Special thanks to Sapphire363 and 2lieutenant for beta reading despite traveling or writing an own entry. Thank you very much! I appreciate it. All remaining mistakes are my own.

Written for the 2017 SSSW challenge; used prompts are in bold.

Word count: 4941

Fratricidal War

Hogan raised his eyebrows; critically examining his newest team member.

Fritz stood upright and silent next to the table in Barracks 2. With its two broom sticks crossed as stabilizers and its body and face formed out of straw, he stood strong and stiff.

Newkirk finished his work on Fritz's uniform. "He's lookin' good; just like a German."

Sergeant Schultz came in with an air of self-assurance. Apparently not only for Hogan, but also for Schultz, everything was working well recently.

"Colonel Hogan." He closed the door smiling and pivoted on his heels. His good mood drew smiles from the men of the barracks.

But Schultz sobered up quickly as his gaze fell onto their newest member. He pointed to the scarecrow. "What ... what is this?"

Hogan clapped it on the shoulder. "This is Fritz, our entry for the annual scarecrow contest."

"But ... but Colonel Hogan." Schultz pointed at the figure. "He is wearing a German uniform."

"Of course, we want to win this contest. Who else is going to look like a real guy and still scare away everybody?"

Kinch bit his lip, trying not to laugh out loud. LeBeau just turned his head.

Schultz shook his finger at the figure. "He should not wear a German uniform. It's verboten."

"It's only until tomorrow, then he's going to take it off again," Hogan said. "So, what brings you to our home away from home? Hiding from the heat? Or did you want to take a peek at our entry?"

"No, no. Colonel Klink sends for you." He leaned forward to look closely at Fritz's uniform, trying to determine if it was a smaller size of his uniform. Then he shook his head and straightened again. "There is a new prisoner."

Hogan tilted his head, pulling at his earlobe "Let me guess. His name is Lieutenant Benjamin Douglas. He was shot down ten weeks ago over Hamburg and until recently stayed in Stalag XI."

"How do you know this already?"

The colonel opened his mouth, but Schultz held up his hand. "No, don't tell me. I do not want to know."

With a shrug, Hogan went to the entrance. "Shall we?"

Schultz made a face but followed Hogan to the Kommandant.

LeBeau closed the door behind them laughing. "Schultzie didn't even recognize his own uniform. Let's see how Barracks 5 wants to surpass this."

Hogan strolled over to the compound with Lieutenant Douglas a step behind.

Carter who had watch, opened the door and let them in giving the new guy an encouraging smile.

Hogan made the introductions and finished with: "- and this is Staff Sergeant Carter. He loves a good explosion. So if don't like the delousing stations, he is your man."

With average height and build and brown hair in a neat cut, the lieutenant fit right into their little gang. Except his hands, these he had balled into fists grabbing the cloth of his trousers.

He gave the impression of a man just barely holding it together while still trying to smile.

"We have some spare room in Barracks 4. Carter is going to show you the way." Hogan pointed to the wooden building visible through the open door.

"Sure boy, ahhm, I mean, sir." Carter took Lieutenant Douglas and hurried away.

Hogan shoved the door close.

Kinch raised up and flickered a worried glare to Hogan. "Barracks 4?" It was the only barracks without an entry to the tunnel system.

The colonel turned serious. "Nobody tells him anything. At all."

Glancing up from his cards, Newkirk remarked: "London's cleared him."

"Maybe. But who guarantees us that this is the same man that had left London ten weeks ago?"

"Anything precise?"

"He is good. But one of the new guards, the one from Berlin nobody understands? He made a joke. His companion just looked confused but Lieutenant Douglas smiled as if he had gotten the joke."

LeBeau spat on the ground. "So he is a rat."

"I am not sure. But we need to be careful."

Then he changed the topic. "So, what's up with our recent SS visitors? They start to come too often."

Kinch shrugged. "They didn't tell Klink anything, but he also didn't throw them out. So, right now, they're just coming and going."

The tunnel was moist and cool. It was a welcome distraction from the hot weather outside and the equal hot tempers flying around.

Hogan used the silence to take a deep breath to relax. Then he joined Kinch at the radio.

"What do we have?"

"London just informed us their SS informant is going to contact us. He is jumping on the recent visits to give himself an alibi." Kinch looked up from his notes. "He has locations of the newest anti-aircraft guns around Dusseldorf."

