Read Chapters

1.The StorySee below

The Story
 
“I never asked to be squad leader, but I had no choice, now I’ve got thirteen soldiers under my command…thirteen…thirteen soldiers to make them kill, or to be killed, thirteen families relying on me to bring their
Husbands and sons home…thirteen is not a lucky number….”

“Listen up ladies” called The Major “I apologise for the short notice, but you’ve been assigned just now into Chambois, to assist the Yanks, and Canadians.
“And we want to help them because…?” questioned a soldier
“Coz’ their ally’s of us British, fool, yes and we need to go there in…” He looked at his watch “In an hour, I will give you further detail when we arrive, you are dismissed” They sat up from there seats and jogged towards their equipments “Oh, err…Dixon can I have a word?”
“Yes sir.” Dixon replied, he walked over to the major.
“Sergeant you have been assigned as squad leader of these thirteen men” The Major passed him a beige file, which Dixon flicked through looking at the names and faces of the men “I know you seem surprised but nearly all of our sergeants have been killed in combat in this camp, and you are the finest one left” The Major commented
“Thank you sir” Dixon lowered his head
“Well, we leave in half an hour, so you better gear up”
“Yes sir” And Dixon turned around and walked away, angry with ‘The Major’.
As half an hour went by all soldiers lined up next to their transporter planes, there were hundreds of them all cueing up on the runway, The Major went over the details and where they should meet up after landing. And finished with a “Board up Ladies!” Dixon was the first onto their plane he sat himself down facing the men in to rows on either side of the plane. He looked at them all, they were feeling exactly how he was, frightened. The plane propellers roared like lions as they got going. The hatch door opened and The Major came in “Alright Ladies” he laughed, no one commented. When it was their turn to travel into the air next two men started praying as they rattled down the runway
“Does that do anything, does it help?” a soldier asked one of them pointing at their hands.
“It helps me” he smiled, and the soldier smiled back a hint of sadness in his eye.
Dixon looked out of the window when they were in the air, he saw bombed French towns and cities, rubble everywhere and smoke coming from holes in the ground. He felt sick, sick from the plane, and home sick.
“We are arriving at Chambois” said The Major Breaking the silenced. The Major stood in the doorway. “Stand up!” they all stood up “Hooks up” They fastened themselves to the rail leading out the doorway. The two men which were praying earlier crossed themselves repeatedly and one of them kissed a cross around his neck. The plane shook vigorously without warning; they were being shot at by enemy AA fire. Dixon looked out the window ally planes were being shot down flames covered them as they fell to their graves. They were hit by the AA guns by The Major was overwhelmed by flames he flapped his hands over his head and got sucked out of the door!
“Sir, we gota’ jump now!” said Doyle
“No! We wait for the green light!” shouted Dixon over the noise of the fire.
“If we wait any longer, there won’t be a green light!”
“Argh! Everyone hold on!” Ordered Dixon. Their plane got hit down the shaft by AA machine gun, they all ducked. One of the prayers got hit in the neck, blood spurted around the plane splashing everyone, and he fell to his knees then onto his side, and mimed his last words, which looked like a prayer.
“Oh my lord” said the other prayer and he unfastened himself from the rail and knelt down next to his fallen comrade, head in his hands. The green light suddenly flashed.
“Ok! Go, go, go! They all cued up to jump one by one. Dixon was the last to jump, but realised that the man was still knelt down by his friend. “Hey! You gota’ jump, c’mon!”
“No!” Said the man, he looked at his dead comrade, and then looked back at Dixon tears in his eyes “He is my brother!” And he lied over the top of his brother. Dixon nodded, he didn’t no what to say.
“Good luck” He said and he jumped. As soon as he jumped from the plane the plane completely overwhelmed in flames and roared down to the ground. He looked around, the view was incredible from up their, thousands of white parachutes filled the skies. He neared the ground, he was heading to an old broken down building. He landed with a solid thump and his knees gave way. He unfastened himself from his chute and held his rifle to his eye and looked around.
