Bauer gave him that annoying smile, which only made Cole want to shoot him even more. “Remember my words to the corporal,” Bauer said. “Justice will be served, just maybe not today.”
“I reckon you’re right about that.” Cole nodded, a grim agreement hanging in the air. Nearby, Vaccaro shook his head. “You don’t always have to be so damn righteous, Cole.”
Cole ignored him, his gaze fixed on Bauer, who just shrugged and looked away. Rupert chimed in, “Shouldn’t we tie him up again? We should take back my gun, at the very least.”
Cole shook his head. “He came back on his own, didn’t he? He gave himself up to save our sorry asses from shooting one another. There’s no need to tie him up again.” To Bauer, he added, “Keep the gun. You might need it before the day’s out.”
Rupert spoke up. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“He came back, didn’t he?” Cole snapped, then added, “Sir.”
Rupert didn’t argue the point.
As they moved down the road, enveloped by the silent, dark woods, even the wildlife seemed to hold its breath. The encroaching woods offered respite from the wind, but there was no break from the cold, which crept up from the icy road into their feet. Snowflakes drifted through the branches, chilling their skin with a touch as cold as the grave.
Cole fell back behind Bauer to keep an eye on him. No matter what he had said before to Lieutenant Rupert, he supposed that it was better to be safe than sorry if Bauer changed his mind and decided to try to shoot him in the back.
He let Lena and Rupert lead the way. They had rounded a bend, approaching the charred remains of a truck, when movement caught Cole’s eye. There was something, or somebody, hiding in the wreckage. He swung his rifle up, but a gunshot rang out first. Rupert cried out in pain, then fell to the snowy road, blood flowing red.
Lena dove down beside him, a move that likely saved her life as more shots followed, snapping through the cold air.
Cole fired blindly toward the truck. “Off the road!” he yelled, but he stood firm, firing again.
Darting forward, Cole grabbed Rupert, dragging him to the roadside ditch, Lena following. Vaccaro and Bauer had already vanished into the woods. Bullets zipped past, and Cole knew the fight was far from over.
Cole spotted movement and recognized the distinct square shape of a German helmet. He aimed and fired, taking down the figure hiding behind the skeleton of a truck. But the gunfire continued, forcing them to take cover. “We need to get out of here,” Cole urged. He asked Rupert, “How bad are you hit? Can you move?”
“Yes,” Rupert replied through gritted teeth.
“Let’s help him up,” Cole said, turning to Lena. “You get his other shoulder.” With their combined effort, they managed to drag the wounded lieutenant into the nearby woods, where Vaccaro and Bauer had already taken cover and were trading gunfire with the gunmen in the wreckage.
“I’ll be damned,” Cole exclaimed, catching his breath. “I reckon those Germans found us.”
“Messner and Dietzel,” Bauer confirmed. “They must have taken a shortcut at the bend in the road while we were unaware.”
Cole couldn’t argue with this theory; it seemed like the most logical explanation. They couldn’t be more than a few miles from HQ at Neufchâteau. But now they had a wounded comrade and enemy soldiers on their tail, making the final leg of their journey even more harrowing. “Vaccaro, keep an eye on that truck and watch our back trail,” Cole ordered. “I’ll tend to Rupert’s wound. We need to stop that bleeding before we do anything.”
He quickly took out a first aid kit from his bag and treated Rupert’s injury as best as he could. “I know it hurts like hell, Lieutenant, but we’ve got to keep moving,” Cole said sympathetically. “We need to circle around those Germans. We don’t have time to wait them out.” With Lena and Bauer supporting Rupert on either side, they made their way deeper into the woods, aided by an animal path that led them away from the road.
Despite his injury, Rupert was determined to keep going, but his strength was fading. In fact, he might not have made it at all if Bauer hadn’t slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him the last stretch up the steep incline. The German was certainly stronger than he looked.
The Krauts were tough bastards, even the officers, Cole admitted grudgingly.
Once they reached level ground again, Lena led them down a hidden path parallel to the road, keeping them out of sight from the Germans, who must surely now be on their trail.
They had left a trail wide as a highway through the snowy woods and up the side of the hill. Cole debated staying behind and making a stand against the Germans. He was confident that he had killed one of them, but the ambush on the road had rattled him, and he suddenly didn’t like their chances, even if they technically outnumbered the Germans. War wasn’t just a numbers game. Luck didn’t seem to be on their side lately.
