The War to End All Wars

Over the Top

  "GREENWALT!" Townsend shouts at me from across the interior. My ears ring a high pitched squeal as I grip the sides of my head.
"GREENWALT GET US MOVING!" McManus shouts, grabbing me by the collar and shaking me. My hearing adjusts to normal and I stare at him wide eyed.
"NOW!" Townsend shouts, and I shake into attention. Quickly, I regain control of Big Bess, our tank, and peek back through.
"CAN'T SEE SHIT! RUBBLE'S ALL OVER US!" I scream, my throat grinding against itself in agony. The dust fills my lungs as I breath shakily.
"PUSH US ON THROUGH THEN!" McManus barks, loading the main gun and peering into the goggles. "SHIT! LOOKS LIKE 'ERE'S LOTS O' GERMMIES OU' THERE!"
"GE' 'IM WHERE IT 'URTS!" I roar, smirking with my mouth agape as I barrel Bess forward. Rubble slides off of Bess, allowing me to see exactly where I'm driving. Hell. That's the only thing I can think of right now- Hell.
  "HA HA! THA'S ONE DOWN!" Townsend shouts, peering through then back door. "STOP BESS FOR A SE'OND!" I force Bess to a slow stop, and Townsend quickly opens the backdoor for a second, and soon retreats back inside.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" McManus shouts, moving away from the goggles.
"PIGEON!" Townsend sounds as if he's just been given a gift on Christmas. He removes a tiny scroll tied to the bird's leg, and squints to read it. I can tell McManus doesn't realize the seriousness of the situation, but I hold onto my breath as if my life depended on it. These orders could send us home- or to hell.
"Well out with it then!" McManus urges.
"Shut it McManus!" I snarl, lashing out at him.
"Say it to m' face!" McManus roars, standing up and moving to me.
"S'OP IT!" Jerri says, peering out from the Pigeon area. He's our Pigeon caretaker, and our mechanic.
"Looks like we kno' why i's so quiet out there." Townsend says. "We're pushing up the 'ill- taking their vantage." Townsend says, nodding to me. I nod back, and return to the controls for Bess. Hopeful, I exhale with all my strength into moving Bess forward. Just my luck- she breathes back.
"Alr'igh! I reckon she likes me boys!" I smirk back to the group, and they chuckle. Well, everyone except McManus- he's too damn uptight sometimes.
"ONWARD!" Townsend shouts, pointing into the air at an angle.
"Ha HA!" I laugh, barreling forward. Bess rolls over trenches with ease, and crushes barbed wire that blocked out men's path without remorse. The loud flicks around, splattering the sides of reliable Bess. Thunderous booms echo throughout the area, and loud screams of anger and fear mix around us.
"THA'S IT RIGHT THERE!" McManus shouts, aiming at the enemy front's vantage camp.
  "THEN I RECKON WE SEND 'IM 'OME!" I shout, and the three men's shouts indicate consensus. Bess barrels through the mud without a care, and I'll admit every time a mortar fires off it makes my teeth shiver. Bess climbs up the hill, but we all lurch forward at the sound of a heavy smack, followed by scraping and clinking.
"'EY RAMMED US!" McManus shouts, and Townsend punches the back door in anger.
  "GREENWALT-" he begins.
  "I GO' THIS ONE!" I cut him off, looking back into the peep hole. "'OLD ON LADS 'IS 'LL BE A BUMPY ONE!" I warn them, and move Bess forward, and she hisses in disapproval. "Hold out for me Bess, hold out." I whisper, and finally Bess lifts the other tank onto our front. I can't see, but I know every hill has more than one downside.
  "BLOODY 'ELL GREENWALT- 'IS IS BRILLIANT!" Jerri compliments, and I smirk. Feeling the slight angle now, I pull back every brake Bess has, causing sheer momentum to cause the other tank to slide off. I peer out the slot and see it veer backwards and to the side.
  "NOW MCMANUS!" I shout back to him, and the cannon booms. I look back, my ears ringing a bit, and see the tank flipped onto it's side.
  "WE GO'A CLEAR THEM OUTTA THE BASE!" Townsend screeches, and he begins to fire off the back turrets. I reverse Bess into the middle of the camp, and wait.
  "JERRI!" I shout over the gunfire, having come up with an idea. "THE TURRETS!" I shout, and he shouts it back to me. We take over the side turrets, firing off at all Germmies we can see.
  "SHIT!" McManus shouts, and before anyone can ask what he's yelling at, a loud explosion rocks Bess. "MOR'ARS! WE 'OTTA GO NOW!" McManus shouts, and Townsend nods to me. I stumble to the controls and lurch Bess forward. I choke for a second, and cough uncontrollably.
