Klinks eyes grew wide and he to dropped his Schnapps glass onto the floor. "General? Colonel Hogan?".
Hogan turned casually towards Klink, pretending that nothing had happened and asked in an inquiring voice:
"Kommandant Klink? You wanted to see me?".
Klink eyed Hogan closely, but let the subject rest for a moment.
"As a matter of fact, Colonel, General Hochman wanted to see you.".
Hochman nodded and adressed Hogan like he would have done with anyone. "Colonel Hogan, I have reason to suspect you of sabotage and espionage against the Third Reich. What do you say?".
Hogan glared back at his brother, surprised by the cold and indifferent tone of his voice.
How many George? How many honest and brave men have been executed by you already?
"I don´t know what you´re talking about."
Amusement lightened Hochmans eyes as he began circling around Hogan.
"Are you aware of the fact that suspected saboteurs are not regarded as ordinary POWs and therefore do not have to be treated according to the Geneva Convention?".
Is this pleasure in your voice, George?
Hogan remained silent.
Hochman, with a hint of a smile in his brown eyes turned towards Klink.
"Colonel Klink, you will arrange a little dinner party tonight and I want Colonel Hogan to be our guest.".
Klink nodded, uneasy by the look the General was giving him.
There was something familiar about this General, about the way he looked when he thought nobody was watching, the look in his eyes when he was thinking and even in the way he walked. And Klink had not forgotten the scene when the General and Colonel Hogan had first met. How did the General know Hogans name? And why had Hogan called the General George?
Finally, he decided to leave this until this evening. "Very well, Herr General. Colonel Hogan, you are invited to the dinner party this evening. Dismissed.".
Hogan nodded and with a last look at Hochman he left.
Klink turned towards Hochman, who was still looking at the door, behind which Colonel Hogan had vanished.
"General, if you permit to ask me, how did you know Colonel Hogans first name?".
Hochman obviously did not want to talk about this subject, because he mumbled something about "studying the mind of the enemy" and then changed the subject.
"Colonel, do you have any guest quarters by any chance? I´d like to stay for a few days while I am here to interrogate Colonel Hogan.".
Klink nodded. "Of course, Herr General. Schultz will show you your quarters.".
"Schultz! Bring the General to the guest quarters." and he added in a whisper "And bring Colonel Hogan here. I need to talk to him.".
Schultz nodded and disappeared out of sight.
Within minutes, he returned with Colonel Hogan.
Curious about what Klink wanted from him, he stood silently, waiting for Klink to tell the reason for his summon.
"Colonel Hogan. I am sorry to have to interrupt you in your busy life again, but I need to ask you something. Why did you call the General George? By my information his first name is Jörg...".
Hogan shifted uneasily. He did not want to tell Klink the truth, yet he did not know how to explain this slip of his tongue.
"I- ehm, I was merely guessing, I mean Jörg is quite a common name in Germany isn´t it and I wanted to annoy him, so I used the American version of the name instead.".
While he heard himself saying this, he heard how lame this excuse was sounding. If Klink believed this, he would certainly have reached a new peak of dumbness.
Klink shook his head. "Colonel Hogan, I think you have been in this camp long enough to realise that I see through your feeble attempts to fool me. I repeat my question and can only ask you to trust me, what is there between the General and you?".
Hogan shrugged and shifted his feet again. Klink had never before seen the American like this.
The General seemes to be a tender spot with Hogan.
"Very well, Hogan. I will see you at six this evening for dinner, but meanwhile if you decide you need someone to talk to...".
Hogan saluted his normal sloppy salute and left without a word. Angrily he marched back to the Barracks.
Great job, Rob. Klink has seen through the most stupid cover story you´ve ever invented and your own brother is after you. And above all, Klink thinks you need him to be a sort of psychiatrist. What a great day.
He rushed past his men into his quarters and slammed the door shut again. Fiercely he looked around the room as if searching for something that could be blamed for everything. His eyes travelled towards the calendar on the wall.
Maybe it´s Friday the thirteenth and tomorrow everything will be all right again.
But the date did not do anything to lift his spirits. It only made him feel worse.
12th of July. Absolutely great. Happy Birthday to me tomorrow.
He smiled faintly as he realised the irony of the situation.
Last year you would have given almost everything to have one of your family members with you at your birthday and now...
He glanced at his watch. Five o´clock.
Dinner´s at six, you´d better stop feeling miserable for yourself now and inform the others.
"Well he did not take you to Berlin or lock you in the cooler, that is at least something.". Carter was doing his best to brighten up the situation, but he did not succeed.
"That´s ruddy wonderful then, mate. Who says that that bloke won´do that in the future? An´ besides that he said that ´e´s got evidence, ´asn´t he? What if someone else knows about this and decide it´s time to act?".
Hogan smiled faintly. "Newkirk, Newkirk always a happy word to brighten up the day.".
"Maybe I could put some poison in the food for tonight?".
Hogan shook his head. "LeBeau, I told you already that I don´t want to kill my own brother if it is not absolutely necessary and besides that I have to eat the food as well.".
"But if I put the poison into the food, you ´aven´t done anything. So you wouldn´t ´ave killed your own brother.".
