Screaming Eagles

Chapter 2 - Surrounded

It was also the time he received his promotion to Brigadier general, his first one star. Or in other words, Generalmajor. It was due to one of the previously ranked General's that surrendered himself in Italy, thus leaving a promotion spot opened in the ranks.

***

Jack was relieved to see it was his company officer, Captain Mitch. Who was turning this farm house into a rallying point, and the local French residents were ecstatic that American soldiers are finally here.

So the farmer was more than happy to lend them his farmhouse and barn to use, and from there. Mitch turned this into said, rally point where both Bravo and Easy company have regrouped.

"Lieutenant Colonel Cole has ordered everyone to continue on as planned. We maybe separated from the others, but we're not out yet. While Easy company secures Carentan, the other companies will be securing adjacent towns and the nearby bridges." Mitch said as he begins the sitrep to the officers of Easy and Bravo.

"Bravo company's charged with securing the roads and any bridge access behind Utah and Omaha. That's Bravo's new task, secure those routes and wait for the landing forces to make contact with us..." Mitch said after he sighed, the effects of fatigue is starting to catch up with some people, including Mitch too.

"Easy company, you're task is unchanged, secure Carentan as said before we jumped," Mitch says as he looked at everyone gathered around the table. The signs of stress are quite obvious on the man's features.

He isn't going to let that affect him, though, and to change his mind off of the topic, he pulled his sleeve back on his right arm to check his watch.

"It's current 02:21, check the map here and assign yourselves a bridge or intersection leading to the beaches for you to defend. Once there, dig in and repel any and all kraut counter attacks." Mitch adds as he taps the map twice.

**

3 miles east of the rally point

James gasps and his chest rattles from his forceful coughing, he finally managed to free himself from his own parachute cords.

He had managed to stop the lines from tightening around his neck and therefore hanging himself. However, by using his hand to protect his neck in his fall through the tree branches. The rope marks have been imprinted on his hand and his fingers were a light blue from the lack of circulation.

Adding to the growing list of pain from his fall, the pain was beginning to radiate throughout his body.

When James tried to stand up, he wasn't able to get more than a few steps before a pain spike shot him down. He was on his side in an instant, clutching his ankle that felt like someone took a hammer to it.

Muttering out curses, he held onto his ankle which was causing the most severe bit of his pain and for all he knew. It could be broken or it could be sprained

Hopefully sprained...

His attention, however, was drawn to the ever nearing group of footsteps approaching, he was mad at himself for not immediately hearing the unknown threat approaching him.

Trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness that has engulfed the land under the canopy cover of the trees. He was in a frantic search for his weapon, it had fallen down somewhere on the ground with him once he was freed.

There were voices, but they were barely audible and James couldn't tell if they were German or American. So he picked up his speed and stopped once he felt his hand brush up against the cold steel barrel of his Thompson.

In his rush to get rearmed, he glided his hand over the rest of the object to confirm that it was, indeed his issued weapon.

He sighed as he situated himself, sitting up with his back against the tree, rearmed and with some confidence back in himself. He took aim at the sound of the approaching footsteps and waited.