Love and Lies
By:AliasCWN
Chapter 4
"I thought you were just talking Wes." Pete stammered. "These guys are Americans, we can't kill them."
"Why not?"
"Because we're on the same side!" Pete shouted hysterically. "This is wrong!"
"Letting Arnie die doing their job was wrong! Letting that kid sacrifice himself to save them was wrong! They had a job to do, they should have done it. Someone has to pay, you agreed, someone has to pay." The Corporal's voice rose with each point he made.
"Wes, listen to me. Arnie's dead, killing them won't bring him back. I loved Arnie too, but this is wrong!" Pete pleaded with the Corporal. He took a step toward him, hand out, but the Corporal backed away, raising his rifle.
"If you don't want to help, just leave, walk away. I thought that you were Arnie's friends, but I guess I was wrong." The Corporal was shaking his head in confusion and denial. "I loved my brother, I can't let his death go unpunished."
"Then let's go kill some Germans." Pete argued. "They're the ones who killed him. We'll help you, won't we guys?" He turned to the other two privates for support.
"Sure we will Wes. We loved Arnie too. We'll help you kill all the Germans you want." Tommy hurried to agree, his eyes darting from Pete to Wes and back again.
"I'll bet we could even find some other guys willing to help." Jimmy offered. "Everybody loved Arnie, he was such a great guy."
"No." The Corporal refused to give in. "They got Arnie killed because they didn't do their job. If it wasn't for them, he'd still be alive. They have to die, and their sergeants too. Then if you want to go kill some Germans, I'll be right there with you. But these guys die first." The Corporal stepped back and so he could see both prisoners and his three companions all at the same time. "You got my brother killed." He looked at Hitch and Tully. "Do you even remember him?" He yelled as he noticed the confused looks on their faces. "Do you?"
Both prisoners met his angry question with blank stares; neither one could recall the incident described.
"You were supposed to be escorting their convoy. My brother was a truck driver in that convoy." He explained. "When the convoy came under attack, you and your sergeants ran, leaving the convoy unprotected." He searched their faces for any sign that they recalled the attack. As they continued to stare blankly at him, he continued. "You ran, you saved yourselves, leaving the convoy alone. My brother, my baby brother, sacrificed himself to draw the Germans away so the others could get clear. He died a hero, but he shouldn't have died at all." The Corporal finished with a sob. "You killed him!" He screamed.
"Wes." Pete began in a low voice.
"No! Go away! I'll do this myself. I owe Arnie that much at least." He aimed his gun toward Tully, who was closest.
Hitch grunted around the gag, trying to distract the Corporal. He twisted violently, yanking against the knots. The ropes held, not allowing him any way to save Tully. He glanced toward the privates, hoping they would intervene, only to see them hanging their heads. He prayed that Tully wasn't going to die right there in front of him while he was helpless to do anything about it. Looking back, he watched as the rifle barrel centered on Tully's chest and the Corporal's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Wes! The gun shots will bring the MPs running!" The one called Pete hissed.
Hitch closed his eyes in relief as the barrel dropped and the Corporal looked toward Pete.
"They're not far from here Wes. They made us move the truck, remember?" Pete pleaded with the Corporal to see reason. Tommy and Jimmy nodded at the Corporal as he stared at them. "You can't shoot them Wes, the MPs will hear the shots."
"Okay."
Pete, Jimmy and Tommy breathed a sigh of relief as Wes lowered his rifle. Jimmy suddenly let out a yell as the Corporal pulled a knife and lunged at the prisoners.