* * *

            Hogan sat on the bunk with one leg bent and his arm causally draped over the knee. His bravado meant to hide his fear with arrogance and disrespect as Gottfried strolled into the cell with two of the biggest, burliest guards Hogan had ever seen. Whatever Gottfried did to him Hogan was determined not to make it easy. 

“Why Standartenführer,” exclaimed Hogan with feigned delight. “What a pleasure to see you again! It’s been so long.  Please forgive the mess, but I really wasn’t expecting company today. If you’ll come back this afternoon I’ll bake a cake and we can have tea…”

Hogan’s chattering came to an abrupt halt as Gottfried slapped him so hard it nearly jarred loose his fillings. He fell back onto the bunk in a daze. Before he could react one of the guards jerked him up and forced him onto his knees. When he tried to stand he was pushed back down, each guard grabbing an arm, pulling it behind his back, and twisting it while pushing on his shoulder blades. Hogan winced in pain.

 “That’s much better,” Gottfried replied, walking over to Hogan and looking down at him. “Now, Herr Goldilocks, I am through playing games with you. You will tell me not only who you are, but you will tell me everything you know about the allied biological efforts and anything else I want to know.”

And I’ll see you in HELL first!! thought Hogan as he looked Gottfried straight in the eye with steely resolve at the same time wishing he had kept his mouth shut about potato beetles and cattle plague.

Gottfried pulled out a dagger from a sheave attached to his belt. He grabbed Hogan by the hair and pulled, forcing his head back and placed the dagger to Hogan’s throat. Hogan remained silent.

“The Gestapo has ways of making people talk. Very unpleasant ways,” touted Gottfried smirking.

What do they do? Send these guys to school for this? thought Hogan. Gestapo interrogation 101, tell the prisoner a hundred thousand times “The Gestapo has ways of making people talk. Very unpleasant ways.” It will drive them insane and in their insanity, they will tell you everything you want to know.  Well it wasn’t going to work with him. Besides he really didn’t know anything, at least, not about biological warfare.

“There are ways of inflicting pain – excruciating, lingering pain,” Gottfried began mincingly, emphasizing every word. “Some end in a slow torturous death, others cause pain without fatality, and others don’t even leave a mark.”

 Gottfried smiled a hideous smile that sent cold chills down Hogan’s spine although outwardly he remained impassive.

“Resist all you can. In the end it will do you no good. You will tell me everything I want to know. And I…” pressing the knife harder against Hogan’s throat, Gottfried smiled insidiously, obviously enjoying himself “…I shall derive a great deal of pleasure from your vain struggles and screams.”

 Gottfried paused for a second, putting the dagger down. As if on cue, both guards simultaneously began to twist Hogan’s arms. Hogan winced once more and managed to stifle a groan. Gottfried looked Hogan over as if seeing him for the first time.

 “Pretty boy!” Gottfried exclaimed. His eyes were gleaming with delight, as he scraped some of the face paint off Hogan’s cheek with his dagger, taking a layer of skin with it.

 ”Underneath the dirt it looks like we have a pretty boy here.

 “Let us introduce pretty boy to some of our pleasures,” said Gottfried with a smile that was pure evil.

As the guards jerked Hogan roughly to his feet, and shoved him toward the door, he nearly collided with the officer entering the cell.

“Standartenführer, there has been a fire at the fuel depot just outside town. Your presence is requested at once. Do you wish for me to continue the interrogation of the prisoner?”

“NO!” was the impassioned response of the standartenführer looking at the officer. “I will handle it myself upon my return.”

The officer clicked his heels, saluted and left. Gottfried turned his attention back to Hogan.

“It would appear that you have received a reprieve.”

Enjoy it while you can. It will be the last peace you will ever know.

“My men know I tolerate no mistakes. If a prisoner escapes, the one responsible takes his place, therefore they will be on their guard and alert. You can expect no help from within or without. For you, there is no hope.

 “Contemplate the situation. I’m sure you will see reason. In any event, we will resume this matter later. Then…” said Gottfried the evil smile returning as he tenderly wiped blood from Hogan’s cheek.

The touch made Hogan’s skin crawl. He instinctively paled in response. If it were possible for a human being to melt, Hogan would have. It took every once of strength Hogan possessed and from some source Hogan couldn’t identify to look Gottfried in the eye and glaze at him with an impassive cold, hard stare, but somehow he did. 

 “And then it will be my turn, pretty boy. One way or the other, I WILL have the information I seek.”

 And my fun as well. Who knows, you may provide me with pleasure for days.

With that the standartenführer left the cell. The guards threw Hogan onto the bunk and left as well. As he heard the cell door being locked, Hogan collapsed totally and completely drained -- mind, body and spirit, knowing the worse was yet to come.