Danzick stool watching her go with a grin on his face. Acting like this was unacceptable he reminded himself. Then again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- BERLIN, GERMANY –
Getting from Amsterdam to the outskirts of Berlin had been relatively easy. The roads were good and the only slowdown was the abandoned cars still scattered about.
Major Miller had broken off to the east and south, staying far enough away to remain undetected. General Nikitin had sent half of his men north and the rest he held at the western outskirts of Berlin. The initial assault was to take place at 05:30 hours the following morning.
“Are your men all set?” Nikitin said using the old PRC-25 field phone.
While outdated, they were adequate in the current situation.
“Everyone is in place. We are as ready as we will ever be General.”
“Good luck tomorrow. Do not try to advance too quickly. I want to keep with our plan. We want to squeeze them. We don’t want to harm any more civilians than absolutely necessary.”
“Understood. I will remind the men just before we jump off. You are ready and in place as well?” Miller asked.
“Everyone is ready. Hopefully this will all be over with by tomorrow night.”
“Good luck General. See you at the Reichstag.”
“Same to you my friend. Good luck to you and your men. Out.”
“Roger. Out,” Miller replied.
He made one last check with the various outposts, checking to see that the men were alert and ready. He looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight. In five and a half more hours he would be going into battle yet again.
He had hoped it would never happen again but there always seemed to be someone that simply couldn’t play by civilized rules. Now he would have to risk his life and the lives of his men and women once more.
There was nothing else to be done but wait. He decided to get some sleep. The empty house that they had commandeered had four bedrooms. Two were being taken by the relief guards. He left his clothes on as he climbed into bed and pulled the sheet over him.
It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when one of the men came in and awakened him.
“Sir, it’s 04:30. You wanted me to wake you.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll be right out,” Miller said and stumbled into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face.
He didn’t much care for the face looking back at him from the mirror. His hair has turned mostly gray in the last year and he had even more lines on his face. He needed to shave but decided it was a waste of time. Instead he brushed his teeth with his finger and headed downstairs.
“Good morning Major.”
“Good morning Sergeant Winston. Did you get some sleep?”
“Maybe a little. It felt like I had just drifted off when Private Maker woke me up.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I didn’t even realize I had drifted off until he came and woke me as well. Hopefully this will all be over with by tonight and we can all get a good night’s rest.”
“Sir, not to be a killjoy but I have never had an operation go as planned. Once the shooting starts everything seems to go to hell in a handcart. I doubt if this will be an exception.”
“You’re probably right but don’t let the men hear you say that. A lot of them have never been in combat and no one has ever taken a shot at them. Most are in for a rude awakening.”
“Yes sir. I’ll put on my game face when the time comes.”
“I know. So, anything to drink around here?”
“Coffee, tea, water and some kind of wine.”
“I’ll take the tea,” Major Miller said.
“Yes sir. Be right back,” Sergeant Winston said.
Miller sat down at the table and pulled out a pack of MRE rations and picked out the oatmeal cookies. At least that’s what they were supposed to be. More like sawdust cookies as far as he was concerned. The sergeant brought him a hot cup of water and a tea bag.
“Sugar is on the table if you want it,” he said as he sat down the steaming cup.
“Thank you sergeant. As soon as I finish this delicacy I’ll start getting the men ready.”
“Take your time. I’ve already done that. They are like a bunch of high school football players just before the game starts. All full of piss and vinegar.”
“Okay. Give me five and I’ll be right out.”
After the sergeant left, he bowed his head and said a quick prayer for the men and women under his command. He also prayed that his enemy would see reason and not give up their lives for the wrong cause.
He finished his tea, went to the bathroom and headed out to gather his troops.
* * * *
General Nikitin’s night was much the same as Major Millers. He had tried to get a little sleep but couldn’t shut off his mind. It seemed like the harder he tried to sleep the more his mind raced. Sometime just before dawn he must have fallen asleep because he was being shaken awake by one of his men.
He ate a quick meal of bread, jam, and coffee and went to check on his troops. As he had expected, his officers already had the men in position and had gone over the details one last time. He looked at his watch, 05:10.
He went over to the side of the house, relieved himself one last time and went and climbed in the lead truck. He let everything ease out of his mind except for the immediate fight ahead. He did a mental check to make sure he had not forgotten some detail.
“General sir, we are ready,” a junior lieutenant said, startling him out of his thoughts.
“Very well,” he said glancing at his watch. He was surprised at how long he had been going over the plans again.
“Tell the driver to get in. We go in five minutes. Have Lieutenant Kushnar contact Colonel Miller and tell them we will move out in four minutes.”
The junior lieutenant rushed off but returned within a minute.
“General, Lieutenant Kushnar said to let you know that he has already done that just a few minutes ago. They are ready as well.”
“Very good. You should get in your truck. We go in one minute.”
