She winked at Udet, grinning widely as he averted his eyes in embarrassment, her father speaking further in defence of his daughter, ‘She is right…there are many partisans and deserters hidden in the forest…you are too few in number to resist if they find you.’ He stepped forward, smiling as Tatu’s weapon rose nervously in response, ‘Herr Leutnant, we will not tell of this encounter for now…you do not know this land.’ He gritted his teeth as his voice became a hiss, ‘Take your men and get out of the forest as quickly as you can…’ The old man glanced upwards, the light fading further, ‘Once night is here…’ He swallowed cautiously, the cold biting in his chest, ‘It is you that will die…all of Russia is rising against the defeated fascist invaders, there will be no mercy now…’
The older man nodded knowingly at the young officer, his bloodshot eyes seeming to stare deep into Hausser’s soul. Glancing up at the slope as a cloud of exhaled air swept between them, the Russian continued, ‘You have probably five or six other men…and I can tell by your actions that you are honourable…probably frontline soldiers with little or no knowledge of what horror occurs behind the lines.’ The old man smiled briefly, glancing round before becoming more resolute, ‘Take your men to safety before the partisans sweep through the forest. Death only awaits you here…never come this deep into the trees again…the man that sent you here is a fool!’ He nodded once more, a brief smile passing between them, ‘I thank you for not shooting as we walked forward…many others would have done just that…that is the war you Germans have created!’
Leutnant Hausser hesitated, his uncertainty rising as he glanced across at Tatu warily, the Romanian beginning to stare nervously to either side and into the murky snow laden trees beyond before nodding cautiously to him, Udet lifting his rifle as he witnessed the older man’s frame stiffen.
The German officer bit his lower lip, nervous adrenalin sweeping up his spine as he came to an abrupt decision, ‘We will drop your rifles on the ridge…’ He solemnly nodded his thanks, indicating to the two others urgently, ‘Udet, pick up their weapons…let’s get going…and fast!’
They struggled up the slope, chests heaving as their boots slipped and slid on the ice beneath the powdered snow, Udet dropping the heavy rifles and lowering his frame desperately to retrieve them, Tatu grabbing his greatcoat roughly and propelling the young soldier forward through the deep snow, ‘Leave them…we will be over the rise before they can retrieve them!’
The young woman turned to her father, his hands hugging her frame tightly in comfort as she spoke curiously, ‘Will they get out alive Pappa?’
The old Russian stared up the slope at the three retreating figures, smiling warmly, ‘Perhaps my little Mishka…but I had to say something to stop them finding the grenades and explosives hidden in the back of the cart!’ He rubbed her head fondly, his voice a whisper, ‘If luck is with them, they may survive this night…but I feel their lives will end in Southern Russia somewhere soon…’
Chapter Two: Flight through darkness
Knee deep in snow, they pushed their weary frames onwards, the forest darkening around them. As the temperature dropped further, strained chests began to wheeze, the clouds of exhaled air filling the trees as white frost gradually formed on their scarves. Stumbling forward, their boots cracked against hidden roots and shrubs causing their frames to fall forward or stumble against the trees, their shoulders engulfed in cold falling snow from the coarse impacts.
Leutnant Hausser hissed through the descending darkness, ‘Keep together…and move as quietly as possible…the Russkies may be near! No talking!’ Tatu grinned ironically at the retort, the soldiers hardly likely to be able to form any conversation as the breathing became even more forced. Having laboured through the snow for over an hour, they seemed to be becoming disorientated, the brief glimpses through the branches of the black sky above providing limited direction, the Romanian’s apprehension rising.
Tatu and Petru pushed the three newer recruits forward, both men peering nervously to either side into the shadows and darkness. ‘Hase’ stumbled, his thigh muscles straining as he forced his body upwards, the snow deepening as their boots struggled into a depression in the forest floor, freezing fog beginning to fill the trees. Iced flakes built up around their greatcoats and waists as the soldiers struggled on, raising their weapons above their frosted helmets as they wallowed through the dipping terrain. To the right, a white coated wolf stared curiously at them, the majestic and powerful animal shaking the forming ice from its coat and jaws as visibility decreased, the night falling around them. Standing defensively between the strange humans and the animal’s small group of female she-wolves, the beast snorted defiantly, the soldiers glancing round nervously, failing to see the dominant leader of the pack as they forced their bodies onwards.
