As soon as the record stopped, soldiers began running to their positions. The sound of tanks continued to grow louder and louder. Miller, Ryan, and Reiben stood a few hundred yards from the bell tower. The captain shot his gaze toward Jackson as he began to sign.
"From the east. He sees tiger tanks, two of them. Panzer tanks, two of them. Infantry…plus fifty jank."
Reiben grimaced as Miller walked around the pair. He stopped in his original position.
"Disperse," he yelled, "You know what to do! Reiben, get on the rabbit!"
"Yes sir," he replied as he ran off.
Donnie came from the side of a building.
"Girls! Prepare to cover as many asses as you can! Grab a helmet!" She looked at her five. "Watch your backs!"
Mellish and Henderson joined in on the orders. Soldiers headed toward their positions. Horvath stood next to the miniature jeep as Reiben ran over.
"Good luck Reiben!"
"I don't need any luck, Sarge. I was born lucky!"
The miniature jeep started taking its bumpy course. Upham stood in the middle of the road. He stood for a moment, his expression nervous. He quickly continued on. Everyone else readied their stations. Just as quickly, everything was still. They lied in waiting. Miller and Ryan sprinted into a pit. Upham soon hopped in with extra ammunition. Noticing, Miller corrected him. Upham hopped out of the pit, eventually heading toward Mellish.
The signal fire resounded in the air as the rabbit made its way back. Reiben hopped off the back and slid down into Miller's pit.
"There's a ton of infantry, Cap'n," he shared, "I don't know if they took the bait though."
As they heard the tank approaching, the men in the pit readied their positions. Reiben shifted his gaze to the younger private. After a moment of feeling the gaze, Ryan glanced at him. He couldn't help but to look sheepish. In understanding, Reiben nodded and patted Ryan's back. When they turned forward, they saw some of the infantry. A tank soon followed. Miller turned to his men.
"Panzers didn't take the bait." His gaze went to Jackson. "Infantry's movin' to the left."
"A half-track just went by with about twenty troops," Ryan informed the man.
Another tank was suddenly visible. It stopped for a moment before heading up the middle. The ground began to quake as it approached the American soldiers. Inside a building, Toynbe pulled the detonator releasing charges alongside the tank and its infantry. From both sides, it began to rain bullets. Thinking quickly, Miller yelled for a displace. Nearby, a soldiers lit the fuse to his sticky bomb. He began to move closer to the tank, trying to stick it. Miller saw the explosion. He turned to two men in the pit.
"Do it! Light it now! You! Light it!"
Up in the bell tower, Parker shot at incoming soldiers. Jackson continued to signal to Miller. He translated it to the others.
"Thirty infantry on the right flank! Get over there! Find a hole and stop them," he screamed.
Mellish, Upham, and a third soldier headed toward their position. Before they could get too far, a nearby building exploded. Upham ducked for cover. The black smoke enveloped his body. As it settled, Upham sprang to his feet and headed into the building on Mellish's heels. A reasonably sized hole showed Germans running passed the building. Mellish and the other soldier began to shoot at them. Out of fright, Upham ducked near a window.
Just outside, more Germans tried to charge Miller. This cost them their lives. The two men. who held the sticky bombs, crawled closer to the large tank. When it was close enough, they stuck them onto the wheels and sprinted away. Miller laid his body over Ryan's body.
"Get down! Get down!"
An explosion erupted. The tracks fell off the tank wheels. The soldier with Mellish turned toward Upham.
"Upham! Upham! Thirty cal! Hurry!"
Immediately, the young corporal rushed out of the building. He just passed the wall when he caught sight of the tank. In a nanosecond, he was behind the wall again, narrowly missing a bullet. After waiting a moment, he sprinted from behind the wall to the other side. Surviving a few close calls, he made it to his stockpile of ammunition.
Mellish, and the soldier with him, ignited two homemade gas bombs. They both threw them at the open tank that was below. The contraption exploded into a fiery grave as the Germans scrambled to get rid of the flames.
Up in the bell tower, Jackson took his time with his shots. Miller's eyes darted across the landscape.
"Reversing," he called.
Miller and Reiben headed over the top of the pit. Noticing that Ryan was trying to follow, Miller shoved him back.
"No! No! Get down!"
The two continued on as Ryan followed orders. After a moment, Reiben noticed the tank he was in front of was turning to the pit. He started sprinting toward the private.
"Ryan!"
He grabbed the back of his coat and barely got away. The nearby building exploded. Upham cringed as he took cover from the enveloping black dust. Miller began shooting into the tank. Once finished, he started running toward where he saw the other two go.
"Ryan," he yelled.
He turned the corner to see Reiben sitting on Ryan. The young private was not happy.
"Are you alright?" asked Miller.
"Get off of me," demanded the private.
"Yeah, I'm fine too Cap'n. Thanks," the New Yorker drawled.
They watched as their comrades stormed a halted tank. They climbed onto the very top. The hatch slowly opened. The American soldiers immediately shot into the tank. Four men threw in a grenade as some of them started running. Miller turned slightly to see a smaller, canon-like weapon.
