Hold The Line

The following is a fictional war story. While there are no detailed descriptions of gore, death is mentioned in both earnest and lite within the text as well as combat. Reader discretion is advised.

“Captain, are we going to die?” Lieutenant Smith asked as he surveyed the horizon.

“Of course we are Lieutenant.” I inhaled the last of my cigarette, “Every mortal man gets called by Saint Peter sooner or later. It’s the way of the world.”

“I meant today, sir.” Lieutenant Smith clarified.

“Oh? Yeah. Likely.” I tossed the cigarette aside and stood. In front of me was a small town with three hundred soldiers already broken by war posted around the perimeter. Behind me was the countryside with an enemy force marching straight toward us. From the rooftop, I could see the town’s layout. All of it built around the train station in its center. The main road led straight to it. As if the people who use to live didn’t think about how an army of good men were suppose to defend it. Bastards. “Smith, get the radio ready.”

“Yes, sir.” Smith saluted and did as he was ordered. He readied the transmitter and set it all frequents and handed it off to me.

“Attention all. This is your Captain. I talk slow for anyone needing a translator.” I paused for a beat. Both for the translating and for everyone tuning in. “We got about a dozen reports saying someone is coming to destroy our train station. That pisses me off. I never minded sharing my toys, but whenever some bully broke my stuff I always broke their face.”

I paused again until I hear the soft sound of cheers die off, “Now these reports have been saying our enemy is everything from Russians to Arabians to Japanese, but one thing they agree on is that they outnumber us one to a lot. Likely too many for us fence off”

I paused again. There were no cheers, “Right now a reinforcement of over two thousand ally troops is heading here, and the enemy knows it and they’re ready to do whatever it takes to stop them. Which is why I am here to inform everyone that protecting our train set is a secondary objective. An objective we are likely to fail.”

Another pause. I could feel the heat coming from the soldier around the town. Anger was burning inside them. Fear and hope long turned to ash in their soul, “Which is why our primary objective today is not winning this battle, but to make those assholes fucking regret it!”

Cheers roared in ways as the translation finished. They were ready. Ready to fight. Ready to die. Ready for everything. Two decades of war had broken nearly every soul in the world. Now war was all we had. It was also all the enemy had.

“Captain. Enemy spotted.” Smith called behind me.

“Acknowledge,” I spoke one last time into the radio, “Incoming forces. Engage at will.”

Smith had taken a position at the roof edge with his rifle. At my order, he started to fire rounds across the distance. The enemy was only barely visible, but Smith had managed to make multiple hits causing the enemy to scatter across the field. The area around the town was mostly flat with wooded areas spotted around. Predictably the enemy tried to use the wooded areas to cover themselves. Making them easy pickings for the snipers that watched them as men bottlenecked themselves into their sights. One by two and then two by three the enemy dropped the field surrounding the town. However, the reports were very accurate on the size of the enemy forces. Even as every man managed to make a kill the enemy was overwhelming. Firing blindly into us they suppressed our own attack enough to gain ground. Closing in enough to make aimed shots and take their own kills. As the first wave crawled forward enemy support started to launch mortars into the town.

“Captain, the track,” Smith called as the explosions rang behind us.

“Disregard Lieutenant. There’s miles of tracks. A few yards won’t hurt.” I scanned the area. The enemy was still inching along as the support covered them. The main pushes seem to be from both sides of the town which was tactical sound as from the main road rolled a tank division. “Heavy Metal incoming. Kick it up a notch.”

Smith relayed the order and the men began pulling out their own explosives. Including a radio signal to prime the hundreds of radio primer-controlled mines across the field. A wave of fire roared around the town. Fields, forests, and even the main road. The enemy was thrown into shock and became easily picked off.

Forty-nine minutes. The first wave was finally put down and silence rang out. As soldiers fired off shots into the wisps of the enemy force I called for a status report. At the beginning of the day, there was a count of three hundred twenty-three soldiers and now we stood at two hundred eighty-eight. Medics bandaged the wounded and the dead were set to the side. No one bothered collecting dog tags.

