Through Blood

Chapter 15: Brave

The English coastline drew closer and closer. Although it was still a blur in the distant horizon, at the speed he was flying he was approaching it fast. Uli flew at full throttle once more, to try and catch up to the British pilot returning to his airfield.

The pilot seemed to believe Uli was no longer chasing him, for he flew confidently and more paced. He probably thought that the sight of Royal Navy battleships scared Uli away.

Uli took the opportunity, locked his sight on the Spitfire and shot at it with all his might. The plane caught smoke and began gradually descending. Uli wanted to stick around and watch what would become of the British pilot and his aircraft, but he needed to return to France.

As he was turning his aircraft around, the ships began firing at him relentlessly. Shots exploded around him in black puffs of smoke. They all missed as he was just high enough.
Uli feared that more Spitfires would be coming after him on his return to mainland Europe, but none did.

Upon his return, his fellow squad members cheered loudly over the radio. They'd all believed him shot down over the English waters, except for Ben who kept saying "I told you, I knew he would return, I told you all, I knew it!"

By June 4th, nearly all of the trapped French and British soldiers had escaped to England. Those who remained on the beach were either dead or too injured to run into the water and get on a boat. Sometimes they had to swim far into the beach as larger vessels couldn't come close to the shore. The rescue boats and ships stopped coming, and Wehrmacht troops came in and took all those who were still alive as prisoners.

The Luftwaffe's job was done, their task completed; although, the overall mission in Dunkirk had been failed miserably. Nearly the entire British Expeditionary Force, which consisted of about 260,000 British men and 60,000 French men, had escaped by sea. They mourned those dead and those left behind. They knew in their hearts that, someday, somewhere, they would fight Hitler again.

The Luftwaffe squadrons flew to the military base where the bombers had been refueling. It was a French airfield from the first Great War, slightly abandoned and outdated.

Once Uli landed his plane, Captain Günther came to him. He looked frighteningly serious. "Captain, Heil Hitler!" Uli saluted him, his right arm outstretched.
"Sieg Heil," Günther returned the salute. "Werner, that was one of the most foolish things I have seen in my career as a pilot so far. And I have seen men fly into a thunderstorm. Do you have any idea of how risky that was? Are you suicidal"
"Sir, I'm not suicidal. I... I couldn't let him get away, sir." Uli didn't know what to say.
"That was stupid, Flieger, and you know what? You were excellent!"
"What?" he was confused.

"We have reports of a British fighter shot down mere kilometres from the coast!" Günther exclaimed. "Apparently it was as brave as it gets," he laughed out loud, patting Uli on the back. "I guess the words brave and stupid are interchangeable now. Anyway, a lot of those sons of bitches got away, but our squadrons fought valiantly. I think it's safe to say you can expect a promotion in your ranks very soon. Well done, Flieger Werner"

Uli was left speechless. More planes were landing and by then all traces of sunlight were gone. The dark night sky was not covered in clouds for once. It was clear, full of bright, shining stars and a full moon. He looked up and thought of flying into space. Flying so far he reached the moon.

His plane would break before it even left the troposphere, but he liked the thought of what it would be like to fly beyond that. To fly beyond the stratosphere, to reach the moon and touch its surface. Was its dust as silvery as it looked? It reminded him of Ivy, both were so beautiful, both far away.

~

It was the perfect summer day to go for a walk. Tree leaves swayed lazily in the warm wind. Liesel called the Köhler house to find out if Ivy was there and if she wanted to walk with her and her dog. Nobody answered the phone, not even a maid, which was odd. She decided to go the house anyway. Upon Liesel's arrival, she found the strangest sight. Several cars parked in front of the large row house and many were shiny, black, with military license plates, they were from the SS.