“Whoa!” Doug shouted. “It’s the mother lode!”
I ran around back to where he and the others stood sifting through the supplies. C-rations, probably meant for the front line, and they’d never made it. Doug used his rifle to push a can away from the pile. He touched it and pulled his hand away. “Still hot,” he said.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready for dinner,” said Kyle Sanders. He’d joined our group three days before after getting separated from his unit. He was eager, but like the rest of us, quickly running out of steam.
“I reckon there’s no point in letting it rot here,” I said.
“And it’s already cooked!” Henry added.
We grabbed as much as we could handle and moved a few feet off the road to dig in. My stomach cramped and my mouth watered as I opened a can of spam. I must have eaten ten cans, even knowing I’d pay for it later. I threw about twelve more cans of spam and corned beef into my rucksack for later, and went over to Doug to check on his shoulder. It was still bleeding heavily. I helped him clean it with an emergency kit, and we bandaged him up best we could.
“All right,” I said, making my way back to the road. “We better get moving.”
Just then, I heard gunfire ahead of us, and mortar bombs landed not far ahead. While we’d been eating, the Japs had flanked us. “We better stay off the road,” I said. “Come on.”
We moved into the jungle, walking parallel to the road. The food had given me a bit more energy, but I was still exhausted, especially after the sun set. Thankfully, once darkness fell, the Japanese quit bombing the road, so we made our way back to it. That was at least easier going on our feet and legs. But nightfall seemed to have brought out every American left on the entire peninsula.
The road was even more congested than it had been at Christmas, and completely unorganized. As trucks, buses, and cars loaded down with soldiers and civilians passed us, droves of equally haggard soldiers emerged from the jungle and lined the road, marching toward Mariveles as well. It suddenly became quite clear to me that we were not falling back to regroup and attack again. We were retreating. We were running for our lives.
***
Sometime later, we came upon a Philippine camp flying a white flag. It was mostly abandoned but for one officer who stood at an oil drum, burning documents. “Pardon me, Sergeant,” I said. “What’s going on here?”
“General King surrendered Bataan a few hours ago,” he said. “Everyone’s heading to Mariveles to figure out what to do next.”
“Surrender?” I couldn’t believe it, especially after MacArthur had been adamant that there’d be no surrender.
“Makes sense,” Doug said. “Better than a mass slaughter of our boys.”
Kyle huffed and shook his head. “Ole Dugout Doug slipped away to Australia to leave the rest of us to get captured by the dirty Nips.”
“General King only relinquished his command of Bataan,” the sergeant said. “He left it up to every man to decide for himself what’s best to do. You’re free to surrender or continue fighting. A lot of guys are trying to catch boats over to Corregidor. Some are fleeing into the jungle rather than be captured. Many are just too weak to continue.”
I turned to our weary group. “You heard him. Every man’s free to decide for himself. I’m heading to Mariveles and then for Corregidor. Any of you are welcome to come along.”
“Well, you know I’m with ya,” Henry said.
Doug agreed, as did the others. No one was ready to surrender. “So, we keep going then,” I said, a sudden flush of pride for these brave men spreading across my chest. “Let’s get back on the road and try to make it to Mariveles tonight.”
The road had grown even more congested, though I hadn’t thought that to be possible. Now the trucks were crawling past us. I waved down one, and then another, getting one or two of my guys on board to continue the journey. The last truck I flagged down, I jumped on with Henry and Doug. Despite the ruckus of honking horns, people shouting, and the constant jarring of holes in the road, I dozed off.
***
Sometime near midnight, I awoke to a loud explosion. I looked around the end of the truck up ahead of us and saw that we were no longer moving. Sparks flew into the sky, like a huge roman candle.
“Engineers are blowing the ammunition dumps,” Doug said.
“Good idea,” I said. “But won’t that tell the Japs exactly where we are?”
“I don’t think it’s much of a secret at this point,” Henry said.
I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but every time I drifted off, another explosion woke me. I finally gave up. Since we were barely moving, I suggested we hop off the truck and walk the rest of the way. The others agreed, and most of the soldiers emptied into the road. The driver said Mariveles was less than a kilometer ahead, so we pressed on rather than making camp.
As we arrived at the docks, it became painfully clear there was no Headquarters in charge of anything. Groups of soldiers and civilians, American and Filipino, were scattered along the beach, waiting for a chance to crowd into a boat. At the dock, one of the boats nearly capsized from the people swarming it. The captain had to pull his weapon to tell the mob to get back.
I scanned the beach for familiar faces, and saw some nurses. Relief hit me knowing that Ruby would be evacuated with them. I figured the chances of actually finding her were slim in this chaos, but I told Henry I was going to look for her.
“I’m coming too,” Henry said. “Janine’s bound to be with her.”
We found a group of nurses huddled together near the road, so I went over and asked if they’d come from Hospital #2. A tall woman with curlers still in her hair nodded at me. “Yeah, we’re supposed to be heading to Corregidor, but by the time our bus got here the boat was gone.”
“Do you know if Grace Miller was on your bus?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see Grace get on or off.”