“Captain. Enemy is approaching again.” Smith reported as mines started popping off again.

“Orders still stand. Engage at will.” I called back. I took my own rifle and mounted the position over the main road. “Smith, order mortar on the main road. Some of those slabs are still moving.”

Mortar rounds were sent into the main road. Unlike the blind fire of the enemy, our strikes were aimed and hit dead center. The last of the tanks were stilled. This was a minor victory however as the second came in full force. Heavy infantry started to march out of the woods carrying heavy slabs of metal as shields. They marched at steady paces only being stopped by mines and lucky shots into helmets that came from angles across the town perimeter. The heavy units came closer and closer until they finally entered the town line. They started to enter buildings throwing their shields down and using machine guns. The men were far from helpless as they countered with grenades and normal fire that was capable of punching through at the closer range. Across the fields, more and more mines went off as the enemy came in with large tanks. Designed to take heavy fire they rolled over the land simply absorbing the shock and blind firing its own weapon, a machine gun of equal size to the heavy infantry. Small for a tank, but enough to kill.

As mortars targeted the heavy-set tanks another wave of infantry rushed from the woods and fields. With most of the men engaging enemies within the town, most of the wave managed to make it into the town.

“Captain.” Smith started to say.

“Load up Smith. We’re going down. Mortars force on tanks. All others move, fort, and engage as needed.” I was already flying down the stairs. I fire at first sight of enemy soldiers as they climb their way up. Attempting to overwhelm they blindly up ripping the floor apart. One thought to throw a grenade up only to have Lieutenant Smith trip on the damn thing and kick it back down in time to explode. “Good job, Smith. I’ll make damn sure you get a metal for that.”

“Can I have retirement instead?” Smith rubbed his ass.

“No.” I looked down to the ground floor before going down and into the streets. Enemy infantry was making their way up the road. As they spotted me and let off a loud whistle that switched between two notes. As the enemy begin to open fire they were fired upon on the surrounding buildings. They fell just at the very edge of the town. Another squad behind tried to take cover as they took potshots at both the buildings as well myself and Smith. One of them hit me. I was only half a pace from the cover of another building further in town with a direct head caught the side of my head. The force threw my skull into the door frame and I fell inside with all my senses leaving me. I had no idea how much time I lost in limbo, but by the time I was aware enough to realize my helmet had been removed I was looking at the time schedule of the train station’s last working day. I called out, “Smith!”

“Smith is down captain. Medic’s patching him, but it’s not great.” A voice I didn’t know told me before it shined a light in my eyes.

“You, name and rank,” I ordered.

“Staff Sergeant Jenny, Medic. The lieutenant came in carrying you bleed out the ass.” The Sergeant turned off the light and started feeling my neck.

“He’s bleeding out?” I heard a line of panic in my voice. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Should be. We pulled the bullet and closed the wound.” Jenny stood up and walked away, “I’m needed elsewhere. Hey! Stay down.”

I was already on my feet looking for a weapon and found my rifle still attached to me. “I’m needed elsewhere, and I’m ordering you to not stop me. Understand?”

“You’re hurt!”

“And still alive.” I stepped past her and found the last line of defense. Almost every soldier had fallen back to the train station and was firing into the streets. Along the line, I saw a number of the men had picked up the heavy infantry’s machine guns and swept over the streets suppressing the enemy enough to allow others to pick off troops and toss grenades. I looked out into the enemy. We were holding, but only because we were pumping out bullets at a rate we could sustain. The train station itself was not suitable for melee combat. When we ran out of ammo we would be overran. I took my rifle and started firing. Head shot. Body shot. Limb shot when I had to. I made every shot count. I reloaded with all my grace and continued again. Head shot. Body shot. Limb shot when I had to. Until I ran my rifle dry and switched to my sidearm. I wasn’t nearly as accurate, but I still tried to make every shot hit.

“Pistols don’t suit you, Captain.” I turned to see Lieutenant Smith, spare ammo in hand, “Here. You should die with style Captain.”

“Smith, I thought you were bleeding out.” I took the ammo and ready my rifle again.

