A brief post script to "The Caper" that I've been toying with. Because let's face it. I left a very important 'hero' out in the cold.
Three Weeks Later
The last of the barracks to be rebuilt had begun to take shape. The work went quickly and smoothly with the help of the additional "Russian Prisoners" that Hogan had brought from the farm in Austria, and he was looking forward to being able to house all his men comfortably, especially as the newer barracks were better equipped to weather the freezing temperatures of the season.
The tunnels had been repaired and reinforced, and London seemed to have forgiven him after the long and heated discussion they'd had about orders, and why Hogan was supposed to follow them. In fact London had been delighted to hear that there was a new sabotage group starting activities in Austria.
Hogan and Kinch were in the tunnel trying yet again to make contact with Nesting Doll that evening when both men heard the rattle that meant that the emergency tunnel hatch had been accessed.
"Nobody went out tonight." Hogan said quietly, then nodded for Kinch to shut down the radio. Moving to the open bunk ladder Hogan called up for LeBeau, who was on watch at the front door, to douse the lights and keep the men quiet. The Frenchman responded to the affirmative and Hogan pulled one of the emergency weapons that they kept in various spots in the tunnels, before he and Kinch started down the hallway.
As they got closer to the newly repaired section of the tunnel they could hear something scraping around, and a voice mumbling in the darkness. It sounded strange, but not sinister. Hogan still jumped when Carter and Newkirk came up behind Kinch, armed to the teeth.
Hogan frowned at their over-eagerness to defend themselves, but could hardly blame them, given the events of the last few months. He motioned for quiet with a finger to his lips then crept forward, rounding a bend in the tunnel and peering into the darkness that lay ahead.
"Can't understand it. Things must have really fallen apart." A voice said, followed by more scraping and scrabbling. "Can't even find a bloody light switch." They heard loud and clear in a proper English accent. Then the movement stopped abruptly with a startled gasp.
All Hogan could do was hang his head and bury his face in his hand. It couldn't be. There was no way. It was impossible.
They heard a few hesitant advancing steps, and the sound of something dragging along the wall, then silence again.
Newkirk shook his head and straightened, turning around and walking back down the tunnel as he muttered, "Un-bloody-believable. The man's a maniac."
A few more steps and the person sneaking down the dark tunnel ran into some boxes stacked against the wall with a crash that made Hogan wince, and prompted a startled whirlwind of inexpertly delivered karate blows that did more damage to the man than the boxes.
Hogan turned his head as Kinch sighed. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but you're on your own." The man said, bailing out in a most un-courageous way.
The colonel looked back down the tunnel finally able to spot a lighter shade of white on a darker shape that might have been a body, the same body was still sneaking down the tunnel pressed tightly against the wall.
Hogan looked over his shoulder at Carter, expecting the sergeant to depart hastily just like the others had, and was alarmed to see Carter grinning expectantly into the gloom, like he was waiting for a movie to start.
When Carter caught the stern look he shrugged, "I like him, Colonel."
With a heavy sigh Hogan straightened, slipped the safety of his weapon back on and called into the dark. "Crittendon, would you like me to turn on a light?"
*sigh* There. I feel better now.