“How about Janine Langston?” Henry asked.
“She was on a truck ahead of us. Pretty sure they made it. Haven’t seen anyone from that group here.”
I didn’t like the sound of any of that, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it yet. Doug was looking pretty poor, and I knew Henry and I would need to find the girls quickly. “Hey, any of you girls mind taking a look at my friend’s injury here?” I patted Doug gently on the back, taking care to avoid his shoulder. “He was wounded on our way here.”
“Sure,” said the tall one with the curlers. “Leave him with us. We’ll look after him.”
Doug actually smiled, and the nurse blushed. What a time to make a connection with someone. I bid Doug goodbye and set off with Henry to see if we could find out more. Another group of nurses were standing near the docks, and this time I recognized Natalie. I hated the idea of even trying to speak politely to her, but I willed myself to approach her.
“Hey, Natalie. Have you seen Janine or Grace?”
Her grime-streaked face broke into a broad smile and she moved to hug me. “Matthew! You made it. I heard your whole camp was sent to the front. I was sure I’d never see you again.”
I figured the quickest way to the information I needed was to appease her, though when my arms went around her, I had to force myself not to imagine squeezing the life right out of her.
“I’m all right,” I said. “But I really need to find Janine and Grace. Have you seen them?”
She pointed toward the docks. “Janine got on a boat already.”
“Thank the Lord,” Henry said. He covered his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes for a moment.
“What about Grace?” I said.
Natalie looked from me to Henry, and back to me again. “She didn’t get on the bus.”
“What?” I said. “She didn’t get on the bus?”
“She said she wanted to stay with her patients. And since she wasn’t army, she wasn’t forced to leave.”
“So you’re telling me she’s still at the hospita
l site?” I thought my head was going to explode right off my body. “How is that possible? Why on earth would they leave her there?”
Henry strode toward Natalie and leaned down until his face was level with hers. “Natalie, are you absolutely sure she told you she was staying behind?”
She lifted her chin and glared back at him. “Of course I’m sure. She’s a stubborn mule. I don’t understand why everybody makes such a fuss about her. You know she’s a liar and a—”
“You’re going to want to stop talking now,” I said, marching over and taking her shoulders in my hands.
Her eyes widened in fear. “Don’t you lay your hands on me!”
“What’s going on here?” one of the other nurses said, rushing to Natalie’s side. “Sir, you need to step back.”
I released Natalie and turned away from her, panic replacing my anger. I had to get to Ruby, but how could I be certain Natalie was telling the truth? Henry and I walked back toward the road, and I did my best to stay calm.
“What should we do?” I asked him. “She could be lying. Ruby could be on Corregidor right now for all we know.”
“Look,” Henry said. “She probably got on a truck and is already on a boat. We can’t trust Natalie.”
“But if she’s telling the truth, and Ruby is still at the hospital, then she’ll be captured by the Japs.” My heart thundered at the thought of what they might do to her. “I have to go back to the hospital. If she’s there, I’ll get her. If not, then she’s probably safe on Corregidor.”
Henry turned and stared out over the water. “I should go with you. It’s just…” He turned back to me. “I can’t imagine Janine getting on the bus without Ruby.”
“You think Natalie’s lying about her catching a boat?”
“I just wish there was some way to know for sure.”
“I reckon if Janine evacuated with the others, and made it onto a boat, then she’s safe on Corregidor. If Natalie was lying, and she stayed behind with Ruby, then they’re both in danger.”
He nodded. “Let’s head back to the hospital. That seems to be our best option.”
“All right,” I said. “Let’s start walking. I doubt there are any trucks heading in the other direction. And I have a feeling there will be plenty of Japanese patrols to get through somehow.”
Ruby
April 10, 1942
I peeked out of the opening of my tent to watch the Japanese soldiers move through the ward nearby. They looted everything they could get their hands on—watches, rings, sunglasses, medicine. I was glad I’d buried my belongings in my suitcase the night before.
As soon as Colonel Lansing had learned that I’d been left behind, he ordered me moved into my own tent just a few yards away from the ward I was working in. At around five the night before, some Japanese infantrymen had wandered into the main hospital area looking for water to drink. They’d continued on their way, but two hours later, two Japanese officers and twenty more enlisted men had arrived. The officers had met with Colonel Lansing, commanding that all personnel remain within the hospital grounds. Anyone found outside the perimeter would be shot on sight.
The next morning, the Japanese had ordered all Filipino patients be released immediately. I’d watched as they’d all hobbled off toward East Road. I had wondered for a moment if I should try to join them, but something in my spirit stopped me. A warning maybe. That was not the way to go.
So I’d quietly gone about caring for the Americans left behind, keeping out of sight of the Japanese as much as possible. Around noon, I’d taken a break and gone to my tent for a drink of water and to rest. But I’d heard a commotion near the ward, so I’d peeked outside. Thankfully, the Japanese were only taking belongings so far. No lives. Yet.
Across the clearing and near the main surgical building, the Japanese mechanics were busy stripping the generators of everything usable. Other Japanese soldiers were examining and transporting water from the filtration system our engineers had built.
