Word soon reached Malarkey that he had been picked to lead a patrol across the river that night. It was a prisoner snatch but after Fox Company's fail the previous night, no one expected a good outcome. Division wanted information on enemy troops, Dallin thought they should do the patrol themselves. Usually, she wouldn't have such a gripe about a patrol, but they were so close to the end, she didn't want to lose anyone else.
It was Speirs's idea to pick Malarkey. And the Sergeant seemed fine. He was the most experienced to lead, after all, but it didn't stop Jones from informing the weary Sergeant that he would gladly take his place. Malarkey knew Winters and Speirs would never go for it, so, he agreed and allowed Jones to ask permission to lead. Dallin watched the eager Lieutenant leave their bedroom. Getting up from her bed, she said to Malarkey;
"I think he could do it".
"Well, they'll never let him". Malarkey mumbled.
Dallin frowned a little and asked;
"are you…tired?"
He huffed;
"yeah, I'm tired, Dill…we're all fucking tired".
Rubbing the back of her neck first, she pointed out;
"Jones…he could be handy on patrol".
Malarkey looked at her and crossed his arms;
"why don't you try and persuade Winters and Speirs then?"
"Because…it is too risky". Dallin said quietly, "he is very green and cannot lead".
"So, what're you saying, Dill?" He questioned, "you 'wanna lead the patrol?"
She shrugged;
"if you want?"
Malarkey sighed and continued to stare at her.
His eyes ended up softening.
And a tiny smile met his pale face;
"you're a good friend, Dill. Sure am glad you wanted to be my friend back in Toccoa. But this is 'gonna be tricky. Getting Krauts to surrender can be hard. And you've 'gotta get everyone back in one piece, Dill".
"I know you are…very experienced, Donnie". She said softly, "but you have looked after me, since the very start…I will do something for you now, yes?"
"You're 'gonna be a Sergeant soon anyway". Malarkey mumbled, "they'd be stupid to turn you down for this patrol".
Dallin held out her hand for him to shake;
"well?"
Nodding, Malarkey gripped her hand and shook it firmly;
"alright, Dill. Go and see Speirs and Winters at CP".
Leaving the house, Dallin felt doubtful they'd let her lead the patrol, but Malarkey deserved a break. And they'd never allow Jones to lead. She figured if she volunteered, they would have no choice but to agree. But stepping into the hotel, Dallin lost some nerve. Though the building was partly damaged, it was still the grandest place she had stepped into since England. They even had a black piano, sitting in one of the reception rooms. It was dusty but it still looked brand-new. George Luz was behind the reception counter, sorting out rations and supplies with Vest. Giving Dallin a nod, Luz soon grinned at her;
"want some chocolate?"
Dallin shook her head;
"no…where are Speirs and Winters?"
"Dinning room". Vest replied, "your new Lieutenant's still in there".
With a nod, Dallin took a seat on one of the couches;
"then…I'll wait".
Emerging from one of the bedrooms on the ground floor was Lipton. Dallin was pleased to see that their 1st Sergeant looked a little better. His face was no longer chalky, and he could walk without coughing up a lung. He gave a small smile and took a seat next to her.
"How's Malarkey?" Lipton asked softly.
"Yes…he is fine". Dallin murmured, "but…he will not lead patrol".
Lipton, Luz and Vest frowned.
They looked at her.
"Then who?" Luz questioned, "Jones?"
Clearing her throat, Dallin shook her head;
"no…I-I will". She said, with a tiny stammer.
Dallin was met by a moment of silence.
Which Vest broke, by asking;
"can I come along too?"
Dallin looked over at him;
"you…deliver mail, Vest".
"I know". He said lowly, "which is why I 'wanna go along…Krauts are finished, Dill. I haven't done anything but deliver mail".
"What did Malarkey say?" Lipton asked her.
"He tells me…they would be stupid not to have me lead, Lip".
That brought a tiny smile to the 1st Sergeant's face;
"you know, I think he's right". He said, "but if they tell you no, it has nothing to do with how great a squad leader you are, buddy".
"I know".
"You're just looking out for you pal, ain't you?" Luz smiled, "that's good of you, Dill".
"Cause he's tired?" Vest mumbled.
Dallin's stare hardened a little at Vest.
Shaking her head, she muttered;
"no…because he lost his best friend and Donnie…Donnie deserves a fucking rest for once".
Vest raised his eyebrow;
"sorry I asked".
The dining room door opened and closed.
