Summer Offense

Chapter Six

I heard a loud ringing sound in my ears, it just wouldn't stop. I opened my eyes partially, but everything was blurred and it hurt when I tried. I just kept my eyes closed. The ringing slowly faided away, and I could make out the sound of gunshots and explosions. Someone was shaking me. "O-Oscar?" I tried to say. My throat was parched, and it hurt to speak. I coughed a little bit, and opened my eyes. Ivanovich was shaking me rapidly. "Wake up dammit! Wake up!" He was yelling. I coughed some more, using my hand to cover it. Ivanovich looked at me and stopped shaking. I looked at him and he smiled. "I knew you would make it." He says as he stands ip. He helps grabs my hand and lifts me up. "I couldn't find your friend, but we can look together." He says as gunshots fly past him. Germans were firing from another building. A t34 drove past and fired one shell, hitting the building they were in.

I start digging through the rubble of the building, occasionally firing on those who tried to shoot us. Ivanovich wipes his forehead and grabs my arm. "Its no use, I searched for him, but found nothing." Ivanovich says. I sigh a relief. At least he isn't dead. Over the gunshots I could hear our Katyusha's fire rockets into the air. Ivanovich and I look up to see them streaming through the sky. "Look at that, my friend." He says as the rockets hit their targets. "We are driving the stinking rats back to their contry!" The Germans slowly start falling back when the rocket strike started. They used an old technique, some soldiers cover fire while the others fall back. Then they would change the order. "Kill them anyways! Show no mercy!" I scream into the air. The war had finally gotten to me, they had killed Petrokov and Zakov, nearly killing Ankropov, and who the hell knows where Oscar is? For fuck's sake I have had enough.

Ivanovich draws out a pistol and opens fire on the soldiers, many of them dropping dead on the ground. The rest flee back out of the town along with their last surviving tank, yet our Katyusha's didn't cease fire. Ivanovich looks over at the trucks, puzzled on why they haven't stopped yet. "Hey!" He yells. "The enemy has retreated! Do not waist your ammunition!" One of the crewmates from a truck jumps out and runs to Ivanovich. "I am sorry sir." He says. "Scout planes have spotted enemy units moving in on Tannenberg, we thought we would smoke them with our rockets." He says while keeping a straight face. Ivanovich looks at him in the eye, then he backs away. The soldier doesnt even flinch. Ivanovich speaks. "Nothing to be sorry about, keep firing until your certain the enemy has been eliminated." The soldier salutes, and Ivanovich waves his hand for the soldier to go back to his post.

"You sure are a good leader." I say. Ivanovich shrugs as he reaches for a cigarette. He lights the cigarette, then blows out the match and places it in his pocket. "Not sure if I would say a good leader, but I try my best." He says while smoking the cigarette. "Anyways, we have to make sure the Katyusha's did their job correctly and check out the town." I nod in agreement. Operation Bargration wouldn't work if the enemy counter-attacked and flanked our forces. Ivanovich raises his hand into the air and moves it into a circular motion. "Move out people, we are going to Tannenburg!" He yells out to them. The soldiers, too exhausted, don't reply. Ivanovich laughs and turns to face me. "Better find your American friend." He says as he pats me on the shoulder and walks off. I guess I should look for Oscar.

The first place I look was where he was. Alexei and Katrina had helped Oscar escape from the rubble and brought him to their sniping position. Luckily, he was alive. I started walking up the ridge, using my gun as a walking stick. Katrina points me out and Alexei runs over. Oscar didn't run but he waved to me. Alexei starts talking to me too fast when he made it over. "Slow down, man." I say. Alexei sighs and starts talking. This time, he was slower. "Your friend is okay, but he can't make it to Tannenberg." He says. "His legs have been crushed, he needs to get to a medical unit." I look over at Oscar and walk over to him. "You okay bud?" I say, clutching his shoulder. I let go of his shoulder, noticing their eas blood all over it. "I think so..." He says, smiling like nothing happened. "I just feel like I fell off a building." I roll my eyes. "You're being taken to a medical unit, so you can't make it to Tannenberg." I say. He nods. "I know." He says as a medical truck drives up to the four of us. Two soldiers get out and go to the back of the truck. They open the doors and take out a stretcher. Then they walk to Oscar, pick him up and put him on the stretcher, then into the truck and then drive off. Not even a single word said.

"That was random." Katrina says. Alexei nods in agreement. "Better hurry with our team, they will be needing us." He says. Alexei, Kayina, and I all start walking off towards Tannenberg, where we don't even know if we are going to survive. But then again, who knows if your going to survive in war? The government doesn't give a fuck if you die, they will just replace you. I sigh, trying to forget the thought and just set my eyes onto reaching Tannenberg.