A Midnight Clear Page #6

Yeah, Shutzer's strong.

He'll be okay.

They won't fall out

if you're careful, sir.

It's a rough trip, but it'd help

if you'd loosen the tourniquets...

every once in a while.

- We'll do the best we can, Knott.

- Thank you, sir.

Don't worry, Knott.

You done a good job.

I don't think so, sir.

Knott, Major Griffin wants you

to keep the squad here...

until the Krauts attack.

Stay here, sir?

What do we do

when the attack comes?

You contact us by radio.

We'll give you our position...

then you get the hell out,

understood?

- Understood, Knott?

- Yes, sir.

Lieutenant Ware, goddamn it!

Are you going to baby-sit

or drive this f***ing jeep?

- Be right there, sir, on the double.

- Get your ass in here!

Good luck, Knott.

Did you ever think about

how many dead people there must be?

Looks like Father just joined

the great majority.

Father told me he still wanted

to be a priest.

He just didn't think

he was pure enough.

You know, I've been thinking

maybe Father's the lucky one.

I mean, is this whole world

run by shits like Griffin?

If we get through this,

is that the way it's gonna be?

What's the tree for?

You gonna burn it?

Vance thought

a little Christmas cheer...

would pick things up

around here a little bit.

Thought we could roast some chestnuts

and stuff ourselves with turkey.

You first, Will.

You aren't the rankest, but...

you do have rank on us.

It's a...

It's a Christmas present.

We try to turn off the war.

We don't even keep a guard on.

We figure when the attack starts,

we'll hear it.

I asked Ware to put you in

for a citation.

I hope that's okay.

I think Father or Stan

should get it.

No. You should.

The Germans had us pinned down,

and you saved our asses.

I only shot twice.

After Father went down,

l... I didn't shoot anymore.

My glasses were all fogged up.

- I don't even know if I hit anybody.

- It doesn't matter.

Just stick with the story.

You shot them all.

That's what I told Ware.

Maybe if you get decorated,

we can get you pulled out of here.

Two-thirds of the squad is gone now.

I don't see how we're gonna make it.

I'll make you a bet, Vance.

I'll bet you that

in six months...

you're back with Linda,

and she's pregnant...

and this will all be something

you hardly remember.

I doubt that.

I'll bet you $100.

Who has $100?

You can pay me off

a bit at a time.

We'll start

New Year's Day, 1946.

- It's a bet.

- Yeah.

Able 1 to Able 4, over.

Able 1 to Able 4, over.

Able 1 to Able 4, over.

- Able 1 to anybody, over.

- Will, we got to go.

Pull up the phones and the wires.

Miller, if anybody can get

through on this thing you can.

Just keep trying, all right?

Let's get Father out to the jeep.

- Come on.

- Able 1 in.

Able 4, come on.

Able 1 to Able 4.

- Come on!

- Come on, Will! Let's go!

Sh*t!

Come on, Will, move it!

Move it!

F***in' Griffin

took the chains off the jeep!

Christ! There they are!

- Oh, f***!

- You all right?

- I think so.

- Father got some.

Another 100 yards

and we'll be out of range!

- Straighten out.

- I can't! It's not doing anything!

Straighten out!

Jesus Christ!

- You guys all right?

- Hold it! We're about to slide over.

Put some weight on the back,

Mother, on the back!

Let's go. Let's go.

- All right?

- Let's get Father and get out of here!

Well, Sergeant Knott,

what the f*** do we do now?

I can't believe

they'd just leave.

Mel, what do you think?

I don't know,

but we'd better keep moving.

- I have no idea where we are.

- Just go.

- We could be heading for Berlin.

- Just go!

We're out of gas.

We'll probably have

to surrender any time now.

Miller insisted on

rigging up the.30 caliber.

But without a real mount...

it probably wouldn't sit still

long enough to hit anything.

We can't stay here long,

and the jeep is dead.

I wish Shutzer were here.

He might know what to do.

I'm through playing soldier.

Did you see those markings?

That was honest-to-sh*t SS.

What do we do now, Will?

We stay away from them.

What, you think they were

advancing or retreating?

I wonder what they'll think?

Maybe this will convince them

I am over the edge.

We'll have a mutiny.

I'll join it.

- Thirty caliber?

- We'll bury it.

- Radio?

- Bury it.

- Rifles too?

- There's no other way.

Even if we pull this off and get back,

what are we going to say?

We'll say we were captured and they

took our weapons and then we escaped.

But I'm thinking with

all this confusion going on...

there's not gonna be

too many questions.

We do it together or nothing.

If anybody has any objections,

any at all, speak up now.

Well, for what it's worth,

I say we do it.

Yeah, me too.

I mean, the idea's so wild, I'd be sorry

for the rest of my life if I didn't try.

Of course, the rest of my life

could be today.

Mother, don't let us pressure you.

You make up your own mind.

I already have. I was only

waiting on the other guys...

so I wouldn't

put pressure on them.

This could be the deepest finesse

in squad history.

I've never seen a better smile.

It's the smile I need to make myself

do what we're gonna do.

All right.

Bleacher!

Bleacher, goddamn it!

We don't know the counter.

We're from another sector.

Stay where you are.

We're Americans.

Is that blood?

We give him our escape story.

They tell us to take Father

to the grave registrar.

They drive us back

to our own regiment.

I'm sent straight to Ware,

and I tell him our story.

I wander into

the kitchen tent...

and curl up to sleep behind

the warm pots of hot water.

Just wanted to let you know

it's all settled.

Since you weren't in a POW compound,

you won't have to go through clearance.

You can go right back

out in the field.

I'm gonna fill out your platoon

with an antitank group they broke up.

I put in for a Bronze Star

for Wilkins.

Had him reassigned to the motor pool.

He's gonna be okay.

Thank you, sir.

Just wanted you to know I did my best

to radio you before we pulled out...

but Griffin said

there wasn't any time.

How's Shutzer doing?

Real tough sh*t. He was dead

before we even got back.

Kraut was dead too. Didn't even

have time to interrogate him.

Before I go, you're gonna have to

fill out a statement of charges...

for the jeep, radio and phones.

We'll be moving out soon.

Gonna push those f***ing Kraut

bastards all the way back to Berlin.

Merry Christmas, Knott.

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