They wound their way through the trenches, trying not to breathe in the poison filled air. Air grenade went off nearby, shaking the ground. Then another. They seemed to be getting closer. The third grenade was extremely close. It flew over Edwin's head, and landed around twenty metres away from the three of them. Before he had a chance to gather his thoughts, A voice screamed from behind, "Get back!"
A weight threw him towards the wall as he heard the grenade go off, its heat burning his legs. Edwin's shoulder was unbearable now, and his ears rang. The weight was still on his back, and he had to push it off. To his horror it was a soldier, and Edwin rolled him onto his back, immediately wishing he hadn't. A soldier with flaming red hair and icy blue eyes that gazed into nothing. Joe. He swore under his breath, checking for a heartbeat, "Come on you bastard!"
He hit down on the man's chest with his fist, "Wake up!"
Nothing. Edwin couldn't stop the tears from rolling as he closed his new friend's eye lids. The General ran back to him, yanking his shoulder, "Come on! Leave him!"
He took Joe's dog tag and forced himself to leave the body.
Richardson had gripped Edwin's bad arm dragging him without looking back. He wanted to cry out in pain, his whole body felt on fire and each step made it worse. The general stopped just outside of the air field, "Can you fly the plane?"
Edwin caught his breath, "I... I think."
"Are you sure?"
He took in a rattled breath, "I'm sure." The fighting seemed to be distant but he knew they'd have to fly over enemy lines to get back quicker. Edwin got into the cockpit, readying the plane. The engines began to run and soon Jarvis had steered them on to the runway. The metal groaned as it sped down the flat expanse. Faster and faster. With a jolt they were up, the engines roaring in triumph. He smirked, but it soon disappeared when the General muttered, "look, they have machine guns."
Despite the pain shooting up his arm, Edwin held onto the yoke for dear life, steering the plane North-East. The familiar patter of bullets started, and he knew that this would be a game of cat and mouse. He pulled to the right, the sudden shift in gravity enough to make a grown man sick. A bullet grazed the left wing but the pursuit hadn't stopped. He dived to the left again, The bullets just missing the right wing. half a mile left, maybe less. Biting his lip, Edwin made the riskiest move he could think of. Without warning, he forced the plane to drop, the bullets grazing the glass of the cockpit. He jerked the plane back up again and could hear the General muttering the Lord's prayer behind him. The ceasing of gunfire on the aircraft was worth the dizzying vertigo. In front of him now, lay wilderness, fields of yellow hues scattered with what looked like olive trees. They were over the lines, safe- well,as safe as you could be in this kind of situation.