1939

Chapter 9: Scorch the Sky

Daylight slipped behind a field as the golden rays of a setting sun stroked the sky and tenderly plucked at the fields of wheat. The dead wheat strewn across what was now a battlefield as Mikey lay in position with gun drawn. The days had ticked by and yet it seemed to only be yesterday when Adam was executed for murdering Alex. Scepticism gnawed away at him inside and he, like all others had grown distrustful of his compatriots, especially Ronnie. Rumours had spread that Crilly and Ronnie were close, which only further slandered his reputation. None of that mattered tonight, for tonight he was on watch. The night was when they would their traps for all those who wandered into the no man's land and Mikey was tasked with setting up barbed wire fences along the major entry points of their camp due to the fact that the last fences were either cut or knocked down by the Nazi's. They had lost so many men already, and with a sinking heart every soldier lined on the field knew that they would lose this battlefield. Dominance already shrinking they rapidly lost their domain over Poland, fighting to wrench back control and liberate those unfairly trapped in the death camps the Nazi's claimed were for the best. The idea made Mikey sick and gave him the fuel to shoot every single Nazi that came his way, but it certainly wasn't easy. He, like most other men, found no pleasure in it. Murdering men was no game or sport, especially when you had to watch your friends be murdered beside you.

Carefully climbing over the landscape in the night he kept low to the ground, trying to avoid being spotted as he crawled over to the broken fences. William crawled beside him, carefully pulling along the barbed wire whilst scanning the environment for any threats. William Francis was much older than the boy beside him, yet they had been stationed together. Probably because he was stronger and muscular than the skinny little kid who could slip into tight spaces he would never squeeze into. Mikey was a smart kid, quiet and introverted but smart. William viewed him as a younger brother of sorts and Mikey viewed Will in the same way. William was like his older brother, there to watch out for any threats and keep him safe while they did their work. There were a few fights William had already deflected simply by stepping in for Mikey. After all, who would want to bother fighting a skinny little kid that did nothing wrong when a tough muscular man is threatening to snap your neck?

Footsteps crunching against the dirt and grass they crouched along the landscape and came across the first downed fence. Taking the barbed wire Mikey slipped on a pair of gloves and trailed it across the ground, unraveling the coil and laying it across the wooden pieces William nailed back into place. With delicate movements he strung the wire through the holes in the fencing and secured them at the end, making sure his slim fingers avoided the sharp barbs. Stepping away from the first fence the crawled towards the next one and repeated the process.

Each time they put up more barbed wire daylight crept closer and the day was a very dangerous time. Anyone spotted on no man's land between the camps would be shot immediately and unfortunately, they had to crawl through no man's land. Finishing with the final fence Mikey's hand slipped and he cut through the gloves and sliced his finger. Muttering under his breath he backed away as dawn broke across the sky.

William grabbed his wrist and pulled him close to the ground, crawling away from the open field and back towards their base as the sun stroked their backs. Leaving a small trail of blood  down his uniform Mikey took off the gloves and tucked them into his pocket as they crawled towards safety. Ducking into camp he examined his finger. It was only a scratch but scratches can become infected, and those happened far too easily. William took his hand and examined the cut. He pursed his lips and did his best to clean out the wound.
"Watch that that doesn't get infected." He took Mikey's hand and looked at the other cuts along his body, examining each one for any signs of infection. Head snapping upwards he heard the screams of men. Both standing up quickly they ran towards the sound and found Ryan at the base breathing heavily whilst a thundering sound rocked the environment and knocked them to their feet with the force of impact in the earth. A scorching sensation flooded through the area as Mikey glanced up at the sky, the sound of aircraft being heard as he saw the German planes.

With quick speech Ryan informed the men that a large portion of their team had been taken out by a bomber and that the fighting had begun to move to the skies. This was no longer simply just a ground war, this was now a war in the skies that rained havoc upon those on the earth unable to defend themselves against such threats. With a heavy heart he wished the men the best of luck and disappeared to announce those lost in the recent bombing to the highest commanding officer. Ryan was a kind hearted soul who the other men disrespected due to his childish appearance but officer Ross could be stone cold when he needed to be. With his thick French accent he made everyone obey through charm and intolerance to reckless behaviour. They didn't need to lose anymore men and to have it be done by their own neglect would be disastrous. To think that William and Mikey were only seconds away from being caught in that bombing. Grateful for getting away with only a cut Mikey watched the sky, stomach twisted in his throat whilst he stared at the place planes had ripped through only minutes prior.

Today he escaped with only a scratch, what would he do if tomorrow he left without his life? How could he live without ever knowing the fate of his brother and lover? Both caught up in this same hell he was thrust into and both drifting along unbeknownst of what the others faced. Pete was on the wrong side of the war and everyone knew that each man there would not hesitate to murder a Nazi stood before them. Everyone except for Mikey who could never bring himself to shoot down Pete. He found it hard to shoot anyone at all.