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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Kinch took off the headsets and resisted the urge to throw them on the radio desk. He looked around the tunnel, grateful for the silence that reigned since Dietrich's departure for London the night before. It may be silent now, but it sure isn't gonna be once I get the Colonel down here. He sighed and went up the ladder leading into Barracks Two and called to the first man he saw. "Hey, Scotty! Go find Colonel Hogan for me and tell him London's calling."

"Right, Kinch!"

It was only a few minutes later that Hogan was climbing down the rungs. He came and stood beside Kinch, his face reflecting concern. "What's up, Kinch? Didn't our friendly Kraut get to London in one piece?"

"Oh yeah, he got there all right! Kicking and screaming all the way, from what they're saying, and they want to know why we got him so riled up that they can't even get as much as his name from him so far!" Kinch frowned as he spoke, remembering all the trouble they'd had with the man.

"If that's all they want to know, tell them his name is Captain Dietrich and he's in serious need of a kick in the can and some intensive lessons from Emily Post!" Hogan shook his head and turned to head back upstairs. "I don't have time for this, Kinch—tell them he's all theirs now. We've done our part. We know what kind of information is in his head; it's up to them to get it out."

"Hang on a minute, Colonel." Kinch stood up. "London wants to talk to you directly." He took off the headsets and held them out. "They also said they wanted to talk to you alone, so let me know when you're done here and I'll come close everything down."

Hogan raised an eyebrow. "Alone?" Kinch nodded. Hogan took the offered headsets and let out a loud breath. "Okay, Kinch. I won't be long. It can't take more than a couple of minutes to explain to London that this fella's a German and he won't be in the mood to play nicely."

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"Le Beau, get away from that tunnel."

"I was just trying to make the bed!"

"While it's up in the air?" Kinch shook his head. "For a spy, you're a really bad liar," he said. "You know the Colonel will have your head if he catches you listening in on his private conversation. London said they wanted to talk to him alone—not him with you hiding in the background."

Le Beau shrugged and moved back toward the table of the common room. "C'est la guerre." He glanced over at Carter, who was still sitting, moping, on his bunk. He frowned. "Carter? Some coffee?" he offered, gesturing toward the stove.

"Huh?" Carter looked up on hearing his name, then nodded when he figured out what had been said to him. "Yeah, thanks, Le Beau." He stood and picked up the tin cup he'd been using since being assigned to the barracks and headed for the coffee pot.

"I will get it," Le Beau said hastily, taking the cup from the Sergeant's hands.

"You all right, Carter?" Kinch asked.

Carter shrugged. "I guess so," he said. He looked at the others guiltily. "I was just thinking about what happened with that guy Dietrich downstairs yesterday. You know, how he got out of his ropes and I didn't even notice!"

Le Beau crinkled his face up, angrily thinking of the German who had caused so much trouble. "Don't feel bad, Carter; I did not notice either."

"But what would have happened if Colonel Hogan hadn't come downstairs when he did?" Carter looked over at Kinch. "And the way you and Newkirk appeared out of nowhere and jumped right in like that..." He shook his head as he went back to his bunk. "I should have done something like that too, but I was scared and I didn't know what to do."

"Look, Carter, don't worry about it," Kinch suggested softly. "We all get surprised once in awhile. You don't have nearly the experience that the Colonel's got with crafty Germans. It just takes time. You were the one with the rope around your neck—you didn't have as many options as we did."

"Yeah, but after that, after the Colonel got me loose, all I could do was stand there and watch." Carter swallowed hard and rubbed his neck as he remembered the feeling of the rope cutting off his air. "Maybe I don't belong here after all if I'm gonna freeze up like that the first time something really bad happens. I mean, I'll work on the cameras and stuff like that for you guys, but I think you should tell Colonel Hogan to find someone better than me if he's planning anything outside the wire."

