Chapter 7 --- Revelations

The three new prisoners, still stunned over what they had seen below, slowly followed Kinch back up the ladder with Newkirk bringing up the rear. Newkirk struck the hidden mechanism and watched as the ladder raised and the lower bunk dropped. Kinch then motioned for the trio to follow him and Newkirk into Hogan's quarters. The five men crowded into Hogan's quarters where Hogan, Carter and LeBeau were already waiting.

"Well, gentlemen, what do you think?" asked Hogan, seeing the looks on the faces of the three.

"It's unbelievable, Colonel," said Davidson, awed. "The scope of it all is too much to fathom."

"It's definitely overwhelming, sir," agreed Randall. "And right under the noses of the Kommandant? Or does he know about all this?"

"Klink is totally oblivious to any of it," remarked Hogan. "We keep his never having a successful escape from Stalag 13 intact because that allows us to continue to operate. That plus Klink's afraid of being sent to the Russian front."

LeBeau, resting an arm on Hogan's shoulder, smiled. "The Colonel is very good at keeping the Germans off center."

"I still don't understand, Colonel," said Mitchell. "Exactly what is it you do here? I mean, Kinch and Newkirk told us a little bit about what goes on."

Hogan sighed. "We are a sabotage and espionage unit. We do whatever we can to wreck havoc on the Germans every chance we get. We also aid in getting downed flyers out of Germany. Kinch is our radioman, Newkirk and LeBeau make uniforms among other things and Carter is very good with explosives."

Carter smiled broadly. "I find that the most fun," he chimed in. Hogan glanced at him with a smile. Then, he turned his attention back to the trio.

"We've let you three in on our operation because we may, from time to time require your assistance with a mission," Hogan continued. "But even if we don't, you'll be expected to aid us by covering for us if necessary."

"Covering, sir?" asked Davidson, puzzled. "How?"

Hogan shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing elaborate. It could be something as simple as keeping watch at the barracks door as Olsen was doing when we had the tunnel entrance open to allow you three to see everything to maybe running a diversion to cover for us should we be late getting back from a mission."

"Speaking of tunnels, Colonel," said Mitchell. "I noticed you seem to have a lot of them down there."

"Umm-hmm. We have an emergency tunnel leading outside the camp, a tunnel to Klink's quarters, and a tunnel to the cooler. In fact, we now have a tunnel leading to every barracks in this camp."

As he listened to Hogan seemingly bragging about his operation, he realized that the information Major Heisler had gathered on Hogan's operation wasn't quite accurate. From what he had just seen, Hogan's operation was even bigger than originally thought. They had a large cache of weapons, uniforms, documents, a chemistry lab to make explosives, a means of printing German marks, and other things. It was no wonder that the Gestapo considered Hogan the most dangerous man in Germany. But despite everything, that bumbling Major Hochstetter, even with his suspicions, could prove nothing. He hid a small smile as he continued lisitening to Hogan talk. He knew it would be a large feather in Major Heisler's cap to expose Hogan's entire operation and the death of one Papa Bear. And he was here to see that the latter part, at least, was made true.

"Any questions?" asked Hogan when he was finished talking. He looked at each of the new men. His eyes suddenly fell on Captain Davidson. "Something wrong, Captain? You look a little unsure about something."

"Well, Colonel...it's just...." Davidson rubbed the back of his neck. "...what I mean is...it's kinda personal, Colonel. Can we speak privately?"

"Sure. That's all, gentlemen. LeBeau, Kinch, Carter, Newkirk, wait outside. After the Captain and I have our talk, I want you four to come back inside."

"Understood, Colonel," Kinch replied as he and the others herded the newcomers out the door into the commons area. Kinch closed the door behind him leaving Hogan alone with Davidson.

Hogan, crossing his legs and folding his arms, looked earnestly at Davidson. "All right, Captain. We're alone. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Davidson slowly sat down on the lower bunk facing the Colonel. "Colonel, let me first say I am completely blown away with the enormity and brillance of your entire operation."

"Thank you. But I'm sure that's not you wanted to speak with me alone about."

"No, sir, it isn't. All I ask is that you first hear me out completely before you comment on what I have to tell you. Can you do that?"

"I can. Now, what is this about?"

