by Mark Tufo
The two Russians managed to sleep until dawn without any more interruptions, and without any questions as to where the soldiers came from. In the morning Joseph opened his eyes to a bright blue sky and a lovely view of the sun, which he could see through the giant hole in the roof of the room next to the one he was sleeping in.. It was something he hadn’t seen in a while; he was almost shocked to see such a beautiful sight. He lay in bed and soaked it in for a while before he threw the sheets off of himself and walked out of the room to see his friend sprawled out in a certainly uncomfortable position, still asleep. Joseph gave Vlad one good nudge and he awoke.
“How did you sleep there, buddy?” Joseph sarcastically asked trying unsuccessfully to hold back a smile. Vladimir reached for his neck as if he was in pain, not bothering to open his eyes just yet.
“Ohhh, my neck kills. Next stop I get the bed,” Vladimir said, standing up with one hand rubbing his neck and the other wiping the crust from his eyes as he ignored Joseph’s sarcastic question.
“Let’s get our stuff ready and leave before the Germans’ friends show up wondering where they went.”
“Great idea,” Vlad said with his eyes still shut. Joseph returned to his room to grab his stuff as Vladimir collected his bag. They both walked out of the house and headed for the truck. As they reached it Vladimir quickly jumped in the passenger seat.
“I thought you were going to be my personal driver?” Joseph asked as he opened the door on the driver’s side. Vladimir mumbled something and fell asleep. Joseph stood there for a few seconds, thinking about the fact that he was only two days away from clearing the final hurdle in the way of seeing his dear Maria. This sent shivers through his body and at the same time motivated him. He started up the truck and floored it towards Berlin.
***
After four hours of driving straight through plains and great views of nothingness, Vlad woke up right in time to notice that the truck’s fuel tank was approaching empty.
“Trucks need gas to run you know,” Vlad said, yawning and stretching out his huge muscular arms. Joseph startled at the sound of his voice. He looked down at the gauge he had been paying zero attention to and slowed the truck to a stop. They were near a large forest and the sun was still shining. Vlad jumped out of the truck and ran for the woods yelling, “I have to go piss!”
Joseph opened his door, stepped out and also gave a big stretch. He walked around the back of the truck to look for the gas can and found it buried under two German soldier uniforms. He didn’t know what they were doing back there so he left them and started to fill the truck up. Vlad had finished his business and was heading back for the truck.
“Hey Vlad, what are two German uniforms doing in the back?”
“Did you think we were going to be able to walk right into Berlin? You moron.”
“Oh my mistake! I forgot we don’t have blue eyes and fucking blonde hair.”
“Hey man, when we get there and I’m in a uniform and I get into Berlin just fine and you get six thousand rounds shot into you…”
“Get back in the truck and shut your mouth.”
“Wait—so are we going to wear the uniforms when we get there or not?” Vlad asked, looking blankly at Joseph from the other side of the truck.
Joseph stood there speechless for a few moments and whispered, “Yeah.”
“Fuck yeah we are.”
They got back in the truck and continued their journey. For the next few hours they drove and talked about older missions they had completed together, reminiscing about the past. Vlad was worried he was going to lose his friend so he tried to savor the short time he had left with him. But all Joseph could think about was Maria. Together in the truck they drove until nightfall. Once darkness fell over the land, Joseph pulled off the road into a small clearing in the woods and parked the truck. There was no better place nearby to sleep so they had to settle for this spot. Vladimir saw this as a perfect time to tell a story of his own.
“Hey Joseph, you want to know how I got this scar?” Vlad said as he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a large scar on his forearm.
“No,” Joseph said as he shut off the truck.
“Well fuck you too. And I prefer the old torn up house—that way I wouldn’t have to look at you,” Vlad managed to mumble out. He removed his Soviet uniform shirt. Wearing only a white undershirt and pants, he no longer looked like a soldier, but more like a farmer.
“Yeah that would be nice, but shit happens I guess.” Joseph opened his door, grabbed his bag and pulled out some bread and a canteen of water. Vladimir saw Joseph starting to eat and said, “Oh shit.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Joseph asked mid bite of his loaf of bread.
“I already ate all the food I packed.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Shut up and give me some of your bread.”
“No way, man. I brought enough food for me to get there and back. You’re a big kid now, you should have packed enough for yourself.”
“Whatever, I’ll go find my own food.”
“In the middle of nowhere? Good luck man,” Joseph said, smiling. He continued to enjoy his food while he watched Vlad wander off into the woods.
“If you’re not here by the morning I’m leaving without you,” he called out.
“Hey buddy?” Vlad yelled back at Joseph. Before Joseph could reply, he yelled, “Fuck off.”
