A/N: My second story after falling on the 'Barry Pepper is amazing' express. I love this movie, but my brain being my brain couldn't help but get stuck on the 'what if Caparzo survived, and how would that change things' tangent, so this happened. Once again, I'm probably shouting into the ether with this story as it's such a small fandom (if it can be classed as one at all), but I can now sit here happy that I got it written, and the idea can leave me alone so I can focus on my other works.
One major change (aside from the obvious) is Jackson's first name. There was an interview that Barry P, Giovanni R, and Vin Diesel did when the movie first came out, and Barry said his character's name was Roy Jackson. I'm not sure why his character was called Daniel in the book, whether this was an oversight on the writers part or for a greater purpose (I've yet to read it, but after much hunting around for it, I'm waiting on my copy to arrive so I can!), but I've opted to go with Barry's choice of his character's first name. Plus, when I hear Daniel Jackson I immediately think of Dr Daniel Jackson from Stargate, so in the interest of saving my sanity, it's Private Roy Jackson for this.
If anyone happens to read this, I hope you enjoy it! :)
As the sniper of their group – and one of the best in the Rangers, according to his instructor back at basic training – Roy took great pride in being able to assess his surroundings quickly. It was an important skill to have because it meant he could spot targets, find advantage areas, and identify potential ambush sites faster than anyone else around him.
But such a skill meant he had a responsibility to use it every second of every day to ensure his brothers made it home.
Neuville, when they arrived, was both a playground and battlefield to a sniper. The rain was pelting down around them, softening the packed earth and turning it into mud pools. Amongst the bombed ruins and discarded detritus of the former inhabitants, it had numerous sniper hides ripe for the picking – which meant if he knew it, the Germans did too. His head had been on a swivel before they'd set foot within the walls, guiding Miller with a few hand signals to the safest paths into the town without exposing themselves to anyone watching from an elevated position.
Even with the paratroopers guiding them towards the other half of the village, watching out for his team was his job, yet it was one he failed on – distracted as he was by Caparzo grabbing the little girl, imploring the captain to take the family to safety. He'd been distracted, and it was why he was left momentarily stunned when Caparzo was shot from behind.
"Sniper!" Miller yelled. "Cover!"
Roy watched, horrified, as Caparzo caught himself on the piano next to him, counting in his head the number of seconds that passed before the crack of the gunshot was heard. Caparzo managed to keep his feet under him for a second or so before he stumbled and hit the ground hard. The piano, despite the damage it had sustained echoed an eerie tune as the keys were knocked – the French father calling to his daughter, and the little girl's cries adding to the overall creepiness in the otherwise quiet streets.
The report of the gun ripped through the air halfway to five. Four hundred and fifty yards away. He clenched his jaw, impressed. The sniper was good.
He needed to be better.
Upham staggered forward, uttering a disbelieving "no!" as Roy grabbed the translator and dragged him towards the car Horvath and Miller were sheltering beside. He shoved Upham at the sarge as he joined the captain at the back end of the destroyed vehicle, closest to where Caparzo lay on the ground.
"Goddamn it!" Sargent Hill yelled, his back pressed against the wall of the partially destroyed house the rest of the family were cowering in. "Where'd that come from?!"
"He was on the ground 'fore we heard the shot!" he called out, the warning clear to them all as he pressed himself against the car and peaked around the corner.
The bell tower. Why hadn't he seen that before?!
"That's where I'd be." He was calm and collected like everyone needed him to be. Emotion had no place in a sniper's inventory, and he sure as hell wasn't going to show any now. He unscrewed the bolt that secured his short-range scope to his rifle, sticking the screw in his mouth where it'd be safe and popping the lid on the bag strapped to his back so he could grab his long distance one.
"I didn't see it," Miller admitted, verbally and physically upset. Roy felt bad for the man, but there wasn't much comfort he could offer right now. Given how long they'd been out in the open, anyone could have been targeted. It was a small miracle the sniper hadn't nailed Mellish as well when he passed Caparzo; there'd been a split second between him running past, and when the bullet struck.
