Chapter 32

Newkirk and Kinch didn't have long to wait for their unknown visitor to reveal himself to them as he stepped out from the shadows.

"Bluebird," Newkirk uttered in surprise as he and Kinch lowered their weapons and laid them on the table. "You nearly scared the bloody hell outta both of us. What are you doing here?" Both men could see the worry on his face.

Fuchs looked at both men. "Where is Colonel Hogan?" he asked worriedly.

"He's in the infirmary with Wilson," Kinch explained. He then noticed the deeply concerned look on the Gestapo officer's face. "Don't worry. He's not injured or anything," he assured the Gestapo officer. He then went on to explain what's been going on including the phony posing as Hogan, and why the real Hogan was in the infirmary. Fuchs stiffened when he heard about the attempt on his friend's life by some of Hogan's own men in the rec hall despite understanding that Hogan was otherwise fine. Inwardly, he shuddered with the knowledge that things were worse that he had believed originally.

"Would you get him, bitte," Fuchs requested. "Tell him it's urgent that I speak with him and all of you at the same time. It's about the imposter in the camp."

"I'll be right back," Kinch replied as he turned and jogged down the tunnel until he reached the ladder leading up to the infirmary. He climbed up quickly.

Newkirk watched as Fuchs nervously paced back and forth. He knew the Gestapo Captain was a lot like Hogan, always in control and kept a tight reign on his emotions. To see him this rattled meant only one thing; something had really gotten to Fuchs and shaken him enough for worry and concern to show on his face. And if that was the case, then something was definitely and seriously wrong.

A few minutes later Kinch returned with Hogan close behind him. "Fritz," Hogan said shaking the Captain's hand. "What brings you to our little piece of heaven at this time of the night?"

"Robert, we have to talk." He glanced around. "Where are Sergeant Carter and Corporal LeBeau? They should hear this too."

"LeBeau's in the barracks and regarding Carter, it's a long story." He quickly filled Fuchs in on what had transpired since the phony came into camp up to and including Carter pretending to be a turncoat in order to spy on the phony. "We can fill them in later," Hogan replied wrapping his arms around himself. He noticed Fuchs' eyes focus first on his face, taking in the faint bruises and discolorations that were barely noticeable but still present; then on his bandaged hand. Holding up his injured hand, Hogan grinned. "It looked a lot worse than it actually was."

"I am sorry to hear what happened, Robert. I am just grateful that you were not killed."

Hogan again wrapped his arms around himself. "Kinch said it was urgent that we talk. What's wrong? Are you in danger? Are Lilli or David?"

"Nein. They are both fine. This concerns you and your operation."

Hogan motioned Fuchs to a nearby chair while he himself grabbed a chair, turned it around and straddled it, arms resting across it's back. Kinch and Newkirk leaned against the dirt walls nearby, waiting.

"What's happened?" asked Hogan. He and the men listened intently as Fuchs repeated what he had overheard in the Hofbrau and the meeting between Gower and van Kueren.

When he had finished speaking, Hogan remained silent for several minutes as all color drained from his face. Getting to his feet, he hooked his thumbs in his jacket pockets, and began to pace.

"I just knew Hochstetter was behind this. It had his fingerprints all over it," said Hogan.

"Andrew shooting and killing the Gov'nor?" Newkirk asked in amazement with a chuckle. "That's not bloody likely to happen. Carter would sooner turn a gun on himself than hurt the Gov'nor. We all would."

"Just how does this Captain Wylie expect to get Carter to kill the Colonel?" asked Kinch, eyes narrowed with concern.

"From what was said, Sergeant Carter will either shoot the Colonel, or Captain Wylie will kill one of his friends. And if worse comes to worse, he will kill the Colonel himself and make it appear he was the phony and tried to kill him."

"And this is going to happen before lights out this Friday?" asked Newkirk.

"Jawohl."

All three men then looked at Hogan who had ceased his pacing, and leaned a shoulder against the wall, his opposite hand on his hip. He exhaled through his nose as a scowl appeared on his face.

"What are you thinking, Colonel?" asked Newkirk.

