Pierre looked confused, “I don’t understand. You were drinking with them? You know what I have told you about spending any time with them.”
“No, no, you don’t understand,” pleaded Madeleine.
Adrienne spoke quickly, “When we were coming back we thought we were being followed by one of those tanks, you know, the one you said is a captured one of ours.”
“Well, what happened?” asked François excitedly.
“I will if you’ll let me finish,” Adrienne answered impatiently. “The men in the tank must have been drinking because they were shouting loudly and then crashed into a wall!”
“Crashed? Are you sure?” asked Pierre.
“Yes, of course we’re sure, we’re not stupid you know!” answered Madeleine impatiently.
“They crashed, they are still there on the road and the tank is making a very strange noise.”
Pierre stepped up closely, hugging the two with his huge arms. He released them.
“You have both done extremely well, this information is exactly the kind of thing we need.” He signalled towards François.
“We need to get moving so we can pass on what is happening. We’ll meet at the drop point in twenty minutes. I’ll get the radio and weapons; you get the torches and meet us there. Okay?” he asked.
Both girls nodded and disappeared off into the night. Pierre turned back to François whilst putting the notebook in the knapsack. François was about to start walking when he was stopped by Pierre.
“François,” he spoke, “I think we should check on the crashed tank before we go any further. We need to know if they are a problem or not.”
François nodded in agreement, the two turned back along the path the girls had recently come from. They were obviously familiar with it so it took very little time for them to retrace the girls’ steps.
“What do we do if the Germans are still alive?” whispered François anxiously.
Pierre answered in a stern voice, “Under no circumstances will we have any contact with those men.”
“But what if,” answered back François.
“No! They are vicious, evil men and we will not go near them. You’ve seen what they can do,” Pierre stopped and put his hand on François’ shoulder, “do you understand?”
François nodded.
“What happens if we start trouble just because we think the British will be here soon? We could be killed before help arrives. Even worse, what if they fail?”
François look disappointed, “I just don’t want the war to be over before I can do something.”
“Look François, we’ve talked about this before. We could end up shot as spies or as members of the resistance. We must wait until the time is right,” said Pierre.
He double-checked the pathway and then spoke quietly back to François. “Come on then, we need to check on them and then meet up with the girls. We don’t have much time.”
As they left the safety of the cover they approached the gate and both kept low, almost in the same place that Madeleine and Adrienne had waited previously. The gate was a sturdy object, many years old and built of solid wood. It was chained shut and the hinges were heavily rusted, it made an excellent hiding place for them to watch from. With Pierre staying low, François lifted himself up but kept below the highest part of the gate. He looked intently at the lane.
“What can you see François?” asked Pierre.
François was silent for a moment, and then looked over to Pierre.
“I’m not sure. It looks like the tank is the one that the girls described. It’s definitely an R-35, though the turret is not like the ones I saw on parade a few years ago. Something is different.”
“What about the Germans? Where are they?” whispered Pierre.
Again, François kept quiet as he scanned the area. From their vantage point only part of the lane was visible. The tank and low wall made it difficult to ascertain what might be hidden. François described what he could see as he continued his visual search.
“I can see one man on the turret, he’s slumped over the side. It looks like his boot or shoe is stuck around a strap or something. I can’t see any movement of any kind.”
Pierre lifted himself up, leaning on the gate, now more confident in the situation. The two men continued to watch the area. Pierre spotted some movement low, near the broken wall. The two men dropped back down slowly.
“Can you see that?” asked François?
“Yes,” answered Pierre. “It’s a German soldier, it looks like he might be injured.”
François spotted more movement, this time on the other side of the tank.
“Did you see that as well?” he spoke.
“No,” answered Pierre, “what did it look like?”
“I don’t know, for a moment I thought I saw several people on the other side of the tank.” François tilted his head, “Can you hear that?”
“Yes, it sounds like somebody eating.”
Pierre looked again but couldn’t see any better than before.
“Follow me…and stay low,” whispered Pierre.
Pierre lifted himself over the gate and very slowly crossed the lane, now only forty feet from the tank and the body of the injured German. The two crept closer till they reached the low wall, just feet from where the tank had crashed. The tank, though in poor condition looked undamaged from the crash, not that it was easy to tell from the scruffy vehicle in the poor light. They kept low so that they couldn’t be seen by the man lying slumped against the wall.
“What is that?” exclaimed François.
Next to the two Frenchmen was what looked like the body of a soldier, minus its head. There was a trail of a black liquid that in the poor light looked like blood. It led to a mangled body. It seemed to have been bitten and torn apart by some savage animal. Pierre recoiled from the carnage. He’d not seen something this vile since his time at Verdun decades before. During a night patrol he and a dozen other soldiers had come across the bodies of a German unit, it looked like a single artillery barrage had wiped them all out. Every man was blasted, some with their limbs missing, others their heads and others even worse. Pierre thought that would be the last time he would see carnage like that, he was wrong.
Seeing the gore François immediately vomited, retching uncontrollably from the shock of the torn bodies. He stumbled to the tank, putting his hand on the bodywork to stop himself from falling.
