Chapter 20 --- Klink's Redemption & Hogan's Rescue
Hogan and Von Strasser both looked in the direction of the sound of the door crashing open, but had different reactions to what they saw. Von Strasser was quite unhappy at seeing Kinch, LeBeau, Newkirk, Carter and Klink entering the barracks. Hogan seemed relieved. He swallowed or swallowed as much as possible with a straight razor pressed against his throat.
Kinch, Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau were pained and frightened at seeing the blood trickle down their commanding officer's face from the cut on his cheek to his jaw as well as the bloody lines on his chest. LeBeau paled and began to feel faint. Klink shuddered upon seeing what had happened so far to his Senior POW officer, and now realized he had to do something before it was too late.
"How did you swine get out of the barracks?" Von Strasser asked angrily.
"That doesn't matter," said Kinch defiantly. "Get away from Colonel Hogan!"
Von Strasser glanced at the razor he held against Hogan's throat before turning back to Kinch. "And what are you going to do if I refuse?"
Klink nervously grabbed his sidearm and pointed it at Von Strasser. "You heard him, Major. Move away from Colonel Hogan."
Von Strasser raised both his eyebrows and an amused expression appeared on his face. He chuckled heartily. "You dare to pull a gun on me, Klink?! The snivelling coward that you are? I can have you shot for aiding the enemy! In fact, when I finish with your Colonel Hogan I will be glad to add you to my list. Right after the Frenchman here. But first, I must finish what I started. Actually, I'd prefer having an audience witness me at work." He pressed the razor closer to Hogan's throat and a small trickle of blood was seen running down the side of Hogan's throat. The Colonel grimaced from the pain.
Suddenly the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence.
Von Strasser paused momentarily as blood spurted from the shoulder of the hand in which he held the razor. He glanced over his shoulder at Klink. Then, he turned back to Hogan with the razor pointed at his face. Klink fired another shot, striking Von Strasser in the back this time. Von Strasser staggered and leaned over Hogan and against the table for support. Feeling his strength ebbing, he raised the straight razor and prepared to slash Hogan across his face. Hogan turned his head sideways hoping to somehow minimize the damage to come. Klink fired a third shot striking Von Strasser dead center in his back. The SS Major looked over his shoulder and smiled evilly, eyes full of surprise as the straight razor fell from his fingers and he slowly slid to the floor. Hogan, closing his eyes, let out a sigh of relief.
Kinch hurried forward and knelt beside Von Strasser and pressed two fingers against his throat while Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau hurried to Hogan's side. Carter removed the gag from Hogan's mouth.
"He's dead," said Kinch matter-of-factly, looking up.
Hogan ran his tongue over his dry lips. "Somebody search his pockets and find the keys to get me out of these things," Hogan uttered wearily. Kinch proceeded to search Von Strasser's pockets finally finding two sets of keys. He handed the smaller key to Newkirk who unlocked the handcuffs binding Hogan's wrists while Kinch unlocked the manacles binding his ankles. Hogan, with help from Newkirk, slowly sat up. The blood started trickling down his chest from the two long cuts as did the cut on his cheek and the nick on his throat.
"LeBeau, go to barracks twelve and get Wilson. Tell 'im the Colonel's been hurt," said Newkirk, concerned at seeing the blood and noticing how pale LeBeau looked at the sight of blood.
"Oui, right away!" LeBeau said, grateful to have a chance to leave.
Newkirk, removing a clean handkerchief from his pocket, folded it and pressed it against the cut on Hogan's face. "You better hold this to your face, Gov'nor," he replied gently. "That cut ain't bloody deep but it's still bleedin' pretty good."
"Thanks, Newkirk," Hogan replied holding the handkerchief to his face. It was then that Hogan looked up and saw Klink, still standing in the doorway, the gun still in his hand, staring at the body of Von Strasser. By now, four of the guards and Schultz were standing behind him, watching in stunned silence.
"Kommandant, look at me," Hogan said quietly. "Please."
Klink didn't seem to hear him. He continued staring at the body before looking at the gun in his hand and then back at the body. "What have I done?" he asked nobody in particular. "What did I do?"
