and his men stood around while the guards set up the perimeter machine guns – in the same place as they had previously.
Hogan suddenly had an idea, and walked over to Klink. "Sir, request permission to build a fire for us to warm ourselves," he said.
Klink eyes him suspiciously, as if he suspected the fire was a ruse to cover up some future funny business. Hogan gave the Kommandant a neutral smile.
After a moment, Klink said, "Permission granted."
Hogan turned and ordered half his men to begin gathering wood chips and small sticks for kindling. He ordered the rest of the men to look around and gather any large rocks they could find in the clearing. Hogan looked around the clearing again, and then looked at the trucks. He walked to a spot between the middle of the clearing and the truck and said, "We'll build it right here."
Klink walked over to him. "Why here, Colonel?" he asked. "This is right in the middle of the work area. I'd have thought you would build the fire on the edge of the clearing."
Hogan laughed heartily at the suggestion. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed. "Build the fire at the edge of the clearing so your trigger happy guards can shoot us when we go to warm ourselves? I can't believe you'd think I was that naïve, sir."
Klink opened his mouth to protest, but Hogan cut him off.
"Besides, building it so close to the brush is inviting a forest fire," Hogan said. Then remembering Carter's words to him, he added in a condescending tone, "Even a child knows that, sir."
Hogan watched as Klink's face reddened at the insult. The Kommandant simply said, "Build your fire, Colonel Hogan. And then you and your men get to work." He turned and walked back towards the trucks.
"That was a good one, sir," Newkirk commented. He had just returned with an armload of sticks for the fire. "And this fire is a good idea. I'm freezing already."
"Well, the fire really isn't to keep us warm," Hogan admitted. "Newkirk, gather as many wet twigs and chips as you can and set them aside. When the time comes for everything to start, I want this fire as smoky as it can be."
Newkirk's face broke into a big grin. "Sneaky, sir," he commented. "When do you plan to start?"
"After the first break," Hogan replied. "It'll give Klink a chance to relax, and before we go back to work, we can load the fire with the wet wood."
"I'll pass the word, sir," Newkirk replied, walking away to gather more wood.
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Once the fire was roaring nicely, Hogan and his men went to work. He kept the assignments the same as last time – he thought it was the best way for the men to concentrate on how they had to react when the time came.
Hogan and Carter manned the crosscut saw and began to cut the two-foot logs for splitting. Before they began, Hogan had Carter check the status of the wiring in the hollowed log left by Hochstetter. When he saw Carter grin, he didn't have to ask if everything was set up correctly.
"It's all set, sir," Carter said. "This'll be a piece of pie."
Hogan chuckled and decided not to correct the Sergeant's inaccurate idiom. "Let's get to work then," he replied.
While they were working the saw back and forth, Hogan scanned the area to check on the guards. As he suspected, having Klink there made them more alert. The Kommandant spent most of his time sitting in the cab of one of the trucks to stay out of the wind. Periodically he would get out and walk to the fire to warm himself. Hogan saw that Schultz looked miserable. He caught the guard looking longingly at the fire, wishing he could warm himself. But having Klink so close meant that he dared not leave his post. This could get dicey, Hogan thought. Once everything starts, Schultz is going to have to move closer to the prisoners in the middle of the clearing in order for us to slip away undetected. And Klink could be an even bigger problem – he's going to have to be out of that truck when the time comes.
After a few hours of labor, Hogan called for his men to take a break. Hogan positioned himself to face the trucks when they gathered around the fire to get warm. He saw Klink get out of the truck and walk over to where Shultz was standing and say something to the guard.
"All right, it's almost time," Hogan whispered. "Soon after we get back to work, we'll do it. I need to make sure Klink is out of the truck, so when he comes to the fire to warm himself again, we'll kick it off."
"Should I throw on the wet wood chips now?" Newkirk asked, holding his hands out to the fire.
Hogan nodded. "Do it as we break up," he ordered. "Make sure we get a huge amount of smoke, but don't smother the fire."
Newkirk nodded. "Got it," he replied.
"Is everyone clear on what they're supposed to do?" Hogan asked. He looked from man to man until all of them nodded. "Good. Remember, we'll kick things off when Klink is at the fire. Newkirk – stoke the fire. Everyone else – get back to work and be ready."
As the men broke up, Hogan walked up next to Carter. "I'm going to talk to Klink for a few minutes so that he doesn't head to the fire too soon," he said. "When I get back, be ready."
Carter nodded and Hogan ambled over to where Klink was standing. "Are you sure you don't want to join us, Kommandant?" he asked. "The exercise will keep you warm."
"I am quite warm enough as it is," Klink replied dryly.
Hogan chuckled. "I can see that," he said. "Every time you walk over to the fire to warm yourself, I can see that."
Klink looked at Hogan sternly. "Colonel Hogan, shouldn't you get back to work?" he asked.
Hogan smiled broadly and snapped a lazy salute. "Jawohl, Kommandant," he said mockingly. You pompous twit, he added silently. He walked over to join Carter.
As he took up his position, he saw Klink begin to walk towards the smoldering and smoky fire. That's it, Kommandant, he thought. You just take your time.
He waited until Klink had pulled off his gloves and held his hands over the heat. Then he turned to Carter. "Carter, your boot is untied," he said in a normal tone of voice.
"No it isn't, Colonel," Carter replied with a confused expression.
Hogan threw him an urgent glance. "Yes it is. Check again," Hogan said strongly. "You'd better tie it. We wouldn't want something to happen while we're working." Hogan emphasized the work in the hopes that Carter would get his meaning.
