Escape to Dunkirk (The Second World War Series Book 1) by Minor Stuart

Author:Minor, Stuart [Minor, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven.

The stars were fading in the sky above Jack as he lay amongst the broken remains of the house, the smell of smoke rich in the air as he gazed out towards the canal, the black strip running like a lance through the centre of the village, the warped outline of the bridge showing against the dark morning sky to his right.

He fidgeted on the jagged stones, the rough surface catching on his knees and elbows as he lay amongst the broken walls and splintered beams. His body was cold and he wrapped his arms over his chest, trying to squeeze some warmth into his numb flesh, his skin prickling as the wind whipped through the debris strewn streets.

He looked to his right where the main road leading away from the village cut amongst the shattered houses, the outline of a small party of men showing amongst the rubble, their bodies silhouetted against the fires that smoldered amongst the devastated buildings, the light catching their helmets as they moved along the road, heading away from the canal.

'That'll be three platoon,' Reg muttered, watching tiredly as the men slipped away into the darkness.

Jack nodded, his eyes turning away from the road and back towards the canal, the flash of a muzzle breaking the shadows amongst the ruins that lined the far bank, the crack of the rifle followed by the bark of a Bren gun firing in response.

The noise fell away, the echo of the Bren lingering in the air like a hollow memory as silence returned once more to the night, the eerie calm fragile and awkward as it settled over the village.

A scuffle of noise sounded behind him and Jack turned, watching as Fred loomed out of the darkness, the large corporal sinking down beside him, the rubble shifting beneath his weight.

'Well?' Jack asked, as Fred removed his steel helmet and scratched at his thinning scalp.

'The last of the company is just getting away now. We're to wait for thirty minutes before following them out.'

'What did I say about our luck, eh?' Sid muttered, his body half hidden behind a large block of concrete, the Bren lying perched above his head.

'Aye, trust us to get left behind,' Reg said.

'Someone has got to make sure that Fritz doesn't get wind of the battalion withdrawing,' Fred replied, glancing out over the dark strip of open ground that lay in front of the canal. 'We're to give them five minutes to get back to the transports before opening up, Hunter will fire a red flare as the signal.'

'And who is going to keep Fritz busy when we pull out, eh?' Sid asked, his eyes turning as a flare rose in the distance, the bright rocket fizzing into the sky on a tail of fire before bursting with a soft pop, the white glare of its light burning against the darkness, the sound of small arms fire carrying on the breeze.

'That'll be A company making their way back,' Fred said, watching as

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