Between Heaven and Hell Page #4

- Sure.

- Why?

Well, it's kinda like fannin' out

over a field, four abreast.

I got an old 10-gauge to home,

used to belong to my grandpappy.

Wait'll you try her. Kick'll knock

you clear into the next county.

When we get back home I'll take you

up to my cousin's place. Tom Knox.

Best hunting country you ever saw.

Man, when I get out of the army I ain't

never, never gonna fire a rifle again.

But I will come along with

you guys and...

hold y'all's crock o' corn liquor.

Hello! Anybody home?

Told you we should've called

before we came.

Gifford!

Hey, Gifford!

- Yeah?

- Get in here!

Gifford, it just dawned on me that I oughta

give a real, live ex-noncom Silver Star winner

a test to see if he's

still on the ball.

I want you to take a patrol,

go up to Norzagaray.

Aw, it's a lovely day for it, Gifford. Nice

and balmy, like we used to say in Honolulu.

Where is Norzagaray?

Oh, it's a lovely little town. Beautiful, in fact.

It's just around the corner from here.

- What do you want to know about it?

- What do I want to know? Let me see.

Oh! I want to know how many beer bottles

the Japanese tossed into the church.

Waco, you know they're using that place

for their headquarters.

Yeah, I know it.

Gifford?

Count the number of guys

that threw the bottles too.

And don't get the idea you and the

patrol are gonna goof off behind a hill

then come back

and tell me you scouted the place,

because I'm gonna have the outposts

check on you every 15 minutes.

All right, Frances, get lost.

Hold it. Let's take a break.

- Terry.

- Yeah?

Watch the trail.

Oh, boy.

Shh.

Do you hear what I hear?

Take cover.

We shoulda took care of 'em.

- Knock it off, Terry.

- Quiet!

Take cover.

Wonder how many more of

'em's comin' by.

If another squad comes by

we'll fall in behind it.

- Are you crazy or something?

- Not enough to stay here and get cut off.

Get back.

- Hold it.

- That does it.

- Which trail did they take?

- Question is, which one we gonna take?

- Let's split up. Then we can get out.

- I don't want to lose any men.

More of 'em coming, Sam.

We'll take the left fork. If it's the wrong

one, it'll make no difference anyway.

Come on. Let's move, on the double.

Come on, Willie.

Looks deserted to me.

What do you think, Willie?

Never know what to think

about them people.

Well, we'll just go down and see.

Nothin' here.

Let's count the beer bottles.

OK, let's move out.

That's as fanciful a tale as

I ever did hear.

So you walked right along

with 'em, huh, Francis?

- He's speakin' truth, Waco.

- Anybody talkin' to you?

- No, Waco.

- Shut up!

You know what I think?

I think you never got to Norzagaray.

I think you been goofin' off

behind the trees someplace.

That's what they been doing,

all right, Waco.

All right, so you got there.

So what?

That doesn't matter. But you better worry

about those mortar squads he saw.

- You telling me my business?

- Yep.

Little Joe...

I'm getting awful tired of

that face of yours.

Why don't you take Francis

and this patrol here,

go up to Parade George

and relieve Tom Thumb.

- That's the best news I've heard in a week.

- Johnson, one of these days...

Mortars!

Well, that was short and sweet.

OK, Sam. OK.

Take it easy, Sam.

Old Willie'll take care of you.

I don't need any help.

Millard?

Millard!

Where's Millard?

Waco, out there.

- I think he was crying.

- Yeah.

- Wonder what made him want to cry.

- Shut up, Terry.

We still going on the outpost,

Little Joe?

Beats me, Willie.

I'll just have to find out.

Waco.

Waco!

Go ahead up to Parade George.

OK, gents, end of the line.

- Uh-oh.

- What, Little Joe?

Forgot something. Tom Thumb!

Hey, Tom Thumb!

- What is it?

- Forgot the password!

That you, Little Joe?

Yeah. Don't shoot, you hear?

Come on up!

Must be goin' off your rocker, Little Joe.

Never knew you to forget a password before.

Well, I'll tell you, Tom Thumb,

it's been a busy day.

Yeah. I heard the mortars.

You have any casualties?

- Millard got killed.

- They beat us to him.

Tough tidings.

Listen, Little Joe, we've had it

pretty easy up here,

but there's something

going on across the river.

I can't quite figure it out.

- Better keep your eyes peeled after sundown.

- Sure will.

Well, I hate to leave

this exclusive mountain resort,

but... back to Waco, boys!

Let's go!

Pick a home, gents.

They're all rent-free.

What did you do before the war,

Sam?

Cotton business.

- Have your own gin?

- Mm-hmm. Three of 'em.

My own croppers, too.

Whereabouts was this?

Gray's Landing.

Me, I'm from Walnut Creek.

Used to be a cropper myself.

I figured you were.

Funny, I had you figured for

quality folks, but, I don't know,

you just don't act like you was.

Want to know something?

I liked you the minute I set eyes on

you, before I even knowed your name.

You looked beat,

and I like beat people.

Yeah, Willie,

that's what I am: beat.

The army give you

a real bad time, huh?

No.

No, I've been giving myself

a real bad time,

since long before the war.

Then I found three friends

in the army.

I never had any real friends before.

Then they got killed.

After that I really was beat.

Nice thing about being beat is

there's nothing left for a man to do

but to rear hisself up off of the earth.

It looks like Parade George Four

is really getting it.

Willie,

keep your eye on the trail.

OK, Joe.

Grenades!

Oh, no more. Please, no more.

Hold it down, Sam. Keep it quiet.

He can't help it, Joe.

- Take it easy, Sam boy.

- No more.

Easy, boy.

You'll be all right pretty soon.

Well, I reckon that's about

all we can do for Sellers.

Yeah. I'm gonna try and

catch some sleep.

Hey, Willie. Notice anything

funny about this morning?

- What do you mean, Little Joe?

- Waco hasn't been on the radio.

Now, that's a fact, ain't it?

Guess I'll check with him.

Parade George Charlie.

Parade George Charlie.

Morgan, are you sure there isn't

an undamaged battery down there?

I'll take another look.

Nope. A grenade got 'em all.

- Sam?

- Yeah?

You and Terry go back

to the company for batteries.

OK.

Sam?

Don't worry, Willie.

I'll be all right.

Anyhow, I suppose Waco'll be hungry

for the sight of me by now.

Hey, Terry, let's go.

See you.

Waco inside?

Where's Waco?

He's in there.

He's been relieved.

- No kiddin'?

- Relieved?

Yeah. We had a couple of wounded men

last week that we sent down to regiment.

They musta talked, because Colonel Miles

found out what's been goin' on up here.

He's been on the radio all mornin'.

He's comin' up tomorrow himself.

- That's the best news in a month of Sundays.

- A year of Sundays, kid.

You musta had a rough time

up there last night, huh?

- Yeah. We lost a man.

- Tough.

Well, maybe Colonel Miles will relieve you.

Maybe he'll relieve all of us.

What's this about bein' relieved?

Ain't nobody gonna be

relieved except me!

On your feet.

What are you doing here, Gifford?

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