Hogan, Kinch, Carter and Newkirk all exchanged looks before fastening their eyes on Klink.
Hogan bit his lower lip before speaking again. "Kommandant, please look at me."
This time Klink looked up and at Hogan. He saw the bloody handkerchief pressed against his cheek, the spot of blood on his throat, and the two cuts on his chest as if seeing them for the first time.
"Hogan, are you all right?" he asked suddenly weary.
"I will be thanks to you, Kommandant. Thank you for saving my life," Hogan replied sincerely.
Klink snorted as he again looked at the body on the floor. "I'm grateful for that, Hogan. But it's of small consolation to me. Once General Burkhalter finds out what I've done, I'll be lucky if I get a trial before I'm shot." Klink then became aware of the guards and Schultz standing behind him. He handed the pistol to Schultz. "You'd better take this, Schultz."
"Herr Kommandant? What happened?" the fat guard asked, concerned. "We heard shooting."
"It doesn't matter anymore, Schultz," Klink replied. "It's over for me as of now. I don't see any way out of this. I can only hope you show as much loyalty to the new Kommandant as you always have to me."
"New Kommandant?" asked Schultz. Then, he saw the body on the floor,the injuries to Colonel Hogan, and the bloody straight razor and thought he understood. "Herr Kommandant. Please don't give up. After all, you did save Colonel Hogan's life. Surely that will mean something."
"Oh it'll mean something all right, Schultz," said Klink softly. "It'll mean the firing squad with or without a trial. General Burkhalter will see to that. I think I'll return to my office right now. I have to phone the General and report what happened."
Hogan looked up. "Kommandant, don't call Burkhalter just yet."
Klink looked around. "Why delay the inevitable, Hogan," he said. "Besides, the sooner it's reported the sooner it's over."
"Kommandant, please. Twenty-four hours. Just wait twenty-four hours to give me a chance to come up with a plan to help you. I owe you that much. Please."
"Very well, Hogan. I'll wait twenty-four hours. But after that, I have to call General Burkhalter."
"Thank you, Kommandant," Hogan acknowledged with a slight grin as he winced from the sting of the cut on his cheek. "You won't regret it. I promise."
Klink shrugged before he turned and left the barracks with the guards, leaving only Schultz staring after him.
Just then, LeBeau returned with Sergeant Joe Wilson, the camp medical officer, behind him. Approaching, Wilson placed his medical bag beside Hogan. LeBeau stayed outside where he didn't have to see the blood. Wilson quickly examined the Colonel's injuries.
"What happened, Colonel? LeBeau didn't really tell me much except that you had been injured."
"The Colonel was cut with a straight razor," said Carter, angry at the thought of what Hogan had endured.
Wilson shook his head sadly as he opened his bag. "This is gonna sting a bit, Colonel," he said as he removed a bottle of alcohol from his bag and proceeded to clean the wounds. Hogan winced each time the alcohol touched the cuts. "Hold still, Colonel. Y'know, you should be grateful these cuts aren't deep. If they were you'd have some permanant scars, especially to your face. But fortunately, it appears these will heal nicely, and when they do you'll never know they were there." Having finished cleaning the wounds, Wilson proceeded to apply bandages over the cuts on Hogan's chest and the one on his cheek. The nick on his throat only required a small bandage. He then gave Hogan an injection of an antibiotic to ward off any infection as well as a shot of a painkiller.
While Wilson was busy treating the Colonel, Carter retrieved Hogan's crutches and handed them to the Colonel who, when Wilson had finished, was helped off the table by Kinch and Newkirk and slowly made his way towards the open door where Schultz waited. Schultz looked Hogan in the eyes.
"Colonel Hogan, do you really think you can help the Kommandant?" he asked.
"Just leave it to me, Schultz," Hogan replied with a slight grin. "But whatever I come up with I don't want any questions asked. Okay?"
Schultz shrugged as he thought about what Hogan had just said. "Okay," he replied softly. He then stood aside to allow Hogan, LeBeau, Carter, Kinch, Newkirk and Wilson to pass.
"Are we going back to the barracks, Colonel?" asked LeBeau.
"Yes, LeBeau," Hogan replied. "I need to make a phone call to London about a traitor."