Chapter 3: An End of Deception
Hogan opened his eyes and discovered it was dark outside. He realized that he had been asleep the whole day. The last thing he could recall he'd been sitting at the table with his men. They'd just finished drinking their morning coffee. Obviously, someone had drugged his coffee, but he couldn't figure out why. He trusted his men and it was hard to consider the possibility that one of them would do something like that. They were the only ones present at the time, however, so one of them obviously had. He just had to determine which one.
Hogan stood, went over to the door and opened it. He entered the common room and went over to join his men.
"Glad to see you're finally awake, Gov'nor," said Newkirk.
"I should never have been asleep," snapped Hogan. "Someone drugged me."
LeBeau stared at the table and mumbled, "I just wanted to help Carter's headache. I thought maybe a little sleep would help."
"You mean the drugs were meant for Carter," Hogan roared.
"I sympathize with Carter. I'm sorry you were drugged," LeBeau honestly responded, but avoided answering Hogan's question."
"Especially today," added Newkirk. "LeBeau and I thought we spotted someone snooping around the tunnel entrance. We thought maybe we'd go out in a bit. Check it out. See if we could find any evidence of anyone being there."
"What'd he look like?" Hogan asked.
Newkirk shrugged. "I'm not sure. I only got a glimpse. LeBeau noticed him first."
"I couldn't tell very well," LeBeau replied. "He was too far away. It did look like he was wearing a Heer(1) uniform, though."
"After lights out, LeBeau and I will go out and investigate," Hogan explained. "LeBeau can show me where he saw the man."
"Oui, Colonel," LeBeau agreed.
- - -
LeBeau came out of the tree stump access first. He quickly closed it and ducked to avoid the approaching searchlight. Once it was clear, Hogan came out to join him.
"We saw the guy over this way," stated LeBeau, leading Hogan to a nearby spot that was closer to the gate.
"Okay, let's search the area and see if we can find anything that might indicate who he was or what he was doing here," Hogan ordered.
Hogan and LeBeau searched in opposite directions. After a minute, LeBeau pulled his hand from his pocket and reached toward the ground. "I think I found something, Colonel," he said, pretending to pick something up.
"Not so loud," cautioned Hogan, as he came over to join LeBeau. "What did you find?"
"This," replied LeBeau, showing him the button that he'd palmed in his hand.
Hogan examined the button. "Looks like it IS from a Heer uniform. I wonder what he was doing out here. Let's see if we can discover anything else."
Hogan had just started walking away a bit when he heard LeBeau cry, "Colonel." Seconds later, the searchlights revealed their location.
"That was stupid," Hogan hissed at LeBeau, who was now sitting on the ground.
"Don't move or we will shoot!" yelled a guard from the tower.
"I think I twisted my ankle, Colonel," explained LeBeau.
A scowl appeared on Hogan's face. "Whatever happened, it looks like we're stuck now. I don't think the guards would miss at this range."
The alarm was sounding. The dogs were released. Less than a minute later, several guards headed their way. When they reached the prisoners, one of them covered Hogan with his rifle. Another covered LeBeau and ordered him to his feet. The rest of the guards started combing the area to see if there were anymore escapees.
Hogan watched as LeBeau struggled to his feet. Once he was standing, LeBeau was prodded towards the gate, limping on one foot. Hogan's guard ordered him to follow.
As they neared the gate, LeBeau's guard shoved him forward. Apparently, LeBeau was walking slower than the guard wished. Hogan noticed LeBeau start to lose his balance. Then, to prevent himself from falling, LeBeau used his supposedly injured foot without any problem.
The two prisoners were herded through the gate and Klink walked over to join them. "This was foolish," Klink told them. "You should know by now that there has never been a successful escape from Stalag 13. LeBeau, you get thirty days in the cooler. Hogan, you are confined to barracks for the same period. You will be escorted there immediately. Dismissed."
