Thanks for the reviews! I hope you like the rest of the story as well ;-)


"The Gestapo could be gone within a few minutes, Colonel.". Jörg Hochman surveyed his brother closely as the latter tried to push himself upwards against the wall. When he was finally standing in front of him, he again said:

"I could make them leave.".

Hogan looked at him, not sure what to expect. Was this another attempt to get him on the German side? Or had George finally seen that he was doing the wrong thing?

"What do you want?".

A smile twitched in the corner of Hochmans mouth as he said: "Stop the sabotage, immediately-". He could not finish his sentence, because Hogan said angrily:

"I will never!". Hochman gestured with his hands, that Hogan must remain silent.

"After the sabotage has stopped, one of the men in this camp will escape. He will be found by my men, carrying explosives and busy wiring a bridge. We will then shoot him as Papa Bear. You can remain in Stalag 13, for the rest of the war, unharmed.".

Hogans eyes narrowed, anger vibrating in the air. "You think I would sacrifice one of my men?".

Hochman nodded, self satisfied. "Of course, who wouldn´t in exchange for his own life?"

Hogan shook his head sadly. "You´ve done this before, haven´t you?".

Gazing past Hogan, Hochman nodded. "Yes, I did.".

Then, gazing directly into his brothers eyes, he sneered. "Think about it, you´ve got until tomorrow, otherwise you are going to be the one shot as Papa Bear!".


The door slammed shut and Hogan was alone. In this dark cell, he could find no comfort against the feelings of dread that made his head spin. His brother had turned into a monster or was it just an egoist?

What was there behind this sudden change? Hogan could recall the boy George had been, sporty, lively. He had enjoyed basketball and football. But then, they had moved to Germany, after their father died. Since then, George was more closed up, than he had been before, still he had cared about his family.

Rob recalled the scene in the hall, just before George left for the army. He had promised to protect them, forever. Could the war change people like this?

He rolled himself together in a corner of the room, pain throbbing through his body, but it was more than the physical pain. He could deal with that, he knew, but it was the pain caused by the fear and despair of what was about to come.

A stone was shoved aside and a smiling face entered the cooler. Green eyes twinkled at him and a mischievous grin told him, that Tom did not know about the recent events.

"Hi Rob, how are you?".

"I don´t know what to do any more.".

The green eyes peered at him. "He did not offer to release you?".

Rob sighed. "Yes, he did, but to what price.".

After hearing the whole story, Tom growled with anger. "I told him to- oops.". He clapped his hand against his mouth, but the words had not escaped Rob.

"You talked to him?".

Tom nodded. "I went to his bedroom last night and ehm persuaded him to talk to me.".

"He did not arrest you?".

Tom burst into laughter. "Of course not, I had some means of preventing him from doing so.".

"You threatened him?".

"Maybe.".

Rob pulled his brother towards him. "Tell me, honestly.".

Tom rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes I did, big brother.". And then, irritated, "But I´m no six year old any more, Rob. I can care for myself now!".

Robs eyes twinkled. "I know, but still, I´ve got enough problems with one of my brothers. I don´t need another problem, involving my other brother being somewhere in a Gestapo prison!".

"So what are we going to do now?".

Suddenly, Robs face brightened with a big smile. "I´m going to accept Georges generous offer.".

After hearing the whole plan, Tom clapped him on his shoulder and grinned. "You´re surely mad, but it might work.".


"So you accept my offer, Colonel Hogan?". Hochman was standing in front of Hogan, with an I-knew-you-would-accept look on his face.

"Do I have any other choice?". Hogan tried to sound as angry as he should be feeling. However iside him, he laughed at the figure before him, who did not yet know what he was planning.

Hochman smiled pompously. "Very well, one of the men in this camp is going to be taken tonight and we will make sure he cooperates.".

"Who?".

"I thought that Sergeant would like a nice trip outside the camp, what´s he called again?".

Hogan shook his head. "If you don´t tell me which Sergeant I don´t know.".

Hochman grinned. "Don´t be so cocky, Colonel, you seem to care about him a lot. I thought he would be the ideal choice for this, nothing less would be suspected from someone as inferior as him, that he would try to sabotage the Third Reich.".

Hogan looked shocked. "Sergeant Kinchloe?".

