Chapter 28
Arlene POV
The jump into Holland was textbook if ever there was one. The crystal blue sky only served to better frame the billowing white clouds, the combination of the two making a perfect backdrop for the thousands of green parachutes that dotted the sky.
She landed without any fanfare and without a single shot being fired anywhere near her.
Or anywhere at all it seems, she thought, the ease of the jump only fuelling her apprehension.
She quickly gathered herself and along with Parker and two replacements jogged over to a deep ditch carved into the side of a road.
Jumping into the ditch she found it was already full of Easy men. She spotted a gap next to Eugene Roe and made her way over him, keeping herself low in the ditch to avoid being spotted by any enemy who may be watching.
As she fell down beside the Easy medic, his large eyes shot over to her and he gave her a shy smile.
"Hey Gene. Your jump good?"
"Yes ma'am. Could have been training."
Parker crammed himself into the open space opposite the two of them and the two replacements followed his lead. She couldn't help herself smiling at the casual bravado her two replacements were trying to project, but their darting eyes constantly checking themselves against Parker and her gave them away.
"Maybe the Germans decided to call it a day, huh?" Luz's voice came from Gene's other side.
She moved so she could just about see her friend. "Doubtful Luz. So keep your head on a swivel."
For a moment he looked like he was going to try and argue with her, but his better judgement kicked in and instead he nodded. "I hear ya."
She settled back into the grassy bank of the ditch just as Hoobler ran past, bottles of cider clinking in his hands as he went.
Gene followed his path, a frown drawing his eyebrows closer together. When he looked back to her she just shrugged. Sometimes it was better not to ask to many questions.
"Lieutenant Green," she heard her name called and looked up in time to see Hunt staring down at her from the top of the ditch.
She lifted her chin and arched an eyebrow.
"Captain Marsh wants us to approach the city from Easy's left flank. See if you can get a vantage point to deploy snipers. We're all to meet over there," he pointed somewhere to his right, "and move in together."
"Okay," she said as she pushed herself away from the bank. "Lead the way."
It took more effort to climb out of the ditch than jumping into it, but soon enough they were all moving along the long line of soldiers crowded into the ditch.
Allied bombers flew overhead, almost mirroring their current line, the roar of their engines momentarily drowning at the sounds of the waiting soldiers and her own footfalls on the soft grass.
"I wonder if they hit anything?" she heard one of her replacements ask. No one replied that she could hear or see.
Soon enough the planes were gone and she spotted the rest of their unit. They were all crouched low on the side of the ditch furthest from the road, heads bent over a map of the city as Jessica pointed to something on it.
They slotted into the available open spaces and Alex greeted them with a brief nod.
"Right," he started, "now that we're all here."
His hand moved to the map showing Eindhoven and its surroundings. The bridges which they had to secure to ensure the tanks could cross them safely were marked in red. The sprawling city separated them from their objectives.
"Easy's going to approach the city through this field here." Alex gestured to an open space on the map which ran parallel to the road.
She arched one eyebrow.
Jessica must have noticed because she said, "There's a hold-up on the road. We're not sure what and we don't have time to wait and find out. The field has some cover to the right, which is why we're moving in from their left and ahead of the main force."
She pursed her lips and focused her attention back onto the map.
"Our objective is to identify any obstacles, gain high ground and provide covering fire for the main force. We'll move in as one unit and then split up into pairs once we reach the edge of the city."
Alex paused, the silence drawing everyone's attention away from the map and to him. Looking between each of them he asked, "Any questions?"
A disjointed chorus of murmurs, no's and shakes of the head replied.
"Good," he said, silently clapping his hands together. "Let's get to work."
They moved out in a loose formation, remaining close enough so they could communicate relatively easily, while leaving enough space between them so one mortar or landmine would be unlikely to kill more than two people in a single blow.
In the back of her mind she registered the sound of Easy moving on their right, but her attention was so intently focused on the approaching residential buildings with their small, high windows that she didn't pay Easy any attention.
She was on their right flank along with Parker and two replacements. John, Hunt and another pair of replacements were on the far left. Jessica was up-front, flanked by two replacements whose eyes kept darting between her and the city.
"Eyes front," she heard Jessica hiss and two heads snapped forward so quickly she thought they may have whiplash.
She suppressed the urge to laugh, instead casting a critical eye over the two replacements closest to her. She was glad to find Parker setting a steady example for the two men. One did nervously glance over to her, his eyes widening when he found her looking at him.
Hoping to reassure him she gave one firm nod of her head. He swallowed so hard she could clearly see his Adam's apple bob up and down, but he steadied himself and turned his attention back to the buildings ahead.
