The 761st was an all African American unit—something that was unheard of during this time in history. Though she, herself, had lived through a war that battled race, many parts of the world still fought those battles. Even back home.
The 761st unit was consistently given the most dangerous and extreme tasks. Suicide missions. Though they faced impossible odds and adversity, these brave men proved victorious time and time again. Gabrielle thought they were much like the Arditi. They were confident soldiers, and they were feared by anyone they came up against.
After the entire group had rested and plans had been set in motion, they rallied with the unit and began to make their way to their final destination. They’d been traveling for a day and a half. In that time, Gabrielle had mostly just talked to the soldiers and watched the trees pass by. She could no longer fight the urge to close her eyes. The unit had been moving for almost twelve hours nonstop, and she’d been awake for nearly twenty. The tank rumbled under Gabrielle, and she was shaken awake. They were almost there. As Gabrielle planned out in her mind over and over again what she would do when she saw Arawn, she was becoming antsy with anticipation.
Frustrated, she grabbed the rifle from her lap and hopped to the ground.
She stumbled on impact, only to be grasped and steadied by Fausto, who looked like he’d just woken from a well-rested nap. Though it was the dead of night, she could still see the intricate details of his expressions. The sky was so clear, the moon could have been acting as the sun. Gabrielle scrunched her nose at him, annoyed that he could be so cheerful after being awake for twenty hours. He patted her on the shoulder, and they were off in lockstep unison alongside the tank.
Gabrielle didn’t like that they were moving at night. She worried that the noise from the tank and the soldier's march would give their position away. The decision, however, had been made by the battalion commander for tactical reasons. Moving at night would keep them hidden and able to avoid attacks from enemy planes.
So, in the dark, they marched, led by one of three tanks piloted by the American command. Gabrielle knew they were almost there, but she still heard whispers from the marching soldiers as they walked.
“I heard we’ll be there in an hour,” one soldier said.
“Well, I heard we’ll get there around dawn,” another retorted.
“I really don't care when we get there, as long as we get there” Fausto barked, adjusting his rifle sling as they marched. Gabrielle grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. She knew Fausto didn’t have the patience for long, organized marches. Especially since she’d mentioned he would be a hero. He couldn't get to the battlefield fast enough.
Though the unit marched with tanks and more firepower than the enemy would expect, the air about them was filled with a dreading silence. So many questions burned in the minds of the soldiers as they walked. No one would speak them aloud for fear of sounding weak, but they all knew they were there.
How much longer would it be? Would Hitler be there? Will the war really end if they are successful? Is this the night they will finally die?
Gabrielle tried not to think about these things. She’d seen war and battle before. She had seen death, and she knew what lurked on the other side. She knew that, regardless of the outcome, Arawn would be waiting for her. Her only question was if he would be brave enough to face her himself or would he send a minion to do his bidding.
Minion.
Arawn usually didn’t do his own dirty work. He was too cowardly.
Thinking back to the words of the SS officer, Gabrielle knew Arawn was getting stronger, and since she’d had the bright idea to send a message back with the hound, he was going to be expecting her. The more she dwelled on the facts, the more she was certain Arawn would be waiting, and she would have her chance. Tonight could be the night to end it all.
A rumble and clank of armor as the tank hit a hole in the ground next to her feet forced Gabrielle from her thoughts. She flinched and instinctively raised her weapon. Fausto laughed and slung his arm over her shoulders.
“A little jumpy this evening, are we? I wouldn't worry, we have these brave Americans to protect us,” he teased. Gabrielle looked up at her friend and smiled. “I mean, no offense. I forget that you're American as well sometimes. You seem so much more, well, cultured.”
Gabrielle laughed at him. The thought that she had lived in many diverse cultures and she really didn't feel like she belonged to any of them made his words seem almost ironic.
“I will be a lot more at ease once this is all over,” she responded, forcing another laugh and looking ahead. Sure, she would be more at ease after this; likely she would be dead. As long as Arawn died first, it was all worth it.
