Disclaimers: all the usual apply
Chapter 14
Amelia POV
Sitting on the ground, with the hum of dozens of men providing an oddly comforting background noise, Amelia was mentally going over the kit spread out in-front of her one last time. She'd packed her bag meticulously, double checked her chute and triple checked her rifle. Now all they had to do was get on the planes and jump into occupied Holland.
The thought still made her stomach twist and turn uncomfortably.
"You got all your kit ready Em?" Shielding her eyes from the sun she looked up to find Lipton standing close by, looking down at her.
"Oh, hey Lip. Yip, I'm set. Thanks for asking."
He held out his hand and she took it, allowing him to help her up.
"You let me know if you need help strapping in."
"Will do. I'd offer you the same but I know that can be a tad awkward."
The harnesses they needed for the jump strapped on in-between your legs. It was one hell of a mission to try and strap yourself in, so all the guys got someone to help them. She personally didn't think much of it, but she never bothered offering to help any of them because she knew they wouldn't accept.
He smiled sheepishly. "I appreciate the sentiment."
Seeing a jeep approach, the man standing in the back and the one in the passenger seat caught her eye. "Is that…?"
Lipton turned to look in the same direction. "Popeye."
"And Sobel," she added. Just in case he'd missed that minor detail.
He shrugged but didn't volunteer any more information.
As soon as the vehicle stopped she skipped over to it. She hadn't seen Popeye since they'd boarded the planes for Normandy as he'd been shot before she'd met up with the men. Seeing him now she realized how much she'd missed the adorable blond man.
"Popeye!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him, very nearly knocking him over.
"Em, man it's good to see you!"
She let go of him and stepped away so that she could look him over for herself. "We've missed you hun, it hasn't been the same without you."
Lipton threw a casual arm across Popeye's shoulder as he joined them. "Who let you out of the hospital like that?"
"They didn't let me out, I busted out."
"What, weren't the nurses nice enough Popeye? You just tell me if I need to go down there and give them a piece if my mind," she said.
"Nah, they were real nice. But not as nice as you Em. I just didn't wanna get reassigned to some other unit."
"Yeah? Can you make the jump?" Lipton asked, more as a formality than anything else. If one of the men wanted to jump, they were going to find a way.
"Sure I can Lip, I just can't sit."
Bull joined them, his signature cigar held between his lips. Casually removing it he said, "Welcome back Popeye."
"Thanks Bull."
"Popeye went AWOL just in time for the jump," Lipton filled in the blanks for him.
"What's he doing here?" Bull nodded in the direction where Sobel was supervising the unloading of supplies from the back of a truck.
She saw Lipton's lips twitch into the slightest self-satisfied grin. "Who Sobel? Well he's the newly appointed regimental S-4."
"Supply officer?" Bull and Amelia said at the same time.
"Yeah, you got it."
"He picked me up in Aldbourne, trying to find you guys," Popeye added.
"He knows you went AWOL?" she asked him, a little worried. They all knew what a stickler Sobel could be for the rules.
"He knows. He just said I was lucky. I could sit out the jump if I wanted. I said I didn't want to. So he said 'hop in'."
She quirked an eyebrow and looked at him like he'd just told her monkeys could fly. "Hop in? You sure this is Sobel?"
"Yeah, I know. I couldn't believe it either. Anyway, maybe he's gonna court-martial me later."
"Let's get you some gear," Lipton said as he steered him towards the supply depot.
"See you in Holland Pop," she shouted after the man. He turned and gave her a friendly wave before disappearing into the throng of men.
Looking over to Bull she noticed him staring at his squad. He reminded her of a worried father about to send his child off to school for the first day. "Your boys ready Bull?"
He nodded to himself before turning to look at her. "They're ready. And you?"
"I'm ready. Always am."
"When we get on the ground, you link up with us as soon as possible you hear. We don't want you wandering off again."
"After the lecture I got last time, trust me, I'm sticking as close to all of you as I can."
He gave her a lopsided grin, his cigar once again firmly planted between his lips.
"I need to get strapped in," she said, reaching over and squeezing his hand. The gesture acting as a silent good luck and farewell.
He returned the gesture before walking over to a very nervous looking Hashey.
Wandering back to her gear she tried to share a few words with as many of the men as possible. Small conversations in which nothing of importance was said and yet they were utterly priceless to her.
Her eyes briefly met Babe's where he was standing with a group of men. For a moment all she could see was him, the rest of the crowded airfield fading into the background. His mouth was set in a determined line but she recognized the jitters dancing behind his eyes. She nodded and turned her lips into a half smile. There was nothing more she could do for him, no matter how badly she wanted to, he would have to find his own way of dealing with the fear that threatened to engulf them all.
