Pacific Sniper

“The party is over for you boys,” said Lieutenant Thibault. He was trailed by Sergeant Hawley. “It’s about time you got off your asses and killed some Japs.”

“Hey, will you look at that, Lieutenant. It’s our old friend Cole. I’d recognize his ugly face anywhere.”

Deke stiffened but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll be damned, it is him,” the lieutenant said. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but you look even sorrier than you used to. Lucky for you I showed up.”

“If you say so.”

Thibault frowned. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Hey, Cole, the lieutenant is talking to you,” Hawley snapped. “Show some respect.”

Deke knew what the lieutenant was getting at. “The lieutenant didn’t want us to call him sir. He said it would bring down the Jap snipers sure as ants on honey.”

The lieutenant looked at the sergeant. “Sergeant, do you see any enemy soldiers around?”

“Just the one, and I’m about to take care of that.”

“Right, I don’t see any Japanese either.” He glared at Deke expectantly.

Deke nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s more like it.”

The sergeant walked over and took the Japanese prisoner roughly by the elbow. He held a carbine in his other hand. “Come with me.”

The young Japanese looked at them with frightened eyes. It was clear enough what the sergeant was planning as he pushed the prisoner in the direction of a copse of coconut palms.

“Sir, the prisoner was quite helpful,” Yoshio stammered. “He showed us where the rest of the Japs were hidden.”

“Good. I’m glad that he proved useful. But we can’t spare anyone to guard him, and we sure as hell can’t send him all the way back to the beachhead.”

Yoshio opened his mouth to protest further, but Deke shot him a look. He knew that the translator wouldn’t get anywhere with the likes of the lieutenant or the sergeant. Hell, they might even decide to drag him off next.

Deke felt like he had to try something.

“Sarge, I can get rid of the prisoner for you. In fact, it would be my pleasure. That Jap has been nothing but a pain in the ass.”

“All right, fine by me.” Hawley shoved the prisoner in Deke’s direction. “I’ve got better things to do. Take that interpreter with you. It would be good for him to see what happens when you get too attached to prisoners.”

“You got it, Sarge.”

The three of them moved into the jungle, out of sight of the others. When they reached a clearing under the coconut trees, Deke gave the prisoner a shove and raised his rifle.

“Are you going to shoot him?” Yoshio asked.

“That’s what Lieutenant Thibault and Sergeant Hawley wanted, ain’t it? But no, I ain’t gonna shoot him. Tell him to run.”

“Run where?”

“Explain to him that his best bet is to head for the beach. There’s a chance that he might be able to catch a boat off this island. If the Japs have any boats, they’ll be on that beach.”

Yoshio babbled something to the prisoner in Japanese. The prisoner stared at Deke in disbelief. Maybe he thought Deke still planned to shoot him, considering that he still held a rifle. The prisoner remained rooted to the spot.

“Yoshio, what’s the Japanese word for run?”

“Hashire!”

Deke gave the prisoner a poke with the muzzle. “Go on now. Hashire!”

Finally, the young prisoner turned and ran, disappearing into the jungle.

Deke fired a single shot into the air.

“Why didn’t you shoot him?” Yoshio wondered. “I thought you hated Japs.”

“We killed plenty of Japs already. I figure there’s no harm in letting that one get away.”

Nearby, the men of Patrol Easy waited tensely, not wanting to look at one another. None of them loved the Japanese, but it was clear that the young prisoner had been harmless enough. Shooting a prisoner seemed to cross the line into murder. The seconds stretched out. Finally, they heard a single shot from the copse where the sergeant had led the prisoner.

Deke and Yoshio walked back out alone.

“The prisoner tried to escape, sir,” Deke said.

“You did what you had to do,” Thibault replied. “From here on out, we are not taking any more prisoners.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Now that US forces had arrived in strength, it was time to move against the fortified Japanese positions. The first big push started at Yigo, an enemy outpost in the shadow of Mount Santa Rosa.

“I’m nervous about this,” Yoshio admitted. “We all know that the Japanese are going to fight to the last man standing. Anyhow, what use am I if we aren’t supposed to take any prisoners.”

“Stick close to me and Philly, and keep your head down,” Deke said. “No matter what the lieutenant says, there might be a few prisoners.”