Saints and Solders
(Ok, now I'm mad. The edits I had made on the site did not go through as I had hoped. This time I edited them on my computer before I downloaded them to the site. Please forget the previous two chapters. Read and review these updated ones. Thank you so much.)
Chapter 10 - One Last Breath
Deacon threw Winley over his shoulder as he and Gould made their way to the jeep.
"So, what now?" Deacon asked him.
"I don't know," Gould looked around. "How's your German?"
Three dead naked Germans laid in the snow, their uniforms now gracing the bodies of the three Allied soldiers.
Making sure Winley was comfortable in the back, Deacon crawled into the driver side of the jeep.
"Alright, Rudy said the German line is about a half a mile up that way," he pointed straight ahead of them.. "This road will take us straight through the clearing where they're encamped.. Our boys are dug in on the other side. Ready?" he looked back at Gould and then Winley, who covered with dry blankets.
"We get Winley through … save some lives," Gould finalized their objective.
"That's the idea."
Reaching down, Deacon started the engine.
"I hid," Gould confessed, humbly. Deacon frowned at him, confused. "I didn't sign up. I tried to dodge the draft. My father came and found me."
"Is that your big secret?" Deacon asked, softly.
"Did you get that, Winley?" Gould asked, glancing back at him.
Winley nodded thoughtfully, realizing how difficult it was for him to confess and why he kept his 'secret' to himself.
Deacon put the jeep in gear and it moved forward and down the muddy, half frozen road.
The Germans had set up a camp on either side of the road. Tents were scattered throughout the woods at various locations. Most of the soldiers wore white winter uniforms for camouflage. Everywhere were battle wearied, hardened soldiers and SS officers whose main goal, at the moment, was keeping warm.
"Gould, cover up those weapons," Deacon told him, as they approached the camp.
"All right, Winley. Look sick," Gould told him, as he pulled some covers over the weaponry. It was not difficult for Winley, he was already pale from blood loss.
Gould held his breath as they entered the camp and he tightened his grip on the machine gun that laid across his lap. The appearance of an the jeep drew curious stares from the soldiers but seeing the uniforms and the Swastika flag on the hood, most shrugged it off.
On the muddy road, a tough looking soldier directed traffic. Around his neck he wore a small breast plate that read Feldgendarmerle. Stopping Deacon, he approached them.. He had never seen an American jeep up close and he chose this opportunity to do so. Deacon turned the engine off as he had been instructed. When he questioned him, Deacon replied, pointing to the back of the jeep. The German grimly looked at Winley, alarmed at his paleness and nodded, pointing to a sign with red crosses on it that stood at the head of a crossroad. It read Feldlazarett and pointed to the left. Deacon thanked him and started the engine back up.
The German leaned close to Gould and asked him a question. Feeling apprehensive, Gould put his finger on the trigger of the machine gun, preparing to start shooting. A look of uncertainty and suspicion moved across the German's face. Deacon had to do something fast before they were found out, so he revved the engine, held down the brake and spun the tires, causing them to bog down in the mud.
Hitting the steering wheel angrily he shouted, "Verdammen Sie es! Ich bin in den Schlamm gesteckt! Diese dummen amerikanischen Fahrzeuge haben die Zugkraft nicht, die deutsche Fahrzeuge haben!" pleading with the German for help.
"Ja," he nodded and called some soldiers to help push the jeep out of the mud. Deacon and Gould looked at each other as the jeep lurched forward.
"Danke!" Deacon waved as he pulled away. "Hang on," Deacon told Gould as they approached the crossroad and sped up. The Feldgendarmerle , who had been watching them, yelled that they were going in the wrong, pointing for them to go right.
When they didn't stop he shouted, "HALT! HALT!"
Gould looked back and yelled, "GO! GO! GO!"
Turning the machine gun on the Germans, he began they firing at them.
From a large foxhole some American soldiers heard the firing and poked their heads up.
"What's going on?" one asked.
"I can't tell," replied the other.
One of the men looked through a pair of binoculars in the direction of the firing.
"I think they're trying to make a push," he said astounded, watching the jeep race down the road towards them. The road turned from mud to snow as Deacon sped towards the Americans. Gould continued firing at the Germans.
"There's a jeep coming from right over there," he pointed.
"Better get the Sarge on the radio."
"Right. Foxtrot 2-9er calling Foxtrot 0-2," he spoke on a radio. "We got a jeep coming from out of nowhere … over … out."
"That's one of our jeeps," the first soldier said as he watched through the binoculars. "But that's a Gerry flag on the hood. What are they trying to do?"
