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Weaving A Web To Freedom

Book Three: Fliegerabwehrkanonen Spells FLAK

Chapter 1

An Unexpected Guest

Got to hide…getting tired.

Steam was escaping into the cold air as the warm blood oozed through his shirt. Breathing hard and looking for his escape, he dodged the search lights from Stalag 13 and listened to the sound of barking dogs echoing through the trees and getting closer.

Where is that entrance. Searching the landscape, he tried to get his bearings.

There, that's it! Silently he melted into the dark opening as the lid closed behind him.

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The Gestapo staff car threw dirt into the air as it slid to a stop outside of Barrack Two. A truck full of Gestapo guards squealed to a halt behind it.

"Follow me!" The Gestapo Major shouted as he jumped out of the back of the car and stormed through the dust wafting in the air. Slamming open the barrack door, he flicked on the light and stood in the middle of the stark room bellowing.

"Everybody up!"

Spinning around, he headed for the door leading to the senior POW's room, which opened before he could reach it emitting a slightly rumpled American Colonel.

"What's going on out here? Who's making all the noise?"

"You know what's going on, Hogan!" Hochstetter accused, and then quickly turned back to the open barrack door as Kommandant Klink stumbled into the barrack.

Hogan tensed as he took in the scene unfolding in front of him. Gestapo, in the middle of the night? Never a good sign.

"Major Hochstetter what are you doing here?" Klink demanded, his uniform disheveled from dressing on the run.

"We surprised an Underground meeting tonight at a barn not far from here."

Hochstetter turned back to look at Hogan.

"Several of the Underground broke and ran. One of the men was shot and we followed the blood up to your Stalag, Herr Kommandant. It looks like one or more of your prisoners are taking late night strolls."

"What are you hiding, Colonel Hogan?" Hochstetter demanded as he tore his gaze away from the American Colonel and looked around the room at the other prisoners stumbling from their bunks.

Looking back at the senior POW officer he announced to the Kommandant, "I want you to have these men searched. One of them is hiding a gunshot wound."

Hogan shot a fleeting glance at Kinch, who appeared to be in deep thought. Someone is in the tunnel and in need of help.

Schultz arrived out of breath and anxiously gazed around trying to piece together what was happening.

"Now?" Klink wailed, "It's two o'clock in the morning!"

"NOW, Herr Kommandant, or it won't be just a prisoner that is wounded!" Hochstetter threatened.

"Major, these men have obviously not been out of the barracks…" Klink's voice trailed off as he saw the crimson color rising on Hochstetter's face. "Schultz, search these men for wounds."

Having missed that part of the explanation, Schultz questioned, "For what, Herr Kommandant?"

"BAH!" Hochstetter's patience had run out. "All right, all you prisoners strip off!" Hochstetter yelled pulling his pistol. The Gestapo guards that had followed the Major into the barrack brought their rifles to bear on the prisoners.

"All right, guys…" Hogan said looking at the resistance on his men's faces, "…do as they say." Then looking at Hochstetter added, "But for the record, I protest."

Hochstetter faced off with Hogan and said, "You go right ahead, Colonel Hogan… after we are done here! Now shed those clothes."

Twenty minutes later as the men were dressing, "I told you, Major! It wasn't us. It's impossible to get out of this camp without Kommandant Klink knowing," Hogan complained, as he stood in the doorway of his quarters and finished buttoning his shirt.

Hochstetter ignored the American Colonel, and approached Klink, "We'll progress through the other barracks and look for this man."

Hogan desperate to get down in the tunnel grit his teeth. "Come on, Major! You didn't find anything here and you won't find anything anywhere else in this camp. We're prisoners; we don't take moon light strolls. The Kommandant has a standing order to shoot to kill."

"Hogan, your protests only make me want to search all the more!" The Gestapo Major determinedly twisted his right fist into his left palm.

Klink took a step forward, "That is right, there has never…"

"Save it Kommandant," Hochstetter frowned, "I've heard it before. Have these men line up outside and stay in formation until we are done with the other barracks. We will do the same with each barrack as the prisoners are inspected. We'll surprise each barrack one at a time." Hochstetter announced.

Hogan slipped his bomber jacket on and looked at Kinch, whose concern mirrored his own.

"Major Hochstetter, may I remind you this is a Luftwaffe camp. I do not take orders from the Gestapo." Klink declared.

Hogan did a double take in Klink's direction, as he zipped his jacket up half way. This didn't sound like the Klink he knew. The Kommandant must be sleep walking!

"Oh, perhaps you would rather hear from Herr Himmler?" Hochstetter threatened.

Klink paled at the mention of that name and gave Schultz the order to line the prisoners up outside the barrack and proceed with the search.

There's nothing like a good threat. Hogan thought as he ever so slightly rolled his eyes before locking them on the approaching Major.

"What barracks is your camp medic in?" Hochstetter questioned Hogan.

"I don't remember," the American officer replied, as he glared down at the Major.

"Hochstetter suddenly grabbed Mike McLaughlin, who was standing closest to Hogan's door, and put his pistol up against his head. Mike froze with eyes wide, and held his breath.

"No!" Hogan quickly relinquished the information with a sigh, "Barrack Five." Hogan followed Hochstetter's thinking: rule out that the medic was currently tending to the injured man. It was a safe bet that Wilson knew no more than anyone else about what was happening.

That's better, Colonel Hogan, you're learning." Hochstetter studied Hogan for moment wondering if he was in fact...learning. The Major had a self satisfied smirk on his face, as he holstered his gun, grabbed Hogan's arm, and propelled him toward the open door. "Outside all of you! Schultz, search Barrack Five next."

