Tiger slowly pushed her upper half up as her eyes took in the scene before her. As she tried to get to her feet, her hand touched something cold and hard. Looking down, she saw it was a Luger. With a shaky hand, she grabbed it. "I will not let you kill him," she said coldly.
"Don't play with things you can't use," Francois smirked at her; she would have to be taught a lesson for pointing a weapon at him. Gripping the knife in both hands again, he raised it but paused hearing the click of a safety being removed from the gun. Looking up at her, he saw his mangy, old alley cat leaning against the wall with his Luger pointed at his head, steadying it with both hands.
"I said get off of him."
"Lower the gun before you get hurt," he commanded glaring at her.
"I will not say it again. Put the knife down and leave him alone," Tiger's voice was dangerous, fury in her eyes.
"You don't have the guts to pull that trigger. Don't worry, we'll finish what he so rudely interrupted in a few moments," he goaded taking aim with the knife.
"I'm not the child you married," Tiger said as she squeezed the trigger on the luger. As the bullet impacted François's head, he realized his fatal mistake of underestimating Marie. He no longer had any control over her and it cost him his life. His body flew backwards half falling off of Hogan, and the other half laying across the Colonel's legs.
She let the gun drop to the ground making her way to Hogan, sinking to her knees she sat beside him caressing the side of his face. "Robert, wake up," her tears flowing freely as she continued to call his name in French, "Robert, Robert."
Seconds later, his men came running through the tunnel arriving with weapons drawn ready to defend against any intruder. They stopped short taking in the scene, hearts in their throats wondering if Hogan was alive, Tiger crying over him.
Kinch knelt down placing his fingers on Hogan's throat letting out a sigh of relief to find a pulse, "He's alive. Tiger, what happened?"
She didn't respond but kept caressing her mon amour's face with one hand, the other trying to hold the pieces of her torn sweater together. "Open your eyes, Robert. Please open your eyes."
Kinch took his jacket it off wrapping it around Tiger's shoulders, then lifting her tear stained face up towards him. "What happened?" he gently asked.
"I couldn't let him kill Robert," her voice was shaky, and she was obviously in shock.
Newkirk picked up the discarded knife and tore off a piece of François's shirt handing it to Kinch who wrapped it tightly around Hogan's arm steaming the blood flow. Newkirk and Olsen pulled François off the Colonel laying the body in the corner. Then they moved Hogan away from the pool of François's blood on the ground.
Kinch put his arms around Tiger moving her to a safe distance, "I…I warned him that I'd shoot," she murmured softly.
"You did good," Kinch helped her sit down as her knees started to buckle. He glanced over watching as Newkirk tried to bring the Colonel around. Men were starting to arrive from all over the tunnel system.
Suddenly behind them, they heard a loud thud. The large pool of blood, the back of François's head blown off from the impact of the bullet, and bits of brain matter scattered around the room was more than LeBeau could take. He passed out cold on the tunnel floor. Carter feeling more than a little queasy himself knelt beside his friend. "He'll be okay in a few minutes."
Someone yelled that they'd get Wilson, while someone else said they'd take care of the Germans in case the gunshot was heard. Kinch was grateful for the help. He turned his attention back to Tiger, "Did he?"
She didn't allow him to complete the question, "Non, Robert stopped him." She moved closer to Hogan continuing to caress his face. Kinch let out a sigh of relief. For something so vile to nearly happen in the tunnels was almost more than he could accept.
Wilson entered the tunnel, stunned at the sight. Obviously, François was beyond need of his help, LeBeau had fainted with no apparent injuries, Tiger was conscious, so for the moment he turned his full attention to Hogan. As he began his exam, Hogan moaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Hold still sir, you're going to be all right," he said in his most soothing medic voice.
"Tiger," Hogan gasped looking around as his eyes came in focus.
"I'm here," she gently touched the side of his face. "I'm all right," she replied to the look of concern from him.
"François?" he asked with anger in his voice.
"He's…," Wilson looked over at the body then turned back to his patient. "He's quite dead. How does your head feel?"
"Like a tank ran over me," Hogan tried to sit up but Wilson kept him down by putting a hand on his shoulder continuing his exam.
"You need stitches, but we'll do that in the infirmary," Wilson finally let him sit up slowly.
"I'm not going to the infirmary. Could never get that past Klink," he said then looked at Tiger's battered and bruised face anger flooding him once again. He reached out and took her hand, "How are you?"
