Chapter 25

Hogan was surrounded by the prisoners the minute he entered barracks two; he smiled at the men indicating his pleasure that the diversion had gone off without a hitch. His eyes sought out LeBeau. The Frenchman was excited.

"Where's Kinch, Carter, and our friend?" Hogan asked.

"Carter is below developing the film, mon Colonel, and Kinch is trying to contact London. As far as the batard is concerned, I guess he is still with Garlotti because he is not here." LeBeau paused for a moment before sensing something in his commanding officer's face that hadn't been there before. "Mon Colonel, what did Klink want to see you about?"

"It was nothing," Hogan replied not wanting to worry his men with the latest problem.

"It is not nothing," LeBeau said, concerned. He knew his Colonel so well as did the others on his team. "I can see it in your eyes despite your attempt to hide it from us. Whatever it is, we can help if you let us."

Before Hogan could answer, the lower bed of the double bunk in the corner rattled upward causing both LeBeau and Hogan to look over. Hogan quickly glanced around the room anxiously. "Baker, watch the door," he ordered. He watched Kinch climb into the barracks and strike the hidden mechanism causing the bunk to drop down. He had a frown on his face as he approached the Colonel, and Hogan had a sudden feeling of dread.

"What's wrong?" Hogan asked. "Couldn't you raise London?"

"Never got the chance, Colonel," Kinch replied grimly. "I wouldn't have used the tunnel in the barracks to come back, but I considered it urgent and that you'd want to know immediately."

"What happened?" asked LeBeau, now nervous himself.

"I was raising the antenna so I could radio London, and the antenna jammed. So I tried lowering it to see if I could then raise it. But no dice." He saw Hogan put a hand over his eyes and heave a deep sigh. What else could go wrong?

"I don't understand," said LeBeau. "What does that mean?"

"It means with the antenna jammed, we can't raise it and contact London. In other words, the radio's useless right now," Kinch explained to the Frenchman who groaned and leaned against the table.

"Oh no," he groaned again. "All that work we did was for nothing then?"

"No. Not for nothing," Hogan replied with a tired voice. "We have possibly three days before a new truck arrives to replace this one to get that antenna fixed and contact London." He looked at his radioman. "Can you get it unstuck?"

Kinch shrugged. "I can try. But I don't know if it's jammed from below or above meaning I'll have to check it from the roof and from the tunnel in order to find out where the problem is."

Hogan narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. "That's too risky to have you checking both. After lights out tonight, I want you to check the antenna from the roof and let me know what you find."

"What about from the tunnel?" Kinch asked.

"Newkirk can handle that. He's already in a cell with a back door, so we just have to replace him in case Schultz checks. I'll talk with Newkirk about it later."

"But Colonel, suppose Pierre is not well enough to do the job?"

"He's gonna have to be," Hogan informed him grimly.

The Frenchman stood at attention and eyed his commanding officer. "I will do it, mon Colonel," he replied. "I will check the antenna from the tunnel."

Hogan smiled affectionately. "I appreciate the offer, LeBeau, but it has to be Newkirk. It's gonna be risky enough having Kinch outside the barracks after lights out. We can't afford to have two men outside." He saw LeBeau open his mouth to protest and raised his hand silencing him. "I understand your reasoning. I really do. But Newkirk's absence won't have to be explained to anyone while yours would be if our friend notices you missing."

"But won't he notice Kinch missing?" LeBeau was still arguing his point.

Hogan sighed. "We can cover Kinch's absence easily. Not to worry."

"But mon Colonel…." the Frenchman wasn't letting go that easily. He stopped at seeing the look on Hogan's face which indicated the command decision was made, and the subject was closed. LeBeau knew better than to argue any further once the Colonel's mind was made up. He let it drop.

"Colonel! Garlotti's heading this way and he's alone," Baker announced looking over his shoulder. He opened the door just enough to allow Garlotti to enter the barracks.

Hogan looked at the man. "Where's our friend?" he asked.

Garlotti folded his arms across his chest. "After the dogs were put back in the pen, he and I left barracks seven and were heading back here when Langenscheidt appeared and told him the Kommandant wanted to see him right away."

"How long ago?" asked Hogan.

Garlotti shrugged. "Not long. They were heading in that direction when I was headed back here."

Hogan quickly marched in the direction of his quarters and hurriedly plugged in the coffee pot. LeBeau and Kinch followed him inside and Kinch closed the door for privacy.

"Colonel Hogan number two, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Hogan number one earlier."

"What's up, Kommandant? I'm all ears."