“François!” called Pierre. He moved up to the man, putting his hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s go, I think we’ve seen enough,” he added.
François nodded but said nothing and they went back towards the lane. Moving quickly they climbed the gate and moved off towards the trees and cover. The men moved silently, listening carefully for signs of possible survivors from the tank crash site or whatever had attacked them. François, being the younger of the two led the way, Pierre followed close behind. As they rounded a thick tree a loud shriek pierced the night. The two stopped instantly, hiding into the overgrowth and looking back in the direction of the tank.
“What was that?” asked François.
Pierre continued looking backwards, whispering to François, “I don’t know, I think we…”
He was cut off by another shriek followed by inhuman groans and noises that sounded like nothing the two men had ever heard. They looked at each other, paused and then both jumped up and ran. Without even looking backwards the men covered the ground quickly.
A distance away the two girls sat quietly along the tree line, this was the agreed waiting place for the small group. Behind them were thick trees, so thick that no light penetrated the closely spaced tree trunks. In front of them was an open field, a space large enough to land an aircraft, perhaps many aircraft. The lane on one side and low hedgerows on the other two sides bordered the field. Madeleine sat on top of the box that contained the torches. Adrienne however was much too restless to sit and wait. She stood at the edge of the trees, scanning the hor
izon for any sign of Pierre and François.
“Did you see that?” asked Adrienne as she pointed towards the trees.
“No,” said a bored Madeleine.
* * *
Steiner had the worst headache he could remember in years. His vision was blurred; he couldn’t feel his legs and the world seemed to be spinning around him. Lifting his hand to his face he opened one eye, trying to force it open. It was still the middle of the night and with no lighting there was almost nothing to see. There was one thing though; he could hear a strange groaning, almost wailing sound. Rolling over, Steiner grasped the side of the crashed tank and pulled himself up into a sitting position. He retched as the excessive alcohol drunk earlier almost made him vomit. He managed to hold it down but it didn’t stop the dreadful feeling he had in his stomach and head. He shook his head so he could see a little more clearly. There were shapes a short distance away. It may have been people, the sky or just sweat dripping from his brow. He strained his eyes to try and work out what was going on. It wasn’t enough though; the alcohol was doing its job!
Steiner thought for a while, remembering one of his previous drinking exploits whilst fighting in Stalingrad. It was incredible he’d managed to survive that one, most of his friends hadn’t. One thing he could remember though was a comment made by his commanding officer back in ’42 that one of the best hangover cures on the Eastern Front was to find more alcohol!
He waved his arm around, trying to find his drink. At this point he would be better off drowning himself in more of that vile wine he’d found. Anything was better than being awake in this foul place. Instead of finding the wine though he found a boot. Shaking his head again he looked down at his feet.
“Two boots…not mine then,” he babbled to himself.
He looked back down at the boot, spotting something hidden inside it. Without thinking he pulled it out with his free hand. A bloody, half eaten foot dropped out in front of him.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” he shouted.
Steiner jumped up, way too quickly for somebody in his alcohol induced state. The ground spun around him, he instantly lost his balance and stumbled to the side, tripping over something and just moments later found himself back on the ground. His arm now jarred with pain from the fall and his head was still pounding. The groaning and howling sounds returned, this time they seemed much closer. A quick burst of adrenalin, fired by fear and the feeling of exposure due to being out in the open, cleared his head for a little while. Rubbing his eyes, he shook his head to finally allow him to get an idea as to what was happening.
Steiner’s first intelligible view of his immediate surroundings shocked him. Even more than some of the carnage he’d seen at the Tractor Factory in Russia. The shape of the crashed tank was clear, as were the bodies near and on it. What made it much worse though were the odd shapes that looked like a crowd of people in the lane. He tried counting them in his head whilst also trying to decide who they could possibly be.
“Thirteen, at least thirteen,” he muttered.
He reached down to his holster, finding his Luger P08 pistol still there. He withdrew the 9mm automatic and scanned the area for anymore of the mysterious people. More shadows were visible, especially in the field behind the tank. It seemed whoever they were they had been drawn to the sound of the crash.
Steiner stood and called out to them, “Halt! I am Steiner, of the German Army. Explain yourselves.”
The crowd seemed unmoved by his question, though a number from the lane started to move towards him at a slow pace. Steiner was undeterred.
“I will not ask again. Speak to me!” he ordered.
Remembering the signal kit that was fitted to the outer stowage case on the tank he ripped out the lid and pulled out a signal gun. It looked like an oversized revolver but with one large chamber that fires a single powerful shot. Cocking the gun and pointing it in the air he paused for a moment, still no response. He pulled the trigger. With a bang the flare flew up in a straight line before exploding in a bright flash, instantly illuminating the crash scene to him. The flare then proceeded to drop to the ground, still burning. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that the light would reveal. All around him were people, each in ragged, filthy clothing and all moving slowly towards him. Directly in front was one with a snapped ankle and next to him was another, holding the torn flesh of what looked like a leg. In the middle of the group were what looked like Wehrmacht soldiers, or at least people wearing the distinctive Type 42 helmets, worn by so many in the military.
