The men joined Baker in the office, who was already listening in.
"Have we missed anything yet?" Hogan asked.
"Just Klink trying to make it very clear that he's done nothing wrong," the younger techie replied.
"I don't understand, Major Hochstetter!" Klink was saying. "If the escape happened at Stalag 6, why drag me into this?"
"Because, Klink, one of the escapees used to be one of your prisoners," Hochstetter replied, through gritted teeth.
"It is only a testament to my iron grip on this camp!" Klink insisted. "After all, there has never been an escape—"
"Klink, shut up," Burkhalter said, decidedly not amused to be harassed by news of another mass escape immediately upon his return.
"Yes, Sir; shutting up, Sir…"
"And furthermore," Hochstetter went on. "I was not amused to find out that Mullenberg and I had been tricked by two men impersonating German officers. I know how your men insist on defending each other, Klink; I am certain that they were your prisoners! It is exactly like them to pull a stunt such as this!"
"And just how do you propose to explain that two prisoners of war used a German staff car and German uniforms to make it from Hammelburg to Düsseldorf?" Burkhalter asked. "According to this report, Klink's car hasn't left the motor pool in weeks!"
"I do not know how they did it, but if there is a way, they will have found it," Hochstetter insisted. "Nothing stops a determined man."
"General Burkhalter," said an American voice. "I don't suppose Major Hochstetter and Colonel Mullenberg have told you about their unauthorized usage of truth serum to question the French corporal?"
"Silence!" Mullenberg snarled.
"That must be the prisoner Mullenberg brought," Carter said.
"It's that ruddy American major I told you about, Andrew," Newkirk said, recognizing the voice. Based on what they were hearing, though, it did seem that he was trying to discredit Hochstetter and Mullenberg.
"Quiet," Hogan ordered, tying to see where this was going.
"A truth serum?" Burkhalter had repeated. "No, Vulsor; they conveniently forgot to mention that." Though they couldn't see it, the Heroes could easily picture the glare that the General was giving to Hochstetter and Mullenberg. "Now it is clear to me why those impostors acted so quickly; you dummkopfs unnerved them with your unauthorized interrogations. The Underground was forced to act."
"Herr General, I was only carrying out the orders of my superiors—" Hochstetter began.
"And I was trying to get information to impress Major Hochstetter—"
"Shut up, Mullenberg!"
"Don't you just love it when they fight among themselves?" Hogan mused.
"Both of you, shut up!" Burkhalter snapped. "And what about this General von Siedelberg; have you found any information on him?"
"No, we have not," Hochstetter sighed. "He seemed like the genuine article—overbearing, sure of himself, arrogant…" He trailed off as he saw Burkhalter glaring at him even more. "Not that those same descriptions apply to you, Herr General; I was just trying to illustrate that this impostor was very sure of himself."
"I was convinced that he was a real general as well," said Mullenberg. "And it was Major Hochstetter who told me about him in the first place."
"You—! Herr General, I first saw that impostor here at Stalag 13 three weeks ago. He claimed to know Klink, and Klink agreed with him!"
"I only said that because I was not about to contradict him!" Klink insisted. "If there's one thing I've learned, it is that you never contradict a general!"
"That would explain a lot," Burkhalter replied, with a roll of his eyes. "Hochstetter, do you honestly believe that one of the prisoners here impersonated a general and a captain?"
"It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest," Hochstetter said, still unsure as to how the imposter had found out about his black market dealings; he was certain Gretel had something to do with that—further proof that she was not trustworthy. "I did not get a good look at the captain, but I would be able to recognize the general's impersonator in ten seconds. Klink, I demand you hold a roll call right now!"
"Hochstetter, I will give the orders here," Burkhalter said. "But if it will allow the conversation to move forward, then I shall insist that a roll call be help. Klink, have the men line up. Hochstetter, you will go with him and see if you can find your so-called impostor. If you cannot, we will move on to discussing about the escapees."
"Colonel Hogan…" said Carter, going slightly pale. "What do I do?"
"Keep looking like that," Hogan suggested. "Remember, Hochstetter is looking for someone who's overbearing and sure of himself. You don't fit that description at the moment."
Hogan sounded a lot more confident than he truly was; it was true that no one had ever been able to connect Carter to one of his fake German personas, but the sergeant had never been forced to stand up to Hochstetter's inspection.
Schultz was soon heard calling everyone out for the surprise roll call. Carter continued to look meek and unassuming as he stood in back. Newkirk, however, was staring at the empty spot beside him where LeBeau should have been. The news of LeBeau hiding out in Paris had made the Englishman more numb than worried; he wasn't sure if it was because he knew of LeBeau's home advantage, or if he was so exhausted that the full scope of it hadn't sunk in yet.
"Repoooooort…" Klink drawled.
"All present and accounted for, Herr Kommandant," Schultz responded. His eyes fell to the empty spot beside Newkirk as he thought about LeBeau, too. He had heard the news about the escape getting cut off near Paris; he was confident that LeBeau would successfully hide, but that did not stop him from worrying about what would happen if Hochstetter managed to find him.
"You see, Major Hochstetter?" Klink said, slightly smug. "No one is missing."
