No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Hogan stared at Schultz, for a moment unable to move. He couldn't pass off what the guard had seen as anything but what it was. He couldn't pretend that the German hadn't seen anything, as it was quite clear that he had. He couldn't convince Schultz that he, Hogan, was the only one who knew about the tunnel, since it was Kinch who was closest to the bunk. It's over, he thought. Hogan shivered, so much more from the emotions he was feeling than from the cold air coming in through the open door. Then he felt an eerie, unsurpassable calm.

Schultz's face had gone from relieved to confused to concerned in the few seconds that had actually passed. His jaw dropped open and he looked from Kinch to the bench to Hogan and back. "Was ist...was ist los?" he said breathlessly, seeming unwilling to believe his own eyes.

Schultz absently closed the door and moved further into the room. No one answered him. All the men's eyes were on Hogan, and with only a look he ordered them not to say anything. Schultz shuffled to the common room table. "Colonel Hogan, was ist... what is going on?"

Hogan took a couple of deep breaths to make sure his voice remained steady as he spoke. Still, not trusting himself, he kept his response brief. "We're having dinner, Schultz."

"Dinner?" the guard questioned, in wonderment. He approached the table, where Le Beau, Barnes, and Olsen were still sitting. Looking at the table he saw all the place settings and the food scattered not only on the plates, but on the table as well. "You have been messy," he observed calmly.

Hogan let out a breath but didn't answer.

"We got a little carried away," Le Beau offered, attempting a laugh but stopping quickly as he did not feel it and Schultz wasn't responding.

Newkirk, his arm propped up on a bunk, stood following Schultz's every move with his eyes. Carter stood up, then sat, then stood again, waiting. And Kinch just remained motionless, as though guarding the bunk that just given their secret operation away. Schultz came to stand before the radioman. "Sergeant Kinchloe," he said. "Did I just see... what I thought I saw?"

Kinch straightened visibly as he drew in a breath and opened his mouth as though to answer, when Hogan sprang up from the bunk he had been pushed to and joined him. "What do you think you saw, Schultz?" Hogan asked.

Schultz turned to Hogan and slightly away from Kinch. Kinch felt relief, but he couldn't relax. "Colonel Hogan, I thought I saw..." Schultz stopped, then gave a little chuckle as he considered what he was about to say. "You will think this is silly.... I am sure I saw that bunk," he said, pointing, "moving through the air, and falling back onto the base," he said. "There was a hole underneath it." Hogan didn't say anything. No one was breathing. Schultz tilted his head slightly at Hogan and got deadly serious. "That is what I saw. How would you explain that?"

Hogan still didn't move. His expression didn't change. Only the twitching muscle in his neck gave away the panic he was feeling inside. Fighting to maintain his composure, he replied, "How would you explain it, Schultz?"

Schultz paused. "Colonel Hogan," he said, "I am a simple man. I do not like war. I do not like fighting. But, it is my job to make sure prisoners do not escape."

Hogan's hands were turning to ice as the guard spoke, and he concentrated on keeping his breathing steady. Keep a clear head. If you can focus, maybe you can keep the guys out of this mess and save a few lives....

"If a prisoner escapes, I can get in serious trouble... and he can get hurt." Schultz brought himself to attention and faced Hogan directly. "Colonel Hogan, you have a tunnel under there. I want to see it, and then I will have to report this to the Kommandant," he said efficiently. He remained at attention, eyes straight ahead, looking at no one as though in formation.

Hogan thought he could see a twinge of distress in Schultz's eyes, and felt a few regrets of his own. His eyes swept the room. Le Beau's brow was furrowed with worry; Carter was pale and couldn't stop looking from Hogan to Schultz to the bunk and back, in a maddening pattern; Newkirk had crossed his arms, and, eyes wide, was letting his worst fears play across his face; and Kinch, right near Hogan, was standing silent and still, arms by his sides, watching no one but his commanding officer.

