Chapter 16---A Battle of Wits

Klink was seated behind his desk signing some reports when his office door opened and his pretty blonde secretary, Fraulein Hilda, entered, holding the door open. Klink looked up.

"Yes, Fraulein Hilda, what is it?" he asked looking up from his mountain of paperwork.

"Herr Kommandant, General Metzger is here to see you," she replied.

Upon hearing Metzger's name, Klink had to catch his monocle when it fell from his eye. He was just putting it back when Metzger marched into the Kommandant's office. Hilda closed the door and went back to her desk.

Klink nervously got to his feet and held out his hand. "General Metzger, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Klink forced a nervous smile on his face.

Metzger didn't take Klink's outstretched hand, nor did he smile. He looked at the Kommandant with a cold, evil look, his eyes glaring at the Kommandant in such a way that Klink swallowed the lump in his throat and withdrew his hand. He slowly sat back down.

"What can I do for you, General Metzger?" asked Klink, barely able to get the words out of his mouth.

"Klink...." Metzger sat down in the chair in front of the Kommandant's desk. "I am here to see about recovering that ammunition that was stolen from me a year ago."

"But....but....Herr General, I thought we agreed that commandos had stolen that ammunition."

Metzger leaned forward and glared at Klink menacingly. "You agreed it was commandos. I never agreed to any such thing. I believe the people who stole my ammunition are still in this area and that some of your prisoners know who they are."

Klink threw up his hands. "But that's not possible, Herr General. How could any of my...."

Metzger's fist slammed down so hard on Klink's desk that the loud noise made Klink jump. The General then slowly got his feet, and placing both hands palms down on Klink's desk, leaned forward, his face very close to Klink's.

"Because I say so, Klink. One prisoner in particular I believe knows quite a lot."

Klink shrivelled beneath the General's stare. "And who might that be, Herr General?" he asked in a small voice.

"Your Colonel Hogan," Metzger replied with an evil smirk. "I will start with him. He will tell me what I want to know or I'll beat it out of him."

Klink slid down in his chair a bit under the General's burning stare. "What makes you think Colonel Hogan knows anything about this ammunition? He's only a prisoner here."

"That's what he'd have you believe, Colonel. But I assure you, Colonel Hogan is much more than that. Much, much more. Now Colonel, you will put me up in your guest quarters. You will also have Colonel Hogan and Corporal Newkirk waiting for me together in one cell in the cooler in one hour or you will take their place. Do you understand?" Metzger brought his face very close to Klink's with his smug grin.

"They'll be waiting for you, General," Klink nervously replied. "Schuuuuulllttttzzzz!!!"

The door opened and the portly guard ambled in and coming to attention, saluted Klink. "Sergeant Schultz reporting as ordered, Herr Kommandant." Schultz glanced at Metzger and knew immediately that the General's presence could only mean trouble.

"Schultz, you are to escort General Metzger to my guest quarters right away."

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."

"And afterwards, Schultz, you will go to barracks two and take both Corporal Newkirk and Colonel Hogan and lock them in the same cell in the cooler."

Schultz glanced again at Metzger and knew his guess was correct. He then looked at Klink.

"Colonel Hogan and Corporal Newkirk in the cooler, Herr Kommandant? Why?"

"That, Sergeant, is none of your business," Metzger announced turning his stare on the fat Sergeant. "Just make sure they are both waiting for me in an hour or both you and your Kommandant will take their places." Metzger brought his face very close to Schultz's. "Any more questions, Sergeant?" he said with a malicious smirk.

Schultz swallowed. "Nein, Herr General," he replied nervously. "If you will follow me, Herr General, I will show you to the guest quarters. And then I will go to barracks two."

Metzger smirked. "Excellent," was all he said.

Schultz saluted the Kommandant who returned his salute. Then, Schultz and Metzger both left Klink's office leaving the Kommandant wondering what trouble Metzger would cause for Colonel Hogan.

Hogan and his men were gathered in Hogan's quarters listening on the coffee pot.

"Bloody charming bastard, if you ask me, sir," Newkirk replied unplugging the coffee pot.

"What are we gonna do, Colonel?" asked a nervous Carter. "Why does he want you and Newkirk?"

Hogan wrapped his arms around himself and appeared lost in thought. Finally, he spoke. "My guess is he's gonna prove he can get to any of you any time he wishes and make sure I know it." Hogan looked at the Englander. "Newkirk, you have to be careful with Metzger. He's liable to try anything to prove what he can do. All of you will have to be careful especially if he gets any of you alone. If I'm with you I'll try and take the brunt of whatever he dishes out."

"Mon Colonel, how do we fight him?"

Hogan let out a deep breath. "I have an idea that might buy us some time before I can kill him." Hogan looked at his radioman. "Kinch, use the emergency frequency and contact General Butler. "

"What do you want me to tell him, Colonel?" asked Kinch.

"We need Metzger to believe I'm trying to get his artwork back for him. When you speak with General Butler, I want you to tell him I need someone to pretend to be a contact from Switzerland and for that person to contact us on our regular frequency."

"Switzerland, Colonel?" asked a confused Kinch.

"Mon Colonel, didn't we send that art collection to Amsterdam after we took it from that filthy Bosche where it is being kept until after the war and can be returned to the museum in France?" LeBeau asked his CO.

Hogan let a small smile appear. "But Metzger doesn't know that, LeBeau," he explained. "I want him to believe we sent that collection to Switzerland and are negotiating to get it back."

Just then there was a knock on the door of the Colonel's quarters. Newkirk opened the door and saw a grim-faced Schultz standing in the doorway.

"What can we do for you, Schultzie?" Newkirk asked cheerfully.

"Colonel Hogan, I hate to do this. I really do."

"Let me guess, Schultz," Hogan replied. "Metzger wants to see me. Right?"

"Half right. He wants me to bring you and Corporal Newkirk to the cooler right away for questioning."

Hogan and Newkirk pretended to exchange puzzled expressions.

"What for, Schultz?" asked Hogan.

Schultz shrugged. "I think it's got something to do with that ammunition that was stolen from him last year."

Hogan grabbed his crush cap from the table and put it on his head and pushed it back. He looked at Newkirk. "Let's not keep our unwanted guest waiting, Newkirk," he said. Starting out the door, Hogan looked back at Kinch. "Kinch, take care of that job I gave you."

"Right away, Colonel," Kinch said as he, LeBeau and Carter watched Newkirk and their commanding officer leave with Schultz.