"Great. When?"

"He's going to initiate contact. Code name: plover. He is supposed to ask about his nest." Kinch held out his board. "This is the complete text."

Hogan furrowed his brows. "London needs new authors. Their codes are getting worse and worse."

Kinch laughed. "I think they -"

Suddenly a loud voice called out. "Mon colonel, come, très vite. The new guy, Douglas, just assaulted a German."

Hogan dropped the board and sprinted to the ladder. Beside espionage and sabotage, this was the shortest way to get killed in a POW camp.

A stifling heat greeted him as he cleared the tunnel and followed the loud voices across the compound. His heart sank as he took in the scene.

It would have been bad enough if he had hit one of the guards, but Douglas had hit one of the SS men.

Hogan tried to remember the man. Obersturmführer Sutter or something. Blood ran down his face and unto his uniform.

The guards stood around with raised guns. Newkirk and Sergeant Davis had grabbed Douglas pulling him aside. Now they were trapped between him and the guards.

Colonel Klink rushed over just as Hogan arrived.

"What is going on here?"

"Clearly a misunderstanding," Hogan started without a real plan. He shot Newkirk a questioning glare, but the panic on his face could only mean one thing: there wasn't any room for interpretation.

"In the heat, Lieutenant Douglas didn't see your man. If they wouldn't wear black all the time maybe he could have seen him and -"

Klink narrowed his eyes. "Nonsense. He didn't run into him, he hit him. Can't you see this. This is -"

"It was an accident. The lieutenant apologizes." He glared at Lt Douglas.

For a moment Hogan feared that his glare wasn't enough even as Newkirk added a hard hit, but then Douglas opened his mouth and did apologize.

Hogan turned back to Colonel Klink. "See, there was nothing."

"Obersturmführer Sutter, are you okay? Is this true and it was only an accident? I can have this man shot-"

"Colonel Klink," Sutter interrupted him, "I am here on important secret business. I don't have time to deal with this." He spat on the ground before his glare settled on the lieutenant.

Sutter stared at Douglas with an unreadable expression. Then he glanced to Hogan until he finally addressed Klink again. "It was probably an accident. It's up to you how to deal with this."

Hogan closed his mouth again. He shared a look with Newkirk. This was unexpected: Sutter had lied.

"Of course. Schultz, bring this man to the cooler!"

Hogan couldn't remember the last time it had been so close. The cooler was the best place for Douglas.

Kinch and LeBeau drew nearer as the German returned to their duty.

"What happened?" Hogan asked Newkirk.

"Don't know, govn'r. He was talkin' to that bloke and I tried to get nearer to hear what they're talkin' about, as he suddenly punched him."

"Douglas punched Sutter. Not the other way around?"

Newkirk affirmed. "Douglas punched Sutter. Nothing to misunderstand."

This was bad. "What did they talk about?"

LeBeau shrugged. "We couldn't understand. They were too far away."

Hogan looked to the cooler where Schultz and Lieutenant Douglas had disappeared.

He reached a simple conclusion. "I don't care what London says. We need to lose him. He could have gotten all of us killed and almost destroyed our whole operation."

After the incident, everybody was back on his best behavior. Like a cold shower, it has reminded them on the danger they all were in.

Hogan stood next to the shove. They used it sparingly, it was already hot enough. Newkirk and LeBeau played cards but only Carter took the game serious.

For the time being, the heroes had stopped all activities until everything had calmed down again.

At least Fritz remained a good soldier and entertained the whole camp by standing around in glorious uniform wherever you least expected it. Last time he had checked, Barracks 7 had him.

Suddenly the door opened.

Obersturmführer Sutter strolled in and looked around.

Hogan straightened and looked up from his empty cup. "See what the cat has dragged in: the SS."

Sutter snorted. "You and I, we need to talk. Alone."

Playing for time, Hogan refilled his cup. "And why?"

"We can talk or I can go and talk to Colonel Klink, telling him what really has happened." He let his gaze sweep around the room, taking in the hostile and guilty looks. "In this case, I would even be telling the absolute truth."

Hogan took a deep breath. "My quarters." He made an inventing motion with his arm.