"Captain Leonard Wylie," he muttered, recalling the man. "There's a name I haven't heard since I was commanding the 504th. I thought there was something about our friend here that seemed familiar, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. But I'm angry at myself that I never suspected Wylie to go this far."

"I gather there were problems between the two of you?" Kinch asked. He watched Hogan shake his head.

"There was always something off about him. He had a habit of blaming others for his failures and shortcomings, especially me. I always knew he disliked me; but dislike me enough to help the Gestapo? It just doesn't make any sense. Nobody joins or helps the Gestapo to just get revenge on somebody. It takes something other than revenge to turn one's back on one's country."

"I agree," Fuchs replied. "Gower asked that same question. Van Kueren explained that the man had become involved with a woman who was a member of the German underground while in London. That's probably when his loyalties changed and he became a Nazi sympathizer."

"You're probably right," Hogan agreed. He looked over at Bluebird. "You said this van Kueren passed a package to Gower when they met. I guess we can assume there are guns in that package."

"And now we know what this blighter's game is we can stop it," said Newkirk cracking his knuckles loudly indicating what he'd like to do.

"Calm down," Hogan ordered. "Nobody's going to kill anybody if that's what you're thinking. No, we have to be smart about this. Gower will be bringing those guns here when he comes back. It's a cinch he can't give them to Wylie because there's no place he could hide them in the barracks. So my guess is that Gower will probably hold onto them until the time comes. We've got to find a way to get to those weapons and replace the real bullets with blanks."

"That's gonna be easier said than done, sir," Newkirk admitted. "What I mean is with me in the cooler and all, it's gonna be kinda difficult for me to get into the guard's barracks during the daytime and search for those weapons."

"I'll think of something to get you out," Hogan reminded him. "Also, other than LeBeau and Carter after we tell them, we are the only ones who know the truth, and I want to keep it that way for now. In addition, we need to make plans for what to do when Friday gets here."

Kinch and Newkirk both looked worriedly at their Colonel.

"What's wrong?" Hogan asked them noticing their long faces.

"Sir…" Newkirk began slowly. "And believe me when I say I mean no disrespect by saying this. But wouldn't it be easier if we just get you out of Germany and on your way to England instead. I mean, that way this Captain Wylie wouldn't be able to touch you."

Hogan exhaled through his mouth. He understood that his men wanted him safe and out of danger, but he had never run from danger, and wasn't about to start now. "Newkirk, I appreciate your concern; yours and Kinch's. But I am not going anywhere. And when I do leave, it'll be out the front gate when the liberation happens."

Fuchs looked at his close friend. "Robert, perhaps this is one time you should listen to your men. There's a good chance you could end up being killed if something should go wrong."

"If we play it right, nobody will end up getting killed," Hogan assured him.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Fuchs asked.

"Until this is over, I think it's best if you stay out of it," Hogan urged. "If something were to go wrong, you have a family to think about. Lilli and David need you alive."

Fuchs, touched, looked at his friend, concern in his eyes. "And the underground in this area needs Papa Bear. Be careful."

"Don't worry," Hogan smirked. "I have no intention of dying Friday." He turned to Kinch. "Kinch, escort Bluebird out, will you?"

"Sure thing, Colonel." As Kinch started forward Fuchs held up a gloved hand.

"Nein. I can head out myself," Fuchs advised. He and Hogan shook hands again. "If you find you need my help, just contact me."

"We will. Thank you, Fritz. Be careful once you leave here," Hogan advised him, concern on his face. He knew what a fine line Fuchs walked with the Gestapo.

Nodding, the Gestapo Captain turned around and headed back down the tunnel leading to the ladder connected to the emergency exit/entrance. Now alone with two of his men, Hogan sat on the edge of the table, arms folded.

"You all right, sir?" asked Newkirk, worried.

Hogan looked up at the Englander. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about Captain Wylie. I suspected back then that something was off with him, but I never suspected anything like treason. I should have seen it. He was a member of my squadron and I missed it. It was my job to look after my crew and I didn't catch it."

