**there are some derogatory words in this chapter**
Chapter 4---Trouble and More Trouble
Klink knew he was failing miserably at trying to do his paperwork with Major Guthrie sitting at his table with stacks and stacks of file folders in front of him, as well as a pad and pencil. Periodically Klink raised his eyes, and saw Guthrie write something down on his pad from certain folders, then put those same folders in a separate stack. Klink had counted about five folders so far, and he suspected one of those folders belonged to Colonel Hogan. Hogan, whatever you do, please watch yourself. I don't trust this Major Guthrie. I think he's after you because he either wants something from you or wants you for some reason of his own. If you're up to something, just be careful around this maniac. Klink allowed a nervous smile to appear when Guthrie, sensing the Kommandant was watching him, stared in his direction for a moment. Klink immediately got up.
"I'll uh, I'll be right back, Major," he said leaving his office and closing the door. Klink just had to get away from Guthrie even if for five minutes. He noticed his secretary look nervously at him. He could see from her eyes she was just as afraid of the Major as he was. Klink felt responsible for the young woman in his employ. He leaned forward slightly. "Uh, Fraulein Hilda, why don't you take the rest of the week off. You look extremely tired and not well."
Hilda looked at the Kommandant quizzically. "But Herr Kommandant, I feel…" she stopped when she saw Klink motion towards his inner office with his head and understood. "Now that you mention it, Herr Kommandant, I haven't felt well the last few days," Hilda opened the bottom desk draw and removed her purse before standing up. Klink held her coat open for her to slip into. "Thank you, Herr Kommandant."
"Remember, call me in one week to tell me if you're able to come back to work," Klink said quietly.
Hilda nodded. "Will you be all right here without me, Herr Kommandant?" she asked.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You just take care of yourself and remember to call me in one week. Auf wiedersehen."
"Auf wiedersehen, Herr Kommandant." Hilda quickly left the waiting room and was gone. Klink stood near the now empty desk and sighed. At least I got Fraulein Hilda away from that maniac for a week. I just couldn't take a chance she might be alone with him. The way he leered at her earlier.
Guthrie smirked as he looked at the names on his pad after looking through the last of the prisoner file folders. He had found seven altogether including Colonel Hogan. These were all the 'dirty' prisoners in Stalag 13. Guthrie stroked his chin as he studied each name. Six segments of a serpent with Hogan as the head. What was the saying? Oh yes, cut off the head and the rest of the snake dies? But in this case I must do the opposite. I need Hogan to bring me von Herwarth and his wife. He smirked cunningly at the thought. Guthrie wanted Hogan in the worst way, but he also wanted von Herwarth. So I will allow Hogan to make contact with von Herwarth and when he meets with him I will have both of them. Then, and only then, will I arrest von Herwarth and his wife, and I will also remove Hogan and the others on this list from this camp and have them sent to a labor camp as they should have been. Guthrie found himself chuckling at the thought of the rewards he would receive in addition to the definite promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. He had been a Major longer than he wanted to and this was his golden opportunity to make it big. He would not let Hogan mess it up for him. In fact, Hogan was going to help him get the promotion he felt he so richly deserved.
The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts and he slightly turned his head to see Klink come back into the office. The Kommandant smiled nervously at Guthrie as he slid through the barely open door and walked back to his desk. He started to sit down but froze when he saw Guthrie staring at him. "Something I can do for you, Major?" he asked.
Guthrie smirked. "Klink, you can refile these folders on your prisoners except for these seven. And now, I want to see the files on your camp personnel."
"My camp personnel, Major?" Klink asked incredulously as he walked from behind his desk and stood in front of the Major. "What could you possibly want with my guards? I can assure you, Major, that my guards are all loyal Germans."
Guthrie smirked in such a way as to make Klink yearn for a transfer to the Russian front. "I will look through the files of your guards, Klink, and I never ask twice for something."
"But what do you expect to find by looking through the files of my guards?"
Guthrie let out a deep breath as he shook his head; a slight smile appeared. After a few minutes he looked at Klink again. "Klink, I'm going to tell you something. I feel Major Hochstetter made one mistake. He put all his concentration on Hogan. But I am not going to do that."
"You're not?" Klink appeared somewhat confused. "Then I don't understand…"
"I believe Hogan could not do the things he does here without some sort of….how would you say, inside help." His smile suddenly faded and a cold expression appeared that caused Klink to shiver inside. "I believe some of your guards may either be looking the other way at Hogan's activities, or they are willing participants in them. Now bring me the files."
Klink swallowed the large lump in his throat. "Yes, Major. Right away." The Kommandant started towards the file cabinet which held the file folders of his guards.
"And one more thing, Klink," Guthrie said. Klink turned around and looked in his direction. "I want several of your guards to get the following men and have them each placed in solitary. And they are to stay there until I say otherwise." Guthrie quickly copied the list of names onto a separate page as Klink brought him the file folders on his camp personnel. Placing them on the table, he then took the paper from him and looked at the names.
