and the two officers walked to the back of the vehicle.
The back was opened up; two white-jacketed men, who had the appearance of being scientists or something similar, got down.
‘What is this?’ asked Amsel, his voice reflecting the confusion felt by everyone watching this curious scene.
Then the back of the lorry suddenly raised slightly, as a figure much larger than a man followed the two scientists out of the green-colored vehicle, down three metal steps and onto the ground, a huge gun held in its outsized hands.
‘What the hell…’ murmured Weber.
‘It’s – him,’ began Bach uncertainly. ‘This ‘super-soldier’ we’ve been hearing about. The one they call the ‘Metal Man’.’
‘No way,’ said Mayer. ‘No way could any man wear armor like – that – and still be able to walk. It must weigh well over a ton.’
‘Hear that, though?’ questioned Amsel, the stocky radioman’s eyes wide and fixed on the jet-black, goggle-eyed figure. ‘The whining noise as it walks, I mean…’
“It’?’ repeated Mayer, showing a slight, incredulous smile.
‘Well – you think there’s a man, somewhere in there?’ demanded Amsel. ‘You just said there’s not – there can’t be – because of the weight of that armor.’
‘I don’t know,’ shrugged Mayer, staring back at the Metal Man. ‘But what else can that thing be?’
The four SS soldiers were clearly able to hear what Ackermann said then, the officer raising his voice to address the Metal Man.
‘You’re to enter in there,’ began Ackermann, pointing with his finger towards the opened metal gate that led into the ghetto, ‘and level the place to the ground.
‘I want some prisoners, though – do not kill everyone. We will follow you in shortly.’
The Metal Man inclined its head, the face (if indeed it did have such a thing) concealed by the black mask that was below the goggle eyes.
‘It doesn’t speak, then,’ observed Bach.
‘But that ‘grill’-type thing – there where its… mouth… should be,’ noted Weber uncertainly. ‘What’s that for, exactly? So it can breathe?’
A hush descended across the approximate hundred-strong German force, as the Metal Man began walking towards the ghetto.
A shot rang suddenly out, fired from one of the shabby buildings inside. It ricocheted harmlessly off the Metal Man’s chest. Then another shot, and another, more coming as the Metal Man now entered through the large, open gate.
Its great arms moved (the red swastika showing on both shoulders), positioning the gun. It fired towards the source of the shot, in the direction of where the sniper was concealed.
The gun spat fire, its bullets chewing up the rotten masonry and wood of the building. The gun firing at the Metal Man was abruptly silenced.
But other snipers now opened up, driven in desperation to use the ammunition which Mayer and the others had already realized must be in such short supply.
In return the Metal Man aimed its gun in various directions, firing all the time, the bullets punching through bricks, wood and cement.
Someone screamed from inside one of the buildings. A woman.
The screaming continued as the Metal Man stopped firing. It stood motionless, its head bowed slightly, as though it felt somehow confused.
More shots bounced off that gleaming black armor.
‘Attack! Continue with your attack !’ bawled Ackermann at the armored warrior.
The Metal Man again raised its gun, and once more began firing. The screaming stopped.
Several figures ran suddenly in front of the jet-black figure, firing several shots in close range before attempting to dart back inside the buildings. The Metal Man fired and one man all but exploded, the other simply being cut in half.
There was shouting now from inside the ghetto, muffled voices of those hidden inside the buildings and down in the sewers
The back was opened up; two white-jacketed men, who had the appearance of being scientists or something similar, got down.
‘What is this?’ asked Amsel, his voice reflecting the confusion felt by everyone watching this curious scene.
Then the back of the lorry suddenly raised slightly, as a figure much larger than a man followed the two scientists out of the green-colored vehicle, down three metal steps and onto the ground, a huge gun held in its outsized hands.
‘What the hell…’ murmured Weber.
‘It’s – him,’ began Bach uncertainly. ‘This ‘super-soldier’ we’ve been hearing about. The one they call the ‘Metal Man’.’
‘No way,’ said Mayer. ‘No way could any man wear armor like – that – and still be able to walk. It must weigh well over a ton.’
‘Hear that, though?’ questioned Amsel, the stocky radioman’s eyes wide and fixed on the jet-black, goggle-eyed figure. ‘The whining noise as it walks, I mean…’
“It’?’ repeated Mayer, showing a slight, incredulous smile.
‘Well – you think there’s a man, somewhere in there?’ demanded Amsel. ‘You just said there’s not – there can’t be – because of the weight of that armor.’
‘I don’t know,’ shrugged Mayer, staring back at the Metal Man. ‘But what else can that thing be?’
The four SS soldiers were clearly able to hear what Ackermann said then, the officer raising his voice to address the Metal Man.
‘You’re to enter in there,’ began Ackermann, pointing with his finger towards the opened metal gate that led into the ghetto, ‘and level the place to the ground.
‘I want some prisoners, though – do not kill everyone. We will follow you in shortly.’
The Metal Man inclined its head, the face (if indeed it did have such a thing) concealed by the black mask that was below the goggle eyes.
‘It doesn’t speak, then,’ observed Bach.
‘But that ‘grill’-type thing – there where its… mouth… should be,’ noted Weber uncertainly. ‘What’s that for, exactly? So it can breathe?’
A hush descended across the approximate hundred-strong German force, as the Metal Man began walking towards the ghetto.
A shot rang suddenly out, fired from one of the shabby buildings inside. It ricocheted harmlessly off the Metal Man’s chest. Then another shot, and another, more coming as the Metal Man now entered through the large, open gate.
Its great arms moved (the red swastika showing on both shoulders), positioning the gun. It fired towards the source of the shot, in the direction of where the sniper was concealed.
The gun spat fire, its bullets chewing up the rotten masonry and wood of the building. The gun firing at the Metal Man was abruptly silenced.
But other snipers now opened up, driven in desperation to use the ammunition which Mayer and the others had already realized must be in such short supply.
In return the Metal Man aimed its gun in various directions, firing all the time, the bullets punching through bricks, wood and cement.
Someone screamed from inside one of the buildings. A woman.
The screaming continued as the Metal Man stopped firing. It stood motionless, its head bowed slightly, as though it felt somehow confused.
More shots bounced off that gleaming black armor.
‘Attack! Continue with your attack !’ bawled Ackermann at the armored warrior.
The Metal Man again raised its gun, and once more began firing. The screaming stopped.
Several figures ran suddenly in front of the jet-black figure, firing several shots in close range before attempting to dart back inside the buildings. The Metal Man fired and one man all but exploded, the other simply being cut in half.
There was shouting now from inside the ghetto, muffled voices of those hidden inside the buildings and down in the sewers
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