Chapter 3:
Newkirk threw in a card on the table, he and Carter playing a game of gin the following morning as Hogan and Kalina updated everyone on Klink's current medical condition. LeBeau hovered over the stove cooking breakfast for everyone, Kinch and Hogan stood at the top of the barracks table, and Kalina sat on Carter's bunk sifting through her sketchbook, determining which drawings of Stalag 13 were suitable to give to Burkhalter for a project of his and which ones were worth being thrown into the trash.
"An emergency gallbladder removal surgery. How bloody charming is that?" The Englishman grumbled, knowing that Stalag 13 was screwed for the next eight weeks while Klink recovered.
"Well it's not like Klink asked to get a gallbladder infection. I mean, who wants to have their gallbladder removed willingly?" Carter remarked, trying to defend the German colonel.
"But with Klink out of commission for eight weeks, what's gonna happen to the operation?" Kinch asked, crossing his arms.
"Look at it this way, guys; whoever Burkhalter sends here to cover for Klink can't be as bad as…" Hogan paused as he looked over at Kalina, who had paused in her task and looked up at him innocently. He walked over to her and covered her ears with his hands as he looked back at his men. "Koch was," he finished, then uncovered the girl's ears and looked at her again. "Sorry, Kalina."
"If you said who I think you did, I'm glad for it," she answered meek, trying to ignore the horrific image of a man that was forever engraved in her mind.
Hogan gently rubbed Kalina's back and gave her a kiss on the top of her head, when the barracks door opened, and Schultz marched inside.
"Roll call! Everybody out for roll call!" He bellowed, causing everyone to groan in displeasure.
"The bloody hell you mean 'roll call'?! We just had roll call fifteen minutes ago!" Newkirk exclaimed, rising to his feet.
"The interim kommandant just arrived from Berlin, and General Burkhalter wants to make a formal introduction before he leaves later tonight." Schultz explained.
Carter let a long frown come to his face. "Oh, come on, Schultz; we haven't even had breakfast first."
"Those are my orders! Now, everybody out for roll call. Schnell schnell schnell schnell schnell schnell," Schultz said, swinging his finger around in a circle towards the exit.
With reluctance, Hogan, his men, and Kalina filed out of barracks two one by one and made their lines of two outside the little hut of theirs. Kalina walked over to join Schultz's side as the prisoners got situated, then did not have much long to wait, for as soon as everyone was in their assigned spot, the door to the kommandantur opened, and Burkhalter marched down the steps with two figures following him from behind. The first one, a captain, had graying black hair with a matching mustache and dark blue eyes that were more icy than friendly. He walked confidently with each step he took, but with intimidation instead of Klink's arrogance.
The second man, a bit shorter than the captain, had thick dark brown hair with emerald green eyes. He appeared much more approachable and welcoming, though he constantly had his nose stuck in a small black notepad, continuously taking notes on everything he saw and learned. He was less prideful in his walk, tripping over his own feet every now and then.
Once the three German officers were less than four feet away from Schultz and Kalina, the duo saluted Burkhalter and the other officers, receiving the same gesture in return.
"Herr General, all prisoners present and accounted for," Schultz reported proudly.
"Very good, Schultz," Burkhalter purred, wearing his usual sly grin. He turned to Kalina, his eyes softening ever so slightly and nodded to her. "Kalina, it is good to see you again, my dear."
The little Klink smiled and gave the general a polite courtesy. "Guten morgen, General Burkhalter," she said softly.
Burkhalter turned his eyes back to Hogan and his men, silently cleared his throat, then began. "Gentlemen, with Colonel Klink out of commission for the next eight weeks, it leaves Stalag 13 temporarily without a camp kommandant. For this reason, I have called in Captain Lars Bäumle to take over command until Colonel Klink is well enough to return to his duties. You will treat him with the same respect as you did with Kommandant Klink...or shall I say more respect than you had with Klink." The last part the general muttered to himself. He stepped aside to allow Bäumle to become the center of attention, the captain's assistant following in toe.
