September, 1943
I sat in my seat on the train, looking down at the deck of cards in my hand and my hands staying still while feeling the paper material against my fingers. Another 1st Lieutenant, Harry Welsh who too was transferred into Easy, was asleep across from me with his head against the head rest. He was kind enough for us to chat for a bit until he mentioned he needed some sleep. I liked it already, a small piece of innocent was about him, a kind innocence.
We were on our way to New York to be shipped out to God Knows where. I had no idea, nor did the rest of us, but we were certain that it was going to be a tough road ahead. It was painful to say goodbye to the rest of the girls, all whom I gave hugs. Some of them were on their way as well with their new Companies, and the rest stayed behind with Captain Jacobs. In fact, the deck of cards was a gift from him before I was summoned to go with the men onto the train.
They were spy cards.
"Lieutenant Kit." snapped out of my thoughts about my Captain and looked up, seeing Dick Winters in front of me with a small smile on his face and his case in hand, "May I join you?"
"Of course, sir," I replied with my own smile, seeing him sit across from me and having me place the deck of cards on my lap. I never really got to know him a whole lot, compared to the other boys in Easy Nixon and Winters were the ones that I hardly knew and never got to talk to on a regular basis. Though from what I heard from the men, Winters was none the less kind and a great leader for the men to look up to. He has helped them through the tough trials of Captain Sobel, which was a good amount of faith for the man to have.
"I was hoping to catch up with you since clearly all of the Easy Company men are saying great things about you and I have yet to get to know you." Winters explained, having me smile and wave him off.
"It's nothing, sir. Easy Company has plenty of good hearted men." I replied.
"That it does, and from what the men tell me, you're a great fighter yourself." Winters said though it sounded more like a clarification than a statement.
"I have yet to fight anyone beyond practicing, sir. I am looking forward to being able to work alongside Easy." I reassured him with a genuine smile. He grinned back at me, leaning back in his seat and then pointing to the deck of cards in my hand.
"What's with the cards, Lieutenant?" He asked me, his eyebrow raised from the curiosity as I looked at my lap to see the deck there. I grabbed the deck in one hand, holding it up for him see and pointing at it with my other free hand.
"It's a gift from my Captain from Wolf Company. Apparently it's a survival tool, not to mention a great way to pass the time. Behind this layer, sandwiched in the middle of the two pieces of one card, is a map." I explained to him, seeing him look at me with a bit of shock and amazement.
"The United States Playing Card Company thought of the idea, and Jacobs had every single Wolf Company member grab one personally before we were sent off. Each card has a certain map of Europe, in case we were to be lost or captured by the Germans." I informed him, handing him the deck for him to inspect. He even took some of the cards out, which were still pristine and white from not being played with just yet. I could tell he was trying to find the one point where he could open the Ace of Spades in his hand to find the map.
"You can only access the map with water." I said to Winters, seeing him look up at me and I just stood there, legs cross and sitting like a proper lady with a Lieutenant title on my uniform.
"Impressive." He merely replied back to me, handing me the deck of cards gently and I placed them in my jacket pocket like it was another pack of cigarettes.
"It's my job to have gadgets on me, even some as simple as playing cards, sir." I said with a shrug of my own shoulders.
"Well, since you are going to be working with my platoon and my men, as now an official member of Easy Company, I was hoping you would tell me a little bit more about yourself." Winters said to me with the kindness evident in his voice.
"Okay.." I trailed off, not knowing where to start and it made me hesitant in my spot. Winters saw me being a bit taken back with his statement about him wanting to get to know me, so he just chuckled in front of me.
"Only the basics, Kit. Nothing more and even complicated." He reminded me with his smile that made me, for some reason, think of my own father. It was a reassuring smile, a smile that promised safety and promised security of what was was going to be spoken between us.
"I know that, sir. It's just that no one has ever really asked about my life." I confessed to him simply, seeing the small look of shock on his face from the confessed that I gave to him. The only other ones in the army that knew of my past were the girls in Wolf Company, yet I still held back more information than I should since I trust those women with my whole life. So, where was I going to start with Winters?
"I am the youngest of four, my siblings are all brothers," I started simply, seeing a small smirk on his lips.
"Must have been an interesting upbringing with all brothers." He joked, having me grin and nod in agreement.
"That it was. They are great men though, one of them is married to a wonderful girl and the other two are still looking, much to my mother's dismay." I went on with my family's history.
"You did mention at one time that your father taught you how to shoot? Did you want to yourself?" Winters asked in curiosity in his tone.
