After his conversation with Major Floyd, Radar was intent on forgetting what he heard, had it not been for Colonel Potter and his want of information. After quickly relaying what he had overheard the major tell him, the colonel did not seem all that interested anymore. He rubbed his chin forlornly and would not answer Radar anything, only waving a hand in dismissal after the story was finished. Then, and only then, did Radar hear the phone ring in the other room. It was relief almost, a return to normalcy, but it was better when he heard Hawkeye in his ears.
"Hawkeye, is that really you?" Radar hissed, knowing that anyone of Major Floyd's men might be around the corner. "Where are you?"
"Who else would it be?" Hawkeye sounded like he was laughing, but Radar could not tell. "Hey, listen, I need your help. I can't tell you where we are, but I'm hoping you can still help us here."
"Anything." Radar was adamant about forgetting about Floyd and even Colonel Potter somewhat. "What do you need?"
"Get us back here somehow. We have the evidence to set everyone free and get Major Floyd in the stockade."
"Gee willikers!" Radar yelled happily without thinking. "Are you pulling my leg, Hawkeye?"
"Is that Pierce?!" Colonel Potter called out from his office, excited at long last, with some hope in his heart. "YA-HOO!"
"Oh, geez, Colonel, you'll get us –"
"I don't care, give me that phone, Son." Colonel Potter ran from his office and immediately took the phone out of Radar's hands. "Pierce, is that really you? Tell me! What's happening on your end? Do you have something?"
"Well, Colonel, it's a long story, but I'm sure you and Radar are sure to get Major Floyd involved a little too early if you don't quiet it down," Hawkeye remarked, a little annoyed. "Look, Colonel, I don't have much time. We somehow need to get this paperwork to someone over Floyd's head."
"What paperwork?" Potter was confused.
"This paperwork that the CIA gave me," Hawkeye replied casually, as if it was everyday someone had paper from the agency. "It's proof that Floyd was the killer of both Winifred Curtis and Aaron Church. There's also something in here about him framing Margaret because her father turned his in for something called treason."
"Now, how in blazes did those cowboys get a hold of that horse? We knew some of that, but there was nothing in there that we could have knocked out the good major himself."
"Well, I would guess that the CIA was looking into him, as well as that Nazi organization that everyone was in on, but that would assume too much. What do you think though, Colonel? How do we get this to you or someone higher up?"
"Colonel, Sir, can you please send me back here when this is all over?" Klinger interjected before Hawkeye took the phone away from him. "I love Tokyo!"
"Pierce, you tell that Lebanese lady that he can have all the damned time he pleases when he is cleared of all charges," Colonel Potter exclaimed, yelling too loudly that Major Floyd's men soon found a reason to investigate what was going on, just as they were ordered to take Radar in later that day.
Suddenly, the door opened and Radar and Colonel Potter soon found the end of two guns in their faces. Dropping the phone slowly when silently motioned to, the two stood up as the guns followed their every move. Their hands also went up in the air.
"Colonel, are you ok over there?" Hawkeye's worried voice yelled. "Are you there?"
"Sir, what's going on?" Kellye was heard to say.
One of the guards, Pyle, put his gun down and picked up the phone. "Captain Pierce, you are one wanted man. Where are the others?"
Hawkeye was silent on the other end.
"Listen to me and listen to me carefully," Pyle said. "My name is Sergeant Hank Pyle. I know who you are and probably where you are, all in thanks to Wright and Wellington. They might be able to catch you and haul your ass in once this line is traced back to your hotel or whatever, but I'm sure that me and Sergeant Gaines here can help you along the way."
"Son, he's not on the other line anymore," Colonel Potter tried, but was soon quiet when Gaines put his gun closer to Radar's face.
"Now, are you willing to hear me out?" Pyle continued. "My uncle is General John Q. Pyle, US Army. He's up at the front lines, always willing to lend a hand and see that justice is served, especially where Major Floyd is concerned. He's been watching the major for years now, knowing what happened to his father. He sent me and Gaines down here to look into what happened and to report back to him. We've got nothing but two murders with two bodies that haven't been sent out yet. Now, you let us have you and we can settle this out, once and for all. If you have anything that can nail Floyd to a wall, let it out now."
Hawkeye continued his silence, scared of what to do next. He was afraid of letting them know where they were, but at the same time, his words were almost a dream come true for him and the others. The question was whether to trust him or not and whether his relations were what they needed or not. Hawkeye could not make this decision out on his own, knowing that his precious cargo – campmates and evidence combined – weighed heavily on his shoulders already.
"Ok then, Captain, let's make a deal. If you want to trust me and Gaines, we'll give you five minutes. If we don't hear back from you through this phone, we'll know that you gave up. If we do, I have a plan that would get you here back to Korea and all of you innocent of all charges pending. The trials in Seoul, set for the day after tomorrow, will be cancelled."
Radar gulped audibly.
"Remember that we're going to be leaving with Major Houlihan and Father Mulcahy tonight," Pyle informed Hawkeye. "The others in the camp will follow suite, once Major Floyd gets those charges to stick. And once he does, there will be nowhere in the world you and the others can hide."
With that, the line went dead. Pyle then turned back to Colonel Potter and Radar, motioning that Gaines lower his gun with his hands. "I'm sorry, Sir, but we could not tell you until there was an open window. We were under orders from General Pyle, my uncle."
"I understand, Son," Colonel Potter replied, relaxing a little when he saw the truth in the younger man's eyes. "Now, I just hope that Pierce understands the same. Now, care to explain to this old man what is going on, hmm?"
~00~
Hawkeye stared at the phone for a long time before turning to the others.
"What happened, Pierce?" Charles asked tartly. "Cat finally got your tongue?"
"No, but I think we got our opportunity to return to Korea without the chains," Hawkeye replied, putting the phone back in its cradle. "We have five minutes to call back and give an answer and we have to make this quick."
"On what?" Kellye asked.
"Who's helping us now?" BJ then asked afterward.
"Believe it or not, it sounds like someone who is working under Major Floyd, but is looks to be dissatisfied and reporting on him," Hawkeye remarked. "Margaret and Father Mulcahy are going to Seoul tonight and awaiting trial there. We can accept some assistance from the Uijongbu sector or think of something else."
"I say, we need all the help we could have," Charles admitted, sitting up in his chair. "I mean, who did you talk to?"
The question unnerved BJ. "Who cares who he talked to? I say, let's do it."
"Me too," Klinger admitted. "Well, who did you talk to, Captain?"
"Sergeant Pyle?" Hawkeye wrinkled his forehead, trying to remember the name.
"Say, there's a general with the same name," Kellye said.
"Yeah, he said the general was his uncle." Hawkeye was quiet for a minute. "So, we are in or out?"
When there was a mutual silence, Klinger turned to Hawkeye. "Make the call, Sir," he said. "If this isn't what was expected, at least we all went down the ship together."