Ardennes Sniper: A World War II Thriller by David Healey Read Free Book Online

legs. He wasn't sure if it was Ralph’s blood or his own—not that he was in any pain. Had he been shot and simply hadn't felt it in these freezing temperatures? Already, the bitter cold seeped up through the ground and into his bones.
    All around him, he could hear others in the field moaning. He could also hear the grind of gears and the groan of engines. The German column of tanks and trucks—including some of their own trucks now—was on the move again.  
    Good. At least now they had a chance to survive if the Germans left.
    But the Germans were not finished with their killing field.
    Peering from under Ralph’s arm, which was flung over his face, Hank saw a group of SS soldiers standing at the edge of the field near the road, smoking cigarettes. The SS commander was nowhere in sight, but Hank spotted the sergeant with the scar on his cheek. That man tossed away his cigarette, drew a pistol, and walked out into the field, calling, "Hey, you OK?" Two more soldiers followed him, pistols drawn.
    Some poor soul made the mistake of answering the SS sergeant. He heard an American voice cry out, "Over here! Over here!" Then came the crack of a pistol, and silence.
    It was terrifying to lay there, wondering what was going to happen next. From his vantage point, he could see only a narrow swath of the field, but he dared not move. He heard another pistol shot, then another, as the Germans worked their way through the field.  
    Hank's heart pounded harder. To his horror, he realized that his warm breath was creating a cloud of vapor. It wasn't much, to be sure, but to the eyes of the Nazis walking around the field looking for survivors to shoot, he was sure his breath would look like the smoke from a forest fire.  
    He sucked in one last breath and held it, praying.
    Then Ralph moaned. He was still alive. But he was going to get them both killed.
    He heard German voices, coming closer.
    "Please, Ralph, I know it hurts, but you've got to be quiet," he whispered. "Please Ralph."
    Ralph moaned again. It was no use. He was too out of it to hear Hank's warning.  
    Sure enough, Ralph’s moans had drawn the attention of the SS sergeant with the nasty scar. Hank saw him coming, and shut his eyes. His best hope was to play dead. He forced himself not to breathe and told himself that he had to keep his body limp, no matter what.
    He could hear the SS men shouting in English, "Hey Joe! Who needs a doctor?"
    A few desperate men called out in response. Moments later, they were silenced forever by a single pistol shot.
    He heard the SS sergeant walk up. The man smelled strongly of cigarettes and diesel fumes, with a whiff of alcohol thrown in. To Hank, it was the smell of death.
    "Hey Joe. Are you OK?" The sergeant asked. When there was no answer, he kicked Ralph’s foot. Ralph moaned in response. The sergeant shot him. Hank felt the body jerk and then go limp as a rag doll.
    Don't move, don't move, don't—
    He knew that in spite of himself he had jumped when the sergeant fired into Ralph’s body. How could the SS sergeant not have seen it? The German may have thought it was just from the jolt of the bullet hitting the body above.
    "Last chance," he said, then kicked at Hank's foot.
    Hank heard him work the slide on the pistol, cycling another round into the chamber. He was so frozen with fear that he couldn’t have moved if he wanted to.
    “Help me!” one of the wounded GIs called from several yards away.  
    Hank sensed the sergeant moving in that direction. He had thought holding his breath would be difficult. It was harder telling himself to breathe again.
    He heard a gunshot and the soldier who had been crying for help fell silent.
    Would the sergeant come back? Hank screwed his eyes shut and started counting to ten. It would be good to live another ten seconds.  
    He counted to five, heard the Germans moving through the field again, double checking their handiwork.  
    He got to eight, his heart pounding as he imagined the