"I did. Being the old girl in my family made me jealous that my brothers and my father would go out hunting on Sundays after church. So I pleaded with him, finally being able to go out with him when I was fourteen." I said with a small smile, thinking of my father again and seeing his face in my head. I wondered then how he was doing back at home in Washington, if he was going okay with putting up with my tyrant mother and her schemes to get me to go back home.
"And you mother was fine with your shooting?" Winters asked from across from me.
"God no, she hated it. She wanted a daughter, not another son." I said in a small chuckle, though it pained me to say it out loud because it was still somewhat true to think and say at the same time. I knew she wouldn't have said it to my face, but it was still a fact that she never wanted another son. And for me to go out hunting and to act like another son, that killed her.
"Does she know what you're doing here in the army?" Winters asked, not a bit sheepish on the subject and I stared at him directly in the eye.
"No, sir." I replied smoothly.
"Why not, Lieutenant?" He asked on, pressing into the subject matter gently but with determination. I took in a deep breath, squeezing my fingers together and thinking of the right way to voice what I wanted to say and not make it sound so cruel.
"I guess it's because I have wanted to make this decision on my own, without my mother trying to control one more aspect of my life." I explained calmly, seeing him scan my eyes with from his seat. He said nothing from his mouth, but his eyes were saying everything to me. He was telling me all kind of things, and I didn't know how to word it in that moment until someone snuck up behind him. I looked up, seeing it was 2nd Lieutenant Nixon and he leaned over to Winters.
"Going my way?" he asked in wonder and with a hint of calmness in his tone. He was holding a flask in his hand and looked like he was having a charming ride on the train.
"Where the train takes me." Winters replied as Nixon grinned, looking over at me.
"Hello Lieutenant. I hope I'm not interrupting." He said as he walked over to sit next to me, across from Winters.
"Not at all." I replied before Winters could say anything. Winters looked at me to make sure that this was fine, though he said nothing. I nodded once, the both of us knowing that this conversation was not over.
"Take a guess where we're going." Nixon said to Winters aloud, though it sounded like it was aimed at me as well, "Atlantic…Pacific….Atlantic?"
"I'm not the intelligence officer." Winters advised Nixon as he went to grab his bag and get the newspaper out of his bag though Nixon holding his flask with the alcohol and drank down a bit.
"As such, I know, but if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Nixon replied back to him, having me see a smirk on Winter's face as he was still reading a article in the newspaper.
"So don't tell me." Winters said back to him.
"Europe," Both Winters and I looked over at Nixon now as he grinned from ear to ear, raising his glass with a triumphant look on his face, "We're invading Europe my friends. Fortress Europa."
"Sine when do I drink?" Winters asked as Nixon was offering him a drink from his flask.
"If I thought you'd drink, I wouldn't offer it to you." Nixon countered back to him.
"Nix, what are you gonna do when you get into combat?" Winters asked, having me watch him too and wanting to hear the conversation and where it as going.
"Oh, I have every confidence in my scrounging abilities. And I have a case of Vat 69 hidden in your footlocker." Nixon explained to him with a shrug of his own shoulders. Winters grinned and I tried not to chuckle from how Nixon was carrying himself in the conservation.
"Really?" Winters questioned him.
"Oh, yeah." Nixon sneered back at him, having me still chuckle and then see Harry rouse himself from his nap next to Winters. His eyes went over to the flask in Nixon's hand and his eyes went wide in appreciation. I watched as Nixon handed the flask to him and a grin was on his face, though my mind was back on the recent news that we were going to be sent over to Europe after all. This was huge, huge for me at least, because that meant we were going to be in the middle of the major part of the war. I was training for a year to learn how to be an assassin and a great soldier, and now it was about to be placed to the test within weeks now.
Was I ready?
Aldbourne, England
Late 1943
"We believe that some of the major german officers will be placed here…and long here in this area of Normandy." I was in one of the intelligence camps in our new home of Aldbourne England and I was gong over some of the maps of Normandy with other 1st Lieutenants and Captains who were in charge of platoon placements. I was on assignment from then on out to get my hands on any information about any German Officers that we would cross, and where they would end up.
"How many men are they going to be under their commanding are we thinking?" I asked as I looked over at the Captain Henricks with the map between us.
"Enough for us to get by them in one clean attack. Although they could have tiger tanks and other mass artillery rounds in their favor, we can take them in the element of surprise." He explained back to me as I nodded and looked back at the map.
"Now I'm going to be with Easy Company throughout the remainder of the war, will you keep me informed on the drop zones for Easy when they are assigned?" I asked him politely.