"You can't blame yourself, Colonel," Kinch explained gently. He could see Hogan was feeling guilt over the man who had turned traitor. "You had no way of knowing the Captain was starting to believe in Hitler's ravings."

"Kinch is right, Gov'nor," added Newkirk, feeling his commanding officer's guilt. "Sounds to me like he hid things from everybody, even you. Colonel, I've seen you do a lot of things I never thought bloody possible, and some of which nobody would believe even if they saw them with their own eyes. But you can't read people's minds, sir. Therefore, you had no way of knowing what this blighter was thinking. So stop beating yourself up over it."

"I know you're right, Newkirk," Hogan uttered leaning his back against the wall. "But my gut tells me I should have taken a closer look at Wylie when I first got suspicious of him. Perhaps if I had paid more attention, everything that's happening now wouldn't be. So what's happening now is my fault." He hung his head.

Approaching Hogan and standing face-to-face with him, Kinch put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Colonel, look at me." He waited until Hogan raised his head and the two men were looking into each other's eyes. "You had no way of knowing back then so you couldn't do anything about Captain Wylie. But we know you would have if you had known. But this time you do know and you can stop him. Just think about that."

"What he said, Gov'nor," Newkirk added.

Hogan looked at both his men and allowed the corners of his mouth to curl upward slightly. He knew what they were trying to do, and for that he was grateful. But his guilty conscience wouldn't leave him alone. Sighing, he stood erect, removed his cap, and ran a hand over his thick black hair before replacing his crush cap. "I guess I'd better get back to the barracks before our friend becomes suspicious of my absence, and let you two get back to repairing the antenna." Hogan, his hands stuffed in the back pockets of his brown trousers, walked away with Kinch and Newkirk watching his receding back until he was out of sight. The two men exchanged worried looks.

"There goes one guilty-feeling man," Newkirk muttered softly.

Hogan number two had returned to the private quarters shortly after Hogan number one, Olsen, Wilson, and the German Corporal Langenscheidt left the barracks with Sergeant Kinchloe, and began to pace. He really wasn't interested in Kinch's illness; in fact, he was suspicious of it despite how realistic it looked. He honestly believed the other Hogan was up to something that required the Sergeant to be out of the barracks without questions being asked. And what better excuse than to have him moved to the infirmary? He thought about checking into it in the morning, but dismissed the thought because he really didn't want to have to deal with Sergeant Anderson again. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that Hogan was up to something, and whatever it was, Sergeant Kinchloe was a willing participant. Also, he suspected it had something to do with the Colonel's underground operation. But what? So far he hadn't found anything while searching Hogan's private quarters, nor in the common room when he had a chance. But he believed he was close in uncovering everything, and would, once Hogan was permanently out of the way.

Climbing back up to the upper bunk, he stretched out on the lumpy mattress, moving the paperback aside and turned on his side, facing the shuttered window. He started thinking back to how he, Captain Leonard Wylie of the United States Army Air Corp, had come to this point in his life that he was planning to murder a senior officer of his own military.

(Flashback):

He'd been sitting in a bar in London nursing his third beer when he spotted her seated alone at a table in the corner watching him. Up until that moment, he had been trying to get over his anger at his former commanding officer, Colonel Hogan. She coyly smiled at him before taking a sip of her drink. Wylie smiled back at her and watched as she shook her head of shoulder-length golden yellow hair. Next thing he knew, she had gotten up from her table, and made her way over to his, and sat down across from him. He then saw a pair of the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. She took another drink then sat the goblet on the table in front of her.

"My name is Aloisia Braun," she said. "And you are Captain Wylie?"

"That's me," Wylie replied showing her a dazzling smile, figuring she'd seen the name-tag on his shirt. She had to be the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, and he had seen plenty. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Braun shrugged and took another sip of her drink. "You looked like you could use some company. You just seemed, I don't know, angry, upset perhaps?"

"A little of both I guess," Wylie said even though he couldn't explain why he felt the need to explain his troubles to a complete stranger. "It's my former commanding officer, Colonel Hogan. He's a real bastard."