Slowly shifting her eyes from his she found Bill's. They shared a silent conversation for a heartbeat, before they each nodded and continued on their way.
Finally locating her gear, she was surprised to find Joe hovering over it. He was already strapped into most of his gear, a cigarette between his fingers and one stuck behind his ear. At the sound of her approach he looked over to her and she recognized the way his jaw was set. He was worried, anxious even.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey beautiful. I just wanted to see you before the jump. Make sure you were set."
She softly smiled at him. After everything that had happened, her biggest fear was that she'd lose her friend. That somehow things would get so ugly they wouldn't be able to stand being close to each other. As much as it hurt at times, and as awkward as it got, she was grateful that he would still seek her out.
"I'm set, but I need someone to help me strap in. Would you mind?"
He shot her a playful smirk. "Sure thing Em, any excuse touch you."
She rolled her eyes as a giggle escaped her lips. The man always had a way about him.
Suppose I can't blame the brunette for giving him a proper send off.
Once she was all strapped in and geared up she reached over with her one hand and held his shoulder firmly. She held his gaze with her own, her heart suddenly catching in her throat as the reality of what could happen to either one of them hit home.
"I'll see you on the ground Joe."
"See you there beautiful."
XXXXXX
The jump into Holland was as textbook as they came. As she drifted peacefully through the air Amelia admired the beautiful surroundings she found herself in. The crystal blue skies above peaked through the perfectly white blanket of clouds as hundreds of green parachutes floated to the ground, suspended above the field which was that beautiful mixture of green and brown you get in autumn before winter really sets is. She felt like she was drifting inside a painting, not heading towards another fight. A giggle escaped her lips, the joy of being young and alive overwhelming her for a moment.
This landing was nothing like the one she had in Normandy, it was as soft as it could get and she quickly collapsed her chute before running to the assembly point with the other men.
Jumping into a deep ditch lining a road she ran along it, making a mental note of each familiar face, until she found the two she'd been looking for.
"You're lucky Eddy, that was a perfect jump to have as your first," she said, falling down between him and Bill.
"Yeah, I know. And did you see the views. Shit, this place is pretty."
"Sure is."
Bill handed her his canteen, as she took a sip of water he said, "This may be pretty, but mine still wins the prize for excitement."
Swallowing she replied, "Yip, the jump into Normandy would win that prize. Probably will every time."
Handing back his canteen she giggled at the smug look he had on his face and the defeated one Babe had.
Only men would compete over who had the more exciting first jump into a war zone.
"Where's Derek?" Babe asked her, looking up and down the ditch trying to spot the man.
"Oh, he's with Dick. We figured it's safer if we jump in separate planes, so if one gets shot down the company would still have one sniper."
He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.
She shrugged. Before Normandy she would never have split them up for a jump, but when they were preparing for Holland she'd insisted on it, it was the logical thing to do to improve Easy's odds.
Hoobler ran past them carrying what looked like beer bottles, looking for all the world like he'd just won the lottery. She followed him with her eyes as he moved a few feet down the line, finally sitting down near Bull as he started to hand out the bottles to the closest men.
"What's that all about?" Babe asked, a quizzical look on his face.
She shook her head in amazement. "No idea, but leave it to Hoobs to scrounge in the middle of an evasion."
A loud roar made them all look up as flight of bombers flew overhead. "Wonder if they hit anything?" she heard Hoobler ask no one in particular.
"God I hope so," she said to herself. The jump may have gone down without a hitch, but she still had a sinking feeling about the grand plan.
She saw one of the replacement lieutenants, Peacock if she remembered correctly, talk to Bull. A moment later Bull gave the signal for them to move out and the entire line started to climb out of the ditch.
Grabbing her rifle she started to stand, trying to push herself upwards as her full pack weighed her down. A hand came into view, looking up to find the owner she met Babe's gaze. Taking his hand he pulled her to her feet.
"Thanks." She smiled gratefully.
"Any time."
They walked through the field in a loose formation, the skyline of Eindhoven coming closer with each passing step. Her entire body was on edge and she could feel her shoulders start to knot up from the constant tension. Scanning the buildings for any possible threats she saw the top window of one immediately in-front of them swing open. She raised her rifle on instinct alone, her muscles reacting faster than her brain could think and the veterans around her reacted to the movement instantaneously without having seen the potential threat. The replacements hesitated for a moment, not sure what had caused the sudden change in atmosphere, but then the scouts ran forward, guns raised and everyone dropped to their knee. They were holding a collective breath, waiting for the order to attack or retreat.