Hogan's mind was racing. There had to be a way to protect Ludwig and Alida downstairs. There had to be a way to convince the Germans that his men had nothing to do with the explosives they would find when they went through the tunnel. There had to be a way to explain the radio and the maps that were scattered down there, along with the civilian clothing and the German uniforms. There had to be a way to stop them all from facing the firing squad. Oh, God, help me! But he couldn't think of a single one. Except...maybe...

Hogan looked at his men in a way that was intended to be reassuring. And, wanting so desperately to believe that their commanding officer could get them out of anything, they clung to that comfort, forcing themselves to ignore the worry and doubt they could truly see etched in Hogan's features. Then Hogan said calmly, "Kinch, open the tunnel."

The prisoners all looked at each other. Hogan heard a gasp, but no one spoke. Kinch nodded, and with trembling hands found the latch that tripped the entrance. A bead of sweat worked its way down Hogan's temple as he subconsciously registered the cold he was feeling inside. Kinch stepped back as Schultz, astonished at what he was seeing, moved in closer. Hogan waited for just a second, then moved in next to him. "Schultz, it's important that you know the other prisoners didn't have any choice in all this—they were taking orders from me—"

"Colonel Hogan, there is a tunnel down there," Schultz breathed, incredulous.

Hogan nodded. With only a look, he ordered the other prisoners to stay back. "That's right," he said quietly. "My own, personal tunnel."

Schultz looked at him questioningly. "Your own, personal...?" He let his voice trail off as he gazed back down the hole.

"I told you before: I want out, Schultz," Hogan said, still quietly. "As senior officer, I can get the men to do whatever I want. And I wanted a tunnel."

Newkirk bit his lip as he exchanged looks with the others. Hogan was trying to shield them from the inevitable fallout. He was trying to get the blame focused squarely on himself. He was trying to get himself killed! Newkirk had to say something; he had to. Looking at the others, he could see the same war waging within them. If they spoke up, they would only end up joining Hogan in hot water. Then they would all quite possibly be shot as saboteurs. What Hogan was trying to do was minimize the damage; if someone had to be sacrificed, it would be only himself. That was what he was expected to do as senior officer: protect the men, and protect the operation.

What hadn't been made clear was how painful and impossible it would be to watch it happening. Die knowing you were laying down your life for your cause? Or live, knowing someone else had died for you? That was a form of death itself, and much more lingering and unbearable. The decision was obvious. Newkirk took a step forward. "Colonel—"

"Newkirk!" Hogan snapped. His order was inescapable. Despite what he wanted to do, Newkirk found himself bound to obey, and stopped. He looked around the room. Le Beau's bottom lip was trembling; Carter's breathing was almost wild, and his eyes were filling with tears; Kinch was a statue, a shocked and devastated look plastered on his face. Hogan himself appeared determined, and engrossed in his plan.

"No one has ever escaped from Stalag 13, Schultz," Hogan continued coolly, "at least no one that hasn't come back." He looked down into the gaping hole below them. "Come on up," he called evenly.

Schultz's expression turned quizzical. Then he and Hogan stepped back and allowed the two figures into the room. Schultz's eyes widened as he stood face to face with his brother, whose face was unreadable, and whose demeanor toward Hans Schultz was almost cold.

Hogan moved away a few feet, to allow the brothers to talk, and in the process, possibly save his own men's lives.

"Ludwig?" Schultz gasped. "Alida?"

Alida said nothing, but nodded slightly. Ludwig looked at his brother. "Ja, Hans. We are safe."

"B-b-b-but... I do not understand!"

Hogan cleared his throat and said very softly, "We're helping them get out of Germany, Schultz. The Gestapo was starting to look for them."

Schultz looked at his brother. "This is true?" he asked.

Ludwig nodded. "Unlike yourself, brother, I take sides. I admire your work, and your humanity, but I cannot let things move as they have been in this country without speaking out. I have been working for the Underground these last few months, and now that work has become dangerous for Alida and myself. If we stay in Germany, we will be taken by the Gestapo; there is no doubt in my mind about that. Alida was already being followed from day to day. If we leave, we may live to fight again another day."