Sharing a worried look with Kinch, Hogan followed Sutter and closed the door behind him.

"A goshawk has a nest, but the plover is still searching."

Hogan froze. He stared at the SS man in surprise.

Sutter just kept his arrogant expression and waited.

Hogan couldn't read him but took the risk. "The plover should do it like the cuckoo taking what he needs."

Now a small smile tugged at Sutter's lips. "I knew I was right here. I knew it the moment I heard your defense for -" he broke off and looked away.

Hogan stroked along the desk with his fingers. "You have some locations for me?" Sutter had been near the end of Hogan's list of possible plovers. He had assumed him to be too young and too slick.

"Bring me a map."

"Shouldn't you bring me one?"

Sutter laughed. "This is Germany. It's far too dangerous to travel anywhere with a map." He tipped at his head. "I have all the location in my mind. You provide the map, I'll give you the rest."

"And where do you think I'll get a map?"

"You're resourceful. I'll send for you this evening." With a smirk, he turned and marched from the room.

Hogan's men entered the room before the door fell shut. He leaned against his desk.

"What's going on?" Carter asked with a worried expression on his face.

Hogan shared his worry, telling them about his conversation with Sutter.

"This explain why he hasn't insisted on punishing Lieutenant Douglas. But still," Kinch trailed off. "An SS man and no map? That sounds like a trap."

The colonel nodded. Then he pushed away from the desk. "I need to talk to Douglas. I need to know what this was about."

"This is not going to be easy, Colonel," LeBeau said. "Klink is in panic mode and lets nobody near the cooler."

"But Klink doesn't guard the cooler. We only need to get by-"

"Schultz," his men said in unison.

Hogan scowled at the man in front of him.

"For the last time, Schultzie, open that door!" For all the times for Schultz to turn stubborn, this was the wrong one. He was on a deadline and didn't have time to argue with Schultz.

"Colonel Klink has ordered that nobody talks to the prisoner." Schultz remained unmoved. "I also do not want a repeat from yesterday."

"Schultz, neither do I. That's the reason I need to talk to him." The sun was already low but still burned on his back.

"Colonel Hogan, I cannot let you in."

"Schultz, think about it." Hogan turned on the conspiracy charm. "What if he isn't the only one? There could be a whole band of men that have sworn to kill Obersturmführer Sutter. If he dies, the Gestapo will come to you and ask you," he clapped on Schultz's stomach, "what you have done to prevent his. What will you tell them?"

Schultz held out. For five seconds, then he crumbled. "But just five minutes."

Hogan scraped by Schultz the moment he had opened the door. "You will never regret it, unless someone shoots you."

"Colonel Hogan!"

In the dim and blessing cool air, Hogan turned around. "Don't worry. I am going to talk to him so that something like this may never happen again. You have my word."

Lieutenant Sutter jumped up and stood at attention the moment he saw Colonel Hogan. Hogan waited until the outer door had shut behind him with a loud bang.

"If the German hadn't put you already in the cooler, I would have."

"I am sorry, sir."

Hogan took a deep breath. "At ease. I don't have much time, so we have to postpone this for after the war. Now, I only need to know what this was about."

The lieutenant stood at ease but his face remained closed off. "Nothing."

"Lieutenant, you almost got yourself and half of the camp killed. It sure wasn't nothing. So?"

Douglas looked anywhere expect Hogan. In a small voice, he explained: "I hadn't expected Erwin."

"Erwin?"

"Obersturmführer Erwin Sutter." Douglas raised his eyes to meet Colonel Hogan's questioning glare. "We grew up together."

Hogan sighed. This was just getting better and better. "Tell me. And make it fast."

"I was born in Berlin, 1923. We lived in Street Number 83. Erwin and I, we were best friends, blood brothers. Until this …," he avoided any curse language. Hogan wouldn't have minded. "Until he and his party had appeared. Suddenly Erwin avoided me. Suddenly I was too Jewish for him and his new friends.

"My father was a wise man. He got us out while we still could. But we lost everything except the clothes we could carry. And now he had the nerve to ask about my uniform."

Douglas looked up and met Hogan's glare. "I lost my cool. I could deal with being shot down over Germany. I could deal with them. I've been doing it my whole childhood. But I wasn't expecting to run into Erwin. We not only changed our name, I've changed. So I'd never expected him to recognize me."

