I want to thank everybody who commented. Especially Isaboo . Your words helped me greatly during the writing process. I can only hope you enjoy the chapters. You Rock! Plus as always I'm sorry for the lack up updating. The last chapter you got was a hell of a long time ago. School messes up whatever kind of updating schedule I have. So a deer and a fairy walk into a bar…
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
The loud drone of the planes engines settled me into a state of torpor. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against my pack, an item that weighed as much as I did. Buck nudged me with an elbow, still in the habit of my invisibility he didn't look my way as he did so. Showing as much indifference as he, I cocked an eyebrow and stared at the man across from me.
"Scared kid?" Cob sneered from down the row. Half the faces on the plane turned towards him, the emotion written all over their pale faces. Smugly, I thought I was the only new face on the plane without a pale complexion. I was, undoubtedly wrong.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Two days earlier, I walked towards Captain Winter's English lodging. With rising dread, I stepped above the concrete platform and brought my knuckles down upon the door. I waited for a moment, heart pounding in my chest, the door knob turned. I contemplated running away, the stained chestnut obstacle moved, and older woman stood on the other side of the threshold. She was below the age of my mother, moving towards heavy set, her chestnut hair was swept up below a red print scarf. I tried a smile but it came out watery. "Is Captain Winters in, Ma'am?" I choked the last word out. Sir-ing and Ma'am-ing was beyond my Brooklyn manor.
Her smile could have melted chocolate, "Sure dear, one moment." She closed the door and returned a moment later with Richard at her heels. He stepped outside onto the small porch and turned to me. I froze for a moment, a fan girlish rage erupted in my brain, Dick Winters, it was the Dick Winters! He blinked twice before I gathered my wits. My right hand sprung to my brow, the left clenched the letter, "Private Russo reporting sir!"
His eyes flashed to my shoulders searching for company identification, finding none he saluted slowly. His eyebrow flicked up, "Well Private?" His voice had a smoky quality to it, soft, smooth…
"Sir." I felt color rise in my cheeks and I thrust the envelope out, hoping to take his attention away from my face.
Wiry fingers whisked it out of my hand and broke the seal. He scanned the papers, eyebrows knitting together, "You're with the 82nd?"
My eyes grew wide. What was Angelo thinking!? "Yes sir." Oh yes… Images flooded my mind as Angelo's serum finally went to work. Half immersed in the memories, I almost missed his next question.
"There sending you to the One oh One because of your brother?"
"Yes Sir," I blinked fast, trying to file the images away. "Antoine and I, uh both signed up as paratroopers. There was a bit of a mix in the final stages before D-Day and we ended up in the same division. There wasn't enough time to fix it before we jumped." My brain was rushing, trying to place the fake memories together in a logical sequence.
He nodded and his eyes met mine. They held a certain light that I didn't quite understand. "They decided to change your division now..." He groped around in his pocket and pulled out a small pen. He flipped the envelope over and scrawled something on the front. "Take this down to the Supply Depot. Then report Easy HQ." He passed me the envelope. I sprung a salute and we parted ways.
/-/-/-/-/-/
The supply depot was empty at the moment. Only the store clerk, a Mr. George Luz, stood behind a desk, his hands buried deep in a wooden crate. The whole room was filled to the brink with similar packages. His eyes flicked up as the opened the door and closed with a musical ring. I moved towards the desk, envelope outstretched. He took the envelope without looking my way. With a flick of the wrist, his hand was back inside the crate, pulling up a small package marked with a P. "Here ya go," He placed them on the counter. "That's 5 cents kid." He finally looked up, a grin making an appearance.
His widening smile froze in a harsh crescent, his eyes shot open bright with recognition. "Its you!" He whispered.
"Me?" Shock registered on my face. He hadn't seen me had he? Could he have and I didn't notice? When? With Buck? With Eugene, in the bar? On the way to the hospital? My heart thudded against my ribs, and my face lost its color. "I-I have no clue what you're talking about Sarge."
I backed towards the door and yanked the knob. He lunged forward, grabbing my arm and pulled me towards him. We were unnervingly close. "I've seen you! Back at before Carentan! I saw you in the lake!" He whispered the last sentence. His finger's dug into my arms, dark eyes drilling my face.
"In a lake." I tried to make my voice as incredulous as possible.
"Yeah…In a lake." His mouth tightened and a faint blush crept over his cheek.
"Nope, sorry pal. I'm not aquatic. Can't breathe underwater, trust me I've tried. " I tried to keep the topic fleeting, as I clawed for more information. My mind flashed back to my talk with Compton. Did he really see me there? I pulled his hand from my sleeve. "You say you saw me in a lake?" A pat on the shoulder. "Tell me about it will ya?"
He laughed awkwardly and slid back behind his desk. "Heh, sorry about that. I thought you were something else."
