A/N: Everyone's gonna hate me with this chapter. Just fair warning.
Chapter 6:
Hogan's men sat around the table watching their commander pace back and forth while trying to think of an idea on how to spring Klink. With the orders now of no one to go near the cooler, his original plan was now ruined. So far, he was getting very little. Either his idea made no sense, or it was too impractical to pull off. He eventually grew frustrated, let out a breath of distress, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Nothing yet, Sir?" Kinch asked, trying to bring Hogan out of his thoughts.
"Not a thing," he answered. "We have to find that guard that made the phone call to Hochstetter. We can't save Klink without doing so...Newkirk, how's that list coming along?"
"Almost finished, Sir. I just need to sneak into Klink's office tonight and write the last five down," the Englishman said.
"Good. As soon as we get that list complete, we can start listening to each of the guards' voices. Newkirk, you start with Sergeant Kristman. Kinch, you take Corporal Kohler. Carter with Sergeant Schmidt, and LeBeau, you take Sergeant Richter."
"Why do I have to have Monsieur Ironsides?!" LeBeau exclaimed.
"Be thankful you don't have Sergeant Schmidt. Last time I tried talking to him he threatened to shoot my eyes out." Carter commented.
"You were asking the man to open the front gate and let you out for a breather," Newkirk said, gruff.
"Well I wasn't gonna wander off! I even said he could come along if he wanted to."
Kinch shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Andrew, you're certainly a card," the radioman said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The young sergeant remarked, as if he had just been insulted.
Hogan was about to bring his men back on track, when rapid door knocking was heard. The colonel hurried towards the door and let in Kalina, who at that point, was completely out of breath.
"Kalina, are you alright?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
As much as she tried to speak, poor Kalina could not get anything out other than short, hard gasps. She wrapped her left arm around her middle to keep herself from collapsing.
"Louis, get her a glass of water," Kinch said, standing up and making his way to Kalina's left.
"Oui, Kinch," LeBeau said, and rushed to the sink with an empty, clean glass. He filled it with cold water and handed it to the young girl.
Kalina took it gratefully and had a long gulp. When she finished, she handed the glass back to the little Frenchman and gave a small smile.
"Danke," she said softly.
"De rien, ma petite ami." LeBeau answered.
"You alright there, kiddo? You look like you were just running for your life," Kinch said, gently rubbing Kalina's shoulder.
"I know who made the phone call to Major Hochstetter. I know who framed Papa," the young Klink said.
"Who?" Hogan asked, putting a fist on his hip.
"Schumann. Sergeant Richard Schumann."
"Sergeant Schumann. You mean that guard that's always giving Klink an attitude?" Carter asked.
"Ja. That's him. Tall, gray-brown hair, scary, dark blue eyes...that guy," Kalina answered.
"But why would one of Klink's own guards make up such a story? I know some of the guards are resentful towards Colonel Klink, but why go so far as to getting him a firing squad sentence?" LeBeau asked, crossing his arms.
"I don't know, but I heard him say it word for word. He wants Papa killed and hopes to get a promotion for his good deed. Even hopes he'll get made the new kommandant of Stalag 13."
"You're sure you heard what you did," Hogan said.
Kalina grabbed the slip of notebook paper from her coat pocket and handed it to the American.
"I transcribed everything he said to himself," she said.
Hogan took the slip of paper and read everything Kalina had heard. It was very detailed, exact wording, and even had hand gestures noted in. He was impressed with the child's work and could tell right away this was way too descriptive to be made up. He grew a grin on his face and turned back to his youngest ally.
"Kalina, you might have just gotten what we need to spring your father," he said, proud.
The response he got was a bright smile and twinkling blue eyes.
"Wait, Colonel," Newkirk said, stepping in. "How are we gonna get Burkhalter and Hochstetter to believe us? We're the enemy, and Kalina's a child. They'd never take us seriously."
Klink's daughter gave a grin of mischief.
"I know just the person to help us," she said.
"Framed?" Langenscheidt gasped, standing guard in front of barracks nine. He was baffled hearing what Kalina was telling him. How could anyone frame Klink for anything? Sure he was a bit demanding and pompous at points, but he was not a mean man. In fact, he was probably the only nice military officer he could think of.
"By Sergeant Schumann," Kalina continued.
"But why would Sergeant Schumann do such a thing?"
"He wants a promotion to lieutenant and hopefully to be made the new kommandant of Stalag 13."
"Are you sure it was Sergeant Schumann that said these things?"
"Oh, please, Langenscheidt. General Burkhalter and Major Hochstetter won't believe me if I bring this to their attention. Even with this transcription of what I heard him say my case will still be dismissed. You're my Papa's only hope, Langenscheidt, they'll believe in you if you report it with the transcript."
The corporal gently took the paper in Kalina's hands and read it for himself. Word for word, hand gestures included, and time and place she heard Schumann speaking. He could tell just by looking at the transcript this was not made up. Not even the greatest con artist could pull off such detail.
Once he had finished reading, Langenscheidt gave a serious look and nodded firmly.
"Ja. I will report this to General Burkhalter and Major Hochstetter tonight after patrol duty," he said sincerely.
The young girl smiled wide and gave Langenscheidt a big hug. The man was her best friend and loved him like a big brother. She confided in him with everything and knew that he would be the perfect person to prove her father's innocence.
"Danke, Langenscheidt. I knew I could trust you," she said, leaning her head into the corporal's chest.
Langenscheidt smiled back and held Kalina close.
"I will get your father out. Das verspreche ich," he answered.
The two continued to hug one another, completely oblivious to someone listening in on their conversation. The dark figure walked off from behind barracks nine and began making his own plans for tonight. If he was lucky, Langenscheidt would never step foot into Klink's office.