"Is Sutter loyal?"

"No." Bitterness crept in his voice. "He had sworn me loyalty til death and it only took six months for him to enter the Hitler Youth and running around in his stupid uniform."

"What-"

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted them. Schultz appeared. "Colonel Hogan, you need to go. Now."

Hogan stared out of his window, rubbing at his chin. He swirled around, facing Kinch. "How did London miss this?"

Kinch shook his head. "They didn't miss it - they knew but believed that it would be an advantage." He shrugged. "It's not like he could defect."

The colonel sighed. He would have loved to have a word with London about sharing necessary information but he didn't have the time.

He grabbed the map from Kinch, hiding it in his jacket.

"Are you sure, Colonel?"

Hogan returned his gaze to the window. "London has cleared Sutter as informant. And Lieutenant Douglas misgivings about him works in his favor."

"They do?"

"If he wasn't loyal to him, then maybe he won't be loyal to the mustache." He sighed again. "Our pilots need these locations. We need to risk it."

LeBeau knocked and entered Hogan's quarters. "Everything is prepared, mon colonel. We can leave in a moments notice."

"Schultz's coming," Newkirk called from his watch at the door.

"Sutter has sent for me like he said." Hogan grimaced. "It's showtime."

Sutter marked the last two anti-aircraft gun on the map. "These are the current locations. If you want to destroy them, you have to act fast. They will only be there until the fifteenth. Then they are going to relocate again."

Hogan glanced at his watch. "That's in twelve days."

The SS man looked up from his work and straightened. "Yes."

"I will take care of it." He grabbed the map and rolled it up. Putting it in his jacket, he turned towards the door.

"I wasn't sure you'd come after you've talked to Benjamin. How is he?"

Hogan paused, his hand on the door knob. "I have a war to fight. Your history with Lieutenant Douglas isn't my problem."

Sutter snorted and turned away. He grabbed his jacket and left the room before Hogan could. Snapping with his fingers, he called for his car.

Hogan remained on the steps behind him. He didn't want to turn his back to this SS man.

"If I don't survive the war," Sutter kept his eyes forward, "tell him I'm sorry."

The colonel remembered the man in the cooler, his expression and his eyes. "I think it's too late for that."

Sutter glared at him out of the corner of his eyes. Before he could answer his car arrived and he disappeared without another word.

The heat had relaxed a little. Now it was only warm and the nights cleared up and cooled everything down. Hogan and his men lingered in front of their barracks.

Kinch sauntered over. "Colonel, London is getting tetchy. They need the map."

Hogan nodded while he was watching the Kommandant's office. "Klink is refusing to relax even after Sutter has left."

"This thing scared him more than he wants to let on," Kinch said.

Hogan snorted. "No surprise. It scared me."

"I can understand Lieutenant Douglas," LeBeau said out of the blue while rubbing clothes in the washbowl.

"It's his people," Carter said, "I couldn't fight against my own people."

"For Sutter and Douglas it's not only a war. It's a fratricidal war," Hogan said, "and it has been going on since they were little boys."

"But still," Carter said. "I couldn't fight against my friends."

"It's different if your people suddenly reject, hunt and kill yer." Newkirk lit himself a cigarette. "He didn't betray 'em. They've betrayed him."

"And none of this is our business. We need to get the map out and preferably also Lieutenant Douglas, before he loses his cool again," Hogan ordered. At least it was meant as an order. As long as Klink continued to use double guards and extra control stations and checks, it meant nothing.

"Non, he isn't going to lose it again. He has learned his lesson," LeBeau argued. "Even I have stopped assuming every French in Germany is a collaborator."

Hogan let his gaze sweep over the compound. "I just came here to fight the evil. Everybody who also fights them is my friend, everybody who allies with them is my enemy. I guess it's different for you people in Europe. It's your history, your cities and sometimes your friends and family."

They watched in silence as the guards changed at the entrance.

"If we need both out, can't we sent them at the same time?" Carter proposed.

"And 'ow do yer plan ter do that? Look at the guards. Schultzie's been complaining that no-one's had a pass in days," Newkirk said. "Do yer just want ter send Lieutenant Douglas with the map out of the front gate?"

Hogan straightened. "This is good, Newkirk. Thank you."

