With Freitag now gone, and Hogan squeezing Newkirk's hand and wiggling his toes, again, Kinch, Newkirk, Carter, and LeBeau were determined and optimistic about the operation being saved and getting Jerry out of Germany. They were hard at work creating a foolproof plan that would outsmart Klink, Burkhalter, and Hochstetter and would get them to drop the investigation entirely.
In the tunnels, Jerry had a black blanket draped over him, like a cape, and was checking to make sure the coast was clear of anyone. Satisfied, he continued running through the many tunnels trying to locate the exit. He was stopped when he ran into Kinch and Newkirk.
"Colonel, what are you doing?" Kinch ordered.
"I gotta get outta here, Kinch! I'm going mad, I tell you, mad!" Jerry begged. His pupils were dilated and gripping to Kinch's shoulders tightly.
"We know you don't wanna be in here any longer, mate, but we gotta wait, until we have an idea on what we're gonna do with you." Newkirk said, friendly.
"Get me out of here...please, Newkirk!" Jerry pleaded.
"Would a glass of water make you feel better?" Kinch asked, hoping the colonel would say 'yes'.
"Please," Jerry begged.
"Go get him a glass, Newkirk." Kinch said, softly.
"Got 'cha, mate." Newkirk said, and ran off to find a glass of water.
Kinch helped the man down onto a cot and sat down besides him. He could understand the feeling that the man wanted to be free and out of an inclosed space, but knew at the same time it would be a huge threat to their operation, especially now, if they did just some old plan they usually used to get flyers out of Germany.
"You're alright, Jerry...I promise, we're gonna get you out as soon as possible." Kinch said, with a kind smile.
"I need to see Robert...I need to get out of here!" Jerry said, shaking viciously.
"Colonel's just fine; we saw him the other day, and he's getting better and better. Dr. Klaussner thinks he'll even wake up soon, if he keeps up the good progress." Kinch said.
Newkirk came back with a glass of water and holding two pills in his hand. He handed them to Jerry.
"The pills will help you sleep; you'll feel better after a nice nap." Kinch said.
"No, I gotta get out of here. Hide me in Robert's room, just get me out of this tunnel!" Jerry begged.
"I can't, mate; I'm sorry. You'll feel better after taking those pills." Newkirk said, sympathetic.
Jerry sighed and swallowed the pills with a drink of water. The colonel soon relaxed, lay down on the cot, and he fell asleep within a minute.
Both Newkirk and Kinch walked off and upstairs into the barracks. Kinch closed the fake bunk and gestured for LeBeau, Carter, and Newkirk to follow him into Hogan's room. The three did so, closed the door, and listened to their current commanding officer.
"We gotta think of a plan to get Jerry out of Germany and soon. The man's soon enough gonna go crazy from being kept in one area. I read about one of the prisoners from Stalag 7 going crazy from staying in the cooler for too long and tried jumping the front gate getting him shot to death."
"We can't let that happen to Jerry; we won't let it happen to Jerry." LeBeau said, determined to get his friend out of Germany.
"What do we do, Kinch?" Carter asked, sitting in Hogan's chair.
"We need to do something that'll bring Kommandant's, Burkhalter's, and Hochstetter's guard down, and when we do that, boom! We come in and get Jerry out of here." Kinch said. He certainly was not short on ideas, but not one of them seemed plausible in the least.
"We could sneak Jerry into the back of Burkhalter's or Hochstetter's car." Carter suggested.
"It's a good idea, Carter, but with all the guards and gestapo swarming around, one would be bound to catch it, and it's so long to us." Kinch said, as he continued pacing.
"We can't get caught, now. Not when the Colonel's so close to waking up." LeBeau said, strong.
"You're right with that one, Louis. He's so close; we can't get caught now." Carter added.
Kinch smiled.
"Don't worry, guys; Colonel's gonna be just fine. Maybe if we still don't have a plan in a few days, he'll be awake and able to help us out." Kinch said, optimistic.
"Boy, would that be great!" Carter said, beaming.
"But what do we do in the meanwhile, Kinch?" LeBeau asked.
"We think of a plan, just in case that doesn't happen." Kinch replied, and he went back to pacing back and forth Hogan's room.
"We could take someone or something that one of them cares deeply about and hold them hostage." LeBeau said, trying to think.
"We could use Barbara." Carter suggested, as if it were a great idea.
Newkirk smirked, disapprovingly.
"Good luck with that one, mate. It might work for Louis, but certainly not someone like Major Hochstetter. The only thing that man cares about is himself." Newkirk commented back.
Kinch stopped pacing suddenly, snapped his fingers, and turned to the Englishman with a big smile.
"Newkirk, I think you just nailed it on the head!" Kinch cried.
"Wait; what did I say?!" Newkirk exclaimed.