Bäumle came to a halt just several feet before the prisoners of barracks two, who stared back at him both with curiosity and skepticism. His eyes went down the line until they came to a rest on Hogan, then narrowed them. "You're the Senior POW Officer here?" He asked icily.
Hogan stood tall and firm, not showing an ounce of intimidation whatsoever. "Colonel Robert Hogan, United States Army Air Corps," he answered.
Bäumle did nothing but stare at Hogan for several minutes. Not a single word spoken between them; just simple eye contact that exchanged the same message from one officer to the other: 'I'm watching you. Keep an eye open at night.' Eventually Bäumle finally ended the sheer silence, but his fixed gaze never left the sight of Hogan for one second.
"Write this man's name down, Heinrich," he said, over his shoulder. "I want him monitored at all times."
"Jawohl, Herr Hauptmann," Heinrich said, with a salute. He flipped his notebook open, placed the pen to paper, then looked up to the American officer with a puzzled expression. "Wait, how do you spell 'Hogan', Colonel?"
"It doesn't matter, Heinrich. Just sound it out," Bäumle remarked tersely.
"But Herr Hauptmann, shouldn't it be spelled correctly in case something were to come up an…"
"HEINRICH! Shut up and write his name down before I write your name down on a transfer to Russia!"
Heinrich saluted quickly in fear, then did as told, while the captain turned to face all the prisoners of barracks two. "Listen up, you filthy mongrels. For the next eight weeks you will listen to me and only me. Do as anyone else says, and you will be shot without question. Try to escape or disobey my orders, you will be shot without question. I am doubling the guards as of this moment onwards, shortening curfew from 2300 hours to 2100 hours, and you will receive two meals a day instead of three."
"Captain Bäumle, taking away an entire meal is a strict violation of the Geneva Convention. I must protest to such a…"
"Colonel Hogan, one more word out of you, and I'll have Heinrich send a bullet straight through your head. Do you understand?!" Bäumle barked.
"M, m m, me, Herr Hauptmann?" Heinrich asked, turning a bit green at the order. "Sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I'm not very good with blood, Herr Hauptmann. You see, when I was a little boy, I…"
"Heinrich! Do you mind, I'm in the middle of a speech here!"
The assistant shut his mouth promptly, clasping his hands behind his back as his superior looked back at Hogan and his men. "Any questions?" Bäumle asked.
Carter hesitantly put his hand in the air, terrified that just so much as breathing would get him in trouble with the new kommandant. "Captain Bäumle, I have a question, Sir," he said softly.
"Put your hand down," the captain answered brusquely.
Carter frowned. "But you just asked if I had a question," he whined.
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Bäumle snapped his eyes to Kalina, who had her head down and slightly hiding behind Burkhalter in intimidation. He pointed to her as he made his gaze to the general. "Who is she?"
"Colonel Klink's daughter. Kalina is her name," Burkhalter said. "I advise you to treat her kindly and respectfully, Captain. I would hate to see the same thing that happened to Colonel Koch happen to you."
Bäumle's pupils dilated twice in size at the hearing of Koch's name, making him internally shudder. He remembered hearing about Koch's case revolving around Stalag 13. How he had read about it in the newspapers and listened to the nationwide broadcast of his court hearing and sentencing. How he had given the Luftwaffe such a tainted name back in Berlin among others. How Bäumle had made it his mission to regain a positive identity to the Luftwaffe and everyone who served in it. Koch had done more damage to the Luftwaffe than a category five hurricane did to houses and landscapes. What he had tried to do to Klink. What he had done to this innocent little girl standing before him, it was enough to make him sick. He could only imagine what it had done to Kalina's mind.
Softening his expression slightly, he nodded to Klink's daughter politely. "Fraulein Kalina," he began. "Are you good with paperwork, my dear?"
Kalina nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. The captain still terrified her, but seeing his demeanor change the way it did when addressing her, it was nowhere near to how she felt about Koch now. "Jawohl, Herr Kommandant. I know a little, Sir," she answered softly.