"What? What'd I say?"

"If I can't get Klink to ease up on the guards and security, I may as well get Lieutenant Douglas out of the cooler. He isn't a known face around here and with no accent and just the right behavior, he really just needs to walk out of the front gate."

Colonel Hogan marched straight to Klink's office.

"Blimey, he's crazy," Newkirk took a puff of his cigarette. "This'll never work.".

"No, it's going to work," Kinch disagreed. "Klink won't even know that freeing Lieutenant Douglas had been the Colonel's plan the whole time. He will be more happy that he withstood reducing the guards."

Douglas stared at Colonel Hogan with a furious expression. "You want me to wear a German uniform?"

Hogan had explained their mission and his plan, now that he knew the reasons behind his strange behavior.

The lieutenant took a deep breath, then continued more calmly. "I thank you for saving my life and getting me out of the cooler, but I'd rather go back there or die then doing this."

"Lieutenant Douglas, I can't order you to wear a German uniform. This is a volunteer mission only. But we need to get this map to London. You look -," Hogan stopped and changed his sentence, "you know more about the Germans and Germany than any of us. You can get through."

"I don't know anything about this country." Douglas crossed his arms, his finger digging hard into his upper arms. After a few days in the cooler, he sported a visible stubble. "The country I fled from was completely different. I remember a city full of life, hard work and a little craziness. I don't remember an open air prison. This isn't my country. Not anymore. It probably has never been."

"Our pilots, your friends need this map," Kinch tried.

Douglas rubbed at his neck and looked around pleading for understanding. "I've flown the most dangerous mission. I've volunteered for everything they let me volunteer, but I will never ever wear a German uniform."

The lieutenant pressed his lips together and looked the Colonel in the eyes. "It has cost me too much to be allowed the wear this uniform. I am not giving this up."

Hogan held Douglas' glare for a moment longer. Then he nodded. "You're dismissed."

Kinch blocked Douglas' path to the door forcing him to circle around him, making it clear what he thought about his refusal. Fighting the Nazi should overrule anything else.

They waited until he had left the room.

Carter asked: "Colonel, why didn't you just give an order?"

"I'd rather he refuses than he fails or betrays us. But we need a new plan." He paced.

Suddenly he stopped behind Carter. "This is going to be a volunteer mission only." He paused, then he clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Carter."

"Did I volunteer for something again?"

Colonel Hogan pulled out the hidden compound map from Newkirk's bunk.

"Okay, this is the plan: Carter, you are going to take the map, leave through the emergency tunnel and go to Hammelburg as a civilian. The underground is expecting you. This time, they need to get it to England."

"Sure boy. I mean, Colonel, sir."

"What about these extra patrols and control points?" LeBeau asked while he finished the last sew on Carter's civilian jacket.

"Colonel Klink is overworked, so Newkirk is going to help him by ghostwriting his new orders to pull them off. Langenscheidt is going to be so nice and deliver them."

"Does Corporal Langenscheidt know this?"

"Of course not."

Hogan looked to Newkirk, who patted his breast pocket. "Consider it done."

"But they are going to call Klink to verify the order," LeBeau pointed out.

Hogan nodded while glancing to Kinch. "Our Kommandant is going to confirm it seeing as he has his own orders from General Kinchmeier."

Everything worked well, except when it suddenly didn't.

They were outside waiting for the right moment to disappear. Carter and LeBeau were already down in the tunnel.

But then Klink destroyed their carefully planned master piece.

"Colonel Hogan, halt!" the Kommandant hurried over and prevented Hogan and his men from entering their barracks. Schultz and another guard rushed after Klink.

Hogan stopped in his tracks. After their scare with Lieutenant Douglas everybody was a little too trigger-happy for his taste.

A third guard followed Klink carrying their scarecrow.

"What is this?" Klink demanded, his hand flailed in direction of their piece of art.

Hogan relaxed. "This is Fritz." He had to hide a grin. Barracks 7 had outdone themselves.

"No!" Klink stomped with his feet. "This is a defamation. An insult. This scarecrow wears a German uniform." Klink talked himself in rage. "A general of the Luftwaffe."

Nodding, Hogan shot a glare to Schultz who just shrugged. "He looked too German for anything else," he offered as an explanation.

"This time you went too far. You will correct this right away."

