Code Name Apple
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: My code name is I Don't Own Castle. Rating: K Time: The year 1919, mostly.
They had only a day to relax.
Someone yelled something in Russian and everyone in the barracks car got up and ran to their stations. Castle did too. When he got to his gun, he found Kate was already at her machine gun. Next to her was the widow, also at a machine gun.
"What's happening?" he asked.
"We're coming up to a railway station where two separate rail lines meet. The station is held by the Reds. There's a regiment of White Russian troops waiting to attack as soon as we get there to provide support. The artillery cars will shoot at the station, we're to watch the forest over there. They think there's Red cavalry and infantry there."
Castle looked through the telescopic sight of his gun. He could see nothing in the forest, but maybe they weren't close enough yet.
It took another half an hour for the armored train to slowly work its way into position.
"There's a battalion of our troops taking up positions on the far side of out train. "Koslowsky told Rick and Kate. "Be careful. They might counter attack if the Reds do attack from out of the woods."
"How do we tell our troops from theirs?" Rick asked.
"The Reds usually wear something red on their uniforms."
"That's it?"
"Afraid so. Good luck." Koslowsky said as he went through the train talking to his troops.
Rick stared through his telescopic sight but saw nothing in the forest. Maybe there was no one there. There was a sharp crack. The artillery cars had begun firing on the station. Only the front artillery car could fire from their position.
"Here they come." Kate said.
Castle looked through his sight. They were being attacked by cavalry. Cavalry waving swords.
"They're attacking us with swords?" He yelled.
"They're attacking us. Shoot." Kate yelled back. She and the other machine gunners had already opened fire.
Castle took a round from Yuri, set the fuse and fired. His shell exploded right in front of a charging horse, shredding both animal and rider. After that, he didn't bother looking at where his shells landed, he just fired as fast as possible.
The horsemen who hadn't been killed or wounded dismounted and began firing at the train. Castle could hear the bullets hitting the armor and bouncing off.
"Infantry!" Kate yelled. "Damn! They're pushing an artillery piece out. Castle shoot at it. Shoot.!"
Castle brought the sight of his cannon onto the artillery piece. Both guns fired at once. Both shells went over their targets. Castle's gun had a smaller and lighter shell than the Reds' gun and he was able to load it faster. His second shell hit the steel shield of the gun and exploded. The gun was knocked askew and it looked like several members of the crew were either dead or wounded. Castle continued to fire into the gun and managed to knock one wheel off, causing the barrel to point skyward. He looked for other targets.
He fired at infantrymen until they got so close to the train that he couldn't depress his gun low enough to engage them.
'I can't hit them."
"Just keep looking. More may come out of the woods." Kate yelled back.
Suddenly, they could hear the machine gun in the turret on top of the car firing.
"They're on the roof." Rick said.
"The roof is armored."
Someone yelled something in Russian. That was followed by a blast that shook the car.
"They're at the door!" Kate yelled. "They must be using grenades to try to blow open the door. Castle, get grenades and throw them through the little door at the top of the car."
Castle found a box of grenades and selected several British Mills bombs. He was familiar with them as the US had similar grenades called pineapples from their shape. Above the main door was a small sliding door, just big enough to push a grenade through. He pulled the pin, let go of the handle and pushed the grenade through. Several seconds later there was a satisfying thump.
"Toss a few more out. There may be more of them." Kate yelled.
He threw three out and stopped. He couldn't hear anything outside.
"It looks like they're running." Kate said, no longer firing her machine gun. The Russian widow continued to fire, hosing down those running away and those who appeared to be only wounded.
The train followed the advancing White Russian infantry to the train station. Only the dead, the dying and some prisoners were left at the station.
Rick and Kate left the train car but were stopped by Koslowsky after they had taken just a few steps towards the station.
"You might want to go back inside the train. You really shouldn't see this."
As he spoke, they saw the Russian widow headed for the train station. Following her were three men carrying a machine gun and ammunition.
"What's she going to do?" Rick demanded.
"What they'd do to us if they caught us. You should go back inside the train."
Kate took Rick's arm.
"We should do as he says. We don't want to see this."
He was unwillingly led back into the train. Kate took him to the barracks car and made a pot of coffee. Before it was finished, there was a very long hurst of machine gun fire. Then there were shorter bursts. Then silence.
They found that there were two trains just past the station that had been left behind in the Reds' retreat. There was enough room to carry over a thousand soldiers on the trains, so, led by the armored train, they headed for a small city some miles away.
The city fell with hardly a fight and they discovered warehouses full of supplies. Weapons, ammunition, food, medicines, clothing, boots, and much more.
To celebrate, the Russian officers had a banquet that night in the best of the badly damaged buildings in the city. Rick and Kate, as representatives of the victorious allies, were invited. Rick got out his Navy uniform and had it cleaned and pressed.