"Bah!" the major retorted. He began to walk across the compound, inspecting each face. As Hogan had predicted (and hoped), Hochstetter didn't give Carter a second glance; being a ruddy Jekyll and Hyde clearly had its advantages.
"He is not here," Hochstetter said, displeased. "But I will be keeping my eye on them." He gave a glance in Hogan's direction, who countered with a confident stare.
Klink dismissed everyone, taking Hochstetter back to the office. The Heroes returned to the coffeepot in time to hear Hochstetter admit to Burkhalter that he could not find the culprit.
"I still say we should question this man," Hochstetter added, indicating Vulsor.
"Hochstetter, your unnecessary questioning might be the cause of this problem!" Burkhalter countered. "Mullenberg, dismiss this American. Tell him to wait in the outer office; this no longer concerns him."
"Then it definitely concerns us," Hogan murmured to no one in particular as Vulsor was ordered to leave.
"So," Burkhalter continued. "What sort of plans do you have in mind for recovering the nine new escapees, not to mention the ten who escaped previously?"
Mullenberg paled; even if von Siedelberg had been a fake, he was still in hot water for now losing a grand total of nineteen prisoners—one of whom he wasn't even supposed to have in his custody.
"I will find them, Herr General," Hochstetter said. "It stands to reason that they would hide in Paris; it will not take long for my men—and Backsheider's, if necessary—to find them."
"And what happens once they are in your custody?" Burkhalter asked. "Will you be holding more unauthorized interrogation sessions? No, Hochstetter; I want these men to be returned to a Luft Stalag."
"And I have orders to bring them to Berlin!" Hochstetter insisted. He knew of the general's dislike for the secret police; that was the reason why Burkhalter wanted the men out of their hands. But Hochstetter was not going to bend for that reason.
"Herr General, as they were my men, I wish to have a chance to find them and bring them back to Stalag 6," said Mullenberg.
"To let them escape yet again from your so-called prison?" Klink taunted, much braver with Burkhalter around. "If I were to recover those men, they would remain here until the end of the war!"
"Are you volunteering to look for the men, also, Klink?" Burkhalter asked.
"Well, Sir, the decision of who searches for them is up to you, naturally," Klink responded, having no desire to bother with it. "We have all of those transfer papers to deal with, and nobody wants that—"
"Then here is my decision: I am not going to allow my colonels to play Musical Stalags with their prisoners any longer," the general responded. "Both of you can send as many of your guards to Paris as you wish; you will maintain custody of the prisoners you recover. And for your sake, Mullenberg, you had best hope that you recover the majority of them."
"I understand, Herr General."
Hogan's eyes narrowed as an idea came to him.
"That's it," he said. "That's our angle. Newkirk, come with me; we're going to pay Klink a visit."
"Me, Sir?"
"You're the only Newkirk around, unless your sister is in town," the colonel responded. He turned to the others. "I want the rest of you men to keep listening."
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand, Sir," Newkirk said, as they exited the barracks and headed for the Kommandantur. "Just 'ow does Burkhalter ordering Klink and Mullenberg to conduct a search 'elp Louis?"
"For starters, it means there's a better chance that someone other than Hochstetter's goons will find him," Hogan said. "Secondly, it's also our ticket to Paris."
"But why do you want me to come along?" Newkirk asked.
"You want to help LeBeau, don't you?" the colonel asked.
"More than anything, Sir, but…" Newkirk began, but trailed off as he understood. "Another reprieve, Sir?"
"I guess you can call it that," Hogan said. "You're still going to face that punishment, of course; don't think I'm going to forget about it anytime soon."
Schultz, who was standing outside the Kommandantur, made only a half-hearted attempt to stop them from entering ("Do you really want to go in with all of them there, Colonel Hogan?"). The two stopped in the outer office upon seeing Vulsor with his ear pressed against the door of the inner office, trying to listen to the conversation.
Hogan cleared his throat quietly, and Vulsor looked up, startled.
"Oh. Evening, Sir," he said, saluting the colonel. He was relieved it hadn't been a German catching him.
"What's the score?" Hogan asked, returning the salute. He was only asking to gauge how trustworthy the major was.
"There's going to be a big race to see who can recover the escapees in Paris, Sir," Vulsor said, as he walked over to them. "Hochstetter wants to take them to…" He trailed off as he noticed Newkirk, and the Englishman had to hide his amusement.
"Something wrong?" Hogan asked.
"No, Sir, I…" Vulsor trailed off again, staring at Newkirk. "Corporal, have we met before?"
Newkirk responded with an innocent shrug. Vulsor continued to stare at him, trying to picture him with a mustache and a German captain's uniform.
"You… you're Pierre!" he realized, quietly. His glance returned to Colonel Hogan. No, this was not the man who was von Siedelberg, but there was no denying that the colonel was somehow involved with what had happened earlier today. And it was then that the realization hit him: this man was Papa Bear.
Vulsor stood at rapt attention, saluting the colonel once again, but now with a new admiration for the man who was responsible for the lives and freedom of so many.