"Black gun! Twenty millimeter, take it out," he hollered.
The men controlling the twenty millimeter sank their bullets into the men on the tank. From above, Jackson tried to get an angle. He pulled back into the tower and turned to Parker.
"Heavy weapon below! I ain't got a shot!"
The two of them ducked just as more shots headed toward them. When clear, Jackson maneuvered to the other window. He motioned his head toward Parker.
"Panzer moved! Parker! It's eight o'clock low!" The blond aimed out of the window. "God grant me strength."
As Miller, Reiben, and Ryan hid, a tank started moving toward them. The ranger grabbed Ryan and started sprinting away. Miller follows them quickly. Screams and cries of agony surrounded the Germans. Upham started running back toward Mellish. Seeing his superior moving in the opposite direction, he spun on his heels and followed them. The four dodged for cover just as another building blew up. In the bell tower, Parker continued to shoot. Within seconds, he turned to Jackson.
"I'm out of thirty caliber!"
Outside the window, the tank starter shifting toward the tower. Jackson continued to mutter to himself.
"Blessed be The Lord my strength who uses my hands through war."
He aimed out of the window, giving a shot to the tank. The man, who was in the tank's hatch, fell to the ground. He proceeded to shoot a runner.
"My goodness, and fortress, my high tower, and my deliverer." He hit another runner. "My shield, and He in whom I trust."
He pulled the trigger. Missed. Reload. Hit. Missed. Reload. Pull. Reload. Pull. Jackson aimed again. He opened both eyes to see the tank pointing at them. All of a sudden, Montie sprinted onto the tank and opened the hatch. She shot into the large machine. Bo sprinted to the front with a gas bomb in hand. Noticing they were stalling, Jackson turned to his fellow soldier.
"Parker, get out!"
The two grabbed their weapons and headed back out of the tower. Just outside, Bo yanked Montie off the top and hightailed away from the tank. Just as they turned the corner, the bell tower and tank blew to pieces.
Miller looked from his post to see the tower crumbling. He quickly regained his wits and shot at the incoming infantry. Reiben turned to the captain.
"Cap'n, the millimeter's killin' us."
"We gotta try and flank it somehow."
"An over the top check," suggested Reiben.
The ranger rolled to the other side of Miller. He secured his helmet onto his head. He sprang over the top, giving heavy fire. He sprinted past the building and onto a pile of rubble. He quickly caught sight of the incoming tank. He headed toward the nearby building.
Mellish continued to scream for Upham to bring more ammunition. The corporal sucked in a terrified breath, trying to prepare himself. This failed as he held his position. In the room itself, a bomb was thrown through the hole. Mellish quickly snatched it and threw it back out. He ducked as it exploded. He continued to holler for Upham.
Upham sprinted from his secure spot and over to the building's pillar. He could now hear Mellish much more clearly. He slowly peered past the pillar to see the large tank. He peered past the other side to see German soldiers against a separate pillar. With fear and horror, Upham stood paralyzed as the line of soldiers headed up the stairs.
Mellish and his comrade heard soft and low footsteps. The comrade was poised with his rifle.
"Upham," called Mellish, "Upham!"
With no response, the second soldier fired a diagonal line through the wall. There was a sudden thud. Blood began to pool into the room. All of a sudden, shots fired into the room, hitting the one in the throat. Mellish, shooting from a low vantage point, knocks a second one dead. As the final soldier ran into the room, Mellish rushed him, pinning him into a corner. The two began to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Elsewhere, Reiben looked through his own hole. Seeing his target, he began to shoot. The men around the twenty millimeter began to drop like flies.
Ryan and Miller continued to shoot at runners. Within moments, the private ran out of ammunition. He yelled for more ammunition.
Horvath slowly peeked around a corner. A tank and some men were caught in his gaze. Seeing no chaos nearby, the sergeant knelt on one knee and fire the bazooka. The tank went up in flames, with Upham catching a glimpse.
The terrified corporal slowly glanced up the stairs, knowing what was happening. Jo started running through the building. She stopped as she saw Upham cowering. He followed his gaze up the stairs. The red head rushed past him and into the room. Mellish had just pulled out a knife. The kraut had managed to gain the advantage, pushing hard on the knife. Grabbing two of her knives, Jo lunged toward the German and stuck one in each of his sides. The man gasped at the surprise.
"Don't use a knife if ya don't know how to use one," she growled.
She spun the half-living man around and moved him toward the hole. She removed her knives just as she kicked him out and onto the rubble. Jo reholstered her knives and ran to a gasping Mellish. She grabbed his hands as he stood up.
"Are you okay?" she questioned.
He nodded. "I-I think so."
The woman wrapped her arms around the man. Her lips kissed his cheek. Just as quickly as she grabbed him, she let go.
"Let's go," murmured Mellish.
"One last thing," spoke Jo, "I think I love you."
She quickly pulled him out of the room, not allowing for an answer. Upham glanced up to see them and burst into tears. The pair shared a glance.
