Farrell POV
I woke up and yawned the next morning, and remembered I was running gate duty, since I'm a higher rank, I get more difficult jobs, so here I go, running gate duty. I yawned and sat up, my two beautiful girlfriends taking much objection to my doing so, but they're asleep.
Farrell: "gals, I run gate duty, I'm in charge of the guard for first hour before breakfast"
Frieda: (asleep) "awwwwww, I wan snuggies"
Angela: (asleep) "yeh! U can't go, we need ur warm snugs!"
Farrell: "I have too, now, I need to get up"
I stood up, hopped into my boots, walked to my wardrobe and pulled out my tunic, belt and field equipment. It was nearing winter so I have half a mind to wear my greatcoat, well, that was until I remembered I'm a Arctic fox, I'm used to this shit. I leave it there and start getting geared up, walking to the main gate with my rifle, yawing as I walked past a table with snacks on it. I grab a piece of Knackerbröt, cracker bread, I liked it. I finished it just as I walked outside the gate, seeing a small group of 4 schutzes, you'd know as privates.
Farrell: "morning you lot, ready for guard duty?"
Schutze 1: "nein herr obergefreiter"
Farrell: "nein nein nein, don't call me by rank, call me by my name, Farrell"
Schutze 2: "oh, well, no Farrell"
Farrell: "understandable, I'm not either, so, I'll let you guys take the covered position, it's likely going to rain so you'd want to do that, Schutze, Dranko, you and I will take position here at the main gate since it's the more important one"
Dranko: "yes mein herr"
We go to our positions and start performing guard duty, which was basically hurry up and wait for a few hours until you're relieved from duty. I sigh heavily and reach into my tunic pocket, fishing around for the cigarette case gifted to me by Frieda. I grabbed out my matches and lit up, then looked over to my compatriot.
Farrell: "so where are you from?"
Dranko: "me? I'm from Hamburg"
Farrell: "nice"
Dranko: "yourself?"
Farrell: "Tipperary, Ireland"
Dranko: "huh?"
Farrell: "I'm volksdeustch, my mom is Aryan but my dad forced himself upon her in '22"
Dranko: "you wanted to return home?"
Farrell: "yup"
I look to my cigarette container, and pull one out
Farrell: "want one?"
Dranko: "no thanks, I don't smoke"
Farrell: "fair enough"
I put my cigarettes away in my pocket, and sigh
Farrell: "what was it like in Hamburg?"
Dranko: "well, average, had a standard childhood, Y'know how it is"
Farrell: "nice"
We chat as a car pulls up, a staff car, odd. I look to my partner
Farrell: "I got this one"
I walk to the window and peek in, there sat a captain and a lieutenant in field service uniforms, looking exhausted
Farrell: "Herr Leutnant and Hauptmann!"
I saluted
Farrell: "to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Leutnant: "well, we just barely escaped from the Polish resistance, so that was fun"
Captain: "I was sent for by Keitel to inform and help General Fahloh make her decisions"
Farrell: "of course, though I wish you luck, she's very headstrong but is a brilliant strategist"
Captain: "thanks, from the sound of it I will"
Farrell: "wish I could trust you right off the bat, but I gotta check your soldbuchs"
Leutnant: "of course"
I inspect them, and send them in when revealed that they are indeed who they say they are. It was a very boring shift other than that. I opened the bolt of my rifle and inspected the shell when I noticed something odd. The top round, had a hole in the bottom of the casing. I immediately unload my rifle and see all of the shells there are like this. I raise and eyebrow and shook the shell, no powder whatsoever, it was a dud.
Farrell: "Dranko, we have an issue"
Dranko: "what?"
Farrell: "someone is trying to sabotage me"
I show him, and his eyes went wide.
Farrell: "yeah, I'm going to inspect the rest of my rounds"
I opened my pouches and inspected all of them, not affected. I reloaded my rifle with the good cartridges just as a round puts a hole through my helmet but missed my head thank God. We immediately dive for cover and hide behind our sentry box.
Farrell: "Polish resistance, that's to be expected regularly"
I randomly shoot a round into the tree and heard a yell and someone fall to the ground.
Farrell: "got him"
Dranko: "did you even aim?"
Farrell: "nope, go see if they're dead"
Dranko: "yes sir"
He started walking out and found the body of the guy, he was still breathing. I walked out and knelt over him
Farrell: "thanks for the nice battle scar Polski"
I put my finger through the hole in my helmet as I said this, he spat at me.
Polish resistance member: "idź do diabła, niemiecki draniu"
I bolted my rifle, but, my hands couldn't get the rifle to my shoulder, I couldn't shoot. I sigh and put my rifle down. I look at Dranko.
Dranko: "sir what're you?"
Farrell: "you say shit, I will personally make sure you end up with sandbag duty"
He shut up and I grabbed my field dressing and wrapped him up, then I poured some water into his mouth from my canteen.
Farrell: "I'll run you to the village after I'm off duty"
I hid him in a bush, and the relief guards walked up.
Relief guard 1: "ready to be off?"
Farrell: "definitely, I'm going to go to the village and grab some things for myself"
Relief guard 2: "alright, have fun"
I nodded, then went into the bush under the guise of needing to use the restroom, then picked the guy up and walked to the village, taking him to a doctors office.
Farrell: "good Doctor, your friend in the resistance needs to work on his aim"
I placed him in a chair and nodded, going to a small market area in the town. I see Angela and Frieda looking at fruit. I sneak up behind them.
Frieda: "I told you, he's obviously a orange guy!"
Angela: "no! He probably is a fan of apples!"
Frieda: "no way! I wish he was here so he could tell us"
I lean in between them, and say
Farrell: "I'm a fan of both really"
They jump, then turn and hug me
Angela: "hey babe!"
Frieda: "hey hon!"
Farrell: "hey gals, how're you doing?"
Frieda: "great!"
Farrell: "that's good"
Angela: "wait a minute"
They saw the hole in my helmet and freak out. I laugh and pull my helmet off, revealing nothing but a little patch of shorter fur
Farrell: "I'm fine gals, bastard had bad aim"
Angela: "phew! Don't want our man dying on us!"
Frieda: "yeah!"
I laugh and shake my head, patting their heads and watching as their smiles show up and tails start rapidly wagging as I did. The Polish civilians around us were rolling their eyes, they weren't huge fans of us, to be expected. They purchase their goods and we go back to our barracks room to relax and recuperate. I'm certainly not going to miss lunch today.
Chapter Ende