"I received a phone call prior to roll call today from General Burkhalter, and despite the slow progress being made, he has given me until this Friday to solve the matter. If I cannot discover which of you is the phony by then, this coming Saturday the Gestapo will come to Stalag 13 and remove both you and Hogan number one."

"Why wait until Friday, sir? Why don't you just call the Gestapo today? The phony is in barracks two right now. They can take him away today and end this entire matter."

"Dissss-missssed."

"Yes, sir."

Hearing the sound of a door opening and closing, Hogan unplugged the coffee pot and rested both hands, palms flat, on his desk and sighed with a shake of his head. There was a few seconds of silence in the room.

"Sacre chats!" LeBeau muttered. "Colonel, what are going to do? We only have five days before the filthy Bosche comes and takes you away."

"I know," said Hogan staring at the desk. "I'll think of something."

"Colonel…." Kinch said quietly placing a hand on Hogan's shoulder causing the Colonel to look around at his second-in-command; their eyes met. "I know you don't want to hear this. But maybe we should make arrangements to get you back to England before the deadline comes. If you're gone, at least you'll be alive."

Hogan turned around and faced the two men, arms crossed. "I will not run away. If the Gestapo comes out here and finds me gone, they will tear this camp apart, and just might uncover our operation. This entire camp could end up being sanitized. I'll shut down this operation and evacuate the entire camp before I turn and run." He saw the frightened looks on the faces of the others. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but it's not your job to worry about me. It's my job to protect the men under my command. But it won't come to this. I'll think of something." He sighed. "I hope," he told himself. He headed towards the barracks door planning to visit the cooler; but first he had to get Wilson.

Hogan number two left the Kommandantur with a smile on his face. His meeting with Klink had turned out better than he ever could have imagined. Five days. Five days before the Gestapo came and removed both he and Hogan number one from camp. And he knew in his heart that the other Hogan would no doubt be executed by the Gestapo. Major Hochstetter would see to it; then, the Major would return him to camp to complete his mission of uncovering the American's operation with no more worry about any interference from Hogan any more. He stepped off the bottom step and let his eyes scan the compound when he suddenly spotted Hogan number one leaving barracks two. The eyes of both men met from across the compound and glared at each other momentarily before Hogan number one went on his way to barracks twelve. Hogan number two watched the man as he walked across the compound wondering where he was heading to and what was he up to this time. He finally saw him enter barracks twelve.

Something had been nagging at him since Garlotti had stopped him earlier; then came the guard dogs getting loose. It was all too convenient as far as he was concerned. In no way did he believe those dogs 'just happened' to get loose. He figured he might not be the smartest man on earth, but he was no dummy either. And he had known Hogan for several years and knew how the man thought. And something told him Hogan was up to something. If he could just find out what, it might lead him to the proof he needed for Hochstetter. Walking across the compound, he sat down on the bench outside barracks two resting one foot on the bench and waited.

A few minutes later, he spotted the other Hogan leaving barracks twelve and he was not alone. He had the camp medic, Wilson he believed his name was, with him. He continued watching the two men as they made their way across the compound and head in the direction of the cooler. He figured Hogan was probably having the medic check on that crazy Englander. And that was of no interest to him. Getting up from his seat, he entered the barracks and looked around not seeing Carter anywhere.

"Where's Carter?" he asked curiously.

"Who cares?" said LeBeau, annoyed. "We don't keep track of your boy."

Hogan number two glared at the little Frenchman. "Carter's not my boy, as you put it. He's just gotten smarter than you and some others in this barracks." His eyes then fell on Garlotti who avoided his eyes. "He just knows a traitor when he sees one. And that's what your so-called Colonel Hogan is. A traitor who will soon be gone from here. Then after I make a few changes around here, I will start the operation London wants established. So I ask again. Where's Carter?"

"Don't know. Don't care," Olsen remarked as he sat down at the table with LeBeau and Kinch and began shuffling a deck of cards.

After bribing Schultz with two chocolate bars, Hogan and Wilson stood outside the cell door as the rotund guard unlocked the door, allowed them to enter, and after closing the door, then went off to enjoy his delicious treats.

Wilson immediately knelt beside Newkirk who weakly smiled up at the Colonel and the medic. He opened his bag and removed his stethoscope.

"Gov'nor. Joe," the Englander said tiredly. His green eyes then met the brown ones of Hogan's and could sense the worry, concern, and guilt. "Don't worry 'bout me, sir. I feel much better after that horrible stuff Wilson gave me. Besides, better it was me instead of you."

