Chapter 36
After lights out in all the barracks, Newkirk and Kinch kept to the shadows by staying close to the buildings, and silently made their way to the guards' barracks. With a quick look around to make sure nobody was around, Newkirk quietly opened the window of Gower's room and climbed inside followed by Kinch who closed the window.
"Where should we start looking?" Kinch asked Newkirk as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness.
"We'll start with the obvious places, and then the not so obvious," Newkirk answered as he started pulling open desk drawers and going through their contents, while Kinch took the closet and began feeling around inside for hiding places.
"Anything?" Newkirk asked glancing at the radioman before he began removing each desk drawer from its space and checking the bottom, back, and the underside of each drawer for hidden compartments.
"Not a thing," Kinch replied.
Not responding, Newkirk then got down on his knees and looked into the vacant spaces checking for hidden compartments when he suddenly noticed an envelope taped to the back of the space the bottom drawer fit in. The Englander removed the envelope and opened it. "Hello. Hello. Hello. What have we here."
"What did you find?" asked Kinch. His eyes widened as Newkirk held up a silver Gestapo warrant disc and an identity card which were required to be carried by members of the Gestapo. The serial numbers on both matched, and the photo on the card left no doubt. "You'd better show these to the Colonel," Newkirk handing the items to Kinch who put the disc and card in his jacket pocket.
"Any sign of the guns yet?"
"Nothing so far," Kinch replied making sure the contents of the closet was in the same condition he found it before checking under the bed and mattress while Newkirk moved onto the footlocker. The Englander removed his lock pick, and after making quick work of the lock, went through its contents finding nothing. "Any luck?" Kinch asked sighing dejectedly.
"Not a bleedin' thing, mate," Newkirk said looking around. "I'll tell you one thing, if he's still got that bleedin' package, he ain't hidden it here."
"Only thing left is the nightstand," said Kinch. He started pulling out the drawers while Newkirk suddenly noticed that the nightstand seemed to be a bit further away from the wall than it should be. He looked behind it and a mischievous grin appeared.
"Hello. Look what we have here," Newkirk, reaching behind the nightstand, held up a package the size of a file folder. He unwrapped the paper being careful not to tear it, and removed a wooden box. He and Kinch examined it carefully.
"Looks like that could be it," stated Kinch.
"One sure way to find out," Newkirk replied opening the box. There was nothing inside but family photos. "What the bloody hell?"
Kinch picked up one of the photos and looked at it. It was a photo of Gower and a woman and two children, one boy and one girl.
"These are probably photos of his family," he said. He pursed his lips. "Why would he hide a package with photographs in it?" Kinch dropped the picture back in the box dejectedly.
Newkirk closed the box and turned it around in his hands; something was troubling him about it. "This box is a little big to hold nothing but pictures." He pressed several areas on the box until suddenly a hidden compartment slid slightly open. "Here we go. Those weapons should be in here." Pulling open the compartment all the way, both men gasped at the contents.
"What the hell?" asked Kinch.
Inside was a pack of the same brand of cigarettes that Colonel Hogan smoked; but that wasn't what held the men's attention. Reaching in the box, Kinch removed a small doll made out of straw about five inches tall with the name Papa Bear printed across it's chest in small letters. An American eagle insignia which both men recognized as similar to Hogan's was inserted in the heart area.
"The Colonel told me he was missing one of the eagles from his spare set of insignias," Newkirk said. "The phony must've taken 'em from his locker."
Newkirk looked extremely worried. "You think he knows the Gov'nor's Papa Bear?" gesturing to the straw doll.
"I doubt it," replied Kinch. "If he did we'd all be under arrest by now. Besides, Major Hochstetter's been accusing the Colonel of being Papa Bear for awhile."
Newkirk then looked at the doll. He had to admit to himself the thing gave him the creeps. "Just what is that bleedin' thing anyway?"
"Don't you know what this is?" Kinch began nervously, holding the straw doll in his hand. "This is called a voodoo doll. It's used to cast a spell on a person or to put a curse on them."
Newkirk simply stared at Kinch with a look as if his friend was out of his mind. "Now you're soundin' like Andrew. What the bloody hell are you talkin' 'bout, mate? There's no such thing as curses or spells."
"That's because you don't believe. I lived in New Orleans for a few years before moving to Detroit with my family, and learned about spells, curses, and voodoo dolls from one of my aunts. I'm not saying I believe in 'em, but a lot of my family does. A doll is made to represent the person you want to curse or put a spell on, then you attach something belonging to that person to the doll. This was made to put a spell or curse on the Colonel."
