"Colonel, I don't like it," said Kinch. "It's broad daylight, and for all we know they've brought the army in to deal with the clean-up." He was still at the radio, waiting for the message that with every minute seemed less likely to arrive.
Hogan nodded a reluctant agreement. "I know. It's about as risky as it gets. But we can't ask anything of the Underground right now. They've probably got as much as they can cope with. And for our own security, if nothing else, we have to know whether Newkirk is safe."
Or whether he's still alive. The unspoken thought was almost tangible in the air around them. That was the clincher, the real reason why Hogan was taking such an outrageous risk, and why Kinch hadn't tried very hard to talk him out of it.
"What do you really think?" he asked abruptly.
"If the Gestapo had him, Hochstetter would be the first to know, and he'd have been here by now," said Hogan. "Okay, I know, Newkirk wouldn't talk, not until they'd really worked him over, and it'd take days to get anything out of him. But he wouldn't have to. Hochstetter would know him on sight."
"You know what I keep thinking?" Kinch hesitated for a moment, then went on, in a low voice. "I hate myself for it, but it just keeps coming back. What if he's with some Fräulein or other, and has no idea what's been going on?"
"Kinch, do you think I haven't had the same idea? I almost wish I could believe it. At least he'd be safe. Until I got my hands on him, anyway." Hogan took a deep breath and got back into pre-mission mode. "The car's organised?"
"It'll be at the usual place, on the Hammelburg Road. There's a field radio in the trunk, like you ordered. But the sergeant at the motor pool told me the price is going up. It's twelve cents a mile, and he asked if you could bring it back without bullet holes this time."
"He's got a nerve. It was the guys on his side that were shooting at us."
"He's pretty sore about the motorcycle Newkirk took last night; wants to know when it's coming back." That bike was never coming back. "Any instructions while you're gone, Colonel?"
"Yeah, I want someone on duty here at all times. Get someone else to take it in shifts, so you get a break. You had the worst of it last night, you need the rest. What about that new guy?"
"Baker? Yeah, okay. He's pretty good," said Kinch. "I'm better," he added, with a slow grin. But there was a tired look behind it. Those hours of dealing with the news on his own, before the others had returned from Weizenfeld, had been more of a strain than he would admit.
Hogan went along the tunnel to the storage area where they kept their collection of uniforms and other clothes for excursions; he'd left Carter and LeBeau to get ready for the trip to Hammelburg, while he consulted with Kinch. As he approached, Carter emerged, in a swirl of heavy grey top-coat, and ran straight into him. He uttered a disjointed, barely coherent excuse, and vanished in the direction of the radio room. Instinctively, Hogan started to call after him, but checked himself. He'd never seen Carter look so angry before.
LeBeau was still getting dressed. He was flushed, his eyebrows drawn together.
"What happened?" asked Hogan.
LeBeau looked up at him. "I said something I shouldn't have." Then, as Hogan looked at him inquiringly, he added, "Don't ask me to repeat it. I didn't mean it."
"Was it about Newkirk?" said Hogan. LeBeau turned away, fumbling with his buttons. "Okay, LeBeau," Hogan went on. "I won't ask. But you have to pull yourself together, or you're no use to me on this mission."
He turned LeBeau around by the shoulders, and started to straighten his uniform. LeBeau submitted meekly.
"Carter thinks we're going to bring him home," he observed, after a minute or so.
"You don't." It was a statement, not a question.
"Non." LeBeau still kept his face averted. "He would have got a message to us by now, if..." He broke off, and bit his lip. "You don't know what it was like for me, when I first came here. I nearly went crazy. If it hadn't been for Newkirk...He's been like a brother, mon Colonel. A loud, annoying brother, sometimes, but whenever I needed someone, I knew he'd be there. I always thought, no matter what happened, he'd make it."
"He's just the type who would," said Hogan. "That's all I'm hanging on to, right now."
Before he could say any more, Carter came racing back. "Kinch wants you, Colonel. It's Blackbird. He's got news."
For a moment, they both just stared at him. Hogan moved first, pushing past and striding down the tunnel towards the radio room. Carter went after him, but it took LeBeau a few moments to follow, and he was breathing hard when he arrived. Kinch was still at the radio, taking rapid notes as he listened to the message in Morse code. The initial excitement on his face was fading into a puzzled frown. As the transmission ended, he tapped out a response.
"I've asked him to stand by for a reply, Colonel," he said, practicality coming first by a short head. Then the words he had wanted to say for hours broke out. "The message is from Newkirk. He's okay, and he's safe for now."
