Chapter 5

The inside of the barracks was rather dim, and it didn't smell all to great either. And the close proximity to others surfaced August's never ending struggle to push out other's thoughts. But at the same time he was sifting through them. He could feel a lot of mistrust the moment they were noticed. A few of the men were trying to gage their age. But he also picked up some friendly thoughts, and traced it to an American who looked a bit younger than most of the other captured soldiers.

"Hello Colonel," he spoke up. "Who are they?"

"This is Corporal O'Riley and Private Cassel," Hogan said amiably.

"Is your bloody army enlisting kids now?" asked a fellow in a blue uniform and a thick cockney accent.

"We're eighteen," August said immediately. He didn't really need to make them believe that though, he'd heard stories of boys who lied about their age often enough.

"Sure, an' the Kommandant's firty!" The brit rolled his eyes as the others chuckled.

"Stow it Newkirk." The R.A.F. Corporal immidiatley quieted at his commanding officer's glare, "Gentleman, if you'll come with me." The Colonel's tone made if obvious that it wasn't a request. August followed him in with Cort right behind. Cort was his only consolation in this place, because if anyone was more confused than August, it was him.

They were led into a side room that was obviously the Colonel's, "So!" The American threw his hat onto his bed and sat at his desk, "I want to hear all about everything!" August didn't really know any specifics about WWII, and that's what the officer wanted, according to his confusing thoughts.

"We were captured." Cort's voice was soft, but his eyes dared the officer to question. Unluckily for them, Colonel Hogan was very willing to dare.

"Where? How? When? What bombing group were you with? What was your mission? Why did you bail out?" His dangerous dark eyes held Cort's intense ones in a silent contest. August, meanwhile, was trying to find anything in the man's thoughts that would help them.

'Has he thought of anything helpful yet?' Cort' voice came through.

'Still looking.' August replied, ... so far, the man's thoughts consisted of:
'So so young! What is this world coming to? They're acting only slightly suspicious and very contrary ... they've got spunk. Can they really be spies? At that young? We'll have to find out. My gut tells me that they're okay, but my eyes tell me different ... I'll have to talk with the men.'

'He's suspicious of us.' August's informed.

'He should be, if it's war.' Cort's reply was firm, 'If he weren't suspicious, then I'd be.'

"Where are you from?" The American Colonel finally ended the staring contest.

"Montana," August answered immediately. At least he knew the answer to that. "Both of us," he added.

"Montana, huh? Anywhere near the capital, ah what is it?" he gestured with his hands as if trying to rejog his memory.

"Helena. Nope, not really," August said.

"Helena! Yes, that's it!" Hogan snapped his fingers.

August hoped that this test to see if they were spies wouldn't go any farther into geography. He couldn't remember most of the states' capitals.

"So, ... About your mission .."

Great, why did he have to go to that subject?

August was thinking he'd rather answer geography questions. Colonel Hogan definitely seemed confused on the point of the mission. August had gathered that they were in contact with London. So, I'd there was a mission he probably would have known...

"We weren't on a mission. We weren't supposed to be out... we were spotted and shot down. We bailed, and soon after the Gestapo caught us." It definitely wasn't the best story, it really made them look bad, but Hogan found it believable.

"Why'd you go out?" The Colonel's face was serious, "Everyone's got a reason!"

August had become very absorbed in tracing the floorboards with his toes. "Just to be in the air," he decided on. Dustin once told him that lies usually work best when you keep it simple, but of course you have to have details just in case. Well, at least he had the simple part down.

Hogan shook his head, he was still suspicious, but it had eased a bit. August was sure that their tests weren't over yet. Especially for Cort since he hardly answered.

"Okay ..." Hogan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You can go. Oh, ... And welcome to stalag XIII."


'That would be nice if he were welcoming us somewhere other than a prison camp,' Cort said mentally as they left the room.

August smiled, 'It would be nicer. There's something going on here, they're in contact with London, and there's tunnels below the barrack.'

Cort glanced over at him. "How can you tell that there's tunnels?"

'Some of the men have thought a little about them, and I can hear people below our feet.'

'That's a good reason. So if they have tunnels why are they still here? And how is it that there hasn't been an escape?'

'Oh, I'm sure there's been an escape before, lot's of them. The majority of the people in this barrack has been outside the fence recently. I promise I'm really not trying to spy on their minds,' August added. He always felt a bit guilty, unless of course if it was an enemy, or someone he really, really mistrusted. But none of these men were all that bad.

"Hey, you two get that bunk over there," the young American said, cutting into their mental conversation. He gestured to a bunk across from the door. "My name's Andrew."

"August," he said cordially.

"Cort," Cort said with a nod.

"Those are funny names," Andrew remarked, though he wasn't being mean.

"Ah, Carter, le' 'em alone," the British man, Newkirk, groaned.

"I was just being friendly," Carter said.

"Making fun of someone's name is not being friendly," said the small man that they saw with Newkirk on their way into camp, in a strong French accent.

"I wasn't making fun of them, I was just sayin' that they had funny names," Carter said defensively.

August shrugged, "If you think my name is funny, you should hear the rest of my siblings' names. My mom had a theme going."

"What are they?" Carter asked, curiously.

August felt a little embarrassed all of the sudden. "Summer, January, Spring, September, Autumn, and Winter," he admitted.

"Cor Blimey!" The Brit burst into laughter, "What 'appened to the rest of the year?!!"

"Newkirk," The little Frenchman admonished, "I thought we weren't supposed to make fun!" Newkirk, however, paid him no mind,

"An' naturally, you can't forget the 'olidays!!"

"Don't mind him, he doesn't mean it." The young American from earlier let slip an embarrassed smile.

"Oh, I mean it more than your mum!" Newkirk had pretty much everyone in the barracks smiling but the Frenchman, Andrew, August and Cort.

"My mom almost died giving birth to Winter. That's what happened to the rest of the year," August said, immediately shutting Newkirk up. August couldn't stop a small smile.

"See, Pierre, that is why you don't make fun of people," the Frenchman scolded Newkirk.

"Ah, Louis, I couldn' 'elp it. I didn' mean any 'arm. I'm sure your mum's a wonderful lady."

August shrugged, "No hard feelings. I've heard it all at school."

"I'm sure you have." A quiet voice came from the door, where a tall black sergeant was standing.

" 'ey Kinch!" Newkirk grinned, "Glad you could join us!!"

"The Colonel in?" Kinch looked at the Englander.

"Oui."

"Thanks LeBeau." After a smile at the Frenchman, and an unreadable glance at them, the tall man disappeared into Hogan's office.

'What was that all about?' Cort looked at August for explanation.

'News from London.' August replied worriedly, 'They have no record of us in the army ... we have some explaining ahead of us.'

'And how exactly are we going to explain?'

'My sister would have scolded me about now. She hates lying. Especially since few people can keep stuff from us... But I don't think WWII veterans are likely to believe us, they'd probably just think we're mental, or spies, or mental spies.'

Cort smiled a little, 'Well our conversation is mental anyways.'

'So, you think we should tell truth?'

'I'm sure that a little thoughtful convincing should do the trick.' Cort's smile was downright evil.

'You're enjoying this too much.' August frowned.

'I have an inkling that you are too.' Cort's knowing look caused his smile to melt away,

'Maybe I am, at that.'

The black man, Kinch, stepped out of the coroner's room for a moment and made a small gesture. Newkirk, Carter, and LeBeau all went back to the room.

'Well then, the explaining will come in a minute or so.

And it will have to be pretty convincing, I don't want to be harmed as a spy,' August grinned a little.

Author's Note

If you're still reading ... Kudos to you. You're really hardy.