| Copyright 2004 by Eagle Lady. The characters of Combat! are the property of ABC. Shades of the Past The small group of men was shivering as they huddled under the dripping trees, a gust of wind blowing the water off of the leaves and down the back their necks. “If I wanted to freeze to death, I could have stayed in Chicago. I didn’t have to come all the way to France.” Kirby complained, trying to light a soggy cigarette. “Here.” Caje pulled a dry pack out from under his poncho, lit one and handed it to Kirby. “Thanks.” “Where’d Sarge go? Paris?” Billy asked. “He didn’t say where he was going. He just said to stay here.” “Hey, you know what today is?” Littlejohn asked. “Wednesday?” Billy answered without much interest. “Thursday, actually. It’s also Halloween.” “Great.” Kirby said heavily. “We’ve got the water, now all we need is apples to bob for.” “Quiet.” Caje hissed. “Someone’s coming.” A moment later, Saunders appeared and motioned them forward. Kirby stood up, bumping into a branch that promptly released a stream of water, soaking his cigarette. He threw it away in disgust, cursing under his breath. “Let’s go.” Saunders turned and led them on, walking beside the muddy road. A quarter of a mile on, they met a Frenchman leading a horse and cart toward them. “Caje, ask him if anyone is living in that chateau up on the hill.” “He says nobody has lived there for 50 years.” Caje translated after a minute’s conversation. “He also says it’s haunted.” He looked distinctly apprehensive. “You don’t believe that, do you?” Kirby scoffed. “We’ll take our chances. Let’s go.” Saunders ordered. A short time later, they reached the massive double doors of the majestic chateau, one of which Saunders shouldered open and stepped through. “Come on. Get in here.” He snapped as the men hesitated. Kirby shouldered his way past Caje and stepped up beside the sergeant. “Ghosts or not, it’s a lot drier in than out.” “Wow.” Billy said in awe, looking around. The chateau, although covered in thick dust, was still fully furnished, with paintings still covering the walls. The floor of the foyer where they stood appeared to be made of marble, and several suits of armor stood around the edge of the foyer, interspersed with ornate chairs. A single tall, narrow table stood just inside the door and the chandelier overhead dripped with dusty spider webs. “All right, spread out and make sure it’s empty.” Saunders ordered. “What if we run into a ghost?” Billy asked nervously. “Shoot it.” Kirby grinned. “You can’t shoot a ghost!” Billy protested. “Knock it off and get moving.” Saunders snapped. “Clear the first floor, then meet back here and we’ll move upstairs.” Silently, the men split off and moved cautiously through the myriad of room. Ten minutes later, all of the men except Littlejohn were back in the foyer. “Where’d Littlejohn go?” Saunders asked. “Through there.” Billy indicated a door on the left. Saunders headed through the doorway, the others on his heels. The room was empty. Without hesitation, Saunders crossed the room and opened the opposite door. The found themselves in a library filled with books from floor to ceiling. “Don’t let the door close!” Littlejohn called from across the room. Caje grabbed the door just before it closed and looked inquiringly at Littlejohn. “The door locked behind me.” He explained. “I was getting ready to climb out the window and go back around to the front.” “There’s no lock on the door.” Caje pointed out. “Fine. You go back on the other side and let the door close.” “You must be imagining things.” Kirby laughed. “You think so? Close the door.” Littlejohn growled angrily. Shrugging, Caje stepped out of the room and let the door swing shut. “All right, smart guy. Open the door.” Littlejohn told Kirby. “It’s easy, ya big moose. You just turn the handle.” Grinning, Kirby grabbed the handle and twisted it. The grin disappeared as he tugged on the door. He twisted the handle and tugged and pushed on the door with no result. “It’s easy.” Littlejohn told him. “You just turn the handle.” “Knock it off, you guys.” Saunders growled. “Caje! Open the door.” When the door opened a second later, Kirby shot past Caje, nearly knocking him over, the rest following a little more slowly, but not much. “Upstairs.” Saunders motioned with his head. Silently, they trooped up the wide staircase to the second floor landing. “Be back here in ten minutes.” The Sergeant ordered. Ten minutes later, they were all back. “Find anything of interest?” Saunders asked. “It looks like they left everything behind when they left. There’s clothes in the cabinet things.” Billy answered. “Same here.” Caje agreed as Kirby and Littlejohn nodded. “Littlejohn, go down and secure the door. Billy, give me the radio. Did anyone find the kitchen?” “Yeah.” Kirby answered. “Go see if we can use the stove.” “Alone?” “You need someone to hold your hand?” Saunders lifted an eyebrow in inquiry. “Okay, okay, I’m going.” He and Littlejohn clattered down the stairs while Billy set up the radio on a nearby table. Kirby looked up as the other four entered the kitchen. “I found the stove, but I’m not sure it works. There’s wood in