"Is that an orange flag?" Bill asked her.
A woman was peering out of the window, tying a large bright orange flag to the window frame, looking directly at the approaching American soldiers.
"Seems so. I think it's the national Dutch colour," she replied, frowning, not sure what the flag meant.
The men at the head of the formation got up and continued forward, obviously satisfied that the flag meant the Germans weren't waiting for them.
Entering the streets of Eindhoven she was shocked at the sight that greeted them. Everywhere you looked people were singing and dancing, all celebrating the arrival of the American soldiers and the supposed liberation. Orange bunting crossed the streets overhead, running from one balcony to the next while Dutch national flags were displayed on nearly every building. Even the people were waving miniature flags.
Their neat formation was soon gone as soldiers intermingled with civilians. She'd already lost Bill in the crowd and could barely make out Babe's head through the press of bodies. She was starting to panic. She'd never been claustrophobic, but the potent mixture of being separated from her friends and the constant threat of German snipers made her want to either punch someone or start crying.
Babe turned around and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him. He didn't let go once she was next to him, instead he interlaced their fingers, making sure they wouldn't be separated again.
"You OK?" He had to shout to be heard over the noise.
"I'm not a fan of big crowds."
"Really?"
"You see the roof of that tall building?" She pointed towards a building behind him which was slightly taller than the few surrounding it.
Looking over his shoulder he nodded.
"I keep thinking that if I was up there right now, I would be able to cause chaos before anyone even knew what was happening."
His hand tightened around hers. "Shit."
"Yeah."
"C'mon, we need to get you to Derek so you can start clearing the buildings."
Still holding onto him she allowed him to guide her through the throngs of people in the general direction where they'd last seen the officers. They were doing a pretty good job of avoiding getting bogged down by the celebrations, but she noticed the stares and finger pointing which happened every time someone realised she was a woman in uniform.
Suddenly two overzealous girls came out of nowhere and flung themselves at Babe, nearly tackling him to the ground and forcing him to let go of her hand to stop himself from falling.
For an instant she was jealous of the two pretty girls in their pretty dresses who were planting kisses on him. That was until a large middle-aged man blocked her view, enveloped her in a bear hug and lifted her into the air. She was shocked at first, but then the jubilation of those around her got the better of her nerves and she let out a long laugh. Finally placing her back down the man grabbed her face between his big hands and started to lean down to give her a kiss of her own.
Oh no…
"Hey buddy, don't even think about it," Babe said, his hand firmly planted on the man's shoulder as he pulled him back. His eyes daring him to try something.
She smiled at both men and touched Babe's shoulder to show him it was fine. "It's OK Eddy. It's just the celebrations. They don't mean any harm."
He let go of the man, who in turn smiled broadly and shook his hand very enthusiastically before disappearing into the crowd.
Moving closer to her so they wouldn't get pulled apart again he said, "Maybe, but you didn't look too excited."
"Well, you have pretty Dutch girl trying to kiss you while I have middle aged men. Doesn't seem fair."
"So if it were a handsome young Dutch man trying to kiss you that would be OK?"
"No, I'm not interested in any of these Dutch boys." She smiled coyly and saw his cheeks redden slightly at the possible implications of what she'd said.
Bill came up to them, his cheeks covered in all kinds of lipstick, a goofy smile plastered on his face.
"Hey doll, come here," he said, suddenly more serious than he'd been a second earlier.
"What is Bill?" she asked.
"This crowd's crazy and a lot of the fellas are drunk. We need ya to blend in more."
He reached over and tucked her long braid beneath her helmet while she flipped up her collar.
"Thanks Bill."
He winked and they followed him down in street, doing their very best to try and stay together this time.
Five young women ran up to them and started doling out kisses to each one. They either didn't realise she was a woman or didn't care because she swears she got a kiss from each one of them.
"You've got more lipstick on you than I do," Babe exclaimed, chuckling. He reached over and started to wipe the red and pink lipstick from her face.
"What can I say, I must look like a real cute guy to them."
"You got the cute part right." He winked and this time it was her turn to blush.
He tugged on her hand and they continued trying to find the officers. Standing on her toes and peering over the heads of the crowd she would catch a glimpse of someone who looked like Derek or Dick every so often, but before they could reach them the crowd shifted and they were gone.
Looking around Babe she spotted a photographer setting up for a group photo with some of the Easy men and a few locals. She saw Bill, Frank, Johnny and Grant playing with some local children while Hoobler joked around with the photographer.
When they were near the group a tall blonde woman carrying a beautiful little girl, who was wearing a light pink dress, walked confidently up to them. She smiled at Babe but reached past him and pecked Amelia on the cheek.