"Hochstetter only cares about himself, and he's the one we want with the most guard down. We could decorate him for a special occasion!" Kinch said, thinking it was brilliant. The rest of his friends were lost and mildly confused.
"Kinch, you're not making any sense." LeBeau said, his brain spinning.
"How's that gonna bring Hochstetter's guard down and allow us to get Jerry out of camp?" Carter asked, unsure of where his friend was taking this.
"Gentlemen, there's a little something that we'll call 'Gestapo Day'." Kinch said, motioning the guys to gather around, so he could lay out his plan.
Two days went by, and Burkhalter and Hochstetter had returned to Stalag 13 to update Klink on how the investigation was going. As much as Klink just wanted the whole thing dropped and over with, so he could move on with his life, he acted like his usual, kiss up self as a way to hide his trembling fear of both men being present in his camp.
Burkhalter, as usual, was the first to arrive to camp. He got out of his car and both luftwaffe men saluted one another.
"General Burkhalter, what a pleasant surprise to have you here, again." Klink said, smiling idiotically.
"Klink," Burkhalter warned.
"I know, I know...shut up, Klink." Klink said, resigned.
Burkhalter scanned in his direction of what the prisoners were doing. They were either walking around and socializing with others, or playing games of football, soccer, or volleyball.
Not too soon afterwards did a gestapo staff car pull up in front of the Kommandantur's. Klink gulped, knowing exactly who had arrived. Hochstetter stepped out of the vehicle, and Klink saluted the gestapo officer. He returned the same salute to the idiotic Kommandant.
"Major Hochstetter, how goes the investigation?" Burkhalter asked.
"Slow; not one new piece of evidence has been found at the investigation sight." Hochstetter groaned.
"So, does that mean the investigation is over?" Klink asked, hoping to God it would be.
"Unlike you, Klink, the gestapo doesn't give up, until an assignment has been completed!" Hochstetter hissed.
Klink shook in his boots and nodded at the major, fearful of his own life. The Kommandant looked around quickly watching the other prisoners and went back to the two German officers visiting, when something hit his mind, and he snapped his eyes immediately back to barracks two. He shook his fist and groaned.
"Sergeant Kinchloe," Klink gasped.
Burkhalter and Hochstetter turned their attention to where Klink was looking and both gaped at the sight they saw. Kinch, Newkirk, LeBeau, Carter, Olsen, Baker, and several other prisoners were surrounding a huge cake, throwing streamers and confetti around, cheering about something in particular. They were all wearing party hats and had balloons taped to the door of the barracks.
"Klink, what do you call this?" Burkhalter demanded.
Klink gulped.
"General Burkhalter, if I knew that answer, I would have told you it already." Klink whimpered. He was praying to God it was not another scheme of his prisoners to get him in trouble with his superiors.
Kinch, Carter, Newkirk, and LeBeau noticed Hochstetter and Burkhalter had showed up. Knowing it was time to work their magic, the four of them ran over cheering and crying 'Major Hochstetter' and stopped right in front of the impatiently growing gestapo officer.
"What is the meaning of all this?!" Hochstetter ordered, glaring at the prisoners.
"Why, sir, I would imagine all of you know what today is, don't you?" Newkirk asked.
"Of course I know what today is." Klink retorted, then quickly realized he had no idea what his prisoners were talking about. "...what is today, again?"
"Nothing of importance to us, Klink." Burkhalter spat.
All four of the prisoners gasped.
"Don't tell me you guys don't know!" Kinch said, shocked.
"How can the Germans not remember their own created holiday?!" LeBeau exclaimed, disappointed with the German officers.
"Holiday; what holiday?" Hochstetter growled.
"Can you believe these guys would forget Gestapo Day?" LeBeau said, leaning to Carter.
"It's a shame, that's for sure." Carter remarked, sadly.
"Gestapo Day," Klink, Burkhalter, and Hochstetter exclaimed.
"The day to celebrate the gestapo and all their fine work they do for Germany? Come on, Kommandant; I was for sure you would remember it!" Kinch said.
"Of course I remember…" Klink started chuckling, then swallowed with fear. How was he not aware of such a holiday? He would have had Schultz go out and get supplies to decorate the entire camp for Hochstetter, had he known of the upcoming celebration.
"Yes, Klink...how did you forget such a holiday?" Hochstetter sneered. He was just as unaware of the holiday as the other two were, but he decided since it was a chance to be glorified by others, he would jump at the chance to have such an opportunity.
Klink gulped and began quivering.
"...I've been very busy, Major." Klink tremored.
Hochstetter turned back to face the prisoners, when Kinch started talking, again.
"And since you're our favorite gestapo officer, we thought 'why not celebrate a fine officer'?"