it, but so far it won’t light.” “You ever use a wood stove?” Caje asked. “No.” “Move over.” Caje looked around and located a box with bits of shredded wood in it, and threw a handful in with the wood, producing a bright flame. “Okay, make some coffee. The Lieutenant said we could spend the night here.” “We don’t have to sleep in the rain?” Kirby grinned. They all jumped as lightning flashed and thunder shook the house and rattled the windows, then looked at each other sheepishly. A short time later, they were seated around the table, which had to be cleaned three times to get all of the dust off of it, finishing their rations, sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. “You know, I could get used to this.” Billy grinned. “Don’t get too used to it.” Saunders warned. “When you finish your coffee, go upstairs and hit the sack.” “Nice soft bed.” Littlejohn sighed. “Dry beds.” Caje added. “Warm beds.” Billy sighed. “Yeah, I could really get used to this.” Kirby grinned. They trooped upstairs with the aid of candles Kirby had found in the kitchen. “Kirby, you pull first watch. Then Billy, me, Littlejohn and Caje.” Leaving Kirby sitting on the top step with his BAR across his knees, the men split into the bedrooms. “Sarge?” Saunders woke reluctantly to find Billy crouching beside the bed. “My turn?” He mumbled. “No. Someone’s trying to get in downstairs.” “Okay. Wake the others, meet me here.” A moment later, the others, now wide awake, joined Saunders. “What’s your plan, Sarge?” Caje asked. “Move out onto the landing, behind the railing. Wait till they’re inside. Looks like a small Kraut patrol, from what I could see from the window.” Quietly, the men spread out on the landing, belly down behind the railing. A few moments later, the front door was kicked in and two Krauts burst in. Saunders signaled for his men to wait. Three more Germans entered and all five of them stood looking around. The Americans started to lift their rifles, then froze. A gray mist was slowly filling the foyer and as the men watched in stunned amazement, the arm of one of suits of armor lifted and the mace it held crashed to the floor, narrowly missing the feet of one of the Germans, who were petrified with fear. The mist narrowed and rose slowly, taking the form of a woman wearing a full-length gown of heavy brocade. Her arm slowly lifted, one finger pointing at the nearest German. An unearthly scream filled the chateau as another suit of armor slowly turned, lifting the sword it held. With screams of pure terror, the Germans turned and bolted through the open door behind them. As soon as the last one cleared the doorway, the heavy door slammed shut and the ghostly woman turned and looked up the stairway. The Americans stared in shock as the woman curtsied, then the mist slowly drained away and the two suits of armor returned to their original positions, the mace floating from the floor back to the hand of knight. The mist forming the woman gradually drifted back to the floor, then dissipated along the base of the wall. “Oh, my God.” Caje whispered. “Did I see what I think I saw?” Billy’s voice shook. “Back to bed.” Saunders’ voice made them jump. “What! Sleep here?” Kirby stared at him. “Why not? The lady of the house obviously gave us permission to stay. I doubt that anything will bother us the rest of the night.” Reluctantly, his men returned to their beds, leaving Saunders on the landing to stand guard, despite his reassurances to the men. A couple of hours later, Saunders was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He heaved himself to his feet and turned toward the room that Littlejohn had taken. Suddenly, he found the ghostly woman in front of him. She beckoned to him, moving toward the room he’d been sleeping in. Gracefully, she motioned toward the bed. Puzzled, Saunders stared at her for a moment, then realized that she was telling him to return to bed. “All right, but wake me if more Germans show up.” He said, immediately filling silly for talking to her. As soon as he way lying down, the woman wafted back through the doorway. A feeling of warmth and well-being filled him and he drifted off to sleep. The feel of cool water on his face woke him and he opened his eyes to see the ghostly woman bending over him. He looked at his watch and found that it was a little after seven in the morning. “Thanks.” He smiled at her as he sat up and stretched, watching curiously as she dissolved into mist that vanished through the floor. Shouldering his Thompson, he went from room to room, waking the men with instructions to meet him downstairs. They straggled down to where he waited in the kitchen. “Light the stove, Caje, and we’ll start the day with good hot coffee.” When they’d finished, Saunders told them to wait outside, then he went upstairs, straightened the beds and made sure everything was as they found it before he joined the squad. As they walked back down the hill, Saunders turned to look back at the chateau. Seeing a movement at one of the upper windows, he lifted a hand in farewell, then turned and followed his men. The end. |
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