"Its ok," I lied as I leaned against the table. "But really, tell me about it."
He rubbed the back of his head and looked back down into his box. He stuck his hands inside and pulled out a few packages. He sorted them as he spoke. ""It was only a week or so after the jump. We were a few miles outside Carentan. I was on guard duty that morning, standing by the lake, and I swear I saw you in the water. You were talking to Buck Compton… "
So it was true. He did see me. Questions bounced around my skull. I opened my mouth to ask one, but I stopped. Keep it smooth Fey. Remember, high school dating 101.
I decided the smaller the reaction, the better. I quirked my eyebrow and said, "You sure you didn't drink too much chardonnay? It wasn't hard to find around Carentan, the farm houses were exploding with it. You probably just drank too much." I rambled.
He looked hard at my figure," You're not a replacement are you?"
I grinned. "Oh no I'm even worse. I'm one of those Eighty Second bastards." I stuck out my hand. "The name's Frank Russo."
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
A half hour later, George was off work, and his only interest was joining the fellas at the bar. He insisted I tagged along.
"Whoa George! Buddy, I got to go to HQ!" I protested as he dragged my body down the slick cobblestone street.
"And I got a date with Lady Liberty. It can wait. Start walking, or you'll be seeing a section eight. No one in their right mind would pass up a beer for men with a ten foot stick up their asses."
Well I couldn't argue that. I walked along beside him, a earning a reprobation with every step. I stuck my hand behind my back and stretched, "I don't see how you do it, George. I couldn't stand a desk job like that."
"Good, I'll make sure you're put on the roster." He shot a grin in my direction and trotted the last final feet, "Welcome to heaven."
He pulled the door open and we entered the thick, musty air.
Luz and I were hardly three steps in the door when the bartender sprung upon us, "Two ales!" He called snatching two glasses from the abyss behind the counter and pulled down the tap. The man held open is hand and George dropped some coins in his palm before taking the drinks.
"First rounds on me. You buy second."
"Hey George!" Easy men called from across the room. George waved at them and smiled at me. "Come on, Frank. Its time to shake your "All-American" roots and become an Eagle."
I rolled my eyes playfully, "You're a drama queen, you know that?"
"Well it's a big day," He shot back.
"Hey fellas," George grinned as he pulled over an empty chair. "This here's Frank Russo. He's been shipped over from the 82nd."
I sat down next to him and gave a smile, "Hey."
It was an awkward moment, being introduced to men I already knew. At the table were the men I had followed for the past two months. There was Joe Toye, Bill Guarnere, Don Malarkey, and of course, the leading man of my invisible crusade, Buck Compton.
The conversation that followed had that 'new person among a group of friends' feel and I sat sipping my beer, a placid smile fixed upon my face. Every once in a while, George or Compton would make a stab trying to get me talking but never got very far.
"Heard Joe DiMaggio's getting married."
"Yeah, Marylyn Monroe." My grandfather was a huge DiMaggio fan; I saw the Joe/Monroe wedding picture in his basement when I was younger. I gazed around the table. Some of the men seemed kind of put off.
"Too bad she's getting married." Malark muttered.
I couldn't say much. The only image I have of Monroe is a generic one. The white dress and a lot of fans.
George's eyes flicked to the corner, a dart game was finishing up. "You any good at darts Frank?"
Frank? Did Perconte join us? OH…of course that's me. "Not really."
"That's fine I'm out of cash anyway." He muttered. Then looking sent a challenging look around the table. "Anyone want to play?"
"I will," Buck polished off his beer. "You in Joe?"
"Yeah alright," The quiet miner responded.
I fell in next to Compton as we walked over. "You better shoot lefty," I murmured.
His mouth twitched into a smile, "Only for you."
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
The loud roar of the place drew me back to my senses. I looked around. There was Bill across the way, drawling upon a cigarette. He gave me one of his looks. "Thought we lost you for a second!" I could barely hear his shouted words.
I forced a tight lipped smile. A few minutes passed and Buck stood up, eyes locked on the glowing amber light. "Stand Up!" He motioned with his hands. "Hook Up!" I stood as the plane jumped I feel into Bill's side. He pushed me in front of him, right behind Buck.
"I'll see you on the ground," He roared.
"Equipment check!" Bills hands pulled on my pack and I did the same for Buck. "Sound off!"
"Twelve Ok!"
"Eleven Ok!"
"Ten ok…"
"Three ok!"
"Two ok"
"One Oh Kay!"
My breath was coming in trembling gasps. I can't do this. This is absolutely insane. I can't do it!
The light flicked green. I saw half of Bucks face as he dove through the door. A mask of concentration and fear for what's to come.
I was pushed forward, my hands gripped the opening. The airs suction pulled on my body and dragging me forward. Goodbye world. This is the end. Bill pushed me into the air.