A Soldier of No Importance [ Band of Brothers ] 1

ONE

July 1942

The United States of America

The train car certainly smelled better than New York City. After spending over a year living in and operating from the Alps, Alice had forgotten how stuffy and filled with stench the cities were. Somehow she recalled Paris and Hamburg differently, but perhaps this was due to nostalgia. Her home had been wonderful before the Nazis.

With her forehead against the glass window, Alice continued her slow, content breathing. The sky outside had darkened so now only a few streaks of color lit the sky. Her eyelids drooped. No matter how hard she tried to keep herself awake, it felt like midnight to her. Still, her instincts to keep valuables in sight at all times wasn't easily overcome. Not that she had much, of course. In her bag sat a handful of trail nuts, four outfits including one dress, her dark red beret, a bit of make up she'd picked up in London, and a wad of American cash. No, she didn't have much at all.

The steady click-clack of the wheels slowed. Alice forced her head off the glass. A small mark remained. Her gaze flicked around the car. The young man who had boarded the train at New York with her sat against the wall, head back. Lying carefully propped between his bent legs was a comic book. She didn't think he'd seen her yet. A steady stream of smoke wafted from his lit cigarette. The smell made her inhale deeply, eyes closed in contentment.

The train had only been moving for about two hours. When three young men entered the car quietly, she readjusted in her seat. One hand stayed on her pistol in her pants pocket. Alice forced herself back to looking down into her book, pretending to stay busy. Perhaps they wouldn't talk to her, then.

"Hey Blondie, wan' some company?"

No luck. Alice raised her head and looked up at the man in question. She let an eyebrow raise and flashed a tense smile. "No, thank you."

"Where you from?" The man persisted. A thick, brown cigar dangled from his mouth. His smile had dropped.

Alice's jaw clenched. She had never quite gotten rid of her Germanic accent, even though it had mixed with French long ago. "I'm traveling from London."

"Ya' don't sound British to me-"

"Hey, Carter, leave the broad alone. She don't want 'cha company, yah idiot."

Alice peered over the seats to where the other man had spoken. He looked about the same age, fairly young. His dark hair matched equally dark eyes. With a quick wink her way, he grabbed his grumbling friend down the train car. Finally free of them, Alice relaxed. Again she felt the tug of sleep.

Minutes passed. The click-clack and wobble of the train car returned. By now, darkness had fully fallen. The small, flickering light over her head was the only thing keeping her awake. Even with that, sleep inched in.