Once the Japanese soldiers were done moving throughout the ward, I scurried out of my tent and went to each patient to check on his condition. Some were visibly upset at the violation. Others grateful it had only been “stuff” that they’d lost. One soldier in particular was heartbroken over having his father’s watch taken. “It was all I had left of him,” he sobbed.
I had no idea what to do. There were very few supplies left, so we’d buried what we could the night before. I had nothing to offer these men except my prayers, so that was what I did. I walked around to each of them, asking about their families back home, and asking them how I could pray for them. Not one refused me. They all wanted to pray.
As I was praying with a young man from Texas named Charles, I heard a commotion near the barracks. One of the doctors, Captain Sawyer, who had been in charge of patient care, was arguing with a Japanese officer.
“These men need food!” Captain Sawyer growled. “You can’t allow your men to come in here and steal whatever they want.”
The officer’s response was quiet but clear. “No one is stealing anything,” he said in perfect English. “These are but the spoils of war.”
“These men are not combatants. They are patients in need of medical care. They have to have food and water.”
“You will provide the Japanese army with whatever we deem necessary. There will be no further discussion on the matter.”
The officer started to walk away, but Captain Sawyer grabbed his arm. “Now, wait just a min—”
In an instant, the officer whipped out a pistol and shot Captain Sawyer right in the chest. I gasped and started to run to him, but George, who’d come up beside me during the exchange, grabbed me and held me in place.
“No, Grace,” he said. “You’ll only get yourself killed. I’ll see to Captain Sawyer. You tend to the boys here, and keep your head down.”
I watched from among the patients as George walked toward Captain Sawyer with his hands held high. The Japanese officer looked at George and put his gun back on his waist. “You there,” called the officer. “Take care of this.”
George went over to Captain Sawyer’s lifeless body and placed his hand on his neck. Then he looked over at me and shook his head. A few of the patients behind me muttered curses, others promised revenge. All I could do was go back to praying. So I continued my rounds.
***
Just after nightfall, I was sitting in my tent reading Daddy’s Bible by a lantern, when a group of four Japanese soldiers came through the entrance. Two of them approached me, while the others stood near the flap at the front. My heart raced as all the horrible possibilities of what was about to happen flashed through my mind. I set the Bible on my cot and slowly stood.
“What is your name?” asked the soldier closest to me. He was the shortest of the group, with a wide-set face and a slight build.
“Grace,” I said.
He turned and said something to the others in Japanese. Then he turned back to me. “Why are you here? War is for men, not a woman. You…ah…toy for men to play with?”
Heat rushed up my cheeks, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. “I’m a nurse. I care for the sick and wounded.”
He spoke Japanese over his shoulder, and all four of them snickered. Then the one to his right, the tallest of the group, bent over and sifted through my things. All I had was a cot, a blanket, and my Bible. He picked up the book and looked it over. Then he said something in Japanese. The shorter one said something that I thought sounded like “Jesus”. The tall one wrinkled his mouth up like he was disgusted and tossed the Bible onto the ground.
He examined me from head to foot. There was such a chilling look in his eyes that an involuntary shudder skittered down my spine, and I could barely stop myself shaking as he stepped over and stood uncomfortably close. Slowly he ran a finger along my neckline, and I thought I was going to come out of my skin. He felt inside the pockets of my coveralls. Then he lifted my hand and slipped my wedding ring off my finger. He d
ropped it into his pocket.
The taller soldier walked around behind me where I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his eyes on me. I kept my gaze on the shorter one, who’d spoken English. “I have nothing of any value.”
“This is not true,” he said. “You…very beautiful for American girl. You have plenty value for now.”
The sneer on his lips made my stomach crawl. What would I do if they attacked me? If I fought back, would they kill me? Maybe it would be better to die. If only I still had Matthew’s gun. I closed my eyes and prayed for courage.
“What are you doing?” the one in front of me asked. “Why you close your eyes? You…afraid?”
I opened my eyes and looked directly into his black soul. “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation.”
His eyes narrowed. “I see. You call on your god to save you.”
“I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
He stepped toward me and lowered his voice. “Your god cannot save you from me tonight. No one can save you.”
He nodded to the other soldier behind me, who grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to the ground. Instead of fighting back, I dropped to my knees and began to shout.
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer! My God! My rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation!”
The hands that had grabbed me now pulled me up again, and I saw genuine confusion on the short one’s face. He stepped closer to me and shook his finger. “You make too much noise, Grace. You will get hurt if you are not quiet.”
I heard someone shout something outside, and one of the guards near the entrance slipped out. There was more murmuring outside. Lord, please help me. Give me courage. Come near and show Your power to these men.
The guard stepped back inside and nodded to the leader. He turned back to me and smiled. Then he spoke something in Japanese, and the guard holding me from behind brought a knife around near my throat. “Be very still, Grace,” said the one in front. “We don’t want to hurt you.” The soldier standing just outside my field of vision laughed nastily.
Saving Grace: A Novel (Healing Ruby Book 3) Page 24