The Fall of America: Winter Ops (6 page)

Top nodded and replied, “I read the same. Look, we can't save them all because it's impossible, and we both know it can't be done.  However, we should try to free as many as we can and when we can, if for no other reason than it pisses off the Russians.”

My eyes felt like they had sand in them, so I said, “I'm going to catch some sleep.  Is there anything else I need to know about tomorrow morning?”

Top lowered his head and replied, “Yep there is.  Last week two partisans were captured by the Russians, but instead of taking them as POW's they burned them to death with a flamethrower.  When you leave tomorrow you'll have six captured Russians to take with you.  At some point, those six are to be tied to trees or posts and killed the exact same way.  Colonel Lee wants you to do it on a hill near interstate 55, which as you know, leads to Jackson, so their charred bodies can be seen from the road.”

“Burn them to death?  Damn, Top, that's a rough order.  I . . . I don't know if I can follow this order.”

“The Russians must learn that for every captured American they kill, we will execute three of their men, and we'll kill them exactly as they do our people.  We have only recently started taking enlisted captives and we keep them deep in swamps in wooden cages.  See the order is carried out.  Now, you get some sleep.”  Top turned and walked away.

The next morning the sun was out, but it was still cold and the snow had stopped.  Dark gray, almost black clouds, were off to the west, holding a promise of more rain, sleet or snow.  As we prepared to leave, Corporal Scott neared.

“Something on your mind, Scott?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, there is.  Are we really going to burn the Russian prisoners we have?”

“That's my orders. I don't like the idea much either, but the Russians did the same to partisans they captured a while back. They have to be shown that for every American they murder, we'll kill three of theirs, and the same way.”

“I . . . I can't think of a more horrible way to die.  Do you think we have to stoop to their level to win this war?”

I had a map in my hand, so I placed it on the table, met his eyes and said, “The Russians are animals in this war and they have absolutely no compassion for our people, none.  But, to answer your question, no, we don't need to stoop to their level, we must go lower.  We must show them such barbaric behavior so that they become panic-stricken of us, and leave our country.  Now, if you have a problem with your orders, Corporal Scott, feel free to speak with Colonel Lee.  I have my orders and I will carry them out.  Now, either prepare to leave with us, or find the Colonel.”

“The Russians are humans too, sir, and I don't think our orders are lawful.”

I laughed loudly, sobered, and then said, “Robert, don't you understand there are no laws now? Not a one!  Oh, perhaps the laws of humanity apply, or NATO's laws, but NATO can kiss our asses, because where are they now?  Since day one of this fight, NATO has said nothing condemning the Russians and has made no effort to even assist us.  Think of the billions, or maybe trillions, of dollars our country gave NATO over the years and it pisses me off that they've made no attempt to help us.  I'm actually a compassionate man, but when it comes to my country and its freedom, I'll do whatever it takes to get the Russians to leave.  I will burn these prisoners to death, and I will burn more and more, if it helps rid our country of the Russians yoke.”

Scott was quiet, looking at the floor, and then raised his head and said, “I was raised, sir, to love this country above all things in life.  My father changed his Russian name to Scott, so he'd fit into American society better and he considered himself, as did my mother, an American, not a Russian.  My home had American flags all over it, inside and out.  The proudest time in my father's life was when all of his kids chipped in and bought him a flagpole, so he could raise and lower the American flag each day.  While he never served a day in the United States Military, he saluted that flag twice a day.  He was a good man, sir, and some of these men we'll burn to death are good men too.”

I put my hands on my hips and said, “Scott, you either speak with the Colonel or grab your gear, because I leave in five minutes.  I have nothing else to say to you.”

“I'll go, but needed you to understand my view.  I'll do what I'm ordered to do, but don't expect me to pour gas or light those men up, because I can't do it.  I can't burn any person alive.”

“No, I won't ask you to do that, because I feel as the senior man, that's my responsibility.  Now, grab your gear and let's go.”