Carter gave a soft exclamation, half gasp, half cheer, and turned to LeBeau. "See, Louis? He's okay. I told you he would be."
"Hold it," Hogan interrupted. "What's the rest of the message, Kinch? And are you sure it's from Newkirk?"
Kinch nodded. "I'm sure. He's using a code name - Salzburg. That was part of the recognition code for the meeting last night. Apart from Newkirk and the contact, I'm the only one this side of the English Channel who knows it. He says Bayreuth is with him; that would be the informant he was meeting. They're holed up in a house in Sonnenstraße - number 13 - hiding out from the Gestapo, and Newkirk's requested further instructions. That's all he says - 'Awaiting further instructions'. The message came to Blackbird from Mistral, by courier, and any reply has to go back the same way. Mistral's radio got damaged last night."
"Why doesn't Newkirk just head back here?" said Carter. "Or go to a safe house?"
"He didn't say. I guess he's got a good reason." Kinch glanced at Hogan. "Blackbird's waiting for a reply, Colonel."
Hogan's eyebrows were drawn together as he considered the information; there wasn't much to go on. "Newkirk's to stay put," he said at last. As Kinch began transmitting, the colonel turned to the others. "Be ready in five minutes. We go out the emergency tunnel, pick up the car at the usual place. Carter, you'll be driving. Get going." He went to the map rack.
Kinch turned from the radio. "Message received, Colonel."
Hogan, studying a street plan of Hammelburg, nodded. "Sonnenstraße is here," he murmured. "Still very close to the old town. I'm guessing Newkirk may have had some difficulty getting away."
"Or one of them got hurt," added Kinch.
"It's a possibility." The worried look deepened on Hogan's face. "It's a real possibility. It's not like Newkirk to be cautious. Normally he'd bring the guy straight back here."
"After what happened last time?" said Kinch quietly.
"Good point. Look, Kinch, I don't know what we're going to find, or how bad things are in Hammelburg, but we could be gone some time. We've got the radio, so I'll try to keep you updated. We'll use the emergency wavelength. If there's any word from Blackbird, or if Mistral gets back on the air, get any information you can. And keep an eye on Klink, in case he decides to send for a doctor after all."
"Will do, Colonel. Be careful out there."
"I always am, Kinch."
"Not today, you're not," muttered Kinch, after he'd gone. "And this time you really need to be."
LeBeau was checking by periscope whether the way was clear, when Hogan joined him and Carter at the foot of the emergency tunnel exit. "They're just changing the guard at the gate, Colonel," he said. The timing was perfect.
Hogan nodded. "Okay, Carter, go. LeBeau, wait one minute, then follow. We'll meet at the car."
They'd done this many times at night, but going out in daylight was always dangerous, and Hogan's tension didn't ease until he reached the car, and found both Carter and LeBeau had made it without being seen.
"Take the south road," he told Carter, as they set off. "We'll stay on this side of the river till we get to the Bernsdorf bridge."
"But, Colonel, that adds an hour to the trip," protested Carter.
"I know, but it's more than probable the streets in the centre of Hammelburg are blocked. If we get caught up in that, we may never get out. Just do it, Carter."
As soon as they cleared the woods, they could see smoke in the distance. "It looks bad," said LeBeau softly. They had learned to accept mistakes of this kind, accidents of war, as regrettable but inevitable. This time it felt different; they had friends in Hammelburg, even if they left Newkirk out of the equation.
Carter's estimate of the extra time required for the longer route had been fairly accurate, but once they got into the city the disorder on the roads slowed them further, and the morning was almost gone by the time they got close to Sonnenstraße. At least the traffic had thinned.
"Boy, I'll be glad to see him," said Carter. "I was really worried."
"We all were, Carter," replied Hogan. He still was, though he didn't say so, and he could tell from the set of LeBeau's features and his unusual silence that he shared in the anxiety. As the car reached the corner of Sonnenstraße, their fears received justification.
"Sacre chat, it's an SS convention," whispered LeBeau.
"Keep driving, Carter," said Hogan sharply.
The car proceeded past the intersection, and came to a shuddering halt further down the street.
"We're too late." Carter's voice cracked. "Colonel..."
"Steady, Carter. Let me think." Hogan rubbed his forehead. "Okay, if we want to know what's happened, the best thing to do is ask. Take us down Sonnenstraße, slowly, and stop as soon as I tell you to. And both of you keep an eye out for our favourite Gestapo monster. If he's anywhere in sight, just keep going, don't stop."