“It wasn’t that bad. Just a pain in the ass.” He pointed out to his blood-soaked pants, “Literally. Now come one. We still need to make these bastards regret it.”

Firing his own rifle Smith joined the line of men. One by one rifles were replaced by pistols and then by nothing. We finally ran out. Soldiers started pulling out knives and axes ready to take at the very least one more enemy soldier before their own death. Fear and hope long turned to ash in their soul they expected nothing but death. However, the exceptions of men are rarely considered by the wind of fate. As every man readied to give their life a miracle came from on high and blew up in the enemy lines shaking the earth underneath. Soon another came followed by another and another. Artillery fire was raining down on to the town and the surrounding area. The reinforcements had arrived. The rumbling sound of a locomotive grew in the distance and quickly crescendo as it arrived into the station with a beautiful squeal and metal slams as fresh ally soldiers jumped out of train cars and firing freely as they joined the line.

The enemy broke and turned into a full retreat. The new soldiers pursued the enemy to the town edge retaking every building as the artillery moved to follow the enemy. When the explosions stopped it was replaced with cheers. We accomplished both our secondary and primary objectives. We held the line and made those bastards regret it.

“Who is the commanding officer here?” A man in dress uniform stepped off the train armed with only a sword on his side. His size marked him as more than human as he towered over his men. His rack of medals hung over the head of the average soldier.

“I am.” I approached, “Captain Isabella Hernandez.”

“Pleasure to meet you Captain sir, or ma’am is it?” The giant man laughed.

“I don’t bother correcting anyone as long as they get my rank right,” I said back.

“I see. Well, then I’m still in the wrong.” He boomed a laugh, “I am Major Cornwhale, and it is my honour to inform you that you have been given a field promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and that I and my men are hereby under your command.”

“Lieutenant Colonel?” I was awestruck, “But why?”

“Isn’t that obvious Colonel?” Cornwhale laughed, “The army can’t have a Captain ordering a Major. It’s necessary for the chain of command. If you hadn’t survived your second in command would have been promoted.”

“Thank you for surviving Captain.” Smith said behind, “I still regret making lieutenant. Sorry, I mean Colonel.”

“You’re welcome, Lieutenant.” I said before addressing Cornwhale, “So now what? Did command give you orders?”

“Indeed.” Major Cornwhale pulled a file from his coat, “We are first to reinforce the town into a fortress and then begin pushing further in and create a path for additional train tracks. With all decisions made by the commanding officer. That being you.”

I took the file and read it over, “This is a five-year plan. My men have already been out for too long.”

“Well, Colonel.” Cornwhale laughed, “You do have access to a train line, and I did bring over two thousand men with me. Feel free to send whoever you want back home.”

I nodded and dismissed Cornwhale and took stock of the final count. At the beginning of the day, we have three hundred twenty-three men, of which only sixty-two remained. Of them, thirty-seven were wounded with nine in critical condition. We had fresh supplies and medic to use them, but only time would tell who made it through. A radio signal was sent out to set off the remaining mines so bodies could be safely collected and basic fortification started around town. Smith and I returned to the roof we started at. Now with the horizon lined with enemy corpses and machines. The sun had also had enough and was making its retreat into the west.

“Now can I retire?” Smith asked me, “Now that you’re a lieutenant colonel you should be able to push it through.”

I smirked at him, “Sure thing Smith. I’ll have on the first train out with the wounded.”

“The first train? Oh no,” Smith shook his head, “People with think I’m a coward.”

“Okay, then you can go on the last train with the rest of the volunteers.”

“The last train? I’ll be a heel dragger then.” Smith said equally dismayed.

“Well, I’m only sending the two, first or last. Take your pick.” I said knowing his choice.

“Well damn,” Smith snapped his fingers, “neither of those work. Guess I’m stuck here.”

“Guess you are.” I chuckled. I knew Smith won’t leave. I doubt any of the men would leave without ordering them. They had no reason to leave. Fear and hope long turned to ash in their soul they had only the war. Even if it killed them, they wouldn’t abandon it. We wouldn’t abandon it. “At least you’re getting a medal.”