The Golden Soldier (Call of Duty: WW2 Fanfiction)

Chapter 43

She was magnificent. Strong and stable in her place, the Ludendorff bridge was the most glorious thing I'd seen besides the night of Paris' liberation. As the last standing bridge over the Rhine, I found it more important than any other mission to protect the structure. I would lay down my life if it came to it.
    "All right, there she is," Pierson spoke to the group of us in the bouncy truck headed straight for the bridge. "The last bridge over the Rhine."
    We drove along the marshy, muddy bank of the river marking the Rhine. Bumpy and uncomfortable, I felt my back jam up from the ride. My ass was sore, but I didn't dare complain a single word.
    "We get this convoy across, we're in the heartland," Daniels responded to Pierson, leaning into the middle of the truck bed. "We'll bust 'em open."
    "Look," Aiello joined in on the leaning game, "it's all or nothing. It's all been leading to this."
    Stiles shot me a look of curiosity, a pause just long enough for me to shake my head. He wanted me to announce whether or not the day would be successful. I knew that it would be; March seventh of 1945 was the day that Allies would cross the Rhine--Americans specifically. Telling them that? It would only get to their heads; all of us had to fight hard no matter what.
    Besides...I had already changed history enough.
    A sudden explosion behind us straightened my spine and made me ignore all aches in my hips from the bumpy ride. Bullets whizzed around until one placed itself perfectly in the heart of a soldier sitting at the back edge of the truck bed. He immediately went limp, falling forward into the legs of Daniels.
    "Hold tight!"
    To Pierson's command all of us tucked into the center of the space. Stiles shoved me closer to the cab to make sure I had the best protection; I was thankful, yet it wasn't needed. Crouching low enough meant we could avoid shots coming in from the sides.
    There were many more mortars landing in our path, causing the driver to swerve first right and then left. Swerving left caused a another mortar to land on top of us and it made a hole in the road.
    The truck slid to a stop parallel to the small crater.
    I let out a grunt when Stiles slid into me, wiggling upwards to see what the open back was now exposed to. Across the river were set ups for mortar fire, AA guns, and machine gunners--all of which would decimate our forces if we didn't start making moves on the bridge.
    "On me! Come on!" Pierson hopped over the side of the vehicle, disappearing with a thud.
    Daniels and Aiello followed first. Behind them, a few other men in the flatbed hustled over to reach some type of cover. I shoved Stiles before me and watched him jump down with the others, deciding to follow after bracing my knees for the impact.
    Upon landing, a heat rushed through my ankle--the one which I'd had problems with since high school. I let out a breath, rolling it twice, and then crouched with the other four men nearby.
    "We gotta secure the bridge entrance," Pierson ordered, looking ahead to where German forces were already giving it their all.
    "Yes Sergeant!" Daniels motioned Aiello, Stiles, and I to start moving.
    "Hey, don't make me regret givin' you a second chance," Pierson wasn't cold in his words to Daniels, but he was firm.
    "You know I won't," Daniels hustled out of the crater.
    I moved along the edge of the sloped road, staying to the inside of the steadily moving convoy. Aiello hustled up to a fallen tree ahead, already reloading his rifle. I joined him.
    "Watch those towers," Aiello breathed.
    "Watch your head!" I shouted as I shot a charging Kraut.
    Aiello shot me a grateful look and then I mantled the tree to continue alongside the others.
    The Ludendorff bridge was even longer once on level ground with it and I took cover behind a boulder to the realization. Krauts were all over the towers and the barricaded entrance onto the bridge. This was truly their final push as it was ours.
    I sprinted up to an exploded jeep and leaned out to shoot. My five shots found the moving bodies of three different Germans, all of who let out screeches to being hit. I retreated to reload my clip.
    "Keep pushing to the towers, we have to destroy those MGs," Pierson shouted as the group pressed up, killing off the remaining Nazis.
    "Damn, they're giving everything they got," someone spoke as they made their way up beside me.
    I half-turned to see Howard had caught up to us. He dipped his head my direction and then headed to where Pierson and the others were setting up by the door.
