Chapter 30---Hogan's Worries

Happy Memorial Day to everyone. To those who gave their lives, your sacrifice will never be forgotten. And for those who are fighting to protect our rights to continue living as free people, may you all come home safe and sound to your loved ones and a grateful nation.

Hogan lay on the lower bunk in his quarters, sleep eluding him as his mind worked overtime regarding the problems facing him. Of all of them, only three things Hogan was positive of. One, Metzger was dead. Two, the Gestapo would be coming. And three, one of his men was a murderer. It broke Hogan's heart thinking one of his men had done this. In fact, the aspirin Wilson had given him hadn't done anything to ease the headache he had. He thought about taking the two additional aspirin Wilson had left for him just in case, but dismissed the idea for now. He'd save them for later.

The first things Hogan figured he'd better do to narrow the field is see which of his men might be guilty.

Baker he ruled out for the obvious reason being he was in no condition.

Kinch he ruled out immediately because he was with him. There was no way he'd have the time to kill Metzger and then follow him to the meeting place.

Newkirk he ruled out as well. With his broken hand, while he could have easily shoved Metzger causing him to strike his head on something, Newkirk would need two hands to be able to twist Metzger's head in order to break his neck. And Newkirk only had one good hand.

That left Carter and LeBeau.

Carter was a mild-mannered young man who didn't have a mean bone in his entire body. He tried to see good in everybody. But since the incident with Newkirk, Carter had been unusually quiet and more withdrawn than usual. And then there was the attack by Metzger on Baker, and Hogan saw himself how distressed Carter was and made him more withdrawn. Even Hogan's attacks by Metzger upset Carter. And Hogan knew even someone as gentle as Carter could only be pushed but so far before he pushed back. Could Carter have taken all he could take seeing his friends viciously attacked and decided to take matters into his own hands? It was possible.

And then there was LeBeau. The little Frenchman was everybody's friend and loyal to Hogan as were all his men. As with the others, Hogan trusted LeBeau with his life. But LeBeau had a fiery temper, and let his anger show when Hogan had been attacked by Metzger both times, and was quite upset when Newkirk was injured. Then when Baker was beaten, LeBeau was enraged. Even though he was short, LeBeau could easily have gotten into a dispute with Metzger and shoved him, causing him to hit his head, and while dazed, got behind him and twisted his head, snapping his neck. Like Carter, LeBeau was a possibility.

But Hogan knew there were nine other prisoners in their barracks just as capable of committing murder as Carter and LeBeau. His head began to hurt more. He sat up in bed, holding the ice pack to his throat. Nine other men, plus Carter and LeBeau, and only one of them was guilty. But how to find out which one did it? And what was he to do when he found him.

LeBeau lay awake in his bunk. He couldn't sleep after the events of earlier today. He knew they had barely saved the Colonel from being arrested for Metzger's murder. No matter what happened, the Colonel could not be arrested for killing that animal in Luftwaffe clothing. Also, LeBeau told himself that Hogan must never find out what he did. If the Colonel did find out, he would be disappointed in LeBeau and that was something the Frenchman never wanted to do was disappoint the Colonel.

Carter couldn't sleep either. His mind was reeling from the near escape the Colonel had when Burkhalter and Klink came into the barracks. He could never let Hogan know what he had done. It would hurt the Colonel deeply, and that was something Carter never wanted to do to the man who meant more to him than his own life.

Newkirk lay awake as well in his bunk above Carter's staring at the ceiling. He was glad Hogan had killed Metzger. Not that he cared. In fact, he wanted to pin a medal on the Colonel for doing what he did. He did everybody a favor by ridding Germany of a sick, twisted bastard. Newkirk looked at his hand encased in the hard cast. I wish I could've been the one to do you in you bleedin' bastard, he told himself. I owed you one for breakin me hand. But despite not having been the one to kill Metzger, Newkirk's only concern was Colonel Hogan. Knowing the Colonel did it to protect his men, Newkirk knew his primary job was to make sure the Colonel was not suspected and was protected from the Gestapo when they arrived. He also knew Hochstetter would do everything he could to pin Metzger's death on the Colonel, and that was something Newkirk refused to allow to happen.

Kinch couldn't sleep. Hogan's narrow escape was still on his mind. He still found it hard to believe that the Colonel had actually killed Metzger. But he knew Hogan was serious about seeing Metzger dead. They were fortunate to cover as quickly as they did and convince Burkhalter and Klink that Hogan had been in the barracks the entire time and suffering from breathing difficulties which wasn't a lie. The Colonel did have breathing problems since being choked. But all that mattered now was protecting the Colonel, especially from Hochstetter who was certain to show up once the Gestapo was contacted. I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect you, Colonel, Kinch told himself.

