Humanity of the Broken [ Band of Brothers ] 2

EIGHTEEN

January 13, 1945

Nothing moved in Foy. Past the edges of the trees, down the snow-covered field, the town the Germans occupied lay completely still. But Alice knew it wouldn't be for long.

About a hundred feet of treeline remained between where Alice stood with Dick, Nixon, and Sink, and the town itself. Around them, Easy Company moved about checking weapons and readying themselves physically and mentally. The Germans knew they were coming. They'd be ready. Easy had to be ready as well.

None of the officers spoke to each other. Alice stood against a tree behind and to the left of the other three staff officers. Arms across her chest, she could feel her left leg shaking from anxiety. So many things ran through her mind; Dike's potential for failure, her own inability to even breathe correctly, Lipton at command of Second Platoon, they all made her brain work overtime. To their left somewhere she knew Dog Company stood ready to assist if need be. On the other side of them, Item Company led the rest of Third Battalion to cause a distraction.

A good plan, really. If executed correctly, they'd take Foy no problem. But with Dike in command, Alice knew that was a big if. Not that she could do anything.

A thud pulled her attention away. Alice looked down. The rifle that had been leaning against her left leg now lay in the snow. She stared at it for a moment, unmoving. When she picked it up, dusting off the dirt and snow, the command of Easy to advance was given.

Alice pushed off from the tree. She stayed to the left of Dick, Sink, and Nixon. Her stress had tied her stomach up in knots and she had no desire to talk to anyone. Boots pounded against the ground. Her mouth dried. As Easy Company fled the trees, she moved up to the treeline at their rear.

To her left, Alice saw Ron Speirs watching the battle with all the intensity she knew him capable of. Which was to say, quite a bit. To her right, Dick stood rigid, gun in hand. Beyond him, Sink, and beyond Sink, Nixon.

The roar of Easy's machine gunners split the air. Suppressing fire, loud enough to give her a headache, echoed around them. Hopefully it would give the Germans in Foy a headache too. In the chaos of the dash to Foy, Alice saw at least three men go down. Then another. But Easy pushed on.

Until they stopped. Alice lost track of First Platoon, but Second and Third suddenly stopped in the middle of the field not fifty yards from the town itself. Alice watched in shock. They had no cover.

"What the-?" She whispered. "What the fuck are they doing?"

To her right, Alice heard Dick echoing similar words. Nixon had binoculars up, trying to figure out what exactly was happening. Her body tensed completely. They were all going to die. Foxhole fucking Norman was going to get Easy Company killed. She glanced to her left, to Dog Company. She saw Ron holding his gun closer. His men from Dog's Second Platoon looked on as shocked as her.

Dick's shouting tore her attention away from Dog. He held a radio and screamed orders into it, probably at the unfortunate George Luz who ended up with the CO more times than was fair. The battle drew her attention back. Mortars began to explode near the men who had somehow managed to move to pathetic excuses for cover.

Every moment that passed brought Easy one step closer to total annihilation. The memory of Sobel ending up with a 90% casualty rate snapped unbidden into her thoughts. She gritted her teeth and moved forward a bit. Dick did the same, dropping the radio.

Alice saw someone move from Dike's position behind some hay bales. First Platoon appeared again. But they were picked off one by one. She heard Dick breathe out a quiet, shocked 'Jesus Christ' at the sight. This was it. They were all going to die in Foy.