Newkirk continued looking disbelievingly at the man he considered next to the Colonel, to be the most level-headed man he knew. "You've gone off the deep end. A curse or spell put on the Gov'nor? Kinch, I've always known you to be a logical thinking man, but you're sounding bloody crackers to me. I mean, I expect that sorta thing from Carter, but not from you." He looked again in the box and noticed a folded sheet of paper.
"Hold this, will ya?" Removing the folded paper, the Englander handed the box to Kinch and unfolded the paper. As his green eyes scanned the single written sentence, his eyebrows knitted together. "To lose power and position. What the ruddy hell does that mean?" He looked at the radioman with a puzzled expression and saw the expression on his friend's face change. "Kinch, what the hell's wrong?"
Kinch rubbed his chin. "It's been many years, but if I'm right, that's could be a death curse."
Newkirk chuckled. "Oh come off it, mate," he nearly burst out laughing, the whole thing being, to him, so preposterous. "I really think you're startin' to lose it."
Kinch exhaled deeply through his mouth. "Look, I don't care whether you believe it or not. LeBeau believes in them and so does Garlotti."
Newkirk rolled his eyes. "Somehow hearing LeBeau believes in this rubbish doesn't surprise me. He is French afterall." Newkirk then took the doll from Kinch's hand and removed the insignia. "We'd better give this back to the Gov'nor." He started to put it in his pocket, but Kinch's hand stopped him. The Englander stared at his friend.
"What are you doing?" Kinch asked, sounding more nervous than he intended to.
"What am I…? I'm gonna return the Gov'nor's insignia to 'im. What's wrong with that may I ask?"
"My aunt told me you should never tamper with a voodoo doll. And before you ask me I don't know why; all I know is what my aunt told me. You have to put that pin back where it was."
Newkirk stared at Kinch as if he had three heads. "Oh c'mon, mate…you're ruddy serious aren't you?" Seeing Kinch's face Newkirk just rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "Fine. I'll put the bleedin' insignia back. But don't blame me if the Gov'nor flips his bleedin' top over it." He stuck the pin right back into the heart area where it had been. "Satisfied?" he asked with a slight smirk. "Now we'd better put all this stuff back and get outta here. And you have to get back to the infirmary."
After making sure everything was back where it was, the two men climbed noiselessly out the window and Newkirk waited until he saw Kinch heading back to the infirmary before he returned to the barracks. Entering the hut, he was startled at what he saw. Hogan was seated at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him; but it was what he was doing that startled him. Hogan was rubbing the center of his chest and had a grimace on his face. In fact, he seemed to be in pain. LeBeau, sitting beside the Colonel, had a hand resting on the officer's arm.
"Do you feel any better, mon Colonel? Perhaps you should return to your quarters as Wilson suggested and rest," he stated. When Hogan didn't respond, the little Frenchman started to put his hand on the Colonel's forehead, but Hogan pulled away.
"LeBeau, I don't have a fever. Wilson already checked, remember? You were here."
"I know, Colonel. But I was just double checking."
With eyes narrowed, Newkirk approached, eying first Hogan and then LeBeau. "What's wrong with the Gov'nor?" he asked with concern. "He doesn't look so good. Don't tell me that bloody bastard poisoned him this time." He clenched his fists as his anger started rising. "Where is that blighter?"
LeBeau looked at the Englander. "He is not here. Non, the Colonel was sitting at the table drinking coffee when he developed some discomfort in his chest. Sergeant Wilson left here a few minutes ago. He said…."
Newkirk's eyes suddenly widened as what Kinch had said to him in Gower's room came back to him. He started feeling a wave of panic overcoming him. "It's all me fault, Colonel. I didn't mean it," he interrupted. "Honest I didn't! I didn't know until Kinch told me! I'm the one who made you ill," he was panicking.
Hogan and LeBeau both looked at each other before turning towards Newkirk staring up at him.
"What are you talking about?" LeBeau asked, confused, what he was about to say about Hogan's condition momentarily forgotten.
"Me and Kinch found a voodoo doll in Gower's room with Papa Bear written on it. It had one of the Colonel's insignias stuck in the chest. There was also a note in German that said to lose power and position. I removed the pin intending to return it to the Colonel, but Kinch told me to put it back. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't believe removing the insignia pin and then putting it back…"
LeBeau punched Newkirk in the arm with his fist. "To lose power and position? That is a death curse!" He saw Newkirk wince and rub the area he hit. "You tampered with a voodoo doll? What is wrong with you?"
"But I…"
"Newkirk, were you out of your mind?" asked Garlotti jumping down from his upper bunk and walking towards the man.
"I said I was sorry didn't I?"
"We must reverse the curse," LeBeau told Garlotti, both men looking panic-stricken. "I will prepare a string of garlic for the Colonel to wear around his neck for three days."
