Feeling fairly confident that the corridor outside was devoid of cold soldiers, Bauer dropped his pack and began to rummage within, pulling out potato mashers and a large Panzerschreck grenade which accompanied the long hollow tube which Hawkins carried slung around his back. The others followed suit, now their incursion had begun, they would have to move at speed, dropping extraneous supplies and making sure they had quick access to ammunition. Bauer ensured the Panzerschreck was loaded, and handed it back to Hawkins who was quite encumbered already with the heavy machine gun. The highly explosive tank killing projectile would ensure multiple kills, exactly what they might need if faced with a large group of soldiers in a narrow corridor. Grenades were poking out of every pocket and even Genevieve tied around her waist a belt full of magazines for her MP44 assault rifle. When the three had readied themselves, Hawkins with machine gun and bi pod in hand gave Bauer a nod and a smile and made his way to the exit.
Hawkins movement was quickly halted when there were sounds of footsteps and almost before they could react, a small troop of about four or five soldiers marched right past the office door, their haste seemingly induced by events outside. Hawkins audibly exhaled a large breath of relief as Bauer still covered the doorway with his gun. It was not only a close call but a wakeup call. The soldiers moved swiftly and did not announce their presence. Vigilance at all times was now key to their survival.
Having memorised the makeshift map of the facility that Leballieur had artistically drawn for them, Hawkins now led the way and they shuffled down the corridor to the East of the Commandants office with pace. The passageways in the bunker were tight, and dark. The only source of light seemed to be the damned strobing red glow which constantly reminded them all that the bunker was in a state of heightened alert. It was no doubt activated on initial assault and there was no reason for Von Hummel's soldiers to disengage it. They cared little for their working environment.
Along the corridor's walls, lengths of piping, probably electrical and telephonic ran at shoulder height and periodically, an alarm station was situated accompanied by a fire extinguisher. The roof of the tunnel was arched and there was a good amount of clearance even for the lanky German officer whose height was often a burden whilst travelling long distance.
The corridors were all built with right angled turns which made moving through them uncomfortable. It was never possible to see more than fifty feet into the distance without there being a turn in the passage that anything could lurk around. Starting in the administrative sector of the facility, Hawkins noted each door as he passed down the corridor. To reach the laboratories, they would have to pass closely by the restricted zone, the part of the installation that the scientists were forbidden to enter. Hawkins felt uneasy about having to be so close to the epicentre of the German's base. With every footstep nearer to the labs, the Brit counted it as a major step towards victory. Perhaps they would even be lucky enough to stroll into the machine room without encounter. Surely it could not be that easy, he thought.
Further along the corridor, pallets of the soldier's canned food were stacked high at intervals as if they were being transported and then left in a hurry. A small flat bed trolley had clearly been used to wheel the quantities of the foul smelling substance around; it now lay still in the middle of the passageway abandoned. At the end of this slightly wider passageway, a large iron blast door presented itself although thankfully the corridor continued past it leading to the team's destination. It was emblazoned with vivid yellow chevrons and was clearly the entrance to something highly protected. Hawkins began to wonder what may lay behind the ominous looking portal and pray that the entrance to the labs was not as equally well protected.
Hawkins moved at speed and now with every step, his heart rate quickened. He could feel Bauer behind him urging him forward, the tension was building, and the excitement was palpable. On the left and right, empty dormitories could be seen, their doors left open. It was intriguing Hawkins as to why the bodies of the slain occupants had obviously been cleared away. Perhaps they were the first to be used in the soldier's efforts to perpetuate themselves. It was ironic that those who created the soldiers might in turn be processed by the very soldiers they themselves had created. Hawkins head was spinning; he tried to keep his mind focussed on the next turn in the passageway. This was too easy. There was a right turn up ahead and more crates were stacked on both sides of the corridors. These gave the infiltrators a nice position of cover with which to survey the next turn before committing themselves. Hawkins jinked up behind the last crate and with protruding gun, popped his head around the bend. Swiftly, he retracted his body from sight. He had seen something. Once again daring to look but with more caution this time, he edged his way out being careful not to make any sound as his tentative friends crouched behind him awaiting the next command to move.
