In the weeks of the Ardennes Offensive, the German forces were stationed at Eschdorf with the town garrison simply there as escorts. Although the commanding officers were adamant about being on guard for any American assault, Helmet remained unconvinced that the disarrayed Allies would come this far just to take a simple town. Whatever it was worth, he simply relaxed in his duties.

The young man laid back onto a pile of hay while he looked at the town from the second floor. It was a pity that the townspeople had departed as soon as the offensive had started, but at least he didn't mind their valuables that they left behind. At the mention of the word valuable, he remembered how the lieutenants reprimanded everyone for looting. However, he knew those men could go to hell.

He turned away from the window as he finally rested his head into the palms of his own hands. Helmut closed his eyes as he still felt the cold of winter touch his cheeks. It was clear that it was windy tonight, but that did not matter since he still wore his greatcoat. However, the wind howled long enough to shake the barn doors open.

Helmut opened his eyes as he rose from his pile of hay. "Fucking wind, don't know when to quit." After he walked down the stairs, he came over to the door on his right and began to put it back into place. "Han's isn't it your turn to be on watch."

No reply, nothing to indicate he was awake.

"Damn it, I'm going to report you to the lieutenant if you don't speak up." He quickly disregarded the second door as the German soldier walked over to a pen on the right. "There you are, you-" Helmet looked down at the floor, only to see the crimson color leaking out of a fallen soldier. "Scheisse!" Glancing over to the second floor, he saw his rifle lying beside the haystack he once lied in. "The Oberstliutnant needs to know this."

A hard grip planted itself onto his own mouth. The intruders were here.

The German tried to pry the hand off his face, but it did very little for him when he felt the body of his assailant pressed onto him. However, Helmut only saw a silver blade glitter in the moonlight at the last minute.

Only one person stepped out of the barn's entrance as he gave out a thumb up. After he had stood outside the entrance beside the road, a convoy of vehicles came down to greet the man waiting for his reinforcements.

A jeep moved to the side as the passenger stepped out in his coat. "Good work, Conrad." The commanding officer began. "Did anyone hear you?"

The American soldier shook his head before he glanced over to the inside of the barn. "No captain. It turns out that there were only two Krauts in here, but it turns out that this place has a view over Eschdorf. A good view."

The captain's silver bars shined in the moonlight as he nodded in approval. "Good to know. Go tell Captain Derby to position his men up on this hill. We're going to need all the fire support we need."

Conrad acknowledged him with a quick nod before he ran past the advancing convoy.

Looking at the men passing by, he noticed one of the men run up to him with a radio strapped to his back. "Captain Durante, I got word from Able and Baker Company. You won't like it." Reported the radio operator.

"What's the problem?"

"Turns out that Captain Edwards can't advance on the road. The Germans got some anti-tank and MG42s covering the road. He also said that there were mines there as well, but he could take care of that. As for Lieutenant Vastano, the Krauts got something big. He says they got Pak43s, heavy guns covering the road."

Durante turned away from his operator as he kicked the snow aside and returned to face the radioman. "Shit, did he do anything?"

"No sir, but he says we're going to have to go loud on this one."

The captain gripped his chin and swiped his own shaven hairs. "Damn, I thought we could go through this one quietly. Tell Johnny we're all going loud and inform Bill to get the cavalry in as soon as possible. We cannot let those command trucks escape."

The operator quickly nodded before he brought his phone beside his ear. "This is Fox Company, we're going in. I say again, we're going in."

Gunfire hammered away at the front of a Sherman leading the Baker Company on the road. A rifleman behind it had took the opportunity to peek out from the armor's safety with a light machine gun in hand. His weapon recoiled violently beside his hips while he saw five Germans on the left side of the road duck. Then a hand pulled him back behind the Sherman's rear. When he turned away from the returning gunfire he found himself standing beside his commanding officer, a young fresh face who was younger than him. "Captain Edwards, the Germans got some elite infantry up there." The private jumped back when machine gun fire bounced near the edge of his cover. "Fucking Krauts I can't wait to kick their teeth in."

The young officer beside him had spoken. "Get those one-o-five Shermans up there. We can't stay here any longer."