Hogan opened his mouth to give the answer the request deserved, but Kinch cleared his throat and pointed to his watch. "Of course, Colonel. I have an open -"

"No, Colonel Hogan, you and your men will correct this right now. I am sure that you can find an allied uniform that will fit this ... this ..." Klink pointed angrily at the puppet. "… thing."

Hogan shot a look to Newkirk. Klink hadn't let anybody enter any barracks. They had used LeBeau's scarf from the washing lines and Newkirk's jacket but Klink still wasn't satisfied. If Kinch wouldn't get to a phone to make his call, Carter would be stopped at the next control point.

With the map and easy to make connection to Stalag XIII, Hogan could already line up the firing squad himself. It was the wrong time for Fritz to make an appearance.

Their only hope was that Carter would recognize the danger and abort the mission. But when was the last time he had let him make a decision like this?

"Colonel Klink?" Corporal Langenscheidt hurried over to him and saluted. Maybe this was their distraction. Kinch inched to the barracks' door.

"There is a General Kinchmeier at the phone. He needs to talk to you. It's urgent. And the control post ask for a verification that they should close the post."

Hogan glanced to Kinch and Newkirk. If LeBeau could pull this off, he had seriously underestimated his ability to sound and speak German.

"Hogan, you and your men stay here and finish this!" Klink ordered before he stormed away angrily. He never heard the relieved sigh behind him.

It took another hour after Klink had returned and the addition of Hogan's cap to calm down the Kommandant.

"If I'd know that Fritz would make such an impression, I'd use him earlier," Hogan said as they entered the barracks.

Newkirk snorted. "We could still redress Fritz and use him again, just to rile up the bald eagle."

Kinch heaved Fritz on the table. According to his mixed uniform, he was now a true allied fighter.

Hogan nodded to Newkirk who stayed by the door and kept watch.

Then he knocked against the bed frame. LeBeau opened the entrance and climbed up.

"Where's Carter?"

"He just came back, everything's fine." He cleared the bed frame and sat down pouring himself a cup of thin coffee.

"Good work, LeBeau. I didn't know your German could be so convincing."

LeBeau grimaced and shrugged. "It wasn't me."

Hogan paused. "Carter?"

"He was already gone by the time you ran into trouble. I know what you have said but I didn't know what else-"

The colonel turned around and watched the tunnel. Even Newkirk turned his head for a moment.

Out of the tunnel, Lieutenant Douglas climbed out.

Hogan sighed.

"He was the only one I could think of who stood a chance." LeBeau explained. "I just had to make my case."

Hogan regarded the lieutenant thoughtfully. Then he pointed to his quarters.

Douglas followed the unspoken order. But he still jerked as Hogan shut the door loudly behind them.

Colonel Hogan started to believe him how much it had cost him to get cleared; none of his man would stand at parade rest for a conversation after a successful mission. They all just lounged around smiling.

"You were pretty vocal about your refusal to do anything German. What changed your mind?"

Douglas shrugged. "I've thought about something my mother used to say. Chaim - life - it's the most precious thing you have."

"And," Hogan prompted.

"If my hate for the German keeps me from helping you and allows Sergeant Carter or your men to die, then I am no better than them." He glanced to Hogan out of the corner of his eyes. "Besides I didn't have to give up my uniform for just a phone call."

Hogan frowned. He didn't understand them, neither Sutter nor Douglas. A fratricidal war really was the worst kind of war. Then he shook himself out of his thoughts. He had a job to do, not the world to save. "We could use your knowledge."

"I'm a better pilot than spy."

The colonel nodded. "It's a volunteer mission only. So, we'll get you out of here with the next batch." He opened the door and went back to the main part. "Just don't get shot down again," he added over his shoulder.

Lieutenant Douglas smiled a little and wandered to the door.

Kinch clapped him on the shoulder while LeBeau gave him one of his rare proud smiles. Newkirk opened the door for him and then left his watch post.

For today they all had conquered their personal evil.

"Alright." Hogan clapped his hands together. "The map is on its way to London and we have reduced guards again. But there are still bridges to blow up and code books to steal."

He regarded his men with a devious grin. "But first, let's redress Fritz to a more deserving uniform – like a colonel of the Luftwaffe?"

END

Thank you for reading.