Along the next corridor, a group of possibly half a dozen soldiers moved about, hoisting pallets upon a trolley. Their slick black uniforms blended well in the gloom of the passage way and Hawkins dared to remain as long as he could exposing his eyes whilst trying to count their numbers. Looking back, Hawkins face told the story and Bauer took some deep breaths. Hawkins help up six fingers and Bauer knew that only a quick, sustained barrage of fire would be good enough to see them safe passage through this point. It was not good enough to sit it out and await some kind of resolution, it was time to act and be decisive.
CHAPTER 26
Knowing full well that engaging the soldiers would set off a chain reaction of events that could not be stopped except by success or utter defeat, Hawkins readied the MG42, its two small feet protruding from the muzzle tip. Feeding the belt of bullets as quietly as possible into the gun, Genevieve readied a couple of grenades and Bauer steadied his breathing so that he could take aim with a steady hand. It had been discussed at length what tactics the three would take if this position arose. They had studied the layout and planned for this turn of events. Hawkins would lay down cutting suppressing fire with the machine gun, Genevieve would use grenades to cause blast damage if the soldiers moved within range and Bauer would use his precise sniper training to take the soldiers out with well placed head shots. Gathering their wits and ensuring they were all reading from the same page, Hawkins took command of the count and on the stroke of three, Hawkins dove around the corner and laid on his belly, the long machine gun stretched out before him. Behind him, Bauer stood, sheltered a little by a large crate and Genevieve laid in wait just behind the corner, not wishing to expose herself until one of them gave the 'grenade' command.
As Hawkins hit the floor and looked up down the corridor. The clump of the gun scraping across the cold stone floor immediately drew the attention of the nearest soldier. As one and within half a second of their initial detection, the other soldiers all turned simultaneously to gaze upon their desperate foe and begin their preparations to end their lives. Hawkins had no intention of even allowing them to draw arms. He squeezed the trigger and held his breath as the machine gun spewed bullets at an extraordinary rate that completely sucked the air from the Brit's lungs. The MG42 was nicknamed 'Hitler's Buzz-saw' by the Americans and now Hawkins knew why. The bullets were spat out at such a rate; their individual explosive discharge was hardly discernible. Struggling to keep the gun trained upon the soldiers, Hawkins began to see the soldiers fall, their bodies battered by the sheer brute force of the concussive rounds. Bauer's MP44 in contrast spat out short sharp cracks of supersonic ballistic accuracy. As the last of the soldiers fell to the ground, Bauer sprinted up the corridor not bothering to bring Hawkins' assault to a halt before he went. Such was the trust between two men, the German knew that Hawkins was a skilled soldier and put faith in his ability to keep on top of events. Reaching the writhing mass of damaged soldiers, Bauer flicked the switch on his weapon to semi-automatic mode and finished them off with short accurate bursts, taking their heads away from their shoulders.
Genevieve poked her head around the corner and was surprise
d that her skills were not required. Hawkins climbed to his feet and examined the belt of ammunition which was now only a couple of feet long. The gun's barrel had a warming red glow and he stood there for a moment looking at it, possibly in awe and some respect.
“It was good while it lasted.” Genevieve said as it was now clear that its usefulness had reached its end.
“I want one of these.” Hawkins lamented as he was forced to leave the weapon behind, Bauer was urging them to continue forward with a wave of his arm.
“Come, we must move quickly now!” The German cried out, knowing that the might of Von Hummel's remaining soldiers would be upon them.
