~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Sir, the company is here now,” Mac said.
The company? What company? The dream faded slowly as reality came crashing in on me. The men I was sworn to protect and get back home to their families. Mac stood there looking at me. A look of knowing in his every feature. He knew who I was. What I was, and knew that I wouldn't admit to being who and what I am until the proper time and place, and this was neither.
“Make sure they understand we will only be spending an hour at most here, Sargent,” I said.
I saw Colonel Graham coming into the rest camp looking like he had been through hell. Mac walked over to him letting him know this was the last rest break until we reached where we would be spending the night, and as soon as the men were rested, but not more than an hour we would again be on the move.
“You look like hell Captain,” Colonel Graham said.
“Thank you Colonel, you look like you just had a good night sleep and are well rested,” I said,
“Touché. Your Sargent said we have an hour before we move out again,” he said.
“No Colonel, that's not what he said. He said if the men need an hour to get rested they have an hour. If however they're ready to go before that hour is up we'll leave out before then,” I said.
“You heard, then?” he asked.
“I didn't have to hear, I told him what to say,” I said.
“You are incredible. Your communications Sargent pointed out some of the traps you left behind you on your way here. If he hadn't I wouldn't have known any of them were there, and I don't miss traps often,” he said.
“The enemy chasing us misses them even less often. Most of those traps are to discourage them from trying to follow us at night, during the day they'll be able to see most of them without setting them off, but at night even my men would play hell trying to find them,” I said.
“I noticed that some of your men stay behind when we leave out from a rest break, is there a reason for that?” he asked.
“There is. If you were to go back you'd find the trail hard to see and trying to navigate it would be a nightmare. Everywhere we've stopped now looks much the same as it did before we stopped and the way the traps are set anyone trying to follow would have fun trying to figure out where a safe place to stop and rest would be. Colonel if it weren't for the traps we're setting, the enemy would catch us before we get to the rendezvous point where we will meet up with Alpha company and Rose company. We want them to catchup after we have camp set up at the rendezvous just before Alpha and Rose companies join us. As it stands now we have one full division of enemy troops following not quiet a day behind, by my calculations we'll have at least three more divisions join them once we have our base camp setup. Alpha company is going to join us from the east and Rose company will be joining us from the west, the enemy will be trapped between us and each of those companies, cutting off any retreat except to the north for the enemy. If they opt to take the only avenue of escape open to them we'll let them go, otherwise we'll kill them to the man. Either way we'll all make it back home,” I said.
“You are the White Rose, aren't you?” he asked.
“Colonel I don't believe in magic. I don't know where everyone is getting the idea that I might be some mythical superhero, but there is little I can do to make them stop believing if that's what they want to do. I have a good understanding of the enemy, and the ability to guess their moves. That makes it easy to come up with a plan. The big drawback of my plan is if your men can't handle the job when the time comes. Three or four divisions of enemy troops could easily over run this small band we have here if even one man gets scared into incapacity of doing his job. The whole plan rests on your men being soldiers and heroes, having a desire to do whatever it takes to make it back home, my men can't do this alone,” I said.
“So standing and fighting has been the plan from the beginning?” he asked.
“Colonel I didn't set this situation up. When you and your men were trapped I was home on leave, something I haven't had since joining the military, I was called back off my leave a week early to get you and your men out of the mess you found yourself in. With how far behind enemy lines we are there is no way other than by air of covering the distance without the enemy being able to over run us unless we stand and fight. So to answer your question, yes making a stand has been the plan from the start. Doing it my way, we do so on our terms not the enemies, at a place of our choosing, not theirs. That sir, gives us a decided advantage since trying to get everyone out by air is impractical. Now if you have a better idea say so, or help me the way you have been, I can't do this alone,” I said.
“How long before we reach the rendezvous point?” he asked.
“If we can keep the pace we've had today I figure two more days, and before you suggest we try traveling at night let me assure you it would be every bit as deadly as the enemy catching us before we're ready. The day I bought us before they try following will be lost if we don't let your men get the rest they need,” I said.
