MATT HELM: The War Years by Keith Wease Read Free Book Online Page B

Clark Gable and Errol Flynn and Gary Cooper?  Mac seemed determined to hit us with everything at once.  I wondered if everyone would still be here tomorrow.
     
    He wasn't done yet.  "Rule four.  We don't play the hostage game, ever, in all its permutations.  If your target grabs someone as a shield, simply shoot through the two of them.  If your partner is captured and your surrender is demanded, you don't.  Period.  No matter whom is held hostage for your behavior, we … don't ... play ... that ... game.  When in doubt, see rules one and two.  That is not to mean that rescue attempts are not allowed - quite the contrary so long as the mission is not jeopardized."
     
    He didn't bother to pause.  By now he probably figured - correctly - that we were all pretty numb.  "Rule five, and the final rule.  No one dies in vain.  If you're betrayed you are expected to remove the betrayer if at all possible.  If someone feeds you a Mickey Finn or poison and is stupid enough to hang around to see you pass out or die, you will assume that person is not a friend of yours and take appropriate action, preferably fatal.  If you find yourself in a position - quite possible, even likely - where your death is imminent, I expect you to die with your gun empty, your knives used and your grenades expended, and as many dead bodies around you that it is humanly - or inhumanly - possible to accomplish. Any questions?"
     
    He waited for a moment but there were no takers.  "Good.  I'm not one to spend a lot of time discussing philosophy, but I feel quite strongly about this next point.  You've all heard the rumors coming out of Germany and its subjugated countries.  Mass murder, genocide and atrocities of all kinds.  Actually, from what I've learned, the rumors only scratch the surface. 
     
    It's the modern dilemma.  It would be simply marvelous if the human animal weren't aggressive by nature, so a lot of people figure they can stop it from being so just by having everybody pretend it isn't so.  The only trouble is, they won't sit down and calculate what's going to happen if the prescription doesn't work on everybody who takes it.
     
    "What happens is that arrogant thugs start shoving people around, serenely confident that none of their brainwashed, nonviolent fellow-citizens will be willing to, or able to, lift a hand in effective self-defense.  Once you start raising whole generations on the lovely, unrealistic principle that the use of force is always evil and unthinkable, that you should be willing to endure any indignity and pay any price rather than spill a little blood, why, you've set yourself right up for them. For the intimidators.  For the people who haven't the slightest qualms about using force or spilling blood.  For the ones on whom the pretend-we're-all-nice medicine didn't work.  All the bullies and dictators and little-league Caesars.  And a big-league monster named Hitler.
     
    "I doubt that there's ever been a war in history where the good and bad sides have been so clearly defined.  However, regardless of my feelings - or yours - on the subject, you have my word that I will never accept a mission designed to target someone solely because he's a vicious bastard.  It would be too hard to draw the line, and sometimes it's hard to tell.  All of our targets will be determined from a military or security viewpoint - what will further our military objective, save lives or protect vital information - and if the target is otherwise a nice, friendly, warm human being, that's just too bad.  That is the reason this unit was formed and the reason for the rules.
     
    "Just keep in mind that we are serving an important role.  Don't hate the enemy - it clouds your judgment and it is a waste of time and energy.  It is only necessary to kill him."

     
    Chapter 7
     
    The next day we started in earnest.  There were no more secrets, no pretenses.  We were being trained to kill, efficiently and by any means