Braun seemed interested. "Really? What did he do if you don't mind me asking?"

"He's passed me over again when he had to replace somebody on his bomber crew and I'm sick of it. He's passed me over several times." He took a long drink of his beer, unaware of the woman intense stare at him, seemingly studying him. "I tell you sometimes I feel like I could just…" He paused then sighed. "I'd better stop before I say something that might be misinterpreted."

The woman leaned forward and lowered her voice. "If I had to guess, you were probably going to say you feel like you want to kill him perhaps?" She noticed Wylie didn't respond, and assumed she had guessed right. She reached out a hand and rested it on one of his, and rubbed a thumb over the back of his hand. "I understand completely. Being a German living in London, I have felt that way several times about certain people. It is nothing to be ashamed of." She bit her lower lip. "Tell me, why did he keep passing you over as you say?"

Wylie sighed wearily and raised his mug to his lips. "Because he's an arrogant, self-absorbed bastard who thinks he's better than everybody else, and considers me not his kind of people."

"In other words, he keeps putting you down every chance he gets." It was a statement opposed to a question.

Wylie smirked. "You could say that. I'm just as good a pilot as he is, but he refused to see that."

Braun smiled warmly. Her gut was telling her this Captain Wylie would be a good addition to their group, especially with the Allied secrets he had in his head. He was in the right frame of mind for her purposes; she would just need to reel him in carefully and slowly. She would simply use his ambivalence at this Colonel Hogan to turn him to their way of thinking. But first she'd have to feel him out before introducing him to her friends; an error in judgment, or bringing in the wrong person, could be fatal to them all.

"Have you had dinner yet?" she asked.

Wylie shook his head. "I'm not really hungry," he remarked. "But you go ahead."

Braun smiled sweetly. "I don't like eating alone," she admitted as she looked up and waved over a waitress.

Wylie, mesmerized by the beautiful woman across from him, shrugged his shoulders, and ordered something. For some unexplained reason, he suddenly felt hungry.

They continued to see each other whenever he wasn't away on a bombing mission for a month. In fact, their relationship had begun to turn sexual, and he relished it. And when they were not being intimate, they would spend time talking, or rather she would. He found her opinions and ideas refreshing; he also discovered she felt and understood his feelings toward Hogan. To know that this stunningly beautiful creature was his was just what he needed to boost his ego and confidence and make him feel good about himself. In fact, it was after one of their lovemaking sessions as they lay in each other's arms, that he suspected Aloisia wanted to talk.

"Something on your mind?" he asked before kissing her forehead as a hand stroked her hair.

"I was just curious, my love. I mean, we have talked about a lot of things. But there is one thing you never talk about."

"And what would that be?" he asked already suspecting what she wanted to talk about.

"This Colonel Hogan you dislike so much. I know what you told me during our first meeting, but you never spoke of it again. Exactly what did he do to make you dislike him so other than passing you over?"

Wylie was quiet for so long that Aloisia at first thought he had shut down as he was want to do when he didn't want to discuss something. She then heard him exhale deeply through his nose. "I didn't always hate him," he began slowly. "When I was first assigned to his unit I was thrilled. He commanded the elite bomber crew and I realized by being a part of that there was a good chance of promotion. Then during a mission, one of his crew was badly injured and he needed to replace him. I thought he would select me but he didn't."

"And that made you hate him, Leonard?" Braun asked, lifting her head and looking over at him.

"No. I figured I would get my chance and just had to be patient. But then it happened again and again and again. He always bypassed me whenever he needed a replacement. When I confronted him about it, all he'd say was that I had some growing up to do and learn to stop blaming others for my problems, and until I did, he couldn't trust me in a plane with him. The final straw came when one of his crew received a promotion and moved on again leaving a vacancy. I knew immediately I wasn't going to get it and I was right. I didn't and made no secret as to my displeasure. Next thing I know I'm being transferred out of the 504th and reassigned to another bomber crew. I just know Hogan was behind it."

"That must have been horrible for you," answered Aloisia.