“And what about your men Captain? I've noticed you and your men have hardly rested at all since air dropping in,” he said.
“Colonel how much do you know about special forces training?” I asked.
“Not a lot, but I do know the human body can only take so much before it collapses, and I know you haven't slept a wink since you arrived,” he said.
“That Colonel is where you're wrong. Sargent Denvers and I arrived here more than four hours ago and he woke me just as you were arriving,” I said.
“You got here four hours ahead of us? Captain to do that you would have had to run the whole way, yet I know the two of you set traps all the way here. You couldn't have gotten here more than two hours ahead of us,” he said.
“Mac how long have you and I been here?” I asked.
“Going on five hours sir. It took Colonel Graham's men a little longer than expected if we can't pick up the pace this last stretch it'll be dark before we reach where we planned to set up camp for the night,” Mac said.
“If I try pushing these men any harder they'll rebel,” Colonel Graham said.
“If your men can't find the energy to pick up the pace a little, a rebellion will be the last of our worries,” I said.
I didn't bother going into detail about what might be worse than the men rebelling if he couldn't see, I wasn't up for trying to explain. I had Mac let everyone know I wanted to address everyone and I hated repeating myself so if they didn't hear or understand they should talk to their buddies that did hear and understand. There was a fallen tree in the middle of the encampment that was high enough I could look out over the camp and know my voice was carried to everyone. A few of my men were missing from the assembled men, but what I was about to say they already knew anyway. I nodded to Mac and his booming voice echoed as he called everyone to attention.
“I'm sure many of you think we're asking a lot from you, that we're pushing to hard. I can't help but wonder if you would feel that way if the enemy were right on our heels, instead of a full day behind us. Yes, we do have a one day head start, but unlike the enemy we don't have motorized transportation to supply us with everything we need.
I'm sure many of you are curious why the supplies that were dropped happened to be mostly ammunition for the weapons we have. There is a very simple reason, one that I didn't even let Colonel Graham in on until just a few minutes ago. Now it's time to let all of you know what to expect,” I said.
“We still have two more days before we reach a rendezvous point where we will be joined by two companies of special forces, Alpha company the company my men and I are attached to, who will be joining us from the east. And Rose company who will be joining us from the west. When we reach the rendezvous point I hope to have the one day lead we have now to get camp setup and prepare for what will come. There will be another air drop when we reach the rendezvous point, and like the last air drop it to will be mostly ammunition for our weapons,” I continued.
> “Gentlemen to meet the time frame we need to pickup the pace a little between our stops. We still have as far to go before we make camp for the night as you came on the last stretch. While this is a nice place, it's not defensible, where we've planned is very defensible and this company with the ammunition we have should be able to hold off three divisions of enemy troops, so the choice is yours you can sit around here and hope we don't miss the place we have planned for tonight or you can pickup the pace a little so we can get there while there's still a little light,” I said hoping what I was saying wouldn't discourage these men.
“I wish I could say tomorrow will be easier, but due to the terrain the distance to the rendezvous is double what it would be if we could travel in a straight line. If we hope to make the rendezvous on time we need to make each of the stops planned at night on time,” I continued.
“When we reach the rendezvous we will have one day to get setup before all hell breaks lose. As I said we currently have one division chasing us, but there are three more divisions who will over the next couple days be joining them in the pursuit. If the enemy holds to standard tactics they will be caught between us in a very defensible position and Alpha company on one side and Rose company on the other side leaving them nowhere to go but where they came from,” I added.
“While my men and I will do all we can to protect you, it will be in your own best interest to make sure you are well rested and ready to help defend yourselves,” I concluded.
I saw the fear in the faces of the men standing around me. They knew what I was asking of them, and feared they might let me down. To every man there I was The White Rose, Mac told me about, if only they knew I didn't believe in magic, and more, I didn't believe in fairytales, and that story was nothing to me, but a fairytale.
As the fear spread it transformed into something more, something that would drive these men to give everything they had. It wasn't about protecting themselves any longer. It was now about protecting The White Rose, something none of them knew anything about other than some very old stories.
The Hidden Rose Page 33