Alex made up their team with West, the two men holding the rear. As they'd headed out he and Jessica had flipped a coin to see who would lead the team into Eindhoven. Jessica had won.
As they drew closer and closer to the city limits every sense reached towards the looming buildings, straining and stretching to find any enemy that could exploit their vulnerable position in the open. A flash of movement in the attic window of an old brown three storey building shoved her hammering heart into her throat. Without stopping her methodical advance she lifted her rifle to her shoulder, her eyes finding the sight as naturally as breathing.
She waited, counting down the seconds in her head. When she got to ten and nothing more happened she lowered her rifle and turned her gaze forward once more. From the corner of her eyes she saw the one replacement mimic her movements, if a second slower. She smiled to herself, at least they were able to keep their heads so far.
Up-front Jessica's hand shot up as she dropped to one knee. Within a single heartbeat everyone had followed her lead, rifles up and senses on high alert.
Now that they'd stopped moving she thought she heard a sound coming from deep inside the city. The noise was something akin to the rumbling of thunder a few miles away, or waves softly crashing against the shore. The more she listened the more it confused her. It wasn't bombing, she'd recognise that sound even in her grave, and gunfire wouldn't have the rhythm or depth this did.
What the hell is that?
"Stay here. Wait for my signal," Jessica ordered.
As her friend and one of the replacements stood the tension rose amongst the rest of the team along with them. For a beat everyone held their collective breath as they waited for the inevitable shots to start ringing out.
When none came to drown out the low murmuring coming from the city it did little to make her feel any better, but she did breathe a little easier for the moment.
Jessica and the replacement jogged forward, no longer bothering to bend double or tread carefully. Speed was now their main objective.
She watched as they easily climbed over a low fence used to demarcate the end of someone's little garden and the beginning of the surrounding farmland.
For a few moments more she could watch them quickly and expertly move towards the buildings until finally the shadows and the brown bricks obscured them from view.
And then they waited. She counted out the time in her head, using the methodical tick of her own internal clock to steady her heartbeat and nerves.
As she neared the three minute mark she saw a long shadow approach her from behind.
"Almost three minutes," she said without turning away from the looking buildings.
"Yip," Alex replied just over her shoulder.
"What's that sound?" she asked.
She watched as the shadow's shoulders bounced up and down. "Fuck if I know."
"H'm."
Alex took a deep long breath and exhaled hard. "One more minute, then we move."
She nodded, the steel helmet bobbing up and down along with her. "Okay."
The muscles in her legs started to tense as she readied herself to move forward, each passing second counting down in her head.
But before she got to 30 seconds a familiar figure emerged from between the two buildings nearest to them.
The replacement stood tall and signed for them to move forward.
"Move," Alex commanded in a low voice.
They rose nearly as one and steadily made their way to the waiting replacement, trampling a small flower garden someone had lovingly tended in their backyard.
Looking down at the trampled yellow and orange blooms an illogical feeling of sadness and loss settled on her heart. She felt her brow furrow and lips purse into a thin line.
It's just flowers. They can grow more, she scolded herself as she forced her head up and feet moving forward.
When they reached the replacement, Alex dashed forward and everyone else took up defensive positions, sceptically eyeing windows and alleys. The humming was louder, and she could hear it was punctuated by sharper sounds at odd intervals.
What the hell?
"You're certain?" she heard Alex ask.
"Yes sir. Very," the young replacement replied, somehow managing to sound both certain and nervous at the same time.
A moment of silence followed, but she could almost feel Alex broodily staring down the alley from which the replacement had appeared.
"Okay, everyone, we're going to enter the second house on the right, the one with the red bricks," Alex said.
They all looked from him to the house in question, each one performing their own quick assessment.
"It's already been cleared and we need to move fast. So on me. Let's go," he said the last two words even as he started to move towards the building.
They followed Alex, their movements quick and exact, no sense of urgency or disarray anywhere to be found. That's what months of relentless drilling and years of practice did after all.
She took up the rear this time. As they moved between the buildings the shadows were cool and with the sun obscured they could easily look up, eyes and rifles scanning open windows as they went. The buildings muffled the strange sounds which had been growing louder up to that point. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
They rounded the corner of the house and one by one disappeared into the interior. She watched the quiet street, rifle at the ready. A light breeze scattered some fallen leaves, making them dance across the clean cobblestones, but as the wind died down the peaceful quiet settled down over her again.
Yip, definitely not loving this.
When she felt a single tap to her shoulder she moved towards the door, keeping her back to the house and her eyes trained on the quiet street. She felt the entrance with her boot, and after one final sweep of the street she stepped inside, turning her back to the outside world at the very last moment.