"And I'll write a chant to reverse the curse that we must read three times."
Newkirk stood with eyes wide at hearing and disbelieving what his friends were saying. Before he knew it, he, LeBeau, and Garlotti were bickering among themselves.
Hogan, who had been ignoring everything up to this point, could only stare at the trio, not believing what he was hearing. "Hold it. Just hold it just a darn minute." The men grew quiet and looked at their CO. "Curses? Voodoo doll? You guys can't be serious?" He shook his head. "Wilson said it was indigestion brought on by stress." Hogan did not have the heart to tell the little Frenchman that it was the dinner he worked so hard to prepare that gave him the indigestion. There was only so much bouillabaisse a person could endure in one week. So he had asked Wilson to tell the men his discomfort was due to stress from the pressure he was under.
"But mon Colonel, one cannot fool around with a death curse."
"Indigestion, sir?" asked Newkirk with wide eyes.
"Yes, indigestion," Hogan explained.
"But Colonel…" Garlotti began. He shut his mouth when Hogan stared hard at him. Sighing, he looked at Garlotti first. "Garlotti, I want you and LeBeau to listen to me and listen carefully, because I'm only saying this once. First, I am not wearing any strings of garlic. What am I, a vampire?" Then he looked at LeBeau. "Second, I don't want to hear any chants, and I better not hear any chants." Then he looked at Newkirk. "And third, I don't believe in curses or spells."
"We understand, sir," said Garlotti. "But you have to look at it from our point-of-view. Also, well, my family is from the old country in Italy and they believe in that stuff and so do I in a way."
Hogan looked up to the ceiling with a roll of his eyes and shook his head again. "Garlotti, what part of no didn't you understand?" he stated again. He was now developing a headache which he didn't need. "I said no and I mean no."
"It's really indigestion brought on by stress, Gov'nor?" asked Newkirk. "You wouldn't be pullin' me leg now, would you?"
Hogan sighed loudly. "Yes, Newkirk. Last time I checked, indigestion is not caused by any voodoo doll, curses, or spells. So I trust there will be no more talk of this foolishness?" He stared hard at LeBeau and Garlotti when he saw both men open their mouths to protest; both men shut them immediately.
Turning towards the little Frenchman, Newkirk pushed LeBeau who then gave the Englander a dirty look. "What did you push me for?" he asked.
"I pushed you for the same bloody reason you hit me earlier. Accusing me of making the Colonel ill with your bloody voodoo dolls and curses."
"My voodoo doll and curses…" LeBeau then unleashed a string of French obscenities; then he, Newkirk and Garlotti began bickering again.
"I said knock it off!" Hogan raised his voice causing instant silence among the feuding trio, and his head to pound more. "That's better. Now just to remind you gentlemen, we have more important things to worry about. Newkirk, did you and Kinch find the weapons in Gower's room?"
Newkirk stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No sir. We found the package hidden behind the nightstand and all, but when it was opened, there were only photos inside. But there was a hidden compartment in which there was a pack of the same smokes you use, and that bloody straw doll and letter I told you about. I also found something hidden behind a desk drawer."
"And that was?"
"There was a Gestapo warrant disc and ID card. Kinch has 'em. We left everything else where it was."
Hogan folded his arms and exhaled through his mouth. "Good. We'll need 'em as proof to Klink about Gower so he'll get rid of 'im. That will eliminate one problem at least. But what worries me right now is after today we only have two, maybe three days to find those weapons and make the switch, or Carter's gonna have to make a horrible choice nobody should be forced to make." He rubbed his chin.
"What are you thinking, sir?" asked Newkirk.
"I'm thinking Schultz can present the proof to Klink about Gower and Klink will then throw Gower in the cooler. I'll make sure he contacts the Gestapo and has them take him outta here."
Hogan number two sat quietly on a bench behind one of the two empty barracks in camp where the searchlight wouldn't spot him with arms and legs crossed. There was a scowl on his face as he ground his lower jaw while lost in thought. In fact, his jaw was starting to hurt he was grinding it so hard.
Try as he might, his rage at the little Frenchman for dumping water on him kept escalating internally. The nerve of that little French frog! He's not going to get away with it, he thought. Something else Hogan is responsible for, the bastard! But I'll see that his man pays for his arrogance! It was how he would pay that he had to figure out.
Suddenly, a slow smile appeared on his face as the answer came to him. It had been so simple, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. LeBeau would also pay the ultimate price when the time came for Carter to shoot Hogan. In addition to using the short man as a threat to make Carter do what he demanded, he would blow the Frenchman's brains out as soon as Hogan was dead. He smirked. Besides, he thought, it's only fair that the four men Hogan's apparently closest to pay the price for him ruining my life and career.