Chapter Nine: Jailbreak

Colonel Wilhelm Klink shivered as he huddled in the front seat of a camp truck. If anyone asked, he was busy supervising his guards as they searched the countryside for the missing prisoners. But the truth was that his conversation with Burkhalter had made it very, very clear that it didn't matter whether he found the escaped prisoners or not. His career was over. The years of loyal service meant nothing in the face of this disaster.

Klink wasn't an idiot. He acknowledged that strange things had happened at Stalag Thirteen. But he had always believed that his record, his success in managing the prisoners, was real. That as kommandant of Stalag Thirteen, he had finally found the thing at which he truly excelled. He was tough but fair, determined yet honorable. He refused to mistreat his prisoners whose only crime was fighting for the wrong side. But what good had that done? His honor had been used and abused when Hogan had exposed him to the world as a fool. But where had it all gone wrong? How had he let what he had believed was his greatest achievement turn into a colossal failure?

"Kommandant! Herr Kommandant!"

Privately cursing the sergeant of the guard, Klink asked, "What is it, Schultz? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Herr Kommandant, I found a prisoner."

Hope surged through his being. He couldn't help it. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps if he recaptured all of the missing prisoners, he could convince his superiors to forget about the whole affair. "You found the prisoners! Where were they hiding? Where are they?"

Schultz pushed a single prisoner forward. "I found Corporal Newkirk wandering in the woods. He was alone, Herr Kommandant."

Klink's heart sank. The Englander was a well known troublemaker and, while the sight of this POW standing in front of him after a failed escape attempt was a familiar one, he couldn't shake the feeling that that there was something off about this encounter. Yet, he pushed down those doubts as he rose from his seat and approached the prisoner. "Corporal Newkirk, where are the others?"

The Englander shrugged. "No idea. It was every man for himself. I'd be halfway to Switzerland by now if I hadn't gotten lost."

Klink rubbed his forehead. The situation was worthless. Capturing Newkirk wouldn't change his fate. It would only result in Hochstetter having one more man to do heaven only knows what with in his cells. And for all his faults, Klink couldn't stomach the thought of handing over a man to be tortured and killed. Not even an Englander who had been a pain in his side from the very first moment that they had met. "Schultz," he said, gesturing for the guard to approach him.

Schultz grabbed the prisoner's arm, but Klink ordered, "Leave him." Turning his back to the prisoner, he whispered, "You saw no signs of other men where you found him?"

"No, Herr Kommandant."

"One! You found one prisoner! What am I supposed to do with one prisoner?"

Schultz shrugged. "Return him to camp?"

"A camp full of guards isn't needed to watch one man!"

A loud cough interrupted the Germans' conversation. "Excuse me, Kommandant, am I supposed to escape here?"

Of course you were, you fool! "Schultz, you dummkopf, why weren't you watching the prisoner?"

"I...I..."

"I don't believe it!" Newkirk exclaimed far too loudly. "The Iron Colonel has a heart after all."

Anger surged through Klink's veins. Who was this man to throw away his gift? Didn't Newkirk realize what he was risking? "Schultz, take this prisoner to Major Hochstetter! Perhaps, the Gestapo can convince him to tell us where the others are."

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine. Hogan couldn't help but wonder if the stones on the ceiling of his cell that he was busy counting would be more comfortable than the cot on which he was currently l

lying. He knew he should be thankful that his silver tongue had helped him to survive another day without harm to him or Baker but, at best, he feared that his captor's patience for his "cooperation" was rapidly running out. He just hoped he had managed to delay the inevitable long enough to make a difference for his men.

He wondered where those men were now. Had any of them made it to safety? He wouldn't put it past Carter to play general, commandeer a truck and drive to Switzerland. Or for LeBeau to have found and joined up with the French Underground. Olsen could use his false papers to become whomever he wanted. Kinch was at a disadvantage but he was one of the smartest people Hogan knew and he trusted that his XO would find a way. Besides, he didn't think there was a German alive who could capture and hold onto Newkirk after his talents had blossomed in the past few years. No, he was confident that the rest of his main team would make it out. But the rest of the men who simply had the misfortune of being assigned to Stalag-Thirteen, those were the lives that kept him up at night. Yet, somehow, someway only one prisoner had been recaptured. The rest of his men were proving to be more resourceful than he had ever imagined possible.

The creak of a door opening, the jingling of keys and the sounds of guards escorting a prisoner interrupted Hogan's thoughts and made him wonder if he had been a little too hopeful.