"Last man," she said as she turned and followed the line of soldiers climbing up the narrow wooden staircase.
The staircase creaked and complained with every step they took, it's noise the only thing other than their breathing and footfalls that you could hear coming from the house.
"Guess no one's home," the replacement in front of her murmured.
She rolled her eyes at the back of his head. That is what 'cleared' means.
Reaching the landing of the 5th floor she expected to stop, but instead they continued on upwards using a sturdy ladder to climb through a man-sized hole in the roof through which a blue sky peaked before being obscured by another man passing through the gap.
When she finally popped her head through the opening her step nearly faltered. The sound which had confused and unsettled her was no longer muffled by the buildings and the shadows, instead it pricked her ears as clear as a bird song on a sunny, windless morning.
Gathering herself she rushed to climb the last few rungs and exit onto the roof of the building. She quickly made her way over to the side of the roof which looked into the heart of the city. Pushing her way in-between the men she pressed her palms into the ledge and squinted into the distance.
"Is that…?" she asked, not sure how to finish the question without sounding like a crazy person.
A pair of binoculars appeared in front of her. She briefly glanced over to find Alex holding them out, his eyes focused ahead.
She took the binoculars and lifted them up to her eyes, adjusting them as she went. "Thanks."
"M'hm," he replied absentmindedly.
Once she got the binoculars focused she trained them onto the moving mass she could just make out in the distance and between the buildings.
Her crazy assumption from a moment earlier was quickly confirmed. She found hundreds, if not thousands, of small figures dancing and rushing about. She couldn't find a uniform or any German flags, instead the buildings seemed to be dressed in layers of orange, with colourful bunting running criss-cross across the streets.
The sound which had perplexed them was now not only easier to hear but to associate with the sight in front of her eyes. People speaking, laughing and signing formed a sound wave which was punctuated at random intervals by loud cheers or what sounded like the notes of a band.
She dropped the binoculars and held them out to the Alex. "Well I'll be damned."
"Did we just liberate Eindhoven?" she heard John ask.
She snorted before she could stop herself. A few pairs of eyes turned to her and she caught Alex smirking. "Most likely they just withdraw to a position which is easier to defend and strategically more important. The Germans are still here. Somewhere."
"That's comforting," John remarked sarcastically.
She shrugged and squinted into the heart of the city where she could barely make out the moving mass of people. Knowing what the source of the sound was should have eased her anxiety but it had only managed to change its nature. Not knowing where the German's were was worse than expecting to jump into the middle of a fight.
Alex stepped back from the ledge and clapped his hands to get their attention. "Right."
Everyone turned to face him, intuitively forming a loose semi-circle in front of their CO.
"Our objective has changed," he started, eyes flicking over their shoulders to the city. "There may be snipers here but considering the state of the city we're not going to be able to systematically search for them."
A few of the men nodded.
"We're set to meet up with Easy's officers in the town square in…," he drifted off as he glanced down at his watch and did the quick math. "Ninety minutes. Give or take a few."
He frowned in the direction of the crowd, his jaw working back and forth.
Jessica took off her helmet and held it between her knees as she opened up her jacket and took out a dark green woollen cap. After placing the cap on her head she tucked her blonde braid into it as she said "We're going to move to intercept the main Easy force as they enter the town. From there we'll break into pairs of two or three, each pair containing at least one veteran, and make our way to the rendezvous point. It's unlikely we'll all be able to stay together and move at a decent rate through the crowd, but smaller groups should be fine."
Jessica finished hiding her hair underneath her cap and put her helmet back on, fastening the strap underneath her chin. She fixed each of them with a hard stare. "Do not get distracted. You are not here to drink and dance. Keep moving forward. Understood?"
A mingled chorus of, "Yes ma'am" followed.
She simply nodded, her own hair now safely tucked away and cap pulled low over her forehead. Two women dressed in military uniforms in this crowd was going to draw a lot of attention, and not all of it welcome.
"Good," Alex picked up. "Captain King will be with me. The rest of you break into your pairs now. Keep your rifles slung over your shoulders and double check that your safeties are on. The last thing we need is a drunk local getting carried away and letting off a few rounds. And for God's sake, strap down your helmets. I don't want to see any civilian wearing one of ours. Just because you can't see the sniper doesn't mean they're not here."
Hands reached up for chin straps, either fastening or tugging.
She flipped up the collar of her jump jacket and tucked the collar which carried the insignia denoting her rank safely away.
Jessica's eyes caught the action. Her own hands moved to her collar, double checking the work she'd probably done as she'd been waiting for them. "Hide your rank."