After another thirty minutes of marching, the caravan came to a stop. The air buzzed with electricity as the group halted. Gabrielle looked around in confusion until the realization hit her—they had arrived.
Gianni and Lyudmila hopped from their perch along the side of the tank and adjusted their gear. As the masses prepared for battle, silence befell them. Her friends by her side, Gabrielle was ready.
“What now?” Gabrielle asked, looking around at the other soldiers. Gianni and the commander of the Battalion had made specific plans before the journey began, but those had not been widely shared with the rest of the group. Gianni tapped her shoulder and motioned forward. She looked ahead and saw the Commander approaching them.
“Well,” the Commander said with excitement in his voice. “It’s time we part ways. I hope you’re right and we can take those sons of bitches down,” he stated. “We’ll hold up our end of the bargain. God speed.”
He extended his hand to Gianni, and the two men shook. As their hands clasped in symbolic respect, Gabrielle, Lyudmila, and Fausto all looked to one another with confusion. To this point, Gianni had kept the plan quiet. Smith handed Gianni a large black backpack, and the two exchanged an intense stare before Smith let go of the bag, and a wide grin spread across his face.
“Well, off you go then,” Smith said as he nodded to the rest of the group.
“Take care of yourselves. We will do our part,” Gianni reassured and turned to face Gabrielle, Lyudmila, and Fausto. “This is where we break from their ranks. I will explain everything on the march. Keep up.”
As he spoke, Gianni stepped through the gap between Lyudmila and Fausto and walked off past the tank. The three associates came to attention, and Fausto and Lyudmila quickly shot after the old man as he moved beyond the protection of the battalion and off into the night. Gabrielle hung in place for a moment with many questions and thoughts burning through her mind, yet only one escaped her lips.
“What is it? Your end of the bargain?” Gabrielle whispered as the Commander turned to walk away from her. He paused in step and turned back to Gabrielle, a smile on his face. He gestured to his soldiers.
“I promised the old man that, when we’re done tonight, we’ll kill every last one of the sons of bitches. Right men?” he shouted, making Gabrielle jump at the sudden intonation of his voice.
His soldiers shouted back a confirmation that sent exhilarating chills up Gabrielle’s back. These men came for war and could not be happier that they had found it.
“Now, if I were you, I would turn and get after your friends, darlin’. They’ll need you on this night,” he told her, motioning off into the dark. Gabrielle’s heart skipped a beat as she realized her group had continued on without her.
Running blindly into the dark, Gabrielle hoped her friends hadn’t gotten too far ahead. As she made her way from the battalion, the rumble of the tank engines starting back up thundered through the night, and the group was once more on the move.
Her boots slapped the grass damp from the evening dew. A few times, she nearly slipped in the mud, but her drive to catch up to her group kept her moving. After a few minutes, she caught sight of the silver light of the full moon glistening off the metalwork of Gianni’s rifle, and Gabrielle slowed her pace.
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�I was wondering if you planned on joining us,” Gianni teased over his shoulder as he heard Gabrielle catch up to them.
“Yes, I was afraid that you were going to miss all of the fun. Speaking of fun, what’s the plan?” Fausto asked without taking his eyes off the road ahead of him.
“I must say, generally, I appreciate his silence, but Fausto is right. What is the plan of attack, Gianni?” Lyudmila joined.
Gabrielle remained silent, taking large, quiet breaths of air as she tried to steady her heart beat.
Gabrielle looked over at Fausto who was glaring at Lyudmila. He stuck his tongue out, and she returned the action with a punch to the arm. They smiled at each other as Gianni patted Fausto on the back. They almost seemed happy. Not as though they were going into a battle, but as they were a group of friends going out on the town. There was a strange mixture of confusion, excitement, and anticipation in the air and for a moment, Gabrielle was able to forget about the death and horror she had seen on this journey.