    I jogged up next to Pierson as well, watching one of our men breach the right tower with a flamethrower in hand. He laid waste to the first floor, the screaming of men filling the air and the burning flesh choking it.
    "Daniels, Aiello, secure the upper floors," Pierson ordered.
    I crouched when a few shots came from further down the bridge. Pierson did the same, his broad shoulders blocking my view into the first tower. I rested my rifle on top of the placed sandbags and shot back at the Germans.
    "Come on," Pierson motioned for us to head inside the tower.
    I made it in last, making sure Stiles slipped in before the doors shut. He had a sheen of sweat across his forehead and a slight fog to his glasses. Warily, he glanced my way for his own assessment and then headed to a window to scope out the enemies.
    "The Krauts are gonna blow the bridge," Pierson motioned to outside. "Stiles, what you got?"
    "They're rolling out everything."
    "Just by us some time," Howard spoke up, glancing out a window. "We'll handle the charges."
    "All right," Pierson decided, "I'll lead the way. Daniels and Stiles, cover the engineers."
    Pierson shoved open the door that gave us a way onto the beginning of the bridge. I followed behind Daniels, my rifle trained on the possibility of enemies ahead.
    Howard commanded a few soldiers to diffuse a first set of charges and they were quick to begin following through.
    "Krauts are falling back," Pierson commented, looking to where the bridge further ahead was rather empty.
    "Doubt it," I commented lowly and he glanced my way. "They're preparing. They won't give this place up that easily."
    "Stay low and keep sharp," he raised his voice as he began to lead the way onto the bridge. "Krauts up ahead...on your shot Daniels."
    I crouched, ignoring my irritated ankle, and leaned against the wheel of a large truck. Daniels moved up, his fingers reaching for a grenade that would demolish quite a few of the group ahead.
    "Open up!" Pierson shouted as the grenade went off.
    Krauts started firing from hiding spots, both surprised by the outburst from American forces and ready for more fighting. Daniels and Pierson pushed up to the front, firing fiercely as the Germans started to head further back to defenses.
    "They're falling back!" Stiles called out.
    "They're getting outta here in a hurry," Aiello commented as he shot at a few fleeing Krauts.
    I always felt something bad or off when my neck hairs stood on end and currently they were. My steps faltered unlike the rest of the persisting men around me. The tight grip on my rifle loosened and I removed the butt of it from my shoulder socket. Something wasn't right and I had a feeling it had to do with the bridge.
    "Wait--"
    As I spoke, explosions roared up from the other end of the bridge. Bright flashes of yellow and orange grew larger as the charges began to go.
    "They're blowing it!" Pierson shouted.
    The yellow grew so close, it engulfed the entire bridge, shaking the structure violently. I fell to the ground, the explosions a blinding brightness that I couldn't stand. As the violent rumbling passed, my ears rang and I coughed in the black smoke which remained.
    "Who's down?" I could hear Pierson demand. "Who's still with me?"
    I pushed myself up, walking through the thick smoky cloud to reach Pierson. Mindlessly, I grabbed his forearm to steady myself. He sharply met my gaze, lifted in support, and then released me to pat my arm once.
    "The bridge held," Howard coughed. "The damn thing held."
    "Their own men were on it," Stiles mentioned as we began to continue to move through the dark smoke.
    "Stupid bastards," Aiello muttered.
    "Get up and keep moving," Pierson was short as he began to jog away into the aftermath. "We still got a job to do."
    I wanted to comment on how the Germans weren't the only crazy ones who had endangered the lives of their men, but didn't think that'd go over well with Pierson. He had been the one to do the very same on our camp not too long ago...
    We crossed the open part of the bridge, with less vehicles and obstacles to maneuver around. I ran through the smoke, trying to wave it away like a cloud of bugs.
    "Jungs? Wer ist da?"
    I didn't hesitate as I ran up on a confused and blinded German to unsheathe my knife. Tucking my rifle back with it's strap, I firmly stuck the blade upwards into the man's chest. He let out a gurgle and I yanked the knife out to watch him collapse onto the bridge's wood.