All of the plans were made; the Americans were in place and ready. His men knew what was expected of them and he was sure they would do what was required. The only question was what would General Schenck do when they entered Berlin?
Would Schenck sacrifice his men or would he realize there was no way he could win? His reaction was the biggest unknown and would result in a peaceful outcome or one of bloodshed.
* * * *
Nikitin’s men on the northern side were the first to make contact as they were approaching Berlin's Tegel airport. Initially both sides were startled as they came upon each other, but the Russians were quick to react and laid down a withering suppressing fire.
The battle lasted only a few minutes before the Germans surrendered. Only one Russian soldier was KIA and three others had slight wounds. The Germans suffered nine KIAs and twelve wounded. The rest were disarmed and moved to the hanger bay that once housed the Tiger and CH53 helicopter squadron.
Captain Kolmogorov radioed Nikitin to brief him on the situation.
“You only lost one man?”
“Yes General. A sniper in the Tegel tower got him.”
“And the sniper?”
“Мертвые”
“Good. Well done Captain Kolmogorov. Continue your advance to the Tiergarten Park. So far we have only seen a few soldiers and they were quickly restrained. We should be at the park in one hour unless we meet stronger resistance.”
“Understood General.”
So far Nikitin was pleasantly surprised at their progress. The Americans had met only light resistance when they came to the Templehof Airport. It seemed that General Schenck felt those were his most valuable assets and had stationed his men at those locations.
Major Miller's group had taken only a couple of WIA and none of the injuries were life threatening. It looked like they would all meet the objective of conver
ging on Tiergarten Park and then surrounding the government building.
“General Nikitin, Major Miller over,” crackled the PRC-25 headset.
“Nikitin. How are you doing Major?”
“We are at the edge of the park. We are holding position until we get word from you to advance, over.”
“Excellent Major. We will arrive within the next twenty minutes. I will make contact when we are in position.”
“Copy General. See you in a few minutes.”
If anything was going to happen it would be when they advanced toward the government building.
* * * *
Almost immediately, as the two armies started to converge on the park, automatic rifle fire split the afternoon air.
“We are taking fire, General,” one of his men shouted over the phone.
“Relax. Take a deep breath. They are shooting in every direction. Keep your men down and only return fire when you have a target. Do not waste ammunition.”
“Yes sir. Shall we just hold our position?”
“Da. We will pressure them from this side and you will be the anvil.”
“Yes sir.”
Nitikin switched to the American channel.
“Major Miller. How are you progressing?”
“Slow but steady. We are only firing at targets of opportunity. We have located two heavy machine gun emplacements and are getting ready to mortar them.”
“Very well. I’m holding the north unit in place and we are progressing from the east,” Nitikin told him.
“I am doing the same. My west unit is the blocking element and we are pushing in from the south. We need to watch for crossfire as we get near the linking up point.”
“I will pass the word to my men as well,” he said and heard a loud explosion coming from the direction of the administration building.
It was quickly followed by three more. The heavy machine guns stopped but the other small arms kept firing.
They continued to close the gap and press the Germans back toward the buildings. A few tried to run but were stopped by the blocking elements and they quickly surrendered. Nikitin and Miller both knew that it wouldn’t be much longer now. The volume of fire was decreasing. Two more mortar rounds and the firing all but stopped except for a sporadic burst occasionally.
“This is Major General Nitikin with the Russian, American, Spanish and Italian armies. Lay down your weapons,” Nikitin’s voice drifted across the expanse between the armies, “You are totally surrounded. We do not want to kill you but if you continue to fire, we will do what is necessary. You have one minute to come out with your hands over your head. Leave all weapons on the ground.”
He waited and soon he saw several men start across the park with their hands held high. He waited for them to get closer before he had them stop and get down on their knees. He did a quick count and saw that there were no more than seventy-five or so soldiers.
“Where are the rest of the men?” Nitikin asked.
“Some did not want to give up,” one young soldier yelled back.
“How many more are there?”
“Maybe fifty.”
“Where are the rest of the men?”
“Not here. They were ordered south just a couple of days ago.”
“Stay where you are. My men will be out to collect you,” Nikitin ordered.
“Take twenty men and go round them up. Bring them to our lines. We will hold them here until this is resolved,” he told one of his men.
Within a few minutes the Germans were squatting on the ground with guards watching them. He felt sorry for the others. They would be slaughtered in short order.
He gave the command to commence shooting and immediately both the Americans and Russians sent a deadly barrage toward the remaining Germans. Mortars rained down on them and within minutes it was over.
The few remaining soldiers raised their hands and came out of their fighting positions. They were rounded up and placed with the others.
Both Nitikin and Miller sent their medical people to see what could be done for the wounded Germans. No Americans or Russians were killed during the assault but a couple were wounded.
