"Have you even got a plan, sir?" Newkirk asked. His voice was soft but it still echoed against the concrete.
Hogan paced by him, agitated. He hadn't been in this room since the day Hochstetter ordered his men to break Hogan's rib. He could still feel a sympathetic jab in his side.
Newkirk seemed impervious, lounging in one of the straight back wooden chairs that had been set in the room when Hochstetter first brought them there.
Carter stood, still in SS uniform at the door to the room, shifting nervously and on occasion eyeing Private Caine.
Caine stood in front of his chair perfectly at attention, as if a newly minted soldier, despite the rags he was wearing.
"I've got too many plans, that's the problem." Hogan muttered, anxiously. If only he could have gotten word to London. It would rule out some schemes and cement others, but as far as he and his men were concerned London didn't exist.
"The men are coming along nicely with the sewing, sir." Newkirk sat up a bit, his voice suggesting that he was trying to be helpful. "They're good enough now to put together basic jackets and trousers if we had the proper material."
"What can they do with the stuff we were given?"
Newkirk smirked. "That's your basic parachute silk, sir. They could make wedding gowns."
Hogan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, that's temporary plan A, a mass wedding."
They were waiting for Hochstetter who, after collecting the prisoners in the room, had left to see to other matters. Or, more likely, had left to let Hogan stew.
"There's enough there to make another hot air balloon." Newkirk suggested, fairly certain the idea wasn't one of those that Hogan would snatch up. But he also knew his CO's brainstorming ability. One off-the-wall, batty idea might not work, but it could trigger a different one that would.
Hogan's shoes scraped on the concrete a few more steps, before he stopped, his eyes casting downward as he turned slightly to face Newkirk. He was still for a few moments during which Newkirk and Carter leaned forward, ready for the latest and greatest.
All Hogan said in response was, "Huh…"
The door opened a few minutes later and when Hochstetter entered the room Hogan saw Caine shudder. Recognition. So Caine had been lying about his father.
There were three other soldiers behind Hochstetter but the major ordered them to remain outside. Once they saw that Carter was there to 'defend' the major against the violent prisoners, they nodded to the order and shut the door.
The Gestapo man stood where he was for a few seconds surveying the group, his hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. The sight was so powerful a moment of de ja vue that Hogan felt himself flush. Old fear, anger, denial and hatred scorched through his insides in an instant, putting him back in the place he had been in when he first arrived at the camp.
He gritted his teeth together and looked away from Hochstetter, watching his man Carter until the unexpected flood dissipated. Newkirk caught the reaction and rose to his feet moving a step closer to the colonel but saying nothing.
Hochstetter composed himself then stood in front of Private Caine, demanding to know his name.
"Private Caine of the People's Army." The young man replied, stubbornly, in Russian.
"Speak in German!" Hochstetter demanded.
Caine's response was to give his personal identification number and repeat his name and rank, still in Russian.
Before he could finish Hochstetter demanded again, "You will answer in the German language. What is your full name?"
Caine started over, name, rank, personal identification number. Before he could finish Hochstetter's hand flew up, striking Caine's cheek hard enough for the slap to echo in the room.
Caine went silent, his face blooming beet red. Newkirk and Carter saw it at the same time. A familiar look that both of them had had on their faces at one point or another in their lives. The look that all men saw in the mirror after they'd been slapped by a parent for disrespect.
They saw it in Hochstetter too. This wasn't Gestapo man and prisoner, this was father and son. Newkirk had seen it coming, but Carter hadn't, and he started away from his position on the wall with a look of realization dawning on his face.
Major Hochstetter caught the movement in the corner of his eye and snapped for the Leutnant to come to attention. Carter stiffened, his eyes seeking out Hogan's, asking the question silently that he hadn't been allowed to ask out loud.
Hochstetter dug into a pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers that he opened and made a play at reading before he said, "Your name is Wolfgang Caine Hochstetter. You were studying to be an aero-engineer at the TH Aachen Polytechnikum in the North Rhine until September of 1935 when you…" Hochstetter's voice faltered, and he swallowed before continuing, "…disappeared without a trace. Do you deny this?"
The angry flush to Caine's face had remained, joined now by the slick of angry tears. He said nothing, staring straight ahead.
"And now you have been shot down and captured wearing a Russian uniform, serving in the Russian air force. Why!?" Hochstetter demanded, forcing every ounce of anger and frustration into the single word. The power behind it made Caine, and every other man in the room jump.
As the major paced away, Hogan watched the private until he caught the sideways glance of desperation. "Hochstetter, he's given you every answer he's required to give."
"Don't you dare presume to quote the Geneva Convention to me, Hogan." Hochstetter barked, filling his lungs with a hot mix of outrage that he turned toward his son. "You will answer my question, no more stalling."
Caine's eyes dug into his father's, desperately searching for acknowledgement of something that the private clearly thought Hochstetter should have already known. He gave a second desperate glance to the ranking officer in the room and Hogan finally understood what the young man wanted.