He handed Upham his short range before reaching behind him, fingers finding the smooth metal first try. "Four hundred and fifty yards, Captain. Maybe a shade under." He pulled the bigger scope from its bag and set it in the cradle mount, removing the bolt from beneath his tongue so he could screw it back into place. "I wouldn't venture out there fellas! This sniper's got talent!"
Checking he had a bullet in the chamber, Roy crouched and crept around the front end of the car, tuning out his teammates attempts to soothe the crying girl. He passed two of the paratroopers tucked behind the blown-out wall and knelt at the corner of the building next to them. "Corpy," he called, waiting for his wounded brother to look at him before raising a finger to his lips.
Caparzo blinked, acknowledging the instruction even as his face twisted in pain.
Roy grit his teeth at the sight. All he wanted to do was drag his brother to safety and over to Wade's capable hands, but doing so meant he'd reveal himself, and he was no good to his team dead. The fact of the matter was, if he died, so would everyone else; all of them easy targets for the highly trained sniper. Their safety was his responsibility, dammit. He wasn't going to let them down.
Not again.
Staying low, Roy tightened the stabilising strap around his forearm and crept his way to a pile of rubble at his eleven o'clock. Mellish was hiding behind another mound not too far away, but he didn't acknowledge him beyond a quick flick of the eyes; all his attention on the bell tower and the threat within.
He heard Caparzo calling out to the captain, and Wade telling him to stay still as he reached his target, pressing himself against it. There was no ping of a bullet being fired, which meant he'd made it undetected. Taking a breath, he peered over the top, eyes trained on the nearby trees.
The branches were swaying in the wind, the leaves fluttering to the right. He ducked his head and made the necessary adjustments to his scope. "Two clicks," he muttered, grunting when his fingers struggled to grip the metal that was slick with rain water. "Left wind."
With his scope adjusted, Roy settled his rifle on the loose bricks and inched it forward. Here came the hard part. He needed to get the barrel past any obstructions without alerting the other sniper to his presence; if he did, then it was going to be a shoot-out with him at the disadvantage, given the Kraut would already know where he was, and he'd yet to lay eyes on him.
Stealth was going to be the winner here, which meant ignoring Caparzo when he called out to Mellish about his letter to his dad; keeping his focus solely on his task. He rolled his shoulders back and took a deep breath before starting the long, arduous task of getting into a firing position.
Inch by inch he slid forward, and thankfully there was no response from the other sniper. Pleased, Roy started lifting the butt of his gun to his shoulder. "Oh my God I trust in Thee," he murmured, bringing his eye to the scope. "Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me."
He found the other sniper easily, nestled amongst toppled furniture, his drab grey uniform blending him into the background nicely. His target was scanning the town, and it was clear by his slow movements that he too was aware there was another sniper out there.
'Sorry pal,' he thought, mentally crossing himself. 'It's either you or my squad, and I ain't losing any brothers today.' Roy waited, slowing his breathing as he lined up his shot. The moment the other rifle stopped moving, it's scope directly facing him, Roy fired – jolting slightly as the recoil caught his shoulder.
It was only when he confirmed the other sniper had collapsed that he lifted his face away from the eyepiece.
"We got him!" Mellish called out, taking his movements as an indication he'd been successful. "Stay down." Roy gave the signal he knew everyone was waiting on before getting to his feet.
As everyone started moving, he took a second to breathe. He was satisfied with the shot – four fifty yards was no easy feat, after all - but he had still taken a life. Roy crossed himself; both in remorse, and to cleanse his hands in God's presence. It was the only way he could make peace with his skillset and do his job well.
By the final stroke, he considered himself absolved, and the matter put to rest for good.
"Caparzo!" Wade yelled, sprinting over with his medkit in hand. Mellish was by his side a second later to help support their wounded brother. "Hey, take it easy!" Caparzo groaned as he sat up slowly; Mellish's hands against his back, his left hand clutching his right shoulder and pale as a ghost.
"Get him undercover and patched up!" Miller ordered as he stood, glancing at Caparzo before he joined Hill in securing the area. Horvath did the same thing, checking the street to their right before re-joining the group. Roy trailed behind them, eyes scanning for other hidey holes that a Kraut might be tucked up in. When he found nothing, he turned his full attention back to the others.