"Easy's entering the city limits," John said over his shoulder, his body turned towards the city.
Alex nodded and took a deep breath. "Right, move out."
Jessica POV
The closer they got to the centre of Eindhoven the harder it became to keep any sort of formation. They'd anticipated it, but being unable to stop her men from being swallowed up by the dense crowd worked on her nerves nonetheless.
Soon enough she could no longer see any of her own unit except for Alex. Here and there they crossed paths with a man from Easy or Dog, but for every soldier she saw there were five to ten civilians.
The inhabitants of the city were singing, dancing, some mulled around, drinks in one hand while waving a small Dutch flag with the other. The crowd pulled and pushed. In the excitement no one looked closely at her, which meant her disguise worked a little to perfectly. They all assumed she was just another man. A small one sure, but that didn't seem to matter judging by the women who pawed at her uniform and planted rough kisses on her cheeks. She just kept her head down and tried to move ahead, but without using physical force she really couldn't make quick progress.
On the second occasion she got separated from Alex he grabbed her hand, using his impressive physical stature to drag her through the crowd. But as the crowd became thicker, and rowdier, the link was easily broken. When a large man encircled her body in a massive bear hug that pinned her arms to her side, and lifted her off of the ground, his thick voice cheering in her ear, it took all her self-restraint not to headbutt him.
With every passing second she was constrained in his arms she felt her nerves start to fray a little more. She was just about to do something un-ladylike when a second pair of arms encircled her waist and tugged her free from the cheering local. The old man smiled at her, cheeks crimson and eyes a little bleary, no doubt due to the beer she'd smelled on him. Before he could look to closely at her face she was spun away from him and carried forward a few feet.
Deep breath. Keep calm. Do not break the civilian's nose.
Just as she was about to lose the inner debate her feet found terra firma again. She pushed herself away from the body behind her and spun around, fists balled at her sides.
Alex stared down at her, hands held up in surrender. "It's just me."
She huffed. "I swear. The next man that picks me up like I'm some ragdoll is getting a kick to the groan."
He arched one eyebrow and shifted uncomfortably.
She rolled her eyes. "Not you. Obviously."
Alex smiled and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.
She rolled her eyes but said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He turned her by her shoulders so her back was to him. Keeping a firm grip on her shoulders he gently pushed her forward. "C'mon, I can see Nix. We're almost there."
She turned her head so she could glower at him over her shoulder, but the effect was somewhat diminished by her helmet flopping forward and side-ways.
Alex chuckled and pushed the helmet back.
"I'm not a child. You don't need to guide me."
Alex manoeuvred her through the crowd, using her shoulders to steer her. "Can you see over their heads?"
She bit back her sarcastic retort, settling for a huff instead.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
She had to admit the press of bodies and cheering which seemed to only grow in intensity was making it difficult for her to keep her bearings since she couldn't see much further than the shoulders of the men around her.
Thank God I'm not claustrophobic. Yet.
Her eyes flicked up to the open windows and rooftops surrounding them. She scowled and curled her fingers around the hilt of her sidearm.
The crowd miraculously parted just as she pulled her eyes away from the skyline in time to see Richard and Nixon standing on a set of steps a few feet ahead, heads dipped slightly to study the map Richard was holding.
She nearly sighed in relief and her lips broke into a broad grin. Richard looked up from his map and his eyes found hers. She thought she saw him start to smile when suddenly he was obscured from her view by a blonde woman in a pretty floral dress who threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
The encounter was over nearly as suddenly as it began, the woman already disappearing into the crowd. She was close enough to the men now to be able to clearly see the smattering of red lipstick on both men's cheeks and lips. Richard looked at her a little sheepish and she could tell he was trying to decide what to say.
She was about to wave him off, deciding to ignore the pang of jealousy which was burning a hole in her stomach, when he once again disappeared from view, obscured by a wave of blonde and brunette hair.
Again, really?
But instead of going to any of the soldiers around her the two women turned their attention to her. Before she could even say or do anything she was caught between Alex's hard chest and two pairs of lips planting kisses on her cheeks.
In a blur of hair, lips and dresses the two women disappeared, but before she could regain any sort of composure a pair of soft lips found hers. She didn't even have time to react before the grateful Dutch women was running after her friends. She blinked a couple of times and shook her head, completely disorientated.
The rumble of Alex's chest against her helped to snap her mind back to the present. In a slight huff she shook herself out of his loose grasp and took the final few steps to reach a smirking Richard and Nixon.
"What?" she asked.