"Very well, then," Bäumle said. "I shall make you my personal aide for the duration of my stay. And keep these men in line, won't you? I want a full report on any sort of misbehavior it happens, understood?"
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant. I understand," Kalina said, with a nod.
"Good." Bäumle turned his attention to his assistant. "Heinrich, follow the General and I into the office. We have many more things to discuss before General Burkhalter leaves for Berlin this evening."
Heinrich gave a proper salute and did as told, leaving Schultz and Kalina to dismiss the prisoners. Once everyone had disbursed into their usual routine, looking behind their shoulder every so often to make sure Bäumle was not watching them, Kalina darted for Hogan's side and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his belly.
Hogan looked down, smiled, then held the little teenager close, gently rubbing the back of her neck for comfort. "I'm alright, hon," he told her. "This guy may be trouble, but we've faced a lot more frightening Krauts in the past."
"Double the guards?" Carter gasped, he and the others surrounding their commander and dear friend.
"Lower the curfew to nine o'clock?" LeBeau exclaimed.
"Colonel, if London radios us with an assignment, it's gonna be near impossible to get out of here with all those Krauts roaming around," Kinch said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
Hogan let out a heavy sigh, his brain rolling for an answer. They could not have another eight weeks with Bäumle in command. Stalag 13 would become a living hell for everyone. And if Bäumle did such a good job, Burkhalter could even station him there permanently, sending Klink off to another unit. Not only would losing Klink destroy Kalina, it would put them out of business. They had seen just what was possible of happening when Koch had been there last year; he was not about to let it happen again. He would not let his boys and especially little Kalina go through that horror again. He needed a way to get rid of the Luftwaffe captain, but what?
"We need to discredit Bäumle and fast," the colonel finally said, wrapping his arms around himself. "The longer he's here, the more of a threat he'll become to the operation and the functioning of Stalag 13."
"Colonel Hogan, how will we do that, though. Not even I could talk Herr Kommandant out of the regulations he's put in place," Kalina answered, looking up at her second father for a solution.
As everyone began to brainstorm an idea to get rid of Bäumle, they were brought out of their thoughts by the sound of an approaching car. Kinch looked up first and turned to Hogan. "Hey Colonel," the radioman said. "Look at that over there." He pointed his finger in the direction of the kommandantur, causing everyone to gaze in the same direction.
A black staff car with Gestapo flags flapping in the breeze pulled alongside Klink's office and came to a slow halt. Two Gestapo officers got out of the car, went to the back, then yanked a handcuffed man out into the compound. An American officer that looked part Japanese or Chinese and was at least six feet tall. The instant realization of who it was made Kalina gasp, and she turned her eyes to Hogan, who seemed just as stunned as she was.
"Colonel Hogan, is that who I think it is?" She asked, baffled.
"Major Daisaku Yamamura," Hogan said, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. "He's leading the biggest reconnaissance assignment in London currently. How did the Gestapo get a hand on him?"
"One of Hitler's most wanted men alive," Kinch added. "If they get him to crack, some of the Allies' biggest military secrets could be revealed to the enemy. We wouldn't stand a chance at winning the war."
"Kinch, get on the coffee pot and tune into Klink's office. Kalina and I are going in."
"Right, Colonel."
Without another word, the four of Hogan's men entered back inside barracks two, leaving the colonel and Kalina to themselves in the compound. They began their trek across the grounds, when Klink's daughter looked up at Hogan curiously. "Colonel Hogan," she said. "Do you think Major Yamamura could help us get rid of Captain Bäumle?"
"If he can, we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone," Hogan answered.
Kalina suddenly paused in her step and furrowed her eyebrows together as she looked at Hogan again with a puzzled expression to her face. "Why do you want to kill birds?"
Hogan chuckled, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling like stars as he gently patted Kalina's shoulder. "Honey, you've got a lot of learning to do about American sayings."