"That's right, sir. You're the meanest, most ruthless, most intimidating and petrifying gestapo officer we've ever met!" Newkirk said proud.
"Corporal Newkirk, that's enough!" Klink ordered, though his voice was filled with horror of something terrifying about to go down.
Hochstetter turned his head slightly and started blushing.
"You uh...you think so, huh?" Hochstetter asked, bashful.
"Oh, absolutely, Major. No other gestapo officer scares us more." Newkirk insisted, beaming.
"Why, you give me nightmares in my sleep so often, it's like you live here. And let me tell you a thing or two, Major. Why just the other day I…" Newkirk cut of Carter.
"Please, Andrew; don't exhausted the man. He's very busy, you know."
"Would you care for some cake, Major Hochstetter? It's vanilla." LeBeau prodded.
"My favorite," Hochstetter said, smiling. He turned to Klink, but with more malice in his grin, now. "Klink, your prisoners know how to treat the gestapo better than you do."
Klink began laughing, but it quickly took to trembling fear and terror.
Hochstetter was escorted over to the party area, leaving Burkhalter and Klink to discuss amongst themselves.
"Gestapo Day...I've never heard of such a thing." General Burkhalter said, suspiciously watching the prisoners interact with the gestapo major in a friendly matter for once.
"First time I've heard it myself, Herr General." Klink replied.
"Very peculiar I'm hearing of it, now."
Klink gulped.
"Wouldn't you much rather discuss the investigation, General Burkhalter?" Klink whimpered.
Burkhalter turned to Klink and eyed him carefully, then turned back to watch Hochstetter interact with the prisoners of barracks two.
"Foooorrrrr he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow. For he's a jolly good feelllooow, which nobody can deny. That nobody can deny, that nobody can deny. For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow. For he's a jolly good feeellllloooooooow...which nobody can deny!" Kinch, Newkirk, Carter, LeBeau, Olsen, and Baker sang. When the finished, they clapped their hands and cheered for the gestapo officer.
"Thank you, thank you," Hochstetter said, feeling glorified.
"You wanna try a piece of cake, Major? It's really good!" Carter urged.
"No, I think I will save it to share with my fellow commanding crew back at headquarters. If you'll just help me carry the cake to my car, I'll put it on the top of my car and bring it back there, when I leave here." Hochstetter said, friendly. The prisoners had a hard time holding back their real reactions. It was the first time they had ever seen Hochstetter be nice and friendly to others.
Kinch and Newkirk carried the cake and placed it on top of the gestapo staff car. Unknowing to the gestapo major, Jerry was hiding in a secret compartment in the pan that held the cake. After getting it situated, Carter and LeBeau soon joined Kinch and Newkirk, and the four of them threw confetti and streamers over Hochstetter covering the gestapo officer from head to toe. The four prisoners blew into party kazoos and started cheering.
"That's enough, Sergeant Kinchloe." Hochstetter growled, starting to go back to his normal grouchy self.
Knowing not to push it any further, Kinch escorted his men away from Hochstetter back to the party area, leaving the three German officers to themselves.
"Major Hochstetter, I'm so sorry for the outrageous behavior of my prisoners. Punishment will not be overlooked, I promise you." Klink said, as he reached out to brush off the decorations now all over Hochstetter's uniform, hair, and shoes. Hochstetter held up his hand and brushed himself off of the decorations. It did not help much, but it would do, until he got back to Hammelburg headquarters and finish the rest of it.
"No bother, Klink; your prisoners were never properly trained, anyways." Hochstetter sneered.
Klink gulped and shook in his boots.
"Shall we continue our business in your office, Klink?" Burkhalter asked. Klink, however, knew it was not an option.
"Yes, General Burkhalter; excellent idea!" Klink said, giving a smile hiding his obvious fear.
The three Germans entered into the Kommandantur's to continue the matters about the investigation of Hogan's possible involvement of the ball bearing plant explosion.
Hours passed by and after about 7:00 at night, Hochstetter finally left camp. Burkhalter was staying over for a night to discuss more with Klink regarding the current investigation going on. Olsen had been keeping watch and alternating every two hours with Baker. Olsen saw the two German officers leave, closed the door, and walked to the table smiling, where Kinch, Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter were divulged in a game of gin.
"Package has left the post office, Papa Bear." Olsen spoke, proud.
"Men, we did it!" Kinch said, happy.
Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter all started cheering.
"We saved the operation!" LeBeau cheered.
"We can finally go back to normal around here!" Newkirk sighed with relief.
"Whoa, guys; not yet. We still have to get Burkhalter to call off the entire investigation, which I'm not too worried about." Kinch said, shrugging his shoulders innocently.
"Why not, mon ami?"
"Oh, I think our friend Major Hochstetter will take care of that problem for us." Kinch said, with a mischievous grin.