Chapter 15

Hogan's legs were beginning to cramp. If only I could straighten my legs out for a few seconds to let the blood flow, he thought. After 12 hours of interrogation, his tormentor decided a little time in the "Box" might do the prisoner some good. The last six hours he was cuffed to the chair, were spent listening to indoctrination speeches, and the tearing down of Democracy, punctuated with a few pain inducers to make sure he was paying attention, and backhands to shut his mouth. I wonder how the fella's are doing. I haven't heard anything. He was startled by the keys, rattling in the lock of his "cell" door. As bad as it was in the "box", at least it was a break from Corporal Schaffer. He could see his face even with his eyes closed.

"Raus!" the guard ordered.

Hogan, whose hands were cuffed in front of him, slowly moved out through the door. His legs were protesting and his wrists were painfully throbbing with any movement. Struggling to his feet, two guards grabbed him and pulled him the rest of the way up. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could make out Colonel Knefler standing looking at him.

Knefler did not speak to Hogan. Instead, he looked at the guards and said, "Corporal Schaffer is going to sleep for a few more hours, and then he will shower and eat. He wants the prisoner to stand on that wooden beam, lying outside of the recreation building. He is not to step off for any reason. Use whatever force is necessary."

"Jawohl," the soldiers replied, and the taller of the two, using the barrel of his rifle, moved Hogan in the direction of the recreation building, as Knefler turned and walked away.

Hogan stopped in front of the beam. Drop dead he thought.

The guard grabbed his handcuffs and pulled him closer to the beam.

"Ugh," Hogan gasped before he could stop himself. His eyes involuntarily filled with tears, as his body fought to cope with the pain. He continued to resist standing on the beam.

The second guard turned and grabbed a nearby prisoner, took out his pistol, and placed it to the man's head.

"NO!" Hogan exclaimed, and put one foot and then the other onto the beam.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Schultz and Newkirk had been crossing the yard during Knefler's discussion with the guard. They had stopped when they saw the Colonel being removed from the "box". Newkirk looked his Commanding Officer over.

Well, gov' they're doing a number on you aren't they. Dirty Krauts! He started to take a step toward the confrontation and felt Schultz grab his arm.

"Let me go, Schultz!"

"Nein, you can not help Colonel Hogan. You will only succeed in getting yourself hurt." Schultz said in a firm voice.

Knefler, who was now on his way back toward the office, paused in front of Newkirk and followed the Briton's gaze in the direction of Colonel Hogan. The German Colonel looked back at Schultz, and motioned for him to follow him into the office.

Newkirk entered Klink's office and was confronted by an SS guard, who abruptly shoved him into a chair in front of the desk.

Knefler opened the folder in front of him and studied it. "You are Corporal Peter Newkirk," he looked up at the Englishman. "I see you have been here about two years. That is a long time to be away from the comforts of home."

Newkirk stayed silent. He was still seething after the spectacle in the compound.

"I see from your records, that you are one of Colonel Hogan's adjutants. It must be difficult taking orders from an American." Knefler still received no response from the Englander. So you have accepted him as your CO. Let's see how you react to this. "What you observed in the compound just now, can just as easily happen to you, unless you cooperate with our investigation."

"Why don't you go and take a ruddy jump off a cliff?" Newkirk spat out.

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Kinch was sitting at the table in Barrack Two, with a worried Frenchman, who was dabbing at the cuts and bruises on his face.

"You look like a poster for the Gestapo reading, 'Don't Let This Happen to You'!" The Frenchman mumbled.

"Ha, ha" Kinch mocked sarcastically. "Ow! Take it easy Louis!"

Louis, started rambling in French, and then switched back to English, "What did you do? Take on the whole SS?"

"Oh, man, he started swinging before he even asked any questions. I think he was afraid I'd crack before he got to have any fun." Kinch took the cloth from Louis, and held it to a particularly painful cut, hoping to soothe it.

"Carter should be back with Wilson soon." Louis said, looking at the Sergeants swollen face. "How did it go…aside from the obvious, I mean"

"The information seemed to satisfy, Neiman, my interrogator. They released me shortly after that." Kinch looked troubled.

"What else is wrong, Kinch?" Louis asked, with concern.

"Nothing, Louis. They're just a dirty lot, the way they play with you, and try to twist your thoughts. They try to strike at your emotions. Be aware of that, Louis. Keep your emotions guarded. They'll use them if they can."

The door opened and in stepped Carter with Wilson. Wilson went straight to Kinch and grabbed his chin, lifting his face. Wilson scowled, and unrolled the towel containing his supplies. "Carter, can you get me some fresh water? I want to wash these cuts out well, before I treat them."

"Sure," Carter took the basin Louis was using, and went to the sink. "We saw the Colonel as we came back across the compound," Carter offered.

Kinch and LeBeau looked at Carter with expectation, waiting for more news. "And?" LeBeau asked.

"He looks kinda…bad. They are making him stand, on what looks like a 4x4 piece of wood. He was looking a little shaky. We couldn't get to close. He has a couple of guards around him."

"I've seen that game played before," Kinch added. "The prisoner is forced to balance on a rail, and if he falters or fails, they inflict punishment. As long as the Colonel stands on that strip of wood, they won't hurt him. If he loses his balance, or collapses, they will inflict pain. It's a mind game designed to make the prisoner responsible for his own agony. Like I just told Louis, They're a dirty lot."

