All Things Nice » Band of Brothers

61: Artillery

The first update those who'd stayed behind received on the situation at the crossroads came in the early hours of the morning. Posey was sound asleep in the CP, her eyelids having gotten too heavy to keep pushing up after they'd had no news for hours, when static from Perconte's radio jolted her awake. Even through the receiver, which Perco held up to his ear to communicate through, Posey could hear Winters' request; they needed backup.

Posey was on her feet before she was even fully awake, shouldering her rifle and rubbing the bleariness from her eyes. It was just beginning to get bright outside, judging by the light slipping through the gaps in the wood panelling of the barn, which meant First had been out there all night. After the casualties in Nuenen and then the bombing outside Veghel, they were already dwindling in number. If Posey had to guess, she'd say they were fatefully outnumbered out there.

"Yes, sir," Perco was saying just before the line cut out. He looked up and sought out Bill in the expectant faces of the crowd now gathered around him. "Winters wants the balance of First and whoever Second can spare as back up at the crossroads. Patrols and watch to go on as normal and Third to stay behind to hold the fort."

Bill nodded, drinking all of the information in before turning to the group gathered himself. "Who's already been on patrol or watch?" he demanded, searching the faces before him.

Posey raised a hand, one of only a few who were able to.

Bill nodded. "Right. On me. Where's the rest of First?"

"Johnny went to check on some of the replacements over where they're set up," said Skinny.

"Wells, go find him, tell him what's goin' on. I want you back here and ready to leave in under a minute. Go," ordered Bill.

Posey was off, heading towards where she'd seen Hashey and a few of the newer replacements (newer, even, than the original replacements they'd gotten in Aldbourne) heading earlier. Before she'd even found them she was shouting into the darkness, "Johnny, Winters wants the balance of First Platoon down at the crossroads right now!"

"First Platoon, lets go!" was Johnny's bellowed response, addressed not to Posey but to the members of First he was apparently surrounded by. In a moment men and boys alike were jumping down from stacks of hay and shouldering their rifles, grabbing their helmets on the way. Posey led the way back to where Bill was waiting and grabbed her own helmet in the process. Sleep had made her mind blurry - she couldn't believe she'd had to be reminded by replacements, of all people, to bring her helmet with her into combat. For shame.

Johnny led the group of First Platoon and the few stragglers of Second out to the crossroads, leaving Bill and the others behind, where they first came upon Winters crouched with George, Tab, and Peacock, their heads all bowed together, conferring.

The group of them approaching, already crouched in the grass as they moved, came to a halt upon Johnny's signal. Johnny exchanged a few words with Winters before nodding and gesturing for them to follow him further in. Posey offered Winters and the others a small smile as she passed, her hands tight around her rifle as she made her way along the edge of the ditch First were all huddled in. As soon as they were where they needed to be, filling in the gaps of the group of First already gathered, Johnny filled them in on the situation.

"We got a group of krauts just across the field. We're outnumbered. They could outflank us as soon as they work out where we are, so we're attacking. Fix bayonets and get as many of 'em as possible. Winters is going first and we're following when he gives the signal."

Bayonets meant close combat. In her mind's eye, Posey saw the face of the German soldier from back in Nuenen, saw his blood spraying over her as she buried her bayonet into his neck, saw Bull's face as he shoved his own bayonet into the man's stomach. She didn't like bayonets.