Jones stepped out, not looking overly happy. Rubbing her lips together, Dallin got onto her feet. She gave her Lieutenant a tiny nod and small smile before heading for the door. Jones watched her, a little confused. But he didn't stick around to find out what was going on, he left the hotel, saving his pride from curious stares.
Dallin knocked on the door.
"Come in".
Came Winters's voice.
Taking in a deep breath, she grabbed the door handle and opened the door.
The dining room was just as grand as the rest of the hotel. Speirs and Winters were both leaning against a long, dark, wooden table. Their heads lifted to see who had entered the room and both were a little surprised to find Dallin standing there. She looked small compared to the table. Stepping deeper into the room, she soon stood at attention and saluted the officers.
They both saluted her back.
"Stand at ease, Dill". Winters ordered softly.
"What brings you here, Gorski?" Speirs asked, getting straight to the point.
Licking her bottom lip, she took off her helmet.
She gently set it on the table.
"I volunteer to lead patrol across the river, sir". Dallin replied.
"Malarkey is leading". Speirs reminded her.
Shaking her head, she tried to meet his eyes.
Dallin cleared her throat;
"no…he does not lead patrol, sir".
"It was an order". Speirs argued but not unkindly.
Softly biting down on her lip first, she asked;
"permission to speak freely?"
Winters nodded;
"permission granted".
He couldn't help but feel his heart swell with pride.
Dallin stood her ground;
"my friend is very tired". She told them, "and I know…I can lead this patrol, sirs. I have a lot of experience and I can get you live prisoners".
Winters had never heard her sound so confident.
"Oh, you can?" He asked, testing her. "And how will you do that, Corporal?"
"From the window where my squad sit…we have clear view across the river. And we know where the German OP is, sir".
"We know that too". Speirs murmured, "how do you plan on getting across the river, Gorski? Do you have any boats?"
Dallin shook her head;
"but I see you have captured rubber boats, sir. They rest by the bank. We use boats, yes?"
"Yeah, we're using those boats". Winters confirmed, "but how are you going to capture those prisoners for Division, Dill?"
"They are inside farmhouse, sir". She said, "we know this…we see them".
"So, you're 'gonna march right into that house and grab 'em?" He questioned, "just like that?"
She was confused;
"you ask me…if I risk my friends lives so easily, sir?"
Winters shrugged;
"you've never led this type of patrol before, trooper. I need to hear your thoughts".
"No…we do not march into house, sir". Dallin mumbled, "we have to be…very careful and quiet, yes? Surrounding house are possible firing points for Germans. We need men to cover those parts around house, sir".
"While another team enters the house?" Speirs asked.
"Yes". She replied, "I will be with that team…we will grab live prisoners inside".
A moment of silence went by.
Winters took a step closer to her;
"you have to be careful; I had a man step on a Schu mine last night. Because of the current, you will cross the river upstream on our right flank, by Dog's OP and approach the objective from there".
Dallin nodded;
"yes, sir".
"We also need to destroy the OP". Winters continued, "grab a satchel charge on a delayed timer and hide it in the house. Pick one man to do that, while the rest of you grab the prisoners".
"Who do I lead?" Dallin asked.
"Webster as translator". He said, "you're 'gonna need a lead scout, good security and a team to go in the house with you".
Shifty came to mind first.
And then McClung shortly after.
"McClung". Dallin said because she'd rather have Shifty looking out for them. "As lead scout".
"Good choice". Winters said, "I would have picked the same man".
"But not…Webster". She mumbled.
"No?" Speirs frowned, "why not?"
"He is…out of practice". Dallin explained, "Liebgott is better choice".
"Okay, that's fine". Winters agreed, "who else do you want in the house with you?"
"Jackson". She replied, without hesitation, "Popeye, he should set the charges".
"Okay". Winters nodded, "anyone else?"
"Babe". She told him.
And then, clearing her throat, Dallin said;
"and Lieutenant Jones".
Winters almost rolled his eyes;
"did he talk to you?" He asked, "did he try and bribe you?"
Dallin shook her head;
"no…I think he will be very good on patrol, sir".
"Why?" Speirs murmured, "he's as green as spring grass, Gorski".
"I believe…he can do this, sir". Came her simple response. "He will be safe with me; you can trust him".
She never gave them a reason to doubt her in the past.
"He's your responsibility". Winters warned her, "make sure he follows your orders, Dill. He may be an officer but you're in charge".
"What about security?" Speirs asked her, "I've already picked out a few men, mostly from 1st Platoon. Cobb, Winn and McCreary".
