Hunter Sniper

Deke shot Philly an angry look for letting the cat out of the bag. Philly was only stating what was obvious, which was that Deke had been ravaged by the jungle fever.

“You’re all a sight for sore eyes,” Lieutenant Steele announced. “Now that we’re all in the same place again, let me see what I can do about keeping us together. I can tell you one thing for sure, which is that we’re in for one hell of a fight to take Ormoc from the Japanese.”

“That’s good to hear,” Deke said. “It’s been at least a day or two since I shot at any Japanese. I’m getting out of practice.”

Steele shook his head. “I hate to tell you this, Deke, but you’re not going anywhere except to the hospital tent.”

Philly barked out a laugh. “How about that, Deke? The minute that we’re all back together, Honcho here tries to get rid of you.”

“Just for that, you can take point next time, Philly. If the Japanese are going to shoot somebody, it may as well be you.”

Ordinarily Deke might have stalled for time, but he didn’t have the energy to put up much of a fight. He was soon dragging himself toward the medical area, wondering if this was going to be it for him on Leyte.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Captain Merrick returned with orders. He gathered the men who had managed to snatch a little sleep on the beach. Some regretted the fact that they now had sand not only in their gear but in cracks and crevices that would make it difficult to get themselves sand-free anytime soon. A shower was out of the question, and there wasn’t even time for a quick dunk in the ocean.

“We’re moving out,” Merrick explained, looking around at the company. “There’s a harbor about a mile north of here that we need to guard, just in case the Japanese decide that they want it back. And knowing the Japanese, they will want it back.”

Merrick told the men to be ready in ten minutes, then waved Lieutenant Steele over. The two men had met outside Palo, when the orders had come to divide the scout-snipers and some of Patrol Easy had been attached to Merrick’s unit.

“I heard you had it rough landing on the beach,” Merrick said.

“And I heard your trek through the jungle wasn’t any walk in the park, sir,” Steele replied. The lieutenant had taken off his helmet, and with his gray-flecked hair and weathered face, he looked at least ten years older than the captain.

Merrick grunted. “I don’t think anybody had an easy time of it. Then again, I always prefer dry land to a boat ride. I’m a ground pounder through and through.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Listen, I’d sure hate to part company with Deke and Philly, not to mention Yoshio and Danilo,” Merrick said. “The four of them are damn good soldiers. It looks like our walk through the jungle is over, but any chance that I could get them to stay?”

“We don’t have any orders yet.” Steele nodded at the pandemonium on the beach. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, but it was hard to see any real organization or order yet. “I don’t think anyone is too worried about a handful of snipers.”

“You know what, I lost a lieutenant in that last fight we had, in a coconut grove, of all places,” Merrick said. He shook his head as if trying to clear it of that painful memory. “I sure could use you and your men. Besides, the damn Japanese really thinned out our ranks.”

Lieutenant Steele seemed to consider the question. “It sounds as if you’re headed to fight more Japanese.”

“Sounds about right,” Merrick replied.

Steele smiled. “Then count us in.”

“Welcome to the club, Lieutenant.”

The two officers shook hands; then Merrick hurried off to make sure that the company obtained a few last-minute supplies: bullets, more rations, and another medic that he cajoled out of the hospital tent.

But when Merrick returned, he was accompanied not just by the medic, but also by the familiar figure of Deacon Cole. He staggered a little in the sea breeze, as if it might blow him over.

The others were surprised to see him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Steele demanded. “Shouldn’t you be on a cot somewhere?”

Merrick spoke up. “The docs are under orders to send anyone who can still walk back into the field. We’re that shorthanded. Maybe in a few days, if we get reinforcements, some of these boys can rotate out. Now let’s move out.”

This time there was no jungle trek. Instead, the company followed the coastline, sticking to the beach. While it was true that the going was easy, they felt exposed out in the open. Fortunately, so far, Japanese forces appeared to have retreated deeper into the interior. There wasn’t so much as a potshot taken at them.

“How about that, the gang is all together again,” Philly said. “Just like old times. You missed us, didn’t you, Honcho?”

“Stuff it, Philly,” the lieutenant said, then grinned. “Gee, I haven’t said that in a while. Now it feels like old times.”

The lieutenant shared the fact that Patrol Easy would be sticking with the company, at least until receiving orders otherwise.