That night, Hogan lay in the comfort of the bed in the Kommandant's quarters, unable to sleep. He had decided that it would be bad for him to spend every evening drinking himself into oblivion, so tonight he had refrained. He was starting to wonder if that was a wise decision as he lay there tossing and turning.
He was almost beginning to get used to the entire situation – which scared him. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was to get comfortable being Wilhelm Klink! Things were very different these days – though he couldn't fathom how it had gotten this way - yet everything seemed so familiar. Why shouldn't it – everything is the same, except for me … and Klink.
A thought struck him. When Klink had been in the office this afternoon, Hochstetter had called to say that the ball-bearing plant on the edge of town was now fully functional. If that had happened before, I would have been trying to think of a way to blow it up - maybe not tonight, but sometime soon. If things were really the same as before, was Klink over in the barracks with the men discussing ways to take care of the plant? I would have sent Newkirk and Carter out to scout the area to find the best way to destroy the facility.
That led to another thought. I am responsible for the security of that plant. If something happens to it, something will happen to me! He checked that thought. His every instinct wanted to see that plant destroyed, but Hochstetter had threatened him if something should happen to it.
He tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he got out of bed and went out to the main living area of the quarters. When he saw the stove, he made up his mind. I'm going to do a bit of exploring. Ever since he discovered that the tunnel entrance was there, he had fought off the urge to climb down it. Tonight, he decided, he would give in to that urge and visit the familiar surroundings.
He moved the stove aside and opened the trap door. Carefully descending the steps, he found himself in the quiet darkness of the tunnel. Home sweet home. He moved quietly because he wasn't sure if any of the prisoners were in the tunnel – and it would not look good to them to have their Kommandant sneaking around in their private underground domain! Their Kommandant? I am not their Kommandant … I'm their Colonel, dammit!
He walked down the emergency tunnel and peeked up through the entrance. Just as I suspected, it's the same tree trunk! Feeling satisfied, he went back to the main area that housed the radio equipment. Everything was as Kinch always left it – the headset … the microphone … the lever to pump up the antenna on top of the flagpole. Then he noticed some writing on Kinch's notepad and picked it up. It contained notes for a message to London – they really had been planning an attack on the ball bearing plant! It would take place tomorrow evening at midnight on the north side of the building. So it's business as usual without me in charge.
Hogan heard stirring from the barracks above and the sound of tapping on a bedpost. Someone was coming down! He tossed the notepad back on the table and quietly went back towards the entrance to Klink's quarters. My quarters now, I guess.
He quickly climbed the ladder and shut the trap door, moving the stove back into place. If he was conflicted before, now that he knew there was something planned, the conflicts had grown stronger. What do I do? Do I allow my men to succeed and help the Allies win the war? That could prove to be fatal for me personally. He let out a wry chuckle. I wonder if the men still have the same desire to make sure their Kommandant never takes the blame for their actions. But what if he didn't allow the attack to take place? I know their tunnel layout. I know the way they operate. I could have a squad of men in place and stop them from setting the charges. I could even discover their tunnels and put them out of business. He shook his head. I can't to that to those men. They are my men – we've been through a lot together. I couldn't expose them as saboteurs.
He sat down hard on the settee and let out a huge sigh. It's going to be a long and sleepless night.
- - - - -
Hogan spent the next day thinking about what he was going to do. By the evening, his mind was made up and he had come up with a plan. He looked at his watch. The boys should be leaving here soon. They will need enough time to get to the plant and set the charges … at least, they would if I was still in charge.
At 11:30, he put on his coat and summoned his car, telling the guard he was driving himself to the ball bearing plant to check up on security. He drove through the wooded road towards town with the determination of a man with a definite plan.
He parked the car on the road well enough away from the plant to ensure that it would not be seen, and set out through the woods to the north side of the plant. The night noises were heavy in the air, and Hogan walked as quietly as he could. He didn't want to take any chances of being heard.
He reached the edge of the woods near the plant and crouched in the darkness, scanning for any signs of movement. He saw three shadowy figures moving around the large diesel tanks that held the fuel to power the plant's generators. Why isn't there a guard on this side of the building? He looked around to see if he could see the rest of the team. He saw the other two men working near the other end of the tanks. After a few minutes, both groups converged, not twenty feet from where Hogan was crouched.
Hogan saw Klink, dressed in black clothes with black smudges on his face. The men were talking softly and Hogan could not hear what they were saying. Klink gestured in the direction of Stalag 13, and the men quietly took off. He's sending them back first to make sure they are not being followed.
