Attack Page #8

had lived long enough to do it.

You wouldn't have turned him in.

- Costa didn't do it. I did it.

- That so?

Now who killed him? You or me?

Or me? Or Jackson there?

He was already dead.

How do you know, Lieutenant?

You can't be sure.

Man, he sure caught a storm of lead

at the top of them stairs, didn't he?

Yeah, six fat Huns

driving a 1919 Stutz Bear Cat.

- Tanks!

- No.

Yes. But they're ours! The 10th

Armored's here! The Krauts are gone!

Yonkers, here I come!

So long, Joe. You were a real soldier.

Nice man.

I sure hope things turn out the way

he would've wanted them to.

Come on, the colonel's on his way over.

You hear that?

The colonel's coming. You hear me, sir?

He'll be sorry about how them Krauts

got poor Captain Cooney.

He'll be mad at them

for what they did to his friend.

The fortunes of war, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant, how did you get cut off?

We were trying to get a wounded man out.

They came up faster than I expected.

Bad judgment. You got a great company.

I asked them to hold and they did.

- Who is that? Costa?

- Yes, sir.

Where's your captain?

I want to congratulate him.

He's over here, sir.

I'm putting you in command. Don't get

separated from the company again.

- What happened to him?

- He was shot.

Down here?

He tried to get back to the company,

but only made it to the top of the stairs.

- Died like a real soldier, did he?

- Yes, sir.

He certainly did, sir.

- You hurt bad, son?

- No. A million-dollar wound.

- Good deal. Give the States my regards.

- Yes, sir.

Send out the grave detail and

get this man over to Battalion A.

See you later, Lieutenant?

I'll notify Battalion and Division

about your being the new CO.

- All right, sir?

- All right?

OK.

See you later.

You see it personally, Woodruff?

Yes, sir.

- He was at the top of the stairs, huh?

- Yes, sir.

- Then he rolled back down here.

- Yes, sir.

You're a good officer, Woodruff.

I'm glad to see you got this company.

Maybe I'll put through a field promotion

for you. I want a captain in command.

If that's what you want, sir.

Funny what you were

saying to me before about, uh...

going to General Parsons

over something or other.

A man'll say all kinds of things, do all

kinds of things under strain, won't he?

But I never heard you.

So the old judge wanted a son, huh?

Looks like he had to lose one to get one.

You know what I'm gonna do?

I'll put Erskine through

for Distinguished Service Cross.

I'll write up the papers and send them

around for your signature...

Captain Woodruff.

You have no objection, have you?

Old Erskine died like a hero, didn't he?

- You're gonna push me too far.

- Woodruff, it's a little piece of ribbon.

What's that against a rope

around a dead man's neck?

It's not a dead man's neck, Colonel!

It's mine!

Yes, my neck!

- Don't get excited.

- You played it too far. Way too far.

Now it's phoney medals for the judge

with my signature on the citation!

It's not gonna be that way.

I killed him. And that's no simple...

You're high-strung, Woodruff!

You need a couple of weeks' rest.

Maybe I'll put through a little leave

for you. A couple of weeks in Paris...

- Down here.

- Come back a new man.

There they are. One in each room.

Come back with your new bars on.

Your own company.

Life can be very pleasant, Harry.

Even in a war.

Take a look at me, Colonel.

Take a good look at me!

I may have pulled that trigger,

but you aimed the gun.

You set this whole thing up

so it could happen.

- They'll smell you out on this.

- Nobody will smell a thing.

You got the high hand now, son,

the big cards. You'll play it smart.

Your worries are over. The captain's gone.

He was a good man. Don't see no reason

why we can't get a citation for him, too.

- That makes it all OK?

- Get flexible!

You know what a court martial

would do with this?

So what are you gonna do,

let a dead man destroy your life?

Understand, there's no hard feelings.

I know you, Harry. You got horse sense.

You won't tell General Parsons a thing.

You got too much to lose.

See you around, Harry.

You know what I've gotta do, Joe.

You'd do the same thing.

This is Fragile Fox One.

I want Division Headquarters.

This is Division.

This is Lieutenant Harold Woodruff,

White Battalion, 2nd Regiment.

- I want to talk to General Parsons.

- Will you wait, please?

Yes, I'll wait.

General Parsons speaking.

Hello? Hello?

This is Lieutenant Harold Woodruff.

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