“Soldier, what are you doing?” he called to the nearest man.
The response was the last thing Steiner expected. The closest group of people shambled right up to him whilst as the same time another man appeared at his side. The person was so silent he hadn’t even noticed their approach. The first thing Steiner became aware of was the stench. He recoiled from it, the stink filling his nostrils and giving him an immediate flashback to some of the most violent and bloody battles of the Eastern Front. He took one step back but they kept moving towards him.
“Get back!” he shouted, moving back towards the tank.
Still they pressed forwards, now advancing on three sides. Steiner, now out of space, lifted himself up onto the tank. As he climbed one of them reached for his foot. As he kicked them away another grabbed for him. The person groaned, bearing his teeth to him. Steiner was dumbfounded.
“What the hell!” he shouted.
Pointing the Luger to the sky he squeezed off a round. The loud crack of the bullet echoed through the night. In the faint moonlight dozens of faces turned towards Steiner. If nothing else he’d got their attention. He recognised one of the faces, squinting he thought it looked like the driver of the tank. Pulling out a shell for the signal pistol he fired another shot directly above him. With a crack the sky lit up and Steiner could finally see his comrade. It was the driver but not as he remembered, because this time his decapitated head was being carried by one of the savages. With a sickening sound the foul thing seemed to be eating the raw flesh of the man he’d spoken to what must have been just an hour before.
Falling back onto the tank he pointed his luger at the horde and squeezed the trigger. One shot followed another until he had emptied the eight round magazine. His chest was pounding as adrenalin kicked in, finally pushing him and heightening his senses. The group now surrounded the tank on the sides and rear, only the front of the tank seemed clear. Lifting himself up, Steiner reached the turret. The crowd was now starting to lift themselves up onto the sides of the tank. Steiner had no idea what was going on but one thing he did know was this was bad…very bad.
Reaching down inside the hull of the tank he floundered, trying to find the crew weapons that they kept inside for emergencies. His hand touched a familiar item; it was a PPSh-41, one of the prized weapons he’d managed to hold onto following his posting to this unit. He had first found this weapon when fighting near the waterfront at Stalingrad. The gun, though perhaps not the most accurate in the world, was incredibly reliable and back in the East the supply of ammunition was plentiful.
He grabbed the stock only to find his leg being pulled by one of the people. How could they be people? They must be some kind of savages, who knows? He reached as far as he could but the arm pulling him yanked him away from the weapon.
“Shit, shit!” shouted Steiner as he was pulled out from hanging inside the tank turret. There were now at least four of the animals on the tank hull, one of them was hanging onto his leg, another was lowering itself, its mouth open, as if to bite his leg.
“Fuck this,” shouted Steiner as he grabbed the now empty flare pistol. He pointed the weapon and pulled the trigger. There was nothing but a click.
“Shit!” swore Steiner. He looked at them and then at the flare gun.
“Fuck this and fuck you!” he shouted and threw the weapon at the man holding his foot.
The pistol struck the man and for a brief moment he released his hold on Steiner’s l
eg. That was all the time he needed. Throwing his hand out, he grasped the solid metalwork of the submachine gun and pulled it up to his hip. Lifting himself to a sitting position he cocked the weapon. Though still in an awkward position he was now armed and suddenly felt a wave of relief boost his reactions. He aimed at the nearest figure and held down the trigger. The gunshots echoed loudly in the open ground of the lane and the bright muzzle flash showed these animalistic people in all their bloody savagery. The submachine gun, one of the millions made by the Soviets for use on the Eastern Front was an excellent weapon. It was well built, sturdy and carried a circular drum magazine beneath it. The drum carried seventy one powerful bullets and right now each one was slamming into anybody Steiner could see. With a third of the bullets gone, he lifted himself up so he was standing on the tank. Aiming first to the left and then to the right he fired short, controlled bursts, each one knocking down another person. He stopped shooting, the gunshots still reverberating down the lane. Not one of the things was still standing.
Steiner jumped down from the tank, much steadier as his blood was still pumping adrenalin. He had to step carefully as the ground was slick with gore from his shooting. He could hear something, it sounded like groaning from one of the bodies. Moving slowly over the fallen he reached the body. It was hard to make out as the light was still poor. Putting his boot on its shoulder he pushed. Before the body was completely turned over though, its arms reached out, grabbing for him. As he was kicking it away the other men on the ground started to do the same, several of them started lifting themselves back up of the ground. All of them dragged themselves towards Steiner.
He leaned slightly forwards, lowered the PPSh-41 and aimed it carefully at the horde. Steiner swore loudly, and then pulled the trigger. The muzzle flash was large and bright, bullet cases pouring from the ejection port of the weapon. He held down the trigger and fired in a wide arc, cutting down the creatures one at a time. As the sound of the gun echoed through the dark lane the sound of Steiner’s shouting became louder and louder.
Night of the Nazi Zombies Page 2
