Alexander Pope, 1711, "An Essay on Criticism"
I am such a liar, thought Newkirk. No worries, indeed! He scaled a tree hoping to catch a glimpse of something beneficial to his assignment. He tried reasoning. If he were carrying a wounded man, which path would he take to get to camp? The gentlest path, if that was an option, but the Underground was on the run.
Wait – he heard rustling noises. Someone was moving fast paced. It was difficult to see. Someone tripped. Another person complained. Someone protested. Newkirk made his way out of the tree. He stepped on a fallen stick and the snapping sound seemed to reverberate throughout the entire woods. He stood frozen.
"You are British," said a male voice behind him. Newkirk raised up his arms as he felt the barrel of a gun press into his back. The voice demanded, "Answer me."
Newkirk said, "It's better than being a bloody Jerry, I'll tell you that much."
"We're not all that bad," said the man. "I have a wounded man."
Newkirk waited for the gun to lower before turning around to see the man. He was older, perhaps in his mid-fifties. A younger man tried carrying a wounded airman. Newkirk said, "Blimey hell. Lay him down."
Newkirk was not a medic. However, he knew the airman was in trouble. Someone applied a pressure bandage but it was completely soaked. The airman was a young corporal and frightfully pale due to the loss of blood. His breathing was shallow and his eyes glazed.
The older man said, "We failed this young man."
Newkirk sighed, "Alright, let's go. Maybe there's still time." He only had a simple handkerchief, which he added to the bandaging. He knew it was more of an act to make himself feel a little better. Then he carried the wounded airman and led the other two to the tunnel.
Newkirk understood the risks. The airman could die. The two men could be Gestapo using the wounded man as a trick to find Papa Bear. He once brought a Gestapo agent into the camp, betrayed by her beauty and apparent passion for the cause. Yet Newkirk had a responsibility to the wounded man.
It was getting darker. Newkirk knew the way but the two strangers did not, so he tried hurrying. If he lost them, so much the better, as that would prevent issues later if they were Gestapo. However, carrying a wounded man was no easy task. He only started to slow as they approached the camp.
The younger man exclaimed, "Here?"
"Shh," said Newkirk.
"Pierre," said LeBeau.
"Here, mate," said Newkirk. He felt relieved at having a friendly helping hand. The airman was unconscious but Newkirk did not smell death. As much as he wanted to get the wounded man into the tunnel first, he knew he had to get the two from the Underground in first. If they were Gestapo, he could not afford for them to make a scene if LeBeau helped Newkirk in first.
Then it was Newkirk's turn. He did not want to carry the man over his shoulder as he climbed down the ladder but had little choice. He almost stumbled on a rung. Then he felt helping hands remove the airman. He climbed back up enough to let LeBeau know it was clear.
At the bottom of the ladder, Newkirk watched as Wilson and Saunders loaded the airman onto a blanket as stretcher. He saw Hogan look at the two men from the Underground. Newkirk said, "I'm sorry, sir."
Hogan smiled, "Jack Frost – it's good to see you again."
Newkirk breathed a sigh of relief, perhaps a bit too loudly as several sets of eyes landed on him. He finally said, "I wasn't sure! I didn't have time to be sure. I had to get that man to safety."
The older man smiled, "Ah, so you did think that perhaps I was the Gestapo trying to trick you. Papa Bear, I like this man."
Hogan laughed, "So do I."
Newkirk asked, "Will he be alright?"
Hogan said, "I don't know. London is sending in an emergency airdrop of medical supplies. We'll have to see."
Newkirk stood at attention and said, "I volunteer to recover the drop."
Hogan smiled, "Thanks, Newkirk."
LeBeau said, "Come on, Pierre. I have some nice supper for you."
"I didn't do this for some nice supper," said Newkirk.
LeBeau said, "I know."
After getting a nod from Hogan, Newkirk decided to accompany LeBeau. He was uncertain if he had an appetite. He worried about the wounded man. The team rarely suffered casualties. He hoped the stranger survived. He did not want this unit to maintain its own private cemetery in the middle of the woods.
#HH#
Hogan paced. He knew Wilson and Saunders were doing their best to help the wounded airman. They managed to extract the bullet and stop the bleeding. Thanks to efforts to increase medical stock, they had penicillin. They lacked any serious painkillers. The airman needed more than a couple of aspirins to survive.
