Death From Above

[MyLittleHellhound]

Sorry guys, another short story, I'm just putting all my feels on here. :roll:

The plane droned on through the night sky, staying away from the bright spots that signified towns. And death. Ten paratroopers unclipped their harness's and checked their ammunition, getting rid of the last minute jitters with careful inspection of their gear. Just barely, they could see the other planes veering towards their respective targets as the operation was set in motion.

Rhodes, squad commander, checked his straps one last time. The bay doors opened and air sucked him out and flung him into the inky blackness of the night. There was the moment of free fall and butterflies, and he yanked on his chute. The parachute opened up in a mushroom above him, slowing his descent as they steered towards the forest. All around him, 9 black forms were opening their chutes, and in the distance, dozens more descended upon the fields and farms. AA fire suddenly streaked through the sky, ripping into one of the transport planes which was in the midst of deploying its troops. The streaks ripped through the body, shearing the hull and causing the plane to burst into flames. The men still inside screamed on the radio, trying to land as spotlights snapped on the burning plane and a barrage of metal stormed the aircraft. It exploded in a bright ball which expanded outwards, throwing the men in parachutes off course. Pieces of glittering metal lazily fell to the ground, and then the plane was no more. More AA fire shot down the paratroopers near the explosion, cutting them to shreds as the high-calibre rounds punctured their bodies.

"Shit! Get to the ground now! Go! Go! Go!" Rhodes shouted, steering himself down as fast as he could. Spotlights, now on high alert, flashed through the sky and AA fire began to fill the air. Rhodes reached the ground in a matter of seconds, cracking his knee on a log and rolling to a halt in the forest. Around him, his squad untangled themselves from bushes and set up a small perimeter. Minutes later, they were moving through the forest. Rhodes squinted ahead to a clearing, telling the men to hide. And quickly. A Haubitze artillery piece squatted along with two dozen Sturmgrenadiers. That Haubitze artillery fired 150mm shells, deadly for tanks and especially structures. The Sturmgrenadiers were heavy infantry, and had set up two machine guns on either side. Rhodes studied the situation carefully. Somehow, maybe if he took the Haubitze . . . a silent shot rang out and nailed the German machine gunner in the head. His eyes rolled up, blood trickling from the hole in his helmet, and he collapsed over the machine gun. The others turned as Rhodes swung around, firing short bursts from his Thompson. Rifles cracked and the surprised Sturmgrenadier fell easily, throwing up their arms as bullets passed through their flesh. The last Sturmgrenadier pulled a pistol and shot Vess in the arm, tearing through the muscles. Vess collapsed out of shock as Rhodes put shots in both the troopers kneecaps, promoting a scream and blowing white shards of bone and blood onto the dirt. The German collapsed, moaning as Rhodes walked up to him and punched him.

"I am Rhodes. And you?" he said in a friendly tone.

The German spit blood and coughed. "Schmidt."

"Well, we gonna have a little chat you and I. How strong are the German defences?"

"I . . . do not know. They do not tell us anything." Schmidt sighed.

"Wrong answer." Rhodes said. "Tie the bastard up, and patch up his kneecaps."

Hours later, they reached the edge of the forest, and beyond, the city. It looked warm and inviting, but it was controlled by the Nazis.

"We're supposed to start the assault, all squads, in 3 hours. Bombers will first soften up the defences. The 7th Tank Batallion will aid us in the initial attack, then pull back to defend our rear. Intel reports that there are no German tanks within the city, only on the outside. But bring those anti-tank rifles, just in case."

"The inferno is coming boys, now let's haul ass!"

[darkflareon]

I have to admit I didn't like this short story as much as I liked your others.

I think this may have been because the start of it was very monologish with basic descriptions. This ment that there wern't any stand out moments.

When it then moved away from the monologing there was very little description to descibe what was going on when the characters were talking.

I'm sorry if this seems really critical and it was a really good story. I may have critasised it alot but I really did enjoy reading reading it and hope this dosnt put you off posting more.

-Flareon