Kinch smiled softly and shook his head. "You don't understand the Colonel, Carter. If he's picked you, then you're made of the right stuff. He doesn't make mistakes about things like that. He saw all the makings of a good saboteur in you—so you are one. There's no mistake about that. Besides, we all froze up the first time—Colonel Hogan expects that. It means you've gotten that first fright out of your system and you won't let it stop you again."

Newkirk came into the barracks, his undershirt and pants covered in sweat and dust, but with a grin on his face. "Too bad you missed the football game, mates. You'd have seen me score three times in a row!" He looked around, his grin fading as he noted the quiet and the solemn expressions on everyone in the room. "Hang on, what's everyone looking so glum about?"

Le Beau took a seat at the table after filling his own cup from the coffee pot. "Carter is worried that we won't want him around after what happened with Dietrich."

"I've never heard such a load of rubbish in my life." Newkirk pulled the bench away from the table and took a seat in front of Carter. He leaned forward, catching the young American's eyes with his own. "Now look here, Andrew, as long as Colonel Hogan says you're on the team, you're on the team, right? Has the gov'nor said anything to you about it?" When Carter shook his head, Newkirk went on. "There you go then. I tell you what, mate, next time we go out to do a job, you just stick close to me, and I'll see that you get along."

Carter grinned. "Thanks, Newkirk."

He was about to continue when a voice floated up to them from the tunnel below. "…I didn't promise you nice Nazis; I promised you valuable Nazis!" Hogan's voice was sharp, and annoyed.

"Uh-oh," Kinch said in a low voice.

"Look, we already told you what Dietrich's been exposed to. He has the information you want. Since when are we supposed to be his interrogators, too?"

"What's that all about, Kinch?" Newkirk joined the others in giving the tunnel entrance a worried look. "He sounds pretty steamed."

"Our friend Dietrich's not being very cooperative now that he's a guest of the Allies. Headquarters asked to talk to the Colonel alone. I guess they're raking him over the coals for it."

Newkirk frowned and started for the tunnel. "What do they think they're playing at? They wanted information about the work going on in that lab. We got someone who has it, and now they're not happy just because he's proving to be a bit of a tough nut to crack? Reckon I'll have to go give them a piece of my mind."

Kinch stood and quickly put a restraining hand on Newkirk's arm. "Hold it, Newkirk. The Colonel's supposed to be talking to London in private. If you go barreling down there, you'll be lucky to keep a single stripe. Hogan can handle it on his own."

After a long pause, Newkirk took a breath and nodded. "You're right, Kinch. The gov'nor can handle it on his own. It just burns me that London's putting the knock on him for doin' exactly what they wanted us to do."

Kinch shrugged. "I don't think they really quite understand what it is we do here," he said.

"Oui," Le Beau agreed. "They just take whatever we have to offer, without so much as a merci bien. They do not notice the danger we put ourselves in to do what we do."

"No, I don't want to come over there and do it myself; I'm having way too much fun living here with the rats and the lice!" One more outburst from Hogan. Carter grimaced and moved away from the opening. A long silence from below and upstairs. Then, in a much more subdued voice, Hogan was heard to say, "Yes, sir. I understand."

Kinch sat back at the table and shook his head. Hogan had clearly been put in his place. "Damn."

"I can't listen to any more of this." Newkirk went to the footlocker he shared with Carter and got out a towel and his only change of clothes. "I'm off to the showers." He gave the tunnel entrance a final glare and stalked out the barracks door.

The others listened in silence for anything else coming up from the tunnel, but there was nothing. A few minutes later, Hogan emerged from the tunnel, his face flushed on the surface from emotion but clearly pale underneath, and, looking at no one, he said, "I'm done down there, Kinch," and went into his office and shut the door.

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"I need two of you to go out tonight and bring back a visitor."

Hogan faced his men an hour later, composed and outwardly calm. Though the group had clearly heard Hogan's anger from the tunnel when he was speaking with London, there was little evidence of that now, aside from a somewhat clipped manner of speaking and an almost electric energy that the others could sense Hogan was doing his best to keep in check, at least for the duration of this discussion.