“Serge!” shouted a man from behind, Dixon whizzed around and pointed his rifle at him “Wow, wow! Serge!” he raised his hands in surrender, Dixon lowered his weapon, it was Corrian second in command. Dixon sighed, I could of shot you, ya’ know? Where’s the rest of the squad?” Corrian pointed behind him, and he turned around. There stood four of his men, gasping for breath, red in the face and hands on their knees. “You lot ok? Where’s the rest of ya’? He asked them
“Some of them got shot on the way own here and some got shot from the skies” a soldier said, gasping
“Oy, boyos, I need a little help here” said a strong welsh voice from above, they looked up, it was Doyle, his chute had been stuck on a side of a gutter of the house, they all laughed “Its not funny, now get me down!” Corrian walked over to him giggling, he put his rifle on his back and raised his hands to pull him down, “Hurry up com-“ Doyle got shot right between the eyes, making Corrian fall to the floor.
“Sniper!” shouted Dixon “Everyone get down, find cover!” he found cover himself he hid inside the doorway of the house. He looked at Baker, who was the squad’s sniper “Baker, can you see him?”
“Yep.” Baker replied looking down the scope of his Sniper rifle. “He’s in that bell tower”
“And how do you know that?” asked Corrian
“Because…” he looked at Corrian “that’s were I’d be” he smiled looking back into his scope. Baker fired from his cover under a bench. “Got him” he bit his bottom lip and smiled “God I’m good” he laughed.
“Is it clear?” Dixon asked, Baker looked around through his scope.
“Sure is.”
“Good, right, everyone in the house, Davis call command, tell them our position.” Ordered Dixon
“Yes sir” Dixon walked into the house holding a phone to his ear, Dixon followed him in he found the dining room, and sat down on one of the wooden chairs, he put his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. Corrian walked passed the room then turned back and saw Dixon.
“You alright Serge? He asked, Dixon looked up ignoring Corrian’s eye contact.
“I never asked to be squad leader…” he sighed “six men I’ve already lost, in one day, seven including ‘The Major’ No comment came from Corrian, Dixon cursed while kicking a chair over
“You’re not thinking that any of them are your fault?” he raised an eyebrow “Do ya’?”
Dixon just stared at the ground where the chair was.
“Look Dix’ it wasn’t your fault major died, or the two men on the plane, or even the four men that didn’t come back” he looked at Harris, hanging their out of the window “or him.” Dixon looked at Corrian and sighed.
“Thanks,” he said
“Anytime.” Corrian smiled, Dixon called him back “Corrian, tell the men we’re staying here for the night, we’re waiting for the reinforcements.”
“You got it Dix’” Corrian cringed realising, he called the serge ‘Dix’
“…Keep it Dix’” Dixon smiled
“You got it serge” he walked out the room laughing, leaving Dixon in the Dining room, alone.
A sudden explosion broke the silence dust came down from the ceiling, Dixon shot up out of his chair, grabbed his gun, put his helmet on and went to check on everyone
“Is everyone ok?” he called to them
“Yeah, the explosion happened upstairs, I think the roofs blown off.” said Davis
“Is anybody up there?”
“Yeah, Corrian and Baker.”
“Oh no!” Dixon ran up stairs skipping everyone at a time. Smoke from the damage blocked his view from sight. “Corrian, Baker?” No answer. “Corrian, Bak-“
“Here Serge,” said a ruffled voice from under a pile of rubble, two more soldiers ran upstairs. It was Corrian under the rubble.
“Help me pull him out,” the two soldiers did so, Corrian was in a state.
“You ok?” Dixon asked
“Yeah, I think I’ve broken both of my legs...” he replied, cringing in pain. They carried him downstairs and took him into the dining room; they chucked off the plates and cups on the table and laid Corrian down.
“Where’s Baker?” asked Dixon
“He….got thrown from the explosion out of the window…don’t think he survived.” Corrian replied, still cringing in pain.