"But how—?"

"Colonel Hogan can get us out." Ludwig looked at Hogan for permission to say more; Hogan nodded. "He came to the house one night; we discussed it and agreed to go."

"He came to the house?" Schultz's head was spinning. He could not believe all he was seeing and hearing. "He came to the house? But he is a prisoner—" Schultz cut himself off, and turned to the door. His mind was muddled; he couldn't think straight. He would simply have to follow his routine, do his duty as a German. "I must report his escape to the Kommandant—"

"Hans, Hans," Ludwig persisted, grabbing Schultz by the forearms and pulling him down to the bench. "Listen to me." Schultz nodded. "Colonel Hogan is helping Germans. He is helping Allies. He is helping anyone that wants a swift end to this war. He does not like what the Fuhrer is doing to Germany, to the world. He is like you, Hans," Ludwig persisted.

Schultz whispered, "But he is taking sides. He is the enemy, Ludwig."

Ludwig shook his head, impatient. Desperate. "Hans, at one time or another in his life, every man must take sides. What is important is to be able to live with your choice. I could not live with the side our own country was telling us to take. Colonel Hogan could not accept being controlled by that same power. We have chosen to take the same side, Hans. What country we are from does not matter. We both want the same thing: for the war to end quickly, and to bring freedom and equality to our world. Perhaps it is time for you to choose what side you are on," he added quietly.

Hogan and his men looked on in silence. Schultz's indecision was playing all over his face. "If I say something now, then you and Alida will be in danger," he said. Ludwig nodded. "If I don't say something now, Colonel Hogan can keep up his monkey business." Hogan's men exchanged worried looks. Hogan did not lock eyes with his men; he didn't want them to see the fear that they surely had to sense was there.

Schultz looked at Hogan, who was standing arms crossed, features still frozen in place. The American said nothing, even though inside he was screaming. "What is to stop me from making sure that you get out safely, and then turning in Colonel Hogan?" Schultz asked thoughtfully.

Hogan swallowed, hard. The others shifted position. Carter bit his bottom lip. "Nothing," Ludwig answered. "Other than your own love of life, dear brother."

"How do you mean?" Schultz asked.

Hogan finally found his voice. "Simple, Schultz. You let Ludwig and Alida escape. Then you turn me in to Klink. He asks how you found out about it, and you make up some brilliant story—even tell him the truth: you saw the bunk swinging back into place. Then they find out that your brother's gone. And his wife. And then I tell them he was a member of the Underground, which, if I'm already on the chopping block, won't make any difference to me—after all, they can't do anything to him anyway. And they put two and two together and decide that you let an enemy of the State escape. On purpose. That doesn't usually go down too well with the Fuhrer. And then, all of a sudden instead of just protecting your family and doing your duty, you end up on the Russian front yourself—if they don't shoot you as a traitor first."

It was Schultz's turn to swallow hard. He looked to his brother. "Ludwig—are you an enemy of the Fatherland?"

"Call it what you will, Hans. I say I am someone who loves our country, and who cannot stand to see what has happened to her. And I stand behind Colonel Hogan and what he does." Ludwig shrugged. "If that makes me a traitor, then I am proud to bear that title."

Schultz remained silent, thinking, for a moment. Then he stood up with a heavy sigh, saying, "I will do my duty, Ludwig."

The people in the room took in a collective breath. Hogan stepped forward. "Then you should know, Schultz, that I'm going to do everything I can to make sure my men are found innocent of any part in what I've been—"

"My duty is to my family, Colonel Hogan," Schultz said. Hogan stopped. Schultz looked deep into his brother's eyes. "If anyone finds out, it would be worth my life."

"And worth mine," Ludwig said. "And Alida's." He stood up and drew his wife to himself. "What you do about Colonel Hogan is your own business. But somehow I think you will do the right thing. From what he tells me, you have not changed so much from before the war to suddenly put a man's life at risk for personal gain."