"Yes ma'am, Lieutenant Kit." He replied, having me smile and salute him, receiving one back as I moved away from him and out of the tent. It was a cool morning in England now, and after being on a ship with a hell of a lot of men, I was glad to be back on solid ground again and getting ready to go into war.
"Kit! You got a second?" Winters was walking over to me in his training combat gear, though I was in my own uniform that consisted of a olive jacket and tunic that was hitting to me, khaki skirt with brown shoes and tights, and my hair in a low bun near my neck.
"Yes sir." I replied back to him in a smile.
"Listen we're going on another routine mock mission along the farmlands, and I was wondering if you would like to join us." Winters explained to me as we were standing face to face now in the open area surrounded by tents and soldiers walking around us. I was a bit shocked, looking at him in surprise.
"You want me to join you and your men?" I asked.
"You might as well, since you are assigned to fight with us." Winters reminded me.
"What about Captain Sobel? I don't think he would like it if I joined you." I warned him, since the last thing that I wanted to do was not only get in trouble with Captain Sobel, but to get the rest of the men in trouble, inclusion Winters.
"If he has a problem with another Easy Company member joining in a practice run, then he can answer to me. You are technically in this Company now and you have every right to be a part of the mock run." Winters explained in a calmer voice with a small smile on his lips. There was no way that I was going to talk myself out of this one, and it was fine by me. I nodded my head then, thinking of how bad it was going to be since I was working with Winters, who was slowly growing on me like an older brother figure. So I agreed to tag along.
So I agreed to tag along.
The mission was to get to a certain meeting point before the other platoon got there, catching them in a crossfire and claiming victory. Sobel had the 1st platoon and Winters was leading the 2nd, though he wanted me next to him as second in command because of my ranking. I was glad to be abel to help out, since I was placing my practice of learning coordinates and placements on maps into actual work. We were doing just fine really, because Winters knew what he was doing and he barely needed my own help with the coordinates. As we went along the farmlands with the mock run, I was staying low with my own rifle against my chest and following Winters close as the men behind us were still in their ranks and keeping to their own training.
We were going down one road when we entered a English civilian, an elderly man on his bicycle who was somewhat caught in the middle of us surrounding the intersection where were were supposed to end of mock run that day. The other men were running past us as the Englishman looked at both Winters and myself, whom were standing side by side with our rifles not loaded but we did look fierce none the less. The man held up his hands with a small smirk on his face.
"You've done it now, Yanks. You've captured me." He said in us in almost a cocky tone and Winters and I grinned next to each other. The man looked over at me now, his eyes going a bit wide from seeing the sight of a young woman in combat hear and a huge helmet on to hide my hair then.
"A woman? Now I know times have changed." He said in a sincere manner.
"That it has, sir." I replied in a smile, though it was but short when we heard the 1st platoon, lead by a Sobel as they were jogging along the road together in a tight unit, coming our way.
"High-ho silver!" Sobel said aloud as almost a victory, tough our men were hiding along the road in the tall grass. Winters walked away from the Englishman now, back over to the men and I followed him.
"Good work, 2nd Platoon. We took the objective." Winters said to our men as Sobel realized that he lost the run, the look of defeat on his face as I stood closely by him when he addressed the men. I could see him now looking right at me, the fear was back on my face for the first time in awhile. I remember seeing that face on a man before, the face of both anger and confusion at the same time, it was a death glare. It reminded me of Gerald, and I wanted to panic.
"Dick," I said in a low tone, not wanting to move another step as Sobel was drilling his eyes into me. Dick looked at me first, and then he saw Sobel staring me down as if he was going to rip me to pieces for being a part of his mock run when he had no intention of letting me near them. Dick walked back over to him, standing in front of me to block Sobel's death glare at me.
"I'll handle him, you get the men prepped for the walk back." Dick reassured me as I looked up at Dick. He had his stern look on his face, like he was ready to go into battle with Sobel as I reluctantly left him to go over to the men now. I knew Winters could handle himself against him, and he was willing to take the heat off of me.
"Come on boys, let's round up." I called to the 2nd platoon as I saw Sobel tell his 1st platoon to wait on the road while he stalked over to Winters with the look of hate in his eyes. 2nd platoon walked over to me, getting in their ranks as I watched with my eyes the argument going on between the two men now. I hated this, knowing it had something to do with me.
"Don't worry about him, Kit." I heard behind me from one of the company members, since I bet they saw me looking at the two of them in hesitance and in fear, "Sobel doesn't know how to handle a gun like you can." I tried to pick up my moral again, but it wasn't working, since I was once again feeling like a target without even having a say in the matter.
