Der Meißel der Seele

(Author's Note: Here is chapter 2. I now have a beta reader, Python, who gave this chapter a good looking over. So, thanks Python.
If all the 'had's bother you, it's not Python's fault - I was warned :)
)

DISCLAIMER: Hogan's Heroes belongs to Paramount and it's a darn good thing that they don't know what I'm doing with their toys.

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As Colonel Robert Hogan left the Kommandant's office, he could feel the frown creeping onto his face. That hadn't gone quite as well as he'd hoped. Klink was acting strangely today and, whenever Klink wasn't acting as he should, it usually meant complications for the operation. This time, it looked like the message to the underground might have to be delayed.

What was the problem this time? When Hogan had entered the office to find the Kommandant sitting on the floor, he'd thought that the man had had a heart attack or something equally inconvenient. Fortunately, that turned out not to be the case and, for a while, things had seemed almost normal. But then . . . then Klink started acting strangely.

He'd been awfully shaken when Hogan brought Adler up which meant that the General was probably responsible for Klink’s behavior. Hogan wondered what the man had done to make the Kommandant so nervous.

Was Klink being blackmailed again? If so, it must be for a lot of money this time; even when he had needed the five thousand marks, he hadn't acted this way. He'd been pretty strained then but he hadn't acted like he had today: bone weary and guilty.

But, whatever Klink's problem was, Hogan's main concern was how it was going to affect his mission. And, to know that, he needed to know what the problem was and how to take care of it quickly.

As luck would have it, Hogan had thought to have someone mind the coffee pot while General Adler was here. Klink was clearly not ‘top secret’ material and it never ceased to amaze Hogan how often he was trusted with important information. Sure, his perfect record was impressive to people who’d never met him, but even General Burkhalter, who made it no secret just what he thought of his subordinate, would bring Klink into confidences that he had no business even hearing about, never mind being a part of.

Not that Hogan was complaining: it was a lucky break for the Allies.

Hurrying across the compound as quickly as he could without looking suspicious, he returned to Barracks 2. When he got there, he saw that the daily poker game was well underway. And, as usual, Shultz was losing. Badly. Glancing at the assembled men, he saw that Kinch was not among them.

That meant either something was still happening in Klink's office (which Hogan doubted considering how the man had looked when he'd left) or that Kinch had heard something he wanted to discuss with Hogan in private - otherwise, Kinch would be out watching the poker game with the rest of the men.

Making his way across the room, Hogan nodded greetings to the men who noted his arrival but didn't stop to speak with them. He needed to find out what was going on and what, if anything, would have to change to make the mission a success - in his experience, just because Klink had said he'd decide in Hogan's favor tomorrow, it didn't mean that he actually would.

Stepping into his office, he saw Kinch sitting at the desk, tapping his pen on the notepad in front of him. When Kinch turned around to face the doorway, Hogan could see the strain on his face poorly concealed by a false smile. "Hi, Colonel. No luck with the paper, huh?"

Hogan recognized the question for what it was: a stall. And, considering that it was coming from a man who was usually so straightforward, it did not bode well. "Not today, although he said he'd say yes tomorrow." He shut the door behind him and crossed his arms. "Now, what's going on, Kinch?"

Kinch's smile faltered and died. "Klink's being blackmailed again."

Relief flooded through Hogan and he actually laughed. He'd thought that this whole Klink problem was going to be something serious and complicated! Getting money to General Adler without arousing suspicion would be difficult but not impossible. "Is that all?" He uncrossed his arms. "Well, how much money do the boys have to make this time?"

The expression on Kinch's face warned that Hogan's relief was premature. "The General doesn't want money, sir."

"Oh?" Hogan frowned as he tried to think of anything else of value that the Kommandant had that someone might want. Some cigars? A slightly worse for wear violin? The General would hardly have to blackmail someone to get these things. Besides, the loss of those things would do nothing to explain the way Klink was acting.

After giving the matter a bit more thought, he gave up. "What does he want then?"

The other man hesitated for moment, plainly reluctant to speak and probably thinking of the right way to say what he needed to, before he sighed and shook his head. "He wants Klink to have sex with him."

Of all the things that Hogan had expected to hear, this was nowhere on the list. This was not even a consideration to be on the list. He could feel his mouth drop open as he tried to wrap his mind around what he'd just heard. "What?"

"You heard me, sir." Kinch crossed his arms and continued, sounding sickened. "General Adler threatened to call up Berlin and tell them that Klink was involved in a plot to assassinate the Fuhrer if he refused."

Hogan sat down in the chair next to Kinch, suddenly feeling as though the world had stopped turning without him. "What did he - " he broke off the question because he already knew the answer. Suddenly, all the things that bothered Hogan about his meeting with Klink made sense as he realized what the man had done.

"He agreed to do it, didn't he?" At this moment, Hogan wasn't sure who he was more disgusted with: General Adler for making the demand or the Kommandant for agreeing to it. The General had no right to force himself on anyone but Klink . . . Klink was a coward, Hogan knew this, but he thought, even so, that there must have been something Klink could have done.

Something besides agreeing to play the whore.

Kinch nodded. "I couldn't hear him very well, but General Adler said that he'd be back at eleven to work out the details." He stared at Hogan expectantly. "So, what do we do, Colonel?"

That was the question, wasn't it? Hogan pulled his cap over his eyes and considered his options. After a moment of consideration, he saw that there really weren't any. While he wasn't happy with the situation and felt that someone like General Adler deserved something unpleasant to happen to him, he realized that he could not risk exposing his operation to help the Kommandant. As long as neither Klink's life or command was threatened (as Klink's incompetence was a vital component to the operation within Stalag 13), Hogan could not justify the risks.

Besides, since the Kommandant had already agreed to do what General Adler wanted . . . maybe he was getting what he deserved. Hogan was not particular proud of this thought but he couldn't deny that more than a small part of him held that opinion. The opinion that Klink could have gotten out of this if he'd truly wanted to.

In any event, the matter was out of his hands.

He put his hat back in place. "Nothing."

Kinch was clearly unhappy with the verdict - whether for Klink's sake or for the mere fact that they'd be letting the General get away with his blackmail, Hogan didn't know - and he had no problem with making his opinion known. "I don't like it, sir."

His own mixed feelings aside, Hogan couldn't argue with the sentiment. "I don't like it either, but we can't get involved with this."

Kinch nodded his understanding. "I assume you want to keep this between us."

"For now," Hogan said as he stood. "Did you hear anything else?"

"No, sir. But," Kinch paused, looking uncertain before pressing on, "Colonel, if he does this, he might not be the same."

Hogan, who had been about to leave, stopped short. "What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about this, sir, and, what the General's doing . . . it's a bit like rape, isn't it?" When Hogan made no move to answer, Kinch continued, his voice becoming less uncertain, "A friend of my sister's was raped when I was seventeen and she never got over it. She ended up killing herself."

Sitting back down, Hogan wondered if he had not considered all the angles. "You think Klink might do something like that?" He considered it a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think we've got quite the same situation here. Klink had a lot more options open to him than your sister's friend." He'd had a choice.

Kinch shrugged. "Maybe. But you didn't hear him, Colonel. It was - " He interrupted himself with a sigh. "Look, sir, I'm not sure if it's the same or not - it's just something to think about when you deal with him tomorrow."

Hogan was far from convinced but saw no point in upsetting Kinch by saying so. "I'll keep it in mind." He got to his feet and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "Want to go watch Shultz lose his paycheck again?"

The radioman smiled his first genuine smile of the afternoon. "Doesn't that man ever learn?"

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