Author's Note: I don't own Hogan's Heroes. This is a fictional story any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
To Guest, It won't let me respond to your comment, but thank you so much! I appreciate all of the kind words. :)
Carter ushered Lisbeth and her brother into one of the side rooms in the intricate tunnel system.
"This is incredible!" Lisbeth stated with amazement, "However did you mange it?"
"I don't know." Carter responded, "It was already setup when I came along."
"How ever did you get involved in this?" Lisbeth asked.
"I was shot down on a bombing run. Spent sometime in Stalag Five, but I don't like to talk about that." He paused a moment, as memories came flooding back. "I was transferred out of there, and into Stalag Thirteen. Then Colonel Hogan decides who is or isn't on the team."
"I see, and you've been doing this how long?" She asked.
"Two years this fall." Carter replied, "You sure do ask a lot of questions."
Lisbeth laughed, "You sound like my father. I always used to sit in his office and ask questions about the factory. What they made, how it was made, what happened after the made it. I used to ply him with so many questions." She smiled, "That was when Germany was a lovely place. Then he came to power." her voice turned to that of disdain, "I had a friend when I was little, her name was Sarah, she and her family lived next door to us. We played together, we went to school together, and our fathers worked together. We were best of friends, then one day they came and took her and her family away." Lisbeth's eyes filled with tears, "I never saw her again. I have no idea what happened to her."
"Why did they take her away?" Carter said in confusion, "What did she do?"
"Nothing!" she spat, "Her only crime was that she was Jewish."
"I don't understand." Carter replied, still confused. "Why did it matter if she was Jewish?"
"Filthy Bosch hate anyone who is not the ideal German." LeBeau said stepping into the room, carrying a tray of food for Lisbeth and her brother. "They did the same in my country."
Lisbeth accepted the tray, "After that, my father saw Hitler for what he truly was, a monster." She turned to wake the child, "He became part of the Underground, until he was discovered and killed last year." She stopped, trying very hard not to cry.
"Mon Cheri, the war has been hard for all of us. All of us have lost someone, or we know someone who has lost a loved one. That is why we do what we do." LeBeau paused, "I only wish I could do more."
"More? You do so much, already." Lisbeth said looking up, "What more could you possibly do?"
"Blowing up the munitions factory, would be a start." LeBeau said, with a sad smile.
"Which one? The one outside of Dortmund or the one east of Cologne?" Lisbeth asked.
Carter and LeBeau looked as each other. "You know where it is?!" They both exclaimed in unison.
"You can show us on a map?" LeBeau questioned.
"Of course. My uncle had information on almost every factory in that sector." Lisbeth said, "I don't remember all of them, but those two, I remember very well."
LeBeau was off like a shot. "Ma'am, you have no idea, how much of a help you've been to the Allies." Carter said.
Lisbeth gave a small smile, "I hope so."
1***********************************************1
After Kinch had sent LeBeau and Carter to their tasks, he started up the ladder. He knew Hogan was blaming himself. He also knew that, as long as Hogan blamed himself, there would be no plan to rescue Newkirk. He had to get the Colonel out of his head. He stood in front of Hogan's door knocking softly.
"Enter." Hogan's tired voice drifted through the door.
Kinch opened the door, quietly stepping inside. He shut the door behind him.
"What do you want, Kinch?" Hogan said, feeling drained.
"We got, Miss Kramer and her brother taken care of." Kinch replied, waiting for Hogan to confide in him.
"Good." Hogan paused, looking up he stared out the window, "I should have canceled the meeting. I shouldn't have tried for the train. And I really shouldn't have ordered any of you to go."
Kinch walked over and sat on the corner of the desk, "First of all, if you had canceled that meeting, Miss Kramer would be in a Gestapo prison cell. Second, that train would've cost many lives. And lastly, You didn't order us, we volunteered."
"Newkirk didn't." Hogan said, flatly. "He wanted to leave everything be, to pass it up. I got greedy. I..." He trailed off, hanging his head.
"Are you done?" Kinch said in a no-nonsense voice, "Because if you're through, feeling sorry for poor Rob Hogan, perhaps you'd like to do something for Peter Newkirk."
Hogan's head snapped up, none of his men ever spoke to him like that, least of all the quiet, respectful, Sergeant Kinchloe! He was stunned.
"Unless of course, you plan on running out on him." Kinch said, eyeing Hogan carefully.
Hogan stood slowly, "I beg your pardon?" He said his voice low, "Are you suggesting I would ever leave a man behind?"
"No, sir." Kinch said with a smile, "I just thought you needed shaken out of your self-pity."
"I should put you on report for insolence." Hogan said, "Maybe I'll do that after we get Newkirk back."
Kinch grinned, he opened his mouth to reply, when there was a short rap on the door. LeBeau stuck his head in without even being invited. "Colonel, you were right."