"Sir, there is an anti-tank gun watching the road."

"We have to take the risk. Corporal, get the men ready for a combined effort." Replied the captain as he looked back from the front and saw the dozens of his men dismount from the halftracks. "Infantry, stay with your armor. We are advancing." Captain Edwards ordered.

The Sherman tanks congested on the road had begun to take the matter into their own hands as their treads pressed into the snow. Then a whistle flew over as a Sherman driving off-road had its hatch ripped off.

Captain Edwards raised his hand as the tank was broken in two, but he was horrified as two men slipped out of the driver hatches with flames on their backs. They screamed in agony while they tried to use the snow to get the fire off. Yet, their efforts were in vain when they were riddled with bullets.

As his men broke off into small teams behind the Sherman tanks, Captain Edwards tried to sink in that loss to his company. However, three men joined him and grabbed his attention. "Sir, when are we going to advance?"

"Now." He answered. "Everyone, advance!"

The sergeant smiled as he glanced over to the other small teams taking cover behind the dozens of Sherman tanks out in the open. "Advance, everyone, get your shit together. We are moving!"

After the sergeant relayed the captain's orders, the tanks made a slow advance towards the German frontlines as the captain followed his moving cover. Dozens of men huddled together of what little space they could gain from their protection.

Edwards, the twenty-year-old officer, knew he was vulnerable to the anti-tank guns. As his entire company advanced up the ridge to the village, he knew the Germans were waiting for him and would take every opportunity to damage everything and kill everyone he had under his command. As he followed the Sherman tank in front of him, a hand tapped his shoulder. "What is it?"

He glanced over his shoulder as he saw a radio operator following him. "Cap'n, the damn Italian just told me he's taking care of our anti-tank problem."

Another anti-tank shell whistled over the officer, as he thanked god for such luck. "Can you tell him to be quick about it? I would appreciate it."

A dozen of men following him were quiet and silent, just like his first night at Normandy, but he didn't mind that. What mattered was that he secured the west road into Eschdorf and act as a security net if the Germans were desperate enough to drive away from the American forces cutting them off. Thankfully, there was a forest for his paratroopers to ambush from. As Lieutenant Vastano reached the edge of the forest, he tightly gripped his Thompson to his chest when he saw a giant anti-tank gun manned by the German soldiers.

A man standing behind the gunshield and its crew shouted before the cannon fired. Such weapon was too large for his taste, but he understood that the Germans were known for making big weapons. "Adam, get over here."

The paratrooper he called to the front had crouched beside him as they both observed the anti-tank crew. "Yes sir, what do you need?"

"Sergeant, I'm going to suppress the bastards from here. Get second platoon from the rear and hit'em on the left flank. You hear?"

Both were surprised when they looked at the sudden movements behind the gun crew. However, they immediately recognized the American-made trucks armed with machine guns. It was heavily filled with soldiers from a company he knew.

"Son of a bitch, it's Durante." Then charged out of the woods with his Thompson at the ready. "Eagles, lay it on Jerry!"

Brass shell-casings ejected out of his sub-machine gun as his men joined him in gunning down the crew. The German crew tried to reach for their weapons, but it was too late for them to defend themselves. As their bodies fell during the shootout, he heard a familiar cry coming from the back of the trucks. "Cease fire, cease fire!"

Lieutenant Vastano walked closer to the heavily armed trucks. "Durante, I thought you were going after the command trucks?"

The man moved to the front of the passenger seats as he revealed his unshaven face and weary blue eyes. "I'm still am, but Bill was pestering for support and you were taking your damn time trying to kill these assholes."

"I was just about to until you guys showed up."

Durante expressed a grin from his lips as he brought his Thompson to bear. "Sorry to steal your show." Then his eyes glanced away from the paratrooper and to the large cannon. "Hey, you might want to take that gun."

"Why? We don't need that."

The Ranger's expression disappeared. "They got a King Tiger and a Tiger Ace running around. You don't want to have your pants down." Then he tapped steel hood of the vehicle. "Driver, get us moving."

