Crack of Doom by Willi Heinrich Read Free Book Online Page B

wood, and found themselves looking down on the houses of a small village. They could no longer see the light they had noticed from above, but the sky had a vague brightness.
    Kolodzi stared hard into the valley. A few lights went on suddenly in the village, then more and more. "All according to schedule," he observed with satisfaction, wiping the snow off of his face with his sleeve. "We'll wait here." He looked around the country. They were still on the edge of the wood, the snow was falling softly and regularly. Further to the right the wood fell back a bit, while on the left it went as far as the first houses. The terrain between was bare, undulating slightly and on a steep gradient.
    They sat on their rucksacks and looked down again into the village where there was now a light showing in almost every window.
    "They've finished," Kolodzi said after what seemed a long time. A Very light whizzed over the roofs, and seemed to drift uncertainly through a glittering cloud of snow, before gliding to earth. "A quarter past one," said Kolodzi, glancing at his watch. "We'll get going in an hour's time."
    They fell silent again. The snow settled in thick wads on their caps and shoulders. Somewhere in the distance a wolfs long-drawn-out howl was repeated at irregular intervals, and each time the men would look up and hold their breath. "If only it weren't so damned cold," Vohringer said, his teeth chattering. "This whole thing's crazy." He gave a sidelong glance at Herbig, who sat on his rucksack, neither moving nor speaking. "The war's lost anyhow," Vohringer said fiercely.
    Herbig turned his face around and stared at him.
    "Anything the matter?" Vohringer asked in an aggressive voice.
    "Shut up," Kolodzi broke in. "First of all, that doesn't make any difference to us now, and secondly we're not at that point yet Don't forget the Ardennes offensive."
    "Yeah," jeered Vohringer, "and Santa Claus."
    "Don't forget the V-2's either," said Herbig, speaking for the first time.
    Vohringer sat round so that he could look Herbig full in the face. "Haven't you noticed everybody's stopped talking about it? Haven't you noticed that yet?"
    "They're developing the V-3," said Herbig.
    Vohringer affected a laugh. "That's nothing new, my boy, we've had it all the time. Know what V-3 stands for, don't you?"
    Herbig looked at him coldly, but said nothing.
    "Voodoo third-class. The propaganda they've been feeding us with the whole war—that's your V-3, so shut up about it, can't you?" He turned angrily to Kolodzi. "What do you think?"
    "Leave me alone, I've got other things to worry about."
    "Oh. . . ." Vohringer scratched his head and immediately felt guilty again. He felt inhibited by Herbig's presence and lowered his voice. "There must be a chance, don't you think?"
    "No, I don't think," Kolodzi answered.
    "If I were you . . ." Vohringer began, but stopped at once because he noticed Herbig regarding him with interest. Kolodzi looked up: "Yes?"
    His unfriendly tone overcame Vohringer's caution.
    "Well, you've still got time," he said firmly. "Perhaps you'll pick up a truck on the way, then you can be back here by this evening."
    "Has this got anything to do with our mission?" Herbig asked, and when neither of them answered, his hard face assumed a watchful expression. Pensively stroking the barrel of his tommy-gun with his fingertips, he fixed his eyes on Kolodzi. "What's this all about?" he said.
    "Nothing to do with you," Kolodzi answered, and then, turning to Vohringer: "You're crazy."
    His tone more than his words aggravated Vohringer's guilty conscience and made him stick to his idea. "I admit it was dumb of me not to have thought of it before," he said quickly. "But after all, you could still have talked to Schmitt about it before we drove off. Schmitt could have sent a messenger or told the supply column to send someone. Why on earth didn't you say anything to him?"
    Kolodzi was silent, thinking: of course what he says is quite true—a word to