"Yes, Colonel, he will serve our purpose well, he´s black, so not worth anything to us and he´s worth a lot to you. You can think about it for the rest of your life, how you sacrificed one of your men to save yourself!".

A hurt look appeared in Hogans eyes.

So that´s what you wanted, George, not only let me stop sabotaging, no, ruining me altogether, make me feel guilty for the rest of my life. Where is the brother I knew?

With a voice that drowned in anger, he said. "You made me do it.".

Jörg Hochman said no more. A superior smile on his face, he turned towards the door, to begin preparing the event for tonight.


As darkness fell over Stalag 13, a small group of guards approached Barracks Two. Minutes later, they reappeared, holding a struggling person. The little group opened the gates and vanished in a small truck. Jörg Hochman observed the departure through the window in the guest quarters. Heads would roll, tonight.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the camp, Hogan was not sleeping as he was supposed to be. He was waiting anxiously for one of his men to appear out of the tunnel and fill him in. After what seemed hours, Carter stuck his head out of the tunnel entrance.

"Colonel, Klink is moving towards the guest quarters. It seems, that he noticed that Kinch was taken away.".

Hogan nodded, thoughtfully. "Observe him, I want to know exactly what´s going on in there. What about LeBeau and Newkirk?".

"LeBeau´s on Strudel duty and Newkirk has got everything ready.".

"What about you?".

Carter rubbed his hands together and smiled mischievously. "Oh boy, those are going to be the best explosives we ever had!".

Hogan smiled at the enthousiastic Sergeant. "Good, you know the sign. I´ll join you later.".


In the guest quarters, Hochman was pacing, when Klink knocked at the door. "Come in.".

Klink walked inside. "General, I do not want to offend you, but your men left with one of my prisoners and-".

Hochman cut him off with a sharp movement of his hand. "Don´t bother Klink. He will not return, that´s all you need to know.".

"But General-".

Hochman sighed, before saying angrily: "Klink, this is none of your business, go to sleep. Everything will be explained later.".

Klink straightened up, before he began again: "General, I must protest. First you come in here, drag Colonel Hogan off into the Cooler and allow the Gestapo to have a field day with him. Then without reason, you drag of another one. I demand to know what´s going on!".

Hochman looked stunned at this sudden bravery of the coward he saw in the Kommandant, but he recovered amazingly fast and sneered: "Colonel Klink, I would advise you to ignore these things, or you may find yourself somewhere cold...".

Klinks bravery vanished with the same speed it had come and clicking his heels together, he backed away.

Soon after this, Hochman left Stalag 13, accompanied by his personal guards, who had returned from their journey. Suddenly, a chorus of Fools Rush in echoed through the compound, cut off soon after by an angry growl from one of the guards towers.

Not long after this, a small black figure approached the Cooler, leaving minutes later without the Strudel he had been carrying. Another black figure jumped from the window and made his way towards the woods.


In the woods, Hogan and LeBeau jumped into the truck, which was handed them by a member of the Underground. Not much later, they were driving after their friends. Carter and Newkirk were already following Hochman, transmitting the coordinates of the places they passed to Hogan and LeBeau.

After a ten minute drive, Hogan slowed down the car and the two of them joined Carter and Newkirk, who were already waiting.

"What´s going on?", Hogan asked.

"Hochman arrived about five minutes ago. They are setting up the explosives and everything right now."

Hogan nodded. "Good, we´re here in time. Did you replace the explosives, Carter?".

Carter nodded eagerly.

"Then we get going.".

Newkirk held Hogan back. "Guv´nor, there´s something I got to tell you.".

"What?".

"Toms here as well. He´s over there observing the Krauts.".

Hogan sighed. I could have known that he would join us. It´s too late now anyway to send him back.

"Don´t worry, Newkirk, let´s join Tom and then go."


In the meantime, Kinch was lying on the forest ground, his hands secured behind his back, while around him Hochmans three personal guards wired the bridge.

Hochman eyed them, satisfied. The loss of the life of this unknown prisoner did not matter to him, however it meant, that his brother was safe and that no more soldiers would die from Hogans sabotage actions.

He recalled the coldness in Hogans voice when he first proposed the plan.

I had not thought that he would eventually agree, but miracles occur.

As he strolled along the bridge, he gazed again at the tied up prisoner.