The little girl reached over and grabbed onto Amelia's jacket, her little face half covered by her toothless smile. The mother handed her over to Amelia and said, "Come, you must be in the photo."
The little girl, Amelia guessed she was around two, touched her face with her tiny hands, all the while giggling. "Oh, hey there cutie."
"C'mon Em," Babe said, leading her to the group getting ready to pose for the photo.
"Cute kid Em, she looks just like you," Grant said, his arm draped over the mother's shoulder.
"Get in here beautiful," Hoobler said, putting her on his left side, right next to Babe.
She took of her helmet with her free hand and the little girl started to tug playfully at her long hair. Amelia was so entranced by the child that it took her a moment to register Babe placing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her to him. Looking up to meet his eyes he smiled down at her and ruffled the little girl's hair. This brought on a fresh wave of giggles from the child which made Amelia smile so broadly it felt like her cheeks were going to split.
"One, two," the photographer started to count down and she looked away from the child and Babe towards the camera. "Three."
The photo taken she reluctantly handed the girl back to her adoring mother.
"Here she goes, back to mamma."
Placing her helmet back on her head and tucking in her hair once again she found Babe staring at her. "What?"
"It suits you?" he replied.
She frowned and cocked her head to one side.
"Having a little blonde girl in your arms, doting on her. It suits you."
"Well, if I'm lucky, maybe one day I'll have one of my own." The words slipped out before she could stop them. She rarely thought about life after the war, it wouldn't do her much good to get her hopes up that she would have one, but whenever she did that life was always filled with love and the laughter of children.
He took her hand and interlaced their fingers. "I really hope so Em."
For a brief moment she allowed herself to luxuriate in the joy of the people around her, his fingers interlaced with hers and the promise of a life away from the war.
Letting out a sigh she pulled herself back to the reality of their situation and said, "I need to find Derek."
His face hardened ever so slightly, taking on the quality of a soldier focused on a mission. "I think I see Winters, he should know where Derek is. C'mon, and don't let go of my hand. I don't want to lose you in this crowd."
He led the way and she swore under her breath when she caught sight of Winter, Nixon and Harry. They were standing together, their insignia on full display for all the world to see. During their briefings for Holland she'd told them numerous times they would need to hide their insignia in the cities, the ranks made them prize targets for snipers.
Once they were within spitting distance she unwound her fingers from Babe's and came to stand in-front of the three men, hands on hips, her eyes shooting daggers.
God damn it, grown men behaving like petulant teenagers.
"What did I tell you all about hiding your insignia? At least try and make the Germans work for it."
"Sorry Amelia," Winters said, almost sheepishly.
Nixon have her an apologetic smile while Harry looked at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with her.
She scowled at them, rank be damned. They obediently started to turn up their collars to hide their rank.
"What's up Welshey?" Buck asked as he joined the group.
"Snipers," Harry answered, giving her a shy look.
She softened her stance and shook her head.
Men, she thought.
"Do you know where Derek is?" she asked.
"He's trying to find the Dutch Resistance so you can start checking the buildings and we can get to the bridges," Nixon responded, fidgeting nervously.
As wonderful as the celebrations were they were delaying the advance and any delay would compromise the element of surprise the campaign was relying so heavily on.
"We gotta get to these bridges" Winters said, as they all continued to move through the city.
She fell in behind Winters and even though she never glanced over her shoulder she knew Babe was at her back.
They approached a group of locals which stood in stark contrast to the celebrations surrounding them. Where everyone else was joyful, these people were shouting and pointing angrily at something she couldn't see. They sounded like they were baying for blood, not celebrating a liberation.
A group of men shoved past them, dragging a dark haired woman between them. This caused a break in the crowd and she could now see what the mob was surrounding. In front of her women were being stripped down to their undergarments, their hair shorn violently and swastika's drawn on their foreheads She could hear their cries and she felt like she was going to be sick.
Winters glanced down at her and whatever he saw in her eyes made him stand in-front of her, pulling Harry along with him to effectively block her view of the crying women. Babe came to stand even closer, not quite touching her with all the officers around but close enough that she knew he was there if she needed him. Nixon and Buck came to stand on either side of her. The men, without saying a word, doing what they could to protect her from the scene playing out in-front of them and the attention of the angry mob.
Nixon took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, letting her know he was there. Meeting his eyes she could feel tears starting to sting hers. His eyebrows knitted together and he said, "You don't go anywhere alone while we're here."
