by W. R. Benton
“Well, know the Russians will not be happy when they find them and will likely kill anyone, including your boys, they find here. I won't bring the subject up again. It's a decision the two of you have to make, but think of your kids.”
Near midnight, with the wind howling and snow flying in all directions, John awoke to the sound of an engine running. He quickly moved to Ed and asked, “Do you hear that engine? Is there any reason for that noise to be there?”
“Russians and, from the sound, it's a tank.” Xue said.
“Tank? Why would a Russian tank be on my property?” Ed asked.
“There are over a dozen dead Russians stacked beside your home right now and I'm guessing when the squad didn't make an appointed radio contact, the base sent out a few men and a tank to discover why.”
“Do you have any gasoline in the barn?”
“Very little, oh, maybe 3 gallons or so, why?”
“Xue, go with Ed to the barn and make us a good half dozen Molotov cocktails. While we have grenades, we can confuse and scare a tank crew with fire. No one wants to burn to death. Hurry now, we don't have much time.”
While the two men worked in the barn, John had everyone else leave the house and seek shelter in it also. He then returned to the house, booby trapped the dead Russians, some things in the house and the doors to the structure. By the time he returned, the firebombs were ready and the fire in the wood burning stove in the barn was burning well.
“It must be well below zero out there right now.” Xue said.
“I want you, Xue, in the loft so if one of the hatches on the tank is open you can drop a surprise down on our Russian guests. The Rooskies are used to fighting in cold weather and they train in Siberia, so they know what they are doing.”
“Movement toward the house.” Simmons said from the door where she'd been keeping watch. The noise of the tank was getting louder as it neared and finally it stopped right beside the barn. The roadway went by the barn because it was easier to access the red wooden structure when storing hay or other farm items in large quantities.
Ed, already in the loft, lit one of the empty quart bottles that used to hold wine in happier days and leaning out, dropped the firebomb down the open hatch of the tank. He quickly turned to pick up another bottle when shots were heard and he felt three painful impacts as bullets burned through his torso. Determined to take some Russians with him in death, he jumped from the loft onto the tank turret, as bullets zinged past him. Some struck the metal turret of the tank, pinging loudly as they ricocheted off into space. He threw another firebomb inside the tank's open hatch and died as a bullet struck him in the chest. If anyone had been able to see Ed clearly, they would have seen a smile on his face.
Screams were heard and then yells in Russian as the tank crew attempted to escape the flames. The gunner and commander were instantly in flames and when the driver went out his hatch, the lower half of his body was flaming. He hit the ground to roll, hoping the newly fallen snow would help him, but the gasoline in his clothing continued to burn. A shot sounded and the man stopped moving. A Captain with a smoking pistol moved toward the house.
The tank commander got half out of the tank when the fuel exploded, sending the commander and heavy turret five feet into the air. Flames from the explosion, black and red, ignited the roof of the barn. Still, John and his group made no effort to escape yet, but they'd have to move in a few minutes or else risk burning to death.
When the Captain kicked the front door to the house in, the booby trapped door flew into a thousand pieces as a grenade exploded with a loud bang. Screams of pain and fear were heard, so John used the time to slip everyone out the back of the barn. They made their way to the forest. Xue stayed behind the group as they moved toward the partisan camp.
“Keep moving for a few miles. We can't go far in this cold and snow, but we have to move further than the Russians will want to search.”
“I took a bullet back there and in the back, high in my shoulder. I think they spotted me running for the trees or it might have been a stray round.” Xue said grimacing in pain.
“I can give you a pain pill, but no morphine until we stop for the night.” John said. The Russians had a nice first aid kit, laid out just like it should have been, and he'd found all kinds of goodies, marked in Russian. It looked like the morphine would come in handy later, and he could smell the drug and would recognize the name in Russian from past raids on convoys and supplies taken.
“I have two bandages on the wound, but need you to tie them better.”