Hogan watched as Saunders took a cloth to the man's forehead to wipe away the sweat and grime. Wilson stood pensively. Hogan finally asked, "Well?"
Saunders said, "We've done all that we can. He's dangerously low on blood."
Wilson said, "Maybe I can get to that hospital and borrow some."
Hogan said, "Carter and Newkirk are out to retrieve the airdrop."
Wilson said, "Good. Colonel Hogan – a word."
Hogan sensed something bothered the medic. He walked with the man through the tunnels before Wilson stopped. He asked, "Something wrong?"
Wilson hemmed and hawed a moment before finally saying, "I don't want to kill her. Okay, she's a pain in the ass in the infirmary, always wanting to scrub everything three times and all that. She sewed him up real good, though. I never saw stitching like that before."
Hogan said, "Maybe that's why her unit made her a part of their team."
Wilson sighed, "I guess so. I'm afraid to admit this but I couldn't have done it."
Hogan said, "You have battlefront experience."
Wilson said, "Yeah, but she has worked with doctors in a surgical theater."
Hogan said, "What this man needs now is care. We all know you're good."
Wilson said, "I just thought you should know."
Hogan said, "It's alright. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Learn what you can. I think we all know that sooner or later the Krauts are going to ship her off to Ravensbruck."
Wilson said, "I hope not." Hogan raised an eyebrow. Wilson continued, "This isn't a place for a woman. What makes you think that place is any better?"
Hogan merely shook his head in agreement. It revived the challenge that he suffered. If she stayed, he could look after her. Klink was an idiot but at least had some respect. As long as she was here, she could not escape. However, if the Krauts did decide to send her away, she had a chance to escape without exposing his operation.
It took a strange dedication to remain willingly as a prisoner of war. Hogan and his men managed, but as men, they were expected to endure. He watched as Wilson headed in the direction of the infirmary. Wilson was like a majority of the men stuck at the camp. Hogan was assigned. His core team volunteered. The others accepted remaining behind for the betterment of the overall cause but that did not mean they liked the situation.
There were always hardships. The food was deplorable except on rare occasions when the Krauts decided they wanted to offer a small reward. Hogan supplemented whenever possible. It was cold. They all suffered lack of family. While Hogan often thought of the men around him as a surrogate family, he knew once the war ended they would go their separate ways.
That was dangerous thinking for an officer. They were not family. Hogan cared for his men but he had to send them off on assignments, any one of which could result in someone being caught or killed. Hogan took many risks.
Baker distracted his thoughts. Schultz and the other camp guards were mobilizing for bed checks. While Hogan could easily trick the guard into believing Carter, Newkirk and Wilson were already asleep Saunders was a different matter. She had to return to her barracks long enough to satisfy the bed check. Wilson did not mind remaining with the patient.
With so much happening, Hogan forgot Crittendon shared his room. He appreciated the fact that the Englishman went out of his way to allow Hogan to remain in command. This contradicted past visits where Crittendon imposed his authority as senior officer. Klink intended to ship out the officer in the morning. It proved too easy to fool Schultz that three men were missing. Hogan acted as casually as possible considering the circumstances.
As soon as the guard left, Hogan returned to the tunnels. He said nothing as Crittendon followed. Hogan saw the wounded airman wincing in pain. Wilson sat in a chair trying to take the man's pulse.
Crittendon said, "He's terribly young."
Hogan said, "I know."
Wilson said, "I hope Carter and Newkirk get here soon."
"I'll take the first watch," said Saunders as she returned.
Wilson said, "I can't leave."
Saunders said, "I know. Once he gets a plasma infusion, we'll both feel a lot better. Colonel, we'll need some healthy broths for the next couple of days. I'm not sure how to ask Corporal LeBeau. I mean, his cooking is very exquisite, but I wouldn't want to insult him."
Hogan said, "LeBeau will understand. I'll speak with him."
"Thank you," said Saunders. She sat next to her patient and held his hand. Was she humming a lullaby?
Hogan realized he admired the dedication of his medical staff. Yes, he had medical staff. He wanted a doctor. He knew London would never risk airdropping a doctor for capture. Stalag 13 was small and merely had an infirmary. The Krauts would send a doctor to a larger camp. He wanted the Underground to work on it.
Crittendon said, "I think they have things under control."
Hogan said, "I still have two men outside the fence."