"Major, there are only six names on this list. You said there were seven men in all."
As Guthrie opened the first file folder he smirked. "I want your Colonel Hogan to see six of his kind locked up in solitary knowing they will not get out until I say so. Now, are there anymore questions, Klink?"
"No sir. I will see about the men on this list." What Klink really wanted was to get word to Hogan as to what was about to happen and hopefully give him some kind of warning without Guthrie finding out.
Newkirk, Carter, Kinch and LeBeau were seated at the table playing gin when the door to Hogan's quarters opened causing them to look up and see Colonel Hogan walking out into the common room. He still looked tired to them.
"How do you feel, Gov'nor?" asked Newkirk, worried.
"Better," Hogan explained. "At least the headache is gone." He grabbed his coffee cup from the table and poured himself a cup. Standing at the table watching the card game and sipping the hot brew, Hogan put one hand on his hip. He looked at his radioman. "Kinch, any information about this Major Guthrie come in from the underground?"
Putting down his cards, Kinch reached into his jacket pocket and pulling out a folded blue paper, handed it to his commander. "Just this, sir. It came in while you were sleeping and I didn't want to disturb you."
Hogan put down his coffee cup and unfolded the paper. He was in the process of reading the information when the barracks door opened and a grim-faced Sergeant Schultz and an equally grim Corporal Langenscheidt entered. Hogan quickly folded the paper and stuck it in his inside jacket pocket. "What's up, Schultz, Langenscheidt? If it's to join the card game you'll have to wait until this one's over."
Schultz and Langenscheidt exchanged sorrowful expressions that didn't go unnoticed by the men. Hogan immediately sensed something was definitely wrong.
"Schultz, what's wrong? He asked looking from Langenscheidt to the obese Sergeant-of-the Guard. Schultz leaned forward.
"Colonel, Kommandant Klink wanted me to tell you this was not his idea, but Major Guthrie's."
Hogan was puzzled. "What is?" he asked slowly getting to his feet.
Schultz was embarrassed as he and Langenscheidt both liked the American officer and didn't care he was Jewish as did most of the other guards in camp. All the guards liked the American Colonel; he was respectful, polite, and helpful to the guards if they came to him with a problem.
"Corporal Langenscheidt and I are both really sorry to have to do this, Colonel Hogan," Schultz began slowly. "But per Major Guthrie's orders, the little cockroach, Sergeants Goldman, Garlotti, Cohan, and Corporals Goldring and Grossman are to come with us and be put in solitary until further notice." He cast his eyes downward as he couldn't even look Hogan in the face.
"What the bloody hell for?!" Newkirk shouted as he and the others jumped to their feet. LeBeau uttered a string of French obscenities. The other prisoners in the barracks all began arguing and talking at one time.
"Hold it! Hold it!" Hogan ordered; the men quieted down immediately. "Don't jump all over Schultz and Langenscheidt. This isn't their fault." Hogan rubbed the back of his neck. "Schultz, why does Guthrie want these men put in solitary?"
"Don't quote me, Colonel Hogan," Schultz continued. "But I think it's because these men are all Jewish."
"That's what I thought," Hogan said, anger in his voice. "Can you tell us anything else?"
"Just one other thing," said Langenscheidt. "Kommandant Klink asked me to give you a bit of advice, Colonel Hogan. He said for you to be careful around Major Guthrie because he's not only positive he's after you for some reason, but maybe plans on using you to catch this von Herwarth person he's looking for. He also said that Major Guthrie wants to teach you a lesson by isolating the other Jewish prisoners in camp."
"The Kommandant even sent Fraulein Hilda home for a week in order to keep her away from Major Guthrie," Schultz added. "He was concerned for her safety the way the Major was looking at her."
Hogan's face, by now, was a deep shade of crimson and his eyes flashed dangerously. He looked around at the men gathered around him and let out a deep breath. These men who relied on him to keep them safe and to watch over them. What could he do right now? He admitted his options were limited; if he refused to cooperate Guthrie might order those same men executed. Then again, he could still order that even if he complied with the order. Getting these men out of Germany was not an option because the punishment for their escape would be suffered by the others and numerous prisoners could die.
"Please Colonel Hogan," Schultz begged. "If you are planning to do something I beg you not to; at least not right now. This Major Guthrie is pure evil and crazy as well. I do not want to see him shoot you and perhaps these others as well which I suspect he will if these orders are not obeyed. Please Colonel Hogan!"
Hogan sighed. "LeBeau, Garlotti, go with Schultz and Langenscheidt. I'll try and get you both released as soon as possible."
"Colonel, you can't be serious?!" Kinch asked, stunned.
"Gov'nor, you can't allow this!" said Newkirk disbelievingly. "You can't let them take Louie and Garlotti. You can't do it, sir!"
"No, mon Colonel. Please," LeBeau was begging; fear in his voice of what might happen to him in solitary with someone like Guthrie in charge.
"Colonel, I can't believe you're goin' soft all of a sudden. You're not even gonna fight for us?" asked Garlotti with a touch of anger in his voice. "What are you? Scared all of a sudden?"
