Vahn jumped to his paws and blew the whistle twice. Four wolves reported to him and they entered together.
“Down!” They ducked by a tent, then together sprinted to another tent for cover. A slender Greenskin with black eyes emerged from the tent with his hands up. He didn’t have a weapon. Vahn glared at the diplomat, but ignored him and continued on toward the tower until they were just one tent away.
“Go! Charge the stairwell!” He motioned.
The wolves ran forward and ducked under the tower for cover. Vahn could see arrows pouring out from the tower and onto the three Kompanies. Just as they got there, the stairwell detached and the guards threw it off the tower.
One of them groaned out, “what now?”
A fire started at a nearby tent.
That tower was so high up. They would either have to climb it or chop down the wooden stilts. And the guards would have time to kill many comrades.
“Sir! Sir I have one.”
“One what?”
“One left,” The wolf grinned, brandishing a ‘boomstick.’
Vahn hushed and looked over to him.
“Four paces out, understand?”
“Yes.”
The wolf sprung out of his cover, took out the lit boomstick and lobbed it into the tower just as he took an arrow to the heart and dropped. The four of them ducked for life as thunder ripped into the sky and debris rained down shortly thereafter.
“Got it.”
Vahn felt his head swimming after the concussions rocked through the air. Everything looked hazy. He blinked hard and his vision returned. The air was still hot with the dynamite’s firey powder. He slowly looked up to survey the damage. Poetshke was leading his pack of wolves on a rampage, setting ablaze tent after tent while his wolves slaughtered every diplomat, strategist and courier caught inside. Even the concubines were in danger of Flame Wielder’s conflagration.
“Come on!”
Vahn barked out and made for the tents, then pounced upon a beady-eyed Greenskin and shoved his lance clear through him. All around him the Greenskins were falling to spears and bayonets, and Poetshke’s vengeful fires were spreading everywhere. The air was only getting hotter, and breathing became difficult.
“Clear out!” Wolff shouted and blew his whistle. The whole unit bolted for the exit as flames danced above every tent. Hot embers landed in Vahn’s fur and singed through his skin.
“Ennnngh!” A feminine grunt slid out from one of the burning huts, and a firmly-shaped white-furred vixen emerged and fell to her knees. She was clad only in a sheer, baby-blue fabric and her body was adorned with jewelry. Vahn picked her up over his shoulder and sprinted out of the burning camp with this group. They all dropped to the ground as a snow-colored horse bolted out of its burning stable and past the exit.
“Get back here!” Poetschke shouted and then fell to his knees on the ground. “Come back here you coward…”
Vahn looked to the sprinting equine again as it ran off into the horizon. Even from this distance, he squinted and saw Oxbane’s silhouette atop the horse.
The blonde Sturmbannfuehrer gasped for breath.
“Help…”
Vahn blew desperately into his whistle. One of his wolves and another human ran to Poetschke, lifted him to his boots and ran him out of the massive conflagration.
Vahn and the others ran alongside them. He bounded into wheat fields with the concubine still slung over his shoulder, protesting at the rough treatment. It was all over. Vahn wasn’t sure how many made it out, but it was done. He looked back to see his platoon following right behind him, as if they’d never lost sight.
TWEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Out of nowhere a whistle rang two times for combat readiness. In a moment everyone knew why he had done so. The ground began rumbling beneath all of them. Ratcheting sounds drew closer to the disorderly Kompanie. The Greenskins’ were coming back to ‘reinforce’ what they would soon find to be a charred camp.
“Get down!” Vahn yelled to his undersized platoon. He dropped the smooth vixen into the grass and then pressed himself against the soil.
“Stay put,” he growled at the shocked young woman, whose green eyes looked right into him nevertheless.
The enemy’s reinforcements were coming. Vahn picked up his field glass and saw a giant column of wooden and metal carts coming toward them.
“It’s rock bombers! Dig! Everyone dig now!” Wolff shouted just a few paces back.
The wolves began frantically trying to dig foxholes for themselves even though it was hopeless at this range. It would be far too late to get any cover.
Vahn knelt and stared at the contraptions. When he squinted he could see them closer. The operators of the wooden machines were felines with body armor and pointy hats. All of them had their hands on their head.
Then Vahn looked to the front and saw a human in gray and a black trench coat flowing in the wind. Though he was human, he looked unfamiliar. But right behind that man was Master Sepp! Even from a distance Vahn could see the triumphant grin upon Sepp’s face.
“It’s… It’s Master Sepp!”
All around, the Kompanie, both wolves and humans, were leaping out of the grass and running out to greet the other victorious comrades. Sepp was waving at them with both hands.
“They captured the rock-bombers! We’ve won, we’ve really won I can’t believe it!” Vahn yelled and grasped the confused young concubine by the shoulders.
Pure Again
“Hey! Heh-heh. There you are!”
Hans cut off the engine, then he and Tex rose from the sidecar. They were back at the camp, and Heinz Mertens stood there to greet them.
“Been waiting for you two! To give us the good news. Oh, she’ll be happy to see you, too. She’s recovered well.”
Hans beamed at the friendly mechanic, he picked up his helmet and the three of them made their way to the officer’s bunker.
“The doctor in?” Hans asked Mertens.
“No, no. Dr. Bruestle went to the front with the rest of them. It’s just myself, Postel and a few Wehrmacht stragglers that appeared yesterday. Peiper told us to stay and watch over Sarah.”
When Mertens opened the bunker door Sarah’s ears pricked up. She was sitting up on the cot, and when Hans came through the door she jumped up and clung to him.
Mertens chuckled. “That’s a happy ending for you, isn’t it?”
Hans kissed Sarah on the mouth before turning to the others.
“Now that I have my mate, Tex and I are going back to the front. Want to come with us?”
“We can’t. Have to make sure the stray wolves don’t take our food supplies. Standartenfuehrer’s orders. Ah, however…”
Mertens rummaged around in the back and unearthed several small containers of liquor and beer, then thrust the case into Hans’ arms.
“You bring that to the victory celebration for me. And make sure some goes to Sepp Dietrich and his wild animals.”
With Sarah in one hand and drinks in the other, Hans made for the door and Tex opened it for him.
“After you, Herr Hepner.”
“Why thank you, kind sir…”
Hans filed out the door and nearly bumped right into Generalmajor Postel, who was standing ramrod straight just outside. Late day sunlight reflected off the blackened skin around his eye. Tex suddenly looked like he wanted to disappear.