No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.

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Once again Hogan watched as Hochstetter got out of his staff car and walked over to meet the men filing out of the truck that once again accompanied him to the camp. They came to attention as the Gestapo officer paced up and down the line of men, obviously giving instructions. "Everything ready?" Hogan asked, not moving.

"Carter and Le Beau brought everything down about an hour ago," Kinch answered, also keeping an eye on the activity across the compound.

"How far did the boys get digging?"

"About thirty feet from Barracks Ten, toward the back fence."

"Good," Hogan answered. He continued watching as the dozen soldiers started dispersing, heading to various parts of the camp, with Hochstetter overseeing everything. "This is it. Get everyone in place, huh? And tell Newkirk to get started."

"Right."

Kinch took off, and Hogan strolled casually away from Barracks Two.

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"Klink, you are to put double the usual number of guards at every post. I want extra patrols near the gate, and I will have my men patrolling the perimeter as well as joining your men in walking the compound. This will start now, Klink, so that your usual efficiency won't have a chance to ruin this opportunity for the Third Reich." Hochstetter sneered. "How many guards do you have in camp?"

"Seventy-six, Major Hochstetter," Klink answered with pride. "I had three already on leave when you came, and another three who are ill. You know, the bad weather has been so hard on them, especially the older men who—"

Hochstetter waved a hand dismissively. "That will do, Klink."

Klink nodded. "All other passes have been cancelled. The men are aware they will be working longer shifts until this very important visitor is gone."

"Did you tell them who is coming?" Hochstetter asked, his voice starting to rise with his temper.

Klink shook his head quickly, already used to the Major's suspicious mind. "No, no, no, Major Hochstetter! I merely had Sergeant Schultz tell them that they are part of an important mission for the Fatherland and that their passes were cancelled for the time being."

"And they accepted this without protest?" Hochstetter asked.

"I owe some of them longer passes next week," Klink muttered, then did his best to smile graciously.

"I want the prisoners confined to barracks after roll call tomorrow morning," Hochstetter said. "And I want them counted every two hours—day and night."

"Yes, Major. Of course, Major."

"And I want Hogan kept as far away from here as possible."

At that moment someone knocked on the door, and it swung open, revealing Hogan, looking slightly dusty and disheveled. "Kommandant, I'm disappointed in you—"

All eyes in the room turned toward the man who had entered. Hochstetter's blood started to boil, but Hogan was going to leave the Major no chance to get a word in edgewise and continued speaking as though he hadn't seen him.

"Hogannnn—" Klink started.

"I thought we had a better relationship, Kommandant. You lied to me, sir, and you expected me to fall for it, and sure enough, I did—until now!" Hogan said, flashing his eyes defiantly and coming to stand before Klink at his desk.

"Hogan, what are you talking about?" Klink asked, trying to give Hogan a warning in his tone of voice, but obviously not getting through.

Hogan picked the vase up off Klink's desk. "You told me you got this vase from a friend in the antique business—you've been holding out on me!"

"What is this man doing here?" came a low growl from behind.

Hogan ignored it. "You don't have a friend in the antique business, do you, Kommandant?" Hogan accused. "This came from an archaeological dig! Right here in Germany, you said? Well that part was true—but you left out one minor detail: that it was found right here in this camp!"

"What is this man doing here?" The growl became louder and more insistent.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hogan. How could I get something like that at Stalag 13?" Klink asked, torn between his interest in what the senior POW officer was saying and his fear of Hochstetter and the Gestapo.

"It's a good thing one of my men was doing a little digging, or I'd have never figured out that you were trying to pull a fast one on me!" Hogan pushed. He pulled a small piece of clay out of his pocket. "Because he found this!"

"One of your men was digging?" Klink repeated, upset, but trying to look at what Hogan was holding.

Hochstetter finally exploded. "What is this man doing here?"

Hogan stopped and turned calmly toward the officer. "Oh, hi, Major. Didn't realize you were talking to the Kommandant. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Hogan, what are you babbling about?" Klink asked. "What have you got there?"

"Klink," Hochstetter seethed, "if this is an example of your usual efficiency, I predict we will lose the war by the end of next week."

"One of my men was digging an escape tunnel, and when I caught up with him, I saw this stuff all over the place. It looked familiar to me, and I realized it was just like this vase on your desk," Hogan explained, still sounding a bit put out.

"Where is this man?" Klink asked, quaking.

"Newkirk? Oh, he's in the outer office. I wanted you to see for yourself." Hogan turned to open the door and turned apologetically toward Hochstetter. "Sorry, Major. We won't take up much of your time."

"Hogan, why are you turning in one of your own men? Don't you want them to escape?" Hochstetter asked, suspicious.

Hogan paused with his hand on the knob, looking offended. "Well, of course I do, Major. But I could see you and your men all over camp. And with Colonel Klink's strict discipline—well, the safety of my men comes first, and I had to make sure that Corporal Newkirk didn't get spotted and shot." He lowered his eyes. "It was bound to happen if I didn't stop him myself, and I wouldn't know what to say in the letter home to his family. How would you explain a foolish move against an Iron Eagle with a perfect record?"

Klink nodded solemnly in agreement. "A wise move, Hogan."

Hogan turned back to the door and, opening it, called for Newkirk. The RAF Corporal entered, dirt-streaked and cow-eyed, wringing his cap in his hands, and not daring to look up at his commanding officer. "Newkirk, don't you have something to say to the Kommandant?"