Permission to speak freely.
Hogan gave him a nod and Caine snapped his attention back to Hochstetter like a bloodhound finally released to hunt. He began to speak in German, rapid fire responses that Hogan barely caught.
"I was born in a country of greatness, to parents in whom I could be proud. A country that cared for all of its citizens, and looked to a bright future full of invention, wealth and harmony. That is the country to which I remain loyal. But it is not today's Germany."
"Silly ideals, flimsy excuses, fluff and decadence. These are your reasons for betrayal?"
"Equality of ideas, excuses of humanity. This is not decadence-"
"It is treason!"
"For Wolfgang Hochstetter, yes. For Private Caine, no." Caine said firmly, once more staring at the wall above the major.
Hochstetter turned away sharply, grunting in frustration and putting distance between himself and his son. The room had begun to heat up rapidly and Hogan was grateful for the brief pause, catching a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
The interrogation had been Hogan's idea; a suggestion that he'd meant as a positive way of reuniting father and son, but it wasn't going that way.
"And what of Liesel?" The Gestapo man said after a moment of thought. He turned and eyed the young man, hands on his hips. "She was left to mourn her fiancé, with no word from him. No understanding of why he disappeared. She pines still. Does Wolfgang Hochstetter care that he betrayed her along with his country? How about Private Caine?"
The young private didn't answer, stiffening his back and staring over Hochstetter's shoulder. But the creases of doubt and guilt were easy to see on his young face.
"Yah, poor Leisel. And Frieda, Wolfgang's sister. How she adored her older brother, and wept at his disappearance. She could no longer bear to attend the gymnasium and stayed home with her mother to serve the Fatherland."
The final statement broke through the shield and Caine's full attention fell on his father, turned enemy. His eyes were softening as he stared at a man that he had betrayed, knowing that he was being betrayed in return. For his part, Hochstetter appeared entirely unmoved beyond the boiling anger that he carried with him everywhere.
"You may not care for your country, but do you care for your countrymen?" Hochstetter demanded.
The flicker that Hogan saw in Caine's eyes clued him in to the shift in the conversation that was about to take place, but there was nothing he could do to head it off. The balance of the interrogation had changed and Caine suddenly held the high ground.
"1933, September." He began, slow and steady. "My second year at the polytechnikum. Professor Levi Shapiro, a loyal countryman, a man who had patents for fifteen different types of aero elevators, two of which were in use by the Luftwaffe at that time, was excommunicated from the university. He was accused of inappropriate behavior with female students, but there were no female students enrolled."
"That is enough." Hochstetter said, but Caine wasn't finished and didn't pause a beat.
"1933, December. Doctor Abraham Atshool, an unparalleled genius in mathematics, born in Berlin. His home was burned by a gang of students, one of his children horribly injured by the fire. He was released from the university for taking an "unauthorized extended leave.""
"That is enough, private-"
"1934, January. An investigation into the sudden dip in student population revealed that fifty students had been flunked from the university for low academic standards. All of these students had two things in common. They were native Germans, and they were Jews."
"Silence!"
"Jews! And students who openly objected to the political leanings of the government."
"Caine Hochstetter!"
Private Caine stiffened and snapped his mouth shut and Hogan and his men got another brief glimpse at the human being behind the Gestapo monster. Hochstetter pulled back desperately, and physically turned away from his son.
"You disappear, defect, and join the Russian army in defiance of your family, your culture, and your heritage. If my superiors were made aware of this information I could be shot as a traitor, you would be shot as traitor. Your mother and sister would be exiled, or forced into a camp just like this one. Is this what you intended?"
Caine didn't respond and Hochstetter took a breath.
"And all for what? For some high-minded ideal? Because some of your friends and professors were let go?"
Caine's mouth was pressed so tightly shut now, that his lips were turning white. He was so stiff in the knees, that Hogan was afraid he'd pass out if he didn't relax his stance. Without thinking about protocol, Hogan ordered Caine to 'at ease', and after giving him a surprised glance, the private did as he was told.
Hochstetter sent a glare toward the Colonel but was interrupted before he could protest.
"I really thought you were smarter than that, Hochstetter." Hogan said quietly.
Things had gone very awry. The point had been to mend fences between Hochstetter and Caine, to get the two on the same side, and maybe convince Hochstetter to do more, risk more, to get his son out of the prison camp. Instead the rift had gotten wider.
"…but then you're in the Gestapo, a top hound-dog for the Fuhrer, so why should I keep fooling myself." Hogan continued, trying to sound aloof. His attempt to awaken the family man in Hochstetter had failed miserably.
Maybe Hogan could poke at the sleeping rebel that was so apparent in Hochstetter's son. The major wasn't a pushover like Klink. He didn't cower when someone with higher rank walked into the room as long as he was convinced of his duty and purpose. Hogan had to see just how loyal Hochstetter really was.