"Chuck". She added to that list, "Joint, Bellino…Christenson, Garcia and Rader".
Winters nodded, approving with her choice;
"alright…come back here at 1600, the briefing is at 1700 hours. You've got until then to inform your teams before you meet me here".
Saluting both officers, Dallin left the room.
Lipton got onto his feet;
"well?"
Nodding, she informed him;
"I am to lead the patrol…I have to…tell my teams".
Lipton shook her hand, with a kind smile;
"you're 'gonna do great, buddy".
With the 1st Sergeant's confidence on her shoulders, she left the hotel.
Reaching the house, she found Malarkey and Jones in the sitting area. The young Lieutenant still looked down about being rejected and Dallin hoped the news she had would brighten him up. She sat down next to Malarkey on the couch and informed them both;
"I am leading this patrol".
Jones looked at her.
Malarkey smiled small;
"good. They need you".
"I pick my teams". She said, "I will inform them shortly but first…I tell you, Lieutenant Jones".
Jones looked confused;
"tell me what?"
"I pick you and others to enter house with me for prisoner snatch, sir". Dallin informed him, "we must come to agreement…I lead this patrol, but I will not have to order you, sir. I will only guide you".
His eyes did brighten.
Jones nodded, the smallest of smiles on his face;
"thank you, Corporal".
Clearing his throat, Malarkey faced Jones and told him;
"don't be afraid to ask Dill any questions, sir. She's asked plenty in the past".
Feeling her lips twitch, she nodded;
"yes…some questions were not…necessary but men never belittled me, and neither will I".
Malarkey looked over at her;
"been some journey, huh?"
Dallin sighed and mumbled;
"Donnie…we do not have to remember everything right now".
"Hell, I was just thinking the first day I met you". He said, "do you remember?"
Nodding, she replied quietly;
"yes…Cab Calloway was on the radio".
Malarkey smiled;
"was on the bed next to you, figured Punchy had his work cut out for him".
"You were right".
"Nah…you did great, Dill". His voice softened, "now look at you. You're about to lead a patrol across the river".
Dallin almost grimaced.
Her stomach churned with nausea.
Clearing her throat, she gave her friend a nod;
"yes…all will be fine".
…
When reaching the hotel five minutes before her meeting with Winters, Dallin had to sprint inside one of the many bathrooms to empty her stomach. She was nervous. A lot was on her shoulders to not only complete the objective but to keep everyone alive and unharmed. And for whatever reason, she was sure she could do all that.
On her knees, she hugged the toilet and vomited.
Someone knocked on the door, just as she started;
"Dill?"
Dallin couldn't reply.
She made the mistake of leaving the door unlocked. And Winters walked into the small bathroom. He sighed in sympathy and crouched by her side, his hand rubbing her back. With a small but sad smile, he told her;
"this is normal…you're alert, that's good. And you want this to go well, even better. I trust you to lead this patrol, trooper".
Spitting the foul taste out of her mouth, she rocked back on her heels.
Winters grabbed a piece of toilet paper and wiped her face;
"we can have the meeting in here, if you'd like?"
Dallin almost laughed.
She huffed instead;
"in…toilet?"
Winters nodded;
"we've been in worse, Dill".
"Okay, sir".
"I'm fairly excited to be giving you this meeting, Dill". Winters told her, "I can remember giving Joe, Bill and the other Sergeant's the same talk".
Winters tossed the piece of toilet roll into the toilet and flushed it away.
"Just so you know what I'm about to tell your teams…the briefing is going to sound simple; Dill and I've made it foolproof and safe. But you know as well as I do, that there are plenty of risks".
Dallin nodded and reached for her canteen.
"But of course, you're 'gonna be leading the men, so if you should feel that something doesn't sound right, tell me". Winters told her, "that's why we have these meetings. It's only fair if everyone gets a say, especially the men who lead in the front – or in this case, a woman".
Swirling her mouth out with water, she spat into the toilet.
"When you reach the OP, get your security out. Position them at the crossroads, left and right flanks. Once you capture your prisoners, blow the whistle when you reach the boats, that'll alert the covering fire to start firing from the other side of the river. Once the Krauts start firing, it's 'gonna get chaotic, Dill…it's your job to keep the men moving towards those boats and get them back across the river in one piece. Keep 'em calm and focused".
Again, she nodded;
"yes".
"I want you to put a rifle grenade into the OP window, to stun the Germans inside. And get more grenades into the basement window. You only need a few prisoners; I'd be happy with one. But Division would be happier with two or three. But between you and me, I'd be happy with none if it meant you all go back safely".