Hawkins snatched the MP44 he had slung around his torso and cocked it into readiness. A steady walk had now turned into a light jog as they skipped down the next length of passage way. Another right angled turn greeted them ahead but there was no time to dilly-dally. Hawkins flew around the corner and be damned with whatever lay in wait. The surprise that greeted them was not the one they had feared or expected. A matter of twenty feet around the bed, the corridor came to an abrupt halt and was terminated by a large rectangular blast door similar to one Hawkins had seen earlier.
“Holy hell! Leballieur never mentioned a blast door here!” Hawkins cried out in anguish realising that it was only a matter of seconds before they would be pursued by more soldiers, this time aware of their numbers and their tactics. Bauer studied a panel on the wall adjacent to it but quickly gave up trying to understand how it related to the door in any way.
“The door must have been open yesterday, Leballieur probably did not even realise it existed.” Bauer replied, the panic written on his face evident to see.
“We're dead.” Hawkins exclaimed, full of pessimism.
“No! We are not!” Genevieve called out reminding Hawkins that he carried the perfect utility to puncture a hole in the thick metal portal. Hawkins, open mouthed and eyes wide swung the rocket grenade launcher about and took aim.
“No, John! You're way too close!” Bauer screamed fearing that the inexperience of using such a device would cost them all dearly.
“You do it!” Hawkins replied thrusting the large heavy tube into the Colonels arms.
“Move back, move back!” Bauer called out and his friends took heed of his expertise and retreated behind the corner in the corridor. Bauer hoisted the Panzerschreck up to his shoulder and took a steady aim. Standing with his feet wide apart, he called out something incomprehensible in German and pulled the trigger. A deafening blast followed immediately after and a wave of heat washed over them all as Bauer dove to the ground to avoid the spray of hot shards of shrapnel.
“Jesus!” Hawkins muttered as the explosion in the tight confines of the corridor seemed to be more intense and shocking to the senses. Through the smoking haze, the door appeared for the most part undamaged bar the smallest of holes which was barely wide enough to allow a slim person to crawl through.
“Well that was not as effective as I had hoped.” Bauer admitted on inspecting the small opening.
“I think Genevieve will be able to get through and maybe even you at a push. I myself have not a chance.” The German followed up, realising the peril of his situation.
“Don't be daft, we'll squeeze you through there, stick your head through and I'll kick you up the arse.” Hawkins retained some dry wit even in this most dire of circumstances.
The humour was short lived as there was a sound of approaching soldiers from around the corner. They may not have been vocal creatures but their heavy boots marching in synchronisation were a dreaded warning that their presence was imminent. Bauer looked again at the small opening and knew what he must do. Snatching two grenades from Genevieve who stood impassively at the German's profound courage, the tall Colonel began to walk away from the blast door and towards his inevitable fate.
“No Hans, what are you doing?” Hawkins screamed, knowing full well that his companion was buying him the time to make the difference. The very fact that the young Brit dwelt upon the situation would have angered the noble German but he did not stop to look back nor argue with his young friend. Instead he strutted around the corner and out of sight where a cacophony of gunfire began to take place followed by multiple explosions.
Feeling the hand of Genevieve yank his shoulder, tearing him away from the most selfless act of courage he had ever witnessed, Hawkins was pulled towards the blast door where Genevieve had already stooped down to squeeze her way through the still steaming orifice. Hawkins eased her backside through with a racing heart himself eager to follow. Genevieve's legs were pulled through and only a moment later, a waving hand gestured him to follow. The fire-fight behind him had suddenly ceased and the realisation hit home that Hans Bauer, the most genuine and charismatic man he had known had most certainly met his death and was now art peace. Gasping for breath amidst his emotional pain, Hawkins thrust himself through the still very hot orifice and only then realised that the multitude of belts and webbing that he carried were jamming his progress through the door. Genevieve began yanking at him by his arms and his legs dangled through in an almost comical fashion, exposed to the fast approaching soldiers.