"You're one lucky SOB, you know that?" Reiben was busy telling Caparzo, holding Wade's kit for him as he and Mellish applied pressure to the wound. "You should be dead."
"Two inches lower and he would be," Wade grumbled, his hands slick with blood. "A lung shot would've been fatal. As it is, I'm going to need to check you over, make sure nothing was nicked."
Caparzo nodded slowly, his eyes glazed with pain. "Guess I had a... had an angel on my shoulder." Roy cocked his head curiously when the other man looked at him as he spoke. Mellish and Reiben helped the man to his knees, then he slowly pushed to his feet. Wade grabbed Caparzo's arm to steady him when he swayed. "Only explanation for it."
"Jackson!" Miller called as he approached, and Roy turned, his attention on the captain even as his fingers continued screwing his short-range scope to his rifle.
"Sir?"
"Take Mellish and check out that bell tower, then hustle back here."
"Yes sir." Deciphering Caparzo's statement would have to wait until such a time he could ask him what the hell he meant. With his scope in place, Roy turned on his heel and hurried down the road, picking his way through the rubble as he went. It didn't take long before his ears caught the sound of his teammate chasing after him.
"Slow down, Jackson," Mellish grumbled. There was a clatter of rubble, and a muttered curse. "This war ain't going anywhere, you know."
He rolled his eyes, but slowed his pace a fraction so the other man could catch up. Even though he knew the sniper was dead, Roy stuck close to the buildings, taking advantage of the cover they provided until they reached the bottom of the bell tower.
They scouted around the church and found nothing of concern, so they abandoned their search and converged on the staircase. "Goin' up," he drawled, throwing Mellish a lazy salute before starting up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Mellish grumbled something impolite under his breath but didn't protest, sticking close as they made their way up silently.
When they reached the sniper's nest, Mellish took point; entering with his pistol primed in case anyone else was in there that needed to be dealt with. The room was empty, save for the cooling body sprawled on the floor. Mellish approached the dead sniper and let out a low whistle when he reached the corpse. "Damn, Jackson. That was a helluva shot."
Roy examined the other sniper's rifle, satisfaction curling through him when he realised that he'd gotten the sniper through his eye piece – the bullet travelling through the scope and taking him out with a shot through the eye. He'd known it was a head shot – he hadn't realised just how accurate it had been. "Anything of interest in here?" he asked instead, eyes flicking around the hideout. There was nothing he'd noticed, but maybe Mellish had seen something different.
The other man shook his head. Roy shrugged and headed for the door. "Alright then, let's regroup with the others."
It didn't take long to find them, and after Mellish loudly informed the others exactly where the bullet had lodged itself – and Roy suffered several embarrassing minutes of being gaped at and praised for making such a shot – they were all on the move again.
Sargent Hill's discovery of the German hideout had been as unexpected as it was nerve-wracking, but the angel Caparzo had mentioned was apparently still watching over them, bringing them help in the form of Captain Hamill; he and his Second mowing the small group down silently in a hail of gunfire.
He offered up a quiet thanks, even as he stuck close to Wade, his fingers flexing around the handle of his sidearm in case the German their medic was tending to decided to try something.
As it turned out, he needn't have worried, as the soldier died before Wade could do anything for him. He clapped his friend on the shoulder in silent commiseration before leading him out of the building so they could trail the two captains as they made their way across the square.
Hamill sent for Private Ryan, and Roy hunkered down next to Caparzo; Wade bustling in so he could crouch in front of him and check his shoulder. "How're you feelin', Corpy?"
"Good," Caparzo mumbled, grimacing as the medic prodded him. "Give me an hour, I'll be right as rain."
"Mm-hm." Based on how pale he was, rain was probably going to wash him away, more than anything. "You spoken to the Cap yet?"
"Verbal answer, Corpy," Wade ordered, digging around his medical kit. "You move your head, you're likely to pass out. Also, I think I should wash that with alcohol and sulfa again."