The men of Barrack Two stood in formation watching as the men in one barrack after another were ordered outside and forced to line up after they were searched. Hogan, from his place in line, searched the faces of the men he could see and noted their confussion. Shivering, Hogan pulled his jacket collar up and thought, Hochstetter's probably not giving them any information. He's just yanking them out of bed, strip-searching them and ordering them out into the cold to stand in formation. Keep it together men, nobody panic.

Newkirk stomped his feet to help generate some warmth, and whispered to Hogan, "What do you make of this, Colonel?"

"I'm thinking we may have an unexpected visitor in need of help. I hope we don't find a corpse when we get there."

Eventually, the Gestapo Major having found nothing walked back to his staff car, accompanied by Klink. "I told you that you would find nothing here, Major. All you have managed to do is keep us up half the night."

"Kommandant, you are a fool! There is more going on here than meets the eye. Someday I will find out what that is, and when I do heads will roll, including yours! Heil Hitler!"

Hochstetter walked back to the senior POW officer and pointed his black-gloved finger at him.

"Hogan, if I do not find this man, I will be back to talk to you."

"Do you think that's wise, Major?" Hogan smirked. He knew he was teetering on the edge of Hochstetter's wrath, but indignation and righteous anger over who could be bleeding in the tunnels below drove him on.

"What do you mean?" Hochstetter questioned, before he could stop himself.

"Well, when word gets out you had to ask a prisoner how to catch a suspect, the short little Corporal in Berlin is not going to be too happy!" Hogan wisecracked.

The "gotcha" twinkle in Hogan's eyes infuriated Hochstetter, causing him to strike the American hard with the back of his gloved hand.

"You never learn do you, Colonel Hogan?" The volatile release of the Major's pent up anger brought him more than a little satisfaction. Puffing out his chest, he straightened and devoured the pleasure of the strike and old memories.

Hogan had planted his feet firm during the attack, only his head turned to absorb the impact. The American Colonel again faced his tormentor. Standing tall in defiance, he added, "Some people just can't take constructive criticism."

Talking through clinched teeth and stepping intimately close, the Major promised, "I don't have time for you right now, Colonel. I'll talk and you'll listen…again...later, after I have apprehended the rest of the Underground."

The heat from Hochstetter's breath penetrated the cold air and washed up past Hogan's face reinforcing the rage in his voice. Turning sharply, Hochstetter marched back to his staff car and without a backward glance, tore the door open, climbed in, and continued out of camp to resume his search.

Hogan's men watched the confrontation with more than a little worry. Hochstetter was cold blooded, as their Commanding Officer well knew.

Klink, watching the minuet between Hogan and Hochstetter, worried that Hochstetter could be right. If Hogan were involved, the Gestapo would try to take him from Stalag 13 for good, regardless of any other plans to the contrary.

Hogan may be a nuisance, Klink thought, but he keeps his men in line and aids in the smooth running of this camp by his presence. "Schultz, dismiss the prisoners and bring Colonel Hogan to my office."

Schultz knocked on Klink's door and waited for permission to enter. Looking at his prisoner he begged, "Colonel Hogan, please don't cause any trouble tonight, I want to go back to bed." Before Hogan could answer, Klink ordered them into his office.

"I have Colonel Hogan, Herr Kommandant," Schultz announced, while trying, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn.

Hogan skirted around the rotund Sergeant, "You wanted to see me Kommandant?" Hogan asked, as he strutted in and stood in front of Klink's desk. Come on, Klink, make this fast!

"Yes, Colonel Hogan, are you and your men hiding somebody in this camp?" Klink sat with his hands folded on his desk, trying to read his senior POW, who now sported a rapidly bruising jaw. "Because, if you are hiding someone, even though you may not be punished directly, your men will suffer."

"Kommandant, I…we were as surprised as you were with the events of tonight. Until Major Hochstetter stormed in, we were all sleeping and had absolutely no idea of the events that took place in that barn, wherever it is."

Hogan knew exactly where that barn was located, and the distance traveled to make it to Stalag 13. He himself had rendezvoused at that spot in the past. The American Colonel wondered who had made that trip tonight and lay bleeding in the tunnels below. Hogan looked at his watch, "It's getting late, Kommandant, and unless you plan to skip morning roll call, I'd like to get back to bed." Hogan's jaw was beginning to get some feeling back but he was determined not to rub it, at least not where any German could see him. Continuing to maintain a calm exterior, he mentally chastised, I don't have time for this, Kommandant.

Klink's face appeared puzzled, "Uh, huh, very well, Colonel, just remember, I'm keeping my eyes on you, dismissed!"

Hogan gave a casual salute and went for the door. As the office door squeaked open, he turned back and added, "You know, Kommandant, Hochstetter is just grasping at straws. He's lost the trail and is trying to cover it up by implicating us."

Hogan walked through the outer office and stepped out onto the porch before running into Schultz.

"You can go on to bed now, Schultz. The Kommandant is done with me for tonight." Still trying to appear nonchalant, Hogan slapped Schultz on the back and started past.

"Wait!" Schultz called out and reached for Hogan's arm stopping him from walking down the steps. He looked at Hogan and frowned, "Let me get some ice for that, I know the Kommandant…"

Hogan threw his hand up in a "stop" gesture. "Thanks Schultz, but its okay."

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Klink sat thinking for a few minutes before heading back to bed. There may be some truth in what Hogan said. Hochstetter is jealous of my record. But on the other hand, if I were Hogan, I'd be desperately looking for a way out of here. Could he have been out arranging an escape with the Underground and got caught before he could pull it off? The Propaganda Ministry will have my command and my life if I let that happen. They have their own plans for him. I had better double the guards outside the fence.