Hammelburg, Gestapo Headquarters, Office of Major Wolfgang Hochstetter
July 27, 1944, 0920 hours
Major Hochstetter was not a happy man at the moment. It could be said that he was never a happy man – and that he would never be happy until he had evidence of the identity of the infamous Papa Bear. Hochstetter was confident he knew who Papa Bear was, but could never find any evidence to support his claims. Because of this, he was ridiculed often by those who outranked him.
Today his mood was worse than normal. He stared at the paper containing the report from the Gestapo agent in Berlin – a Dieter Hess. When Hochstetter was first given this information, he was jubilant. This could prove to be the missing piece of evidence that would point to Colonel Hogan and give Hochstetter is cherished prize. But it had turned out to be a dead end – everything could be explained. From General Schlesinger to Major Freitag to General Burkhalter – each corroborated the story that he had received from Hogan and Schultz.
This annoyed him greatly. Adding to this annoyance was the fact that he had been unable to reach the Gestapo agent in Berlin. It seems that he had been the recipient of an unexpected and sudden transfer to a unit on the Eastern Front. Why? Why would he be transferred so suddenly? Unless … Hochstetter had a theory about that, but he dared not say anything until he had definitive proof. Major Freitag had some very powerful connections and could make life very difficult for him.
And to top it all off, no progress had been made on the investigation of the destruction of the supply train the night before last. The train itself didn't concern Hochstetter – it wasn't an important military target. But the rail line would need several days to repair. No, it was the contents of the train that concerned him. "Blowing up a train containing barrels of sauerkraut to have it rot in this sweltering heat" he muttered. "The smell alone is enough to kill a man!"
The jangling of the phone brought him out of his thoughts, and he glared at the phone as if trying to decide what kind of punishment to give it. Finally he picked up the handset. "Ja, this is Hochstetter. What do you want?" he said testily.
Hochstetter heard a laugh at the other end of the line. "Why is it, Hochstetter, that whenever I speak to you, you sound annoyed?" the voice asked.
Hochstetter recognized the voice at the other end of the phone as Major Freitag and frowned. "Probably because I am talking to you," he said. The laugh sounded again in Hochstetter's ear.
"Maybe it is I who should be annoyed to have to speak to you," Freitag said.
"Do you want something, Major? Or are you just calling to pass idle pleasantries over the phone?" Hochstetter growled.
"Major Hochstetter, I pass idle pleasantries with General Schlesinger," Freitag replied with another laugh. "You are hardly worth the effort needed to pass gas."
"I do not have to sit here and listen to these insults," Hochstetter said angrily, the volume of his voice beginning to rise.
"Ah, but you do, Major," Freitag replied. "Because just this morning, while I was passing these so-called idle pleasantries with the General, I was informed that you seemed to have some question of my loyalties."
Hochstetter was silent.
"Come now, Major," Freitag prompted. "If you are going to slander me, at least be man enough to do it to my face."
"I am warning you …" Hochstetter grumbled.
"Save your breath, Hochstetter," Freitag said harshly.
Hochstetter took a deep breath. "Perhaps you could explain the report that I received about …" he said.
"About the truck from Stalag 13 being used by a team of SS men?" Freitag finished. "I most definitely could explain – and even though I only need to explain it to the General, I will tell you."
"That is so kind of you," Hochstetter replied sarcastically.
"I think so," Freitag replied. "If I were unkind, I would allow you to keep making a fool of yourself and just sit back and watch." Freitag fell silent.
Hochstetter felt the anger in him rise. This man has a very annoying way of making a pest of himself. "Well, are you going to explain it?" he exploded.
- - - - -
"Well are you going to explain it?" Hochstetter screamed.
Freitag laughed. This man is so predictable. "You sound upset, Major?" he asked. The phone line was silent except for the crackle of static on the long distance connection. "Very well, as I reported to the General, I commissioned use of the truck while the prisoners were here from Stalag 13," he said. "After all, they had no use for it until I was finished with them."
"Why did you need the truck?" Hochstetter asked.
"My, we are a little nosey, Major," Freitag commented.
Freitag heard a huff into the phone. "Major, whenever something strange happens that involves Stalag 13, I am interested because …"
"Because you have this fanciful notion that a prisoner is the mastermind of the Underground throughout your area of Germany," Freitag said. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" Freitag laughed to himself – he knew how true it was.