"I'm all right," she repeated braver than she felt at the moment avoiding where François's body lay. Hogan looked over in that direction, running a hand over his face.
"We'll take care of the body, Gov'nor. No one will ever find it," Newkirk said watching his commander closely. "Just let Wilson take care of both of you."
"No, put the body somewhere it will be found, but not too close to camp. Hochstetter is expecting the body to show up, so we should oblige him, plus it will keep the suspicion off of us," Hogan ordered.
"Don't worry, we'll take care of it, sir. I know a good spot to dispose of it," Olsen answered.
"Let's get you two upstairs," Wilson helped Hogan stand up and gain his balance.
Tiger put her arm around Hogan both lending and receiving support from him at the same time as they made their way slowly to the hut. Carter making sure LeBeau didn't pass out again followed them with Wilson hovering between all four.
Kinch stayed behind with Newkirk, Olsen, and a few other men who had shown up after the gunshot was heard, staring at François's body. "I can't believe he tried to…to…rape Tiger," he punched the wall above the body. "Too bad the bastard can only die once!" Rage filled his eyes.
"I know what you mean mate," Newkirk put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He too was angry about what happened to Hogan and Tiger. "We'll take care of this. Go make sure the Gov'nor and Tiger have what they need."
"We have to make sure all the blood and body parts are cleaned up too. Don't want to smell the bastard for weeks down here," Kinch said barely controlling his urge to kick the shit out of the body.
"We'll have it all cleaned up before roll call," Murrell promised. "And if the Colonel needs anything, including a good cover story, let us know."
"Yeah, the Colonel isn't in any shape to come up with a story. I'll figure something out," Kinch agreed then walked back to the barracks. Climbing up the ladder, he noticed everyone was awake, and the door to Hogan's room closed.
"They're in there," Carter indicated the Colonel's room in anticipation of his question. He was sitting at the common table next to LeBeau with a cup of coffee in his hands.
"How are you feeling?" Kinch asked the Frenchman.
"Embarrassed," LeBeau's face had a tinge of red.
"It was a horrific scene, no need to feel bad," Kinch replied sitting down so he could watch Hogan's door.
"But I was the only one who passed out," LeBeau grumbled.
"That's because I was sitting next to you. If I'd stood for a few more seconds, I'd been on the ground next to you," Carter confessed.
"Are you all right? That was a lot for your first trip downstairs. Do you need to lie down?" LeBeau's concern for his friend overrode his own embarrassment.
"I'm all right," Carter lied running a hand through his hair looking very tired. "I want to make sure the Colonel and Tiger are okay. Why would François try something like that, especially knowing we were all downstairs?"
"Why any man would try something like that is beyond me," Kinch said clinching his jaw tightly.
"That's your answer, he wasn't a man. He was an animal. I'm glad Tiger took him out, but I would have preferred to beat him to death," LeBeau answered. The other men in the barracks chimed in with similar sentiments.
"You wouldn't have had the opportunity. I'd killed him with my bare hands, just like I expect the Colonel tried to do," Kinch answered. They all looked up as Wilson came out of the room closing the door behind him.
"They'll both be all right. For tonight, let them rest and give them their privacy," Wilson ordered sitting his bag on the table. "How are you two?"
"We're fine," Carter answered almost too quickly indicating himself and LeBeau, with pain showing on his face.
"That was too much activity for this point in your recovery. I want you to rest now and tomorrow have very little movement," Wilson ordered looking over both men with a trained eye.
"How severe are the Colonel's and Tiger's injuries?" Kinch asked, obviously worried with anger seething just below the surface.
"The Colonel has a concussion. I sewed up the cuts on his head and arm, both should heal without problems as long as an infection doesn't set in. I'll keep an eye out for that. Tiger is in shock but most of her physical injuries are mainly bruises and abrasions. She will need something to wear in the morning," Wilson answered.
"I'll take care of that," LeBeau promised.
"My concern is roll call in the morning. Although I know the Colonel will give it a valiant effort, he may not be able to stand that long plus handle Klink," Wilson sighed heavily.
Kinch took a deep breath to focus his thoughts. "Gentlemen, I have an idea, but it'll take two volunteers. Any takers?" Every hand in the barracks was raised. Kinch smiled at the loyalty and dedication the men had, even without knowing the plan. "This is what we're going to do."