The plane rattled on through the wind whilst Cali sat frozen to her seat. She winked cheekily at Guarnere breaking his anxious trance she turned again to face Winters who gave her an empathetic smile. The guns sounded in the distance and almost everyone looked up shaking. For the first time it hit Cali that not everyone in the company was going to walk out of this, that some of the faces she looked at now she would never see again. The plane bounced along throwing everyone around in its tin belly. Suddenly the green light flashed on and they began pilling out the door. Cali was third as she jumped she could hardly breath.
"Get up get up we gotta go!" Lipton knelt over Cali and shook her shoulders. He dragged her to her feet as Cali began to move, she yanked off her harness and tore away into the undergrowth behind Lipton just as a hail of machine gun fire was let loose towards them. Cali ran and ran until the ground disappeared beneath her feet. She stumbled forward down into the gully, branches scratched at her and she took cover against the bank. The fire seemed to subside until all she could hear was the distant boom of anti-aircraft guns. Cali pushed her helmet back from her eyes and glanced and Lipton who had no weapon.
"Ok?" was about all she could muster at the time.
"Yeah you? We need to get the DC fast." He crouched down moved along the bank.
"Flash,"
"Thunder." Two men appeared out of the trees.
"Able company," the first addressed Lipton abruptly.
"Where the hell are we?!" Cali exclaimed a little louder than planned.
"Shhhhh, what was that?"
"Get down both of you" Lipton pushed them to the floor.
It was Winters and a young solder from Dog company. Cali waded across the icy river as they where getting there bearings on Winters map.
" That means a lot of walking,"
"Lets go then," she cut in impatiently.
"Move out," was Lipton's reply and they all filled into formation and began to follow the river along.
Cali's feet hurt, her pack was uncomfortable and she could barley see her hand in front of her face. Only now did she realise that her boots didn't fit properly and all her cloths seemed to be made out the itchiest fabric known to man. The Able company lead signalled for them to halt. Cali swung round as Guarnere appeared beside her. Malarkey and Joe Toy followed him. She was so relieved that under different circumstances she could have kissed them all.
They continued along until the faint sound of hooves and German voices stopped them in their tracks. Winters organised them and they all chose some cover near the bridge, the hooves grew louder. A horse drawn cart rounded the corner carrying around 6 soldiers singing loudly. Winters raised his hand and Cali took aim, her heart was beating so loud that she was surprised to German couldn't hear it. Suddenly a flash of light and roll of gunfire erupted from where she knew Guarnere was. Others followed suit and the Germans scrambled off the cart. They where cut down instantly and the horses screamed in terror rearing and inevitably hit by stray fire. A grenade blew the cart apart and survivors where picked off in the rally of fire. Guarnere fired and fired until his gun was completely empty. Cali stopped firing and he tried to reload.
"That's enough Guarnere!" Winters grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. The two men glared at each other until Lipton moved the men onwards down the path. Just as they started to relax the bridge collapsed under an explosion. Diving for cover Cali dragged Guarnere into a ditch. All went quite the two crouched motion less and silent.