Then the wolf’s defined muscular frame stiffened in alarm, its head moving further to the south east, a sense of movement as it turned to lunge away, the three she-wolves startled and following his lead as they jumped through the deepened snow. Clawed paws pushed and dragged through the deep white powder as snow gradually formed into ice on the surface, clinging to thick fur as they leapt and jumped through the deep snow.
The drifts lightened slightly, Leutnant Hausser beginning to push more swiftly through the freezing cold, the darkness limiting visibility to a few yards, the mist thickening as it curled around the tree trunks around them. His breath heavily laboured, he dropped to a crouch, his worn gloves grasping a tree trunk as he gasped for air, the freezing temperature searing into his lungs as powdered heavily chilled snow engulfed his helmet and shoulders from above.
Seven soldiers lowered behind him, their breathing heavy as they gulped the freezing air, their eyes straining through the darkness and gloom. ‘Hase’ tensed, his eyes widening as he sensed movement ahead and to the right, his hand grasping Hausser’s shoulder as he whispered softly, ‘Lie down now…the Russians are close…’
Hausser’s head spun round in alarm, the gloved hand pushing on his shoulder as he obediently slipped forward onto his stomach, ‘Hase’ slumping softly next to him, he men behind following their actions nervously. Their breath held, thin mist drifted above them, their eyes narrowing to peer into the gloom and darkness, a gradual slope rising before them. The distant shriek of an alarmed bird, their shoulders stiffening as weapons slowly rose to point in a defensive semi-circle, hearts pounding as teeth were gritted in the silence, the suspense mounting.
The German commander tensed, his eyes spotting movement through the trees. Some twenty metres ahead, a silhouette lowered to a crouch as the frame forced its way through the closed branches, frozen snow falling from above as other shadows moved silently forward ahead of the figure. The adrenalin and fear seemed to grasp tightly at their chests as over fifteen figures gradually slipped between the trees, the padded uniforms scraping against the frozen branches. Tatu forced a nervous swallow, this throat hurting as he stared at the figures ahead, the soldiers armed with PPSH machine guns and rifles, their breathing forming in billowing clouds around them.
Behind the tree trunks and branches, the eight soldiers watched pensively, the Russian platoon seeming to hesitate as they glanced around cautiously, the troops crouching in silence. Tatu pursed his lips, realising that if they fired they would alert any other enemies in the forest, his head slowly turning to glance at the nervous sullen faces around him. Carefully and slowly, his hand stretched outwards, touching the top of Erich’s rifle, his head shaking dismissively as the young soldier glanced nervously at him, the two Italians beyond glimpsing the gesture.
Udet shivered, his body laying prone in the freezing snow next to Petru, the Romanian raising a gloved finger to his lips as the young German nodded, his chest searing with pain as he controlled his low breathing. The thickening tentacles of mist stretched out from above them, seeming inches from their frosted helmets, curling round the trees and dense hanging snow as they stared silently at the crouched figures further up the rise ahead.
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The ice crunched as a padded silhouette crept along before the figures from the right, a low hiss in Russian coming from the figures lips, ‘Move along comrades…there will be a fascist patrol here somewhere, and we will find them!’
The shadows turned slowly, boots stepping cautiously forward across the snow, the muffled crunches just audible as the patrol moved off to the left, their bodies lowered and weapons raised before them, their boots wrapped in rags to reduce noise.
The eight soldiers lay there for some time, the silhouettes stepping slowly away to the east before moving gradually out of sight through the murk. The freezing mist began to descend, bodies shivering as Leutnant Hausser’s head turned slowly towards the soldier next to him, his eyes widening, ‘‘Hase’, ‘How did you know?’ He stared curiously at the man next to him, expectantly seeking an answer.
