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GENEVIEVE'S EARS WERE RINGING AGAIN. But she didn't dare stop running.
A burly Sergeant was ahead of them, brandishing a pistol, yelling commands, trying to regain some sort of order, but his words are lost in the roar of the shells.
"GET BACK!" He screamed. "Return to your sectors. GET BACK! BACK! Hold fast! SEVEN PLATOON! ONE MINUTE!"
"Sir," Schofield grabbed him. "I have orders to stop this attack."
"What?" He looked down at the pair in confusion.
"Where is Colonel Mackenzie?" Schofield asked urgently.
"He's further up the line." The sergeant replied.
"How far?" Genevieve asked.
"Three hundred yards." Said the sergeant. "He's in a cut and cover. You'll have to wait until the first wave goes over."
"No!" Schofield shook his head. "No, we can't!"
"7 PLATOON!" The sergeant yelled to his men. "THIRTY SECONDS!"
Suddenly, Schofield took a step up onto the firing step. He looked down at Genevieve with fear in his eyes. She understood instantly. They'd have to cross it. It was the only way. She nodded and stepped up next to him.
"You can't possibly make it that way man, are you bloody insane?" The sergeant said. He looked closer at Genevieve, realizing she was a woman. "And you! Get back to the medical tent we have injured men!"
"I'm not a fucking nurse!" Genevieve shouted, talking more to herself than to the sergeant.
Schofield looked at her, taking a shaky breath in.
"Together?" He asked.
"Together."
They rose out of the trench, stepping over the edge.
"What the hell are two you doing!?" The sergeant shouted at them. "NO, NO, NO!"
It felt strange to be out in the open, but they didn't have time to worry about that now. They broke into a run, sprinting down the front line as fast as they could. Soldiers ran past them into battle. They weaved around them.
They were both unarmed, god knows where their weapons were at this point. One stray bullet and one or both of them could die. But there was no time to think about that.
Genevieve's throat stung with every breath she took, legs aching, screaming for her to stop and rest. But she didn't dare. They were so close.
If this wasn't the scariest thing Genevieve had ever done, she might have thought it was exhilarating.
"There!" Schofield pointed to another opened trench and they ran towards it, jumping in. They hit the ground hard. Men looked down at them in horror.
"The hell are they doing?"
"Colonel Mackenzie?" Schofield coughed as a Captain helped him to his feet. The captain pushed him in the direction of a dugout.
"He's in there." The captain said before turning back to his men. "B Company two minutes!"
Genevieve stood and rushed to follow Schofield. He was half running, half limping, cutting through the men who are about to be sent over the top, pushing his way to the entrance of a dugout. Genevieve breathed a sigh of releif. They had made it.
"Let us through!" Schofield tried to go into the dugout only to be stopped by one of the men guarding the entrance.
"Hey, hey...!" He stepped in front of them.
"Just let us through!" Genevieve tried to step forward but the other man stepped in front of her. "Hey!"
"What the hell do you two think you're doing ?" He snapped.
"We have to get through." Schofield said desperately. "We have to see Colonel Mackenzie! I have to stop this attack-"
"Just let us through!" Genevieve repeated. One of them pushed her back.
The two men had Schofield and Genevieve restrained by the arms now. They had no strength left to fight them. Genevieve struggled against the larger man but she felt like she was moving in slow motion.
"Listen to me, listen to me!" Schofield shouted. "I have a letter! We need to see Colonel MacKenzie!"
"There's no bloody way you're getting in there, mate!" The one holding Schofield shouted back.
"Sergeant!" Someone exited the dugout. "Send the next wave!"
"NO!" Schofield and Genevieve shouted at the same time.
Genevieve watched as Schofield threw his elbow into the stomach of one of the men. The one holding her let go in shock and she broke free.
Schofield and Genevieve ran into the dugout like bats out of hell. A huddle of officers were inside, their backs to the pair. A commanding voice emanated from among them.
They knew exactly who it was.
"COLONEL MACKENZIE!"
The officers turned on Genevieve and Schofield, parting as they did so. In the center, staring straight at them, was Colonel Mackenzie himself.
Genevieve was unimpressed at the sight before her. This was the Colonel? Seriously?
"Sir, this attack is not to go ahead!" Schofield said desperately. "You've been ordered to stop. You have to stop."
"Who the hell are you?" Mackenzie asked coldly.
"Lance Corporal Schofield, Sir. 8th." Schofield said, holding up the letter. "I have orders from General Erinmore to call off this attack."
"And I'm-" Genevieve stepped forward.
"You're too late, Lance Corporal." Mackenzie cut her off, dismissing Genevieve with a wave of his hand. She glared at him.
"Sir, these orders are from Army Command." Schofield said. "You have to read them."
He held out the letter to Mackenzie. It was a damp scrap of paper by now.
"Shall we hold back the second wave, Sir?" One of the officers asked.
"No, Major." Mackenzie shook his head. "Hesitate now and we lose. Victory is five hundred yards away."
"Sir...Sir!" Schofield took another step closer. "Please read the letter."
"I have heard it all before." Mackenzie snapped. "I'm not going to wait until dusk, or for fog. I'm not calling back my men, only to send them out there again tomorrow. Not when we've got the bastards on the run. This is their last stand."
"Oh for fucks sake!" Genevieve exclaimed. The men all turned to look at her as she pulled something out of her pocket. A shiny silver badge. She marched over to Mackenzie and shoved it in his face. "Colonel, I'm special agent Genevieve Patterson, first class spy for the United States of America. I was sent here on an important mission and I demand that you read that fucking letter!"