John moved to him with the first aid kit in hand and quickly bandaged and wrapped the injury. It was a painful wound, but not a fatal one, if the loss of blood was controlled. His pain level was low now, but once the shock of being shot wore off, his real pain would start.
Finally, John said, “Let's move. John, are you and James big enough boys to keep up with us in this snow?”
In the background they could hear ammunition and compressed cylinders exploding as the fire on the tank ate at the insides like a living cancer.
“I can.” John, the oldest, said.
“Where is papa?” James asked.
“He's trying to put the flames out, son.” Sue said.
“I can walk as far as John can.” James said, and then smiled.
John, Captain Simmons, and Xue all wore night vision goggles so they moved quickly through the trees. Four hours later, they made a camp right at daylight. The fire was at the base of a big pine, so all the smoke would be filtered through the branches. All of them were tired and breaking a trail through deep snow was exhausting work, so they'd taken turns. Xue had gotten so chilled a couple of hours before dawn, that they'd had to stop and brew him some tea, because he was suffering from the beginning stages of hypothermia. The snow continued to fall and the temperature hung close to minus ten degrees all day.
Now, John had everyone eat a complete ration and have a few hot drinks. Thanks to the food, hot drinks, and some high energy hard candy in the rations, the danger of hypothermia was over. They all sat around the fire making small talk.
“Breaking a trail through the snow is hard work.” Simmons said.
“Are you doing okay so far, and be honest with me.” John asked.
“Pretty much. Near noon I had some sharp pain right at the very tip of my stub, but when I looked it over at lunch, I saw no reason for the pain.”
“I've heard of that from men who've lost limbs, and have no idea how that can happen. Other than pain from the arm, are you doing okay? And don't bullshit me, because I need to know the truth.”
“I'm fine, but cold and lost most of the time. I do have my moments when I worry about mines we don't see under snow.”
“I heard once that mines freeze in place during subzero weather and often don't work at all. So, I'm not as worried about them as you are.” Xue said.
“I've been a cell leader too long to overlook the danger of mines, no matter the temperature.”
“How much further to our base camp do you think?” Xue asked John.
“Five miles maybe. I think we'll be there tomorrow.”
“We'll need to take most of the white sheet material off our uniforms and tie some material around our left arms when we near the camp. The last thing we need is to get shot up trying to get on our base.”
“They can verify my identity easy enough. All they have to do is ask me a series of questions from my authentication card.”
“Oh, I'd forgotten about those.”
Silence for a long time and then Sue asked, “Did Ed go without pain?”
“He'd just landed on the turret when the tank blew. I don't think he felt a thing at all. I saw him throw one Molotov cocktail down the Commander's hatch and then it blew as the tank Commander and driver where trying to escape.”
“How many firebombs did he get down the hatch?” she asked.
“Two, I saw for sure, and he killed a crew of three and destroyed a very valuable weapon for t
he Russians. I know that doesn't make up for his death, but he died a hero.”
“It must have been horrible to be inside the tank when suddenly all the space inside was filled with flames. Can you imagine the pain and confusion, as panic kicked in?” Xue said.
“They knew the risks as tank crews.” John said and then stood as he continued, “I'm off to bed, so wake me a couple of hours before daylight and I'll pull the last shift of guard duty. I want us walking an hour before sun up, and by doing that we'll arrive at the base mid-morning. G'night.”
After he left, Simmons said, “Do you think this snow will continue to fall tomorrow? I worry about our footprints being seen in the snow. And me walking around half drunk to kill my pain is of little help to us.”
“You're injured,” Xue said and then added, “so drinking is not as bad as taking the pain pills. The med makes me so sleepy, well, I'm useless if I take it. I think you're doing just fine.”
“Major, can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure, ask away, because I have no secrets.”
“Does all this killing bother you?”
“Not now, but it used to bother me a great deal. Hell, I'd even have nightmares of the battles I'd been in.”