"Gives a whole new meaning to Psychological warfare," Wilson mumbled.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Klink had been sitting at a desk in the outer office, when Newkirk was paraded through. The Englander had not even looked in his direction. He appeared to be angry, and his gaze was fixed on Knefler. The constant exchange of prisoners, in and out of the office, had been disturbing to Klink, knowing these men as he did. Granted, he himself would dish out discipline when needed, but it was generally work details and for severe infraction of the rules, the "cooler". He did not resort to physical abuse.

Kommandant Klink stood, and paced over to the window facing the "cooler", and the recreation building beyond. He could just barely see his senior POW officer, on the other side of the fence that surrounded the front of the cooler. He had heard Knefler and Schaffer, discussing their method for wearing down the American. They don't know how strong willed you can be. It's an admirable trait, Colonel. I just hope it doesn't get you killed.

Knefler wasted little time with Newkirk. It was obvious; he wasn't going to get anywhere asking him any questions. He had quickly turned him over to his interrogator, Corporal Reimann.

This Englander has a lot of anger in him, seems to be a suspicious type, ready to fight, and not dependent on the approval of others. He's a manipulator, and I'll bet with those boyish good looks, he's quite good at it. This is an interesting selection of men, Colonel Hogan, what was your purpose? Unfortunately, I don't have time to think about that right now. We have one more prisoner to deal with here, and another at Gestapo headquarters in Berlin.

Knefler opened the door to the outer office, and looked at Klink, who had returned to his paper work. "Kommandant, you can send for Corporal LeBeau.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

It's cold. He thought, as he crossed his hands in front of him, keeping them close to his body. With his hands cuffed in front of him, Hogan wasn't able to slip them into the relative warmth, of the pockets, in his Bomber Jacket. Shifting his weight, he flexed one foot and then the other, in an attempt to relieve the pressure of the rail from the center of his foot. I guess the good thing is my wrists are too cold to hurt...much. Looking in the direction of Barrack Two, he wondered how his men were doing. He had seen Newkirk go into the office, and then a short time later, be taken out by an SS guard, with a German Corporal leading the way. Newkirk's question and answer session was just beginning. Maybe Newkirk is the last to be called. How much longer are they going to keep me? They haven't really focused their questions on my involvement with Strasser. In fact, I'm not sure what their focus has been, or even if they have one. They seem more intent on preaching the "virtues" of the Third Reich, than extracting information. Boy is that a contradiction in terms. LeBeau's presence caught his eye, Well, now I know, there are at least two interrogations yet to do.

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

"Corporal LeBeau." Louis tensed at the sound of his name. "You're a man without a country, since June 25th, 1940. Fortunately for you, you were already a prisoner. Several of your 'former' Countrymen died in a uniform holding no meaning."

Louis was using every ounce of his strength to remain silent. "Guard your emotions," Kinch had warned, "they'll use them against you." Filthy Boche.

Knefler watched the Frenchman for a reaction. Although Louis said nothing, his face was flushed with the anger seething just beneath the surface.

"You have nothing to protect, Corporal, France is now German owned. You are now German owned. You would be wise to declare your allegiance to the Fatherland."

Louis still did not respond, but it took all his determination to sit quietly, while the German discounted his Nationality, and his beloved France.

You show great restraint, though I can see your struggle. Let's move into more pertinent questions. "Corporal, and I use the term loosely, since there is no longer a French army, your allies are no longer the men in this camp. You no longer owe them anything. Your duty to your country is now your duty to Germany. There have been serious accusations made against Colonel Hogan, and at least two other men in this camp. Major Strasser has indicated that the men involved were able to make him believe they were German. You could not have done that, so you are not suspect. However, I believe by your association with Colonel Hogan, and the other men the Colonel has selected, you know what happened. You can redeem your past, and possibly gain your freedom, by providing us with your account of the events that took place.

"I do not know what you are talking about. Nothing happened that I am aware of, except that Captain Martin tried to escape, and Kommandant Klink placed him into the Cooler."

"Come now, even I know more than that," Knefler sighed. "I'm afraid you leave me no choice, but to turn you over to your interrogator. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"What is there to reconsider? I only know what I already told you." LeBeau said with disgust.

'Very Well," Knefler looked at the guard. "Call in Corporal Pfrommer."

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

"You don't expect me to believe that you know nothing about Major Strasser!" Reimann yelled. "Your fellow soldiers have already revealed too much for me to believe that."

"You're lying!" Newkirk shouted back, for which he was quickly struck across the face.

"How would I know there was information to be revealed, if it hadn't all ready been shared? Even your Colonel has confessed to us. Nobody keeps secrets for long from the SS."

"Colonel Hogan would never do that!" Newkirk, quickly shot back, for which he received a poke in stomach with a club.

"Then you admit there is more than had been told earlier."

"I didn't say that." Newkirk managed to say while gasping for air.

"Oh but you did, Corporal. The information we have received from your comrades has been most enlightening. Of course, we have been grateful for their cooperation, and have compensated them."

Newkirk pretended to be shocked, paused, and looked into the German interrogator's face, as if searching for the truth in his words, which led Reimann to believe that he had found a weakness.

"We will win this war Corporal, and when we do, we will be generous to those who assisted us. Your friends know this to be true, and have made arrangements for after the war." Now, it was the German's turn to interpret the look in his prisoner's eyes. Encouraged, he continued, "A man has to look out for his interests. Why come out of this war with nothing, when you could have enough money to start over?"

There was a long pause and then, "How much money are we talking? I have some pretty rich tastes." So you believe I can be bought. Ok, we'll play it your way.

"Enough to make you, quite comfortable and satisfy your expensive tastes, I assure you," The German promised.

Yeah, right! I haven't seen one of you yet that could spit straight. Newkirk put on a larcenous smile, and responded, "Now you're talking my language."

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc