A/N: There are some quick cuts between point of views, so I used ellipses (...) to separate it instead of the horizontal line.
Reader discretion is advised. There is a spike in profanity usage and violence in this chapter.
-6-
Into the Tiger's Jaws
The four Shermans rolled down the road. There were trees to their left and farm fields to their right. It was an uneventful ride so most of the crewmembers took the time to relax.
In the Easy Eight, Maria laid back in her seat with on leg resting on the gun breach. Bailey was reading a book she that had taken out of one of the supply bags a few miles back. Nora and Sam were talking amongst themselves.
"How's you ankle?" Nora asked.
"It still hurts a little," Sam said. "But I should be back in the driver seat in a couple of hours. Tomorrow at the latest."
"You don't have to burden yourself," Nora said. "I am able to take over your job for you if you need me to. I've improved in driving, so if you shall permit me, let me shoulder some of the encumbrance for you."
"That bothers me, Nora," Sam said.
Nora looked at Sam and found that the driver was giving her a look of distaste.
"The assistant driver before Amy was like you," Sam began. "She always had that 'I am smarter than anyone else here' look on her face, like the one you got on now. That may be true. You very well could be the smartest person in this tank, but tankery is a team sport and you can't win by yourself. You need teamwork and with teamwork, anything can happen. Ooarai last year is the perfect example. So don't show off and use above average diction. It doesn't help camaraderie."
There was silence as Sam's words marinated in Nora's brain.
"Sorry," Nora apologized.
"Forgiven."
"What happened to the other assistant driver?"
"Don't know," Sam admitted. "She disappeared two years ago. I guess she transferred schools."
Kay was leaning forward out of her hatch. Nothing went through her mind except for the message that she had gotten from the marshal.
So in Maho's infinite wisdom, she wanted to give us a present, hm? A very lethal present. Maybe I should show some generosity and give her something as well. Because wisdom is a circle; what you receive, you must give back.
She was so deep in thought that she did not notice something screaming towards them from their right hand side.
A tank shell slammed into the side of the Sherman Firefly and was followed by a thunderous explosion.
Kay instinctively ducked down into the tank. She wildly looked around and saw the Firefly burning brightly, its white flag on fire as well.
"Shit!" Kay exclaimed as she looked across the field. "Reverse! Hard left, hard left! Reverse!"
Nora shifted the tank into reverse and pulled on the left stick. The three remaining Shermans did the same. The radio traffic between the three tanks spiked.
"Hatches, hatches! Back up!" Tess told her crew. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
"Roger, left stick!" Alisa confirmed.
"Are you okay, Naomi?!" Kay asked.
"Yes, we're alright," the Firefly commander reported.
"What was it?" Maria asked.
Bailey put her book away and looked through her scope. She saw a smoking barrel pointed in their direction.
"That was an eighty-eight! It's a goddamn tank!" Kay informed.
"Where the fuck is it?" Alisa demanded.
A tank shell ricocheted in between Tess's and Kay's tanks, kicking up dirt and letting it rain down on the commanders.
"Tank! Twelve o'clock! 800 yards!" Tess said.
"I see it. It's a goddamn Tiger! Bailey, put some fucking smoke in her face!" Kay ordered.
"Let's go, Maria! Smoke up, Maria!" Bailey said.
Maria grabbed a white-phosphorous shell off the rack and put it in the breach.
"Smoke's up. Clear!" Maria said.
"On the way!"
Bailey stepped on the trigger and sent the shell towards the crouching Tiger. The shell impacted the ground and sent burning chaff in every direction, enveloping the Tiger in the smoke.
"We have to get to the crossroads. We gotta get past them," Alisa said.
"Come on, Kay! Let's get the fuck out of here! Let's go!" Tess begged.
"Unless she drowns herself in that shit-filled ditch, she's our problem," Kay countered. "Hit that son of a bitch!"
"Light the bastards up!" Alisa told her gunner.
At the same time, Maria had just thrown another smoke round into the breach.
"Clear!"
"On the way!"
The shell flew towards their enemy, creating a second smoke screen.
"Shoot that fucker! Fire when ready!" Tess ordered.
The gunner of the M4A2 shot and was quickly followed by the 76mm of Alisa's Sherman.
The tanks continued to reverse until Tess could hear wood splintering behind her.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop!" she yelled.
All three tanks halted as they reached the trees. If they continued on any further they would find themselves in a creek that they would not even be able to hope to get out of.
Everyone stared at the slowly dissipating smokescreen with intensity.
…
Meanwhile, the crew of Tiger 131 were going over some of their issues.
"Maya, get ready," Erika said.
Maya responded by revving the engine threateningly.
"That was our last armour-piercing," Chikari reported.
"Load high-explosive, anti-tank," Erika ordered.
…
The Shermans stood in petrifying silence as they stared at the white wall.
"All tanks, move forward!" Kay ordered.
"Shit!" Nora said under her breath.
She shifted gears and stepped on the gas. If what she heard about the Tiger tanks were true, this was going to be rough.
The Saunders tanks moved forward as fast as they could on the muddy ground. Kay gave out commands to her squad.
"Alisa, right flank."
"Right stick," Alisa told her driver.
"Tess, left with me. Stay abreast."
"Come on, let's go right at 'im! Let's go right at 'im!" Tess cried.
"Nora, left flank. Let's bum rush this cocksucker!" Kay declared.
The crew of the Easy Eight, except for Nora, briefly stopped what they were doing and shot a questioning glance at Kay. Kay had never used this type of language before. Sure, she had her bad days and would shoot out a couple of cuss words, but never this much at one time.
Engines roared as the Shermans raced across the field towards the awaiting Tiger.
…
"Maya, take us out of this smokescreen," Erika ordered.
The driver complied.
"Saya, new target. Target the tank on the left," Erika said.
The Tiger menacingly emerged from the smoke to face the oncoming tanks.
"Range, 700."
…
"She's coming out," Kay said as she witnessed the Tiger emerging from the smoke.
…
"Feuer Frei!" Erika ordered.
…
The Tiger fired its 88mm gun.
Nora witnessed the glowing shell whistle pass. She flinched as she followed the shell through her periscope.
"Jesus-!" she exclaimed.
"Loader AP, AP!" Kay said.
"Clear!"
"On the way!"
The 76mm shell hit the ground in front of the Tiger and bounced off into the distance.
"Pump him, pump him!" Tess said.
"Gyros on," Kay said.
Alisa's tank fired, followed by Tess's.
Nora stared wide-eyed in shock as she saw the shells bounce off the Tiger's front armor. She swallowed nervously.
"What do you want, top?" Maria asked.
"Loader, AP! AP! Smash him!" Kay responded.
"You're clear!"
"Hit it!" Kay shouted.
"On the way!" Bailey said.
She fired. The shell missed but this time it was closer to her target.
"AP, 500 yards," Alisa said. "Fire!"
…
The shell landed next to the Tiger.
"Adjust range! 600!" Erika said.
…
Tess made an exasperated sigh of annoyance as she wished she had a 76mm or 17-pounder gun.
"Again!" Kay ordered after seeing the results.
"Come on, Maria. Put it in now," said Bailey.
"Clear!"
"On the way!"
Bailey stepped on the button. This time she hit her target but it sparked harmlessly off the Tiger's front plate.
Soon after the bounce, the Tiger shot at Alisa. The round was headed straight for the commander's hatch!
"Get down!" Alisa's loader shouted as she abruptly pulled on her leg.
Alisa lost her footing and crashed onto the turret floor, just in time to avoid the 88mm shell. The Tiger's shell passed where Alisa would have been. The shell had ripped the hatch cover off as well.
"What the hell?" Tess said, witnessing what had happened.
"What? What is it?" Kay demanded before remembering that there was a Tiger ready to rip them to shreds with its deadly claws.
"Hit it!" Kay said.
"On the way!"
Another swing, another miss.
The gunnery duo kept on informing each other as they worked together to rapid fire the gun.
The Tiger fired at Alisa's Sherman again. This time it hit directly in the middle of the front armor. The Sherman sparked and became enveloped by black smoke as the white flag deployed.
"Alisa's down!" Tess shouted.
"Are you alright?!" Kay asked.
"Yes," Alisa coughed as she waved her hand to clear the smoke.
Nora stared at the Tiger as it continued its advance.
"It's a fucking beast," she said.
"No shit!" answered Sam.
"Nora flank left! Left!" Kay said.
Nora pulled on the right stick.
"Tess, cross her! Flank right, flank right!"
"Copy!" Tess responded. "Right stick!"
Her driver followed her orders.
"Traversing left," her gunner said.
"She's lining up on you!" Kay warned.
"Fire!" Tess ordered.
Her gunner fired and hit the Tiger's turret, but all it did was blow off the spare tracks stored there.
…
"Continue targeting that Sherman," Erika commanded.
Saya kept her aim true, ready for the killing shot.
…
"Hey, shoot this son of a bitch. She's lining up on Tess!" Kay said.
Bailey turned the elevation wheel as quickly as possible so she could lower the barrel onto the Tiger.
"Goddamn it, I said fire!"
…
"Feuer!" Erika said as if in response.
…
The 88mm shell went straight through the Sherman's front armor.
"Holy shit!" Tess exclaimed as the shell ripped through the fighting compartment.
The shell continued on into the engine compartment. The engine caught fire and there was fuel leaking as well.
"Get out! Get out!" Tess exclaimed.
She, along with her gunner and loader, escape through the turret hatch as quickly as possible. The gunner's clothes were on fire and she stripped down to her undergarments to prevent herself from burning. The assistant driver panicked, desperately trying to get the driver out of the driver's hatch.
"Come on!" she shrieked.
The tank was rapidly filling up with fuel and fire.
With a final scream of adrenaline, she lifted the driver out of the tank. They both fell next to the tank where Tess and the loader dragged them hastily away from the burning Sherman. Not seconds later, the ammunition detonated, sending the turret flying off the tank. That didn't matter to its crew. What did matter was its driver.
"Emma. Emma, can you hear me?" Tess said.
No response.
"Oh my god!" Sam gasped.
Everyone stared in absolute shock at what they witnessed. Even Tiger 131 which had stopped in its tracks. Nora was petrified and had her foot still on the gas.
The fight could be over. The fight should be over. The fight needs to be over.
But not for Kay.
"That's it you motherfuckers!" Kay screeched, her blood boiling and intoxicated by something that she felt had before:
Fury.
"Nora! Get us around their backside! If we get behind them we can kill them!"
"But-"
"'But' nothing! Just do it!" Kay dictated. "Go, go, go!"
Nora shifted gears and planted her foot onto the floor as she complied.
…
Erika was ripped away from the dreadful scene before them when she noticed that the last tank was fully intent on killing them.
"Maya, reverse! Reverse! Don't let them get behind us!"
Maya started to reverse as Eko fired bursts from her machine gun at the Sherman.
…
Kay ducked lower into the turret as the green tracers sparked all over the tank.
"Goddamn it!"
…
"Maya, halt. Now forward," Erika ordered.
"What are you doing?!" Saya exclaimed.
"Giving you a shot at their side."
The Tiger moved forward and Erika shrunk into the turret as the Sherman's bow gun started to open up.
"Fire!"
…
The round slammed into the side of the Sherman, causing the logs to explode into splinters.
"Goddamn it!" Kay exclaimed.
"Shit!" Sam said in a similar manner.
"What was that?!" Nora asked and looked back.
