Chapter 3.
This is the third chapter. I'll make a few changes to what the characters are saying, but I don't think it won't make much difference. Enjoy it.
As the sun was almost down, Balto sat outside the tent and stared at the town before him, a very happy look on his face. Boris then came out of the tent, and came by his left-hand side. "And what is so interesting about the town?" He asked, with a curious look on his face. "Jenna." Balto said back, not looking back. "So, go make move." Boris said, shoving Balto in the shoulder with a grin. "Balto didn't move an inch. "Come on! When the song of love plays, it can't be stopped." Boris said, trying to encourage him. "She's not my type. And I don't think I'm her type either." Balto said, now tilting his head to face Boris. "Why not?" Boris then asked. "This being half English business again? What's wrong with being half and half, I'd like to know. Sometimes I wish, as if was crazy, I were half Danish." He added. "Why?" Balto asked, as Boris had never told him anything like that before. "Better profile, for one thing. And another, no one bullies you, too." Boris answered.
Outside the town hospital….
Jenna (who's shift in the hospital had ended) stood outside in her coat, looking through the converted church window. Through the window, she saw Rosy, who sat on a bed, coughing a lot. Their parent stood inn front of her, watching while a doctor looked at Rosy. Their father let the other doctors handle her because he was more of the surgeon kind of doctor, treating war wounds instead of illnesses. Looking beyond them, Jenna saw Rosy was not the only one coughing, seeing several soldiers showing the same kind of coughing as well. Seeing all this put a sad look on her face. Balto, who decided to "make his move" and was now walking through town, saw her standing beside a hospital window, saw his opportunity. Looking down at a puddle in front of him, removing his helmet, he tried several times to smoothen his hair, tried moving some of it to the side, with little effect. Realizing this was as presentable he could get, he walked up to her back. "Jenna." He said, causing Jenna to move her head around towards him. "Oh, Balto. High." She said rather softly, before turning her head back round to the window. "Look uh… just a little though, but I was wondering if… I don't know, maybe you'd like to go watch the horses in their sleep with me." He said, with a chuckle before frowning. He'd obviously not had much experience with talking to girls. He then noticed the sad looking way Jenna was looking at the window. "Jenna?" He asked, then walking up to her left-hand side, looking through the widow with her. "My sister Rosy's in there. Her body feels warm with a terrible cough." Jenna explained. She then turned her head towards Balto again. "Balto, what's wrong with her?" She asked him, strangely hoping somehow, he'd know the answer. But he didn't. "I'm not sure. But I know how to find out." He said before walking away from the window. "I have the keys to the city." He said as he led them both away from the church through the graveyard besides it, and the end of the graveyard, they came upon a hole in the ground, leaning at an angle downwards. "After you." He said, pointing his hand to the hole, his face staring at Jenna. She stared at his outstretched hand, noticing it was unusually big, including his fingers. He noticed this and then led the way. "Sorry. Big hands run in my family. At least, one side of my family." He said as he led them both, before entering the hole fully, he grabbed a long thin piece of metal off the ground, placed a bit of cloth nearby and using the bayonet he always carried, ignited the cloth into flame, making it a source of light (by moving the bayonet swiftly across the metal piece, underneath the cloth, creating sparks, some igniting the cloth).
As the went down the hole, and when it levelled out, it was revealed that they were now in a tunnel, dun out from the dirt, kept up by rotting old wood beams. "It's an old ventilation tunnel, runs under the graveyard, and ends directly beneath the church. We should be able to hear through the air grates through the floor. Stay close." Balto explained, using the flaming metal piece in his hands to lead the way. "Its so gloomy down here. Not that I'm scared or anything." She said, looking at the bit of the tunnel she could see in the light. "Gloomy? You kidding? Churches are very interesting, if you know where to look." He said as they came out of the tunnel into a wide, stone pillared space, only lit by the light penetrating the air grates built into the church floor, which was now the roof of this space. Jenna looked at the way the light shone through the grates, almost as if it was like the sun shining after days of darkness. "Balto… its beautiful." She said, as Balto came besides her, then stared at her face. "Yeah… beautiful." He said, just before they made eye contact. It didn't last long as Jenna then started walking again. They walked to the one nearest, Balto, dropping the flaming metal piece, as it should the nearest to Rosy, as she was by the floor. Through the grate, they saw the doctor's footsteps followed by her parents. Using the grates to hear see (whenever their shoes showed on the grates), they fooled the three to the far side of the church. "How is she, Doctor?" Rosy's father asked. "Exhausted from coughing. Her temperatures getting higher, which means she has a fever which is worsening. Looks like Diphtheria. It's been spreading rapidly here recently. She's the 18th case this week. But we're out of antitoxin." The doctor explained, in a way which showed he was sorry for Rosy's parents. Hearing all this made Balto's mouth open slightly, his eyes also widen, with sadness. He turned back and saw Jenna heading back towards the tunnel. Balto then sprinted across the space, grabbing hold of the bottom of the still burning metal piece again and followed her.
As he came out of the tunnel, Balto saw Jenna standing by the entrance, looking immensely sad on his face. After dropping the metal piece in the snow, extinguishing the flames, he came up to her. "Jenna, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you in there." He said, trying to comfort her, looking at her face. "No. I'm glad you did." She said, making eye contact again. Then suddenly, they heard what sounded like scuffling in the snow. They both looked to their left and saw Steele, minus his helmet, lying on the snow as if he slipped, in his hands were two bottles of expensive German beer. He looked to his left and saw them both, before getting up onto his feet, walking slowly towards Jenna. "Well, well. What have we here? Jenna, join me for a drink?" He asked, as he came besides Jenna. Balto came between them, looking angry. "Captain, sir. If you want her attention, you'll have to try better than tha- "But before he could finish his sentence, Jenna spoke out. "No, Balto. This isn't your concern." She said softly. She then moved over towards Steele, a slight smile on her face. Then Balto noticed her right hand pointing to the small fire that was burning behind Steele. He got the message and nodded. "Gee, Steele, … I have to say, your offer is very tempting, but these days… I prefer to drink inside where its… warm." She said, moving in a way to het Steele to move backwards, until he was just inches away from the fire. As Jenna spoke these last words, his eyes suddenly went wide, then he jumped forward away from the fire, the lower parts of his tunic giving off a small amount of flames. Howling in pain, he jumped besides the two on his back, putting out the small fire, he then heard voices from nearby. "What's all that noise?" "It came from over there." Worried, Balto started to run out of the area, only running a few feet before he felt something hit him on the back, making him fall down into the snow. Turning his body around he saw the bottles of beer lying besides him. He then looked back and saw a "Haupt" or Major, with another officer, (hard to see what rank from the snow) next to him. The Major carried a lantern and looked and the three of them, particularly at Balto. "Looks like someone found his way into the officers' quarters." He said, staring at Balto. "Yes sir, I saw him running with the beer and tried to stop him." Steele said, trying his best to sound innocent, getting up on his feet and saluting the Major. The Major saluted back. "Good thing you were here, Captain." He said believing Steeles lie. He then shoved some snow at Balto with his left foot, making Balto run. "Go on, get out of here thief! AND IF YOURE CAUGTH STEALING AGAIN, YOULL BE SHOT!" He yelled after Balto.
As Balto ran, he failed to notice the man hailing a wooden sign by the church door, saying: "QUARANTANE" or "Quarantine".
And that is the third chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. The idea of a passage under the church and the use of a metal piece as a flaming torch was inspired from moves like "The Eagle has landed" and "Indiana Jones" and "Skyfall". The next chapter will be out soon.