Chapter 19:
Walters got comfy in the chair across from Klink's desk. Schultz stood guard of the door to make sure no one uninvited walked in. Klink was not sure why he had that order in play to begin with. The only person who made surprise visits was now how many miles away in a medical facility fighting for his life. That thought increased his anger, and Klink made his way to his desk chair and sat down facing the lieutenant. He stared coldly at the lieutenant, who he assumed was doing the exact thing back. The old colonel decided to cut to the chase of it all and start from the get go.
"Lieutenant Walters, do you know why I have called you in here?" Klink asked coolly.
Walters raised an eyebrow, irritated that his walk had been put into a 'halt'.
"No, which is why I'm aggravated with my leisurely walk being disturbed." Walters answered calmly. It took all of Walters's control to not lose his cool and strangle the Luftwaffe officer right there and then.
"Walters, it has come to my attention that the prisoners are not typically, eh...fond of you." Klink began.
The lieutenant merely smirked then chuckled softly.
"Kommandant, you're calling me in here to give me a friendly shoulder to lean on? I thought you, out of all Germans, would never be friendly with the enemy." Walters replied cocky.
Klink let out a heavy breath through his nose like a bull about to take charge. He had never met such a smug, arrogant, incompetent man in his life. Hochstetter was more decent than this man. And sure, Hogan had said snarky things to the Kommandant before, but he could always tell it was somewhat friendly and not meant to be taken personally. He sure wished his Senior POW Officer was there now to make this man shut up and listen. Remembering who he was doing this for, Klink collected himself and continued on.
"No, I am not 'lending a friendly shoulder' as you call it," he spat. "Several prisoners have reported to me that you were responsible for the shooting of Colonel Hogan. Is that true, Lieutenant?"
"You're not gonna believe them, are you, Kommandant? They're grieving still over their loss. They need someone to blame and who else will they pick other than the closest target?"
How Klink wished that Hochstetter was back to wipe that smug look of the man's face. The Gestapo officer knew what it took to intimidate a person, and Klink was terrible with frightening people. He tried thinking of everything he had seen the major do to people while interrogating them in his office. Coming up with little, Klink continued to the best of his ability.
"Grief is one thing, Lieutenant. It's another when over twenty prisoners have reported the same story to me time and time again. What they all have been saying is that you pulled out a gun from your jacket and fired it twice at Colonel Hogan shooting him in the abdomen."
He rose from his seat, walked around his desk, and leaned as close as he dared towards the man. He glared at him icy, rage fueling him on the inside.
"Why did you do it, Walters?" Klink asked, making it sound more like an order.
"I didn't," answered Walters.
"AH HA! Liar!" The old Kommandant straightened and turned to look at his sergeant. "Schultz, escort this man to the cooler!"
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz replied firmly. "Let's go! Schnell!"
The fluffy guard grabbed Walters by his arms and lead the man out the door.
Getting an idea coming to his head, Walters stopped and shook his head sadly.
"Have fun with the real killer out there, Kommandant," Walters warned.
"Wait a minute!" Klink stopped Schultz from taking Walters anywhere further. The Kommandant approached the lieutenant and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He was now suspicious with what Walters was referring to. "What do you mean 'have fun with the real killer out there'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, Kommandant. You can lock me up in the cooler all you want, but it won't stop the real man behind this that's still wandering around out there."
"I don't believe you."
"I got a glimpse of the guy before he fled the night Colonel Hogan was shot. He was wearing all black clothing and had dark hair. Having it be dark out, the man was easy to blend in with the rest of the night. Jumped over the wire right as you, Sergeant Schultz, and Corporal Langenscheidt were heading over."
Klink swallowed a sudden knot in his throat. His anger had vanished and suddenly fear had overtaken him.
"You don't mean...the one that killed Corporal Mueller?" Klink shivered.
Walters nodded.
Klink recomposed himself. He was not completely bought yet on the idea.
"How did the man then manage to sneak into camp and plant the weapon used to shoot Colonel Hogan on Private Schneider, then?" The Kommandant questioned.
Walters shrugged his shoulders.
"I couldn't tell you, Kommandant. Same way he snuck into camp and shot Colonel Hogan before. Same way he snuck into camp and murdered Corporal Mueller."
Klink stepped back and again swallowed another knot in his throat. He turned to Schultz, starting to tremor.
"Schultz, let Lieutenant Walters go," Klink ordered, shaky.
The big guard nodded sadly. He gently let go of Walters, who quickly wiped his arms as if he had been infected by some parasite. He saluted extremely sloppy to Klink and made his way out of the Kommandantur to resume his walk around camp.
