The sun had come up at last. Hogan, leaning against the window frame in his quarters, watched as the German guards patrolled between the barracks, and waited for Carter to say something. Carter took his time about it, fidgeting restlessly as he considered what was being asked of him.
His initial response had been reflexive, and quite unequivocal. "You gotta be kidding me."
"I only wish I was," said Hogan, with a rueful smile
"But...but I can't." Carter stared back at him, like a rabbit caught in the spotlight.
Hogan sighed. "Carter, you've done this more times than I can remember, and always gotten away with it. Granted, you're not in the best shape right now, and even if you were, it wouldn't be easy for you, not this time. That's why I'm asking you, not ordering you, to do it. But if I had any doubts about whether you could pull it off, I wouldn't even be asking."
"Aw, geez, Colonel," muttered Carter.
"You know what the Gestapo are capable of," Hogan went on. "I don't want them going to work on Cecilie, for her own sake as well as ours. She knows all about the set-up here. Okay, she might hold out for a while, but sooner or later, she's probably going to talk. If we can't get her out before that happens, then our whole operation is at risk."
"I know that," Carter broke in.
Hogan didn't even miss a beat. "We could just close down and evacuate, but you know as well as I do how that's going to work. We can't have every man in camp making a run for it. Key personnel only. That means consequences for those staying behind. Even with the ones who do make a break, there's a strong possibility some of them won't make it. I can't take that chance, not without trying every other option first."
Carter looked away, blinking, the rapid changes of his expression giving away the turmoil of his feelings.
"Look, Carter, I can't force you to go along with it," said Hogan. "But the plan goes ahead, whether you're part of it or not. Even if it fails, I have to give it a shot."
"It'll never work," Carter broke out. "You'll just go and get yourself killed, and how's that going to help anyone?"
"Well, of course, there's a risk involved. But I can't just walk away, Carter. There's too much at stake." Hogan put a hand on Carter's shoulder. "I know it's a hell of a lot to ask, but having you along might just tip the balance in our favor."
He turned to look out of the window. He'd had a long battle with himself overnight, trying to find another solution to the crisis they were facing, finally having to accept that only one plan he could come up with offered the least hope of success. But that hope rested on one man's ability to shrug off his physical and mental injuries, and take on a role which would stretch him to his limits. If Carter couldn't carry it off, the prospects were grim.
Even thinking about it had felt like a betrayal, and Carter's reaction hadn't made it seem any better.
For some time there was silence. Hogan continued to watch as the morning light grew stronger outside. He didn't look at Carter, he didn't want to influence the decision any further than he had.
A subdued bustle in the outer barracks, and the sound of Schultz's voice, recalled both of them to the daily routine. "Roll call," said Hogan. "Carter, I need an answer. Whichever way this goes, we have to get moving on it."
Carter's face twisted with distress, and he shook his head, closing his eyes tightly. "Okay," he mumbled at last. "I'll do it."
"Good man." Hogan smiled, but his eyes remained shadowed. He opened the door. "Let's go."
The rest of the prisoners were already forming up. Carter slipped into his place next to Kinch, and Hogan went to the end of the front row. "We're all here, Schultz," he said.
"I don't need you to tell me that, Colonel Hogan," grumbled Schultz.
"I just thought it would save time," said Hogan innocently.
Schultz scowled and muttered under his breath, and started the roll call. He paused when he got to Carter, regarding him with vague surprise. "What happened to the other man?" he asked.
"What other man would that be, Schultz?" asked Newkirk.
"The other man who...no, never mind." Schultz pursed up his mouth, and went on to the next name.
"Hey, Schultz, where's the great war hero?" asked Hogan, once Schultz had finished.
"If you mean Kommandant Klink, he's still in bed," replied Schultz, rolling his eyes. "His back is so bad this morning, he can't even stand up."
"You mean he's on sick leave?"
Schultz snickered. "He says he will run the camp from his bedroom, rather than let Captain Gruber take charge again. Between you and me, Colonel Hogan, I don't think the Kommandant trusts Gruber."