Dallin's lips twitch.
Eyes softening slightly, she assured him;
"I will bring you a prisoner, sir".
Winters clapped her shoulder;
"I know you will, trooper…you've never let me down". He told her, "remember, Popeye will have to hide the charges".
"Yes, he's very aware of the importance". She mumbled, "I think…he is happy to come with me".
"Of course, he is". Winters smiled, "he's your buddy…they're all happy to follow you, Dill".
Nodding, she licked her bottom lip and said softly;
"well…the plan is very good, sir".
"I'm glad you approve". Winters said, "getting to the OP shouldn't be hard. Just stay low, keep quiet and move as quickly as you can. McClung has good eyes; he should find a safe route".
"What time is…take off, sir?"
"0100". He replied, "that's when I want you all on the boats. I'll be watching the entire thing. If anything goes wrong, don't panic – we have plenty of covering fire".
Her stomach churned again.
Dallin moved back over the toilet.
Winters frowned a little;
"I understand your nerves, Dill. I've felt them too, but they leave as soon as it's go time".
Sighing shakily, she whispered into the toilet;
"thank you, sir".
Winters smiled and chuckled quietly.
He gave her back a rub;
"I'm proud of you, Dill. I'm especially proud that you stood your ground in front of Captain Speirs and insisted you were leading this patrol".
She huffed;
"I thought he would…shoot me".
Winters chuckled again;
"no…".
His voice softened, when reminding her;
"you're the right soldier to lead this patrol, Dill. I have every confidence that you'll do a brilliant job".
Lifting her head to meet his eyes, she asked;
"anything else?"
"Yeah". Winters confirmed, "full moon tonight, no helmets. Nothing rattles. Nothing shines".
…
Inside Dog Company's outpost, the patrol was given sandwiches and coffee to enjoy before heading to the boats. Dallin had to eat, to show the men she was leading, that everything was fine. Dallin wasn't allowed to show just how nervous she felt. She wasn't sure what filling was inside the sandwich, Dallin forced large bites down without tasting it. The coffee didn't sit well on top of her food, she stuck to water instead.
The men around her were quiet.
They were focused on the patrol.
Dallin assumed some were more nervous than others. But she was confident adrenaline would keep them all going. Her eyes looked towards Lieutenant Jones and Vest, who had asked to join the patrol during their briefing. Dallin didn't want Vest to go along but Winters accepted his request. Vest didn't look as nervous as she thought. He wasn't being quiet either. Vest was talking the Lieutenant's ear off. And Jones was too polite to shut him up.
"What's your new Lieutenant like, Dill?" Popeye asked.
Shrugging one shoulder, she mumbled;
"he is…fine, Popeye".
Dallin was sitting on a bench with McClung and Popeye.
Both had decided to join her when seeing that she was sitting alone.
"West Point, right?" Popeye questioned, "like Sink?"
"Yes…the very same Sink". Dallin replied, "you know…he tells me he wanted to join Foreign French Legion before going to West Point".
McClung snorted;
"shit…hey, Popeye? You'd fit right in".
"Who? Me?" Popeye muttered, "aw…hell no, McClung…I ain't cut out for learning a new language".
"I hear that…undesirables go there". Dallin informed them, "criminals…men who want to…disappear from the earth".
Popeye raised his eyebrows;
"then I certainly don't belong there…I 'wanna get married, have babies. I'm not 'gonna vanish from the face of the fucking earth".
Frowning a little, Dallin wondered out loud;
"can we…do that?"
"Do what?" McClung asked, "disappear from the earth? Yeah, sure…pretty fucking easy out here, if you ask me".
"No…". She mumbled, "no…after war, can we get married and have…babies?"
"Why not?" Popeye asked, "I sure as hell will be".
McClung laughed;
"I feel sorry for that girl you get pregnant, Popeye".
Popeye laughed back at him and shoved his shoulder;
"fuck you, One-Lung McClung".
McClung wiped the grin off his face and looked at Dallin;
"that's one serious look you got on your face there, Dill".
Shaking her head, she mumbled;
"it is hard to…imagine life without war…I cannot remember it much".
Popeye shrugged;
"well, you're 'gonna be starting a new normal life, Dill. Someplace in the States, huh? Hell, if you ever need a place to stay, any one of these fellas would let you stay with them…me included".
"And me". McClung added.
A tiny smile met her lips.
Once again, Dallin felt incredibly lucky to have the friends she had.