Ten minutes later, we were moving down the trail with six Russian captives and each looked terrified.  I hardened my heart toward what I was about to do and moved toward the front of my line, so I didn't have to see them.  

At the first break, Sandra walked up to me and Dolly wagged her tail as she approached with her.  Sitting beside me, she said, “The Colonel is not well.  From his symptoms, I think he has cancer and, of course, we can't do anything for him.  Oh, I can keep his pain level down, but he'll eventually die on us.”

I scratched Dolly's ears and asked, “How long do you think he has to live?”

“I can't answer that, because it would take extensive testing and we have no way to test the man.  I'm afraid he needs more than we can provide.  To be honest, I'm not even a hundred percent sure he has cancer.”

“Baby, there is nothing we can do for the man, so he'll either recover or die on us.  I hate to sound so cold, but that's the way things are these days.  I know some who've stood by and watched their loved ones die for the need of a simple medication, like blood pressure pills, heart medications and even antibiotics.”

“About all we have are painkillers and some antibiotic medications, but they've only been available recently.”

I shrugged and replied, “You know I'd help him and thousands of others, if I could, but I can't. Now, how are you holding up?”

“I'm okay, I guess, just tired.  I would love a romantic evening with you, only that won't happen anytime soon.  I know I'm not the same woman I used to be on the outside, but inside I've not changed much.”

“I didn't fall in love with the outside of you, and you know that.”  I pulled her to me, looked into  her eyes and said, “I fell in love with your soul, baby.”

She started crying, I guess because the Russians badly mangled her face and removed her ears when she was a captive, which prevented her from ever being beautiful again. She was a mass of scar tissue, but she was alive and that's all that mattered to me. I love her as much now as I did the day we married, so her face mattered little to me.

Silverwolf neared and said, “I just discovered an ambush site, but with no blood.”

“No blood?”  I thought for a moment and then said, “Dead partisans?”

“Yep, about a dozen and not one drop of blood.  I've never seen anything like it before.”

“Pull your gas mask and lets check the area out. I suspect the Russians used poison gas.”  I said as I pulled my mask from the canvas pouch I carried on my left leg.  

It was when we neared the site and I saw squirrels running over the ground, I knew we didn't need the masks.

“The gas has dissipated, or the squirrels would be dying or dead.”  I said as I pulled my pistol.

Glancing around, I added, “Don't touch anyone, but if you see any gear we need, take it, but check for booby-traps.  I don't see any weapons or ammo. The Russians may have booby-trapped some of these bodies.”

A few minutes later, Silverwolf said, “I don't see a single weapon in the bunch and most of the gear is gone, too. They did that to keep us from recovering anything.”

“These folks died rough from the looks on their faces.  Every one has a grimace with teeth bared.”

“Gas, Sergeant. Looks like nerve gas to me, but it must have been released with a bomb or artillery round.”

Silverwolf began circling and about ten minutes later, he returned and said, “Looks like a bomb to me, and it's not far from these folks.  It left a crater, but I honestly can't tell the difference.  I thought gas had to be sprayed out, like they used to do crops.”

“The Russians have a number of ways to deliver it. What's this?”  I asked as I bent over and picked up a map.  On the map, one of our safe houses was circled and the map was in Russian.  That in itself was not a big deal, but it was laminated and grease pencil notes written in Russian were on the map as well.

“Looks like a map, but we see them all the time.”

“Not like this one we don't.  Let's get back and have Scott take a look at this.”

S
enior Sergeant Morozov led the Lieutenant down the trail and then moved into some thick pines and oaks to look the man's injuries over.  Blood was pouring between his fingers, and growing impatient at not being able to pry the man's hands from his face, he said, “Damn, sir, let me see your wound or you may bleed to death before I can do a thing for you.”

It hurts.”

“Of course it hurts, it is
supposed
to hurt.  That is good; that means you are still alive. Now, lower your hands and let me see what has happened.”