"A visitor? What do we need with a visitor, Colonel?" Le Beau crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

"We don't," Hogan answered. "But London isn't giving us any choice. Group Captain Michael Townsend will be coming out and we need to pick him up." He paused, then said reluctantly, "He'll be staying for a couple of days or so."

Carter got a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "What's a Group Captain, sir?"

"That would be one of my lot, mate." Newkirk smiled as he answered. "He holds the same rank as a Colonel does in your Air Corps." The smile remained on his face for Carter's benefit, even as his eyes rested on Hogan, giving the American officer a thoughtful look.

"That's right," Hogan replied, meeting Newkirk's gaze with a direct look. "And that means that you'll have to treat him with respect—even if he is here to spy on us."

"Spy on us?" Kinch echoed.

Hogan shrugged. "An argument over money and suddenly we've got a guest from Headquarters. Evil accountants are everywhere, even in the middle of a war."

Newkirk's eyes narrowed, but he kept his silence as the others started voicing their protests at having someone coming in to check up on them and the operation. Even Kinch had something to say, but he cut himself off mid-word when the radio crackled to life. Taking the few steps to the radio desk, Kinch pulled the headsets on and grabbed his clipboard. After he tapped out an acknowledgement, his pencil flew across the paper as he turned the beeps and clicks coming over the air into readable words. He took down the last bit of the transmission, sent back a quick response and turned his attention to translating the code into English.

"Colonel, we just got word from Sparrow. There's a special trainload of ammunition being sent toward France tonight, and they can't get to it in time to do any good. He wants to know if we can handle it, and he's waiting on an answer now."

Hogan pursed his lips and nodded. "Special?" he repeated. He let a deep breath in and out, then said, "Yeah, Kinch, tell him of course we can. Get the details."

Kinch turned back to the radio.

Le Beau smiled broadly. "Merci, mon Colonel."

"Not that I mind helpin' me little mate here get a few licks in for France, but if two of us go after this Group Captain, that's only gonna leave three of us for the train job. Begging the Colonel's pardon, but only three of us to set those charges is gonna make it a bit sticky." Newkirk shook his head, clearly not thrilled with the idea.

Hogan arched an eyebrow. "And your point is?" He didn't wait for an answer. "We don't have any choice. We can't tell this Group Captain Townsend not to come, and we can't let that train get to France. We'll have to do both and that's that." He looked at Le Beau. "Le Beau, you and Kinch will go meet Townsend, then meet us at a prearranged rendezvous. Newkirk, Carter and I will set the explosives on the line, then we'll all head back together. Three men can do it; we've done it before. Got it?"

"But Colonel! Why can I not go and help with the train, and let Newkirk go meet this visitor? They're both English after all, and I want to blow up the ammunition myself so that the filthy Boche cannot use it against la belle France!" Le Beau gave Hogan a pleading look.

Hogan smiled wanly. "I know how much you love your country, Louis, but that's exactly why I want you to go get Townsend. Look how excited you are now, and we're still in camp. You need to be able to detach from this one. We'll look after France for you tonight, and we'll do you proud. I promise." Damn. I hate having to do this to him. But I won't take a chance on him getting hurt because of his passion for his country when we can do it for him just as well. "Once you've met him, you can all come and check on our work, all right?"

"Oui, mon Colonel. D'accord. I do not like it, but I will do as you say." Le Beau turned to Carter and put his hand on the Sergeant's shoulder. "Can you use enough explosives to make a fireball so big that those traitors in Vichy can see it and know there are true Frenchmen out here still fighting for our homeland?"

"You betcha, boy!" Carter's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning. "Why, I can put out so much dynamite that the Germans will have to build a bridge to get over the crater this explosion's gonna leave!"

