𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; band of brothers ✔

PART TWENTY THREE

Word count; 2,166

Frances

Joe placed his palms delicately on my cheeks, rubbing away the tears with his thumbs, "What did they do to you?"

I erupted into more sobs, burying my face into his collarbone. He put a hand on the back of my head, another extended around my lower back. Anyone else, and I would be enveloped in the same fear that dragged me here in the first place.

"It's okay." He said softly. "It's okay. I've got you."

His arms detached themselves for a moment, swiftly slithering out of his sleeves as he whipped his combat jacket off. He slid each of my hands into it and buttoned up the front without hesitation.

"There we go," His hands were on my cheeks again. "They're not going to hurt you anymore. I'm here."

"Th-they were going to-"

"I know, I know. I'm going to kill them." He eyed the door. "We need to get out of here."

I shook my head vigorously, echoing what I had once said to Captain Holloway when he dropped me off at Aldbourne, "I'm so scared."

"I know you are, doll, I know. But you're going to need to trust me." He wiped my eyelids again. "You hold my hand, okay? Don't you ever let go. If I let go, you grab onto my shirt, okay? Just stay with me and you'll be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

He held his hand open between us. Without a second thought, I intertwined my fingers with his.

"Okay?" He said softly, sparing a smile.

I bobbed my head gently. He squeezed my palm with his, and led us to the doorway. Furthest from my mind was the thought of home, of leaving this all behind. All I knew was him; I would follow him to the ends of the earth if I had to.

I stared at our hands as we descended the hallways, too frightened to let my sight rest elsewhere. Every now and then, Lehmann's voice would taunt me, linger at the back of my head. Each time, tears flushed away the blood on my cheeks.

The nearing of German chatter forced my view upwards as Joe came to a halt. I peered my head over his shoulder, squinting into a room narrowly on the right, at a map on the far wall. Officers crowded around it, pointing at a table with another map spread across it. It depicted the town of Foy and their next action on the position. Eleven Tiger I's, two battalions, more ammunition than Easy Company could dream of. I clutched Joe's hand tighter as a man spoke above the rest. His head tilted.

"That's him."

He followed my stare, landing on a Captain with ivory hair. Captain Lehmann.

"That's him?" He understood.

I nodded. Liebgott clenched my hand, slipping us around the corner, only to come to a stop again.

"Okay, there's two on guard. We gotta get a rifle, doll."

I swallowed, predicting what this meant. Briefly, he released our hands, bringing his back to my cheeks to dry the tears once more.

"I'm going to need your help, okay?" His rough fingertips grazed my skin. "Okay?"

I bobbed my head.

"Okay, I'm going to lure them here. One will come over, I'll trip him up while you grab the rifle. Can you do that, love?"

"I-I can't."

"You can. I know you can."

I inhaled deeply, sucking on my lips as I nodded.