The Lieutenant slowly lowered his quivering hands and Morozov said, “It does not look too bad, and I think your blindness is caused by blood and debris. I am no doctor or medic, but I have seen my share of injuries.”  

As he reached for the medical kit the Lieutenant wore, the Senior Sergeant thought,
The left eye has been blown out and the right doesn't look much better.  I need to keep his spirits up or he will go into shock.  It will be hard enough to travel with him as it is.  He needs morphine, but if I inject him, I will have to carry him and I cannot do that.

Once the bandages were on tightly covering both eyes, Morozov said, “Okay, sir, we can move now.  Listen to me.  I can give you a light painkiller in a pill, but no morphine.  If I give you morphine I will have to leave you.”

“Oh, dear God, do not leave me, please!  The pills will be enough.”  The Sergeant saw blood seeping through the thick bandage.

“I will not leave you as long as you continue to move.  Can you walk if you hold onto my belt?”

“I . . . I think so.  I do not have much of a choice, do I?”  The Lieutenant stood and reached out with his hand.  

Removing the  belt to his trousers, he looped it and then buckled it closed.  Handing the loop to the Lieutenant, he said, “If I come to a big rock or other obstacle, I will let you know.  Now, if I tell you to get down, drop to the dirt right then, sir.  We can do this, if we stay calm and work together.”

“Do not leave me, Sergeant, please; the partisans will tortured me for hours, because I am an officer.”

“We are comrades and I have never left anyone alive on the battle field yet, sir.”  Morozov said and then thought,
Except those who were dying anyway or slowed me down. Let us both pray, for your sake, Lieutenant, you are able to keep up with me.  This is a walk for life and I will not be held back by an injured man, but do not worry, I will kill you before I leave you.  War is about survival and I fully intend to retire.

“Good, Sergeant.  When we return, I will see you are given a medal.”

Medal?  A worthless piece of cloth and some tin?  I would rather have a quart of vodka
, he thought and then replied, “Why thank you, sir.  Now, we need to be moving.  Let me know if you have problems, the first mile will be the hardest.”

“I will move, and thank you, Sergeant.”

“Enough talk, sir.  We do not know who else is in these woods.  We need to be quiet, and let us move now.”

The first quarter mile was rough, but after that, the Lieutenant seemed to gain some trust and walked much easier. At first he seemed hesitant to take a step, but with time he moved much faster.  The day passed uneventfully, with no one seen and nothing heard.  As dusk neared, the Senior Sergeant was near a small lake, so he stopped for a few minutes.  

“I am hungry.”  the Lieutenant said.

“We have no food, sir. There is a lake near, which I'm sure has fish, only I have no way to catch them.”

“Is there a stream?”

“Yes, there is one leading from the lake, why?”

“Often fish will swim from a lake, enter a stream and then be trapped when the water level drops.  You can find them by feeling with your hands in the water under rocks, logs, or stream banks.  You must use caution, because at times snakes will be found instead.  Or you can make a fishnet from a limb shaped like a 'Y'  and use your undershirt to make the net portion.  You can use it to catch small fish or minnows.”

“It is cold now and I will need a fire, if I am to fish the stream.  Let us move deeper into the trees and find a good spot.  I think I have about an hour of light left and then it will grow dark.”

“Good luck, Sergeant.”

It was cold and the Sergeant didn't really like the idea of getting wet, but they were both hungry, which meant he had to try.  He stripped completely naked and entered the cold waters of the stream.  He glanced at the sky and cursed the falling snow.

An hour later, after catching four large fish under the banks, he had them cooking over the flickering flames of the fire.  He knew fresh water fish carried parasites, usually worms, so he cooked the fish well.  He didn't know the locals called the fish bass and would not have cared anyway.  His hunger was acute and he also craved a strong glass of vodka, but knew that would have to wait until he returned to the base.