Hogan sighed, annoyed at being interrupted, "About what?"
LeBeau opened the door the rest of the way, "The information the girl has is invaluable, she knows where the munition factories are."
Hogan raised his eyebrows, "Where?"
"Dortmund and Cologne." LeBeau grinned.
"Does she know where exactly?" Hogan asked.
"Oui, she can point it out on a map." LeBeau said, the little Frenchman was so please, he looked as if he would burst.
Turning to Kinch, Hogan started to fire off orders, "Get down there and grill her, everything she can possibly remember."
Kinch started to head towards the tunnel but stopped when Hogan called him,
"Hey, Kinch, thanks." Hogan said with a look of appreciation. Kinch gave him a nod.
"What was that about, mon Colonel?" LeBeau said, observing the look that passed between them.
"Get Carter and Olsen." Hogan said, ignoring him, "We're going to get Newkirk back."
1************************************************1
"Verschieben, englische Schwein."
The guard said, prodding Newkirk in the back with his rifle.
"I 'urt me ankle." Newkirk said pointing to his ankle.
"Verschieben!" The guard replied with more force.
Newkirk looked at all the guard's hoping he might find a more sympathetic face. Seeing none, he tried to stand. The pain in his ankle was intense, but he took a deep breath slowly he started forward. He made it about two steps before the pain was too unbearable and he lost his footing, landing with a groan. "I'd like to oblige ya, but me ankle is busted." Newkirk pleaded. "I can't walk."
The guard gave him an evil smile, "You know vhat happens to animals who break zeir legs?" He asked in heavily accented English. "Ve put zem down." Newkirk paled as the guard pulled the gun up to his shoulder and aimed. The guard stopped, looking up in surprise as a car pulled up, a man stepped out of the car, yelling,
"Halten Sie es! Dieser Mann ist mein Gefangener."
The man who spoke stepped closer, he was an S.S. general. Newkirk looked from the guard to the General.
"Herr General, ist dieser Mann ein Saboteur." The guard said, "Wir gerade ihn gefangen."
The General smiled cordially, "Danke. Ich nehme das Sorgerecht für ihn." He motioned to the S.S guards beside him to pick Newkirk up, and put him in the car.
Newkirk was picked up and unceremoniously dumped into the back of the car. He glanced around, I'm stuck. I got nowhere to run. Not that I could get very far. He smirked at that thought. His smile faded as the General slid into the backseat.
"I know you did not blow the rail line." His features hardened, "Where are my niece and nephew?, "
Newkirk studied him a moment, trying to decide his best course. Finally, he said, "I got no idea what you're talkin' 'bout, mate. I was just out for a walk and everybody started shooting at me."
The General stared ahead, "I don't want to get nasty, but if you continue with your impertinence, I will have no choice." His voice was perilously low, "Where are my niece and nephew?"
" 'Ow should I know?" Newkirk said with a shrug, putting on an air of indifference.
The General clenched his jaw, leaning forward he barked an order at the driver, " Zurück zu dem Bauernhof."
Turning to Newkirk, he spoke quietly, "You will tell me everything I want to know, and then some." Then he settled back into his seat and stared out the window.
Newkirk swallowed hard, he studied the General. 'E's gonna kill me. I can't escape this one. Looking out his own window he tried desperately to think of a way out. Why can't I 'ave the Colonel's brain? 'E'd think of a way out. He looked down at his ankle, trying to test it gently. I might be able to run with it, if I 'ad to. Looking over at the General once more, he made up his mind. I won't be able to get away if we get back to the farmhouse. It's now or never.
He reached over and opened the car door. Throwing himself out, he tried to tuck and roll. Newkirk rolled down the hill and came to a stop. Unrolling himself, he tried to stand. The pain in his ankle was excruciating, but gritting his teeth he put all his weight on the ankle, it held. He ran as fast as his bad ankle would let him. He heard the yelling behind him, ordering him to stop. Then shots rang out, he felt a searing pain in his left hip, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Translate:
Verschieben, englische Schwein. - Move, English pig.
Verschieben - Move
Halten Sie es! Dieser Mann ist mein Gefangener. - Hold it! This man is my prisoner.
Herr General, ist dieser Mann ein Saboteur. - General, this man is a saboteur.
Wir gerade ihn gefangen. - We caught him.
Danke. Ich nehme das Sorgerecht für ihn. - Thank you. I take custody of him.
Zurück zu dem Bauernhof. - Back to the farm.
P.S. I know I said it would be a week 'til the next post; however, I was not expecting the "Blizzard of 2016" to hit us this hard. 15 inches of snow, so far, and it's still coming down! So, being snowed in, I decided to post the next chapter. I love to hear back from you, so feel free to send me a review or a PM :) Much love!