Crittendon said, "Hogan, you have an excellent operation. When I return to Stalag 9, I will replicate there what you have done here."
Hogan asked, "Can you handle not escaping?"
Crittendon laughed, "I'll arrange the occasional furlough." Sobering his tone he continued, "Ah, you're fortunate to have on hand an angel of mercy. How long will it last?"
Hogan started walking through the tunnel. He did not want Saunders to hear. He said, "I'm not sure. She shouldn't even be here in the first place. Sooner or later Herman will move her to Ravensbruck."
Crittendon said, "That's bad."
Hogan said, "Once she's outside the fence, then I can help her escape."
Crittendon said, "That's good."
Hogan said, "Only if I succeed."
Crittendon said, "For her sake, I trust that you will."
Briefly, Hogan attempted to analyze the comment. Could it be that Crittendon was actually falling in love with the nurse? While he felt Crittendon came off as an oaf and therefore required neutralization from interfering with the operations, he did not want Crittendon falling in love. He knew Saunders was merely doing as he ordered, keeping Crittendon distracted so he would not disrupt the organization.
Hogan finally said, "I would do just about anything in my power to get her out of here safely and back to England."
"Good show," said Crittendon.
As the Englishman headed to the barracks, Hogan decided not to broach the subject in conversation. He was an army officer, not a den chief. Crittendon was mature enough to handle his own personal matters. Saunders was pretty but she was also an older woman closer in age to Crittendon as well as Klink.
Hogan kept pacing the tunnel. Where were Carter and Newkirk? He looked at his watch. The second hand slowly swept across the face. He sighed. Hogan knew staring at his watch was a bad habit. He often suffered lack of sleep when his men were out on a mission. Then he heard the familiar sounds indicating his men's return from the assignment.
Carter said, "Boy that Colonel Wagner sure doesn't make it easy!"
Newkirk gasped, "For a second there I thought he had us."
Hogan said, "Wagner's out and about tonight."
Carter said, "Is he ever!"
Hogan said, "Alright, we'll discuss it in a few minutes. Florence needs this stuff."
"Right," said Newkirk.
The small crate looked in good condition. Newkirk easily carried it through the tunnel. Wilson eagerly accepted the crate. He was anxious to open it. He pulled out a couple of silver canisters and said, "What is this?"
Saunders replied, "British dried plasma kits. The keys should be on top of the canisters."
Newkirk nervously said, "He's getting British blood."
Saunders casually said, "There wasn't any time to get some from America."
Hogan watched as Wilson reconstituted the plasma from dried state to liquid using the sterile water in the kit. He dare not look away as Saunders assembled the intravenous line. While not normally a squeamish man, something about needles bothered Hogan.
Saunders said, "This is good. How many kits did they send?"
"Six," replied Wilson.
"I'd love more just because," said Saunders.
Hogan asked, "Is it enough?"
Saunders replied, "Up to two units may be administered in a battlefield environment. If we were at a hospital, a physician could recommend up to four units. I don't believe we should exceed four units. I take it London wasn't willing to drop in a physician."
Hogan said, "We asked."
Wilson said, "We can manage."
Saunders said, "Yes, as long as we're careful. If he's reinfused too quickly, that can cause other problems. Colonel Hogan, I don't know how you managed it, but thank you. The corporal has a fighting chance."
"All in a day's work," Hogan teased. "Come on, fellows. Our work is done here."
Carter said, "Boy is it ever!"
Newkirk said, "It would be awfully bloody convenient if we had Wagner's training schedule."
Hogan started walking and the two men followed. He said, "I take it he's in high spirits tonight."
Newkirk said, "Jerry is crawling the woods. He's on the other side of the highway but still it was bad."
Hogan said, "That man has got to go."
Carter said, "I have lots of dynamite."
Hogan said, "It may come to that. You two go on up. Good job, men."
Newkirk said, "We'll know it's a good job if he pulls through."
"Right," said Hogan.
As he headed to the radio room, Hogan appreciated Newkirk's comment. It was a team effort. Everyone on his team had an area of expertise vital to the operation. He appreciated their talents. He saw Baker at the radio and directed a message to London confirming receipt of the package. Then he headed up to bed.
#HH#
Someone ordered fair weather for morning roll call. It was at least forty degrees and the sky a pale blue instead of the obscured gray clouds typical of the season. Hogan watched as a semi-frantic nurse ran to the formation, trying to beat Klink so she would not be late.