Wylie chuckled sarcastically. "The clincher was that his crew planned to celebrate the promotion and wanted to take the guy out for a few beers and invited the Colonel to join them. The guy was friends with three guys on the bomber crew I was reassigned to and invited them. Of course I didn't find out about the party until the next day when I overheard the guys from my crew talking. I know Hogan was the reason I wasn't invited because I wasn't his type of people. I've hated his guts since then." He paused. "Everything that's gone wrong in my career since I first met him is his fault. I just know he's behind it all. I'd like to teach him a lesson he'd never forget. Always looking down on me, making sure I never got anywhere. Sometimes I think he's had it in for me from the beginning."

"I can see why you hate him so much," Braun replied calmly. "I don't blame you for wanting to teach him a lesson." She suddenly got on her elbows and looked down at Wylie, excited. "You know what you could do to get back at him if you're serious about wanting to teach him a lesson?"

Wylie looked up into her wide sparkling blue eyes with curiosity. "What?"

"You could uh…tell me about his upcoming mission."

Wylie looked puzzled. "How would that teach him a lesson?"

Aloisia licked her lips. "Well, I know some people who I could pass that information onto, and they could make sure it fails. Can you imagine his reaction to that? He would be embarrassed." She noticed Wylie staring at her in amazement, silent. She then began peppering his face and neck with kisses before she spotted a grin appear on his face.

The next time they met, Wylie was ecstatic. He had heard that Hogan's next mission was met by heavy resistance from the Germans which resulted in him nearly being shot down, his plane badly damaged, and that he barely made it back to England.

"He was so angry over the heavy resistance I thought he would have a stroke," Wylie chortled so much his eyes filled with tears. "He couldn't understand how the Germans knew." He hugged the woman tightly and spun her around. It was then she knew she had him right where she wanted him, and it was time to reel him in. He kissed her passionately. "I don't know how to thank you. I just wish there was more I could do to get back at him."

"There is," Aloisia said with a smile as she kissed his jaw. She then saw him look at her. "The people I told you about. I know they would like to meet you. They feel the same way as you about people who put them down, so to speak, simply because they're not their kind of people. Why don't you come with me and meet them? They might even be able to help you see things more clearly."

"Who are these people, and why would they want to help me?"

"Because they believe in something different, and others have put them down because of it. You could go so far as to say the people I know are looked down on because they think differently from others such as your commanding officer. He sounds very much like those people who would look down on the people I know. These people want to teach those who put them down a lesson. So, will you come?"

Wylie shrugged his shoulders. "Why not," he said as he picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to her bed. "Yes indeed," she told herself. "The American would definitely be a good addition."

(End of Flashback)

Hogan number two exhaled through his nose as he recalled the woman taking him to a meeting in an apartment building. He was surprised to see at least twelve people none of whom he knew already there. They greeted him warmly as if they already knew him. After she introduced him, he recalled the meeting being called to order. It didn't take long to discover that these people were all Nazi sympathizers. The moment he realized it, he knew he should have gotten out of there, and report what was happening to his commander; yet, as he sat and listened, he couldn't make himself get up and leave. He looked over at Aloisia who had smiled lovingly at him and returned her smile as she gripped his hand reassuringly. In fact, he found himself attending several other meetings with her willingly. He didn't care that he was committing treason by doing this; and had by discussing several of Hogan's recent bomber missions. All that mattered was that he was with a woman he loved and who loved him, and with others who felt as he did about people like Hogan. Also, he didn't want to ever disappoint Aloisia. He realized he could make a difference by helping these people; but mostly, and it was a selfish reason, he could get back at Hogan for every injustice he felt the officer had dealt him.

The opening of the door brought him out of his daydream and he noticed Hogan number one re-enter. Pretending to be asleep, he cracked open his eyes to see what was going on despite the lights still being out. He watched Hogan get undressed and climb into his bunk. He then closed his eyes and returned to his daydream wondering if Aloisia was waiting for him as she promised she would just before he left on his last bombing mission. He hoped so because they would have much to celebrate when he returned to England and surprised her with news that he had gotten the ultimate revenge by killing Colonel Robert Hogan.