Hogan was seated at his desk with the window open even though it was against the rules. He held the ice pack against his throat. He stared out the window at the empty compound, thinking. The cool early morning air felt good, but did nothing to relieve the pain he was feeling. He figured by the time to sun was up the Gestapo would be in camp, and Hochstetter would make a beeline to barracks two and looking for Hogan in particular. Hochstetter blamed him for everything, so why would this be any different.

The Colonel wondered what he would do when the Gestapo came in to camp. It was his job to protect his men. Hogan figured if he could secretly find out which of his men was guilty, he himself could confess to Metzger's murder, and that would be the end of it. He knew what would then happen. He would be arrested and more than likely never leave Stalag 13 alive. And he wouldn't have difficulty convincing the Gestapo he was guilty. After all, two of his men had been tortured by Metzger and that gave him a motive. That would probably save his operation as well as the men under his command. And he could convince Hochstetter he was the only one involved.

But, what if someone other than one of his own men murdered Metzger? Could he afford to turn himself in to the Gestapo if someone else committed the crime? Hogan felt perhaps it might be better to wait and see what developed before deciding if he should turn himself in to the Gestapo. Hogan poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher and took the two aspirin Wilson had left. His headache was killing him. Getting up, he closed and locked the window, turned on his desk lamp, and quietly opened the door to his quarters. The dim light from the lamp barely illuminated the common area. Hogan quietly made his way into the common area, careful not to awaken any of the sleeping men. Grabbing his coffee cup from the table, he poured himself a half cup of slightly warm coffee. He sat down at the table and sipped the coffee.

"Can't sleep, mon Colonel?" asked LeBeau.

Hogan looked around and saw the little Frenchman standing just behind him. He joined Hogan at the table.

"Too much on my mind, LeBeau," he replied. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

LeBeau shrugged. "Too wound up from what happened, I guess. We were lucky, mon Colonel."

"Oh?" Hogan took another sip of coffee. "In what way were we lucky?"

"Well, after Metzger's death, you were able to get back to the barracks before Klink and Burkhalter. And we were able to get you out of your bomber jacket and into your bathrobe before they could suspect you weren't here. I call that being lucky. Don't you?"

Now it was Hogan's turn to shrug. "I guess so." Hogan sighed wearily. "LeBeau, I have something to tell you, and don't tell the others. I will do that."

"Understood, Colonel. What is it?"

"I didn't kill Metzger."

LeBeau raised his eyebrows in shocked surprise. "You didn't, mon Colonel? Then who…"

"Then who did kill him?" Hogan interrupted. "I have no idea, LeBeau. I found him dead when I sneaked into his room." He took another drink of coffee. He was watching LeBeau carefully out of the corner of his eyes. "But if I had to venture a guess, I'd say someone in this camp did it. Maybe even someone in this very barracks." He noticed LeBeau suddenly pale at Hogan's last words. "Something wrong, LeBeau?"

"No, Colonel. It's just shocking to think someone in this camp or even this barracks could have done this."

Hogan finished his coffee. "I'm going back to my quarters, LeBeau," he said. "We're going to have a rough few days coming when the Gestapo arrives. I suggest you try and get some sleep yourself." He slowly got to his feet.

LeBeau looked at his commanding officer with a grim expression. "How can anyone expect to sleep knowing Hochstetter's coming." It was a statement rather than a question. "Good night, Colonel."

"Goodnight, LeBeau." Hogan disappeared into his quarters and closed the door.

LeBeau stared at the closed door for awhile. As relieved as he was that the Colonel hadn't killed Metzger, he wished he could tell him. But he didn't think Hogan would understand. Sighing dejectedly, the little Frenchman slowly made his way back to his bunk.

Hogan lay back down on the lower bunk again with the ice pack on his throat. He was thinking about LeBeau. His gut was telling him LeBeau was withholding something from him. He silently prayed he was wrong, but he didn't think so. Could LeBeau be guilty? Hogan had made up his mind that if one of his men had done this, his operation would be shut down and everyone evacuated from the camp. He couldn't risk just getting the guilty party out of Germany because he knew the Gestapo would take it out on the other prisoners and he could not let that happen. He sighed wearily. Later today, he would speak with the others and then check out Carter.

Hogan pinched the bridge of his nose. There were many jobs as commanding officer he didn't like, and right now trying to figure out which of his men was a murderer had made its way to the top of the list.