Miller and Nitikin entered the building with several armed men and checked to make sure no ambush was waiting. On the top floor they found Schenck sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. He was in full military uniform and did not bother to stand as they entered the room.
“General Schenck?” Miller asked.
“Chancellor.”
“Ah. Well, Chancellor. You are hereby relieved of your position.”
“On whose authority? You have no right to invade Germany and start killing our people. This is nothing but an act of war,” he said.
“Much like your act of war on Austria?” Nitikin asked.
“Austria is part of Germany. That is hardly the same thing. Most of them are of German descent. Austrians are ethnic Germans and should be within the confines of the Fatherland.”
“You may see it that way General but the rest of the surviving nations do not. If you had attended the conference you would be aware that no nation shall interfere with any sovereign nation without their consent. Any nation that attempts to take over another will face the military sanctions of the remaining countries from the conference,” Major Miller said.
“That is why you are surrounded by Russian, Spanish, Italian and American soldiers,” Nitikin added.
“So, you come into this country and dictate what you want us to do? I hardly see any difference. Your actions are the same as ours,” Schenck shot back.
“Not quite. We were asked to become involved. Both Austria and Herr Ramsden ask for our manifestation.”
“Herr Ramsden is not the head of the German Government. I am the Chancellor and what Ramsden wants does not concern me,” Schenck replied.
“General. Look around. Your troops have surrendered. We are standing here in front of you telling you that your infringement into Austria will not be allowed. To sit there and tell us you are the head of the German government is ludicrous.”
“You have not defeated my troops. These are nothing more than a few guards that your mighty army has defeated. You will find that it will not be so easy to reclaim Austria. Our army is well prepared to fight to the last man to protect our rightful soil.”
“Where is Herr Ramsden?” Miller asked.
“I do not keep track of Herr Ramsden’s movements.”
“You know Schenck...”
“Chancellor Schenck,” he shouted raising from his chair and pounding his fist on the table.
“Ah. We call that a temper tantrum in America,” Miller said to Nitikin.
“We call them Дураков which means fools.”
“That seems appropriate,” he said to Nitikin and turned back to Schenck, “As I was saying Schenck, we will locate Herr Ramsden or some other official and place him in authority. You are finished and Austria will be freed. Your troops are hardly a match for our combined armies. All that will happen is that we will end up killing a lot of good German men that you need desperately to help rebuild your country. Stop this foolishness before it is too late.”
“I will do nothing of the sort. You have declared war on Germany. It is out of my hands now.”
“You stupid little tin soldier,” Nitikin said and took out his pistol, “You will tell us where to find Ramsden or I will shoot you where you stand you pompous ass.”
“I hardly think you will shoot me. That would make you nothing more than a common murder.”
The explosion from Nikitin’s gun made both Miller and Schenck jump. The bullet exploded the lamp on Schenck’s desk sending fragments flying.
“You are quite wrong Schenck. I will shoot you. Over and over if necessary until you tell us what you have done with Herr Ramsden,” Nitikin replied.
“You cannot do this. There are rules of war. I am unarmed and offering no resistance. You...”
The second shot sent Schenck's name plate soaring across t
he room. Miller wasn’t taken aback this time. He figured Nitikin would shoot again.
“I will only ask you once more. What have you done with Ramsden?”
Schenck glared at him. His eyes filled with hate.
Finally he said, “They are in the basement cells.”
“Wise choice. The next one would have made you a soprano for the rest of your life,” Miller said smiling.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- Colorado Springs –
Rachel's condition continued to deteriorate and the doctors were at a point where they could do little for her. They desperately needed a specialist but none had survived. Randy had not left the hospital except to check on Sophia and go home briefly to shower and change clothes.
Randy was sitting in the cafeteria eating when Doctor Wilson came over to his table.
“Randy, you mind if I join you?”
“Sure Doc. Have a seat.”
The doctor put his tray down and pulled out the chair.
“Randy, I just want to say how sorry I am about Rachel. We simply don’t know what we can do further. We have consulted with every doctor we have and no one is familiar with Rachel’s condition.”
“I know doctor. It’s no one’s fault. I know how hard everyone has been working to find an answer.”
“Randy this is difficult so I’m just going to say it. You need to prepare yourself for the worst. I just left her room and it doesn’t look very good. I wish there was something I could say or do but...well, there it is.”
“I understand. It’s out of all of our hands now.”
“I’m afraid it is son.”
“Thank you doctor.”
“I wish I could do more,” he said getting up, leaving his food untouched.
So whose hands is it in? God's? What could He possible want with Rachel? What about the baby? What about Sophia?
‘God are you listening?’ he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs. Instead he just sat and wept. He didn’t know how long he sat there but finally he finished his lunch and went back to Rachel’s room. The lights were dim but he could see her labored breathing.
THE REVELATION - Book 3 (THE EVENT) Page 11