If you knew, what important role you play for me. You are the reason that I can keep my promise to mom.

Soon after, the guards reported that the bridge was wired. Hochman ordered Kinch to be placed beside it. Then, he approached him, drawing his gun.


Five gunshots echoed through the woods. One knocked Hochmans gun out of his hand. The other four took out the three guards.

Hochman gazed at his empty hand, where his gun had been, seconds before. Then he heard a voice coming from a figure that stepped out of the thick undergrowth.

"Hi George.".

Hochman looked straight into the brown eyes of his brother, not speaking.

"I thought I´d come along and prevent you from killing one of my men.".

Meanwhile, the other four emerged and Newkirk, grabbing the keys from one of the guards freed Kinch.

Hogan circled George, while the others remained at their positions. Staring hard at his elder brother he said: "I´m going to offer you the choice you gave me.".

"What choice?".

Hogan pointed at the surrounding forest, in the direction where Stalag 13 was. "A similar choice you gave me when I was in the Cooler. You can come back with us to Stalag 13 and will be sent to London as a prisoner of war, or we will leave you here, near your shot comrades and a blown up bridge, with maps from the local underground stuffed in the pockets of a black dress, usually used when one does not want to be seen in the dark, labelling you effectively as a spy.".

George did not hesitate to make his choice. Despite his reluctance to becoming a prisoner of war, he knew that he had not much of a choice and so he followed the group, back into the dark forest, while the bridge detonated behind them.


The next morning, at roll call, a muddled, dirty figure appeared at the front gate of Stalag 13. Schultz, immediately recognized Sergeant Kinchloe. The black Sergeant staggered towards Colonel Klink. Hogan blinked at him. You know what to do.

When he reached the Kommandant, Kinch stammered "Colonel- it, General Hochman- he- the woods...", before collapsing at his feet.

Klink marched up to Hogan. "Colonel Hogan, what is going on around here! Prisoners vanish from my camp, prisoners are sent to the Cooler and a day later released by orders from General Burkhalter, because an important General has been found to be Papa Bear, bridges are blown up. What is going on?".

Hogan shrugged and looked at Klink innocently. "Honestly Kommandant, how could I know? I´ve been in the Cooler and only released this morning how could I possibly know anything?".

Klinks eyes narrowed, but he turned on his heels and devoted his attention to the black Sergeant who was waking up. "Schultz, bring Sergeant Kinchloe into my office!".

Hogan followed the pair into Klinks office. When Klink noticed him, he screamed: "Hogan! What are you doing here?".

Hogan drew a small booklet from his pocket and opened it. "According to the Geneva Convention, the senior POW of a POW camp is to be present when prisoners are interrogated.".

Klink made a dismissive gesture. "I know, Colonel Hogan but I am not planning to interrogate Sergeant Kinchloe, I only want to ask him some questions.".

Hogan dropped his hat onto Klinks desk and said: "I think asking questions actually goes under interrogation.".

Klink slammed his hand onto his desk. "HOGAN! You are dismissed, now or the whole camp will receive punishment!".

Hogan shrugged in defeat, "Well then, see you Kommandant." and left, after throwing Klink his casual salute.

Klink turned his attention on Sergeant Kinchloe.

"Sergeant, what happened last night?".

Kinch tried to look tired and merely said: "Hochman is Papa Bear, he tried to persuade me to work for him, I refused. He tried to shoot me, but I escaped. Soon after I heard an explosion. I walked all night, but culd find no shelter, so I returned.".

"Very well, Sergeant you may go.".

Klink remained in his office, thinking over the events of the past few days.

Strange things have happened and something is not quite right.

Then he shrugged. Why would he care? Apparently Burkhalter believed the story, according to Colonel Hogans release this morning, so why wouldn´t he? It would only make his life difficult, if he didn´t.


On the outside, Stalag 13 went back to the normal routine. Prisoners played ball games in the yard, guards watched from their watchtowers.

Hogan gazed over the compound. All his men were engaged in the sports games, but he himself needed time to think. The danger was over, yet down in the tunnels, were his two brothers. He sighed, because he knew that he would have to confront George sooner or later and that he had to say goodbye to Tom once again.

When they went inside for lunch, Hogan told his men, that they would have a meeting in the tunnel tonight, to decide what would happen now.