The Difference Between You And Me {Petekey}

Part twenty two

They walked all night that night, until the sun was starting to show and their muscles ached like they had never ached before. They could hardly imagine what it would have been like had they not received their training. The walls of what Gerard said was the fortress loomed over them as they got closer and closer, almost daring them to step inside and face the horrors of what was happening on the other side of the walls. Mikey knew that the fortress of Brest did not last the Second French Revolution, but he had only briefly heard of the actual fortress itself. Gerard and the others seemed to have a vague idea of what it was like, as he inferred from what he could catch of the whispers spoken between deep, laboured breaths.

When they finally arrived at a field, well-hidden by a hill in front, the commander instructed them to put down their equipment and sit. As soon as they heard that they were finally getting some rest, many men cheered and began to relax. 

"Look alive, men!" the commander shouted. They immediately stilled. The commander cleared his throat. "Brest fortress, as you know, is currently under German control." His voice was soft suddenly, speaking as though he was telling them a very important secret. In a way, he was. "Tomorrow, as soon as you are fit to do so, we are invading the fortress. We have marines arriving very shortly. The gunfire will be our cue to invade the fortress from our side."

"Sir!" Somebody exclaimed, from behind Mikey. He turned his head to see who it was: somebody he recognized as one of the officers' favourites. That would explain why he was brave enough to speak before being spoken to. "Surely being out here, where any patrolling Germans could see us, is unwise, sir."

The commander shook his head. "For one night, it's a chance we have to take. If this is going to be successful, you need to rest. The marines don't arrive until tomorrow, and we need to be ready. Our timing is the best we can do right now." He addressed the whole commandment as he spoke. "Sleep, men. You'll need it." 

A quiet "Sir, yes, sir" came from the men on the ground. Mikey, with heavy-lidded eyes, opened his sack and got out the blanket in there. He spread out the small piece of fabric over himself as he laid down on the ground. It was uncomfortable, yes, but at the time, he couldn't bring himself to care. In the last second before his eyes shut themselves, he caught Gerard's gaze from his left side. Gerard blinked lazily at him, as if he wanted to tell him something but couldn't stay awake for long enough to form the words. Mikey just nodded at him. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. What mattered is that there, laying on the ground in the open, where they could be found and shot by anyone who decided to leave the fortress, they had each other.

- 

When Mikey woke, it was to the sound of guns firing. He sat up, panicking and wanting to know if the other soldiers were safe. He relaxed when he realized that he was hearing them going off in the distance, and that they were more powerful than regular single-man rifles. All around him, soldiers were waking each other up in a hurry, putting on and testing their equipment, or talking to the Commander. 

Mikey looked around for Gerard and found him, still asleep, on the ground to his left. Ignoring the other sleeping men closer to him, Mikey rushed over to wake Gerard.

"Come on, Gee, we don't have time!" He said as he shook him. Finally, Gerard opened his eyes and looked at Mikey. As if his ears just started working, his expression annoyed changed to one of panic as he heard the guns. 

"Oh, shit," he exclaimed as he got up. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, I'm assuming the marines have arrived, but I thought we would be awake and ready when they got here," Mikey replied honestly.

"Wake up the soldiers around you," the commander instructed the army. "Get ready to invade the fortress. The marines were spotted earlier than we anticipated and the Germans are well prepared."