If Gabrielle was right, the fighting, the killing, the threat of death, the entire war could all come to an end tonight. All the times they were close and lost, all the souls that had been tortured could be avenged now. They had reached the end of their war, just as Gabrielle had reached the end of hers.
As they walked, still uncertain of Gianni’s plan, the open pasture turned into an overgrown area that reminded Gabrielle of a hay field. Soon, the pasture turned into a forest, and Gabrielle found herself weaving in and out of trees and stepping over fallen logs. Fortunately, the trees overhead were thin enough to allow the moon and stars to permeate and provide them with illumination.
“We are almost there,” Gianni finally spoke, the timber in his voice sharpening. His anticipation of battle had begun to manifest into his warrior’s drive. Fausto followed suit, and his facial expressions hardened. Lyudmila seemed unaffected. She was the bravest of them all.
“I suppose now is the time to break the plan to you. According to the map of the area, the best place to do that will be right up here. Gianni motioned at a break in the trees where the forest appeared to open up into a field beyond. He pulled ahead of the group and led them to an unusually wide tree just at the end of the woods.
As he reached the base of the tree, Gianni quickly fell to one knee and motioned for the others to follow and get behind the tree’s stump. Gabrielle rushed to line up directly behind him, Lyudmila was behind her and Fausto stayed a few steps away in the shadows, looking for signs of anyone else approaching.
“There it is,” Gianni whispered, peeking around the tree and beckoning the others to do the same.
Three hundred yards through what appeared to be a park with neatly trimmed grass and small trees was a massive compound on the edge of a city. The outstretched walls of the compound were illuminated against the night sky. Trees danced in the breeze around its perimeter.
Gabrielle froze. Something about the compound brought her back to her very first adventure.
Flashes of a castle appeared before her eyes. A man wants a girl, a lover killed defending her heart. A little girl falling through the sky. Gabrielle thought about how much she’d grown since then. If someone had told her all those years ago that she would be hiding in the woods with a rifle waiting to kill Adolf Hitler, she would have laughed in their face.
“He’s in there. Below that compound is his bunker. Tonight is our night.” Gianni’s voiced lowered, and his breathing slowed. He was back in that place. Back in the war. His face blank, as though he no longer occupied his own body.
“So, what exactly is the plan?” Fausto slid up to the group and perched himself at his father’s side.
“It is simple, really. We get ourselves into position. Wait for the signal, then we attack with precision. Our talents mixed with the confusion of an all-out barrage on the opposing side of the compound gives us an advantage. We will be swift, precise, and unseen.”
“That’s it? That’s the plan?” Fausto interjected, his annoyance evident in his voice. “So, then what is the reason behind the level of secrecy?”
“It is not the goal that was secretive, my son. What I have been keeping silent about until this moment is the way we will accomplish this goal. When we get into the compound, we must separate. Lyudmila will go about her task, I mine, and the two of you will accomplish yours. This subject is not open for discussion.”
“Wait. What are you saying? That we are going to go into possibly the most strongly defended compound filled with Nazi soldiers, split up, and NOT die?” Gabrielle couldn’t control herself. She had taken Gianni’s plans to heart many times before, and they had always survived battles. This, however, was suicide.
“Precisely, my dearest Gabrielle. Specifically, I will create a distraction and draw attention to myself, Lyudmila will provide cover for me, and you two will make your way to the bunker. It is simple, with little moving parts, which makes it less likely for something to go wrong.” Gianni was set in this plan, Gabrielle could see it in his eyes.
“Wait, that sounds like it will do nothing more than get you killed!” Fausto shouted, anger rising in his voice. “How exactly is this supposed to work? The four of us will accomplish something that armies have been fighting for years to accomplish? This is stupid, and you know it! You aren’t going to be a martyr, old man!”
Gianni put his hand up to quiet his son.
“No, Fausto, this is surgical. We can do this. As long as I have a rifle, we have a chance!” Lyudmila chimed in before Gianni could argue. Lyudmila’s eyes were soft, but her lips were tight and rigid. Gabrielle believed her. As long as Lyudmila held a weapon and had breath, none in her sights stood a chance.