Winters must have heard what he'd said because he turned his head, locking eyes with Nixon for a brief moment before turning his piercing blue eyes on her. "That's an order Amelia. And stay away from this area. Whatever this is, I don't want you near it."
All she could do was nod, too shocked to even speak.
Finally Harry asked the one question on all their minds. "What did they do?"
"They slept with the Germans." The voice came out of nowhere and their entire group turned towards it.
A tall blond man, who in her mind looked quintessentially Dutch, wearing an orange arm band which marked him as a resistance member stood before them. He didn't looked fazed one bit at the sight that had appalled them all, even giving them a small smile in greeting.
Amelia had to consciously stop herself from reaching over and slapping him. These women may not have had a choice, this is a fucking war, you do what you have to to survive. And how many of them had been forced? And if we lose, will you then do the same to those women who sleep with Americans?
She understood that the Dutch people had been living under German occupation for years and suffered the violence and uncertainty that came with that. She knew they needed an outlet for all their anger and feelings of powerlessness, but that didn't stop the disgust from rising in the back of her throat at the treatment of these vulnerable women.
There was nothing she could do for these women and they needed the help of the Dutch Resistance if they wanted to have a snowflake's chance in hell of winning this fight. So instead of screaming at the Dutchman she scanned the crowd behind him for the one face she'd been looking for since entering the city. Finding Derek standing beside the blond man she relaxed marginally. Holding his gaze she saw the contempt and disgust for the scene behind her.
"They are lucky. The men who collaborated are being shot."
She balled her fists and clenched her jaw, the sick feeling in her stomach growing by the minute.
"Mr. van Kooijk here is with the Dutch Resistance," Derek said. To everyone else he must have sounded relaxed, but she heard the tension simmering below the surface.
As van Kooijk stepped forward and grabbed Winters's hand she moved out of his way quickly, not trusting her self-control anywhere near the man right now. Derek reached out and pulled her closer to him while Babe came to stand next to her, their arms brushing.
"We've been waiting and hoping for this day for almost five years," van Kooijk said.
"He says he can help us secure the bridges and search the buildings we identified," Nixon said as he and Winters started to move again, van Kooijk falling in beside them.
Touching Babe's shoulder to show him she'd be OK with Derek and the other officers she quickly followed them.
"Yes, together we can push the remaining Germans out of Eindhoven. And that's just the beginning," van Kooijk said excitedly.
"Any ideas where they might be?' Winters asked.
"Well, we're still working on that right now," Nixon said, not doing anything to make her feel better in any way.
She and Derek came to stand beside them and she watched as van Kooijk called over a redheaded boy, maybe twelve years old. Placing his arm around the child's shoulder he said, "Pers and his friends here are gathering information as we speak."
She had to look away so the men didn't all see her dubious expression. Derek quirked his eyebrow and shook his head, relying on the intelligence provided by children wasn't exactly inspiring confidence in him either.
"His contacts a couple of towns down say they saw the British 2nd and Guards Armoured move through half an hour ago," Nixon said.
"They're kids," Winters said, voicing all of their doubts.
"These are reliable reports. Anything we can do to help you, we will do. Anything," van Kooijk replied emphatically.
A load cheer from the crowd drowned out the conversations they were having. "Right on time." van Kooijk smiled, and walked into the cheering crowd towards whatever had caused the stir.
Bull was standing on-top of a lamppost base near their group. Amelia and Dick joined him and she was finally able to see over the crowd. British tanks were slowly rolling down the crowded streets, women and soldiers sitting atop them, waving Dutch flags and cheering.
Van Kooijk pulled his attention away from the tanks and came to stand with them. "Captain, I'll be happy to show you the quickest route to the bridges and I have men standing by to clear the buildings with your snipers."
Dick jumped off of the lamppost and she followed him.
"I'd be happy to have your help," Winters replied, shaking his hand.
"So, I've already met your one sniper," van Kooijk glanced over at Derek who nodded in agreement, "where is the other?"
Dick turned to her and held out his hand. "This is Sergeant Jones."
Van Kooijk never missed a beat, smiling and extending his hand for her to shake. "Women have been fighting the war in Europe for many years, many of our own members are women. We are happy to work with you."
She smiled politely and nodded.
"Derek, Amelia, take some of van Kooijk's men and clear the buildings you identified. Start on the north side and work your way back. I'll send someone to find you if we move out," Winters gave his orders and they nodded their acknowledgment.
Van Kooijk gestured to two men standing off to one side. "That is Hans and Sem, they will help you."
"Thank you," Derek said, eyeing the men.
As they turned to leave Winters grabbed her elbow. "Stay together."
"Yes sir," she agreed.
