Hey, I'm back^^
I know it took some time for this chapter, sorry for this. But here it is, have fun reading.
chapter 3 – responsibility
responsibility- the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone (source: Oxford English dictionary)
"What?"
Newkirk heard Baker as he entered the tunnel. He hadn't been able to sleep, he hadn't been able to write, he hadn't been able to stay in the barracks either. So he had decided to visit Baker, who watched the radio while Kinch was away. Newkirk wondered what might have upset Baker.
The radioman listened carefully to the message he was receiving.
"I can't believe that", Baker said.
"What's up?", Newkirk asked. The panic he had suppressed the past hours came back at once.
"The Underground agents who had been at the mission reported that Colonel Hogan and the guys were captured", Baker summarised the message.
"What?", Newkirk exclaimed. He had the right feeling. Now he was shocked. He couldn't really believe what he had heard. And somewhere in his head, he heard the question: What now?
"Who captured them?", he asked. It was important to know everything, even the most unimportant fact. The guv' had always said so. Wait, he isn't dead, Newkirk reminded himself.
"Wehrmacht", Baker answered.
"Not the Gestapo?" Nekirk was surprised. Spies were normally an issue for the Gestapo.
"Not yet, but I think it's just a matter of time", Baker analysed. Then there was silence. Both men were thinking about the problem.
"What if they say anything?", Baker suddenly asked. Newkirk saw fear in his eyes, but he himself was also afraid. The whole operation was in danger. And, more important, his best mates were in danger.
"The Underground also said that they will let us know if the Wehrmacht contacts the Gestapo. And they're preparing to evacuate", Baker slowly added.
"We should do the same", Newkirk realised. How much time do we have? How much time do they have?
"We are going to evacuate the camp?", Baker wondered.
"Not if we can prevent that. Contact the Underground and asked them for details. Who exactly caught the guys, where they are now...everything that's known to them."
Baker smiled. "All right", he answered.
Newkirk went to the ladder. His mind was racing. An evacuation had to be planned, but he also had to think of a way to get the guys back.
He got into the barrack, woke everyone and explained the situation.
"Nobody will come tonight, there was not enough time for the Germans to figure something out. And you know the guv', maybe he'll come up with a crazy plan and the guys are back in the morning. But if we have to evacuate the camp, we must be prepared", Newkirk finished. During his speech, he thought of a solution for an evacuation. "Okay, we'll do it this way. The highest-ranked man in every barrack works on an evacuation plan for everyone in his barrack. They have to take care of fake documents, escape routes and meeting points."
No one argued. Newkirk didn't know if it was because no one had a better idea or because everybody still was too shocked. He didn't care, for he was working on a plan to rescue the guys already. Wait, why do I do so? I'm just a corporal, he suddenly thought. There were indeed many men who outranked him, but when he looked in the faces around him, he saw young men that were forced into war. Like him. The Colonel was their leader. A man all of them had respected. And now the Colonel was away and needed help himself. The men were uncertain. They needed a new leader. And because he had worked with Hogan for so long, Newkirk was the man. He suddenly felt overwhelmed by the responsibility.
"You should sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day", Newkirk proposed. No one protested. No one really slept either. Nevertheless everyone lay quietly in his bunk when Baker finally climbed into the room. He gave a note to Newkirk, who in turn sent Baker to bed.
Newkirk didn't sleep that night. He studied the note Baker gave him. And slowly, a plan started to form in his mind.
"Roll call! Everybody out out out!", Schultz yelled into the room. The men slowly left the barrack and positioned themselves in front of it. Everyone was tired. Additionally, Newkirk had a backache.
The morning was cold but clear. There were few clouds so the sun shone into camp as if everything was fine.
"Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs...", Schultz counted, but then he stopped. "Where is LeBeau, were is Carter, and where is Colonel Hogan?", he asked.
"You forgot Kinch", Newkirk alerted him. Normally the expression on Schultz's face would have made Newkirk laugh, but this was no normal morning. "You remember the little walk around the woods? Looks like the walk is going to be a little longer", he explained emotionless.
"Report!", Klink yelled and came over to the group.
"Herr Kommandant, ehm...there are …. four prisoners missing", Schultz admitted.
Klink at first looked sceptical, then glanced over to the eleven prisoners and finally gave the command to search for the escapees. After that, he came over to the prisoners.
"Where is Colonel Hogan?", he asked angrily.
Where you would never expect him, Newkirk thought. "He's missing."
"I can see that, I mean where is he going?", Klink shouted directly into Newkirk's ear.
Good question. To an execution? After the interrogations, of course. These thoughts nearly made Newkirk cry. The team had been in dangerous situations before. But none was more desperate than this one. Maybe Colonel Hogan could think of a plan. But suppose the guys were forced to speak somehow. In that case, Newkirk would be the only one of the core team to survive. He just wanted to cry. But he didn't. Instead he laughed.
Klink looked distracted. "Why are you laughing?", he asked sharply.
"I don't know. I'd prefer crying, really." Newkirk still chuckled.
"What do you mean?", Klink wondered.
"Colonel Hogan didn't take me with him, so how could I know where he is going?", Newkirk explained. Some dogs barked outside the camp. But they won't find the Colonel.
"Fine. Everybody stays in the barracks", Klink ordered.
"Until?", Newkirk wanted to know.
"Until the war is over!", Klink exclaimed angrily. Then he turned around and walked back to his office.
The prisoners returned to Barrack two. Schultz accompanied them. "When is Colonel Hogan going to come back?", he asked.
"We're working on that", Newkirk replied, wondering if they really had a chance to help before it was to late.
"You will bring him back?", Schultz wondered. Suddenly, everyone in the barrack stared at Newkirk who swallowed.
"You don't want to know this", Newkirk whispered.
"You're right", Schultz confirmed. "Just do it fast, will you?" The guard left and Newkirk closed the door without an answer. Feeling the weight of responsibility sitting on his shoulder and overwhelming him, he turned to the men. "Okay, we'll do it this way..."
responsibility- the feeling that everyone relies on you