Newkirk looked up and then quickly ducked his head back down. "I was just trying to get home to see me Nan," he mumbled. Hogan looked at him, unconvinced. "It's her birthday next week, Colonel—I had to see her for her birthday. I've never once missed giving the old girl a kiss and a rose on her special day—"

"That's enough, Newkirk," Hogan said roughly. "You know how important a time this is for the Kommandant. And to do this with Major Hochstetter in camp, too—couldn't you have waited until—until—sorry, Major, how long are you planning to stay?"

"That has yet to be determined, Colonel Hogan," Hochstetter said smoothly. "But rest assured, I will be watching you the entire time."

"Hogan, what is this all about?" Klink spluttered.

"Show him, Newkirk. Show him what you put in your pocket to bring Granny," Hogan said with contempt.

Newkirk reluctantly reached into his jacket and pulled out a very small, perfectly formed cup. "No one would have missed it," he protested as Hogan took it from him. "They're all over the place down there," he said to Klink.

Hogan kept his hand out, waiting. Newkirk slowly reached back into his pocket and took out another piece of pottery, then another. Hogan took them and held his hand out again. Once more the hand reached in and pulled out a piece. Hogan put everything he had extracted from the Corporal on the desk, then turned back to Newkirk. "Well?" he asked expectantly.

Newkirk hesitated. Hogan straightened to his full height. "I'm waiting, Corporal," he said.

Newkirk held out another moment, then sighed defeat and put his hand in his pocket, pulling out a small, chipped plate. Hogan snatched it away and turned back to Klink. "I think you can see what this is all about, Kommandant."

Klink looked back at Hogan, bewildered. "I can?"

"Of course you can!" Hogan replied. "An archaeological find as important as this, right here at Stalag 13—why, you'll be famous, sir! 'The Klink Discovery,' that's what they'll call it, sir. They'll be talking about this for years."

"'The Klink Discovery,'" Klink repeated, already dreaming of his renown. "I like it…." He came back to himself a moment. "Corporal Newkirk, you will spend the next fourteen days in the cooler for attempted escape."

"Bad idea, Kommandant," Hogan admonished, shaking his head.

"It is?"

"How interested do you think Newkirk is going to be in telling you where he found all of this if he's locked up in a cell? And besides, he'd have to show you himself; I haven't seen the whole site."

Klink nodded. "Mm, you're right." He waved his hand as if to erase his sentence. "Sentence revoked—for now. But if I catch you trying this again…" he trailed off in what he considered a threatening manner. Newkirk nodded and looked at the ground, properly reproached.

"This is nonsense!" burst in Hochstetter. "Klink, what is this all about?"

"Well, Major Hochstetter, these things that the Englander has found are just like this vase I have here," Klink began to explain.

"Beautiful; now you can have a complete set," Hochstetter scoffed.

"You don't understand, Major; the vase is an artifact; it is a very important part of Germany's history!" Klink continued.

"And finding it here at Stalag 13 means you're sitting on a very important archaeological find," Hogan put in.

"I am going to have to look into this," Hochstetter said, frowning fiercely.

"Ah, nothing slips past you, Major," Hogan praised him. "Of course you'll want to secure the area and put some of your guards there, just in case someone tries to get back in there to take some of the Third Reich's treasures for their own," he said, exchanging quick glances with Newkirk, then looking hopefully at Hochstetter. "Imagine how pleased old Bubble Brain will be when he realizes that the two of you have been looking after the Fatherland's riches. I see a red stripe coming for those pants, Kommandant…."

"You think so?" Klink asked, pleased.

Hochstetter considered a moment before responding. "Of course," he finally said slowly. "I will take some men down there now. Your Corporal Newkirk will lead the way."

"Of course he will, sir," Hogan answered. "It's the least he can do after his disgraceful actions today." He turned back to Newkirk. "Isn't that right, Corporal?"

Newkirk nodded, ashamed. "Yes, gov'nor. The very least I could do."

"Schultz!" Klink called out.

The door opened and the portly Sergeant of the Guard appeared at the door. "Jawohl, Herr Kommandant," he said, coming in.

"Schultz, get a party of three men—"

"Six men," Hogan interjected.

"—six men, and assemble them outside for duty at a very important site in the camp," Klink said, unaware that his numbers had even been adjusted.

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant," Schultz replied.

"See that they have rope to cordon off a fairly large area," Klink added.

"Rope, Kommandant?"

"Don't question it; just do it, dumbkopf!" Klink insisted.

"Of course, Herr Kommandant," Schultz said. "May I ask what we are doing?"

"You're looking after the Fatherland, Schultz," Hogan said. "Protecting it from the likes of prisoners like me and Newkirk."

"I think that would take more than all the guards in this camp," Hochstetter grumbled, unhappy but knowing he was outdone. "Come, Klink, we had better look at this… excavation." And he pushed past Hogan and Newkirk out the door, leaving Klink and Schultz to practically run after him.

Hogan turned to Newkirk and nodded, offering a small grin. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Corporal? Sending the Germans on a wild goose chase?"

Newkirk smiled back. "Absolutely, sir."

"Good. Let's see if we can't help them make a bit bigger fools of themselves—if that's possible." And he headed out of the office.