"Cutting it a little close?"
Saunders said, "My alarm clock didn't go off."
Instead of calling for his usual report Klink said, "Fraulein! I'm surprised by your tardiness. Why are you late?"
Saunders sarcastically said, "Women's prerogative."
Klink snapped, "Report!" His face started turning red, regretting the question. Hogan managed to keep a straight face.
Schultz said, "All present, Herr Kommandant."
"Very good," said Klink as he regained his composure.
It proved the standard morning announcements. Hogan needed to take care of business. He still had two members of the Underground in the tunnel who needed to escape. He also had to make sure Crittendon was put on a truck back to Stalag 9.
While Klink merely prattled for five moments, it felt like an eternity to Hogan. He relished the dismissal. Men filed into the barracks. LeBeau busied himself with breakfast preparations.
Newkirk asked, "How's our friend?"
Saunders said, "Resting comfortably. He looks much better."
Hogan asked, "How much sleep did you get?"
"Enough," said Saunders.
Hogan said, "I'm not Klink."
Saunders said, "Fair enough. Two hours, sir."
Hogan asked, "And Wilson?"
Saunders said, "At least four. Colonel, it's all right. Our patient is greatly improved. As soon as I eat something, I'll relieve Sergeant Wilson so he can eat."
"Mademoiselle," LeBeau graciously said as he set down a plate of food.
Saunders smiled, "Thank you, Louis."
Despite the fresh make up and uniform, Hogan sensed the nurse was exhausted. The tunnels were cold, especially at night. He did not like the idea of a wounded man suffering from the effects. He watched as Saunders ate.
LeBeau asked, "Can the patient eat?"
Saunders said, "We'll try something when he's awake but it has to be very light at first."
Hogan said, "LeBeau makes a wonderful beef broth." He saw her smile and continued, "Eat. You've had a long night."
As Olsen stood by the window he said, "Uh oh, we've got company."
Hogan asked, "What kind?"
"Hochstetter," said Olsen.
Damn, thought Hogan. He said, "Either it's about our guests in the tunnel or the parachute drop."
Olsen said, "He's going straight into the Kommandant's office."
Hogan said, "Florence, back to your patient. We'll cover for you. Kinch, coffee."
Ah, the friendly neighborhood Gestapo! Hochstetter was a career man. The SS oversaw the Gestapo. While some held concurrent positions in the two organizations, the majority of Gestapo proved competent and skilled police, a tribute to their original recruitment from the old Weimar police forces. Hochstetter was no exception to that heritage. He was unusually ardent in his efforts, perhaps hoping for a permanent position within the SS.
Hogan and his men listened in on the conversation in Klink's office. It was a minor relief the visit did not concern the parachute drop. The Gestapo lost the trail of the Underground. Hochstetter sneered in contempt as Wagner's training exercises halted his men. He was convinced Wagner supported the Underground.
Klink said, "Impossible! Oberst Wagner is a loyal officer!"
Hochstetter asked, "And who vouches for you?"
Klink hesitatingly said, "General Burkhalter."
Hochstetter said, "We know the Underground is operating in this vicinity. They do so with impunity. They utilize military precision. In other areas, the local bands manage part of a destroyed building or just a small section of railroad track. Here, they take down entire bridges."
Klink asked, "Why tell me?"
Hochstetter said, "If you know anything, tell me now. If you suspect anything, tell me now."
Klink said, "There's nothing to tell. Why, I remember when Oberst Wagner first arrived. He went out of his way to make introductions. He is a humble warrior for the Fatherland."
Hochstetter said, "We'll see about that. Keep your men on alert. Somewhere in the forest, there are two Underground operatives with a U.S. Air Corps corporal. I find it suspicious that their trail ends in this area."
Klink said, "You can count on me, Herr Kriminalrat."
It made Hogan think. Hochstetter believed Wagner supported the Underground. How could he turn that to his advantage? He had two Underground men he needed to see make their way out of camp. The patient would not be traveling anytime soon due to his severe condition. Hogan had some respect for Wagner but understood the cavalryman was a danger.
Newkirk asked, "Now what?"
Hogan said, "Time to incriminate Colonel Wagner."
Kinchloe asked, "For what?"
Hogan said, "Hochstetter thinks he supports the Underground. Let's give him what he wants."