The Russian shrugged, his voice a low whisper, ‘Instinct…experience…maybe a sound? My father taught me many things…I do not know…’
Hausser’s eyes narrowed, ‘We have been a long way together…that is perhaps the second time you have saved my life and those of the others with us…for that I thank you.’
The young commander swallowed with emotion, their eyes meeting briefly before ‘Hase’ looked away, his stare resolute, ‘You have saved the lives of villagers, my men and mine, Herr Leutnant, for that I owe you my loyalty until the end…’ He indicated forward, ‘We need to move Sir…there will be more of my countrymen in the forest searching…their need for vengeance heightened once they are told we are here.’ He glanced back, their eyes meeting once more in the darkness, clouds of swirling breath between them, ‘They will be told…or probably already know now! They will search thoroughly…it is only a matter of time before they find us…’
Leutnant Hausser glanced round quickly, his adrenalin rising once more as he hissed, ‘We move forward…keep alert. We need to get out of the forest as soon as we can!’
Tatu grimaced, his snow covered body rising from the iced snow, a jacket covered in flakes as he muttered, ‘On the run again…will this never end!’ He whispered forward, Petru grinning, ‘Herr Leutnant…I want to go back to my beloved Romania now!’
The officer turned, grinning back grimly in surprise, his voice lowered, ‘Not yet Tatu…you have to fulfil your service to the Reich…you have not repaid your plane ticket yet!’ The Romanian quartermaster sniffed in defiance, his head glancing to either side cautiously as he indicated for the men to progress forwards.
Udet shrugged innocently as the Italians and younger German stared at him curiously, whispering to them, ‘I don’t speak Romanian…yet!’
Trudging on for some time they fell into silence, wary eyes glancing to either side through the gloom and darkness as they moved through the trees, the packed snow becoming firmer beneath their boots as the temperature dropped further. The cold snow clung to their greatcoats, helmets glinting with frost as their scarves froze almost solid, the fog becoming thicker until only the outlines of trees and branches ahead were visible.
Several shrill bird calls swept through the forest, the group dropping to their knees again in caution, Leutnant Hausser turning to ‘Hase’, ‘Where are they now?’
‘Hase’ glanced round cautiously, his eyes narrowing, ‘Behind us I think…the birds are just calling out to each other, Herr Leutnant.’ He stared into the fog, ‘I think the slope that leads from the forest is up ahead…the mist and trees seem to thin further on…and I think there are stars…’
Hausser followed his gaze, a smile creeping across his lips as he grasped the Russian’s arm, ‘I think so too my friend…’ His head spun round as he hissed, ‘Forward…It looks like we are nearly there men…keep alert!’
They lunged forward with hope rising in their chests, the cold biting at exposed features as gasping chests forced breathing, legs stumbling through deep snow. Approaching the summit of a gradual rise, their boots slipped and slid on the iced snow, several stumbling forward as they neared the edge of the snow bound trees.
Slipping through the trees in the forest, the thirty-five-year-old Russian stared into the distance, his eyes strained through the fog and darkness. His padded feet slipped silently across the snow as he stepped gingerly forward, felt covers worn over his boots to eliminate noise, his gloves clutching a sighted Mosin Nagant rifle. A scarf wrapped across his helmet and mouth, his breathing was slow and deep, observing the boot marks and grooves in the snow below him.
He smiled faintly as he squeezed between two trees, observing the frost had been scraped from the branches by recent passing bodies. Lowering to a crouch, he examined the marks on the iced surface of the snow, the smile broadening as his finger touched the foot imprint, the preceding boot having stepped over the older small paw marks and animal tracks, his eyes staring into the gloom in curiosity. He glanced round, the boot imprint exhibiting slight indentations, indicating the hobnails in the soles of German jackboots.
The eight shivering figures reached the summit of the slope, slipping between the last trees as the ground fell gradually before them. Clouds of exhaled breath swirled around them, most gasping from the intense cold as they surveyed the scene below.
The snow filled landscape fell away before them, the numerous exposed stumps of trees breaking through the thick white blanket indicating a work party had cleared the slope. Several piles of chopped and sawn logs lay at regular intervals, the high and low obstacles virtually covered in snow from the early afternoon heavy downfall.