Hogan glared at Garlotti long and hard. He was about to open his mouth when it was Carter who beat him to it.
"Hey, now hold on just a minute," the young Sergeant said. "That's not fair. Colonel Hogan isn't afraid of anything. You have no right to jump on him like that. If he wants you and LeBeau to go with the guards into solitary he's got a good reason for permitting it." Carter's trusting eyes looked into Hogan's. "Don't you, sir?"
Hogan smiled weakly at the man who he knew admired and trusted him more than anybody else. "Yeah, I do, Carter. And thank you for what you said." Hogan sighed and faced the men. "I'm allowing it because I don't believe Guthrie will kill them. He apparently needs them to prove his point and make me give in to him and disrupt this camp more than he's already doing. But I assure you he will not harm them." Please don't let me have told them a lie. Hogan then looked at Garlotti and LeBeau. "Louie, I need for you and Garlotti to go with Schultz and Langenscheidt. I'll speak with Klink and Guthrie as soon as possible."
LeBeau's face softened. He trusted his commanding officer with his life. "Oui, mon Colonel. I will do as you ask." He looked in Garlotti's direction with a stern expression. "What about you, Michel?"
Garlotti sneered. "I don't like it but I'll go." His eyes bore into Hogan's showing his extreme displeasure with the entire situation. Both he and the Frenchman quietly left the barracks with the two guards with the rest of the prisoners sadly watching them go. After they had departed, Hogan rubbed the back of his neck.
"Damn him!" the Colonel hissed. He knew exactly why Gurthrie was locking up both LeBeau and Garlotti; both men were Jewish. Hogan was also certain that the other Jewish prisoners, Sergeant Goldman in barracks nine, Sergeant Cohan of barracks twelve, Corporal Grossman of barracks four and Corporal Goldring of barracks seven were probably being rounded up at well. Guthrie was having all the Jewish prisoners locked in solitary to play mind games with him, and as far as Hogan was concerned, he wasn't going to let him get away with it. He looked at Kinch, Newkirk and Carter. "I'm going to speak with Klink and this Guthrie," he said. "Listen in on the coffee pot." That said, he walked out the door of the barracks and strode angrily across the compound.
Guthrie closed the last file folder and sighed. Picking up his pad, he looked at the two names he had written down. He sneered at Klink as he got to his feet and approached the Kommandant's desk. "Klink, you are running a camp of Judes and traitors to the Fatherland who assisted them in their endeavors."
Klink swallowed nervously as he looked up from where he sat at the Major, all the while wondering which two of his guards had been targeted by this lunatic. "Major, I can honestly tell you that none of my men are traitors to the Fatherland. These are all good, decent men who…." He stopped when his office door opened and an irate Robert Hogan stormed in slamming the door behind him. He glared at Guthrie with all the contempt he could muster.
"Guthrie, I want to talk to you! You have no right!"
The Gestapo Major smirked at the American now standing defiantly in front of him, and looked at him condescendingly. "Ah, that verdammter Jude is back. I suspected you would be."
"Hogan what do you want?" asked Klink hoping to avoid an ugly scene in which Hogan could either end up being thrown into the cooler or shot.
Hogan looked at the Kommandant. "I want my men released immediately! This screwball has no right tossing six of my men in solitary for no reason! Just who's running this camp anyway, Kommandant? You or this, this nutcase?"
Klink opened his mouth to speak but Guthrie beat him to it. "Not that I need to explain myself, but I have concluded these six men are enemies of the Fatherland as are all you verdammter Judes! I'm merely segregating them as your Kommandant should have when they came here. The only reason you aren't with them is fairly simple. I still believe you responsible for the strange happenings here as well as the reason we cannot locate von Herwarth and his wife. But have no fear. As soon as I have these Schweinhunde I will see to it that you and your kind are removed from this camp where the seven of you don't belong and sent to a labor camp where you should have been sent. There, you and your kind will be taught respect for the Master race."
Hogan snickered. "Respect you and that fruitcake you follow? Don't make me laugh." Hogan saw Guthrie's face darken and his hollow eyes burn with hatred. "Struck a nerve, eh?" Hogan's eyes saw Guthrie's hand undo the snap protecting his lugar and slowly slide it out of it's holster. He pointed it at Hogan's head as the American wondered if perhaps he had gone too far this time. Klink slowly stood up, horrified.
"Major, you can't do this," he uttered in a small voice, his eyes taking in the scene. He watched as Guthrie undid the safety on his weapon.
Kinch, Carter and Newkirk were gathered in Hogan's office listening. They all chuckled at their commander's words but suddenly became worried when they heard what their Kommandant had said. They exchanged concerned looks wondering if something was going wrong in Klink's office as the silence was deafening.
"What d'ya think's goin' on?" Carter asked nervously. "Why's it so quiet all of a sudden?"
"I don't like this," Kinch had barely gotten the words out before a gunshot shattered the silence shocking the three men.