The nurses had some civilian dresses and one was found that fit Kate. She wasn't as stylish as when he'd previously seen her in a dress, but he felt she was gorgeous.
In addition to food, the banquet featured vodka, Crimean wine, champagne, captured German schnapps, and some Scotch whisky.
They had hardly started eating when a Russian officer stood up and made short speech, then proposed a toast.
"He's proposing a toast. You'll have to have a drink or the Russians will be insulted."
Castle drank the toast.
He'd hardly had a few bites of dinner when another speech was given, followed by another toast.
Castle dutifully drank.
After about the fifth toast, the Russians began talking and pointing to Castle.
"They expect you to make a speech and propose a toast." Kate whispered to him.
"Do any of them speak English?"
"I don't think so."
Castle got to his feet with some difficulty and began.
"We few, we happy few. We band of brothers. For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne're so vile. This day will gentle his condition. And gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves accursed they were not here and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day!"
The last seven words of the speech were delivered loudly and the Russians roared their approval, several firing their pistols into the ceiling.
There were more toasts and Castle remembered making another speech. He didn't remember anything after that.
He woke up the next morning knowing three things. One, if he moved his head, it would shatter into a million pieces. Two, a large rat seemed to have crawled into his mouth and died there. Three, he knew he'd have to get better to die.
He took several deep breaths, which hurt. Then he noticed something else. Something was laying on his right shoulder. He managed to look down with a bit of pain and saw a head of chestnut hair.
"Kate?" he said, sitting up.
"So, you're finally awake. How do you feel?"
"Awful. I think…" Then he noticed something. "What? You're wearing…wearing…."
"It's called a chemise. The Russian nurses lent it to me. It's a bit out of fashion in the UK, but you'll notice it covers everything. By the way, the nurses and I had to carry you here. The nurses undressed you, however."
Castle looked at himself. He was only wearing his underwear.
"They undressed me?"
"They've seen a lot more of men than what you show."
"Did we…Did we…Um…"
"No, we didn't. You were in no condition to do anything. Luckily, ladies aren't expected to drink like men do. I had two glasses of champagne."
"I made another speech, didn't I?"
"Something starting with four score and seven years, if I recall. And you made another speech after that, but I thought it was your best speech."
"I did? What did I say?"
"You were pretty drunk, but you said that you liked me."
"Oh, no. I didn't."
Kate frowned.
"Oh, if you feel that way about it, Captain Castle, perhaps I should return to the train." She began to get up.
"No. No. I do like you. I like you very much, but I shouldn't have told you that when I was that drunk. I should have been sober. Please forgive me."
"You like me very much?"
"Very, very much."
"That's good, because I like you very, very much."
She leaned over and brushed her lips against his very briefly. Then she grabbed a robe from the end of the bed and headed for the door.
"I'm going to go to the dining room and get us some coffee. They found some in the supplies we captured. While I'm gone, you should get dressed."
As soon as the door closed behind her, Rick grabbed his uniform and put it on. He was fully dressed by the time she got back.
"In addition to coffee, I made us some sandwiches. They had bread, cheese and some sausage downstairs in the kitchen, although the cooks look like you do."
He could feel his stomach churn at the mere sight of food.
"The coffee will be fine, Kate. Um…Maybe I'll eat later."
"I'll save a sandwich for you then. When were done, you can go outside and I'll get dressed."
Soon, they were both back at the train. None of the Russian officers, including Koslowsky looked like they'd be capable of much, so Rick was able to recover.
That night, General Yudenich, the commander of the White Russian Northwest Army, arrived in his own armored train and got his troops moving again. Rick and Kate found that they had left Estonia and Latvia behind and were now in Russia. Nothing much happened to them personally during this period. While the armored train was required to use its larger guns in support of the advancing White army, the machine gun cars weren't needed as there were no infantry or cavalry attacks on the train.
However, one day, Koslowsky asked them to come to his office.
"Captain Castle, Miss Beckett, I believe we can get you back to your ship now."
"Is the way clear of Red troops?" Castle asked.
"No, you couldn't go by land, but you can fly." Koslowsky pulled out a map. "The British are landing supplies here, in Estonia. We hope we can contact them by radio and advise them that you're coming. There's an airfield not a mile from here and a pilot who's willing to take you to the seacoast."
Luckily, Castle remembered the wavelength he'd used to contact his ship before and was soon in contact with the Thomas Ford.
"We'll be looking for you, sir. We've been terribly worried about both you and Miss Beckett. I'll tell Admiral Cowan you're coming. I'm sure he'll keep his ships here." Lieutenant Richter said.
"I'll see you real soon, Mike."
TBC