The snow covered slope continued for almost half a kilometre, a rough winding track bordering the lower level as the soldiers stared out in awe. The darkness above seemed intensely black, sparkling stars almost mesmerizingly bright, the breath taking vision enhanced by the freezing air. In the snow laden land below, a small hamlet lay in the distance, another far further, lights flickering from the windows and glinting across the ice through a thin mist as they stared downwards.
Tatu hissed loudly in frustration, ‘Herr Leutnant…I think we have come out further west than before…if we follow the track it may lead us back to the rendezvous point?’
The German officer shook his head dismissively, ‘The track will skirt the forest and we know what is in there…they will be looking for us now!’
Tatu grimaced, acknowledging the thought as he raised his arm, his PPSH indicating forward in front of his body, ‘If we visit the village, they may have some transport they can offer us…we can get back to headquarters on our own…bring the vehicle back tomorrow?’
Hausser nodded grimly in agreement, ‘That’s the best plan…we will be late back, but alive never the less…’
The lone figure moved silently through the trees, the cloth wrapped sighted rifle lowered as the man inspected further scuff marks on the iced formed surface, the clear imprint of a nailed boot beneath him. He glanced upwards through the frosted forest, a small view of the stars above pleasing him as they sparkled down from the heavens, casting limited light through the snow laden foliage.
Moving further forward, he shivered slightly, the cold beginning to seep through his padded uniform as he gently rested padded boots on the iced surface, digging his heels slowly and silently to ensure grip. Reaching a small clearing, he glanced around nervously, then stiffened, carefully raising the rifle to his eyes, sensing there were figures ahead as he gradually moved the weapon round. The lens of the scope was frosted at the edges, his breathing becoming more shallow as he slowly and carefully panned it across the trees ahead, raising it slightly as he realised the gradually rising snow covered slope ahead.
The trees restricted his sight, blurred visions sweeping through his eyes as he strained to see ahead. Then his lips curled, five silhouettes forming through the obstructing branches in the sight as he drew breath, the rifle moving from side to side as he sought the German officer in charge.
Leutnant Hausser lowered to a crouch, his exhaled breath in clouds, ‘We move down the slope slowly…make no sound. Move behind the woo
d stacks and keep going…when we reach the village, we take transport or get one of the Russians to take us…’ He shrugged wearily, ‘There may be a German or allied unit there that can help us…’
The young German soldier lowered his chest as he coughed softly, then rose again, his gloved hand pointing down the slope, as he whispered, ‘Herr Leutnant, we can move…’
The rifle cracked from far behind them in the forest, a dull metallic clank following, their bodies jumping as the sound wave echoed around them. Erich slumped forward onto his knees, then fell lifelessly into the iced snow face down, blood squirting from the back of his helmet as his body rolled slightly onto one side, his muscles twitching and contracting, a gloved hand still outstretched as the fingers moved for the final time.
Chapter Three: Attacked!
Leutnant Hausser’s eyes widened in horror as he briefly stared down at the young body, the snow darkening around the twitching frame as his chest tensed, eager and distant Russian shouts filling the trees behind them. The German commander’s voice strained in desperation as Tatu grabbed Udet’s shoulder, propelling him forward, the young man gasping in shock, ‘Run! Use the logs as cover!’
Spinning round, the commander’s MP40 barked as he fired a short burst blindly into the trees, snow billowing from the disturbed branches as bark shattered and broke from frozen trunks. Great coated bodies surged forward, their boots slipping and sliding on the iced slope as a whine of ultimate frustration swept from Tatu’s lips, his eyes glancing back to the bloodied iced snow as backs crashed against the frozen surface around him, the kicking boots slowing descents as the group slid downwards.
Further distant shouts in Russian behind, the searching partisans running towards the muffled sound of a rifle shot and machine gun burst. Slipping and sliding across the snow, the cold bit through their clothing, Hausser shouting desperately, ‘Get behind the logs…we must defend or the sniper will pick us off before we get to the track below…keep your heads down!’
Rise of the Bloodied Phoenix Page 3