"Easy, mate. No need to shove. I tell you what, lay off on the tough guy routine and I'll put in a good word when we win the war."

Hogan sat up in an instant. That voice. He'd know that voice anywhere. Newkirk was here! Was this it? Could he dare to hope that the others had decided to attempt a rescue? He should and would tell them off for disobeying orders, but Hogan decided that he didn't care. There was no way that Newkirk, out of all his men, would be here by any other option than choice.

And as if to prove that point, the American officer barely waited ten minutes before he heard a key turn in the look, watched the cell door swing open and the Englishman slip inside.

Hogan grinned as he tossed his friend the now broken microphones he had found, signaling it was safe to talk. "Took you long enough."

"Tell me about it. It took ages to persuade Schultz to turn me in and then even ole Klink was trying to convince me to escape."

"What?"

"Don't understand it myself. Did they hurt you?"

"They had no reason to. I told them what they thought they wanted to hear."

Newkirk raised a brow as he asked, "And what was that, sir?"

"Just the names of those who've assisted us in our operations."

Hogan thoroughly enjoyed Newkirk's reaction; he had no idea someone's eyes could budge that far out of their his skull. Chuckling, he said, "I told Burkhalter about all the times Hochstetter helped out our operations and Hochstetter how much assistance Burkhalter has given us over the years. The two of them were so focused on convincing the other that I was lying that they never realized that I wasn't telling them anything useful."

Newkirk laughed. "That's brilliant, sir. Absolutely bloody brilliant."

"We need to free Baker..." Hogan hesitated at the look of shock that crossed his friend's face, which told him that the corporal hadn't known the radioman was there. "Does that affect your plans?"

Newkirk shook his head. "No, let's get him. Anyone else?"

"Not that I know of..." Hogan hesitated; there was more that he wanted to know, but he doubted that there was time to ask.

Newkirk, however, understood the unspoken question and said, "I don't know either. Kinch thought it best if we all split up."

"Right. Let's grab Baker, check the rest of the cells and then go ruin Hochstetter's night."

Carter took a deep breath as he settled into the persona of Major Carterhoffen of the Abwehr. He was a now a loyal investigator who hated incompetence as much as he loved rooting out treason. He would be firm and not be swayed when faced with opposition. He could do this.

He was standing watch with LeBeau near their stolen vehicle when he spotted his targets exiting Gestapo headquarters. Walking briskly, he intercepted them in the middle of the street. "Halt!"

Klink jumped back into Schultz's ample stomach, and shook slightly as he turned and spotted the man addressing him. "What is the meaning of this,Major?"

"Carterhoffen. Now, Colonel Klink, is it true that you are the officer who allowed an entire camp of prisoners to disappear into the thin air?"

Klink cringed. "I wouldn't say disappear..."

Carter gave his opponent his very best glare. "What would you call it then, treason?"

"No, no, I am loyal! This is all Hochstetter's fault. He made this all up to discredit my record. There has never been an escape from Stalag Thirteen-"

"I do not have time for your deranged babblings. You are under arrest and your fat guard, too."

"Me? But Herr Major, I had nothing to do with the prisoners' escape. I know nothing."

Carter cocked his head to the side. "I'm beginning to see the problem. It's a miracle this disaster didn't happen sooner."

Schultz's mouth opened to make further protest then his jaw dropped as recognition flickered across his features. Before he could say the wrong thing, LeBeau moved swiftly and poked him in the side with his gun. "Into the truck."

Klink, sensing something was up, narrowed his eyes, but Carter moved behind him and forced him forward. They didn't have much time. "In."

"I assure you that I am loyal," Klink pleaded as he walked toward what he believed to be his doom. "This whole situation is a just a misunderstanding. No one escapes from Stalag Thirteen. I promise you the prisoners will be found!"

Carter held back a laugh while the captured officer refused to stop insisting what any sane person knew was no longer true. But once the two Germans were safety inside the truck, he removed the cap from his head and said, "Sorry for the fright, Kommandant, but we couldn't risk you making a scene."

Klink's head moved back and forth "But...but..you're prisoners!"

LeBeau grinned. "Not anymore."

"Oh, boy!" Schultz murmured from his seat. Meanwhile, shock, anger and fear flickered across Klink's face. Coming to a decision, he rose and took a step toward the exit.

Carter moved to block his path. "Going somewhere?"

Klink tried to stand in some semblance of military bearing and said, You're not Abwehr. You have no authority to arrest me."

"We're not?" LeBeau asked. "Guess we'll settle for capturing you instead."

