As promised, here´s the slightly longer chapter...
Next morning
Nervously, the men from Barracks Two jumped out of their beds, two hours before morning roll call. Neither of them had slept well last night.
Carter turned drowsily towards the stove. "Is there any coffee left?".
Kinch chose this moment to emerge from the secret tunnel entrance and grumble: "No, I drank at least two litres of it last night.".
"Quoi? You say you ´aven´t slept at all? Mon Dieu, Kinch, that´s not good for you. Mon Colonel would not be happy with this.".
Kinch shook his head. "I think he´s got other things on his mind right now, besides you don´t look to well either.".
Their bickering was interrupted by Schultz, coming inside.
"Hey boys, I thought you would be awake, after all, today-"
He stopped as he saw the look on the men´s faces.
Of course, they don´t want to be reminded, but it seems that they have completely abandoned reality and think that it is still possible that Hogan will be rescued.
Schultz shook his head and headed out again. "I will see you guys in two hours and please, don´t try some monkey business, please..."
Kinch could not help but smile.
I guess there´s a lot of "monkey business" up today, poor Schultz.
Hogan was also wide awake, looking out over the compound through the only window, his cell provided.
Sunrise. It´s long ago that I have seen the sun rise like this.
He let himself glide down onto the floor, warming himself in the sunlight that came through the window.
Sunlight...
He opened his eyes as Schultz came inside.
"Colonel, I- Your breakfast, I mean-". Schultz could only stammer, but Hogan cut him off, with a sharp movement of his hand.
"It´s okay, Schultz, take it, I´m not hungry."
Schultz nodded and hurried away, not knowing how to deal with the situation.
Hochstetter was also awake, but not out of concern, but out of satisfaction.
Today´s the day, today´s my day. Finally, Hogan will be forced to admit that he has lost to the Master Race, that we will not be insulted by worthless people like himself.
Humming Germany´s national anthem, Hochstetter finished dressing and went downstairs to have breakfast with his wife and son.
During the meal, he watched his son closely.
Fritz, you will never become a second Colonel Hogan. You will follow your father along the only way to justice. I´m proud of you.
He looked at the uniform of the Hitlerjugend, which his son was wearing.
In two years time, my boy, you will become a member of the Gestapo, just as your father...
His thoughts were interrupted by his wife, who had watched her husband with astonishment.
"Wolfgang, you seem to be so happy today. Is it, someone´s birthday?".
Hochstetter shook his head. "No, Greta, it is certainly not. Let´s say that I´ve just achieved an important victory for the Führer, for the Third Reich.".
Greta shook her head. The war had changed her Wolfgang. Before Hitler had rose to power, he had owned a little shop and made his living from that. She remembered the old days. He had been a loving husband and a caring father.
But Hitler came and brought that flicker into his eyes.
Hitler had not only changed Germany. Together with Germany, the people had changed.
When was it, Wolfgang, that you turned into a murderer? When did you lose your sense of right and wrong? Can you ever understand?
Greta turned away from her husband and continued repairing the sock, on which she had been working.
I can´t fix the holes in your mind, Wolfgang, but at least I can fix your socks.
Klink sat in his office and was angrily typing a letter. Normally, Hilda would do this, but he had to release his temper on something, so he had chosen the typewriter to pay the price for everything that had happened.
Hochstetter can´t win, he can´t.
"But he is!". The last words echoed in the empty room and Klink continued to hammer on the typewriter.
"Raus, raus boys! Alles raus! Roll call!".
The grumbling crowd of prisoners followed Schultz.
Kinch looked toward the front gate. Wachtelschneider had not arrived yet.
Don´t worry, there´s still time before Hochstetter comes. He will be there, he will be...
Then, he turned his attention to Klink, who staggered out of his office.
"REPOOOOOORT!".
Schultz turned. "Herr Kommandant, all prisoners present and accounted for.".
Klink spun on his heels and marched back to his office shouting over his shoulder: "Dissmissssssed!".
At that moment, a Gestapo car pulled through the main gate.
Newkirk, Carter, Kinch and LeBeau exchanged shocked looks.
He´s way too early!
"KLINK!". As he heard his name, Klink turned around and walked up to Hochstetter.
"Yes, Herr Major. What do you want from me?".
Hochstetter chuckled. "Not from you, Klink. I want, Hogan...".
Klink glanced at his watch. "You´re too early, major. You´ll have to wait.".
"KLINK! I changed the time, because I have other urgent business to attend to. The firing squad will be here in a minute. And, Klink..". Hochstetter lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "Hogan´d better be there, or otherwise, I will take you instead!".
Klink shook his head.
He´s a madman...
Hochstetter smiled as he saw a truck pull into the camp.
"There they are, Klink. I will get Hogan and you, are to remain here and don´t move.".
He stalked away, but before he reached the solitary, he motioned towards the prisoners and said: "Oh yes, Klink, the prisoners will remain in formation. They will witness and know, that it is not worthwhile to stand up against the Third Reich!".
Chuckling madly, he walked away.
The four friends exchanged panic stricken looks.
Wachtelschneider is not there...
Hogan remained calm, as the guards dragged him out of the cell. He trusted his men.
Their plan will have succeeded, or I would have known.
On his way out, he tried to push away the doubts, who were coming up, as he saw the black uniformed guards line up, to form what he never had wanted to see. A firing squad.
Getting a bit worried, he turned towards his men and as he saw their panicking looks, the colour drained from his face.
Uh oh.
He turned his attention on Hochstetter, who came walking towards him.
For a moment, panic wanted to take control over him, but he forced himself to remain calm, if only on the outside. Inside, there were worms crawling through his stomach, trying to force themselves a way out.
"My dear Colonel. So this is it?".
Then, turning towards the guards. "Guards, handcuff him!".
His hands were pulled roughly behind his back and the cuffs clicked shut. Hochstetter pulled Hogan to the Barracks wall, opposite to the firing squad.
There, he pulled a blindfold out of his pocket, but as he wanted to put it over Hogans eyes, the American pulled away.
I will not die with my eyes closed.
"Colonel? Afraid of the dark?".
Hogan remained stoic.
Don´t answer him, don´t answer. He will not have the pleasure.
His eyes travelled towards the blue sky.
Is there a place for me in Heaven?
Kinch´s mind was a big mass of chaos. He had to do something, they had to do something. When Hochstetter walked away, leaving the Colonel alone, his stomach turned and he wanted to make a run for Hochstetter, but he was restrained by the other prisoners. They could not leave him running off into misery.
Kinch desperately tried to get free from their grips. He knew he would never be able to forget the look in Hogans brown eyes, when he realised that the attempts to rescue him had gone bad,
That look did not blame them for not succeeding. It only said sorry. The look apologized for the fact, that Hogan could not protect his men any more and there was grieve, grieve because he would never see the end of what they had built. And at last there was respect, respect for what they had done for so long.
And it was this respect, that made the look unbearable. How could Hogan respect them, if they had failed their most important mission?
Kinch knew, that he could have dealt with anger, or pain, or sadness abut Hogan himself. But he could not deal with respect, that came with the death of a friend.
Kinch made eye contact with Hogan as Hochstetter shouted: "Anlegen!". The deer-brown eyes signaled once more.
I am proud of you all. Continue without me, continue, keep on fighting.
A loud crash crashed into Kinch´s feelings and drove its way into his heart, then there was only silence, deep silence.