Nixon whistled and wiggled his eyebrows. "Three in one go, huh? Impressive."
"Well, I guess I'm just the cutest soldier around."
"You won't hear any arguments from me," he replied.
She rolled her eyes but felt her lips tug into a lopsided grin.
Alex moved so he was standing beside her, his head swivelling to take in the scene around them now that they were standing still. "Where the hell are the Germans?"
"That's the million dollar question," Nixon said.
She reached up, and using one hand for each of her them, manoeuvred their collars so the silver bars denoting their rank were obscured from view. "Snipers", she said in answer to their perplexed looks.
Both men nodded, hands shooting up to mimic her work on the other side.
Harry and Buck appeared beside Nixon, both men looking a little flustered and a lot irritated.
"What's up Jess?" Buck asked.
"Snipers," she answered.
Both men fiddled with their uniforms until their rank was hidden from view. She gave them all a quick once over and once she was satisfied stepped back.
"You really think the German's left snipers here?" Harry asked.
"Maybe. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel," she replied, head turning slightly so she could eye the densely packed crowd of soldiers and civilians.
Nixon and Welsh scowled up at the windows while Buck grimaced as if the thought of anybody taking pot-shots at the crowd was beyond his comprehension.
Richard stepped down, bringing them within a few inches of one another. Out of habit she started to step aside so he could pass, when a strong hand settled on her waist, halting her.
She looked up at him, confused and surprised by the sudden physical contact, to find his blue eyes studying her face, concern drawing his handsome features.
She frowned and tilted her head even as she placed her own hand over his.
Richard dipped his head slightly and asked, "You okay?"
Her mind raced to try and find the reason for his question.
Random women kissing him?
The risk of snipers?
Alex marching me over here like a child?
She was about to ask him for more information when it suddenly dawned on her.
"Being back here?" she asked.
He gave a small nod, lips pursed.
She hoped the smile she gave him was reassuring. She couldn't tell based on how she felt inside.
In all the excitement she'd forgotten where they were, but as soon as she understood his question a vice grip took a hold on her stomach, twisting and turning.
"Fine. Just fine," she managed, but unconsciously she rolled her shoulder, feeling the familiar click that had been with her since she'd been shot there.
He arched one eyebrow, the weight of his palm on her waist increasing.
With great effort she relaxed her shoulders and the iron grip she had developed on her sidearm.
She curled her fingers around the hand resting on her waist and squeezed gently. "We need to get to the bridges."
His brow furrowed and fingers curled so he could return the pressure on her hand. "Yeah, we do."
They paused for a beat, an unspoken conversation hanging between them.
"We need to go," Nixon said, clapping a hand on Richard's shoulder as his eyes darted to where his friend was holding her in place.
Richard let go of her, a little reluctantly she thought. "Yeah," he answered.
He moved past her with Nixon in tow. Her friend shot her a questioning look as he passed her, but didn't say anything. She briefly felt Alex's eyes on her, but was thankful when he moved on without asking or saying anything.
For a second she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Pushing out the air she focused her mind back on the here and now. She turned on her heels to follow after the five soldiers and rolled her right shoulder.
Click.
She grimaced but pushed forward.
Arlene POV.
"I swear to God if one more person tries to kiss or grope me I'm going to punch someone!" she exclaimed, glowering at Joe as if he were the guilty party.
Joe chuckled and tightened his grip on her hand, giving her a little tug so he could speak to her without having to shout to be heard.
"I should be jealous. You have more lipstick on your face than I do."
She snorted and ran her eyes over the crowd.
Shortly after they had reached the edge of the crowd they had split into their smaller groups. She, along with Parker and two replacements, were slowly making their way through the ever growing mass of people when they'd run into Joe, Bill and Luz.
At first they were able to move forward with only a little pushing, shoving and manoeuvring on their part, but soon enough it became a challenge to just maintain line of sight of one another. So when Joe grabbed her hand, his long fingers forming a vice grip, she decided to hold on like a man drowning at sea.
She glanced down at her watch. "We need to move. We only have forty minutes left," she said, eyes searching the crowd for her men.
She spotted a flash of green waving back and forth above the heads of the people. Following the line downwards her eyes quickly settled on Parker's frowning face. He was standing on a small, overturned crate and the two replacements flanked him either side. Even from the slight distance she could see the awed and slightly overwhelmed expressions on the two soldiers' faces.
She was shoved forward by a passing woman who was either laughing or crying, in the deafening noise of the crowd the two sounded very alike. The momentum pushed her body into Joe's, sending him staggering back a few steps, nearly causing them both to lose their balance.
"Jesus," she cursed, pushing herself away from Joe.