Caparzo glared at the medic. Wade just stared back, unimpressed. "No," Caparzo grumbled after he surrendered the staring contest, cursing when Wade got to work. Roy winced sympathetically. Wade was mean when he was in medic mode, especially if it was one of his friends that was hurt. Apparently, it had something to do with tough love and teaching a lesson – or so Wade had said the last time someone had been injured before they shipped out. If memory served, that someone had been Reiben, who had jumped off a wall to prove something to Mellish, only to land badly and roll his ankle, the git.
"I will when – damn, Wade! – when we have Ryan," Caparzo panted, fingers spasming with each wave of pain. "Jesus Christ, hurry it up, would you?"
"Sorry, sorry," Wade apologised, although he didn't sound it. Oh yeah, the medic was taking great joy in teaching this particular lesson, it seemed. "Nearly done."
"Harden up Caparzo," Reiben taunted around his cigarette. The man was leaning against a tree, but he was hovering; just as worried for his friend as the rest of them. Roy knew if he challenged the Ranger about his concerns, he'd never admit it – but that was Reiben for you. "It's just a little alcohol."
"How's about you come over here, I stab you, then let Wade treat you," Caparzo growled, his lips curling in a snarl as the medic secured the bandages back in place. "We'll see how you feel."
Reiben blanched, and Roy grinned – although his smile faded pretty quickly when they realised the Ryan Cap was talking to wasn't the one they'd been looking for. Damn it.
"Fucking marvellous," Mellish grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Now what?"
"Guess we keep searching," Horvath sighed as he followed Miller, Hamill, and Hill off to one side to discuss what to do next.
Their search led them to a cluster of wounded soldiers, amongst them a paratrooper from Charlie company who had at least been able to point them in the right direction as to where they might find their next clue on their missing Private.
It was also with the paratrooper that Miller dropped the bombshell Caparzo was to stay behind with the other wounded soldiers so he could be medevac'd out when the Allied forces reached them.
Caparzo, unsurprisingly, didn't take too kindly to that news.
"I'm fine, Captain," Caparzo argued, the pale tinge to his skin doing nothing to help his case. "I can still fight!"
"You're wounded, Caparzo," Miller sighed, exasperated. "What good are you going to be if you can't raise your gun?"
Glaring, Caparzo snatched his gun off Mellish and lifted it up. It was evident it hurt, but he did hold it at the correct firing level despite the tremble in his arms. Miller rolled his eyes. "Okay, so you can shoot. You're still injured. Take the ticket home, Adrian. Not everyone gets that opportunity."
"Sir, please." Caparzo wasn't usually one to beg – the man was too proud for that – but he didn't hesitate to do so this time. "Don't make me stay behind when I can still help."
Miller heaved a sigh and placed a surprisingly gentle hand on the man's uninjured shoulder. "Aside from the fact your wound makes you liability if you suddenly pass out, you disobeyed a direct order. I'm not going to formally reprimand you for it, because I know your heart was in the right place – even if your head wasn't. But how do I know you won't do it again?"
"Sir, I learned my lesson." The response was quiet, yet earnest. "She just... she looked so much like my niece and I just... I lost myself, a little. But when I was lying there, I realised that I could have gotten her killed. Just like I could have gotten my brothers killed. I swear, I won't make that mistake again." Caparzo bit his lip, his brow furrowing for a second before smoothing out again. "As for disobeying a direct order, that won't happen again, sir. Unless you try to leave me behind – then I'll do so again, because I won't hesitate to follow you. Sir."
Miller shook his head, and Roy noted with interest the way the captain's expression softened, just a smidgen, but enough that he knew Corpy's pleading had won the man over. "You're a goddamn pain in the ass."
A small, hopeful smile appeared at that; Caparzo practically preening at the insult. "Yes sir."
"Fine, you can stay. But you will subject yourself to Wade's care with a smile, no matter what treatment he doles out for you. You resist once, and I'm dumping your ass with the next unit we find, capeesh?"
Roy bit back a laugh at Miller turning Caparzo's favourite word on him, before looking down at the medic from his perch on the blown-out wall, and he couldn't help but smirk at Wade's expression. Quietly pleased was a good way to describe it. If anyone could make a wounded man regret the decisions that had led to said injuries, it was Wade.