"Only an idiot would go along with the madness that Hitler's been dishing out for the past ten years. It's bad enough for the rest of us. We may have seen it coming but we kept our heads in the sand, tried to stay out of it. But you…you jumped in on the ground level. How long have you been in the Gestapo, Major? From the beginning, or did you join after your son jumped ship? Was your plan all along to track him down, or did you chicken out of the other services and this was all that was left?"
He was grasping at straws, desperately trying to decipher the history of a man that he'd been trying to avoid for the longest time. He was getting a rise out of Hochstetter, though, so he kept it up.
Hogan jabbed a thumb toward Private Caine and said, "You know he's probably the smartest German I've met yet. He got out and joined the good guys. Probably figured it was best to leave ol' bubble head with the rest of the yutzes and join a team that was gonna win. How many wars have you lost so far?"
"Shut up…"
"No way! I like this kid! He's got guts. And it can't have come from his father's side. Must be his mother's. You did say your mother was born in Russia, didn't you, Caine?" Hogan asked, not expecting a response from the private who had gone even paler than before.
"You will shut up or there will be consequences, Hogan. Remember, you are a prisoner here."
"So are you, Hoch-y ol' boy. No matter how hard you push, you can't get your kid outta this camp, can ya? Not without risking your precious job. You spent how many months desperately trying to catch the amazing Papa Bear in a compromising position? And look at the lengths you went to. But instead of being smart and taking me straight to Berlin where you can make yourself a general and live the easy life, you bring me here! Then you threaten to kill my men unless I break your kid outta jail. You're trapped by guilt and remorse, and desperate to keep your job at the same time. Well you can't have everything, Major! War isn't fair."
Every man in the room but Hochstetter and Hogan snapped their surprised faces toward the Colonel. In one outburst Hogan had revealed a dozen details that each had been missing, and Caine especially looked mortified.
After a long, red-faced stare-down Hochstetter said, "No…war is not fair." Without warning the small man pulled his gun and shot Newkirk.
The room exploded with the noise from the gun shot, Newkirk's surprised shouts, and Carter and Hogan desperately getting in between the Gestapo man and the Englander.
Hogan was able to catch Newkirk's shoulders before he hit the ground and Carter found the bullet hole, neatly drilled through, high on Peter's calf, and pushed down hard against it. Newkirk paled, sweat breaking out over his brow, gritted his teeth and latched a hand onto Carter's forearm, digging his fingers in against the pain.
Once Carter gave him a nod, Hogan rose to his feet, his voice going up in pitch. "What the HELL do you think you're doing, Hochstetter?"
Before the major could respond four SS guards were bursting through the door demanding to know what was going on. Guns were pointed everywhere and Hogan lost sight of Caine for a split second. Then he heard the cocking of a rifle and looked up to see the private standing between himself and Hochstetter. Caine had picked up Andrew's rifle and had it pointed at the sergeant's head. Carter was ghost white.
"I will shoot this man!" Caine warned, eyeing the Gestapo major and the SS guards, shaking so much that the barrel of the rifle rattled.
Hochstetter smiled and said, "Go ahead. It will only be one more imposter taken out of action."
The barrel lowered, Caine registering surprise and confusion. Carter moved, throwing his shoulder into Caine's legs, throwing him off balance. The rest of the guards stormed into the room, grabbing Caine and tearing the gun from his hands.
Carter recovered the gun, the other guards assuming he was one of theirs, but Hochstetter had his pistol trained on him.
The small man's voice was suddenly cold and distant. "Hogan, you've convinced me. I did make a mistake. Like you, I've tried to be two things at once. A foolish endeavor that has gotten me nowhere."
"Bloody, stinking kraut." Newkirk squeaked. "You'd shoot your own flesh and blood if it'd get you a promotion."
Instead of hushing Newkirk, Hogan stood and blocked his men with his body, using one hand to shove Carter back to his knees. He heard a stifled groan from Newkirk and assumed that Carter was once again putting pressure on the bleeding wound.
"No, Corporal. I know exactly what will get me the promotion. And you can thank your colonel for making the possibility all the more certain."
Hogan felt a chill go down his spine that threatened to empty his stomach and his bladder all at the same time.
"Take these men to the hospital and see that the corporal is patched up. Then I want all of them in an ambulance, along with the Frenchman. They will be transported to Berlin."
The sergeant was staring at Carter in confusion and doubt, but snapped a salute and ordered the others with him to pick up the Englander.
"Sergeant.." Hochstetter called the guard, gazing briefly at this son as if he were looking at a broken down car he was thinking about selling. "If these men do not arrive in Berlin…there will be no transfer to the Russian front. You will be hung. Understood?"
After he received his salute Major Hochstetter left and Hogan swore under his breath. The major had managed it on his own after all. He was getting his son transferred out of the camp and sent back to Germany along with Papa Bear and most of his men.
"Was that part of your bloody plan, Colonel?" Newkirk bit out, angrily glaring at his CO before he was forced roughly to his feet. The move put pressure on his leg and he blanched, clinging to the two soldiers supporting him, desperate not to pass out.