"I can understand that," remarked Hogan thoughtfully. "There's something about Gruber that just doesn't sit right."
"It's the uniform, sir," said Newkirk. "It's a well-known fact, every man in the Luftwaffe is as crooked as the hind leg on a three-legged greyhound."
"That's true," admitted Schultz. "But it's not very nice to say it, Newkirk."
Hogan was following his own train of thought. "So, Klink's bed-ridden, huh? Well, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy." He mused on it for a moment, then went on. "If that's all, Schultz, can we fall out? We've got a really busy schedule today, we can't afford to waste time standing round."
Schultz was instantly suspicious. "What do you mean, a really busy schedule? You're up to something?"
"We're supposed to finish the road repairs, remember?" replied Hogan with a shrug. "And it'd be nice if we could finish before lunch, so as to have the afternoon free for our poetry writing class."
"Poetry writing." Schultz regarded him skeptically. "Sounds like more monkey business to me."
"Not at all, we take it very seriously. You've got no idea how hard it is." Hogan folded his arms as he warmed to the subject. "For instance, Adams has been working on an epigram on Adolf Hitler, and it's really got him stumped, trying to find something that fits the subject, scans properly and rhymes with completely off his rocker. Of course, I'm a limerick man myself. There once was a Führer called Adolf, who..."
"Shh, please, don't say things like that." Schultz's eyes bulged with consternation. "You want to get us all into trouble? Everyone back to the barracks. The work detail leaves in half an hour. Zurück in die Baracke, schnell, schnell."
The prisoners allowed themselves to be shepherded back indoors. Hogan strolled in at the back of the pack, with a relaxed, unhurried air which evaporated as soon as they were indoors. "Johnson, watch the door. Dieter, come here."
The rest of the men gathered round the table, except for Carter, who retreated towards the stove, dodging out of the way as Dieter, who had remained inside during assembly, came to join the others.
"Carter," said Hogan, and after a momentary hesitation Carter edged around behind the other men, until he was standing right at the back. The closed-off look on his face gave Hogan a further pang of conscience. He'd seen Carter looking like that before, and knew it wasn't a good sign. But it couldn't be helped.
"Okay, this is how it's going to work," said Hogan, getting down to business. "If we're going to get Cecilie and the other two away from the Gestapo, we need to do two things. First, we have to find out where they're being held, and second, we have to get the Gestapo to hand them over to us."
"You have a plan, Colonel?" asked Dieter, gazing at him keenly. He had finally been told this morning that Weber was alive, and it had taken some fast talking to convince him that this state of affairs had to be allowed to continue. He'd calmed down eventually, but it was just as well that he didn't know how to open the tunnel entrance
"I have one, but it's going to take real co-ordination," replied Hogan. "The work detail will be the starting point. I'll need every man out there, except for Mills, who'll stay here to keep an eye on our friends down below. Don't look at me like that, Mills. You're not fit for heavy work, and I need someone here."
"Colonel, shouldn't Carter stay home as well?" put in Kinch diffidently. "He's not exactly in top condition, either."
"No, Carter has to come along," said Hogan brusquely. "The whole plan depends on him." He looked at Carter, but couldn't catch his eye.
"How's that, Colonel?" asked Newkirk.
Hogan continued to watch Carter's face as he replied. "Faulmann's the key. He's not stupid, he won't hand Cecilie over to just anyone. There's one man we can be sure can get her out of his custody, and that's his boss, Eisner, who he doesn't know personally, according to Weber. Now, I could just walk into Gestapo headquarters, claiming to be Eisner, but without documents it's almost certain I'll end up in the cells, unless..."
"Unless what?" Hogan couldn't even be sure who it was who asked. He was still looking at Carter.
"Unless there's someone already there to vouch for me. Like I said, Faulmann's not stupid, but yesterday, he made a simple error. He assumed that the man he met at the Flensheim road was Karl Weber, without checking up on him. Today they're supposed to be meeting again, and this time, Weber - that is, Carter - will go back to Hammelburg with him. So when I turn up and say I'm Eisner, someone Faulmann knows and trusts will be on hand to confirm it."