Europe Has Fallen

by Gouriet, Andrew

  They were at a safe distance from this marauding group, but still watched them intensely. As they moved along, gunshots came closer and closer. Then the boat came under fire. The soldiers took cover and looked around for where it was coming from. It was soon located to an area to the south side of the city. Drone soldiers had seen this large target and started to shoot at it. As the bullets snapped into the boat, there was a feeling of resilience in her. It was their guardian angel at this moment in time, taking them through the dark and delivering them into the light.

  They did not return fire; it would have been a waste of bullets. The boat slowly pulled out of their range and pushed further along the river. It was then that Corporal Heinz spotted a group of Prussian soldiers, with their distinctive helmets, light blue jackets and darker blue trousers. There were around ten of them running at speed. Moving rapidly behind them was a group of long-limbs.

  The soldiers were taking turns to fire and move as they retreated. The long-limbs outnumbered the Prussians three to one. It was only a matter of time before they were on top of them. They had a chance to take cover in a house, but probably realised that that would leave them trapped.

  The corporal shot to his feet and asked if they should set out a lifeboat to collect the men. The major looked at the captain then gave the nod. He grabbed a mixture of British and Austrian soldiers and was then lowered down to the water. They rowed at speed towards the Prussians.

  The Prussians had so far not seen them and kept falling back. They took notice when the boat’s cannon fired a shot at the advancing long-limbs. The shell was accurate and landed between three long-limbs, sending flesh and bone and dirt flying up into the air and onto the houses around them.

  The Prussians looked at the steamboat and then at the lifeboat coming their way. They did not waste time and got close to the water to be rescued.

  Corporal Heinz was the first to greet them in German. They were a little taken aback and surprised by having an Austrian soldier rescue them.

  A Prussian officer came forward and introduced himself as Jurgen Müller. Introductions were short as they clambered into the boat. The long-limbs were coming from all angles. The cannon could not be fired with the soldiers at such close proximity. What the steamboat could do was offer covering fire from the soldiers on top deck.

  The long-limbs climbed into the water after their victims. They waded in deep and even tried to swim after them. Some of the Prussians in the boat fired at their bobbing heads. The creatures’ eyes focused on their prey. The lifeboat pulled away in time, though, giving them less and less chance of catching the group.

  Soon, rope ladders were thrown down from the side of the boat by the remaining British soldiers for the men to climb onto. The lifeboat was attached and hoisted up. Smoke rose from all quarters of the city. Thunderous bangs could be heard.

  “Why are you here?” the Prussian captain asked pointedly.

  “We are fleeing this invasion. The Austro–Hungarian Empire has fallen,” said the Royal Engineer.

  The Prussian looked at the men to gauge the truth in this statement. Major Richmond and Captain Hayward came over and were swiftly joined by Colonel Kiesl.

  The major introduced himself and got a salute back.

  “I’m the commanding officer here. We have come with the Austrian Engineers from a fort in the Carpathian Mountains. There is a trouble happening all around us and we need to keep moving.”

  The Prussian captain swept his hair to the side. “I am Captain Müller.” He stop for a second before continuing.

  “There have been reports of large movements of refugees coming from the Austro–Hungarian Empire. We sent an expeditionary force out two weeks ago, but they have not returned. I have been in charge of a small detachment covering the northern part of the city.”

  He went on to say that the other detachments were spread out. Their remit had been to wait for reinforcements from Ulm. These forces never came. Then, small waves of drone soldiers started coming at them, testing their numbers.

  “Then came the long-limbs.” Captain Müllers face showed his disbelief about what he was talking about. “Are we fighting the Devil?”

  He continued to explain that this was all that was left from his detachment. His men looked battle-worn and a little shabby. They had beards and dirty uniforms. He explained they would do what they could to help.

  He suggested they raise the Prussian flag in case cannon batteries further up the river got a little jittery and opened fire on anything that was not familiar to them.

  The steamboat moved rapidly away from the pursuing long-limbs. The order was given to cease fire, and save bullets as the creatures were not going to reach the boat.

  A Prussian soldier came forward and brought out a flag. This was received by an Austrian soldier; he was a little reluctant to place it on the boat’s flagpole, but realised they had no choice.

  The officers spoke for a while about what they had been through. They were slowly moving out of the outskirts of the city and further along the Danube. More soldiers had been seen moving around in the distance but were told by Captain Müller they should go to Straubing and see in Brigadier Von Schwen. There was a castle in the mountains and maybe he would be planning Prussia’s defence strategy for this invasion from there.

  Captain Müller spoke quite highly about this brigadier. He was well educated and had a good command of the English language. Captain Hayward felt a little ashamed at the way others knew at least something of his language and he only knew snippets of theirs. His French was improving, though, and regular visits to Paris helped.