    Stepping over him like nothing, I drew up my rifle once more. Most of the others were already starting to confront the rest of the Germans just ahead. I caught the wide eyes of Stiles, someone who had seen what I'd done without remorse.
    God, what was I turning into to not have an once of regret in me?
    "Listen..." Howard hesitated, "planes..."
    The incoming rumble made me run to catch up with the heart of the group. They also seemed to pick up the pace as the roaring of motors began to get louder. A few shots fired and the bridge just in front of us dealt the damage, lighting up from the shot.
    "Stukas!" Pierson shouted and picked up the pace. "They're trying to bomb the damn bridge. All squads move!"
    "I told you that they aren't going quit," I shouted as we sprinted into the fire from the Stukas. "Even if it means killing their own men!"
    "Incoming!" Aiello shouted and banked left. "Watch out!"
    The bridge shook and creaked as more shots thundered onto it. My heart dropped when I realized the river below wouldn't be very forgiving if we all ended up in it. Not only that...we were so high...in the air.
    "They've reinforced the bridge head!" Howard called out as shots required me to take cover against one of the towers.
    I breathed deep breaths, trying to focus on the situation at hand, not the distance to the river below. Now was the worst time possible for my fear of heights to attack my head.
    Heights reminded me of the hours before falling through trees to reach World War Two. Adam had covered my ass from getting put onto zip lines. The others of the camping group had been dying for the trip to the exploratory wires. I had dreaded being held up from death by a wire and a dinky harness.
    The bridge isn't a zip line, pull yourself together.
    "Baker?" Daniels called out in the thickness of the choking smog. "Keep moving!"
    "Right," I whispered, letting out a breath and gripping my rifle tighter across my waist. "You're almost off this thing."
    I spun around to the outside of the bridge, aiming down the sights to target the figures of the Krauts on the tower. They cowered to my sporadic shots and popped up for more when they hadn't been hit.
    Tucking back into cover, I reloaded my rife. The process was a quick one from doing it so many times and I ran up to push forwards with the others in no time.
    "Bridgehead is barricaded," Howard grumbled out.
    Daniels headed for the left tower, firing into the room at Krauts. Pierson filed in behind, clearing the room with him in seconds. The cries of the soldiers died down by the time I entered with my rifle at the ready.
    "Clear the rest of the tower," Pierson looked directly at Daniels, who started for the steps winding upwards.
    I leaned against the wall of the cold tower, peeking out of an opening. The Krauts were scrambling and shouting out commands, ready to continue to defend their last resort for the Rhine.
    Feeling Pierson's gaze on me, I removed my narrowed gaze from the window to him. He finished reloading and nodded his head to me once as Daniels reentered the space.
    "Those planes are going to take out the bridge," Pierson spoke to the rallied group. "We need to capture those AA guns."
    I tightened the grasp on my rifle as Pierson put a filthy hand on the wooden doors to exit the tower. He shoved them open, sprinting out into the craziness of the other side.
    "Move now!"
    I avoided the bullets of MGs and soldiers as our American group broke through the two towers parallel to each other. We stormed the German set up, using what little cover there was to reach the AA guns and make the Germans surrender.
    "Lay down smoke and suppressive fire," Pierson ordered. As the soldiers who could obey what he ordered, Pierson turned towards the trenches off the road to our right. "To the trenches! Move!"
    I narrowly avoided spraying bullets as I dove into the cover of the nearest trench. The others split off the road as well, firing and ducking. While I could see some of my comrades as they ran, most disappeared from view. Shots from both sides blended and the ringing in my ears became neutral to both too.
    "We need to capture those AA guns!"
    I shook myself out of my temporary daze and pushed down the separate trench path I'd gone for. With the trench walls higher than my head and smoke billowing all around, the area quickly became a maze.
    Germans crossed my path, some not seeing my solo form as they pressed for the group down another path. Others paused just long enough for me to fire in a short burst of panic. I panted as I sprinted through the trench paths, trying to reach the others.
    "Arrgghhh!"