Hogans temper was flaring up again. "You lot just don´t understand, do you? He is my brother for heaven´s sake! I don´t want him to be harmed, no matter how dangerous, no matter how cruel he is!".
Kinch put his hand upon Hogans shoulder, pushing him into his seat again.
Slowly, Hogans breathing slowed and the angry red spots on his cheeks disappeared. Suddenly he looked tired and much older than he was.
"Sorry, Louis, I shouldn´t have shouted at you, it´s just-".
LeBeau shook his head. "It´s okay, mon Colonel. I understand.".
Hogan looked at the others. "I think I´m going to freshen up a bit, you know, for dinner.". And he walked into his office, closing the door softly, almost to soft.
"Boys, I don´t know what ya lot are thinkin´, but this can´t go on like this. The guv´nor is goin´to crack under this. It´s to ruddy much.".
The others nodded, thought fully.
"Maybe we should take his mind of the subject for a few hours?".
"Oui, Carter, but how?".
"Well, after all, it´s his birthday tomorrow, maybe we could have a kind of party?".
"I doubt that the guv´nor will be in any mood for a party mate, but we can try.".
LeBeau smiled gleefully. "I will make a nice meal for mon Colonel. He´ll never want anything else after this!".
Carter jumped in. "I´ll make some nice fireworks.".
Kinch and Newkirk exchanged looks. "Then it´s up to us to get a present I suppose?".
"We´ll get somethin´ special, somethin´ really, really special.".
Their planning was interrupted by Hogan coming out of the office. He was now in dress uniform and made a beeline for the Barracks door as if he wanted to escape unnoticed. In the last moment, he changed his mind turned around and said:
"Well, I´m going to see Klink then. See you later.". He smiled what should obviously look like a comfortable smile and disappeared.
"We´d better throw a good party, one which he´ll enjoy more than the party tonight.".
Hogan dashed into Klinks dining room, only to find that the General and Klink were already there. He threw them a sloppy salute and sat down.
Hochman raised his eyebrow. "Colonel Hogan, is this what you see as proper military behaviour?".
Challenging, Hogan looked at Hochman. Klink tried to make himself invisible. He knew what was about to come, he knew this from the various occasions on which both Hochstetter and Burkhalter had tried to make Hogan salute them with the respect they thought they deserved. Hogan had never obeyed to such an order, never.
The silence was building, it was one of the heaviest silences Klink had ever endured. Finally he glanced at Hogan, then at Hochman. Both men did not move, they only stared at each other.
Hochman was the first to break the silence. "Stubborn, Colonel? Never learned any respect?".
"Not for the enemy." Hogan shot at him. Klink looked astonished. Why had Hogan accentuated the words "the enemy"?
Hochman smiled sadly. "I thought you would say this, Colonel.".
The tension in the room lessened slightly, as the food was brought into the room. Hogan stared at it.
LeBeau has not been asked to cook. Klink seems to have forgotten to ask me. Why?
Hogan looked up again from his plate and watched Hochman and Klink eating. He himself had not touched the food, he was not hungry.
Come on George, what do you want from me?
After the meal, Hogan got to his feet, as though he wanted to leave again. Hochman glared at him.
"Colonel, leaving already? I would enjoy to have you as company for the rest of the evening as well, you surely wouldn´t refuse, would you?".
Hogan sighed and sat down again.
I knew it. This is not the end.
The General spoke again. "I wondered Colonel Hogan, wondered for a long time when Klink showed me your file this evening. You seem to resist to give any information to us, even personal information regarding your family or your place of birth.".
"And this will remain so, General.".
Hochman smiled. "You know, Colonel it appears that I know more about you than you could think. I know for example that you have got two brothers, Thomas and George.".
Hogan shifted on the chair. His mouth was dry. Where was George heading?
He turned his head around very fast as he heard the sound of glass shattering. Klink had dropped his glass once more, a look of comprehension on his face.
George? Could it be? Could it be possible?
Klink flushed. "Excuse me General, I think the glass slipped through my fingers.".
Hochman nodded curtly, while Klink was again lost in thought.
But he is called Hochman, not Hogan. I definitely need a word with Hogan about this.
Hochman resumed his talk. "Now as I was saying before Colonel Klink dropped his glass. I happen to know your brothers. Would you like to know what happened to them?".
Hogan nodded, still not knowing where his brother was heading.
"Thomas Hogan, or as he is known amongst his friends and family, Tom Hogan was shot down three months ago and is now imprisoned in a POW camp. George however-".
He stopped for a moment to observe Hogan. The muscles in his jaw were tensed, but he still looked tired, worn. He sported a few grey hairs just above his ear, but the eyes looked still young. However, at the news of Tom being imprisoned the lights in the eyes seemed to dim and worry filled them. but from the outside, Hogan remained calm and indifferent.
You are guarding your emotions Rob, but your eyes betray you.
"As I said, George. You will be sorry to hear, that George died. He died shortly after Hitler rose to power.".
Klink looked confused and glanced at Hogan. Hogan looked more surprised than shocked.
Suddenly, realisation dawned on him.
He means that the George in him died, he has become Jörg Hochman, member of the Nazi party.
And this means said a little voice in his head that you don´t have to expect any mercy from him, so he will kill you, or you´ll have to kill him.
Hogan shook his head and said in a soft voice. "I don´t believe you.".