Joseph laughed it off and lay in the truck eating and planning the next and final day of travel. Vladimir spent the next half hour wandering through the woods. He stumbled across all kinds of berry bushes but was too scared to try any of them. At another point of his search he saw a young deer in the distance eating something on the ground. Vlad thought to himself that he was a stealthy man and could catch this deer and bring him back to Joseph to show off. Vlad pulled out Sasha and took one small step towards the deer. His step landed him right on a large tree branch that cracked like a gunshot. The deer immediately took off into the night. Vlad stood there feeling like an idiot; he had only taken one step towards his prey before he scared it off. He put Sasha back in his pocket and continued to wander around the forest in search of food, thinking that perhaps this time he should use his firearm. The more he aimlessly walked around the more he thought to himself there was no way he could find any food in the wild like this. That was, of course, until he finally saw a light several yards away. It was a shot in the dark, but he began to jog towards it. He was about 200 yards away when he saw it was the light from a small cottage. Once outside the sheltered dwelling, he crept around the side to a window and peaked his head through to see an elderly German couple in their living room reading in the light of their fireplace. Vlad wondered to himself if he’d have to kill this poor old couple just for a meal. He figured he wouldn’t have to because they were no threat to him, and proceeded to walk to the front door. He stood there for a moment before lifting his large hand to knock on the door.
“What the fuck am I doing knocking on some old couple’s door at midnight?” Vladimir mumbled to himself. Surprisingly, the door opened revealing an elderly man in his reading glasses and overalls. They both stood there, eyes locked for a several seconds until the ancient man’s wife stepped from behind him and broke the stalemate with a welcoming smile.
“Good evening.” Vlad said in Russian, his hat in his hand. He gave a little grin back, wondering how seeing a huge Russian in the middle of the night at her door could put such a smile on her face. The elderly German woman made a friendly gesture for him to come in as the old man opened the door for Vlad. Vlad took a step into the house, surprised that these Germans had let him into their home. As Vlad towering over the both of them, he remembered he was no longer in uniform and that’s probably why they’d willingly opened up their home to him. The elderly couple did not speak as they walked him into the living room and offered him a seat. Vlad figured their silence was due to the language barrier between them, though they’d seemed to know what his initial comment
meant. Or more likely it was his demeanor. Vlad humbly declined and instead gestured with his hand on his stomach that he was hungry. The elderly woman shook her head and walked towards the kitchen. After his wife left the room, the old man motioned for Vlad to follow him over to the fireplace. There, the old man slowly leaned down and opened a drawer to a table. From the drawer he pulled out a small black box. Vlad looked at the small box in the old man’s hands for a minute, puzzled as to what was going on. A tear in his eye, the old man finally opened it. As the box opened a necklace and a small pile of pictures fell out into his hands. The old woman returned to Vlad and her husband with a bag full of bread, fruit, and pork. Vlad nodded to the old lady with a smile, but was very intrigued as to what the old man held in his hands. The man was able to convey to Vlad that the necklace had been their son’s good luck charm through his entire childhood as he showed a series of pictures from the fire place mantle that showed the boy wearing it at various ages. Vlad still didn’t know exactly what the man meant until he drew a four leafed clover on the dirt floor. He’d worn the charm, for 22 years until he was drafted into the war a year ago. He took the necklace off and left it with his parents as he went off to fight for his country. He never returned to them, having died in battle.
“Russicheja?” (Russian, yes?) The Old German asked.
“Dah,” Vlad responded.
The old man handed the necklace over to Vladimir. Even though he was a Russian the old man knew that his son’s memory would be carried on longer with Vlad rather than with them. Vlad took the necklace and put it around his neck, to please them as the old man handed him the small picture. The couple held hands as more tears filled their eyes. Vlad lifted up the picture to look at the young man’s face. A single tear filled his eye. However it wasn’t a tear formed from sadness. He recognized the youth. He had brutally killed their son over six months ago in a stealth operation. He was an unnecessary casualty, but that never stopped Vlad. He gave a sad smile and handed the picture back to the old man who had no idea that Vlad was their son’s murderer. Vlad shook the old man’s hand and gently hugged the elderly lady. He lifted up the bag of food in appreciation and headed for the door. He stopped as he stepped outside and took a deep breath. Turning back around he saw the old couple watching and smiling at him. They waved at him, and in return he held up his hand like a gun, two fingers as the barrel, and his thumb as the pin. He motioned as if to shoot his “hand gun” at them and smiled as he continued on his way. The elderly couple, confused about the strange wave they received went back into their home content with such an emotionally charged moment that required no words. Vlad walked away from their home, a huge smile on his face. That hand motion he made towards the elderly couple was the same hand motion he gave to their son before he shot him point blank in the face.
***
Vlad returned to Joseph after some time of trying to find his way back. He stopped in the woods to eat the food he was given as well so he didn’t have to share with Joseph. When he reached the truck he saw that Joseph was already asleep. Tired himself, he decided to join Joseph and fell asleep in the grass right by the truck. The next morning it would be Vlad who would awake first to the warm sun shining on his skin. He stood up in the completely silent clearing and looked around as he stretched. He enjoyed the peace; it was something he didn’t often get to be a part of. After he’d had enough of the quiet, he threw on his uniform and nudged Joseph. At first, Joseph didn’t wake up. But the ear splitting sound of three German jets screaming overhead did the trick.
“Well, that’s a hell of an alarm clock!” Vlad yelled as he waited out the ringing in his ears.
“We should probably hit the road as soon as we can, Joseph said. “If we travel at a fast enough pace today we could get to Berlin as the sun starts to set.”