"I don't know what you got in mind, Gerry, but it ain't gonna happen." The second soldier frowned as he cocked his machine gun and prepared to fire.
"The flag!" Deacon yelled out. "Now! Get it!" Gould ripped off the flag from the hood and tossed it away.
"Hang on a second," the first soldier said, checking through the binoculars again.
A mortar shell hit close to the jeep but missed. Gould began waving a white cloth yelling, "AMERICANS! AMERICANS! WE'RE AMERICANS!"
"What is it?" the Sarge asked, jumping in the trench with them.
"We got two Krauts coming in right there," the first soldier pointed.
He looked through the binoculars at the approaching jeep as it dodged several shells. One hit too close and the jeep was thrown off the road landing on its side throwing its occupants out across the snow. Deacon rolled but immediately ut jumped to his feet. Winley, who was hanging half out of the jeep, crying out loudly in pain.
Deacon and Gould reached for him, helping him out of the jeep. The Germans, who had been chasing the jeep, were now shooting on it. Deacon and Gould returned fire.
"They're shooting at each other," the Sergeant observed. "You know what, I think those boys are ours. Let's give them some cover fire. COVER FIRE!" he shouted out. "INTO THE TREES! ON ME!"
There was a volley of firing from the Americans pinning down the Germans.
Gould ran out of ammo."I'm out! I'm out!" Gould shouted to Deacon. Deacon only had enough ammo for his rifle.
Peeking around the jeep, Gould tried to see if there was a way to the Americans by the road but only managed to dodge several bullets as they ricocheted off the jeep.
"You take Winley and go," Deacon pointed to the woods " I'll cover you."
A mortar exploded close, spraying dirt and mud over them.
"I'm not going to leave without you," Gould told him.
"You go now!" Deacon shouted.
"No!"
Deacon knew he had to somehow reason with Gould in order to get them to safety. "I'll be right behind you," he reassured him, calmly. Gould looked at him for a moment, wavering, but realized it was the best course of action. Nodding, he reached for Winley.
Deacon watched as they made their way through the snow. Gould had Winley's arm over his shoulder as he tried to run with him. The Americans regrouped and fired down on the Germans.
A big German ran behind a tree matching bullet for bullet with Deacon. Running out of ammo, Deacon looked desperately around for another weapon. He saw one lying in the snow several feet away in the snow. Picking up a grenade, he pulled the pin and flung it and lunged for the rifle.
Gould and Winley continued pushing their way through the deep snow, but Winley's injuries made their progress slow.
Making it to the rifle he raised it, firing at the big German, hitting him in the arm. Looking behind him he was satisfied with how far Gould and Winley had gotten and turned to start towards them. A mortar shell hit the jeep. It exploded with such force that it sent Deacon flying backwards, the rifle sailing from his hands, landing face first on the hard ground. Gould and Winley stopped, looking back in shock at the explosion.
"Deacon," Gould spoke his name. Everything in him wanted to go back to help him but he couldn't leave Winley.
Deacon scrambled to his feet, disoriented, his head spinning from the impact. Somehow he found the rifle in the snow. Raising the rifle preparing to fire, a sniper found his target, striking Deacon in the chest. Deacon's body reverberated from the impact. He attempted to raise the rifle once more. Again he was struck in the chest. Shuttering, he went to his knees. A third bullet found his heart. Gould watched in horror as Deacon fell backwards in the snow. His body shook violently and then lay motionless.
A his life slipping away, two women and six children appeared by his side. The faces that had once been filled with horror were now filled with peace. Reaching out to him they embraced him and accepted him. Happily he smiled and embraced them back, disappearing in a smoky mist.
With a heavy sigh, Gould lifted Winley higher in his arms and hurried to the Americans where they were immediately surrounded by soldiers, their rifles on them, assuming they were Germans. Out of sheer exhaustion Gould and Winley collapsed on the ground. Gould was so grateful to be on safe territory, he didn't even mind when they searched him for intelligence. The Americans stepped up their defense, quickly overwhelming the Germans.
Winley showed the Sergeant his map and notes, explaining to him in great detail what the Germans were planning. He listened in astonishment, realizing the significance of the information.
Later, Gould watched as Winley was gently placed on a jeep and taken to a field hospital. After the fighting was over, Gould sat down, leaning against a tree and removed the Kraut uniform. For the first time in days he had the chance to pondered the things that had witnessed and of the three "brothers" he had lost: Gunderson, Kendrick and Deacon, and all they had been through.