He chuckled and shook his head. "It ain't that bad. They're just having some fun."
"Joe, look around," she said, drawing a half-circle with her free hand. "This is chaos. An average shooter would be able to kill a dozen of us without any effort. And in the ensuing panic more would be trampled."
She looked up to find him staring down at her, his eyebrows drawn together, perfectly framing the worry in his eyes. It was only then that she noticed her heart hammering uncontrollably against her ribcage, each beat threatening to break through the surrounding bone.
Shit, breathe, she told herself, trying to get her breathing back under control.
Panicking won't do you any good.
"Hey, it's okay. We'll get you to the rendezvous point," he said.
She let out a deep, long breath and forced a thin smile. "Sorry, I've never liked big crowds."
He nodded.
"And then there's the Michael of it all," she quickly added, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
Joe's expression darkened. "That bastard wouldn't dare be here."
She couldn't stop her eyes jumping over the faces in the crowd, her pulse quickening in anticipation of who they might find. "No, probably not," she said feebly.
Joe continued to frown but said, "Okay."
"Hey LT, Joe!" They both turned to find Bill waving them over to join him.
She pursed her lips and looked towards Parker and her replacements. She indicated to Parker to follow them and he nodded his understanding even as he started to climb down from his impromptu stage.
"Let's go," she said.
Joe guided them in Bill's direction. Her feet followed his of their own accord, her mind far too preoccupied trying to keep the growing feeling of panic at bay.
Michael of it all. Her glib remark played over and over in her head, adding its own voice to the clamour that flowed all around them.
Since she'd found out Michael was in Holland she'd been trying to convince herself the lump that had settled in her stomach and chest was nothing more than guilt and the effects of bad memories she'd never really dealt with. But with each passing day, or second it seemed, the lump had grown until she could barely fit any food into her stomach.
Paranoia, that's all. Don't be paranoid. He's not here anymore. And it wouldn't matter even if he were. He's just another enemy soldier.
Her internal dialogue failed to make her feel any better. She licked her lips and swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry with a metallic taste.
Great. Just fucking great. God, I hate him.
Her free hand found the grip of her sidearm and squeezed it with all her might.
That helps.
"So nice of you two to join us," Bill said as they finally got to him.
Joe gave him a blank stare and she said, "What was so urgent? We need to get to Alex and Jessica."
She felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. She quickly spun around, ready to give someone a piece of her mind, just to find Parker holding onto her as he seemed to catch his breath.
"I almost smacked you," she said.
"Sorry, LT. I guess I was just so glad to get to you."
She scolded herself internally for snapping at him. Softening her face she smiled and said, "Yeah, this crowd's really something."
"Yeah," their one replacement said, a deep frown splitting his forehead in half. "Looks like we missed the whole war."
He seemed genuinely put-out, and when she looked over to his friend he didn't seem any happier.
"Don't worry too much about it. The Germans probably just moved to positions that would be easier to defend. You'll have your chance to be shot at soon enough," she replied.
The young men swallowed almost in unison and Parker scowled at both of them. She clapped his shoulder and shook her head. The replacements' reactions were normal. They'd heard stories of adventure, bravery and glory. They were fed these stories by the papers and recruiters back home because it's what people wanted to hear.
Needed to hear to keep sending their sons to war.
She turned back to face Bill, her face set expectantly.
"Photo!" he beamed, throwing up his arm to point to a small crowd gathering behind him.
She looked to where he was pointing and spotted the camera hastily being set-up by a photographer keen to capture the historical celebration. A few Easy men, including Bill and Babe were mingling with civilian women and a handful of small children. Despite her mood she smiled at the sight of the small kids playing with the soldiers, and the grown men in-turn picking them and playfully putting their helmets on the children's heads
Joe squeezed her hand, pulling her attention back to him, and she found him smiling down at her.
Her own lips moved into a lopsided grin and she tilted her head slightly in question.
He gave a small shrug. "Just glad to see you smiling, that's all."
Her heart swelled and the gentle warmth that spread from it managed to replace the lump in her stomach for a while.
Bill's face appeared out of nowhere only a few inches from theirs. "You two lovebirds willing to join us?" he whispered, his signature smirk plastered on his face.
She rolled her eyes and let go of Joe's hand. They needed to be more careful. In the large crowd no one would notice Joe holding her hand, and if they did she could easily explain it away, but still, it was a dangerous habit to get into.
"Let's go you three," she instructed her men and they all made their way over to the group setting up for the photo.