It started to rain outside, heavily, Davis lit the fire, and the others shut the windows and doors to keep the heat in. They all sat in the dining room, talking about their fallen comrades. Dixon just sat their fiddling with his dog-tag. It started to thunder and lighting. “Bloody Hell, didn’t expect this, look at it out there” said Davis looking out of the window, Dixon walked over to the window next to Davis, there was a sudden crack from the window, and a thump on the ground, Dixon looked were Davis stood, but all he saw was a splat of blood on the window and a bullet hole through it, he looked down on saw Davis there…dead.
“Davis!” Dixon knelt down beside him, and closed his eyes with his finger tips and stood up “Get away from the windows!” He said to the four able remaining men. Rain sipped through the roof and dripped on the floor, rain and gunfire from elsewhere filled their ears, they sat there in silence, waiting for the next attack. Dixon looked at his men; they looked at him shivering, scared and cold, waiting for their orders. “Leggett take the doorway, Jones, take the window were Davis was, Dawson, Take the opposite window and Hughes, stay by Corrian.” He ordered them he walked over to Corrian, and pulled out a Colt pistol from his back holster, and handed it him, “you will need it.” Corrian stared at him in disbelief. Dixon took his post on the adjacent to were Davis fell. He looked out the window but saw nothing, he could hear a slight rumbling over the rain and gunfire. It got louder, and louder, it sounded as if it was just around the corner.
“Tank!” shouted Hughes “Get down!” they all ducked and a deafening sound blasted through the wall. Corrian went unstable, he stood up wobbling, he couldn’t hear anything, just a squealing noise, ringing in his ear, he looked around, and saw a German soldier on top of Hughes, trying to force a knife into his chest, he looked toward Corrian he was trying to shoot the man on top of Leggett but couldn’t get a clear shot…Dixon still couldn’t hear anything, just the ringing sound in the ear from the tank blast. He looked around again and saw that Leggett was lying dead in the doorway eyes wide open through his glasses. Dixon’s hearing came back, it took him a while to get used to it, he picked up his rifle and shot the man on top of Hughes which made him fly right of him. Hughes stood up and started fighting more Germans that came through the windows, he turned round to help Dawson, but saw three Germans beating him with the butt of their rifles, he was dead, he ran over to Dawson and jumped on all three Germans beating them with his butt of his rifle, he pulled out his knife and finished them off, He looked over to were Jones was, but he was dead, must have been from the blast. He ran over to Corrian and Hughes, Hughes was losing his fight with two Germans and was finally finished off. It was just Corrian and he, standing their ground against an army of Germans, Dixon ran at a German who was just about to kill Corrian from behind, he rugby tackled him over the table were Corrian was laying, and finished him with a blow to the neck. He turned around and saw Corrian get stabbed through the shoulder by a bayonet of a gun. He screamed in pain. Corrian shot him to the ground, he tried to shoot another, but realised he was out of ammo, Dixon could not save him this time, he was in his own battle, the German pointed his weapon at him, pulled the trigger, but it jammed, he tried reloading and firing again, but still it jammed. A gunshot sounded behind him, and hit the German right through the eyes, Corrian turned round on his back, and it was the reinforcements. The reinforcements entered the house clearing all sight of the Germans; they had them on the run. Dixon lifted himself up from the ground and dusted himself off.
“Whose in charge here?” said the soldier; Corrian looked at Dixon as if to say he is.
“I am, Sergeant Dixon" He saluted, which the soldier gave one in return", Good timing boys.” He said sarcastically, the soldier recognised the tone in his voice, and looked around at the blood soaked floor, mixed with water from the rain.
“I’m sorry for your loses, we got here ASAP” Dixon looked around the bodies, and then to Corrian, who was lying there getting wounds looking after by a medic, he walked over to each one of his men, and collected their dog-tags, with tears in his eyes.
Review this Story >>>