Picture is of the Howling Commandos.
Music is "D-Day" by Nat King Cole.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Vercelli
The three weeks it takes to sneak our way through heavily fortified French forests isn't on the top of my to-do list, but we're lucky enough to make it into Italy without being caught. Every day that passes is a day we get closer to Phillips, Peggy, and Rose in Lamia, Greece, and that is a driving force for the boys and I. And with each passing day, the Howling Commandos become more of a team of close friends than a squad of soldiers.
Most of the three weeks is pretty forgettable, just being cautious as the eight of us tread lightly through Nazi territory. The one day I remember clearer than any else is the day we reach the mountains that we were to cross in order to avoid Paris and the Nazi troops in the south eastern section of France. It lifted us high enough to see the city of Paris, just for a moment, and I swear I could make out the outline of the Eiffel Tower. Bucky just wrapped his hand around mine and told me, "Don't worry, Doll. We'll come back once the war's over."
Two weeks after that day on February 2nd, we're in Italy, just about to enter the city of Vercelli. This city is pretty famous for the largest mass escape of POWs in history. In mid-1943, 50,000 prisoners of war escaped from the twenty-six camps in Vercelli, most of which were soldiers from New Zealand and Australia. One of these prison camps was a HYDRA base, which acts as both a prison camp and a factory to create weapons. And unlike the others, they captured some who escaped and have kept them ever since.
Our mission is to destroy the base, get any unknown weapons that we can, and get those prisoners free so they can head for the Swiss boarder to the north and be sent back to their countries. This base is bigger than the one in Luxembourg, but I have a good feeling about it.
This time, there's no need for stealth when it comes to breaking in. By now, HYDRA command has already been alerted to our presence and has no doubt alerted the rest of the bases to be on the lookout. Our only way inside is through brute force, which will be easier now that we're a well-oiled team. Just like the others, we're to set charges as we go, but only start the timers after the prisoners are released. Unlike the Nazis and HYDRA, we don't believe in unnecessary casualties of war.
Getting through the heavily fortified wall is easy; taking out the guards inside less so. They put up quite a fight as we decide to stick together on this mission rather than split up. Sure, we could cover more ground, but I'd rather not take the risk that someone were to get hurt in the process.
When the eight of us fight out way to the command center of the base, Steve quickly takes out the two guards inside with a gas bomb. He throws it into the room, shuts the door, and waits for the smoke to dissipate. When he opens the door again, the HYDRA guards are lying on the ground, out cold.
He turns to the rest of the Commandos. "All right. This is where we split up. This place is too big to take as a group. Bucky and Em, you head with Dum Dum to get the prisoners out. Jim, Gabe, Frenchie: you three head for the weapons bay. Get what you can before setting your charges. We're not leaving anything for HYDRA."
"What about me?" Monty asks in an English accent.
Steve points to him. "You and I are going to get what intell we can from this base. Then we're going to see what we can do about a self-destruct."
Monty grins. "Sounds like fun."
After giving Steve a look that says, "Be careful," Bucky, Dum Dum, and I head for the prison camp portion of the base.
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