“Who better to do this than we, my son? We are Arditi. We all are! This is what we are meant to do, and we shall do it together, or die in honor. If we fall . . . . . . well, that is why we have the Americans. . . .” The grin on Gianni’s face widened at the attempted humor. The group was quiet for a moment before a small smile crept across Fausto’s worried face.
“He’s right. If anyone can do this, it’s us,” Gabrielle announced. That had to get into position and be ready for the fight and sitting around arguing over it wasn’t going to help any of them make it out alive. Their best chance was to go through with the plan, and if they split up, then maybe Gabrielle could get to Arawn and kill him before anyone noticed. She looked to Fausto and nodded in persuasion. They had to do this together, and Fausto had to put his emotions aside and see that.
“Very well, we shall go with your plan. I will say that if someone else gets to kill Hitler before I do because I have to double back and save you both, I will never forgive you!” Fausto said in complete seriousness, though the smile plastered on his face betrayed him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Gianni raised his hand and motioned for the group to move out. They could no longer discuss the plan; it was now or never. As he held his hand high, Gianni looked around the edge of the tree line and scanned the area for any signs of unwanted movement. Gabrielle and the others checked their weapons once more to be sure they were ready to fire.
Looking at the collar of the back of Gianni’s jacket, Gabrielle allowed herself to breathe easy for a moment. With her fingers running over the steel of her rifle, she found solace in the fact that she had done this before. Like sledding down a large, steep hill; all that was needed was that first push, and everything else would come naturally.
As her hands brushed the rifle, she felt the metallic clank of her bangle striking the stock of her gun. The sound caused her to jerk to the side. She’d all but forgotten the metal piece of jewelry, it was just another part of her. She looked down at the bracelet covered in battle scars, and Gabrielle realized that she knew where each one occurred. The bracelet had become a roadmap of her journey—all of the friends she’d made and souls she’d freed.
Gianni jerked his hand forward, pulling Gabrielle back from her thoughts, and then the old man was gone. Gabrielle was directly behind him,
and by the sounds of their feet, Lyudmila and Fausto were close behind her. The group ran in a straight line to the cover of another tree and froze behind its shadow. Again, Gianni scanned the area looking for signs of the enemy.
This is how they moved for some time as the group made their way through the parkland toward the compound. The closer they got to the large building, the more Gabrielle felt the lurch of bravery begin to fade, and her nerves start to take control.
When in the quiet shadows, Gianni made everything seem possible, but as they closed the distance, doubts filled Gabrielle’s mind. Arawn had always managed to beat her, and the last time they met, he’d killed and enslaved her mother. The thought made Gabrielle sick, and she pushed it out of her mind. I need to stay focused so I can kill that son of a bitch.
Gabrielle’s heart pounded faster, her breath grew shallow, sweat rolled down her face as the group reached the final cover of trees. Past the tree line, the grass opened into a large yard that was manned by several armed Nazi soldiers.
“This is the spot. The way into the fortress,” Gianni announced. “Through that break in the wall is a courtyard. You can see it in the opening. On top of that wall is a walkway. Lyudmila, we need to get you there after we open up the entrance. Once you are in place, I will go about my duties, and the two of you will continue on into the compound.” Gianni’s words were sharp, no traces left of the funny, lovable old man.
Fausto opened his mouth in a final form of protest, only to have his father shake his head. At this point, there could be no changes or deviations. This would have to happen. Gabrielle felt tears well within her eyes. She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that things were coming to an end.
“So, what do we do about those Germans?” Lyudmila broke in, motioning to the half-dozen soldiers that stood guard. Gianni smiled and looked at his watch.
“We wait, my dear,” he whispered, back to his cryptic speech. He truly was enjoying this moment. After a few seconds of silence, Lyudmila grew impatient when it was clear Gianni wasn’t intending on answering her.
The Gabrielle Series Boxed Set Page 50