She heard Winters order Harry and Buck to scout the edge of town, in case they had to stay the night, but her mind was already zeroing in on the task at hand.
Time to finally get to work.
XXXXXXX
Staring out of the small attic window Amelia briefly admired the blanket of stars overhead before turning her attention back to the surrounding buildings. They had spent the entire day clearing building after building, going into every nook and cranny where a German sniper could hope to hide.
So far they'd found nothing except rats and dust. The attic of the inn was their last stop for the night. The building was located near the southern edge of the city and it had a perfect view of the streets below while providing an easy route to the woods at the edge of the city.
She and Derek lay side by side on the floor, her searching the windows and roofs of the surrounding buildings while he scanned the streets and shadows below.
Derek cleared his throat suspiciously and she waited for him to say whatever was eating at him.
"So, Babe." It wasn't quite a statement but not a question either.
"Yes, and?" She knew what he was getting at, but that didn't mean she had to make it easy for him. Hey, a girl has to have her fun.
Derek shot her an annoyed look; he knew her well enough to know she was playing dumb on purpose.
The corner of her lips jumped up half an inch.
Finally giving up trying to be sneaky he asked, "So what's going on there between you two?"
"What do you mean?"
Keeping his eyes firmly on the street he said, "I've seen the way he looks at you and how you smile when he's around. I've known you long enough to know when something is going on."
"It's not really anything. I like him, but it's probably just a silly crush."
"M'hm….the way he looks at you isn't the look of a man who just has a crush."
Her smile broadened before she could stop it and she felt Derek chuckle silently next to her.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
They fell into silence again, she wasn't going to discuss the subject of her love life, or lack thereof, any further with him in a dusty attic in Holland while searching for German snipers.
The floorboards creaked under the weight of someone climbing into the attic and she glanced over her shoulder into the dark interior of the bare space to find George standing at the mouth of the small trapdoor. He was lucky, the roof of the building was quite high and sharply steeped, so as long as you kept to the middle of the room most men would be able to stand upright with relative ease.
"Hey handsome."
"Hey there beautiful. Love what you've done with the place."
"Awww…thanks. I was going for the dark and creepy look."
"Oh well, in that case you nailed it."
"So, what brings you here?"
"Winters needs one of you to come check out a map the Dutch found. Guess they want you to point out buildings of interest or something."
Looking over to Derek she said, "You should go. If it's a bunch of officers it'll be better for you to go."
He frowned and turned his body to look at George over his shoulder. "Anybody else with you?"
"Some Dutch Resistance guy," she heard George reply.
"Do you know how to get to Winters?" Derek asked.
"Yip."
"OK, call the Dutchman up here. He can stand at the trapdoor and make sure no one sneaks in here while I'm gone."
She heard George scramble down the ladder and looked over as Derek started to collect his kit.
"Stay here. I'll send someone to come fetch you. I'll meet you at the camp."
"OK," she replied, turning her attention back to what she'd been doing before George's arrival.
She heard Derek leave and for a few minutes she was alone with the the darkness and the dust. After all her years as a sniper she found the solitude oddly comforting.
A loud bang made her jump and she swung herself around to face the trapdoor, rifle leveled at whatever had startled her.
A tall, slightly pudgy, dark haired man stood a few feet from her. It was too dark to make out the details of his face but his bright orange arm band was visible in the gloom so she lowered her weapon.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry," he slurred the word and she saw him sway.
Suddenly feeling uneasy sitting on the floor in the confined space with a drunk, unfamiliar man blocking her only escape route she got to her feet, rifle still in hand.
"You don't have to wait up here. I know it's cramped. You can stand guard at the base of the ladder." She tried to sound like she was genuinely concerned about his comfort.
"No, I wacht hier." The way he said the words and the unsteady steps he was taking towards her did all the translating she needed. He wasn't going anywhere, not willingly.
Now that he was closer the smell of cheap liquor and tobacco invaded her space. His dull brown eyes were raking over her body, peeling away her clothing without her consent and she saw him lick his cracked lips.
When they were only a foot apart she straightened herself out to her full height and refused to break eye contact. She couldn't show him the panic that was clawing at her throat, making her mouth run dry and her heart pound painfully against her ribcage. Her finger curled around the trigger of her rifle and she tensed her muscles, ready to lift the gun at the slightest provocation.
"You need to leave. Now," she ordered forcibly.
"No. Give me a kus," he insisted, his hand reaching out to grab her head.
She stepped to her left, marginally out of his reach, but now trapped between him and the wall. Fuck, she thought.
"No, get the fuck away from me."
His sharp, jagged laugh froze her insides.