This was his chance - Klink had his back turned. Hogan drew the pistol that he had brought with him and quietly moved out of the woods towards Klink. He rushed the man and hit him in the back of the head with the butt his pistol. Klink slumped to the ground unconscious.
Hogan looked down at the man who used to be the Kommandant of Stalag 13. "I'm sorry, Colonel Klink," he said. "But this is how it's got to be." He put the gun back into its holster and began to pace. "For some bizarre reason, I seem to be thought of as Wilhelm Klink. But I am not – I am Robert Hogan. As Robert Hogan, I want to see this plant blown up. But as Wilhelm Klink, I know that I can be shot if the plant blows up. I can't have it both ways." He shook his head. "I can't go through life as Wilhelm Klink." He stopped and looked at the man on the ground at his feet. "And I can't let you go through life as Robert Hogan."
Hogan looked towards the plant, knowing that the explosives would go off any second. "So we wait, Wilhelm," he said. "When the plant blows, both Wilhelm Klink and Robert Hogan will be caught in the blast and killed. It'll make no difference who is who if we are both dead." He shook his head. "This is not the ending I had planned when I started my operation … I needed to use you to successfully run the operation. But I never intended …" He paused, the words sticking in his throat. "To kill you," he finished.
At that moment a horrific explosion ripped through the diesel tanks. Hogan went flying through the air as the shockwave from the blast expanded outward. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of the air rushing from his lungs as he slammed to the ground.
- - - - -
"Colonel Hogan, wake up!" LeBeau said, shaking his commanding officer. "Colonel Hogan!"
Hogan groaned and tried to push the annoying person away. "Leave me alone," he complained.
"Colonel Hogan, you are all right," LeBeau said, with some relief.
Hogan opened his eyes to see Corporal Louis LeBeau kneeling beside him. "LeBeau, where am I?" he asked.
"In the tunnel, sir," LeBeau replied.
Hogan blinked his eyes and looked around. He was in the main room of the tunnel, surrounded by his trusted team. They were dressed in their black saboteur outfits and each had black smudges on their face. "I am in the tunnel," he said. "But how?"
"We had to carry you back from the ball-bearing plant," Newkirk said.
Hogan tried to sit up. LeBeau reached out to help him. Ball-bearing plant? He thought hard. The last thing he remembered was waiting for the explosives to blow up … as Colonel Klink! "Quick, get me a mirror!" he ordered. His men looked at him strangely. "Come on, a mirror. Now!"
Carter ran into another tunnel room and returned quickly with a small mirror. He handed it to Hogan, who looked into it. "It's me!" He exclaimed happily, looking at his own face, black smudges and all, staring back at him.
"Who else would it be, sir?" Carter asked, looking worriedly at the rest of the men.
Hogan began laughing. "You'd be surprised, Carter," Hogan replied, still admiring himself in the mirror.
"What happened, Colonel?" Kinch asked. "You knew the charges were going to go soon. Why'd you stay so close to the tanks?"
Hogan opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. I can't tell them that I stayed around hoping to be blown to bits with … "Colonel Klink!" he exclaimed.
"What about the Kommandant?" Kinch asked.
"He was there!" Hogan replied.
"What?" the men said in surprise.
"He was there with me," Hogan said. "He hit, I mean I snuck up on him and knocked him unconscious so he wouldn't recognize me." Hogan paused … he couldn't tell them the truth. "I was, uh, trying to drag him away from the area so he wouldn't get hurt when those tanks blew. Didn't you see him when you found me?"
"No, Colonel," Newkirk replied. "We only saw you."
Hogan scrambled to his feet, though LeBeau had to help him again. "Let's get out of these clothes and get upstairs," he said. "We have to check on Klink."
- - - - -
They had just climbed out of the tunnel and closed the bunk entrance when Schultz burst into the barracks. "Colonel Hogan! Colonel Hogan!" he exclaimed breathlessly.
"What is it, Schultz?" Hogan asked.
"Did you hear about Colonel Klink?" Schultz gasped.
Hogan's blood froze. Oh God, Klink is dead! "No, what happened?" he asked.
"He's in the hospital again!" Schultz said. "There was an explosion at the ball-bearing plant tonight and Colonel Klink was caught in it."
"What was he doing there, Schultzie?" LeBeau asked.
"The guard at the gate said he went to check on security at the plant," Schultz said.
"Is he going to be all right?" Hogan asked, dreading the answer.
"I don't know, Colonel Hogan," Schultz said sadly. "I hope so."
Hogan sat down on the closest bunk. I hope so too.