Pacific Sniper

Turning his attention back to the Americans, Okubo noted that most of the men wore helmets, but one of the soldiers had a broad-brimmed hat with one side pinned up, similar to the American sniper he had encountered back at the disastrous banzai attack. In Okubo’s mind, such hats were equated with foreigners, and possibly cowboys. Japanese did not wear such hats.

A thought came to him. Could it be the same man from the earlier fight? Okubo knew it was foolish, but a part of him wished that it was. In that case, at last, he may have found a worthy adversary. Not since Guadalcanal had he encountered a really good enemy marksman. Having a worthy opponent would make defeating the American sniper that much more satisfying.

However, Okubo frowned as he watched the party approach. Already, he thought that he might be disappointed. The Americans had not seen the decoys in the ravine.

But then he saw the soldier with the broad-brimmed hat raise his rifle and fire. He thought it must be the same sniper, after all. He had been the first to spot the decoys and react.

The enemy sniper fired twice, and Okubo saw two of his own men tumble to the ground. He was a little taken aback by the American sniper’s accuracy.

Okubo sensed that the men around him wanted to open fire and avenge their slain comrades. “Hold your fire,” he hissed. He was thinking of his own soldiers hidden in the grass down in the ravine, lying in wait. “The trap is not yet completely sprung.”

Sure enough, the Americans began working their way down the steep path into the ravine. There wasn’t much cover down there, and they made easy targets.

He saw a man who looked like the leader prodding one of the Japanese bodies with a shotgun. Was the man an officer? So much the better.

It was time to spring the trap.

Okubo put his sights on the leader’s helmet and fired.

Chapter Twenty-One

Deke was exposed to the Japs on the hillside above, and bullets smacked into the dirt. Lucky for him, it was windy and throwing off their aim. Also, he knew from experience that there was a tendency to undershoot when firing downhill—it was thus no surprise that most of the bullets were hitting beneath him. He thanked the powers above that the Japs didn’t have a machine gun and that the attention of the sniper seemed to be elsewhere.

Then again, Deke knew that his luck wouldn’t hold forever. He had to either get to cover or get rid of those Japs.

Deke’s first instinct was to fight. He thought about stopping to fire a few shots at the Japs, but he resisted the urge and kept going. He had to get to Ingram before he bled out and it was too late.

Above him, he could see Ingram slumped beside the path. With a final scrabble, Deke was able to reach him.

“You came back,” Ingram managed to wheeze.

“I said I would, didn’t I?”

“You’re all right, Deke,” he said. He winced in pain. “Dying is a bitch.”

“Hush now and save your breath.”

Deke took the bandages and pressed them against the pulsating wound in Ingram’s throat. He realized that there weren’t enough bandages on Guam to save Ingram.

Blood soaked the front of Ingram’s shirt and even reddened the ground. He had simply lost too much blood.

Deke fiddled with the bandages, which were already soaked through.

Weakly, Ingram pulled Deke’s hand and didn’t let go. Ingram’s eyes had taken on a glassy look, but he managed to focus them on Deke. Deke saw fear in those eyes. He looked away, feeling surprised and a little ashamed for Ingram. He knew that wasn’t the way that Ingram would want anyone to see him leaving this world.

Ingram had been a big athletic bastard. He’d also been confident in himself. Deke couldn’t help but wonder what someone would see in his own eyes, if he happened to be the one lying there with a bullet through his throat. With any luck, he’d get shot through the head and never feel a thing.

Ingram’s eyes had grown more distant, his grip on Deke’s hand weaker. The big man shuddered once or twice; then the light went out of his eyes. Ingram was gone.

If the Japs had managed to kill someone like Ingram, strong as a bull, what chance did the rest of them have?

Deke slumped back into the bushes, suddenly aware that bullets were still spitting past him from time to time. Son of a bitch. He was sick and tired of these Japs. They had killed Ingram and shot Lieutenant Steele. They were still busy trying to kill him and the rest of Patrol Easy.

He reached for his rifle, madder than a hornet.