The Sanction - The Site That Showcases Your Talent

Novels - War Template

The Aster Mission
by Smiler ©
(Pseudonym)

FEATURED NOVEL JUNE 2006

Chapter 2

....Brannigan left the General Staff meeting bemused and anguished.  This is insanity he thought as he trod the gravel driveway, the noise underfoot reminiscent of distant machine gun fire.  With one last shake of his head he climbed aboard the jeep and headed for Luckton airbase.

He lit a cigarette and wondered why he had the misfortune to be chosen for this mission.  He had always tried to be a good soldier and an officer, he reasoned, but to his mind there were many fine officers who could have handled this, it didn't make sense.  A heavy jolt from the road brought Brannigan back to his senses, a series of left turns and he was at his destination.

Tom Westerman was already in their shared room prettying himself up for a night out in the town, how could he know Brannigan was to spoil all that.  "Hey Pete, where you been we're going to be late and I've got a whole lot of dancing to do".  Brannigan paused to collect himself, "sorry Tom all leave is cancelled, I'll explain later after I've spoken with the Commodore".  Brannigan dropped his belongings on the bed, spun on his heels and headed out into the midday sunshine....

Chapter 4

....Brannigan hit the ground running, released his chute and readied his machine gun.  In the near darkness he kept look out while around him Westerman, and the rest of the team, descended like falling angels.  Brannigan signalled to Tom, the chutes were gathered and hidden and they assembled as planned.  They would make their way to a remote cottage on the outskirts of the city owned by a partisan sympathiser.  They made their way along a meandering track in near silence, two abreast, one on point and two bringing up the rear.

As they neared a road a large vehicle could be heard in the distance, drawing nearer with each passing second.  Everyone got down in the dirt beside a hedge row and prepared themselves for possible engagement.  The roaring, heaving, diesel engine groaned and creaked its way up the hill.  Swaying from side to side on the uneven track its occupants were tossed around like sailors in a squall.  Finally, as it reached the apex of the hill, the driver put in the clutch and slammed the wheeled beast into a higher gear with a crunch.  The truck passed within a few metres, Brannigan could see the faces of the enemy troops in the rear, smiling, joking, smoking and handing around a bottle schnapps.

Hank Peters, the sergeant, came back to the team and reported the cottage was a hundred metres away and in darkness.  The cottage lay to the East on a hill, through his binoculars Brannigan could see the structure silhouetted against the brightening dawn sky.  He motioned to Westerman, "Lets get inside before any more krauts come along, post a sentry to observe the road"....

Chapter Five

....tracer lit up the sky like myriad firefly, "Tom" shouted Brannigan, "heavy machine gun nest 2 o'clock, outflank them and use the grenades".  Westerman gathered Johnson and Platt and they raced off down a gully, kak kak kak a loud shrill scream then silence.  A round whizzed by Brannigan's ear, he instinctively tried to swat it away as if it were some demented wasp.   For a moment he thought the machine gun nest had been overrun, suddenly 2 explosions in rapid succession followed by a burst of gun fire.  Brannigan made his way down the gully, he could see Platt gesturing all was OK.  All was not OK, Tom Westerman lay still on the ground, a hole as big as a fist in his back, blood pumping out onto his battle dress and soaking the earth beneath.  Brannigan quickly looked away, as he had done a dozen times before.  Tom had only gone 20 metres when he had been struck by a tracer round. 

 Brannigan gathered himself.  Back in command of his feelings he ushered his men towards the rendezvous point....

Home : Short Stories : Novel Ideas : Play Scripts : Movie Ideas : Poetry : Lyrics : FAQ's : Contacts : Links