Chapter Six: Crossroads
No one spoke as the dog truck drove out of Stalag Thirteen.
Not Olsen, who leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
Not LeBeau, whose fingers moved as if to pet a dog that was no longer there.
Not Newkirk, who was fidgeting with a knife in his hands
Not even Carter, who could only think that this whole experience didn't feel real; that the events of today were just some bad dream from which they all would soon awaken. Because this was not how the operation was supposed to end. The odds may have said otherwise, but somehow Carter had always believed Colonel Hogan when he joked about the tank and the man from Kansas and walking right out those front gates.
Instead, they were forced to escape - for real.
Even when they rescued Colonel Hogan and Carter didn't doubt for one second that they would succeed, there would be no going back. No more Stalag Thirteen or Barracks Two. No more bribing Schultz or messing with Klink. No more mixing explosives in a lab or processing escaped prisoners. No more joking around with the best bunch of friends he had ever had.
It was all over.
A few moments later, the truck came to a stop and the escaped POWs waited for Schnitzer to open the door. Once they were outside the truck, the veterinarian pointed toward the barn and they quickly grabbed their things and ran inside.
They seated themselves on some hay bales in the loft then Schnitzer asked, "What happened?'
Carter looked at the others, but when no one else spoke, he said, "Colonel Hogan was arrested this morning. Granny betrayed us. She told Hochstetter that he was Papa Bear."
"The escape was real?"
"Yes," Newkirk lied. The information that the rest of the POWs were hiding in the camp tunnels was a secret they would never share.
"What else does the Gestapo know?"
"We don't know," LeBeau said. "But we intend to make sure that Granny doesn't get the chance to reveal any more secrets."
Schnitzer sighed, the older man looking even older as he said, "You should be safe here. Granny didn't know about me. But I need to go and warn the others."
Olsen rose. "No, sir. We'll warn them. The Gestapo could be watching; we can't let you take that risk."
"But you can still help," Carter said. "Do you know who Granny is? Where she lives?"
Schnitzer shook his head no. "Max does. He will tell you if he hasn't been arrested yet."
LeBeau stepped out of the woods onto the road leading to Hammelburg. He was dressed as a civilian worker and had papers showing that he was a loyal Vichy supporter in exile. But his heart still pounded as he checked for guards.
Assured that the way was clear, LeBeau gestured for Olsen to join him. It was just the two of them; Newkirk was off procuring a vehicle while Carter stayed with their supplies. Olsen was also dressed in civilian clothes but because he was a familiar face in town, they hoped that no one would suspect him of being an escaped prisoner.
They walked in silence until they reached a crossroads. This was where their paths would part. Olsen would head to Dusseldorf and warn the Underground there before traveling the escape route later tonight. But before they parted, he leaned over to his friend and whispered, "LeBeau, when you get Colonel Hogan out, meet me in Neverland. I'll wait for you."
LeBeau nodded, not trusting his voice. He would not say goodbye. Because this was not goodbye. They were just separating in order to complete their different missions. Instead, he just watched as his friend started down a different path and walked away.
All of Frenchman's senses were on high alert when he entered Hammelburg. Nothing seemed out of place. There were no signs of panic or even that the populace was aware that a mass escape of prisoners had occurred in their backyard. This was good news. Trust Klink to be too frightened to share and Hochstetter too preoccupied with his prisoner to warn the town about the danger imposed by hundreds of escaped prisoners.
A bell chimed when LeBeau stepped into the green grocers and spotted Max standing behind the counter. He ignored the German and instead walked past the pitiful offering of vegetables and stopped before a pile of potatoes. Looking over at Max, LeBeau called out, "You should stack your potatoes more carefully. That top one looks like it's going to pull a Humpty Dumpty and fall down."
Max showed no reaction to the code and joined in on the banter, "This is a store, not an art hall. Don't bump anything and you will be fine."
LeBeau turned back to the food and began filling up a bag. They hadn't brought any food with them and they didn't want to take anything from the Schnitzers. Food shortages had gotten worse lately. Walking up to the counter, he asked, "Do you have anything fresh in the back? All your greens have gone brown."
"This is the best that we have left. But if you insist, I will show you. Johan, mind the counter."
Max led LeBeau into a small room and closed the door. "Operations at Stalag Thirteen have been discovered?"
"Yes, and Colonel Hogan was arrested by the Gestapo. We were betrayed by Granny. Do you know who she is?"
"Irmi Haas." After writing down her address, he handed LeBeau the folded piece of paper. Then shaking his head, he said, "I can't believe she fooled me. I was convinced that she wanted to help put an end to this war."
LeBeau took the paper and hid it inside his coat. His voice turned cold as he replied, "She did. She just wanted the wrong side to win."
Newkirk was focused as he parked the truck in front of the apartment building where Granny lived. While the job was not going to a pleasant one, it was necessary. Granny knew too much and she deserved every ounce of justice that they would mete out tonight.
Looking at LeBeau, he ordered, "Guard the truck."
Newkirk and Carter, both dressed in identical Gestapo uniforms, exited the vehicle and climbed the stairs. The Englishman pounded loudly on the door. They didn't have to wait long before it opened and Granny appeared. "May I help you, gentlemen?"
Newkirk couldn't speak. This was the first time he had seen Granny and while he knew she was old, he wasn't excepting the frail face that looked up at his. This was the woman who had brought down Papa Bear!
Carter smiled and said, "Evening, Frau Haas, may we come in? Major Hochstetter has an important message for you."