There seemed to be a lot of activity around the house where Newkirk was supposed to be. "They're still looking," said LeBeau suddenly.
"Yeah. Maybe they haven't found him yet." Hogan watched the commotion with keen interest. "Pull over here, Carter."
As the car drew up, he got out and approached the lieutenant who appeared to be in charge of the search, and saluted. "Colonel Tauber, Army Intelligence. You seem very busy here."
He had just enough natural authority to pull it off, although the lieutenant wasn't exactly welcoming. "Gestapo business, Herr Oberst."
"Well, we mustn't interrupt Gestapo business," murmured Hogan. "However, I wonder if you might be able to help me out. We were to meet someone near here - a Luftwaffe captain named Bachmann."
LeBeau and Carter exchanged glances. The colonel was really taking chances today.
"We have seen no Luftwaffe personnel," the lieutenant said.
"No?" Hogan gave the man a condescending smile. "I daresay he's keeping out of sight until you leave."
"We found nobody here. Now we are extending the search. If your man turns up, he will be escorted to Gestapo headquarters. You can meet him there. Captain Rohmer is in charge of the case."
"He's not the local man, is he? That would be...what's his name? Hochspitter?"
"Major Hochstetter is assisting." The lieutenant pursed his lips, clearly unwilling to say more. It was tantalising, but Hogan could tell he wasn't going to get anything further out of this guy.
"I'll certainly be in touch with Captain Rohmer, in that case. Thank you for your time. Heil Hitler."
He got back into the car. "Get moving, Carter. Don't give him time to have second thoughts."
"What do you think happened, Colonel?" asked Carter anxiously, as he put the car into gear.
"It looks like Newkirk saw them coming, and got himself and Bayreuth out of there." Hogan frowned as he thought the matter through. "Logically, he'd probably make for the nearest safe house." He considered for a few more seconds. "Mistral's the closest. It's worth a shot, and in any case we need to find out if Max is okay."
"Hochstetter's assisting," observed LeBeau.
"Yeah, that's interesting." Hogan was looking out of the window. He turned his head aside, as Hochstetter and another Gestapo officer - Rohmer, presumably - came into sight. The two men appeared to be debating some point of precedence. "And the man he's assisting is only a captain."
"He doesn't look happy about it," said Carter.
Hochstetter barely glanced at the car as it went past. Rohmer seemed likely to pay more attention, but his attention was diverted as the major chose that moment to launch into what looked like one of his classic rants, giving them time to reach the next corner and turn off without hindrance.
"That was close." Carter gave a nervous giggle. "So where to now, Colonel? Mistral?"
"Yep. Left, Carter," Hogan added irritably, as Carter started to turn right. "Something here doesn't add up," he went on.
"You mean, apart from the fact that the Krauts got here before we did?" said LeBeau sharply.
Hogan grimaced in acknowledgement. "We're going to have to ask Mistral some pretty hard questions. Blackbird, as well. Somehow the Gestapo got on to where Newkirk was hiding out, and they didn't hear it from us."
He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly added, "Or did they? Stop the car."
Before the vehicle came to a full halt, he was out, opening the trunk and getting the radio working. "Home base, this is Papa Bear, do you read me, over?"
A momentary pause, then Baker's voice replied, "Papa Bear, this is home base, over."
"Urgent action required. Immediate radio silence. Repeat, immediate radio silence. Notify all contacts, then shut down. Please confirm, over."
"Message received," said Baker, after a few seconds. "Will comply. Home base out."
"Colonel, you think they're monitoring our transmissions?" LeBeau had picked up some of Hogan's misgivings.
"Ours, or Blackbird's. Possibly. I don't know. But we can't take the risk."
"It's going to make it harder to find him, if he can't get word back to Kinch."
"Yeah, well, hopefully it'll be harder for the Krauts as well."
Hogan remained thoughtful, as they set off again. Finally, LeBeau spoke. "What's troubling you, mon Colonel?"
"A couple of things just don't feel right," replied Hogan. "They don't seem to know Newkirk's in uniform. That SS creep didn't even bat an eyelid when I mentioned it. And Hochstetter's not in charge; this guy Rohmer's running the show."
"What do you think it means?"
"I'm not sure yet," said Hogan slowly. "But I don't think it's Newkirk that's attracted this kind of attention. Whoever Bayreuth is, he's important."
He looked out of the window, towards the centre of Hammelburg, over which a haze of smoke was still visible. "I'm beginning to think I may have sent Newkirk into something a lot more complicated than we thought," he murmured.