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Chapter 13

I'll Be Watching You

The door opened.

Whap! A hand pulled back into the darkness from the white, blinding light focused on the prisoner's eyes.

The glow from the hallway cut into the otherwise dark room. "Close that door!" a gruff voice ordered. The door closed and another voice spoke out.

"This is General--" Zurbruck began.

"Ah, let's just say I'm a General and I've come to see what kind of progress you are making," Biedenbender interrupted before he could be completely announced. His eyes fixed on a man secured to a chair in the middle of the room, who was futilely attempting to keep the light aimed at his face from reaching his eyes. At first this man appeared lax and semiconscious but as the General spoke the prisoner's body tensed and he now appeared to be aware that someone else had entered the chamber.

"I am sorry, Herr General, I did not realize…" Major Albrecht sputtered.

Biedenbender waved off the apology and stepped up behind his target. Bending closer, he said, "My, Colonel Hogan, it certainly does stink in here."

Hogan, jerked as the warm breath accompanying the words reached his ear. Struggling against the restraint holding his head, he reflexively tried to turn toward the voice, to no avail.

"I noticed that…" Hogan paused as if to weigh the wisdom of what he was about to say, "…as soon as you entered the room!" Hogan spat out the last of the sentence and immediately braced for the impact.

Biedenbender, surprised at the impetus of the comeback, pulled back and, staying behind the glaring light, circled the perimeter, carefully staying invisible to his prey.

The Major's hand struck again, with lightning speed. "You will show respect!"

Kommandant Zurbruck, finding it hard to believe what he had just heard, shook his head in resignation and mocked, "This man's epitaph will read, 'Here lies Colonel Hogan…he talked himself to death'."

Biedenbender's suspicions were confirmed. I assumed as much, Colonel Hogan. You're not learning a thing except how to manipulate the enemy.

"Major Albrecht, you're going about this all wrong," Biedenbender cautioned, as he tormented his prisoner. "I know this man! Colonel Hogan will not obey you because you inflict pain on him…will you, Colonel?"

Hogan frowned keeping his eyes closed against the searing light as he listened, appearing to not fully understand what was happening.

Going full circle, Biedenbender came up behind Hogan and placed his hands on Hogan's bare, sweaty, shoulders, catching the American pilot by surprise.

"Ugh," Hogan breathed in sharply.

Biedenbender smirked as he pressed down harder into skin and muscles already abused by the interrogators.

"This man has total disregard for his own safety."

Hogan, filled with anger and not knowing what to expect, stiffened under Biedenbender's grip. Biedenbender smiled approvingly.

"Oh, Colonel Hogan…" Biedenbender began, "…you are tense. Relax; you have nothing to fear from us." The General's fingers roughly massaged Hogan's stiff, battered shoulders. "You have brought all of this pain and suffering down on yourself."

Hogan bit his lip to keep from crying out, perspiration ran down his face. He sagged and then, using strength he didn't have, he pushed back against the menacing hands.

Offering his insights to the others in the room, Biedenbender explained. "No, Major Albrecht, Colonel Hogan has calloused himself to his own discomfort. It is the pain inflicted on others…those he is responsible for, cares about, and owes protection to that causes his agony. Am I not right, Colonel Hogan?" Biedenbender stopped massaging Hogan's shoulders and slid his hands to the man's upper arms. "Like the men you failed, as a pilot and leader over Hamburg." Biedenbender waited for the implication to hit.

And it did. A shudder emanated from Hogan's shoulders. Biedenbender drank it in hungrily, allowing it to flow through his hands and up his arms, as his own body fully experienced and appreciated the agony of the American. The General locked the moment into his memory. He would not forget this. He had felt his enemy tremble and it was justice…justice for all the pain that had been rained down on the people of Germany.

Patting Hogan's shoulders, Biedenbender released his embrace. Good. Now, let's throw a little salt on that wound. "That's all right, Colonel: grieve for the men whose lives you lost.—It is the least you can do!"

Hogan's pain turned to anger, his jaw tightened and his nostrils flared, as fisted arms strained against the restraints. But he remained silent. After all…it was true.

Biedenbender, in the shadows, again circled to the front of Hogan. "You have nothing to say, Colonel Hogan? Not even a thank-you to us for saving your life."

Hogan frowned "I…I…remember dropping our bombs…" Hogan's answered arrogantly and then his voice trailed off, as he fought not to remember, but to forget.

"There is much more to remember, Colonel Hogan," Biedenbender watched as Hogan squeezed his eyes tighter. "You've been with us for almost four months."

Four months? Hogan's face hardened. "Hogan, Robert E., Colonel, United States…" Four months! Pausing to take in a slow steady breath, he continued, "United States Army Air Corp. Serial number 0876707."

