Women of War - A Band of Brothers Story

Bloody Gulch

A/N: Hello everyone, here we are again with a new chapter. I'm a bit unsure about this one because I was experimenting a little and I'm afraid that it ended up confusing with all the different POVs. Hope you still enjoy it, though :)

The next day began far too early. Dawn had only just brightened into pale morning when the officers briefed their platoon sergeants and squad leaders on the plan of attack. Maxine squatted beside Guarnere, peering over Buck's shoulder at his map as she listened to the lieutenant outlining their strategy.

"We don't know what they've got", Compton said, finger tracing over the map. "The intel's unclear. We may be attacking a weaker force. Maybe more paratroopers." He looked up to meet their eyes and continued: "Fire and manoeuvre, that's the strategy. Mortars are already set up on the slope there, Fields" – he fixed the woman in question with his bright gaze – "find a position on the ridge."

The sniper nodded, mumbling a confirmation.

"That's it, ladies and gentlemen", Buck finished, folding the map and pocketing it, "Dog and Fox are moving with us on our left flank. Any questions?"

A murmur of negatives went through their small cluster and the lieutenant nodded. "Alright, let's move."

Their little circle broke up as the NCOs returned to their squads. Louise gave Maxine a pat on the shoulder and was just about to say something, when a by now familiar whining whistle rang out.

"Mortar!", somebody shouted a few feet to their left.

"Down, everyone into a hole, take cover!", Maxine yelled, plastering herself against the soil as the first artillery shell hit, blowing up a fountain of dirt.

Louise scrambled to her feet and ran towards her assigned post, shoulders pulled up and knees bent to stay as low as possible.

"Find your targets!", Maxine hollered over the racket, trying to pick out muzzle flashes on the other side of the field. "C'mon, get your asses in gear!"

Louise let out a scream of frustrated anger as she flattened herself into the grass, the ground beneath her shaking with the explosions of enemy mortar fire.

How am I supposed to hit anything when the bloody Earth's rattling like that?, she asked herself, flinging herself down and setting up her rifle. Her heart was pumping rapidly, her pulse thumping in her ears. Deep breath.

Slipping into the sniper breathing mode, the Brit felt and heard her heart rate slow down.

***

Machine gun fire erupted as the men from the OP rushed back to the line, diving headfirst over the dykes to cover.

"Look for silhouettes on the horizon!", Lieutenant Winters' voice could be heard yelling over the chaos of the gun battle. He was hurrying down the line, spurring the soldiers into motion. "Find your targets!"

The sergeants were echoing their CO's orders, bellowing directions and encouragements to their platoons and squads. "Keep low! Pour it on them! Keep them pinned!"

Jessica, lying flat on her stomach and relatively sheltered by the small rise in the ground that they had incorporated into their fortified position, cursed under her breath as she was showered in leaves and twigs from the enemy MG fire perforating the foliage.

"Didn't anyone tell those guys that dropping trees on people is rude?!", she shouted over to Dukeman, dropping another Kraut.

"Wouldn't know!", he replied without even taking his eyes off his sights.