Granny opened the door and gestured them inside. Newkirk quickly stepped inside and scanned the room to ensure that they were alone. But as he took in his surroundings, the peeling wallpaper, the worn carpet and patches on the furniture immediately told him an important part of her story: Granny was poor. And the truth was that if he changed the faces in the photos, the flat didn't look all that different from the one he had called home for most of his life. And when he looked back at Granny, he saw a glimpse of his own granny in her eyes.
Newkirk shook his head. He couldn't afford to be thinking these thoughts. His job was to kill this woman, not pity her!
"You have a message for me," Granny said.
"Yes," Carter replied. "Papa Bear has been arrested, but his men have escaped from Stalag Thirteen and we fear that they will be looking for revenge. I don't think I need to remind you how dangerous they can be."
Granny voice went cold. "No, they have shown no qualms about murdering civilians."
Newkirk said, "Frau, it is not safe for you to stay here. Do you have any family that can take you in?"
"I have a daughter here in town and another in Hannover."
"You will be safe in Hannover," Carter announced. "Pack a bag and we will escort you to the train station in Dusseldorf."
Granny's face paled as she looked around her home, but her voice didn't waver when she said, "I will do as you say. I just need a few minutes."
The minutes passed by slowly while Newkirk tried not to think about the next stage of their plan. He expected to hate this woman, not... She was the enemy. This was war. His orders were clear and necessary.
Carter was nervous, too. Newkirk knew that his friend was never able to stand still when he was worried and right now, he was pacing around the apartment, looking at knickknacks and photos. He stopped and looked closely at the family photos. When Newkirk joined him, his friend whispered, "Do you think we killed one of them?"
Newkirk shrugged. "No, way to know for sure. But she thinks we did."
At that moment, Granny reentered the room, carrying two suitcases. She noticed them looking at her photos and came and stood beside them. "Johan, my youngest. He was killed in action in France." After slipping that picture into her bag, Granny grabbed another. "And this was Otto. I was so worried when he received orders for the Russian Front. He believed that he would survive, but a mother knows."
Newkirk clenched his hands into fists, digging his nails into his skin. Granny's grief felt too raw, too real. He couldn't forget that this woman was dangerous, that she knew too much.
Granny picked up the final photo of a man in civilian clothes. But any hope that he was alive was dashed by the tears in Granny's eyes. "Gerhard, my eldest. He worked at the automobile factory in town, but it was converted to manufacture cannons. Papa Bear.."
"Frau," Newkirk interrupted. He knew where the story was going and he was afraid for Carter. For as hard as this was for him to hear, it had to be worse for his friend. The American was the one who made and set off the bombs that had killed Granny's son. "We must leave if we are going to make your train."
He led Granny down the stairs and found LeBeau waiting at the bottom. The Frenchman took her luggage and helped Granny into the back of the truck before joining her. Newkirk slid into the driver seat and shot a quick glance at Carter. The American was deep into his part of a German soldier - back straight, eyes straight ahead. Newkirk took at deep breath; if Carter could do this, so could he.
Newkirk drove slowly out of Hammelburg, through the tree-lined back roads to Dusseldorf. When they approached a crossroads, Newkirk risked another glance at his friend. Carter saw him looking and nodded. The Englishman slammed on the brakes until the truck jerked to a stop.
Newkirk jumped to the ground and slid his gun out of the hostler. It was time. No one else was around. The Underground would be safe. No one would ever need know. But when Newkirk prepared to take a step, he couldn't move. Kinch's order was clear: neutralize Granny. But this, this he could not do. The direction he needed to take was clear.
Climbing back into the driver's seat, he called out, "Sorry, Frau, it was just a dog."
When Newkirk started driving again, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," Carter whispered. Then opening his jacket, he revealed a small bomb. "I can put this on the train."
A wave of shame crashed over Newkirk. Here he had been so afraid of the effect that Granny's revelations would have on his friend, but in the end, it was his own weakness putting the team at risk.
Carter was stronger than he had ever given him credit for. The American knew what his bombs had done. There was no doubt that they had killed Granny's eldest son. But Carter hadn't flinched from his duty then and now he was prepared to do it again. But Newkirk couldn't let him.
"No. I have a better idea."
Carter frowned. The Englishman could tell that his friend wanted to protest but didn't dare with Granny so close by. Falling back into character, Newkirk said, "Trust me. This road will get us there quicker."
They arrived at the train station without incident. Newkirk purchased the ticket and turned to face Granny. Carter was unreadable and LeBeau kept shooting them both questioning looks behind Granny's back. He knew that they never should have made it to the train station.
Newkirk handed over the ticket. "One last thing. Papa Bear is known for disguising his agents as members of the German forces. Trust no one unless they identify themselves as Hochstetter's men and give the correct recognition code."
Granny nodded. "What is the code?"
"Humpty Dumpty has been put back together again."
Feelings of relief and doubt filled Newkirk as he watched Granny and the train disappear into the night. He couldn't change his decision now. He just hoped that it was the right one.
Once they were back in the truck, Carter was all smiles. "That was brilliant! I thought we were going to have to kill her for sure but this is even better."
"Yeah," LeBeau said. "Imagine the look on Hochstetter's face when he realizes she's gone. And even if his goons find her, she'll think the goons are us and not say a thing."
Newkirk laughed. "Now that is something I would like to see."
The others joined in on the laugher and none of them said a word about what they had been prepared to do. Because they couldn't afford to dwell on the events of tonight if they wanted to be ready for their job tomorrow: rescue Papa Bear.