1939

Chapter 16: Stolen Property

Lights danced in the rain as their white rays scoured the earth, uniforms weaved the embroidered labyrinth of scattered corpses. Their cries of escapees sent a slender Mikey into the forest. Breathe twisted like the roots that blocked his path. Adrenaline found him able to use an otherwise useless leg as he dragged a feeble corpse through clawing vegetation. Dirty blonde stuck to his hair as metal frames still perched atop the bridge of his nose. Arms weak he carried Pete on his shoulders, muttering under his breath as he saw flashlights flickering through the densely nit trees. His dog tags rattled like an alarm as mist and dew revealed his every footstep.

Pete clutched his hand as he ran along the alarmed branches, their cracks screaming in the howling winds as the two less than able bodied men crawled through political oppositions. A dogs call came through the trees as Mikey felt water from the ocean shore lap at his feet. The docks were near, all he needed to do was find his way to the marina but the bark of the hound was close behind so he knew what must come next. As Pete stirred and opened his eyes Mikey spoke softly.
"Pete, can you swim?" With a hesitant nod Mikey dropped Pete into the water and bit back a shriek as the freezing ocean nipped at his crippled leg. With icy tears in both eyes frail bodies swam across and towards the glimmering light of the docks as a splash was heard behind them. Paws treated the water as the military dog followed them. He was only a puppy, one that Mikey saw being trained near the camp but that didn't make it any easier. In their weakened states the pup would easily drag them under and drown the men so their hands kept treading water as bodies screamed in protest in the night air.

Wet and shivering their hands found the wooden docks and with splinters under his fingernails Mikey dragged himself up and held onto Pete as he lifted him up with him. Breath heavy they snuck onto a boat and untied it as Pete's sailing history kicked in. With shaking hands he left the docks and hoisted the sail as the two held their breath, not daring to light a lamp for warmth as they trembled in the freezing air with ribs showing through cracked damaged skin. Mikey pulled Pete close to him and buried his head in his neck.
"I forgot what you felt like." His words soft and hoarse they lay there in the bottom of the boat shaking and shivering as neither was able to stay awake, both just drifting among open waters in the embrace of a cold wind.

The stars hid in the clouds as Mikey opened his eyes and finally lit a lamp to provide a semblance of warmth as they cowered in the hull of the boat. With a hand on his sleeping companion he lifted his shirt to see deep red whip marks staining his skin, the newest one with the imprint of the very same belt Mikey was wearing. He bit back tears and pulled a rusted med kit over to him. With a loud creak it sprang open and the hinges split apart as Mikey pried it open using a pocket knife. The knife, brittle from the sea water, cracked along the handle as he pulled open the box and looked through the minimal contents. The sea stained bandage and half empty bottle of rubbing alcohol was the best items he found thus he dipped his fingers into the alcohol and gently applied it to the freshest wound as he kept his other hand over Pete's mouth to keep a scream within him. A scream he never made for he was too weak and tired to feel the sting of the alcohol, thus he pulled a hand away and began wrapping the bandage across his back as the salt water buried itself deep within his own wound. He reluctantly splashed the alcohol on his own wound and clenched his jaw tight as he kept himself from screaming.

Pete reached up a hand and held onto Mikey as he slurred his broken English.
"We should Gleichmäßig umschalten." He looked up at him and saw confusion spread across Mikey's face.
"You.. become Pete. I be Mikey." He took off his dog tags and handed it to him as they clang together, shaking with his movements. Mikey took them and handed his to Pete as he slipped his over his head. He pulled off his shirt and left it out to dry as he did the same to Pete.
"We'll switch uniforms after their dry..." Pete looked up at him and smiled as he held onto the dog tags.
"If one dies then the other is a free man. They won't care about wrong  Identität." Mikey nodded and pulled his frail body onto his lap.
"Right... they won't check to see if that's truly us. In a war of a thousand bodies, who cares about only one?"
Pete smiled at his words as he fell asleep again, brown eyes gazing up at Mikey until he embraced the world of slumber.