"HE'S BLOODY LYING, KOMMANDANT!" Newkirk yelled.
"Don't listen to him, Klink!" LeBeau pleaded.
Hearing the door to Klink's office slam shut, Kinch shook his head sadly and unplugged the coffee pot.
"Forget it, guys. Walters smuggled his way out the same way the Colonel would do in tight situations involving him," he said sadly.
"Why if I get my hands on him-!" LeBeau growled and clenched his fists open and shut. He was steaming mad. He had tricked Klink into thinking it was some mad man who had hurt Hogan, and he would not allow Walters to walk away so easy.
"I'll help ya, Louis. Tell me how ya want him gotten rid of." Newkirk snapped.
"Hold it, hold it," Kinch said, holding up his hands. "We're not killing Walters, remember?"
"But, Kinch!" LeBeau cried.
"Look what he did to the Gov'nor!" Newkirk shouted.
"We will honor Colonel Hogan's rules as if he were still here to enforce them himself. Just because he's not here doesn't mean we can start breaking his rules like they meant nothing," Kinch ordered.
Carter sighed sadly.
"Boy, do I miss him," the young sergeant softly said.
"Oui," LeBeau nodded. "I miss him more and more each day. It's not the same here without mon Colonel."
"What are we gonna do without him, mates?" Newkirk asked, depressed.
"Hey. Colonel Hogan isn't gone completely. He's still with us in here," Kinch said, pointing to his heart. He was giving a soft smile, though he wished it was impossible to do so. He missed Hogan just as much as his friends did. Without their commanding officer there, their lives were dark and grim. Their source of sunshine was gone.
"You're right, Kinch. Colonel Hogan will always be with us!" LeBeau replied, proud.
"I'll keep him there for as long as I live," Carter said, giving a small smile. As much as he missed Hogan, thinking about him, his determination, his strength, his kindness, his quick wits and brilliant mind, it made him smile and honored to have known such a wonderful, loving man in his life. No one would ever replace Hogan in his heart and knew that it was the same for his best friends.
"So," Newkirk said awkwardly. "How do we get rid of this parasite, then?"
LeBeau and Carter turned to look at Kinch. They hoped their friend had a plan in mind. If it was not Hogan, Kinch was the one that came up with the clever ideas out of a situation.
"Walters likes to manipulate others into doing terrible things for him, right?" The radioman asked.
Carter scoffed.
"More than manipulate them," the young sergeant mumbled.
"What if we had Walters try and force one of the prisoners to try and kill someone?"
"Kinch, yah've gone bloody balmy!" Newkirk cried.
"Il est devenu fou!" LeBeau exclaimed.
"No one's actually gonna die, guys. 'Cause we're gonna get Klink to see it before it happens." Kinch clarified.
"What do you mean?" Carter asked, confused.
"We'll lure Walters into forcing one of the prisoners into killing another one. As that guy's about to commit the crime, we'll get Klink to see what's happening, and he'll see Walters is a mad man."
"And since Klink will catch him in the act, there's no way he could talk his way out of it!" Newkirk cried, coming to realization.
"Exactly," Kinch said, growing a grin on his face.
"Kinch, you're beautiful, mate!"
"Oui. C'est brilliant!" LeBeau gleamed.
"Boy, I wish I would've thought of that," Carter said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"When do we do it, mon ami?" LeBeau asked, excited.
"In a few days. I'd like to fill London in first on what's happened with the Colonel." The radioman answered crossing his arms. "I haven't had much time to radio them and notify them with everything that's been going on recently."
"How do you think General Berkman's gonna take it?" Newkirk wondered.
"He and mon Colonel are good friends." LeBeau added.
"I know. Which is why I'm worried about telling him," Kinch said.
"He'll find out eventually, mate," Newkirk pointed out.
Kinch nodded.
"I know, Newkirk. Just wish I knew what I was gonna say." He answered.
"Just say what happened. That's all you can do," LeBeau said.
The radioman nodded.
"Alright. I'm gonna do that right now...wish me luck."
"Good luck," Newkirk, Carter, and LeBeau said simultaneously.
Kinch walked out of Hogan's office, leaving his three friends to themselves.
"How do you think London's gonna handle hearing the news?" LeBeau asked.
"It's a tricky call to make, Louis," Newkirk said, crossing his arms.
"You think they'll make us send Walters back to London instead of what we have planned?" Carter questioned.
"Possibly," the Englishman said.
"Which means what if that happens?" LeBeau asked.
"We're gonna be in big trouble."
(1) Il est devenu fou - 'He's gone mad!' in French.
(2) Oui. C'est brilliant - 'Yes. It's brilliant!' in French.