Fantastic.
I folded the letter that was in front of me up and placing it on the desk in front of me. I was in one of the offices that were in the town that we took for headquarters. Some time later, after trying to avoid Sobel like the plague, I got a letter from Beat and her telling me about how she was doing with Dog Company. She was having a decent enough time with them, they liked her just the same and she was doing just fine. I missed her so, seeing her neat handwriting and reading how she was teaching the men Sign Language slowly and surely while they were both on the ship at their new destination in England. And when she mention Spiers in her letters, I grinned from hearing how he was taking good care of her since she too was a 1st Lieutenant in his Company. Seeing his name on the letter in her handwriting, for some odd reason, made me miss him and seeing his face. It was odd for me to feel such think for a man, since the last time I felt something like that it ended badly. So why was this happening to me again?
The doors opened and I could hear books coming into the small room that I was at that was also attached to the main doors into Colonel's Sinks room. It was a private walking in with a clipboard in hand, having me see it was one of the Easy men. But he was no a combat soldier, he was a combat medic. No wonder I didn't know him so well, since I was mostly around the soldiers and not the medics.
"1st Lieutenant Kit?" He asked sheepishly, his tone was thick with a accent that I knew was from Louisiana. He had thin black hair, beyond pale skin with a almost bony face and dark blue eyes and think lips .
"How can I help you?" I asked him politely as he walked over to me with the clipboard in hand, standing in front of the desk with his medic bad clearly white on his arm.
"I'm one of the combat medics for Easy. I need to go over your medical file." He explained to me with hesitance in his voice, not as bold as the others in Easy. He was more timid, which was no real big deal to me.
"Of course, you can sit if you want." I said to him, gesturing to the chair he was next to that was right in front of me. He sat down slowly, though looking like he was about to be sick as he opened my file in front of me on the desk.
"I just need to go over your medical clearance, since they want us to hand out air sickness medicine pills for the jump." He explained as he got my field ready and I nodded.
"Sure." I agreed.
"You're not allergic to anything…are you?" He asked.
"Other than bees, not really." I said back to him in a grin, seeing a small smile spread on his pale face as he wrote things down.
"Nothing else that I should know about?" He asked, looking up at me from his spot in the chair. I could tell he took his job seriously, though he once again looked more shy compared to the rest of the men. For medical reason, he should know what happened to me, because something could happen to be out there on the field and they would have to examine me. If they found anything from the rape...then I would be in big trouble. The thing was, I wasn't ready to share it just yet.
"I think I'm okay, though I don't know your name." I said to him, holding out my hand for him to shake. He shook it gently, our hands shaking in the middle of the desk.
"Eugene Roe, pleasure ma'am." He said to me, having me nod my head at him and keep my own smile on. I already like him, he had politeness written all over his face and in how he shook my hand.
"Pleasure. You from Louisiana?" I asked him in crusty.
"Yessum, born and raised." He explained.
"I went there once or twice with my family, it's a nice place to live from what I could see." I commented to him.
"I like it." He answered back.
"I heard from some of the men that you're a good Combat Medic, and you're doing a good job thus far." I commented back to him, though I could tell he wanting to wave it off as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"I was assigned to be a Medic, it was never my choice." He explained, having me look at him with a knitted brow now.
"But do you enjoy it?" I asked, seeing him think about it for a moment before the smile was back on his face. He seemed like the kind of soldier that would think a lot to himself, as if he was not a real talker but kept it all in his head. I have heard about him from the other men, saying he was a good man and was beyond dedicated on keeping and maintaining his position as the combat medic for Easy. I wished I could have seen it myself, but then again hearing it from the other men was enough for me to get by.
"I do, ma'am." He simply replied, before we both heard the doors opening and two men stalking in to go into the other room without noticing us. Both Eugene and I were frozen, because it was Sobel leading the way with the Captain look on his face and the stern atmosphere he was giving, and a reluctant but just as determined Winters right behind him. They did'n't even see us as they walked through the room we were in within seconds, leaving both Eugene and I in the dust as the doors were closed behind the both of them. There was silence again in the room, but there was a hanging threat that something was really wrong with what was going on between the both of them. I looked over at Eugene, whom looked at me with big eyes.
"What in the hell was that?" I asked him in a hesitant tone, since it was clearly a shocker to see them move quickly through the room without seeing us or talking to us. This must have been bad, real bad.
"No idea, ma'am." He replied, and I gulped.
This was the start of a downhill spiral.
