The Long Patrol: World War II Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

looking for O'Connor. O'Connor was crouched behind a tuft of thick grass not moving a muscle. He watched Dunphy trying to find him, getting some satisfaction from his obvious distress. He leaned forward pushing his face through the grass. Dunphy saw him and signaled to take cover. He passed it along and dropped to his stomach, his rifle pressed against his shoulder pointing right.
    Then there was a pop, the sudden sound made him jump. It was difficult to figure what direction it had come from, the jungle seemed to swallow sound. Then another and another. It was coming from the front and it was gunfire. He rolled out from behind the tuft and searched for targets. He could see Dunphy lying flat, crawling to his left away from Hooper.
    He heard Sgt. Carver yell from the front, “Morgan we’re peeling back to you, be ready with the BAR.”
    Morgan yelled one word, “Yes.” He pulled the tripod down and adjusted himself behind the big Browning. O'Connor watched Dunphy try to rise and take off, but Corporal Hooper yelled at him to stay put until the others to his front were by him. They’d practiced this peel, but it was dangerous to run through your comrades when they may be firing at pursuing enemy. There was a good chance for friendly fire casualties. They’d trained not to fire until all friendlies were behind, but if the Japs were hot on their heels they’d have to shoot.
    The firing became more intense. He heard the distinctive blast of the M1 then the ping as the clip emptied. Someone had just fired all 8 rounds in a few seconds. It was answered by a machine gun. Tracers came out of the jungle like angry bees. O'Connor looked for a muzzle flash, but the machine gun must have been firing from cover, probably a bunker. Then he saw Carver, Crandall and McDougal running like Olympic sprinters. Carver dropped into a crouch and emptied another clip the way he’d come.
    He slapped another clip in as he sprinted past Corporal Hooper and Dunphy. “They’re right on our ass, give ‘em grenades.” Hooper unclipped a grenade from his harness, pulled the pin and chucked it as the men sprinted by him, then he was back on his rifle. He was halfway through his clip when the grenade went off. He used the distraction to jump to his feet and start running. He saw Dunphy still on the ground, he ran to him and yelled for him to get up. Dunphy was fumbling with something at his belt. He stood up and O'Connor saw something drop to the ground. Dunphy took off pushing Hooper in front of him, “Grenade” he yelled.
    They got ten feet away when the grenade went off. Hooper yelled and fell, his rifle spinning away. O'Connor was the next in line and he sighted down his rifle waiting for a target. Dunphy was trying to get Corporal Hooper onto his feet. Hooper was clutching his ass, screaming. He put an arm around Dunphy’s shoulder and hobbled back.
    Out of the dark jungle O'Connor saw what he was waiting for. Two men burst out of the bush and were charging with their impossibly long Arisaka rifles with bayonets attached. They were charging, trying to skewer Dunphy and Hooper. They’d catch up to them in seconds, stab them with the long blades, then they’d come for him. He sighted on the nearest man’s chest. He put pressure on the trigger and it bucked in his hand. The thirty caliber bullet went supersonic and entered the Japanese soldiers’ chest and exited pulling blood and gore with it. The man dropped and didn’t move. The next man didn’t miss a beat, he was almost upon the two men. O'Connor adjusted and shot twice. Both bullets hit within centimeters exploding the mans’ chest. He went from full sprint to hitting an invisible wall and flying backwards. He landed on his comrade.
    O'Connor pulled both his grenades, pulled the pins and hurled them one after another. There was movement in the dimness where the Japanese had come from, but he didn’t wait. He got on the other side of Hooper and now they could run.
    O'Connor waited