LeBeau's guard escorted him off towards the cooler. Hogan's took him toward's Barracks 2.
As he watched them go, Klink shook his head. "They never learn," he muttered, then turned around and headed for his own quarters.
- - -
The guard turned on the lights when he and Hogan entered Barracks 2. All of the prisoners inside were lying on their bunks.
"Hey, who turned on the lights," protested Newkirk.
"Yeah," added Carter. "Can't a fellow get any sleep around here?"
"Don't try to make me think you were asleep," stated the guard, counting to make sure everyone else was present. "I know you heard the alarm. And if anyone else tries to escape, he'll find himself in the cooler with the Frenchman. Understand?"
Everyone mumbled their understanding. The guard escorted Hogan to his quarters at the back of the room.
"You will not leave the barracks for any reason," the guard warned. "If you do, you will suffer the consequences."
Hogan entered his quarters and closed the door. The guard walked over to the door to leave. "If you're smart, you will all go back to sleep and give us no more probems," he declared, as he reached up and turned out the light. Then, he opened the door and left.
Knowing that Hogan would expect questions, Newkirk got up and made his way through the darkness to Hogan's quarters. "LeBeau's in the cooler?" he asked.
"We'll talk about it in the morning," Hogan replied. "I have things to consider."
"Yes, Sir," agreed Newkirk.
- - -
After roll call, Carter, Newkirk and Kinch were seated at the table drinking coffee. Hogan opened the door and called the three into his quarters.
"For now, I don't want anyone visiting LeBeau in the cooler," Hogan ordered, once they had all gathered inside.
"Why?" Newkirk protested.
"Because he's been having too many 'accidents,' that's why," snapped Hogan. "I spent a lot of last night thinking about it. When we were out there, LeBeau claimed he'd injured his ankle. Minutes later, he walked on it as if nothing happened. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not sure we can trust him right now."
Newkirk asked the question they all were wondering. "You think LeBeau's a traitor?"
Hogan frowned. "Maybe not that extreme. I just know he's up to something."
"But we can't just abandon him," Carter argued.
"It's an order, Carter."
Carter glanced at Newkirk and Kinch. "It has to stop."
"Carter," said Kinch, the tone of his voice conveying an unspoken warning.
"We have to tell him," Carter insisted.
Hogan appeared puzzled. "Tell me what?" he wondered.
"London thinks you might be a traitor."
"They what!" Hogan roared, slapping the table with the palm of his hand.
Carter shrunk back a little. "Three people claimed you were. London's investigating. They put me in charge. We were supposed to keep you a prisoner, preferably without you or the Krauts knowing about it."
Hogan found things beginning to make sense. "And that's why LeBeau lured me outside the fence?"
"We figured Klink would confine you to barracks. And it worked."
"And the drugs in my coffee. They were actually meant for me, weren't they?" Hogan concluded. After Carter's nod, Hogan continued, "And the incident with the door. Am I correct in assuming you never had amnesia? That the whole accident was merely another deception to hold me here?"
Carter practically wilted under Hogan's glare. "I'm sorry, Sir. We had to keep you in the barracks and out of the tunnels some way."
Kinch came to Carter's defense. "This wasn't his fault, Colonel," he said. "Carter had orders from London. This isn't an easy assignment."
Hogan's expression softened a little. "I'm not angry at him. Well, maybe just a little. It's mostly the circumstances I find most annoying. The charges. The necessary investigation. Them putting you guys in a spot like this."
"What are we going to do now?" Newkirk asked.
Hogan considered it a moment. Then, a smirk appeared on his face. "Ask Carter," he quipped. "He's in charge. Me. I'm confined to barracks. I'm going to enjoy my R and R. Now, if you guys don't mind, I have things to do."
The others took the hint and left the room. Once they had gone, Hogan's seriousness returned. He sat down at his table. He'd discovered a lot during the last few minutes. Now, he had to decide how to handle it.
1 German Army