"Colonel, I deliberately allowed myself to be captured by the Germans and brought to Stalag 13."

Hogan's eyebrows shot up. "You mean you deliberately wanted to be captured? Why?"

"Are you familar with General Alexander Brennan of the Allied High Command?"

"Alex Brennan? Sure. But what has he got to do with this?"

"Well, it was he who sent me here on an important mission, sir. You see, several weeks ago we started hearing rumours that there was a traitor on Prime Minister Churchill's staff in London. So far we have been unable to uncover who this person is, but we suspect it is someone high up. But there was no proof that despite this, any information had been funneled back to the Krauts. Then, one of our operatives was murdered. We suspect by the traitor. The channel on the secret radio was tuned to your frequency. General Brennan's best guess is that the operative was possibly trying to send a warning to you and your people that your operation had been uncovered and that there was a traitor on Churchill's staff. We had to find out for certain if you had been contacted by this operative."

Hogan's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that this murdered operative was trying to send us a warning that our operation may have been compromised?"

"Yes, sir. But we're not really sure he even had the chance to make contact before he was killed. It's only supposition on our part since the radio was on your radio frequency."

Hogan mulled over the past few days up to and before the arrival of the newcomers. "We never received any message from anybody not before the three of you arrived here."

Davidson sighed. "Then the operative must have been killed before he had a chance to make radio contact with you."

"One thing I don't understand," said Hogan. "None of this explains why you allowed yourself to be captured and brought here. Are you asking my help to expose the traitor on Churchill's staff?"

"That's one of the reasons I'm here, Colonel."

"One of the reasons? I don't understand."

"General Brennan and I both believe this traitor on the Prime Minister's staff may suspect that the operative sent Papa Bear a message about him and is afraid you'll expose him."

"And you're here because...."

"I'm here because we've heard a rumour that our traitor may have sent a hired gun into Germany who also allowed himself to be captured by the Krauts."

"Captain, I don't think I'm gonna enjoy the answer to this question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. But exactly why would this traitor send one of his men into Germany, and particularly into Stalag 13?"

"Colonel, we believe that this man was sent here to kill you as a precaution against you exposing the traitor. And once you're dead, then expose your entire operation as well as the underground."

Now it was Hogan's turn to rub the back of his neck as he let out a deep breath. "And why did General Brennan send you?"

"I was sent to protect you from this hired assassin and to capture alive, if I can, the assassin and get him to reveal who the traitor on Churchill's staff is."

"And you have no idea who this traitor might be?"

"The only thing we know for sure is that he's with the SS."

"SS? There is a Major Von Strasser coming here today. Could he be connected somehow with your traitor?"

Davidson shrugged. "I have no idea, Colonel. He could be connected, or he could not be. Why is he coming here? Do you know?"

"No idea whatsoever, Captain." Hogan then looked at Davidson curiously. "This is all very interesting. But how do I know what you've just told me is true? I mean, you could be the assassin hired to kill me."

Davidson smirked. "I could be. But I'm not, sir. I suggest you contact General Brennan in London and check it out with him. I know you've probably checked me out already anyway."

Hogan slowly got up. He sat on the edge of his desk. "I have. There was nothing to indicate any of what you've just told me."

"The general thought it best to keep our mission top secret as we couldn't be certain who the traitor is. As far as anyone knows, Sergeant Randall and I were shot down over Germany and became POWs."

"That's another thing," Hogan remarked. "What about Randall? Is he here for the same reason as you?"

"No, sir. All Sergeant Randall knows is that we were shot down while on a bombing mission. He knows nothing about my special assignment to protect you."

"Thank you, Captain. I will check out what you've told me with General Brennan and then we'll talk again. On your way out, I want you to have my men come back in."

Davidson got to his feet. "Yes, sir, Colonel. Oh, just one more thing."

"And what is that, Captain?"

"For matters of safety, I suggest the only people you tell is the four men waiting outside. We can't take a chance the assassin finds out about my being here before I have a chance to capture him. We don't know how he'll react if he should find out you know."

"Believe me, Captain," Hogan allowed a small smile to appear. "I have no intention of letting him find out anything unless he already knows you're here and why."

"If that's true," replied Davidson, "then we really have an even bigger problem, Colonel, and you life could be in even greater danger."