"I assure you that I will find evidence that will prove my theory," Hochstetter said harshly. "Then you may not be able to treat me so casually."
"You know Hochstetter, you do not realize it, but you are a funny man," Freitag replied lightly. "Since you are interested, here is the situation. The General's office has the authority to interrogate prisoners from the various camps, at its discretion. The decision of when and whom to question falls upon me, with the full backing of the General. It just so happens that I made the request of the Kommandant of Stalag 13 – Colonel Klink – because it was their turn."
"Why did I not hear of this procedure before now?" Hochstetter asked.
"Mainly because General Schlesinger did not feel he needed to clear his policies with you, Major," Freitag replied.
"Why Stalag 13? And why now?" Hochstetter asked.
"If you had been listening, I said it was their turn," Freitag said. "I have done this with other camps, in some cases multiple times. I have not found the need to include Stalag 13 because the prisoners do not seem to be flocking out of the camp like rats deserting a sinking ship, as they do in the other camps."
"That is because …" Hochstetter began.
"Major, please do not be a total boor," Freitag warned. "I called them to Berlin for interrogation. While they were here, I had need of their truck to round up a known conspirator."
"But my report indicated that a Luftwaffe Sergeant was driving the truck," Hochstetter countered.
"Yes, it is amazing what a uniform will convey," Freitag replied. "If I were to put on a Luftwaffe Sergeant's uniform, you would infer that I was actually a Luftwaffe Sergeant."
"You are saying that you ordered the kidnapping of the conspirator?" Hochstetter asked.
"Kidnapping?" Freitag replied. "He was arrested, along with his accomplice – both of them, as a matter of fact. You see, Hochstetter, I know how to investigate – successfully investigate – the enemy."
Freitag heard a low growl as the insult was recognized. "And now this conspirator will be tried," Hochstetter stated.
"Not at all," Freitag replied. "Two of the conspirators died tragically in an automobile accident as they were attempting to flee the scene of where they had killed the third conspirator – a female that they had been using to hide. Unfortunately, their vehicle burst into flames and they were killed. It was a rather nasty scene."
"How convenient," Hochstetter said skeptically.
"I thought so," Freitag said casually. "Which was why I staged it that way."
"You staged the accident?" a surprised Hochstetter asked.
"Major, did you actually expect every conspirator to be tried in a public court?" Freitag asked. "The public trials will be for show – the outcome is already determined. Unless the conspirator is high-profile, our orders are to shoot them on sight. In this case, I decided to be a little greedy and allow them to make contact with others … and it turned out that we were able to kill an important Underground leader in the area."
"How lucky for you," Hochstetter replied dryly.
"There was no luck involved, Major," Freitag said. "Although the men you received the report from did almost manage to ruin things by operating against my orders and interfering."
"I have tried to reach the man that called my office …" Hochstetter began.
"Because of their transgression – there were two of them, not just the one that called you - they have been transferred to a unit that will teach them the importance of following orders," Freitag replied.
"You mean you got them out of the way so they could not tell what they saw," Hochstetter countered.
Freitag laughed humorlessly. "Major, you are hardly one to be criticizing my actions," he replied. "You sit in the middle of the most active sabotage area in the country, and yet none of the incidents have been solved. In fact, I understand that the Underground has been so successful in your area that they have run out of meaningful targets and have taken to destroying trains containing food. Why is that, Major? Why is the Underground so successful in your area? Is it because of your incompetence … or your complicity?"
"Are you questioning my loyalties?" Hochstetter bellowed.
Freitag began to laugh. "No more than you were questioning mine, Major," he replied. "But I do have one advantage over you, Hochstetter."
"What is that?" Hochstetter asked angrily.
"I have proven my abilities," Freitag replied. "You have only proven your inabilities." Freitag began laughing as he heard a loud roar emerge from the handset before it clicked dead. "It is so difficult to have a battle of wits with you Major Hochstetter," he said to the phone as he hung up. "You always enter the battle unarmed!"
- - - - -
Hochstetter shoved the telephone off his desk and sent it clattering to the floor. "I hate that man," he growled. He knew that Freitag was correct in one thing – until he managed to break up the sabotage in the area and capture a high profile Underground leader, he would never be taken seriously by the people in Berlin. Most of those people, he felt, were just like Freitag … smug and self-serving. "I will show them," he grumbled, his voice dripping with hostility. "I will show them – and then they will regret not taking me seriously."