  The officers went into the wheelhouse of the boat. The Prussian soldiers patrolled outside on the upper deck. The suggestion was put forward that they take this first river section after Passan until it was felt safe enough to swap groups. The weather was much warmer now and it was recommended that the British Engineers take off their tunics when on top deck. This would reveal their blue shirts and be less threatening to any forces camped along the river waiting for a target.

  As the officers discussed recent events, it was agreed they would go into further detail when they reached Straubing.

  The Royal Engineers took this moment to rest and unwind from the tensions of passing through Passan. Their thoughts were mostly of their families back in England and their friends serving in the other units based around the world.

  Private Brown was allowed time to visit Heidi. She was assisting a wounded man when John met up with her. He watched her careful touch as she dressed a wound, and how painstakingly observant she was of the soldier’s welfare.

  When she was finished, she spoke to the man for a short while and then took John off down a corridor into a storage room.

  “Heidi, we must be careful. The rules have been laid down very strictly.”

  She smiled and kissed him.

  “We’re not going to make love here, John, but it does give me some time to talk to you alone.”

  She hugged him and kissed him again. The feeling of her body against his made John a little giddy. He wanted to tear her uniform off, but it was not the time or place. Rules were rules and this time if he was caught he would be in a whole world of trouble.

  “I want to ask you something. It’s quite a big thing, but just something I have to get out of my system.”

  John looked into Heidi’s blue eyes. Her pupils were large and intense.

  “You know you can ask me anything.”

  “Well, we’re kind of courting now. I want to be with you, John. I will come to England with you if that is what you want.”

  There was a pause.

  “I need to find my family and I pray they’re safe. Hopefully they are in Prussia now with the other Austrians.”

  John nodded. “We can find them. There must be a large camp with many refugees in it. Maybe they can come to England.”

  He did not really know what the setup would be for refugees in England or any other country. He had not really expe
rienced anything like this before. The scale of destruction was massive. He tried not to let himself think too much about what lay ahead. They were not out of the thick of it yet and there could be more difficult moments further down the line. The couple hugged and kissed a little more before slowly returning to their duties.

  The boat was cruising along at a good speed now. The soldiers who had been working in the engine room were doing a sterling job. Captain Hayward and Major Richmond took time to go down there to thank them.

  Captain Hayward was looking over maps and roads to the castle in Straubing. Corporal Heinz had a keen eye for a route and pointed to various possible shortcuts. Captain Müller spoke in German to Corporal Heinz. His voice had a sharp tone and his words were followed by an index finger tracing over the map.

  “Do not fret over the route to the castle. I know the route well,” reassured Captain Müller.

  “With all due respect, Captain, we like to check out all angles in case the route you have in mind has been compromised.”

  Captain Müller’s face showed a look of half-acceptance, half-annoyance.

  The evening came and allowed the Prussians to swap shifts. They were tired from the persistent fighting and were glad to rest. The cook had prepared a small feast and the men gladly tucked into it.

  The evening light was fading, but they kept on going as long as they could. The soldiers listened to the distant gunfire and cannons rumbling. The smell of war filled everyone’s nostrils. The soldiers who were not veterans were coming to terms with fighting on this scale.

  Days passed as they took their time going towards Straubing. The new Prussian soldiers seemed to fit in well. There was an air of hostility at first to the Austrians, but it passed as stories were fed around about the new common enemy.

  Major Richmond pulled Captain Hayward to one side.

  “Will you go with the Prussian captain to the castle? I would like there to be a mixture of British, Austrians and Prussians at the meeting.”

  “Very well, sir. Corporal Heinz can help translate the more difficult German.”

  They both stood looking at each other for a moment.

  “I know you’re thinking the same as me. This is getting bigger by the day. We may play a key part in how it all unfolds. I would come to the meeting, but I know you are a better rider than me and we cannot be stationary for too long.”

  Captain Hayward paused for a moment.

  “Harry, they are moving at incredible speed. Do you think they have grand plans for Prussia, or is this just a warning for them not to get involved?”

  Harry looked up.

  “I’m not one hundred per cent sure, to tell you the truth.”

  They stopped just outside Straubing. They had not encountered too many Prussians on the way. The villages and towns were deserted, reflecting the same pattern they had witnessed in Austria.

  The boat was anchored and a small collection of men were selected to take the four-day trip into the mountains. The horses had been in good health and when possible had been allowed to exercise when the boat was able to moor.

  Captains Hayward and Müller led the way. There were ten men: four Prussians; four Austrians and two British Engineers.

  Sergeant Butcher was selected to ride with the captains. He had good horseman skills, which would be useful if there was going to be any trouble.

  By the next morning, the horses were prepared for the journey. The major explained to them all that they could only wait four days at the maximum. With the rapid movement of the enemy, it left them no other choice.

  The journey was expected to take around a day and a half. It did not give them much time to spend with the brigadier. The sun was starting to peek through the clouds as they set off down a farm track. Captain Müller was at the front with Captain Hayward. One of the Prussians with them was sent ahead to scout with Corporal Heinz.