“I still have horrible dreams.”
“I reached an understanding in my mind that the killings are needed to save our nation from the Russians. I've never murdered anyone, unless you want to count the mercy killings I've done when we had to leave a severely injured comrade or enemy behind. I justified that in my mind as a kindness killing and not out and out murder. I killed most because they were dying anyway, and my killing them prevented the Russians from torturing them to death. Others I killed were dying anyway, like a gut shot person, and my killing them eliminated hours of unneeded pain and suffering.”
“You're a very complex man.”
“No, I'm a very logical man.”
Captain Simmons laughed and then said, “Whatever. I find you interesting.”
Grinning, Xue said, “I'm free and available, but right now I need to have you go to bed, so I can start my first shift of guard duty.”
Standing, Simmons gave him a wink and said, “I'm available too, so I'll keep you in mind.”
As she walked to her shelter, Xue grinned. She's a very attractive woman and has a lot to offer the right man. However, I have nothing to offer a woman; no property, no money, no good looks, and I'm pretty short. I'll talk to her more over the next few months and we'll see what happens, he thought. His mind then shifted to his guarding the camp.
Come morning, the sun rose bright in a clear sky. Snow still covered most of the land, but the temperature was just a tad below freezing and not a cloud was seen in the sky.
It was near noon and John knew they were about three miles from base when suddenly there was a loud explosion, and the youngest boy, James, disappeared in a narrow wall of flames. His mother and brother fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Moving back to them, John saw where James had detonated a mine. Simmons was on drag and Xue on point and they both stopped to allow the Colonel time to doctor the wounded.
Approaching Sue, he asked, “Where were you hit?”
“Both, uh, both legs, and the right one hurts the most.”
“Any place other than your legs?”
“No, but see to John and James before me. My injuries won't kill me.”
“I'll do that.” He moved to the first boy and saw he was past the need for first aid. A piece of steel was sticking out of his forehead and his little body was jerking and shivering as it shut down. John turned his head away and puked. He had no idea why he'd thrown up, but suspected it was from watching a young boy die and the way his little body was torn apart.
“How, uh, how is John?” Sue asked.
“He's gone, ma'am, and there is nothing I can do for him.”
“What about James?”
He'd seen the boy’s smoking boot, with the foot still inside it, but he wouldn't tell her that. He moved to her and started working on her wound, ignoring her question.
“I asked you about my other son.”
“He stepped on a mine, Dorothy, and died instantly.”
She began to cry but since the fall of America he'd seen so many tears, to see anyone cry no longer bothered him in the least. Her legs were torn to hell and back, and they needed a doctor. He had Xue make a stretcher for her using their blankets, and they continued toward camp with Simmons on point and the two males carrying the stretcher. With an arm off, this was one task Simmons could not do, pack a stretcher. Ten minutes later they saw a thin cloud of smoke over a grove of trees and John knew they were home. They'd actually escaped as POWs and made their way back to freedom, a task few ever do.
“Halt, who goes there?” a guard asked from behind some cover.
“Colonel Williamson, your commander, Major Xue of intelligence, and Captain Simmons, one of my cell leaders. We have an injured woman with us who is a civilian.”
“Come forward slowly, sir, so I can see your faces. While you sound like the Colonel, I know what you three look like.”
As they moved, the guard stepped out from behind a tree and said, “Pass, Colonel, and we'd reported the three of you killed in battle and bodies not recovered.”
“Russians took us prisoner, but we grew homesick so we came back home.”
The Private smiled and said, “Good to have you back, sir.”
“Thank you, and you're doing a great job of guarding, son. I know the job is boring, but there could come a night when the Russians might be the ones visiting and not one of us. Stay awake and remember, a sleeping guard is the same as not having a guard at all.”
“Yes, sir.”
John walked to his tent to see it was occupied and by Colonel Oliver, so he laughed and knocked on the door frame. When Oliver stuck his head out, John laughed and said, “Boo. I have returned.”