She put herself between Bill and Babe, both men throwing a casual arm across her shoulders as she put a hand on their backs. A small boy with strawberry blonde hair squeezed through the gap between her and Bill, shooting them a gap toothed grin as he took up his position in front of their legs.
She smiled down at him and winked, earning her a high-pitched giggle which managed to cut through all the noise around them.
"Okay!" the photography shouted.
"Look there," she said to the boy, nudging her chin forward.
His face spun away from her and she looked up, grin still firmly in place, just as the flash went off.
Jessica POV
Moving through the crowd the disjointed cacophony of signing, shouting, laughing and music slowly morphed into something more rhythmic, coming in ebbs and flows.
She strained to figure out what the sound was while remaining close to her men as they moved through the crowd. With each step the sound became clearer and with each step her unease grew. The sound was harsh and angry, more angry mob than joyous crowd.
"Slet." The word hit her ears with perfect clarity. She blinked and shook her head, trying to recover from the sudden shock of it.
Her feet picked up pace until she'd pushed past Harry and Buck. Nixon's back blocked her view but her ears were now being assaulted by the chant.
"Slet! Slet! Slet!" The word slapped her in the face over and over again.
Nixon, Alex and Richard had come to a stop, their broad shoulders blocking her view of the origin of the chant. As she forced her way past them Nixon grabbed her wrist. "Don't," he said, but she shook his weak grip off and pushed forward until she was standing on the edge of a circle formed by angry civilians.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down the bile starting to claw its way up her throat.
A mob had formed a loose circle into which they screamed as women were dragged into the centre and forced onto their knees. Their clothes were ripped so their undergarments showed and swastikas were drawn onto their foreheads in an ugly black. Their styled hair was crudely chopped with sheers and shaved. In places thin rivulets of blood ran from their heads down their faces. Some cried and held out their arms as if they were begging for mercy, while others stood stunned, allowing men to drag them away so no one would need to be shamed by the site of them any longer.
"Slet! Slet! Slet!" The mob's chant continued and with each beat her urge to scream and cry and hit someone grew and grew until there was only one thing left for her to do.
She closed her eyes, held her breath and counted to three. She allowed herself three seconds of anger and helplessness. Three seconds without control. Three seconds imagining everything she wanted to do.
Three.
As her lungs pushed out the air she imagined an impregnable wall of ice sliding down over her heart, walling off her emotions so she could function with the cool detachment required.
Get to work.
Jessica's blue eyes snapped open to find a pair of deep brown ones, stained red by tears, pleading for help. The woman's sobs faltered and she looked even more stricken and hopeless. For a beat they stared at one another, but then the woman shrunk in on herself, hiding her face in her hands as her shoulders began to shake violently.
There's no point begging a block of ice for help.
"What are they saying?" Harry asked somewhere behind her.
"Slut," she replied, slowly turning her back on the women. "They're calling them sluts."
The statement was said in such a cold, matter of fact way it caught her friends off-guard judging by the shocked looks they shot her before their eyes jumped back to the scene playing itself out behind her.
Like watching a car accident. Horrible, but you're going to keep looking.
"What did they do?" Harry asked.
"They slept with the Germans," a familiar voice replied, but for the life of her she couldn't put a face or name to it.
Harry and Buck moved out of the way as the rest turned to the sound of the voice, reluctantly tearing their eyes away from the centre of the circle.
Her lips twitched into a smile which she hoped was friendly.
Van Kooijk was a tall man, as many of the Dutch were, with thinning blonde hair and a lean physique. He was wearing a faded black jacket, grey buttoned down jersey and white collar shirt. The outfit perfectly blended into the crowd, giving the illusion that he was simply another Eindhoven resident coming out to join the celebrations, but the bright orange band encircling one bicep subverted that impression.
"They are lucky. The men who collaborated are being shot."
She caught Richard suppressing a grimace as he dropped his head to study the map he held in his hands for a moment.
Van Kooijk's eyes scanned their little group, efficiently moving from one face to the next, but they stopped dead when they landed on her.
He frowned, his smile faltering, and she could tell he was trying to decide if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"Hello Kooijk. It's good to see you again," she said.
Eyes looked to her and then back to him and then back to her again.
"It is you!" he exclaimed, his smile returning tenfold. "Anna, I cannot believe you are here. And with the Americans."
"Anna?" Nixon and Buck asked in perfect unison.
Before she could answer van Kooijk replied, "Of course Anna isn't her real name. But it is the one I know. So that is what I will use."
She sighed. Going against all the odds she'd hoped to avoid having this conversation. "I worked in Holland some time ago. At times I worked with the Dutch Resistance, which van Kooijk," she gestured to him, "was, and still seems to be, a part of. We worked together a few times."