    To the sound of a rushing soldier, I turned to duck out of the way of a charging German. He stabbed the dirt wall that had been behind me, causing his bayonet to stick in it. He didn't hesitate to spin and fight hand-to-hand.
    I earned a punch in the jaw as the German shoved my back into the opposite trench wall. Groaning in exasperation, I held my hands out to capture his throat as he charged again. I found the soft skin of his jugular and fell to the ground as he tried to take me down.
    The Kraut gasped out in surprise, raking his dirty palms across my face as I choked him out. Straddling him, I waited until his eyes became glossy and his form beneath me went limp. I wiggled off him, panting in a frenzy of adrenaline.
    "Pierson!" I called out, my voice hoarse. "Fuck!"
    I scrambled to pick up my fallen rifle, forcing myself up as I pushed through the trenches towards the AA guns. They were closer now, a louder sound of bangs as they fired off rounds.
    Running down a straighter stretch of the trench, I slid to a stop at the whistling sound of a mortar descending. I spun to run away from where I'd been heading, feeling the heat of the explosion as the mortar thundered the ground behind me.
    I picked myself off the ground again, spitting out the mud and grime in my mouth. My face was covered in the same mud, my uniform patches of green and brown as well. I felt my muscles tremble as I began to continue for the AA guns the same way the mortar had landed, the ground now sporting a huge hollow spot.
    The trench path I was on sloped uphill, signaling I'd reached at least one of the AA guns. As I crawled up the path, I noticed the gun was further ahead, the barrel of it sticking up from another lower spot.
    "Aiello! Daniels!" I shouted, my voice cracking.
    When the loud shots of more German weaponry rumbled the ground, I knew the others couldn't hear me. I let out a small wail and started to move forwards, the sounds of feet thundering the ground catching my attention.
    A group of reinforcements were coming my way and fast. I gripped my rifle, using a pile of debris for cover. They shouted out commands in German, beginning to split up. I let out a roar to make sure I had their attention and leaned out to shoot at them.
    They scattered for different angles and positions, surprised an American was there to intercept them. I ducked back when defensive fire returned my own and let out a shaky breath.
    Without the other guys nearby me, it was a frightening place, this war zone. I was alone, without back up, and if I got shot no one would know. My eyes narrowed to the thought of dying, something I was determined to avoid doing. The boys still needed my help to finish this thing and help was what they'd get.
    I threw a grenade over the debris, the explosion earning loud cries of agony. Using the distraction, I leaned out and fired at some of the remaining Germans. Further back was a smaller group, a sign more reinforcements kept coming in.
    At the realization the group would be more than I could handle, I began to backtrack. The group would have a harder time hitting a solo soldier on the move than a platoon of them. I narrowly avoided shots as I rolled to a set of sandbags.
    Throwing smoke, I waited until the Germans were blinded before running for it. I stayed as low as possible as I began to make my way towards the boys another direction.
    As I did so a small, yet familiar, object flew past my head and I paused to focus in on what had passed so closely. My eyes widened as I realized the ticking grenade had been thrown through the smoke at one last attempt to stop me.
    The grenade landed dangerously close in my path, yet out of reach. Fear drove adrenaline as I leapt over it, beginning to sprint away from the overpowering Kraut reinforcements and the ticking grenade. A searing pain struck my thigh as I moved to do so, the shock making me collapse when I took my next few steps.
    I let out a loud cry of pain, glancing down to see blood pouring from the wound a German bullet had created. I moaned as I shifted on the muddy ground.
    I began to crawl away from the grenade, panting in panic. It wasn't seconds later that the grenade behind me blew, launching me forwards and away from the reinforcements. Heat and an explosion in my chest made me scream from down deep as I landed up against boulders lining the path before the trench. My helmet jerked back, slamming against one of the boulders and it lifted just enough so that my temple was sliced against a sharp edge.
    My world went black.

--•--•--•--

Good news for you readers: I've shifted some things around so that this story is going to be a couple chapters longer than what I'd anticipated. :) 
Hope you enjoyed and happy Saturday!
Song: Into the Fire (Epic Remix) by Christian Reindl & Lløren
~MS~