Sergeant Hans Schultz stood in relaxation against the camp gates, enjoying the peace of the night while it lasted.
He knew that some kind of monkey business had been going on amongst the prisoners, considering the huge explosion that had occurred earlier, leading to all those soldiers who were out wandering in the woods; whether they appeared to have been out of camp or not, he was sure it was them. It had certainly woken Klink up, and now he was trying to get on the phone with anyone who could tell him what had happened.
Speaking of Klink, the big shot was very on edge lately, mainly because he knew that General Burkhalter was in town. Schultz had heard that he was planning on showing up in camp at some point to make sure, in his words, "that you haven't given me further reason to despair of our ever winning this war."
Therefore, Klink wanted Schultz to be extra careful about making sure no prisoner had escaped from Stalag 13, or that they had even been attempting an escape attempt.
The big man drummed nervous fingers on the barrel of his rifle, worrying.
Colonel Klink hadn't ordered an inspection yet, but he probably would soon, and for their sakes Schultz hoped everyone would be present and accounted for.
Fritz stepped forward, brandishing the knife with the look of a hunter about to make the final blow.
Carter promptly squeezed his eyes shut.
It's just like going to the dentist. You just close your eyes so you won't see what he's doing to you, lie back and relax, and before you know it he's done.
And it's all over.
He felt one bratwurst hand closing around his wrist, the sting of the blade digging into the flesh of his pinky finger-
"Wait."
There was a pause, and then the knife was gone, and his wrist was being released.
Carter opened his eyes, warily.
Hochstetter was looking down at him thoughtfully, one hand tapping his chin as he stared down at the tech sergeant.
Then he smiled, which was not overly encouraging.
"I have a better idea."
"Clearly," Hochstetter went on, "you have the strength of will not to crack, no matter what we do to you."
Carter didn't like the way he emphasized the word "you."
"But," and here the smile became even more malicious, "what if I were to bring back one of your friends, and subject them to the same sort of treatment?"
Despite trying to stay expressionless, Carter must have betrayed himself somehow-a widening of the eyes or something.
Hochstetter leaned close, eyes triumphant again. His breath smelled awful.
"Maybe the little Frenchman-Sergeant Brachmorder would have plenty of fun with him."
Inwardly Carter bristled. Hochstetter was hardly a giant himself; he had no right to be making fun of Lebeau's height.
"Or perhaps the big mouth Britisher-he has very light fingers, I've heard. It would be a pleasure to watch them getting cut off, one by one."
Sweat trickled down the prisoner's back.
"Or even the biggest fish of them all: Papa Bear himself. Whoever I choose, though, I imagine that if you had to spend some time listening to each other scream…" he finally pulled back, "eventually one of you would tell me all that I want to know."
He gestured to Fritz (or Sergeant Brachmorder, or whatever Carter was supposed to call him), who had replaced the knife, and together they climbed the stairs of the cellar. Before the door closed, Carter heard Hochstetter say, "Let nobody enter this room but me. When I return, let me know if he has talked."
Then it shut, and Carter was alone in the dark.
At first, Hochstetter was all for going straight to Stalag 13 and telling that idiot who claimed to run the place that one of his prisoners was missing, and he was taking another one for questioning. But as he was leaving and stalking towards his staff car, he had another thought.
He knew (naturally) that General Burkhalter was in town, no doubt claiming to be on business while he was really philandering with some lovely, gullible fraulein.
It would be delightful to bring him to camp as well, and show incontestable proof that he had been right all along about Colonel Hogan.
(To be read in a jarring minor chord) Dum DUM DUMMMMMM!