Klink panicked and tried to bolt, but the two allies each grabbed an arm and forced him back into a seat. He yelled as he squirmed, "Schultz, help me!"

Schultz looked away while the former POWs wrestled with their former kommandant."Ssh!" Carter hissed. "Do you want to live? Cooperate with us and you'll spend the rest of the war as a POW in England."

Schultz became animated for the first time since his "capture." "Cockroach, Carter, you would do that for us? Your enemies?"

Carter slapped a pair of handcuffs on Klink while LeBeau tied a gag around his mouth. "Of course, Schultzie."

"You were many things," LeBeau added, "but you were never our enemy."

Satisfied that Klink was no longer in a position to cause trouble, Carter ordered, "Watch him, Schultz. We'll be back in a moment with Colonel Hogan."

Hochstetter fell to the floor as the building shook. Smoke filled the air, tickling his throat and making him cough, but even before he was back on his feet, he was screaming, "Guards! Guards! The cells. Stop them." For there was no doubt in his mind who was responsible for this blast.

Racing through the halls, he ignored the questions shouted his way as he neared the jail only to find a pile of stone blocking his way! "Bah!" he cursed, kicking the closest stone. It didn't move. Turning, he ran for the front door. He would have to catch them on the street.

Outside was chaos; his men and civilians mingled in the streets while an alarm blared. He pushed through the crowds; he had to find Hogan. He could not allow the most dangerous man in Germany to run free.

He spotted his target across the street. The man was getting away! No, he had been recaptured. Finally, his men had done something right. But as he drew closer to his enemy, he noticed that the men forcing Hogan and his men into the back of a truck weren't Gestapo but Abwehr. A growl started in the back of his throat - these men was taking his prisoners! This was an outrage! But as much as he wanted to storm and rage, he was forced to turn on the charm as he realized that he would not be able to order the other officer around. "Major, thank you for apprehending my prisoners. You have helped me recaptured the most dangerous man in all Germany."

The officer turned on his heel to face the Major and looked at him as if he were of less importance then the mud on his boots. "Are you Major Hochstetter, the traitor who permitted Colonel Hogan to operate a sabotage and rescue operation in this area for years and then allowed an entire camp of enemy prisoners to escape?"

The Gestapo Major clenched his teeth and spoke with a growl. "I don't believe we have met, Major? "

"Carterhoffen."

"Major, you've been misinformed. I see General Burkhalter has been spreading lies. I was the one who discovered that Colonel Hogan was Papa Bear. I fought for years to convince the Luftwaffe to turn him over to the Gestapo. I arrested him!"

"From here it looks like you are the man who allowed him to blow up your headquarters. Is it a practice of the Gestapo to allow prisoners to possess explosives?"

"I assure you, Major, the guards who failed to properly search the prisoners will be punished. But I must insist that you return my prisoners or I will be forced to take drastic measures.

Carterhoffen didn't flinch from the threats but instead said, "I'm afraid, Herr Major, that in the interest of national security, I must take these prisoner into custody and deliver them to Berlin."

"Are you defying the Gestapo?" Hochstetter screamed.

"No," Carterhoffen replied, his voice oddly calm. "I am defying the word of a man who is either incompetent or a traitor.

Hochstetter wanted to scream. What was this man doing here? How dare he take his prisoners! The Major had no right to call him a traitor. He was the one who had discovered Hogan. He was the one who had been right all along! Hochstetter reached for his gun only to discover that he had lost it in the explosion.

Carterhoffen noticed his movement and smirked. What Hochstetter wouldn't have given to wipe that look off his face. Where were his worthless men when he needed them?

The Abwehr officer turned to the guard he brought with him. "Sergeant, are the prisoners secured?"

"Yes, Herr Major."

"Major, these prisoners are no longer your concern." Then gesturing to the smoking ruins of his headquarters, the Major added, "I suspect that you have bigger problems to deal with tonight. Heil Hitler!"

His blood boiled and his body shook with rage but Hochstetter could only watch helplessly as his prisoners were driven away. None of this felt real. This couldn't be happening.

He had won. He was loyal. He had proven that Hogan was Papa Bear! He should be celebrated, not insulted. Yet, as he listened to the chaos of this night, he came to an uncomfortable realization: all this was his own fault. He had been so busy celebrating his success that he had forgotten an important truth: Hogan was Papa Bear and Papa Bear was still the most dangerous man in all of Germany. He had been right all along.

When the smoked cleared, Hochstetter's men found him staring off in the direction the truck had taken murmuring those words over and over again, "I was right. I was right. I was right..."