Biedenbender's eyebrows arched. The recitation of "name, rank, and serial number" is as much for your benefit as it is ours. It gives you something to say without having to think about the death of your plane…and your men. But will being a senior POW officer, responsible for hundreds of men, be enough to keep you off balance? My neck is on the line here, thanks to General Burkhalter including me in the decision to send you to an enlisted man's camp. You must believe any attempted escape would not be worth the cost of its failure.

"You may soon be released to a Luft Stalag, Colonel Hogan, where you will sit out the remainder of the war."

Yes, please God…yes. Hogan's face relaxed slightly as he anticipated this long-awaited promise.

"Maybe," Biedenbender added, watching the doubt reach Hogan.

Hogan's breathing quickened, as the threads of hope he clung to became tenuous.

"Or…General Burkhalter may become annoyed enough to order your execution if you persist in not giving us any information." Biedenbender stared silently down on his enemy.

Hogan held his breath for an instant and then frowned. "You're not…General Burkhalter?" All voices were beginning to sound alike, but if not Burkhalter…who?

Biedenbender smiled

"I wouldn't try to escape…" Circling to Hogan's right and, staying in the darkness, Biedenbender lowered his voice, "…we would have to shoot you!"

Hogan tried to open his eyes against the blinding light but shut them immediately as his eyes began to water, spilling a tear shamelessly down his cheek.

Biedenbender watched amused.

Hogan clenched his teeth, against the anger building inside of him. With fire in his voice, he warned, "You'd better not miss!"

Crack! - Punishment came hard and swift with a black gloved backhand.

"Ugh!"

The throbbing immediately followed as the restraint holding his head forced his cheek to absorb the full force of the blow.

"Threats?" Biedenbender laughed out loud, "Ah, Colonel Hogan, you do have some spirit left."

"Who are you?" Hogan grimaced as his jaw burned with the effort to speak. "What do you want from me? It's not answers," he panted with anticipation as he again braced for the blow.

"Halt!" Biedenbender ordered, stopping the downswing of the punishing hand before it made contact with the bruised and swollen cheek. I have what I want, Colonel Hogan. You!

Major Albrecht lowered his arm. "I apologize for this display of disrespect, Herr General."

Hogan relaxed, realizing the blow he anticipated was not coming, at least not now.

Reaching out from the blackness, and running the back of his hand down Hogan's swollen right cheek, Biedenbender continued, "Yes, Major, I'm afraid he has not learned his lesson yet. But I wouldn't feel too bad."

The muscles in Hogan's neck bulged in an attempted turn his head from his captor.

"After all," Biedenbender hissed, "he is from an inferior race and their learning capacity is limited."

"Jawohl, Herr General," Albrecht agreed. "But I will continue to try!"

Biedenbender picked up the dog tags dangling from Hogan's neck, once again taking satisfaction in the name. "So, Colonel Hogan, that means you could make the same mistakes again, killing even more of your men!"

Biedenbender watched his enemy. The American was doing a good job of keeping his face blank but the beating of his heart was visible in his neck. And it was racing, as the doubt of his actions in the air over Hamburg ate at him.

Biedenbender wondered if the American's guilt was enough to keep him docile. General Burkhalter is right, too many escape attempts have occurred at Colditz. And Rolf's suggestion of keeping you chained to a wall at Gestapo Headquarters will not fit into the Fuhrer's plans. Will you think twice before endangering the lives of the men under your command again? I agree…your imprisonment at Stalag 13 is our best and safest bet.

Biedenbender turned to leave. There was nothing to do now but wait…

Pausing at the door, he took one last look back. Will you try anyway, Colonel Hogan? Will you devise some over-elaborate scheme to get you and possibly some of your men out of Germany? Maybe… Biedenbender rubbed his chin. …but I will see it coming. Bidenbender smiled. Have no doubt about that. I know you, Colonel Hogan, and I'll be watching you

Biedenbender stepped out into the hallway and let out a sigh.

"I see you are pleased," Zurbruck remarked, as the General took one last look at their prisoner. "Victory is indeed, sweet, Herr General!"

Biedenbender, looked at the Kommandant, nodded and smiled broadly. "It is true what they say, 'He who laughs last, laughs best'."

A sharp sudden outflow of breath, swallowed as quickly as it had made its escape, came from the direction of the prisoner. A sob? Biedenbender wondered.

Looking back, the interrogators bright tortuous light revealed an American Colonel, hands balled into fists, head tightly held in restraints, whose eyes were closed against the brightness of the light…and the darkness of his future.

The End.

(of the challenge, for the end of the story see series episode 33, "Hogan Gives A Birthday Party")

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