squeezing the trigger.
The man had disappeared into the tall, yellow, dying grass. Without having to be told, Lafenz began his slow walk towards the corpse.
As Ingersleben and Wernher looked on at each other, speaking to each other through eyes the size of boulders, Lafenz continued to walk through the field. He pulled out his used ammunition magazine and placed it in his belt. He calmly pulled out another one and placed it into his gun.
For a moment, Lafenz walked around, almost pacing, like a hound who had lost the scent of his game. But then, without a word, he stopped in his tracks, pointed the weapon downwards, and fired a shot. Although he was meters away, the sound and deed gave both Ingersleben and Wernher a small startle. It was followed by a second gunshot. Apparently, Lafenz wasn’t satisfied with his work.
Just as calmly as Lafenz had walked over to the man he shot, he now made his way back.
Wernher looked back towards Ingersleben. “What now?”
“Kunkel,” Ingersleben responded. “We deal with Gemeiner Otto Kunkel.”
Wernher nodded that he understood. They would deal with Otto as soon as Lafenz joined them. Until then, Wernher looked up into the sky, black now as the snow began to fall more in earnest. It was as if the devil himself had given his blessing to that day’s evil deed.
Chapter Ten
When Otto heard the explosion, his first inclination was to run back over. There must have been an accident, he thought, to disturb that morning’s cold.
But as soon as he started to run over, he heard the gunfire. Single gunshots followed by what could only be machine gunfire.
Otto stopped running when he heard the gunfire, feet sliding forward in the rocks. What was happening? Whatever it was, he knew he needed to be far from it.
He walked quickly back to the prisoners, huffing in the thinning cold air, both from his exhaustion and from his nerves.
Some more gunfire continued behind him, but he had to get back to his station, back to the captured Russians.
They were never out of eyesight, of course, but he still made a beeline over to them, trying to hold them in place with his stare. He had a gun, but more importantly, they had their lack of strength, and he knew would not be able to escape.
But what if escape was the right thing to do—for himself included? Otto had to shake that thought out of his mind as much as he could. He had a job to do; he just wasn’t sure what it was.
All the prisoners were now standing, a sight in itself. None seemed nervous or anxious, but they clearly knew that something was happening. But just like Otto, they weren’t sure what that something was.
Breathing heavily, Otto finally stopped within earshot of the prisoners. He searched each man’s eyes for answers. All he received in return was the same question he was asking.
Otto’s mind was racing at a million thoughts per second.
Should I run?
Am I next?
Who killed who?
Why?
What’s happening?
I don’t want to die!
Before Otto knew it, three figures carrying weapons were nearly upon him.
They were Ingersleben, Wernher, and the young boy who had killed Haas the day before, Lafenz. Lafenz no longer seemed to have the sweet, artificial demeanor that he had brought with him weeks ago when he'd arrived. His eyes were filled with a bloodlust. He must’ve just killed, and it appeared to Otto that his thirst was not quenched. Men shouldn’t fear boys, but then again, this person was no longer a child.
“How are they?” Wernher demanded.
“How are who?” Otto asked in reply, not sure what Wernher meant.
“The prisoners, you idiot. Who else would I mean?”
“I, uh—” Otto looked back to see if they were all there. They were all there, weren’t they?
“Move, you fool! I’ll see for myself!” Wernher looked down towards Lafenz, then back up to Ingersleben, but they said nothing. Then he shoved past Otto.
“They are all here and all accounted for, Unteroffizer,” Wernher reported back.
Of
The man had disappeared into the tall, yellow, dying grass. Without having to be told, Lafenz began his slow walk towards the corpse.
As Ingersleben and Wernher looked on at each other, speaking to each other through eyes the size of boulders, Lafenz continued to walk through the field. He pulled out his used ammunition magazine and placed it in his belt. He calmly pulled out another one and placed it into his gun.
For a moment, Lafenz walked around, almost pacing, like a hound who had lost the scent of his game. But then, without a word, he stopped in his tracks, pointed the weapon downwards, and fired a shot. Although he was meters away, the sound and deed gave both Ingersleben and Wernher a small startle. It was followed by a second gunshot. Apparently, Lafenz wasn’t satisfied with his work.
Just as calmly as Lafenz had walked over to the man he shot, he now made his way back.
Wernher looked back towards Ingersleben. “What now?”
“Kunkel,” Ingersleben responded. “We deal with Gemeiner Otto Kunkel.”
Wernher nodded that he understood. They would deal with Otto as soon as Lafenz joined them. Until then, Wernher looked up into the sky, black now as the snow began to fall more in earnest. It was as if the devil himself had given his blessing to that day’s evil deed.
Chapter Ten
When Otto heard the explosion, his first inclination was to run back over. There must have been an accident, he thought, to disturb that morning’s cold.
But as soon as he started to run over, he heard the gunfire. Single gunshots followed by what could only be machine gunfire.
Otto stopped running when he heard the gunfire, feet sliding forward in the rocks. What was happening? Whatever it was, he knew he needed to be far from it.
He walked quickly back to the prisoners, huffing in the thinning cold air, both from his exhaustion and from his nerves.
Some more gunfire continued behind him, but he had to get back to his station, back to the captured Russians.
They were never out of eyesight, of course, but he still made a beeline over to them, trying to hold them in place with his stare. He had a gun, but more importantly, they had their lack of strength, and he knew would not be able to escape.
But what if escape was the right thing to do—for himself included? Otto had to shake that thought out of his mind as much as he could. He had a job to do; he just wasn’t sure what it was.
All the prisoners were now standing, a sight in itself. None seemed nervous or anxious, but they clearly knew that something was happening. But just like Otto, they weren’t sure what that something was.
Breathing heavily, Otto finally stopped within earshot of the prisoners. He searched each man’s eyes for answers. All he received in return was the same question he was asking.
Otto’s mind was racing at a million thoughts per second.
Should I run?
Am I next?
Who killed who?
Why?
What’s happening?
I don’t want to die!
Before Otto knew it, three figures carrying weapons were nearly upon him.
They were Ingersleben, Wernher, and the young boy who had killed Haas the day before, Lafenz. Lafenz no longer seemed to have the sweet, artificial demeanor that he had brought with him weeks ago when he'd arrived. His eyes were filled with a bloodlust. He must’ve just killed, and it appeared to Otto that his thirst was not quenched. Men shouldn’t fear boys, but then again, this person was no longer a child.
“How are they?” Wernher demanded.
“How are who?” Otto asked in reply, not sure what Wernher meant.
“The prisoners, you idiot. Who else would I mean?”
“I, uh—” Otto looked back to see if they were all there. They were all there, weren’t they?
“Move, you fool! I’ll see for myself!” Wernher looked down towards Lafenz, then back up to Ingersleben, but they said nothing. Then he shoved past Otto.
“They are all here and all accounted for, Unteroffizer,” Wernher reported back.
Of
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