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UNREPENTANT

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Death.

Hung by the neck until dead.

Hochstetter woke with a start, wiping sweat off his forehead. No, it couldn't have been real. It must've been a dream, he told himself firmly. But one glance around his tiny cell dashed that glimmer of hope on the rocks of reality. He hadn't been dreaming. The sentence was as real as the thick cement walls that trapped him.

Hochstetter let out a frustrated growl and flopped his head against the wall. As he closed his eyes, his mind wandered back to the morning before. The courtroom had been more solemn on the early morning than he'd seen it since his trial had begun. He'd known what his sentence was to be. He'd known ever since Hogan had visited him.

Death.

Hung by the neck until dead.

Still, the words had hit him like a bucket of ice water. He'd stiffened with shock, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. And then he'd stood and yelled about the injustice of it all. What had he said exactly? The words escaped his memory, but whatever he'd said, it had not been enough to sway any opinions.

Of course not, he thought with a scowl. Those Americans understood nothing. They pretended to be the champions of justice, delivering the Germans from an evil government, but what of their sins?

Yes, what about Hogan? All high and mighty, getting angry over a few men? And what of the men he had purposely killed during all his sabotage missions? All the civilians?

Hochstetter gritted his teeth, becoming angrier and angrier. If the war had lasted another month- no, another week or two was all he would have needed to arrest Hogan- then that smug American would've been in his position, waiting helplessly while Hochstetter himself built the gallows.

He would've liked that. To see Hogan in his position. On more occasions than he could count or remember, he'd entertained the idea of watching Hogan being shot or hung for espionage. But another glance at the walls brought Hochstetter the bitter truth. He would be the one to hang, while Hogan watched.

Overcome with rage at the thought, Hochstetter jumped up and slammed his fists into the wall.

Damn Hogan.

He could just see Hogan standing silently with a grim smirk as he marched to the gallows.

Hochstetter wondered if he'd still be a prisoner awaiting death if he'd left Hogan's men alone.

No, Hogan would've come after him anyway. Those two men were just the last nails in the coffin.

Hochstetter smiled. Well, at the very least, he had been able to take something precious away from Hogan. Not as precious as his life, but the lives of two of his men were close enough. The grin deepened when he thought of the hurt look on Hogan's face when he had brought those two up on their last meeting. Yes, the guilt would follow Hogan the rest of his life and slowly eat away at him. What a comforting thought.

But not comforting enough.

Death.

Hung by the neck until dead.

Hochstetter shivered. What had he done wrong? The answer still eluded him. Nothing, was all he could come up with. Nothing but hinder Hogan and his operation. The Americans had blathered on and on about the victims of his interrogations and torture. But they did not seem to grasp the concept that those 'victims' had been enemies of the Third Reich. Hochstetter had merely used any and all means to gain information from them in order to stop more traitors and protect his country and his leaders.

Why could they not see that?!

Hochstetter growled and started to pace, smacking his hand against his thigh. It didn't matter. Hogan would've come up with any excuse to see him executed. Hochstetter had tried to do the same to him many times while Hogan was a prisoner, but somehow, the American always managed to appear innocent of any wrongdoing.

Hochstetter remembered the triumph he'd felt when Hogan had broken into Gestapo HQ to rescue his men. Even as the American had held a gun to him, he'd still felt a strange sense of achievement and victory. He'd been right all along, and that had proved it. And he would've kept that feeling right to the death- if Hogan had killed him right away. Instead, Hogan had taken him prisoner. He couldn't think of anything more humiliating. The anger and humiliation only became worse when he discovered just how extensive Hogan's operation was. Even he had never imagined it to be so diverse. Tunnels, machine shops, radios, a lab for explosives- the list went on. And all right under Kommandant Klink's nose.

Hochstetter's anger quickly shifted to the Kommandant of Stalag 13. The thought that perhaps that imbecile was a part of the whole operation grated his nerves. That fool? That fool had managed to stop any attempts Hochstetter had made to arrest Hogan and uncover the operation?! No! Hochstetter refused to believe it- it only made the humiliation worse. If Klink had been semi-competent, or perhaps behind the operation in some way and only acted foolish, then he would be appeased. But Hochstetter suspected that Klink really had no idea, and that by some dumb luck, or perhaps Hogan's manipulation, he had managed to stand between Hochstetter and his quarry.

At that moment, Hochstetter's anger was so intense that he found himself going mad with no one to take it out on. Letting out a loud cry of hateful fury, Hochstetter slammed his fists against the wall and stomped his feet.

