Chapter 11: Ready To Die

Newkirk knocked lightly on the office door in the Kommandantur. "Come in" Maria responded. Newkirk entered the room and took his hat off.

"General Crockett, I would like to ask you something that has been playing on my mind."

"Please Newkirk, call me Maria when we are in private."

"Maria I was wondering how with everything you have been though you can keep a positive attitude?"

"To simply answer you question: God. I know he is in control of everything and that he is always by my side. Even when I was a Gestapo prisoner."

"I can't help but notice that you don't let what they did to you bother you."

"Don't be fooled. It bothers me a lot. I still have nightmares about it. When the memories come to my mind, it takes all the strength I can find to not react. The only thing that keeps me for letting my fears take control of me is that I know God had a reason for it. Even though I don't know why, I accept it and give Him the glory."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have gone around the bend?. No offence ma'am."

Maria smiled, "Many times and no offence taken. Worrying doesn't get us anywhere. So I choose not to worry about what is out of my control. Did I answer you question?"

"Yea, but I still think you are around the bend." Newkirk laughed and left.

COOLER

Huckaba was tired of sitting in his cell and figured that when the guard came in to deliver his food, he would see if he could some how get him to let him out. Private Knight came in and opened the cell door to give Huckaba his food. When the guard turned around to leave the cell, Huckaba came up behind him and grabbed his side arm and hit him in the back of the head knocking him out cold. Huckaba locked Knight in his cell and started to leave. While walking toward the entrance, he noticed the floor had a hollow sound in one spot. He knelt down and examined it closer. "So that's how Maria got out of here." Huckaba went down into the tunnels. "Will ya lookie here. All of this and no escapes. Something doesn't add up." Huckaba saw and explored all the tunnels. He grabbed a grenade and some more ammunition and headed back to the cooler.

Maria noticed there was no guard on duty outside of the cooler and decided to investigate. When she walked in, she noticed the trapdoor was open "Dagnabit!" when she walked closer to investigate; Huckaba jumped out of a cell behind her and grabbed her.

"I wouldn't do any thing foolish Missy." He held out the grenade for Maria to see.

"What do you want?"

"I want out of here and you are going to be my ticket."

"You are not taking her any where." Hogan said entering the cooler pointing his gun at him.

Huckaba held the grenade over the tunnel entrance "Come any closer and I drop it. I saw the explosives down there and I know that this will set off a chain reaction that could wipe out this camp and everyone in it. Now you are going to let us walk out of here and tell everyone to stay out of our way."

"That's not going to happen Huckaba." Maria stated

"Then we all die" Maria saw Huckaba start to open his hand to drop the grenade. Maria took her hand and closed it around his, and they started struggling.

Since Huckaba didn't care about dying, it was hard for her to keep a hold of the grenade Maria made a decision to save the camp "Shoot him Robert!"

"I don't have a clean shot." Hogan answered nervously. He knew that he had to do something, there was a lot at stake. The conversation they had earlier about sacrifices made for the grater good came to his mind.

"I gave you an order Colonel." The look in Maria's eyes said more than her words.

"For the greater good." Hogan fired his gun. Maria and Huckaba fell backwards to the ground and Hogan dove into a nearby cell for cover.

The gunshot was heard outside and it brought everyone running toward the cooler. After waiting a moment for the grenade to go off and finding nothing happened, Hogan stood up and went into the hall. Just then, many of the people that were outside were in the cooler behind him. Shakily, Hogan walked toward Maria. What have I done? He asked himself. He noticed that Maria was lying unmoving still holding Huckaba's hand and the grenade. "I'm sorry Maria." Hogan knelt down beside Maria and reached for the grenade.

"Why are you sorry. You did what you were ordered to do." Maria responded. Hogan got a big smile on his face and hugged her.

"Hay be careful. Incase you don't know this, gunshot wounds hurt."

Hogan carefully took the grenade and put a piece of wire in it to keep it from going off. "Are you ok?"

"Except from a bullet hole in my shoulder, I am fine. How is Private Knight?"

"I'll check on him gov'nor " Newkirk said as he opened the cell. "Just unconscious. 'Ell probably have a bad headache when he wakes up. I'll get him to the infirmary."

"Thanks. We'll be right behind you." Hogan helped Maria up and they went to the infirmary.

"Maria you are making a bad habit of this. In a year and a half this is you third gunshot wound. Are you a bullet magnet? If so I am going to stay away from you." Wilson laughed.

Hogan hung his head down as he walked out of the infirmary with Maria. "What's wrong Robert?"

Hogan looked Maria in the eyes to see if he could read her. "I didn't want to shoot you. Its just that…"

"Robert Edward Hogan you will stop this pity party this instant. I told you I would give up my life to save others. You followed orders and did what you had to. I do not hold this against you. I might pick on you about it but that is it." Hogan gave a slight smile "That is what I want to see. I am just glad you are a good shot. If you don't mind, I have a class to teach."

"How are you going to teach hand to hand with your arm in a sling?"

"I told you I was talented. Watch."

Maria got Misty to help her demonstrate "Men today is going to be a lesson on how to fight when you have lost the use of an arm. Do not let your disability discourage you." Maria explained and demonstrated how they would have to alter their fighting to compensate for the disability. Misty and Maria demonstrated the different techniques.

"That's easy when it is staged fighting, but what about in a real fight?" Corporal Reynolds asked

"Misty lets spar." Misty and Maria free fought and impressed people how well they fought together.

"I still think it is staged." Reynolds commented

Maria was trying to remain patient. I know many of these people have given up. I wish they would at least try. "Do you want to fight me?"

"It wouldn't be a fare fight."

"Corporal, there are not many fights that are totally fare. How about if I don't use either arm."

"You will cheat some how."

What is with this guy "Misty get me a pair of handcuffs." Misty looked at her mom with a big question mark on her face. "I told you to do something now get." A short time later Misty showed back up with a small crowed. Maria took her arm out of the sling and stuck both hands behind her back."Cuff me" Misty did as she was told. "Now this ought to help make it a fare fight. You have all the advantages."

"There is no way to fight without using your hands. What game are you playing?"

"You never know if you are ever caught and need to fight. I am ready when ever you are. You can make the first move."

Reynolds walked to the middle of the circle "Are you sure about this?" Before Maria could respond, Reynolds attacked. Maria dodged his punches and kicks. She used her legs to also block some of the kicks. Reynolds was getting tired and frustrated. He charged Maria and she did a side kick. Reynolds stopped before he ran into her foot. "Okay so you have made your point."

"How well does that work against someone who doesn't have any disabilities?" Hogan asked.

Maria walks up to Hogan. "You want to find out Colonel? This will be as fare as a fight you will get from me."

"No I don't want to fight you. I just asked a question."

"Are you afraid of hurting me? You already shot me, so I think I can take a few punches from you."

"Go 'ead gov'nor. You can do it." Newkirk yelled. This started everyone else egging him on.

"Come on Colonel, it will be just for fun and a chance for you to get even."

"I wont go easy on you."

"I wouldn't want you to either. Give me all you got."

"All right."

Everyone cheered. Klink just shook his head "Americans."

Hogan and Maria danced around the circle. "Is this all you got Colonel?" Maria taunted.

Hogan threw a few punches which Maria dodged easly. He managed to work his way behind herand grabbed her. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself up and backwards. When she did, they both hit the ground. The impact caused Hogan to let go. Before Hogan could get up, Maria was sitting on his chest. "I win!"

The air raid siren going off interrupted the victory. Everyone looked to the sky to see what was going on. A guard runs up to Maria from the guard shack "Madam General, German tanks approaching!"