Outside, Horvath ran into a German. Within a second, they realized they were out of bullets. They each took their helmets and threw it at each other. Horvath grabbed his pistol, and the kraut did likewise. The kraut fired off a shot before three knives stuck him in the chest. Horvath grabbed his rear in pain. Jack sprinted by, grabbing the daggers in her stride.
"I'm out," cried Miller as he finished his bullets.
"This sixty rounds!" Ryan rolled to the other side of the captain. "We can use them without the tube!"
"How?"
Ryan smacked the front of the round and handed it to Miller. The man quickly got the idea and threw it at the Germans. The krauts were caught in an explosion. The two continued with this for a few more moments. Suddenly, a tank rumbled close behind. Reiben, Miller, and Ryan bolted out of the pit. As the tank moved forward, more soldiers appeared.
Horvath sprinted past a building. He noticed Upham still sitting on the stairs. Jo and Mellish were trying to get him to come down. Quickly, Horvath yanked Upham onto his feet. He dragged him toward the bridge.
"Alamo! Alamo," Reiben yelled as he gave cover fire.
Donnie and her girls sprinted from their spots and started heading for the bridge. Ahead, Miller kneeled to use the bazooka. Horvath slid next to him.
"We'll take it! You fall back!"
Miller nodded. "You be right behind us!"
Horvath grabbed the bazooka and shot at a tank.
"Displace," he yelled.
Him and several other soldiers moved behind another sandbag barrier.
"Reload!"
On the other side of the bridge, Upham rolled into a pit. He dropped low just as the Germans started to pass him. They neglected to see the scared corporal. Both sides shot across the water, each taking a few casualties. As Miller went for the detonator, a bullet nicked his hand. He groaned and started wiring the detonator. He glanced up to see Horvath shoot the bazooka.
"We're blowing the bridge," Miller yelled, "Get off! Clear the bridge!"
Horvath and the soldiers near him started sprinting back. The sergeant fell into Reiben's arms. The ranger carried him to the end of the bridge. He sat him down, catching Miller's eye.
"Sarge! Mike, are you alright?"
"I just got the wind knocked out of me. I'm fine."
Miller yelled, "Take cover! We're gonna blow this bridge!"
Reiben ran toward the back.
"Tiger coming! Coming across the bridge," he informed the captain.
The two crouched low and bolted to the other side of the bridge. Just as they were three quarters of the way there, a nearby building exploded. The blast threw them to the ground. Rubble surrounded them.
Captain Miller slowly sat up. Everything around him seemed to move slowly. He moved his eyes up to see Reiben shooting across the bridge. It shifted slightly to see Ryan curled up and screaming. After a few moments, he began to call for Horvath. He searched for him. Reiben grabbed the captain and set him safely against some sandbags. He rolled his head toward the other side. He caught sight of the detonator. Miller started crawling towards it.
"Cap'n, where the hell are you going? Cap'n get back here," yelled Reiben. "Donnie! Can ya get the Cap'n?"
"I'm a little busy, hot shot," she hollered back.
She fired her weapon at any kraut she could see. On the other side of the bridge, Upham watched as Miller appeared in the middle on the other side. He looked back toward the enemy just as Steamboat Willy pulled the trigger. His eyes widened as he saw Miller drop to the ground.
The massive tank continued to roll across the bridge. With the little strength he had, the captain set himself against a metal structure. He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the Tiger tank. He fired a shot. Ping! Another shot. Ping. A third shot. The tank suddenly exploded. Miller's eyes widened as he looked to the sky. Planes zoomed across the sky. Reiben and Donnie rushed over to the captain. Reiben ripped open the jacket and touched Miller's shoulder.
On the other side of the bridge, the Germans started trying to retreat. Immediately, Upham hopped out of the nearby pit and pointed his gun at them. In their language, the young corporal orders them to stop. Upham stood right in front of the soldier he had friended. Steamboat Willy immediately recognizes him.
"Upham," he half-pleaded.
Gritting his teeth, the corporal pulled the trigger. Steamboat Willy dropped onto his back. His gaze washed over the other soldiers. He muttered something to them before they backed away and ran.
Donnie held pressure onto Miller's shoulder. Reiben was looking around frantically.
"Hang in there, Cap'n," he told him.
Reinforcements rushed from behind them. Ryan stood up and headed toward Miller. Reiben stood up as yell. He spun around as he called for a medic. Donnie increased the pressure. Several more planes flew overhead.
"They're tank busters, sir. P-51s," stated Ryan.
"Angels on our wings," he murmured.
Ryan noticed his lips continued to move.
"What sir?" he asked.
Miller grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer.
"Earn this. Earn it."
Miller's hand dropped from his shirt. Ryan stood up with a ghostly expression. Noticing the lack of breathing, Donnie gently set him down. She tilted back his head and opened his mouth. She began to administer CPR. She pumped his chest.
"C'mon Miller," she muttered, "Not you too."
Reiben soon rushed over with a medic by his side.
Sooooo sorry this took forever. Basically, I didn't know how to write the chaos. I do hope you enjoyed it. All that's left is the epilogue! (That should come quicker than this last chapter.)