“Ah, Jesus! Pull, for fuck's sake!” Hawkins screamed, panicked by his vulnerability. He felt rather like a swimmer in shark infested waters, he all but expected the agonising pain of his lower half being peppered with bullets when something gave and Genevieve's efforts took great effect. Hawkins squirmed his way through and rolled around upon his back fumbling for his side-arm.
A hail of bullets began to chime against the thick metallic door and both Genevieve and Hawkins rolled out of path of the bullets which made their way through the hole.
“Grenades!” Genevieve screamed. She had proved a quick thinker under stressful conditions and was a formidable ally in battle. Hawkins spotted a German grenade rolling about by his side and quickly began arming it by twisting the cap. Not waiting for the fuse to burn and risking a live grenade coming back through, he lobbed it through the door and immediately began to look for another. There was no thought as to what lie beyond this door and if this explosive was yet to be needed. Genevieve proceeded to throw another two sticks through the orifice just as the soldiers boots were seen through the gap. Then the carnage began. A series of hammering blasts ensued as the grenades did their work. In the confines of the passageway, there was nowhere to escape their bone shattering waves of energy. Such was their effectiveness, a piece of debris was blown through the hole in the door and was quickly recognised as being the lower arm and hand of one of the soldiers. A fine red mist could be detected in the air and the smell of the acrid cadavers was intensified to the point that Hawkins took a breath and promptly vomited. Scrabbling around upon the smooth tiled floor, he took to his hands and knees and spat out another mouthful of his previous night's dinner. Clearing the blurriness from his eyes, he saw that Genevieve was once again on her feet and on the move. Standing himself, Hawkins suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg and looked down to see a large scrap of twisted metal embedded in his calf. The pain was not as nearly as bad as the shock of seeing his mutilation and he tried to forget about it as he chased his lover into the laboratory complex.
CHAPTER 27
“Genevieve, wait!” Hawkins called out as a silence resumed from the chaos and then the low frequency pulse of a nearby power supply began to become evident. Hawkins was stood in a large chamber which was clearly the hub of a series of laboratories, separated by translucent glass panels. The Brits young French beau had seen fit to press on, with or without him and she could be seen in the gloom of the chamber looking around, inspecting equipment and rustling her way through papers and clipboards left by the scientists.
“What are you looking for?” Hawkins inquired as he limped forward and joined Genevieve as she rampantly tore through each workstation. The French girl remained disquietingly aloof as she began opening the doors to the adjacent labs and Hawkins followed her in astonished silence. In the next room,
a cold and barren chamber seemed to possess the atmosphere of a morgue and it quickly became obvious that this was the storage area used to keep the cadavers before processing. A thick doored freezer unit was the main feature and Hawkins could only imagine how many bodies lay dormant within. The Brit cast his mind back to Leballieur's map and tried to equate it to his current position. The machine room was beyond the next series of laboratories that Genevieve seemed uncomfortably fascinated with.
“Look, can you tell me what's going on. We need to move on, there's going to be more fucking soldiers coming any second!” Hawkins ordered his companion to explain her actions but just ended up feeling stupid. She seemed so relaxed in her surroundings as if she was casually shopping for groceries at her local market. Genevieve moved on, gliding through the next doorway serenely. Hawkins followed closely behind still vigilant. If his companion had lost the plot then it was important that he remain ready to defend themselves. Hawkins was armed only with his Webley now which was almost as useless as a pea shooter against the cold soldiers. It was vital that they reached the machine room as swiftly as possible.
The next chamber was apparently used in a more administrative role hence the series of desks, typewriters and filing cabinets which adorned every wall. Upon a pin-board, a map of France was prominent. Across it, strategic manoeuvres were stencilled in and Hawkins thought this a very useful tool to study the Germans' plans for the D-day defence. It was all of course way too late for that. One day it might be a prized museum piece gazed upon by students of history. Hawkins' will to make that a possibility was still strong and his mission was still clear in his mind, even if Genevieve did not share the same principles.
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