Operation Rhinoceros

Chapter II

When Herman lost consciousness there he been another four unaccounted for outside standing guard wth Emily

A truck of 20 men were supposed to arrive
Earlier that night at the top of the eighteenth hour.
No such truck came.

Gregory had said something eerie, Herman remembered,
"If this truck doesn't make it tonight
St Michael save us, We'll really be rolling the dice, Herman."

He said "we" but he knew if all went to plan it would likely only be Herman rolling the dice and the rest of their compatriots waiting back across the river.

Herman was the only one in the resistance group F (or gruppen Frank) who did not gamble. He was also often the only one Gregory made jokes toward. He got little inside glimpses at the reality of their sitation this way. The two friends were close but he hardly ever referrs to me as Herman." He thought.

It was eerie and out of place. But since the wars outbreak each event were more eerie and seemed even more unexpected than the last.
This was life now.

It many ways it was death as well.

Death had become a big part of life for Herman and Geregor, Emily and the rest since the Germans had begun all our attack and assault their home Friessvald, a small Belgian mountain town of 45 people. Green and hidden.

Now blasted to bits like the page in a comic book. Like old civil war footage of objectified lifeless bodies in dig out foxholes and gutters, exploded wood-

Herman could remember the last time he didn't have splinters and slivers at night

A day must have passed once for every person that once lived in Freissvvald since he could recall a night he went to bed with dry socks or no splinters in his hands and ears and face from a nearby explosion, heavy debris, a survived altercation.

Now he got another glimpse of the reality. What he heard was
"If this truck doesn't somehow miraculsrly arrive with a one-in-a-million alibi for not having arrived on-schedule earlier. than Herman, alone, would be left with even less a chance for hope.

"If this truck doesn't show you're S.O.L.* my friend" Herman thought to himself.

Gregory spoke to him like a ghost, as did Virgil returning to guide Dantè. In that sentiment Herman looked at Gregory as if he were his guardian angel, a spirit passed come back with nothing to lose, to spectate and comment and root albeit a bit cheeky, as if to say "better think fast buddy boy" you're in a tight spot and I'm just sitting back and watching"
Almost as if the devil and angel appeared on each shoulder were pizza-rolled into one guy.

Gregory were their savior, the only person, young or old in all of Freisvvald with his head on straight when things hit. Even if Herman didn't make it the night he already considered Gregory his savior.