Caparzo knew it too, judging by his grimace. "Capeesh, sir."
"Good. Captain Hamill..."
Miller wandered off to join his counterpart, and Roy shifted his weight as he prepared to jump down, acknowledging Wade's less that subtle glare about his choice of perch with a smile. The man probably expected him to roll his ankle like he was an idiot. He, unlike Reiben, actually knew what he was doing when it came to dismounting high points, which he demonstrated with the usual lithe grace his sister had always commented on whenever they went climbing trees or mountains in their spare time.
He twisted at the hips, stretching his back because it had been giving him grief all day. The joints popped as he'd hoped, and he sighed, pleased. "Oh, quit your glarin'," he groaned when Wade joined him. "I nailed that dismount, didn't I?"
"You'd be doing my nerves a favour if you quit climbing things like a goddamn monkey," Wade griped. "One day you're going to climb something I can't get too to help you when you hurt yourself. And I'm gunna be real cross when that happens, you hear me?"
Roy placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I swear, I will throw myself at your tender mercies when I climb that something and need the splinter removing," he said solemnly. Wade elbowed him, and he sniggered. "What?! I was being genuine!"
"Uh huh."
They followed the captains down another rubble-filled, pock-marked road, but they were too far back to hear their conversation. If they were lucky, they were heading somewhere they could get some sleep. After the last few days of hiking – not to mention Omaha and all the hell that had entailed – Roy was more than ready for a bit of peace and quiet.
"I'm gunna finish my letter to Mary-Anne tonight," Wade said after a while, fingers fiddling with the straps of his pack. Miller was leading them towards a church, which was as much peace and quiet as one could hope to find in a warzone. "You... ah, you want me to tell her you said hi?"
War was meant to be many things. Bloody, terrifying, exhausting, adrenaline-filled. Strange wasn't one of them, and yet that was a turn this one had taken for him long before he shipped out.
He and Wade had met in basic, and despite their differing personalities they had grown close; him viewing the slightly younger medic as a little brother that he silently vowed to watch out for, and he knew Wade looked up to him as the brother he'd never had; automatically drifting towards him for comfort and safety.
They'd quickly become close friends, which was why he'd been so caught off-guard when on a rare weekend they were allowed out of the camp his younger sister had surprised him with a visit, missing him terribly and using him as an excuse to leave the farm, given the camp the Rangers trained in was in their hometown of Tennessee.
He hadn't thought anything of introducing her to Wade, other than wanting Mary-Anne to see that he had people watching out for him so she wouldn't worry so much. Much to his surprise, the pair had practically fallen head over heels in love the moment they met.
He'd always thought of Mary-Anne as sunshine in a bottle; his sister adventurous and sociable, bubbly yet kind. Wade, on the other hand, he'd associated with the ocean; calm and relaxing on a good day – given he was shy and reserved - but moving with the speed and strength of a devastating storm if those he cared about were hurt.
They were polar opposites, and yet they somehow worked. Seeing the way Wade lit up when Mary-Anne dragged him onto the dance floor, or how the hurricane that was his energetic sister became a calm oasis when they sat together at a cafe or listened to music was astounding.
He wasn't sure if she'd told their parents about Wade, but he knew they'd be thrilled that she'd found someone who genuinely cared for her, especially as her outgoing personality and refusal to submit to men had put off many potential suitors in the past.
Bigger fools them, really.
Reiben had teased him about it, Wade even more so, but while it had taken a moment or two to get his head around his new reality, he was nothing but supportive of the pair. The fact Wade was a close friend – not to mention someone he approved of for his much-loved sister - was really just a bonus.
"Roy?"
"Hmm?" he blinked at Wade, then realised the medic was waiting on an answer. "Oh, yeah. Tell her I'm all good, that I send my love to her and the family, and that I'll write them soon." He had already started a letter for them on the boat to Omaha, but he hadn't had the presence of mind to finish it just yet. Maybe he would once they had Ryan, and he had something to talk about that wasn't filled with death and blood.
"Sure thing."
Clapping the younger medic on the shoulder, Roy nudged Wade towards the church, more than ready to catch some sleep and put the day behind him.