“By God, John, we thought you dead. I just moved in here a few days back, after Headquarters made me the new commander. Boy, will Cynthia be happy to see you. Get in here and let's have a drink before anything else.” They shook hands, and both had firm grips.
Andy asked, “Is that Colonel Williamson's voice I hear? Welcome home, Colonel. Let me fetch Cynthia or she'll kill me later if I don't tell her you're here. Lord, how we've missed you. Save me a drink too, Colonel Oliver, if you don't mind. Me and the lad go all the way back to Fort Benning and jump school.”
Minutes later, Cynthia walked into the tent, spotted John, and immediately broke out in tears. She grew so weak she had to sit on the Colonel's bed for a moment.
“John, I'm just overwhelmed because we all assumed you were dead and your body not recovered.” Standing, she moved to him and he took her in his arms. As he hugged her, he whispered, “I love you, baby.”
She was too emotional to speak.
“Colonel, I need to get to the communications tent and report your return. I'm sure they'll find a place for you in no time. While I'm gone, Cynthia, have a double or triple whiskey and touch John all you want, because he's real, alive, and sitting right beside you.”
Andy entered, they shook hands, and the First Sergeant sat on a big box and said, “The woman you brought in has been handed over to the medics. She was mumbling about losing two kids and her husband. I watched the doctor give her meds to help her sleep and calm her down some. Oh, and Major Xue is showering.”
“Good, and I hope someone is helping Captain Simmons. She gave an arm for this country.”
“I have some of the female troops helping her get settled in. She was complaining of pain, so the Doctor gave her some morphine. Her vacancy hasn't been filled yet, so her tent is just as she left it. The Chinese sent an English speaking Major to replace Xue, but if he's speaking English I can't tell it because his accent is so thick ya could cut it with a knife.”
John poured all three of them some whiskey in cups and passed them around. There was one more cup on the desk and it belonged to Colonel O
liver. About ten minutes later, Oliver entered the tent and said, “Headquarters has an assignment for you, but they want you to rest and catch up on your missed meals for a few days. They mentioned a solo or two person mission, but never hinted at what it might be or where. They are leaving me in command here and have promoted Simmons to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, effective the day she was captured. She will be my assistant Commander. They knew when you were taken POW and also knew you'd escaped. They didn't say how, but I suspect they've broken the Russian radio code.”
“Probably. What are they going to do with Simmons initially? Her stub needs looking after.”
“She is to return when you do and so is Major Xue. Nonetheless, they'll not be picking y'all up until the end of the week, so you have six days of relaxation.”
“What about me?” Cynthia asked, a worried look on her face.
“What about you?” the Colonel said, and winked a John.
“Am I to stay here?”
Colonel Oliver met her eyes, grinned and said, “You're to return with John, but you are not part of his next mission or if you are, they didn't say anything about it. So, Colonel, we need to find a place for you to stay for almost a week.”
First Sergeant Andy said, “Sir, I can —”
“He'll move in with me.” Cynthia said, and then gave a big smile and added, “I don't give a damn who knows we're shacking up either.”
“My, I do love women who know when to take control.” Andy said, and then gulped the rest of the whiskey down. He poured another and laughed.
They all laughed, but it felt forced and did not sound genuine to them. Real honest laughter was almost unheard of, and most of the partisans suffered from PTSD from years of combat. They'd discovered that life as it was lived now had few funny aspects.
“I'll leave that up to John to decide. Okay, y'all, we have to break the party up, because I have some pre-mission planning to do in here. Andy, you stay here with me, but the rest of you are free to leave.” Col. Oliver said.
John and Cynthia spent the week together and a good time was had by both with lots of loving, talking, and long walks together. They grew closer as a couple and John suddenly started wondering what the special mission was that headquarters had in mind for him. It seemed like every time he fell in love, senior leadership in the partisans came up with a dangerous mission for him.