"Which you can then help blow up!" Hogan responded. The others smiled. Hogan grew serious. "We'll do it, Louis. We'll make it good." He sighed. "Meanwhile, I've got a lot to do before Townsend makes his appearance here. I'll be in my office." And without further discussion, he headed back upstairs to the privacy of his room.

"I'd like to tell London what they can do with this bloke," Newkirk muttered as he watched Hogan go up the ladder.

"Yeah; why do we need someone snooping around to see what we're doing and how we're doing it? Colonel Hogan's got it all under control," Carter agreed.

"Perhaps they think we are using too many pencils when we write our notes to the Underground, and they would like us to use invisible ink," Le Beau sneered.

"Can't be that. Invisible ink's more expensive than the real stuff." Newkirk paused, then gave Le Beau a smirk. "I've got it! They're gonna tell us we have to start sending messages by carrier pigeon because it's costing the war too much to send them by radio."

"Just as well," Kinch put in. "But I hope they sent the birds with Townsend, because if we don't get tubes soon we're going to have to start using them pretty quick."

"What did the gov'nor say when you gave him our list?"

Kinch shook his head. "He read it, nodded, put it in his pocket… and said your thread's probably the only thing they'll okay out of the bunch, because it's cheap." He sighed. "I don't like this whole thing. Sending Townsend's just a way to humiliate the Colonel. But it looks like we're stuck whether we want this guy or not, and Colonel Hogan's going to have to make nice, because he's of equal rank."

"That may be, Kinch. But at least I don't have to sit down to tea with him." Newkirk leaned against one of the tunnel support posts and shook his head. "I haven't got much time for ruddy officers, no matter whose side they're on, and I don't see this Group Captain as being any different."

"Well, I've got plenty of time for Colonel Hogan," Kinch countered, frowning. "And I don't think I like this officer coming in and snooping around like he doesn't trust him."

Newkirk turned to Kinch, surprised by the tone of the radio man's voice. "Hang on, mate. It's officers in general that I've got no use for, not Colonel Hogan in particular. He may be a bloody officer, but at least he's shown himself willing to get his hands dirty like the rest of us more ordinary chaps."

"Colonel Hogan has done more for this operation single-handedly than we could ever do together," Le Beau said sharply. "He deserves his rank and any privileges that go with it."

"Hey, save it for the Krauts, will ya?" Carter said suddenly. The others turned to him in surprise. Carter gulped at the attention but persisted. "None of us is thrilled with officers, but we all know Colonel Hogan's different. And there isn't one of us that wouldn't back him up no matter what the cost."

There was a long silence. Carter shifted feet and looked uncomfortably at the floor. It was Kinch who broke the stillness. "You said it, Carter. There's no question of anyone's loyalties, including yours, Peter. I guess we're all just a bit sensitive about this guy coming out. Feels like he's here looking for problems. I don't know about you fellas, but it makes me nervous—and angry."

Newkirk nodded after a few moments. "You're right, Carter. You all are. The Colonel's all right, really, even though he can get a bit hard-headed at times." The Englishman smiled. "And I have to agree with Kinch: the timing on this Group Captain's visit, coming right after we've kicked up a fuss about not gettin' our supplies, well, it's just a bit too convenient if you ask me. That, and the fact that they can afford to send us another officer that we don't need, but can't afford to send the radio parts we do," he shook his head in disgust. "Tells me that London needs to have their heads examined."

Tells me they might not just be coming here to observe, Kinch said to himself. He shook himself out of his thoughts and gestured toward the ladder. "In any case, we'd better get back upstairs and circulate before the Krauts think we've gone over the wire."

"I might just do that if this ruddy Group Captain makes a nuisance of himself," Newkirk said, preparing to follow Kinch upstairs.

"Would you really, Newkirk?" Carter asked. "I mean, if you're gonna go, why not use the tunnel? Less chance of the Germans catching you that way, you know?"

The Englishman stopped and stared at the young American in amazement. He didn't just say that, did he? "Carter," he reached over and gave the Sergeant a slight push toward the ladder, "go to your room."