"Quiet, Newkirk," Wilson ordered as he pressed the round disc of his stethoscope against Newkirk's chest. He smiled as he put the stethoscope back in his bag after a while. "Your heart rate in still a bit faster than normal, but it's much better than before. And you're not trembling or sweating like before either. I'd say another two or three days rest and you should be as good as new."

Newkirk saw the Colonel heave a sigh of relief; but the guilt could still be seen. "Colonel, please don't feel guilty over what happened. It wasn't your fault. It was the fault of that bloody bastard. You had no ruddy way of knowin'."

"That's just it, Newkirk," Hogan said softly. "I should have known. I was distracted and it almost ended up killing you."

"I don't blame you, sir. If you had any idea I know you would have done something. Besides, you heard Wilson. I'm gonna be right as rain in two or three days. Takes more than a couple of tainted cigarettes to keep ole Newkirk down. So don't you go feelin' guilty."

Hogan looked at Wilson. "Joe, is Newkirk able to get around at all?"

"Depends on what you mean by getting around, sir," Wilson replied looking up at his commanding officer.

"I need him to check something out in the tunnel. And if necessary, fix it," Hogan explained seriously.

Wilson looked from Hogan to Newkirk and back to Hogan. "I wouldn't recommend it, Colonel. Newkirk's still pretty weak from being poisoned, and then the induced vomiting."

"Joe, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."

Newkirk slowly sat up on the bunk, still a wee bit nauseous but he could handle it. "What do you need, Colonel?" he asked.

Hogan glanced over his shoulder first, then turned back to the others and explained about the radio detector truck, and the current problem with the antenna. "We need to check from above and below to see where the problem is. Kinch can check from above after lights out, but we also need to check from below in case the problem is in the tunnel."

"I don't recommend it, sir," Wilson said. "Newkirk is still ill. What about having one of the other men check out the tunnel?"

"We can cover for one man not being in the barracks, but with our friend lurking around it'll be difficult to cover for two missing men."

"I can do it, sir," Newkirk said softly. "I'm feelin' much better, really. And if I rest the remainder of the day, I should be good to go come lights out."

Hogan smiled faintly at the Englander. He would really have preferred using somebody else for this assignment, but Newkirk knew the radio almost as well as Kinch as he had helped build the set from the start. But most of all, the way things were and after what happened in the rec hall, Hogan wasn't sure exactly who he could and could not trust right now, and that included, he suspected, some of the men in his own barracks. He exhaled deeply though his mouth.

"I appreciate it, Newkirk," he said. "I really do. And believe me when I say I wouldn't ask this of you if there was another way."

Newkirk smiled. "No need to apologize, sir. All I ask is that you have someone come and get me when the time's right. Kinda hard to tell day from night in here."

"I can do that," Hogan promised with the familiar twinkle in his eyes. His eyes shifted to Wilson. "Joe, can you stay for a few minutes with Newkirk? I need to check with Carter who's developing some film for us."

"No problem, sir," the medic answered. "But what do I tell Schultz if he comes back and asks where you are?"

Hogan, down on his knees now was moving out the cement block. He smirked. "Tell him I left and he just missed me." He then crawled through the opening. Combined, Wilson and Newkirk, with the medic doing most of the work, pushed the block back in place.

Wilson helped a shaky Newkirk get up from the floor and sit back down on the bunk. "Newkirk, are you sure about doing this? I mean, you're still not one hundred percent."

"Joe, the Gov'nor needs me help and I'm not gonna let 'im down," the Englander replied as he laid down and closed his eyes.

Sitting on a nearby stool, Wilson could only shake his head and smirk, that was the only answer he expected..

Hogan knew exactly where Carter would be and headed for the photo lab area and hoped that the young Sergeant hadn't gone above. As Hogan turned the corner and about to enter the photo lab, he collided with Carter and stumbled backward but maintained his balance.

"Jeez, I sorry, Colonel. I didn't see you coming," Carter apologized quickly, looking horrified as he quickly reached out with one hand to grab the Colonel's arm to keep him from falling. In his other hand, he held a twelve-inch wooden post from which hung several photographs.

"It's okay, Carter," Hogan replied. He noticed the photographs. "Is this all of them?"

"Yes, sir. I was on my way up above to show them to you. But Kinch told me not to use the tunnel entrance in our barracks but to use barracks nine as all the newbies there are in the cooler. I was on my way there when I ran into you." He handed the wooden post to Hogan. "Be careful, sir, they're still kinda wet."

Hogan looked at each page closely, studying its contents. He was about to think he would find nothing suspicious when something caught his eye.