After a few minutes, he stopped and took a few deep breaths. Wouldn't Hogan have loved to see that, he thought bitterly. He'd probably laugh to see Hochstetter so upset. Well, that simply wouldn't do. Setting his jaw, Hochstetter calmly sat on the edge of his bed, taking a few deep breaths. He would not give Hogan the satisfaction. Closing his eyes, he pictured his long walk to the gallows. He would be calm, collected, portraying righteous indignation- for he had done nothing wrong. Oh wouldn't that drive Hogan mad?! Hochstetter smirked at the thought. If he had to die, at least he would be able to get the better of Hogan one last time.

Oh yes, he could see the hatred in Hogan's eyes when he refused to admit guilt. That would tear at the American's soul for a long time too. The thought made Hochstetter smirk with excitement. Oh yes, he would project innocence and as he passed Hogan, he would make a remark about one of his men and really set him off.

Hochstetter sighed in content and flopped back onto his bed.

Suddenly, a horrible thought entered his mind. He hadn't seen Hogan at his sentencing. Had he? Hochstetter racked his mind. He didn't think he even looked for him in the crowd. He'd been too concerned and shocked with the sentence. But as he thought of it, the more convinced he became that Hogan hadn't been present.

What did that mean?

Hochstetter jumped up and began to pace. Perhaps Hogan was simply a coward and couldn't bear the guilt of condemning an innocent man. No, Hochstetter waved the thought aside. Somehow, that did not seem very likely.

A more frighteningly likely scenario was that Hogan was plotting revenge in another way. Perhaps the American could not stand the thought of Hochstetter being dealt with quickly. Maybe he was planning on kidnapping him so that he could take his revenge slowly. Hochstetter shivered. His mind traveled back to the many interrogation and torture sessions he'd overseen. Throughout his career he'd experimented with many different techniques, all of them painful. Would Hogan do any of those things to him? No… Hogan would not be so easy on him, Hochstetter decided as his insides bunched up.

What was he planning?!

The thought pounded on Hochstetter's brain. It was the story of his life, really. He was always trying to figure out what Hogan was planning, but could never quite come up with the right answer. Only time, and Hogan, would reveal what he was up to. Hochstetter's skin crawled at the possibilities.

Suddenly, Hochstetter heard a set of keys jangling in the lock outside his door. Well, this was it. He was going to find out what Hogan's latest deadly scheme was.

Hochstetter straightened himself out as well as he could as the door opened. He glared at his guard before tossing his nose into the air, giving the sergeant no more attention. He grinned to himself when he heard the American growl. He wondered if his air of superiority would have the same effect on Hogan. Oh, he hoped so.

"Come on Hochstetter, time to go," the burly sergeant said darkly as he led Hochstetter out.

Hochstetter growled, but allowed himself to be led out of the building and into a waiting car. Though he tried to hide it, he nervously watched through the windows, waiting for Hogan to jump out at any moment and stop the car to take custody of him.

But that never happened.

Instead, the car arrived safely at its destination. Still, Hochstetter remained paranoid, even as he was led into another building. He felt a strange sense of calm as he entered the courtyard where a small group of people had gathered.

So, he would be hung. Somehow, that didn't seem as chilling as it had before.

Hochstetter scanned the crowd as he was led towards the gallows, tuning out the man who was announcing him, searching for his foe.

He wasn't there.

Hochstetter stopped dead in his tracks, and stood firm even as his escorts tried to prod him along.

There were his men, but where was Hogan?

He shot Hogan's men a curious glance, but they only glared back at him. Since Hogan had first captured him, none of them had been overly friendly- the little one had more than once threatened to kill him- but never had he seen such hatred from anyone other than Hogan. But now, the two looked at him with such intense fury, that he actually felt fear.

But where was Hogan? What was he up to?

With another push from his escorts, Hochstetter stumbled forward. Suddenly, his demise became more and more real to him as he approached the gallows. He hesitated on the steps, casting another look behind him to try and spot Hogan, before being led up.

He seemed strangely detached from himself as the noose was put around his neck. It still didn't seem possible, yet here he was.

"Any last words?"

Hochstetter snorted at the man's request. Last words? What did they expect him to say? "No words… a question," Hochstetter growled through his teeth, his eyes piercing through the crowd until they fell on Hogan's two men. "Where is Hogan?"

The little Frenchman clenched his fists and took a few steps forward before the American pulled him back. The little one seethed with anger, while the black sergeant stood stoically, but with a dangerous look in his eye that could've rivalled Hogan's.

"Where is Hogan?" Hochstetter demanded, turning to his escorts and the hangman.

Finally, one of his escorts cleared his throat. "Colonel Hogan was killed the day before yesterday by a booby trap," he said grimly.

Hochstetter blinked. Hogan? Dead? Booby-trapped? It took a moment for it all to register.

And when it did, Hochstetter slowly grinned.

The End

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