After a moment, Carter's face showed recognition, as he understood the meaning of Hogan's request. He bent down, making it look as if he was tying his bootlace. He quickly reached into the hollowed log and removed the wires. Looking at the labels, he found the ones marked with a one and touched them together.
The repetitive sound of firecrackers echoed in the woods on the opposite end of the clearing. The result was as Hogan had hoped. The guards immediately turned their attention to the source of the noise and Hogan leapt over the tree trunk to crouch beside Carter. He wanted it to look as if he were trying to cover himself from the gunfire, but he really wanted to shield Carter in case Schultz decided to look in their direction.
When he heard the noise, Klink immediately began barking orders to the guards. He ordered Shultz to make sure the prisoners were rounded up and then he began to walk back towards the truck.
Hogan saw Klink returning to the truck and swore under his breath. Damn it, Klink! Don't come back here. You're supposed to be leading your men, not cowering back here where you can look over and see what we're doing. Hogan motioned to Carter to set off the second set of blasts. When the truck blows, you'll turn around, he thought.
Hogan watch Klink getting closer and closer to the truck as he waited for Carter to trigger the explosion. Come on, Carter. Set it off already!
Finally, Carter managed to touch the wires together and Hogan saw the explosion rip up the ground beneath one of the trucks. The truck bucked and lurched, and then in a turn of events that Hogan could never have hoped for, the gas tank of the truck ignited. Hogan watched half in horror and half in glee as he saw the blast from the second buried charge merge with the explosion of the truck and send Klink flying through the air. He watched as the Kommandant landed in a crumpled heap near the campfire. Shit! That wasn't supposed to happen. If we've killed him, then there's sure to be reprisals from the Germans. His thoughts were disrupted as Carter handed him one of the smoke grenades. He pulled the pin, starting the smoke, and simultaneously with Carter, threw the grenade over the tree.
They waited until they saw the smoke rising from the grenades and then Hogan said, "Let's go now! Follow me!"
He turned and hurriedly ran to the edge of the woods, not daring to look behind him to see if Carter was following. He reached the woods and disappeared into the brush, hearing Carter plunge in after him. They ran until they were a few hundred yards into the woods before Hogan stopped. He stood there panting and listening to the noise of confusion back at the clearing.
"Did you see that explosion?" Carter asked excitedly. The Sergeant was breathing fast, but looked like he was having the thrill of his life.
Hogan laughed. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting a fireball like that," he replied. "I was just hoping to disable the truck and block the way out so they'd have to look for us on foot."
"And did you see Klink go flying?" Carter asked.
Hogan nodded. "Yes, and that could cause some trouble," he responded.
"Huh? How could that cause trouble?" Carter asked.
"The Germans could retaliate on the prisoners if Klink is killed," Hogan replied.
"I never thought of that," Carter replied somberly. "I hope the guys will be all right."
"They'll be fine," Hogan assured him. "But now we need to head over to the mine so we can make sure that we'll be all right."
The two men moved at a quick pace as they made their way through the woods. So we're out, Hogan thought. Let's hope that Hochstetter can take full advantage of this.
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Major Hochstetter picked up the ringing phone. "Hallo, Hochstetter here," he said into the receiver. "Ah yes, Captain Gruber. What can I do for you?"
Hochstetter listened to the Captain. "An escape? Explosion? Captain, perhaps you should slow down and tell me what your problem is."
Hochstetter knew what his problem was – Hogan had managed to pull off the escape. He listened to the explanation and quickly realized that the situation was more than he had hoped.
"You say the work detail was attacked and one of your trucks was blown up? Two prisoners escaped?" Hochstetter asked, nodding. "I see, and Colonel Klink is out looking for the escaped prisoners, which is why you are calling me. No?"
Hochstetter's eyes grew wide. "The Colonel accompanied the work detail and was caught in the explosion? Is he …" he asked, stopping to hear more from the Captain.
"I see, broken femur. Yes. Both arms?" Hochstetter paused, listening to more details. "Both the shoulder and the collarbone? What? He was unconscious for quite a while – a large gash on his head, you say?"
Hochstetter nodded several times, taking in more information. "I see. Yes, I agree – the prisoners could not have carried this out without outside intervention. Yes, the Underground would be the most likely accomplice." More than you know, Captain, he thought.
"No, Captain, you concentrate on the search for the prisoners," Hochstetter said. "If the Underground is involved, that would be something for me to investigate."
"I said no, Captain," Hochstetter said, raising his voice slightly. "I don't care – the Underground is my concern. Yes, I know what Colonel Klink would say. But I should have to remind you, Captain, that you are not Colonel Klink." Hochstetter put emphasis on the ranks, stressing to the Captain that he fully intended to pull rank on him.
"Yes, by all means, call General Burkhalter," Hochstetter said. "Oh yes, I intend to as well, Captain. No, Captain Gruber. I will be at Stalag 13 in one hour. We can discuss our roles at that time."
Hochstetter smiled as he listened to the protests on the phone. "Captain, you are wasting valuable time arguing with me. I'm sure General Burkhalter will find that most enlightening," he said. "Yes, I thought you might. Yes, start the search for the prisoners. One hour, Captain. Heil Hitler."
Hochstetter hung up the phone with a huge smile on his face. "Perfect," he said to himself. "Hogan got away and Klink is incapacitated. It will take several days for Burkhalter to send a replacement for Klink. If he doesn't, that would leave Captain Gruber in charge – which gives me the advantage of rank."
Hochstetter nodded as he rubbed his hands together. "Yes, this is definitely more than I had hoped for!" he said.