Body Count

by James Rouch

  “That you'll regret.”

  “I wouldn't be too hasty, Colonel.” Revell indicated the road. Above the roofs of the cars, on the south-bound carriageway, were visible the newly arrived transport of the remainder of the Special Combat Company.

  Debussing, the men swarmed through the traffic to make the odds more than even.

  Forcing himself to stay calm and remain outwardly under control, the colonel seethed inside. He sensed the dangerous mood of his men, after the insult of the blow.

  “So what do you intend doing now, with this ragbag outfit of freaks and misfits?”

  “We're neither of those things, Colonel.” Revell knew without looking that his virtually unarmed company was backing him up.

  “Since the Zone took shape, we've been in there getting results, doing ten times more damage than your pinprick raids.”

  “That's it, Major.” Dooley cheered. “Give it to the cunt, good and strong.” “Then why don't you get back in there?”

  The colonel would have liked to launch his men against this rabble, but was acutely aware of the thousand strong civilian audience on the autobahn, now joined by a large number of West German police.

  “That's just where we're going.” Revell ripped off his NATO insignia. “This time though we'll be fighting for ourselves.”

  “Going freelance, are you?” The colonel sneered. “That's about all you're fit for, but you'll never make it. I’ll see to that.”

  Revell took the grenade from Andrea, and pulled out the pin. “You're going to help us make it. Unless you reckon you can outrun a grenade, have your men hand over their weapons and ammunition.”

  It was a long moment before the colonel spoke. When he ordered his men to comply, it was with a hoarse, emotion-choked voice. He had to repeat himself several times before all of them reluctantly obeyed.

  “We'll be on our way then. Thanks for the equipment.” Revell tossed the grenade into a culvert, where it exploded harmlessly, but started a short-lived panic among the civilian watchers.

  “You'll never get there.”

  “Yes, we will, Colonel. No one is going to stop us. We've a war to fight, and we've only just started.”

  Document Outline

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