"We're hit! Watch where you're driving!" Sam ordered, pointing towards the driver's periscope.
"Ah, shit!" Maria said as smoke started to fill the compartment. "Bailey, are you alright?"
Bailey flinched as hot oil spilled out of the hydraulics.
"We lost power traverse! Switching to manual!" Bailey said as she flicked the switch.
"Come on, Bailey! You stay in this fight!"
"Bailey, hit it!" Kay ordered.
"On the way!"
She fired, hitting the Tiger's gun mantlet.
"Alright, she's coming around!" Kay said. "Nora, you better outrun that gun!"
"Got it!" Nora confirmed.
Sam was watching the Tiger through her periscope.
"Brake!" she shouted.
Nora planted her foot on the brake just as the Tiger fired. The shell scraped across the Sherman's front armor, shaking the entire tank and its occupants. She immediately sped back up.
Kay ordered a right stick and Nora obliged. They were now able to shoot at the back of the Tiger.
"Bailey, put it up her ass where the armor's thin!" Kay said.
"I know where to hit him!" the gunner said, quickly wishing she had a side shot instead.
"Bailey, you're clear!" Maria announced.
"On the way!"
She fired and the shot ricocheted off the side of the Tiger's turret.
"Goddamn it, I said in the ass!" Kay reprimanded.
"It's not as easy as it fucking looks!" Bailey shot back.
"Stay on it, Bailey!" Maria said.
Kay quickly came up with a new plan.
"Nora, when I say, you back up. Left stick," Kay said.
"Alright!" responded Nora.
"Stand by, Bailey. I'll call the shot."
"Roger, roger!" confirmed the gunner.
The Tiger's gun was quickly catching up to them.
"Nora, now! Reverse! Left stick!" Kay ordered.
"Ah!" Nora grunted as she shifted gears and pulled back on the left stick with both hands.
The Sherman reversed as fast as it could. The Tiger fired a shot and missed as the shell passed in between the turret and the boxes of supplies tied on the back of the Sherman.
"Baily, steady," Kay said. "Steady."
…
"Shoot the bastard!" Erika said.
…
"Come on, Bailey!" Nora said.
"Come on. Fucking shoot him!" shouted Sam.
"Steady!" Kay said.
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Now!" Kay ordered.
"On the way!"
Bailey shot and hit the right side of the rear armor. The shot was registered and a simulated engine fire ignited.
"Fuck! Maria, one more! One more, Maria!"
"Clear!" the loader said, after she punched in another shell.
"Again!" Kay ordered.
"On the way!"
Another shot fired. This time, the shell went through the rear armor and actually destroyed the engine. The Tiger creaked to a halt and sat as it went up in flames.
"Tank destroyed," Bailey declared breathlessly.
The entire crew, sweating from adrenaline and exhaustion, took the time to breathe in.
Until…
"Bailey!" Maria exclaimed.
The gunner looked at her partner. The loader was looking at something. Something on her body. Bailey followed her gaze and looked down. The entire right side of her body was coated in dark liquid that smelled of iron. She put her hand at her side and saw it become red. Wordlessly, she collapsed onto the turret floor.
"Bailey!" Maria exclaimed as she made her way to her. "Oh, god! Come on! Stay awake! Stay awake!"
Her voice started to crack as she held the gunner in her arms and tried her best to cover the wound.
…
Erika stood in front of Tiger 131. Usually she would be angry for getting taken out, but she could not think about her situation.
Ahead of her was the burning wreck of a turretless Sherman and its crew who were huddled around their friend. Erika did not know, could not tell if that girl was still alive. She took a hazy step forward toward the Saunders girls.
"Erika!" Chikari screeched.
Erika whipped around.
"Aahhh!" Kay screamed like a possessed banshee as she brought a shovel down right for Erika's head.
A/N: And I'll leave it on that note. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these two chapters. Please leave a review. Stay smart, stay safe, and I'll catch you in the next chapter.