“Joseph, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Well, you think you’re different now than you were before you joined the military, right? Like the day you left your girl all the way to today…do you think you’ve changed as a person?”
“I guess I’ve never thought about it. But, I mean I had never killed a man at that point in my life. Now I’ve killed hundreds.”
“Exactly. So do you think Maria will have a different view on you now?”
“A different view on me now? I’m still the man she fell in love with.”
“I know that, and you know that, but I just wonder if she will have the same feelings for a man who has slaughtered men, women, and children.”
“Are you trying to keep me away from her?” Joseph asked, angrily.
“No that’s not it at all; I just want you to be prepared for it.”
“I think it’s best if you just shut your mouth and get in the truck. You’ve already wasted enough of my time.” Joseph’s patience had run out and it was time to get on with the mission.
“Your call.”
Vlad got in the passenger seat and remained silent. Joseph took a deep breath, stepped into the driver side and slammed the door. Before he could start the truck, Vladimir spoke again.
“If we are going to be in Berlin today, we should probably throw on those uniforms in the back.”
Completely aggravated at his friend, Joseph turned to give him a few choice words. When he saw the silly grin on Vlad’s face, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I hate you,” Joseph said, chuckling. Their friendship meant too much to them to let an argument ruin more than five minutes of their time.
“Hey, now that you’re over your period you should let me drive.”
“I don’t care if you drive, just as long as you get us there before night.”
Vladimir jumped out of the truck and ran to the back to get his German uniform. Joseph halfheartedly joined him. After donning the uniforms, Joseph was still skeptical. The uniforms helped of course, but their dark features and the fact that neither of them could even speak the slightest German worried him. Vlad had no reservations whatsoever. He felt like they could go goose-stepping down Berlin unnoticed. They hopped in the truck and drove towards Berlin.
***
After traveling a few hours, Joseph looked over at Vlad and noticed the new necklace he was wearing.
“Where the hell did you get that?” Joseph asked, pointing at Vlad’s neck.
“Oh, this piece of shit? I don’t remember,” Vlad said as he ripped the small chain off his neck and threw it behind him. Joseph wondered about his response but didn’t question him further. They continued on their way, periodically discussing their plan—or lack thereof. Neither of them really had a clue as to how they would go about the mission. In the silent moments, Joseph would think about Maria and steal quick glances at her picture.
Abruptly, Joseph asked, “So Vladimir, how did you get that scar on your arm?”
“I knew you would want to know! It’s been eating away at you ever since I brought it up, huh?” Vlad said with a large smile on his face.
“No…I just feel bad about denying you of your own story time earlier.”
“You truly are an asshole, Joseph. But I’ll tell you the story anyway. About a year ago I was in camp late at night, sitting by a fire next to a few other soldiers…”
Joseph interrupted Vladimir by pretending to snore.
“You know what, man?” Vladimir asked, slamming on the brakes and sending Joseph into the dashboard, “I hate you.”
Joseph’s head bounced off the dashboard almost giving him whiplash. As he sat back up in his seat, he reached for his face and told his friend, “Ahh man, I was just messing around. Finish telling me your damn story.”
“One of the soldiers sitting around the fire cut my arm open with a bayonet. That bayonet later became known as Sasha,” Vladimir said in a monotone voice.
Joseph smirked, “Great story, I loved the enthusiasm.”
Vlad looked over at Joseph, a disgusted look on his face. He lifted his hand up above Joseph’s thigh, about to bring
it down like a hammer but Joseph’s quick apology stopped the potential blow. Not much followed Vlad’s story other than the occasional smart-ass remark from one of the two or the usual joke.
For the next few hours, as they closed in on Berlin, Joseph began to sit straighter in his seat. He was getting more excited with each mile they drove. In direct contrast to Joseph’s elated mood the sky began to darken as they neared the city. Ten miles away, they saw a potential problem. Several yards ahead stood a huge wooden watchtower next to a small radio hut surrounded by several Nazi soldiers. Approaching the tower they welcomed the familiar tension they both felt just before blood was spilled. As they drew closer, every single pair of Nazi eyes locked on the German truck that wasn’t scheduled to enter Berlin at this time. Vlad slowed down just in time to stop in front of two Nazi soldiers with their hands out ordering the truck to halt. Two Germans at the top of the watchtower focused a bright, intense beam of light on the truck. Two other soldiers walked out of the radio hut and towards the truck. The remaining two sat inside the hut drinking and eating. Six Nazis were now staring at this German truck filled with two Soviets, their guns at the ready.
“We are fucked,” Vlad muttered, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
“We’re definitely fucked if you keep speaking Russian in front of these Nazis.”
“Russian is all I know you fucker!”
“I meant to stop talking, you fool.”
The two quit speaking as a German soldier walked to the driver side of the truck. Vlad kept his head down. His cap hid his face well enough for the German to not know he was Russian. The German said something they didn’t understand. Vlad assumed he was asking them for paperwork so he reached in to the glove box, pretending to look for papers. His hand wrapped around a Tokarev pistol that he had previously placed there. Joseph sat there watching Vlad hold his hand on the gun. He reached over Vlad’s arm and switched the truck from park to drive.