Lieutenant Vastano watched as the trucks made a turn to their right as they began to depart from the presence of the paratroopers. "Thanks for the heads up, Monte." He quietly said to himself before he looked to his fellow paratroopers. "Alright, get that gun in the other direction and someone call Bill. We need Baker Company here."

An old grizzled veteran looked through his binoculars and watched the town from afar. He smiled as the German infantry were caught in the chaos of American vehicles running around in the streets, gunning at those they passed by. "I'll be damned."

Then a static of a voice came from a radio, causing the old man to glance over to the makeshift radio station. "Fox Company to Dog Company, I'm going to need some AT overwatch on the town. Krauts got Panzers here!"

"Durante, don't you have those stolen Panzershrecks you keep bragging about?"

"Yeah, but there's too many of the bastards here." The younger officer answered. "Krauts got Panthers and even a fucking Brumbar. Derby, mind if you can help me out here?"

The older man rolled his eyes as he spouted orders. "Someone tell battalion we need overwatch on Eschdorf and where the hell are my M5s? They were supposed to be overlooking the town half an hour ago."

Then his eyes turned back to the town from his position as he gazed back through his binoculars. However, he gasped in horror when he saw a German tank clad in its winter camouflage, but he noticed the white stars painted on its side armor as it rolled through a brick wall. He quickly went for the radio as he gave the warning to a younger man.

"I got eyes on a Command Panther. Edwards, Durante, Vastano, I'll be referencing your map for grid points. We got an ace on our hands." Looking away from his radio station, he looked over to dozens of his men preparing the large anti-tank guns into position. "Get those guns up, now!"

The heavy truck turned around the corner as Captain Durante and five other Rangers held on to the railing. "Damn it, Jenkins, watch your driving!"

He heard the young man apologize from his seat. "Sorry, didn't mean to do that."

Once the truck had finally landed back onto the streets with all four wheels, a thought occurred to Durante. "Corporal, see that crossroad ahead of us?" He asked.

"Yes sir."

"Turn left." As soon as the vehicle made another turn around the corner, Monte was horrified and glad he had found his target.

There was a tracked truck where the back of the vehicle was blanketed to keep its rear from the snow, but the American easily knew it was a command truck. It was easy finding them, but destroying them was a different matter.

Dozens of Germans were between him and the juicy target, but of all the weapons the German infantry head they had an anti-tank gun waiting for them. "Give me a bundle grenade!"

The gun crew fired as the shell ripped the gunner beside him in two, but that didn't matter as a fellow Ranger passed him the strapped hand grenade.

Gunfire peppered the vehicle as he pulled the safety off.

One by one, his men were riddled with bullets.

Then his hand threw the grenade with as much force he could muster before dropping down to the floor. "Jenkins, get us out of here!"

No response, but it was clear to the captain that his driver was dead. A pity that he would not survive this mission. He heard the explosion erupt at the front of the truck, but with that grenade's explosive power Monte also knew that the German command vehicle was not going to survive.

Yet, he was surprised when his enemy stopped firing. The officers were shouting and the Germans remained in their positions. "What the hell?" Even as he rose from the bodies of his fallen brethren, the Germans ignored him and looked to a more pressing matter. Why they did not shoot him on the spot was a question he didn't want to know.

Captain Durante looked at the back of the vehicle, seeing the cloth covering its back ripped by shrapnel, but that was not what he was concerned about. There was a bright blue glow that was coming from the back of the German truck followed by a whining inside. The noise pitch increased over time and it was too much for the American to handle it. He grabbed his ears as he jumped off the truck and sprinted away from the scene.

Then it stopped…

The captain looked over his shoulder as the glowing intensified far beyond what his eyes could take. He and many others tried to flee the scene, but the attempt was futile as an unknown force took them off his feet and towards the light.

"Someone, help me!" He cried out, hoping someone could rescue him at the last moment. However, he noticed that the Germans were crying out for someone to save them in their own tongue. He noticed their despair as each German was being brought to the light.

As he flew past the truck of his dead men, Monte's arm had snatched on as he tried to pull himself away from this strange moment in his life. With each pull, he felt it fight against him with a power he could not explain. Yet, the forceful suction towards the light had better strength as his tired arms tried to grab onto anything he could find.

At this moment, he was scared…