He moved to close the gap and and she lifted her rifle, letting of a warning shot near his head.
He froze and for a brief moment she saw hesitation flash across his eyes. But then his lips peeled back from his teeth into a vicious snarl and his dull eyes grew pale with contempt and hate. Seeing that look, she knew in that moment that he was going to take what he wanted from her, her consent officially became irrelevant to him.
"You American bitch." The words crawled from between his lips.
She turned her rifle on him but his anger at her insolence made him faster than his drunken state should have allowed. He shoved the rifle out of her grasp and the shot she'd lined up went wide.
He shoved her viciously against the wall and backhanded her hard across the face, the metallic taste of blood instantly filling her mouth. He pushed his body up against hers, pinning her against the wall and she gagged as the stench of sweat and alcohol assaulted her senses.
She tried to kick at his legs, but the angle of the wall and his proximity to her meant she couldn't get any real force behind them. She saw a flash of his fist and then a sharp pain radiated up her left side, almost making her gag. She felt his one hand wrench at her jacket, groping her body violently while the other yanked her hair painfully. Trying to reach for her sidearm the tops of her fingers grazed the hilt of the gun, but she wasn't able to get a proper hold on it.
The violence and speed of the assault stole all her strength and as her mind went into shock she feebly pushed against him but he took no notice. She was panicking and she knew it.
This can't be happening, this isn't real.
She heard a whimper and for a moment she thought someone else was in the room with them.
"Shhh…" he hissed in her ear and she realized the whimpering was coming from her.
God no.
He reached down and she felt him struggle with the zip of his pants. This one gesture rang inside her skull, snapping her brain out of its panic induced haze. What took its place was a white hot anger that pulsed into her every nerve.
Lifting her right arm, she jabbed two fingers into the hallow at the base of his throat and pushed down hard. He choked and wrenched away from her, opening up a small gap between their bodies. Now able to move she brought her knee up between his legs and felt the satisfying thud as it hit home. He gasped from the pain and bent over. She grabbed the back of his head and drove her knee hard into his face, hearing the crack of his nose breaking. As she let go of him he dropped to his knees, spitting venom and clutching his face.
She knew she only had moments to make her escape before his anger overcame the pain he was in, so side stepping his bent over figure she made a run for the trapdoor.
Something hard hit her from behind and she stumbled forward nearly losing her footing.
Struggling she saw the Dutchman holding her torso in an iron grip, no longer able to stand upright, he was trying to force her to the ground by his sheer weight alone.
She knew the trapdoor was only a foot away from them and that getting out of the attic was her best chance of making it out alive.
This is going to hurt, she steeled herself.
Grimacing she grabbed onto the shoulders of his jacket and using their combined momentum flung them backwards through the opening of the trapdoor.
It was a short fall, but she hit the floor hard and his weight drove all the air from her lungs.
He rolled off of her and she crawled away from him, reaching for the ladder leading up to the attic she used it to drag herself upright onto shaking legs.
He turned to her, hate visibly coming off of him.
Whatever small measure of mercy she had for him disappeared like mist before the sun. As he tried to get to his feet she quickly un-clipped her sidearm and brought the muzzle level with his head.
This time he didn't sneer or laugh, something in him, that basic human instinct to survive, recognized that she was going to kill him. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees. He started to whimper, gurgling words she couldn't make out, begging.
Taking a measured step closer to him her finger curled around the cool metal of the trigger, disgust and adrenaline making a potent cocktail coursing through her veins.
A part of her brain registered people coming up the stairs, but she didn't look at them. All she could see was this thing whimpering and groveling and all she could feel was her want for revenge.
XXXXXXX
Joe POV
Joe stopped at the top of stairs like he'd run into a brick wall and Hashey's foot missed the last step and he nearly fell flat on his face.
Amelia was standing in-front of them, looking like she'd just come out of brawl, her pistol pointed at some beaten and bloody guy's head while he whimpered on the floor.
"Move will ya." He heard Johnny say, the irritation in his voice only half registering.
They moved aside for him and Bull, but Joe never took his eyes off of Amelia. As soon as they reached the landing Johnny and Bull stopped dead when they saw what he was staring at.
"What the hell?" Bull said under his breath.
Winters had ordered them to fetch Amelia on their way to Easy's camp. He and Derek were busy going over some maps with Nixon and some guy from the Dutch Resistance and by the looks of things they were going to be there for a while. They'd expected to find her holed up in some dingy attic, not looking like she was ready to commit murder.
Amelia finally turned her head to look at them and he would never be able to find the words to describe what he saw. Her mouth was pulled back into a snarl and her eyes held absolutely no emotion.