Evening soon settled, and nighttime was upon the prisoners and guards of Stalag 13. Burkhalter was inside Klink's office trying to contact Berlin, Hochstetter was patrolling around camp for anything or anyone suspicious, the prisoners were either inside resting or outside playing night games, and Kalina was with Hogan and his men playing a game of gin.
Langenscheidt observed the prisoners every once and awhile, then he continued his patrol duty. He was about to go do a security check around barracks eleven, when his close friend, Sergeant Ernst Kristman, came to his side.
"Langenscheidt," he called.
The corporal in question turned his attention to his left to where Kristman was standing.
"General Burkhalter wants you to go outside the wire and look for anything suspicious in the area," the sergeant said.
"Jawohl, mein Freund. I will do that immediately." Langenscheidt answered.
"Karl, the order came from Sergeant Schumann...something's going on with him, but I don't know what it is. It isn't good is all I know."
"We won't have to worry about him after tonight."
"What do you mean?"
Langenscheidt was about to explain everything Kalina had told him earlier, when Burkhalter peeked out the window and yelled at them.
"Langenscheidt! Kristman! Quit your rambling and get back to your posts!"
"Jawohl, mein General," the corporal answered, with a salute.
"I'll come with you," Kristman said, grabbing Langenscheidt's arm.
"I will be alright. Really," Langenscheidt said.
"You're sure?"
"Ja. I will holler if I need something."
The sergeant nodded, not pleased with the situation, but respected his friend's wishes.
"Sei vorsichtig, Karl. I don't trust Schumann anymore even in the slightest," he said softly.
Langenscheidt smiled and nodded, then made his way outside the front gate and began patrolling from the outside.
Not far off, Schumann was doing a security check around barracks five. He took his flashlight and went around the building searching the area. Nothing seemed out of order. Satisfied, he turned off his flashlight and began making his way to barracks nine, when he saw something strange outside the gate. He saw a shadowy figure running and trying to get Hochstetter's side. Fearing for the safety of the Gestapo officer, Schumann began yelling a command in German.
"Feuer! Feuer deine Waffen! Gefahr, Gefahr!"
One of Hochstetter's men, a young lieutenant, wondered what all the shouting was all about and saw the same dark figure Schumann had seen near his commanding officer. The lieutenant steady his pistol and struggled to find the right area to aim. If he fired too far to the left, he would hit Hochstetter. However, if he fired too far right, it would miss the suspect and possibly injure someone else.
With his hand shaking and adrenaline pumping furiously inside his blood veins, the lieutenant closed his eyes and fired his pistol. The dark figure was hit, grabbed at his chest, and collapsed to the ground.
"Was ist los?! Cease fire!" Hochstetter barked.
The lieutenant who fired hurried to his commander's side, looked down to see what the intruder looked like, and gasped in horror.
"Ach nein! It can't be!" He cried.
Lying unconscious on the ground with blood oozing out of his chest was no one other than Langenscheidt. His head was turned to the right, and his left arm rested over his middle. (1)
"Lieutenant, are you out of your mind?!" Hochstetter demanded.
"I'm sorry, Herr Major. I heard the orders to fire and saw a strange figure running after you!" The young Gestapo officer rambled.
Hearing the gunfire, Hogan and Kalina hurried out of barracks two, looked in the direction the three men were in and sprinted over. Seeing who was down, both Hogan and Kalina's eyes dilated in size.
"Langenscheidt!" The girl screamed, and knelt down by his side. The American soon joined her on the ground and tried to see where Langenscheidt was injured.
"Please, Fraulein Klink, I did not mean to hurt him. I saw a strange man and heard orders to fire." The lieutenant pleaded.
"You shot Langenscheidt!" Kalina sobbed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I just didn't want to hit Major Hochstetter!"
"I'd rather you'd shot Hochstetter!"
Hogan took his hands and gently placed them on Langenscheidt's shoulders, trying to bring him back into consciousness.
"Langenscheidt...Langenscheidt...come on, buddy, wake up. Wake up, Langenscheidt, wake up," Hogan said, soft.
He received no response.
Soon Wilson came running from the infirmary and made his way over to check out his patient.
"He's not breathing, Colonel Hogan." Kalina bawled.
The camp medic lightly shoved the colonel from Langenscheidt and started performing CPR.
"WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE?!" Burkhalter's voice bellowed into the night. The general made his way to the scene and gasped. "What did you do to Corporal Langenscheidt?"
"Herr General, it was an accident. I didn't mean to shoot Corporal Langenscheidt I swear! I heard someone give orders to fire, please believe me, Herr General!" The lieutenant begged. If the corporal died, he could possibly be charged with treason or worse.
"Hochstetter, I want this man stripped of his firearms at once. Put him on patrol duty and have him monitored at all times!" Burkhalter ordered.
"Jawohl, Herr General," Hochstetter said.
After a few more rounds of CPR, Wilson got Langenscheidt to breathe on his own again, but it was faint and rapid.
"I need to perform emergency surgery on him now! That bullet hit his heart," the camp medic said, with urgency. "Help me carry him, Colonel."
Wilson and Hogan lifted Langenscheidt carefully off the ground and rushed to the infirmary with Kalina following from behind.
As the three continued running, Kalina noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to the right and saw Schumann watching everything happening. An eerie grin grew on the man's face at the sight of Langenscheidt being carried off to emergency surgery.
With a light bulb going off in her head, the young Klink knew exactly who gave the orders to open fire. Her eyes glowed in the night with fury while glaring at Schumann. She promised herself that as soon as Langenscheidt was in stable condition, she was going to make sure that the rogue sergeant paid for his actions. Big time.
(1) I promise Langenscheidt does not die!