  They rode along at a steady speed with the river soon disappearing behind them, giving way to a thick blanket of trees. The pines stood tall and firm. Sunlight poured down onto their needles but was prevented in places from penetrating below.

  The wildlife was more abundant in Prussia than it was in the Austro–Hungarian Empire. Nature was in full bloom with the onset of summer. The meadows had an array of flowers and insects feeding on them. The colours were magnificent and gave a false air of calm.

  Deserted cottages came and went. The odd farm had animals still wandering around in the fields, feeding away without a care in the world. The Prussian scout knew the route towards the castle and was taking them there as fast as he could. Captain Hayward had maps and a translated description of what had been happening over the past few months.

  The idea was to pass on as much information as possible. They did not really know how much Prussia knew of its aggressor. Captain Müller said the defence of South Prussia fell in Brigadier Von Schwen’s hands. He was a prudent man. “He likes to assess the situation before jumping in.”

  Captain Hayward wanted to know what sort of army Prussia had at her disposal, but it was not something he thought he would get a response about. There had been a massing of forces since the relationship with the Austro–Hungarian Empire became strained. The main issue was the size of the enemy force but this was not known. The virus that the flesh-eaters carried was a concern that was being kept close to the officers chests for now. They wanted to understand more before causing a panic.

  The plan was to inform the brigadier of what could possibly happen. They needed to know that the drone soldiers were dangerous, dead or alive. This was a huge physiological weapon.

  As they rode higher, the mountains’ presence unleashed an overpowering feeling. They were spectacular to look at and their size and aura created a wonderful backdrop.

  Lower Bavaria was somewhere Captain Hayward wanted to visit when this was all over. He reached inside his tunic and pulled out a small photograph. The image of his family helped relax him and their smiling faces lit up his heart and kept them close to his thoughts.

  The group carried on through lunch and into late afternoon. There were no signs of the enemy or civilians. The pine forests became more extensive and the mountains more dominating as they rode further and higher along the tracks.

  Captain Müller stopped at a view point and surveyed the landscape for movement. He could see dust clouds in the distant valley and small fires burning. He could not work out whether they were friends or foes. He reported this back to the group and said they should be very wary that night when camping.

  He was fascinated with the war waged against his country. Prussia was a strong nation and in his eyes, this was a formidable mistake by the would-be conquerors.

  As night fell, they set up camp within a condensed thicket and started a small fire. They dug a hole in the ground and used stones piled up at the sides to help keep the light to a minimum.

  Their food was a mixture of dried meat and some freshly caught rabbits. The weather was quite mild, although the mountain breeze was cooler than the air by the river. The food was greatly appreciated and the horses were brushed down and tethered.

  Captain Müller sat down with the men and started to eat. Three of the soldiers had been selected for the first watch. It was going to be a rotated job, with Captain Hayward and Sergeant Butcher volunteering for the night shift.

  Captain Müller took a large bite of warm cooked meat and licked his lips.

  “You’ve had some fortune with the steamboat, would you not say?”

  Corporal Heinz answered.

  “Sometimes you need a little good fortune.”

  Captain Müller had not spoken very much since being picked up and had a look of contempt on his face as he considered Corporal Heinz.

  “I guess, as an Austrian, it was easy to take something that was not yours.”

  The corporal looked slightly annoyed with this comment and was about to answer when Sergeant Butcher tried some basic German. It was something along the lines of, “The weather is good this
time of year.” He had not understood the tension in the German that was being spoken. Captain Hayward was picking up more and more of the language, but still followed facial expressions better.

  The Prussians and the Austrians looked at each other. The sergeant had inevitably broken the tension and he was answered with a simple, “Ja.”

  The group carried on eating. The food was much appreciated and soon bowls were being readied for second portions. The clouds had come in whilst they sat and ate. There was some light conversation before the group settled down to get some rest. The guards wandered around, trying hard to concentrate on the darkness and what was in it.

  Captain Hayward felt the rain falling down. The gentle drops made a soft noise on his thick blanket. The group had moved a little to shelter under the larger trees, which offered more protection from the rain. When the shift change came, he felt a little groggy. The soldiers were glad to climb under their blankets and get some well-earned rest. The first couple of hours passed without notice. Then something caught the captain’s eye. The horses were a little uneasy and this was enough for him to signal that to Sergeant Butcher.

  Both men told the other guard, who was ordered to get closer to the sleeping men. Then Sergeant Butcher followed his captain off in the darkness. At first there was nothing, just a soft breeze with light rain. Their senses sharpened as twigs snapped to the side of them.

  Moonlight broke intermittently through clouds allowing illumination of the darker woods. Their eyes had adjusted a little more to the dark and they were convinced they had seen something moving.

  Charles lowered his hand down towards his bayonet. He then indicated to the sergeant to do the same. They both drew their bayonets and moved deeper into the wood. The sounds were stronger the closer they went in.