"And don't you worry, Schultz," Hogan said. "I'll remind you of your stake in this any time you forget this conversation."

"Ja, I think you will," Schultz mumbled.

Hogan and his men visibly relaxed. Schultz remained motionless, uncertain how to act with prisoners around when he wanted to speak intimately with his family. Hogan picked up his emotional signal and gestured for the men to back off. Then, unable to avoid eavesdropping because of the closeness of the barracks, the men heard the end of the conversation.

"Wenn der Krieg vorbei ist, werden wir wieder als Familie zusammen sein," Ludwig murmured. When the war is over, we will be together as a family again, Hogan automatically translated.

"Du hast meine Liebe, und meine Bewunderung. Ich werde dein Geheimnis wahren," Schultz replied. You have my love...and my admiration... . I will protect your secret.

Hogan knew the other men were still struggling with their newly learned German and could not make out exactly what was being said. But he did not want to translate, just as he did not want to truly hear the farewell, brother to brother, heart to heart, deciding their own futures, and that of his men.

Alida spoke softly. "Wir werden nach Hause kommen, das verspreche ich dir." A promise to come home when all was well.

Schultz nodded. He took Alida in his arms and gave her a gentle embrace, then gave Ludwig a bear hug. "Geh," he said, his voice choked with tears, "geh, mein liebster Bruder, und mögest du sicher sein." Hogan blinked to hold back his own emotions. Go, my dearest brother, and may you be safe.

Schultz turned and came to Hogan and his men. Hogan pulled away from the group. "We are in this together now, Colonel Hogan," said Schultz. "You understand?"

"I understand, Schultz," Hogan said.

"I came in here tonight to find out about the noise I was hearing from outside. I found nothing." Hogan nodded. "I see nothing, I hear nothing, and I know nothing."

"There is nothing, Schultz," Hogan said quietly. "Nothing at all."

Schultz took a final look at Ludwig and left the barracks in silence. If Hogan hadn't sat down just then, he was sure he would have fainted dead away.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Two days later, Schultz pulled Hogan up after morning roll call as the men filed back to their barracks. "Colonel Hogan, they are gone?"

Hogan hesitated, then answered, "Yeah, Schultz. They're gone."

Schultz nodded. "I will look after the house. Get some things out to save for them. In case looters come, or someone like that."

"I'm sure they'll be grateful." Hogan paused. "They're good people, Schultz. You were right; you have a fine brother."

"Ja, I do," Schultz agreed. "But Ludwig is wrong about one thing. I cannot take sides, not even now. I am still a German soldier." Hogan raised an eyebrow, a small thrill of alarm starting to rise in his body. "I am grateful to you for what you have done. But please, Colonel Hogan, do not tell me how you did it. I do not want to know. And if you are planning to do it again, please do it when I am not around. I do not know how to speak Russian."

"You have my word on that, tovarich," Hogan said. He let out a breath. Although Stalag 13 was not his favorite place to be, for now it was home, humble as it may be, and it was much preferred over the other options available to prisoners, especially to ones involved in sabotage and intelligence. He massaged his shoulder muscles, realizing just then how much he wanted to sleep away the whole last two weeks or so. "I think I need to have a big sleep to forget the whole thing," he said.

"Oh—Colonel Hogan," Schultz said, stopping Hogan by the arm. "There is one other thing. Alida told me to give you this when she was gone."

Hogan gave Schultz a puzzled look, then broke into a wide grin when the guard discreetly pulled a pair of nylon stockings out of his pocket and handed them to the American. "She said she owed you a big favor." Hogan nodded and chuckled. "What does that mean?"

Hogan laughed lightly and pocketed the precious gift. "It means my nap's going to have to wait, Schultz," he said. "I owe someone else a big favor. Now be a good guard and make sure no one gets into Klink's office for a couple of hours, okay? And make sure that includes Klink!"