Chapter 20:

Kinch sat at the radio table with his headset on reviewing what he would tell Berkman. The old general was fond of Hogan and had been a reason that their commanding officer had obtained his current ranking status. Hearing the news that his health was in critical condition would kill the old man. He had to do it, though. After everything Berkman had done for them, he owed him that much.

Sighing, he turned to the correct channel and asked for London to come in.

"Papa Bear to Mama Bear, Papa Bear to Mama Bear, come in, Mama Bear."

Kinch did not have long to wait.

"Mama Bear here. What do you need, Papa Bear?"

"In need to speak with General Berkman. It's rather urgent."

"Hold for one minute, Papa Bear."

Kinch sat there in silence for a while. He tapped his fingertips on the wooden table waiting for someone to pick up. Just as he was about to turn off the radio, it crackled and a familiar voice came through.

"General Berkman speaking."

Kinch smiled small.

"It's Sergeant Kinchloe, General," the radioman said.

"Sergeant, how are you doing?"

Kinch sighed.

"Things have been better, General. I can say that for sure."

"Something wrong over there?"

"Actually, General, yes. Something's very wrong."

"What is it, Sergeant?"

The radioman swallowed. Here came the hard stuff. He had to break it to Berkman gently. He hated to tell the friendly general the news, but he needed to know.

"General, Colonel Hogan was shot twice in the stomach about a week and a half ago. He's currently at a hospital in Berlin in a coma. His chances of surviving do not look well as of now. He's lost a lot of blood, and Camp Medic Wilson believes there may be a blood clot somewhere in his lungs due to his gunshot wounds."

Kinch did not hear anything for a long while. At one point, he was worried the old man keeled over from the news. Eventually, his fear got the best of him.

"General Berkman, are you there, sir?"

Berkman gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm here, Sergeant," he sadly said.

"I'm sorry to break the news to you like this, General, but we all thought you deserved to know. Colonel Hogan would have wanted you to know, too."

"I know, Sergeant. I'll be alright...it's just...hearing this about Robert...it's heartbreaking. He's a good man with a good future ahead of him."

"Colonel Hogan's the best guy a person could know. No one could take his place."

"I agree. Sergeant Kinchloe, as of now, I am making you head of the operation. Depending on how Robert's condition progresses, I will either return seniority to him once he has recovered, or…" Berkman stopped. Kinch could hear the hesitant and pain in his voice. The radioman felt sorry for the older gentlemen. Hogan was basically a son to the man. Whenever they needed someone to pull through for them in London, Berkman was always there at the drop of the dime. He did whatever he could possible to make sure the guys at Stalag 13 could successfully do their jobs and get along for their time being prisoners of war.

"General, it's alright. We don't need to discuss that possibility right now if you don't want to," Kinch said softly. He wanted to make it as easy on the general as possible.

"I'll be alright as I said before, Sergeant. Just a lot to take in right now is all."

"I couldn't agree with you more, General."

"Is there anything else?"

Kinch thought for a while. Perhaps Berkman knew something on Walters that could help them get rid of the lieutenant. It was worth a try, at least.

"Actually, General, yeah. Do you by chance know anything about a Lieutenant Richard Walters in the USA Army Air Corps?"

"Walters...sounds familiar, but I can't put a face to the name. Why do you ask?"

"He's been causing quite a bit of trouble here for us, General. We believe him to be a sociopath."

"My God...are you alright? Are the others?"

"Everyone's fine, General."

"Do you want me to send a plane out there for him? I can have him gladly transferred to a mental hospital here in London."

"It's a nice offer, General, but it's too dangerous for us and the operation to do so. This man is extremely dangerous. For what reasons, I don't know. Only Colonel Hogan knew the answer to that."

"What do you plan on doing to get rid of him, then?"

"I've got an idea in mind, but it's too difficult of a situation to discuss over the radio."

"I understand. Just be careful is my only order. I can't have another one of you end up like Robert is currently."

Kinch smiled. That was one of the things he loved about Berkman. He always put them first.

"Don't worry, General. We'll be safe."

"If you say so, Sergeant. And do not say one word of the operation to this Walters that's causing a problem over there."

"You sound like the Colonel."

Berkman could be heard softly chuckling.

"We think a lot alike, Sergeant."

"I guess so."

"You guys take care, and I'll look into finding out more about this Lieutenant Walters. It's a good thing I'm not there to handle him, let's just say. General Berkman out."

"Papa Bear over and out."

Kinch took off the headset and carefully lay it on the table in front of him. It had gone better than he had expected, but there still remained Walters as a problem. If his plan did not go through fully, another innocent man would die from the natural disaster known as Lieutenant Richard Walters. Kinch could not allow another life to die. Captain Fischer had died from Walters. Corporal Mueller died from Walters. Hogan was, as of now, more than certain to die from Walters. Now Private Schneider would die because of Walters. There was also Carter, who was forever mentally scarred from Walters and what he had done to him.

The man needed to be stopped now before another life was lost because of him. Kinch was determined, and he was certain the others were, too, on putting an end to this nightmare once and for all. They had to for Captain Fischer. For Corporal Mueller. For Private Schneider. And most of all, they had to end it for Colonel Hogan. Walters would not walk away without punishment after what he had possibly taken from them forever. Hogan's name would not go unavenged.

Kinch rose to his feet and was about to climb back up into the barracks, when he stopped and saw Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter standing there looking at him. Their faces were filled with concern and worry.

"What did General Berkman say, Kinch?" Carter asked, breaking the silence.

The radioman sighed and crossed his arms.

"He wasn't too happy about the Colonel's current condition, but he took it pretty well." Kinch answered.

"Poor guy," Newkirk sadly said.

"He and mon Colonel are good friends with each other." LeBeau added.

"Did he say anything about Walters, mate?" Newkirk asked.

"He said he was going to look into it and see what he could do, but to be careful with handling the situation. He doesn't want another person hurt because of this guy." Kinch answered.

"Filthy bosche," LeBeau grumbled.

"Wish I could strangle the man. Watching him cry out for mercy would be the greatest joy of this entire situation." Newkirk hissed, cracking his knuckles.

"Kinch, I wanna see him pay for what he did to Colonel Hogan. I won't stand here and let him get away with this like he did with Captain Fischer," Carter said, determined.

"Don't worry, Carter. After Klink catches Walters in the act with our plan, he's gonna be begging to deal with Major Hochstetter." Kinch spoke, his voice hiding a bit of callousness in it.

"The sooner we do this thing, the better." Newkirk answered.

"Let's wait to do it until we hear back from General Berkman. Who knows; maybe he'll have more information for us to use against Walters," Kinch said.

"Kinch, you think this'll work?" Carter asked.

"It better, or I'm gonna have something to say about it," Newkirk remarked, nasty.

"Don't worry, Newkirk...we'll get him. Believe me, we'll get him," Kinch said firmly.