"Sir, if there's absolutely anything I can do, please-"
"There is, actually," Hogan said, after some time. "Mullenberg is going to be pretty desperate to save his own skin; if you tell him that LeBeau told you where some of his old haunts were, then Mullenberg might have you go along with his guards to Paris. If that happens, do me a favor and steer them wrong."
"I understand, Sir," Vulsor responded.
Mullenberg, noticeably pale, suddenly exited the inner office. The guard accompanying him seized Vulsor by the arm without a word; the American major looked back at Hogan one more time with a nod that promised he would do his best.
Burkhalter was the next to leave, deciding not to stand around and watch Hochstetter threaten Klink with more investigations. He cast an unimpressed glance at Hogan and Newkirk before guiding his rotund frame outside.
Hogan indicated Newkirk to follow him into the inner officer.
"Evening, Major Hochstetter," the colonel said, in a tone which the German major would find annoyingly cheerful.
"What is this man doing here?" Hochstetter fumed. "Klink, I thought you claimed you had your prisoners under control!"
"At least they stay here!" Klink defended.
"Bah!" Hochstetter said again, pushing past Hogan and Newkirk to exit.
Klink wearily sat back down in his chair, relieved that it was all over.
"What is it, Hogan?" he asked. "Please, make it quick and get back to your barracks; I have had a most unpleasant evening."
"Sir, Corporal Newkirk and I wish to lend our services to help your guards find LeBeau," Hogan said.
Klink gave Hogan a long stare.
"I'll give you my word as an officer and a gentleman that Newkirk and I won't try to escape," Hogan went on. "Just let us join the search party!"
"Hogan, there is no 'search party' for LeBeau; he is no longer my prisoner, and he is no longer my responsibility. Let Mullenberg worry about him. Furthermore, why would you volunteer to bring back an escaped prisoner who was once one of your men?"
"We can't stand living off of K-rations anymore," Hogan responded, without missing a beat.
"It's awful, Sir!" Newkirk said. "Ol' Louis was able to turn those ruddy rations into something we actually enjoyed eating!"
"Besides that, I'd rather have LeBeau back here than in Hochstetter's hands," Hogan added. "There's no telling what Hochstetter might force him to say!"
Even Klink had to admit to himself that he didn't like the idea of seeing LeBeau in Hochstetter's custody; he didn't like the idea of seeing anyone in Hochstetter's custody, for that matter. But what were the chances of finding LeBeau anyway, even with Newkirk and Hogan there to help? LeBeau knew more about Paris than everyone in Barracks Two combined.
"Even so, Hogan, there is still no reason for me to waste time and manpower by sending out my men to look for him," Klink said at last.
"It would impress General Burkhalter, Sir…"
"Fine, Hogan; there is one reason why I should waste time and manpower to look for him. But I still say it is a wild goose chase. Request denied. You are dismissed."
Hogan bit his lip as Newkirk gave him a "What now?" glance. The colonel's thoughts were interrupted, however, by a rumbling sound that seemed to come from Klink's empty stomach.
The German colonel froze, not even daring to look up at Hogan. He knew he would see a very smug expression.
"Been eating well, Sir?" Hogan asked, innocently.
Newkirk began to shake from his attempts to suppress his laughter.
Klink looked up with a very disdainful expression. "You will still give me your word of honor that there will be no escapes?"
"Absolutely, Sir," Hogan promised. "Newkirk and I figure we can command the guards efficiently enough to find LeBeau within 24 hours."
"Hogan, I am not sending all of my guards to Paris! I may be starved, but I am not that starved! You will leave later tonight with Schultz and Langenscheidt."
"Okay, that'll take about… 48 hours," Hogan decided.
"Fine, Hogan, Fine! Just go and make sure that you come back!" Klink said.
"I have one more request, Sir," said Hogan. "I believe that LeBeau was driven to escape from Stalag 6; if we do find him, I want you to promise that he won't have to spend any time in the cooler!"
"Why are you so confident that you will find him?" Klink asked, now beginning to get slightly suspicious.
"Well, Sir, Newkirk here has known LeBeau for a long time."
"It's true, Sir; I 'ave the address of 'is flat and everything."
"So does Major Hochstetter," Klink reminded them.
"Really, Sir, do you think that LeBeau would open the door for Hochstetter when he could open it for us?" Hogan said. "Of course, Hochstetter would invite himself in, anyway, but that's beside the point—"
"Enough, Hogan!" Klink said. "If you find him, I will suspend a sentence in the cooler, providing he comes back quietly!"
"Thank you, Sir," said Hogan, giving a quick salute. "Oh, and thanks for letting us go; I'm sure the idea was difficult to stomach."
"Mmmmph!" Klink responded, with a shake of his fist.
Hogan waited until he and Newkirk were outside before talking again.
"Well, we've got our ticket to Paris…"
"Sir, about you telling Klink not to put Louis in the cooler… Does that mean we're going to bring 'im back with us?"
"Newkirk, I gave him my word that we could let him go to London. We're going to help him get back in touch with the Underground so he can get out of Paris safely," the colonel responded.
"Oh. Right, Sir…"
The despondency in the corporal's voice did not go unnoticed, but there was nothing the colonel could do about it.