"Indeed. This one was fearless. A few more of her and Sarah and we would not have needed you to liberate us!"
"Sarah?" Nixon asked.
She shot him a knowing look and he formed a silent 'Oh' with his lips.
"I'm glad you made it out of the country alive. Some of the reports we had said you had been captured. Or shot. Or both."
She gave him a thin smile which she could feel wasn't reaching her eyes. "Something like that."
His grin fell a little and she could hear him clear his throat. An uncomfortable silence fell over them, punctuated by the shouting off the mob which beat at her hears like a steel drum.
Jessica rolled her shoulder out of habit but when she caught Richard's eyes following the movement she became all too aware of it. She stopped and with great determination turned her smile into something less frigid. "It really is good to be back."
"We've been waiting and hoping for this day for almost five years."
Nixon quickly stole a glance over at her and she could see the worry laying in the depths of his eyes.
Nix, don't wear your heart on your sleeve like that.
She grimaced slightly at her own thought, but pushed any analysis of her reaction aside, choosing instead to put her mental and emotional energy into keeping her wall firmly in place.
Her friend turned to face Richard, Alex and van Kooijk but she could still feel his attention, or a part therefor, focused on her.
"He says he can help us secure the bridges," Nixon said.
"Yes, together we can push the remaining Germans out of Eindhoven. And that's just the beginning."
Ricard ran his eyes over the jubilant crowd, glancing over his shoulder to the mob before turning his full attention to Nixon. "Any idea where they might be?"
"Well, we're still working on that."
She rolled her eyes and snorted.
The men looked at her, but she pretended not to notice, instead starting to walk away from the mob and hoping they would all follow her lead. So loud was the larger crowd that after only a few feet she could no longer hear the angry chanting or crying of the victims, but only the exuberant cheers of the crowd.
Story of two worlds.
Van Kooijk grabbed a redheaded boy who was in his very early teens by the shoulder and led him over to them. The child also wore an orange armband and had the look of someone who had seen too much already in their short life. She knew the look. She'd had it herself. Still did if you knew what to look for.
"Pers and his friends here are gathering information as we speak," van Kooijk said, maintaining his firm grip of the boy's shoulder.
The child didn't seem fazed in any way, but stared up resolutely at the group of soldiers.
All the men expect van Kooijk looked dubious, but when Richard looked to her she shrugged. "Adults don't always see children. They can go places we can't."
He frowned and pursed his lips but didn't argue with her.
"Dick," Nixon said to get Richard's attention. "His contacts a couple of towns down say they saw a British 2nd and Guards Armoured move through half an hour ago."
"They're kids," Richard replied, doing little to hide his trepidation from van Kooijk.
"These are reliable reports. Anything we can do to help you, we will do." Van Kooijk held Richards gaze, his brow furrowed together. "Anything."
Richard made to reply when a roar went up over the crowd, drowning out any other sound. Everyone stared in the direction of the cheering, the men lifting their heads and stretching their bodies to try and see over the mass of people.
"Right on time," van Kooijk said, a satisfied grin on his face.
She scanned the area for something she could use to gain some elevation when she struck gold. Smiling she took a few steps before quickly scrambling up a lamp pole until she was able to stand on its concrete base. Within moments Richard and Alex had joined her. They watched the triumphant British tanks roll down the street, civilian women sitting comfortably on top of the heavy machines as they waved to the crowd.
"Must you always be right?" Alex asked.
"No, but I usually am."
Richard pressed his free hand into the small of her back and she inadvertently looked up to him, but his eyes were forward, intently studying the passing tanks.
"Captain," van Kooijk shouted trying to get Richard's attention. "I'll be happy to show you the quickest route to the bridges."
Richard's blue eyes moved once more between the man, the tanks and her before he dropped to the ground and shook van Kooijk's hand. "I'd be happy to have the help." Turning to Harry he added, "Get scouts to the edge of town in case we're here for the night."
Harry nodded, even though he didn't look too happy at the prospect of hanging around.
From her vantage point she scanned the nearby faces until she found the ones she'd been looking for. Tapping Alex on the shoulder to get his attention, she said, "I see our team." She pointed to her left. "They're over there."
"Right on time," he replied.
They both hopped off of the base, and as they hit the ground Alex grabbed Richard's arm. "I'm going to send my team out with the Easy scouts."
"Good idea. Jess-," Ricard stopped himself, eyes flicking over to van Kooijk who was watching him expectantly, "Captain King, will you join us?" He gestured between van Kooijk, Nixon and himself. "Since you're familiar with the Dutch Resistance."
"Of course. Let's get to work."
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