  "JERRI!" Townsend shouts, and coughs. "GE' 'AT PIPE FIXED!"
  "ON IT!" Jerri shouts in response, and begins to fumble around. "GIT BESS STOPPED!" He barks, and I cough with a nod. Bess croaks to a stop, and Jerri fiddles around with the pipes.
  "'URRY UP JER! WE GOT 'EM ON OUR ARSE!" McManus barks, firing off the main cannon.
  "SHITE! THAT'LL DO, LE'S GO!" Jerri shouts, hitting his head against the roof of Bess. I peer through the peep hole, and luckily there's nothing blocking us this time around.
  "SMOO' SAILS AHEAD!" I shout, launching Bess forward. Bess barrels down the hill, and we cross over a bridge moments before enemy mortars cause it to crumble.
"AW HELL! MUD!" McManus shouts, and Bess sinks down a bit as we launch forward. Townsend opens the back door for a second, then slams it back closed.
"JERRI! GE' OUT THERE AN' FIX OU' TREADS!" Townsend barks, and turns to me. "GREENWALT! GO 'ITH 'IM!" I salute to Townsend, and clamber out of Bess with Jerri.
"I GOTTA TIGH'EN THE HUBS AND POSI'ION THE TREAD- CO'ER ME!" Jerri shouts over the explosions and the gunfire. I nod to him and grip my rifle tightly. Just as I begin to turn around and look to the battle, a shot whizzes past my head, stunning me so badly that I fall onto my back. There's a grunt that I find barely audible- and I spin around as quickly as I can.
"JERRI!" I reach, but there's nothing I can do. Realizing this, I launch into action. I roll Jerri's cold body over and grab the tool beneath him. It's got a hammer on one end and a wrench on the other. I hold my breath as I exert all my force into tightening a bolt on a loose hub cap. Relieved, I quickly work on finishing up the other bolts.
"JERRI! GREEN'ALT! QUICKLY NOW!" McManus shouts from inside Bess. I exhale, my life feeling drained from my body. I take a look at everything around me; the bodies, the blood and mud mixing in so fluidly I can't even tell which is which.. It certainly makes me feel hopeless, like I'm an ant in a minefield.
No.. no! I've got- I've got my limousine service when I get home, and there's Ariel- I'm going home to all of it!
I shake my head to attention, and turn to the displaced track.
"HNG!" I grunt, pushing in the tread with all of my might. "Hfff.." I puff, letting off. Weary, I put my hands under the tread and push up, making it barely stretch upward. Terrified of failure; I lurch against Bess with all of my weight, and luckily enough- the tread sit correctly.
I smirk between my heavy breaths, and throw Bess's side door open, clambering inside.
"'ERE'S JERRI?!" Townsend asks, and he looks back out. "Oh my god.." he mutters, and I seize control of Bess again. I attempt to launch Bess back into action- but only grinding and slushing sounds erupt.
  "TOW'END! SHE STUCK!" I shout to him, and he punches the back door again in anger. Enemy troops surround Bess, and infantry climbs all over the tank to try and get at us.
  "This is it 'en, eh?" McManus asks, slumping as he leans against the wall.
  " 'ot just yet." Townsend says, a gleam in his eye.
" 'at are you doin?" McManus asks as Townsend fiddles with the birdcage.
  " 'endin our coordinates!" Townsend barks at him, and finally gets the pigeon out. He scribbles onto a tiny scroll and ties it around the pigeon's leg.
  "Don't you open 'at bloody door!" McManus growls, standing up.
  " 's ou' only chance McManus! I'm tired of ya lip!" Townsend snarls, and throws open the back door for a second. He tosses the bird out and manages to close the door just as a bullet scathes his arm. "GAH!" He grunts, grabbing his arm. My ears scream in distaste as the bullet's connection to the wall rings throughout the dense vehicle.
  "We're done for." McManus whispers, sitting back down.
  "I- I don't know 'at's going to 'appen, but i's been a good one lads." Townsend breathes, his face becoming pale. I swear I can see more grey hairs growing on that man's mustache as we speak.
  "Do you 'ear that?" I ask, hearing a fair whistle.
  "No bloody way." McManus says, looking up from the ground. The whistle grows louder and louder, before erupting into a giant FWOOSH!
  "McManus!" Townsend says.
  "On it!" He replies, checking the goggles. "It bloody worked!"
  "YES!" We all cheer, tears streaming down our filth ridden faces.
  "Greenwalt- take us through the woodlands a'ead... We 'ave camps stationed ou' there." Townsend orders, and I nod, retaking control of Bess. She hisses- and roars to life. We move onward, into the woods.