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When Joe and Nicky said they could easily deal with a cannon, they never imagined that an overconfident Nazi commander would rather sacrifice soldiers and the entire town than his cannon.
Nicky: "That bloody...."
Joe couldn't hear the rest because the cannon once again started to fire, but he could guess what Nicky would say. They both threw themselves to the side to avoid being hit.
Nicky: "We need to do something about that commander, or else he'll destroy the entire town before dusk."
Joe: "I can only agree."
Joe looked up at the cannon before he looked at Nicky.
Nicky: "I know that smile. What is your idea?"
Joe: "You'll see in five minutes. Could you cover my left side? There is a blindspot I can use."
Nicky: "I'll cover all your sizes, most of all because I prefer you in one piece."
Before Joe could say anything, they threw themselves to the ground again.
Nicky: "Get going."
Joe nodded before he got up. Thanks to Nicky's rifle skills, Joe was able to make it to the blind spot, and seconds later, he began climbing the wall. The last thing Nicky saw before he threw himself to the ground was that Joe had made it to the top. When Nicky looked up, everything, for the first time in days, was silent.
Joe, shouting: "The door should be open by now."
When Nicky found the door, he was met by a young soldier who had no joy left in his eyes. Nicky hated it whenever a war demanded boys to fight in the adult's wars.
Nicky in German: "How old?"
Soldier: "14. Want to go home."
The young soldier showed Nicky the way to where Joe was. The first thing Nicky noticed was all the young boys sitting in a corner, shaking. It was clear they also were marked by what had happened. Then Nicky noticed Joe, who was tying up the unconscious commander.
Joe in Arabic: "I'll take this scum to the Americans. Do you think you can handle the boys?"
Nicky looked at the group of boys. There were only four of them left alive.
Nicky in Arabic: "Yes, go. I'll take them to the Red Cross. We'll meet at the town square."
Joe didn't care if the commander would get bruised as he dragged the commander down the stairs.
Nicky in German: "Do you know what this means?"
Nicky pointed at the armband on his left arm.
One of the boys: "Red Cross."
Nicky in German: "I'll take you to the Red Cross, and they'll help you to get home. All you have to do is leave your weapons behind."
The boys looked at each other. It was clear they all were scared and needed help.
Nicky in German: "What if we make a trade? Your weapons for chocolate."
Nicky knew from experience that one way to earn a scared child's trust was often with chocolate. When the boys saw all the chocolate Nicky had, they threw away their weapons and got the chocolate in return. After eating the chocolate, the boys followed Nicky, who took them to the Red Cross. When Nicky was sure the boys were taken good care of, he started searching for Joe.
While walking through the town, Nicky looked at all the destruction and the few people on the street. They were all affected by everything they had been through, but Nicky knew one thing about the human race after being alive for so long and that was the human race's ability to rebuild on what was destroyed. Within a decade, there would be a new town on this spot.
Nicky found Joe sitting on some debris. Since they were still in public, they settled with a hug.
Nicky: "I was asked to make my way closer to Germany. They need help there."
Joe: "Then that is what we do, but could we not "borrow" a jeep from someone? We could both need some sleep."
Nicky: "Just what I thought about. When we reach Germany, we should search for the others in Berlin as agreed."
After D-Day, it was agreed that Joe and Nicky would follow in the tracks of those fighting in the west, while Andy and Booker would follow the Red Army.
Joe: "I wonder what they have to tell us."
Nicky: "So do I. Come."
They had only walked a few steps before Joe started jumping on the spot. It was there Nicky noticed something.
Nicky: "Joe, where is your boot?"
Joe removed the stone piercing through his foot. They both saw the foot heal up.
Joe: "I did what David did when he fought Goliath. And it worked because the commander was stupid enough not to wear a helmet. When I hit him in the face with the boot, it took the commander by surprise, giving me time enough to deal with him."
Nicky: "Great plan."
Joe: "Thanks. Let's get my missing boot before we leave because they are a part of the best pair of boots I have ever owned. And that is saying something."
Nicky made a face.
Joe: "What?"
Nicky: "I blew up the cannon before I left, so no one could ever use it again."
Joe looked over his shoulder to see if they were alone. When he was sure that was the case, he squeezed Nicky's hand.
Joe: "That was a brilliant idea, my love. Don't think more about it."
Nicky tilted his head.
Nicky: "So does that mean you won't write a poem about the boot who was blown up?"
Joe: "I can't make any guarantees because it's a long way to Germany."
They laughed before they searched for a new pair of boots for Joe and a jeep. Right after dusk, they were on their way to Germany and their friends waiting for them there.