No one moved, no one breathed.
She turned her attention back to the man on the ground and he was sure she was going to pull the trigger. Slowly though she lowered her gun and holstered it. With the click of the safety the man scrambled away from her, pressing himself against the wall.
Joe moved to her, crossing the distance in three long strides. As he stood in-front of her she didn't look up to meet his eyes, instead hers were still firmly fixed on the man sitting against the wall.
Johnny came to stand beside him while Bull and Hashey walked over to the guy, guns at the ready. Whatever had happened here, they all knew whose side they were on.
"Amelia," Joe spoke softly.
Her eyes drifted up to his and it was as if a veil had lifted from them and she was only now seeing him for the first time. "Joe?"
"Yeah, it's me." He reached for her and she flinched away from his touch, making him quickly drop his hand.
What the fuck happened here?
"Amelia, are you ok?" Johnny asked her.
She looked from the one to the other as if she was deciding what to say. Frowning she reached for her canteen and took a long drink before replacing the cap and storing it away.
Meeting their eyes with a level gaze she said, "He picked a fight. He lost."
"Amelia, did he…" Johnny trailed off, searching for the words. "Did he force himself on you?"
Joe knew it was a valid question, but right then he hated Johnny for asking it.
She remained silent for a long time. With every passing moment he could feel his blood pressure rise, visions of what that piece of shit had done to her invading his brain, making him want to gag and swear violently at the same time.
Everyone was waiting for her answer, the only sound coming from the sniveling man.
She let out a shaky breath. "He tried, but he failed."
"You son-of-a-bitch," Bull exclaimed behind his back.
They all turned around to see him hall the man up by his collar, his feet dangling in the air as Bull pinned him against the wall.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you," Joe growled, already reaching for his own gun.
She reached out and placed her hand over his. His eyes shot up to meet hers. He couldn't understand why she was stopping him.
"Joe, if anyone was going to kill him it would have been me. But he isn't even worth the bullet."
He hesitated, he wanted to inflict a world of hurt on the bastard but he also wanted to take her in his arms and carry her away from this place.
Relenting to her imploring stare he turned his back on the man and pulled her into a tight hug. She let out a small yelp and he immediately let her go and stepped back to look her over, trying to find the source of the pain.
"I think I hurt the ribs on my left side from the fight and the fall."
"What fall?" Johnny asked cautiously.
She pointed at the opening of the trapdoor which led to the attic above.
They both flinched and he put an arm around her shoulder, protectively pulling her towards him while trying to avoid her injured side.
Johnny wore a deep frown and Joe could see him wringing his hands. "Any other injuries?"
"Nothing major. I think." She shrugged.
"OK, Bull," Johnny didn't take his eyes off of Amelia as he spoke, "will you take Amelia back to the farmhouse the Easy officers are using? Make sure she gets checked out by Doc."
Bull grunted his agreement, his hold on the man tightening.
"Joe, Hashey and I will take this piece of shit to Winters and Derek."
She nodded, the fight that had possessed her a moment ago now fading fast he could feel her leaning into him for support more and more.
"I need to get my stuff," she said, half starting for the ladder.
He held onto her shoulders, not willing to let her out of his sight for even a moment.
Johnny shook his head and said, "Hashey, collect Amelia's kit and bring it here."
Hashey flung his gun over his shoulder and quickly obeyed the order.
Bull lowered the man to the ground but still held onto his collar. Joe was sure the usually calm sergeant was going to punch the guy at any moment. At least he hoped he would.
A few seconds later Hashey came scrambling back down the ladder. "Here you go Em," he said, placing her pack at her feet and handing her rifle to her.
"Thank you Hashey," she said and even managed to give him a small smile.
"Bull," Johnny ordered.
Bull let go of the man's collar and shoved him so hard Joe heard him yelp.
As Bull turned to Amelia Joe could read the worry all over the man's face. She slowly extracted herself from his hold, squeezing his arm as she went, and walked over to Bull. Standing in-front of him she reached over and took his large hands in her small ones. "I'm OK."
Bull nodded, some small measure of worry leaving his features.
"Let's go Em," Bull said, letting go of her hands and grabbing her pack.
He watched the two soldiers disappear down the stairs in silence, Bull's free arm gently holding onto her shoulder to steady her.
As soon as he was sure they were out of earshot Joe saw Johnny move. Stepping up to the man he drew his arm back and punched the guy square in the face, leaving a split lip in his wake.
Turning to them he said, "You each get one. And if anyone asks, this is how we found him."
XXXXXXX
OK, so a lot happened in this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you to my great reviewers for your support and feedback. I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend everyone.