Eventually, Hochstetter's car rolled through the gates of the infamous Stalag 13. To all appearances, the condition of the Stalag seemed normal. The power was on, guards walking their rounds, gates had been closed, and no prisoners running about. Hochstetter's anger nearly boiled over. He had been called out of bed and all the way out here in this wretched weather for nothing?
Kilnk had better have the prisoners back in their barracks and the instigators arrested and in his office!
His car stopped right outside the Kommandants building and Hochstetter stiffly made his way up the porch while his guards swiftly followed. Slamming the door open relieved a small amount of his anger. Making his way through to the inner office he found nobody there. Hochstetter wanted to rip the entire building apart and stomp it into the ground.
Immediately he turned and stormed back outside and around to Klink's quarters. The door should have burst into flames with the waves of anger rolling off him. This time there was no anger relieved by slamming the door off its hinges. Seeing Klink bolt upright off his couch only heaped fuel on the raging fire that was Hochstetter.
"Klink!" he roared "There had better be prisoners loose for your own sake!"
Klink cowered under Hochstetter's gaze. For now, the pain in his side was overwhelmed by immeasurable anger.
A roll call was held and all prisoners were found to be accounted for. The guards all stated that they had seen nothing other than normal...naturally. Eventually, by four o'clock in the morning, the camp fell back into its quiet routine to sounds of Hochstetter verbally assaulting their Kommandant inside his own office.
Hochstetter knew better than to physically take his anger out on the incompetent Colonel visibly shriveling before him. Doing so would put him in General Burkhalter's war path and he most certainly didn't want that. If it wasn't for the ruthless General, Klink would be in one of his concrete cells where nobody could hear his pathetic screaming.
"I had better not ever get called out here for nothing again Klink." Hochstetter growled, finally lowering his volume " If I do even General Burkhalter won't be able to save you and your men from me."
With that Hochstetter stormed back out into the cold night. He almost expected the light drizzle that was now falling to turn into steam on contact with his shoulders. The black car pulled up directly in front of him and stopped just right so he just had to open the door and step in. The ride back to town allowed him some time to cool off and plan his day which would inevitably start the moment he got back.
Instead of going back to his apartment as he wished to do, he told his driver to take him to Gestapo headquarters. When stepping out of the car his scar decided to remind him it was still there and he repressed the wince that threatened to show on his face. Simply resting his hand over his stomach he made his way inside and up to his office.
Finally on the third floor, Hochstetter unlocked his office, stepped inside, and shut the door by leaning his back on it. What he saw brought him to a pause immediately. His office was an absolute mess. Someone had gotten in during the night and ransacked everything. The thieves had obviously been looking for something specific since the locked drawers of his desk had been forcibly pried open. Stepping over the scattered papers and smashed desk ornaments he inspected his desk further. Every single scrap of paper had been gone through and the new rocket plans that had been stored there were gone.
Two younger guards and another major opened Hochstetter's office door and swept in.
"Your office as well Hochstetter! They stole my half of the rocket plans from my desk! My wall safe was untouched and the fake set of plans are still there!" The other Major put a hand to his forehead "How in the world did they know where to look? It had to have been an inside job!"
Hochstetter spared the other Major a small glance. His wall safe was untouched as well. Normally Hochstetter would be beyond irrate but something told him he should feel lucky instead.
Hochstetter strode across to his bookshelf and grabbed a blue leather-bound book. Grabbing it by the spine he let the pages hang loose when he shook it. A few firm shakes produced a thin stack of folded papers. He picked them up and held them out in front of him.
"You...Your half...you hid them!" The other Major let out a hysterical bark of laughter "How! How did you know?"
Hochstetter took a moment to answer.
"I find that repetition is often a mistake when dealing with Americans." Hochstetter said quietly.
The other Major began to laugh and Hochstetter found himself smiling once again.
I hope you enjoyed this little story! Several other German officers also had wound badges as well so I plan on continuing this series very soon. Keep an eye out for my next installment!