Chapter 3: You Work For Me

Hogan paced his office grumbling out loud while Kinch just listen to his CO vent. "Where was Klink taking her? I didn't like the look he had. Why didn't he make eye contact with me? Something wasn't right. Maria even was tense."

"Colonel if you keep pacing in the same spot, you are going to wear a hole in the floor." Hogan stopped and looked at his second in command. "Colonel, do you think that the way Klink has been going out of his way to protect Maria, that he might do something that would let harm come to her?"

"I don't know Kinch. He is a German and not much of what they do makes since."

"Don't forget that she also saved his life. Surely that has to mean something?"

"I hope you are right Kinch. I just have a bad feeling in my gut about it."

IN THE WOODS

"Do you think that I wouldn't kill you?" Klink asked surprised that Maria didn't react when he pulled the trigger.

"I have no doubt that right now you hold my life in your hand. Frankly Kommandant, I don't care if you kill me or not. My soul is right with God. I will never fear death."

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you to make sure my secret stays a secret?"

"I knew about your secret before I was taken prisoner. Since you are not in Gestapo custody, you know that I didn't tell them. I also assume that you know that my story about Papa Bear being my husband was a lie. I also believe you know who Papa Bear really is. Why haven't you told him about you."

"I like having one up on Colonel Hogan. It gives me personal satisfaction to watch him act when he thinks he is running the camp. I enjoy it more when I take the control away from him. You have played a big part in that. You have kept him so distracted, that he hasn't been able to come up with good lies to get his way. There is one thing that can save your life right now."

"What?"

"Pledge you loyalty to me and work for me."

"What all will you be having me to do?"

"What ever I want. If I think that you might betray me, I will kill you and that is a promise."

"What if I don't like the assignment?"

"Doesn't matter. You will do it. I know about you and Colonel Hogan's conversation about you following orders. You said something that struck me as odd and was wondering what you meant by it. You said that it wasn't because you were a civilian that you didn't have to obey Hogan's orders"

Maria remained silent. Klink brought the Lugar back up to her head. "Pull the trigger Kommandant, because I don't talk unless I want to. You have read my file and know what all I have been through. I could have easily given them you or Colonel Hogan to end the torture. But nothing they did convinced me to talk."

"What about if I threaten to turn Colonel Hogan into the Gestapo as being Papa Bear?"

"Two can play that game Cottontail. Do you think that you would be able to kill me in time? What if I did tell someone as a safety measure?"

Klink lowered his gun. I am diffidently dealing with a smart person. She could be bluffing, but I doubt it. A smart person would have an ace up their sleeve. "There is someone else I could hand over to the Gestapo."

There are only two people that would make a difference. "You better not be threatening my children." Maria steps as close to Klink as she could and was eyeball to eyeball with him. "You really don't want to open that can. If you do, you will experience my full wrath. You saw Hogan and I fighting and what I did to him. If I could do that to some one I care about, just imagine what I could do to some one I don't."

Klink wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that Maria's eyes flashed red. Impossible. "Fine, I will discover your secret."

"Not until I want you to. For now, your secret is safe with me, and maybe one other person. I give you my word that I will not tell any one your secret without your say so. The other person might have orders to divulge the information about you only if something happens to me as a result of you."

"Just remember you work for me now and it is to be kept a secret. Neither Colonel Hogan nor the rest of his menare to find out. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

Shultz was sitting at the car with his head in his hands crying. Poor Robert. Oh no. I don't want to even think about telling Colonel Hogan. That will not be a pretty picture and a lot of people can get hurt. "Why?"

"Why what Shultz?" Maria asked while she got into the car along with Klink

A big smile came across his face as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Klink gave him a look that told him not to say a word.

BARRACK TWO

"Colonel Hogan, Klink's car just pulled in. Maria is with them." Carter exclaimed with joy.

Hogan went rushing outside. "Kommandant I don't practically care for you taking prisoners away with out notifying me where you are taking them and why."

Inwardly Klink smiled, "Hogan when are you going to learn that I am running this camp and I can do what ever I want with my prisoners." Klink turned and left to go into his office.

"Maria what happened?"

"We went for a stroll trough the woods. He wanted to know what a tree was?"

"What are you talking about? Why would he want to know that and why would he ask you?"

"Don't know." Maria turned to walk away when Private Treenary came up to her.

"Maria here is your special cane that you requested."

Maria looked at it closely. "Thanks" and went into barrack two

"Hold it right there Maria. I know you are lying. I want to know what is going on around here. It is important that I know."

"You know what you need to know." She leaned close to his ear and whispered "I cant tell you any more that that for now." Maria backed away from Hogan and pulled on the handle of her cane and a sward came out.

"All right you win. No more questioning. Just put that thing away before some one gets hurt. Namely me." Hogan put his hands up and started backing away.

Maria couldn't help but laugh. "Let that be a lesson Colonel. Don't push issues with me." She put the cane together and went into her room to rest.

As Klink was listening in, a smile came across his face as he could picture Hogan's reaction. "Well done Maria. Well done."

"Kommandant, the mail is here." Shultz handed Klink the mail.

"Hum there is a letter from General Burkhaulter stating that I am to attend a meeting in Hammelberg for POW Kommandants. It says that there is a room reserved there for me. I wonder why I am to stay over night there when I live this close. Oh well I shall leave in the morning after roll call."

The next day before roll call, a Gestapo staff carand truck full of soldiers pulled into the compound. A Gestapo captain went into Klink's office.

"We better listen in just incase." Hogan informed the guys.

"Kommandant Klink, I am Captain Gruber. I was sent to command Stalag 13 while you are at your meeting."

"I was going to have Sergeant Shultz command the camp in my absence."

"We have our orders." Gruber took out some papers and handed them to Klink.

Klink read them "Orders are orders. If you have any problems, please get in touch with me." Not that I don't trust you or anything.

"Maria, you are staying in the tunnel until they leave. Newkirk I want you to exchange roster lists with one that doesn't have Maria's name on it." Maria started to protest, "Look, you know as well as I do that something doesn't sound right about this and the Gestapo don't care about the Geneva Convention."

Maria thought a moment and nodded. "Roll Call! Raus!

"Maria get going. Shultz just say all present. Trust me she isn't escaping."

"You want me to lie. Why do you ask such things of me?"

"To protect her. Please do it?" Hogan pleaded more with eyes than words.

"Get in formation now." Shultz gave Hogan a wink and he motioned for him to go outside with the others.

"Reeeepoooort!" Klink yelled as he stood in front of the prisoners with Captain Gruber and a couple of his men.

"All present and accounted for Herr Kommandant."

No there not Shultz. There seems to be one missing. I can understand why. Klink looked directly hat Hogan who just looked straight ahead and praying that Klink wouldn't say anything. "This is Captain Gruber from Gestapo. He and his men will watch over things while I am at a meeting. I better not here any reports of any prisoners misbehaving. Is that understood Colonel Hogan?" Hogan just nodded " I will only be gone overnight. I shall return tomorrow."

That's what you think Colonel. Gruber thought to himself with an evil smile appearing on his face.