Chapter 18. Signs of life

  Winston came to coughing and spitting dirt. His entire body ached from

  the over pressure of the explosion. Robbie and Arthur lay nearby.

  He checked for signs of life and crawled over to where Toby lay.

  Toby groaned. "What happened?"

  Winston unpacked some field dressings from his kit. "We caught an artillery

  round that fell short."

  "Robbie and Arthur?" Toby whispered.

  "They're gone." Toby slid into unconsciousness.

  There was a stretcher lying nearby, but it was useless without a second

  person to help carry it. Winston was thinking of his options, when he thought

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  he heard his name being called.

  He listened and heard it again. "Over here." he called back.

  *

  The soldier wore the red cross arm band of a stretcher bearer.

  "The name's Ithaniel."

  They crouched down as an explosion shook the ground and showered

  them with dirt.

  "Harkness told me to come forward and give you a hand."

  Winston couldn't believe his luck, but it did seem odd that Harkness

  would take it on himself to do such a thing. Another shell exploded

  closer, followed by a gust of gunfire.

  "It's the beginning of a counter attack." Ithaniel said.

  Winston splinted Toby's arm and wrapped it tight to his chest. Give me

  a hand to get the lad on the stretcher."

  Ithaniel nodded. "Hold on Winston, you've missed something."

  Ithaniel took a pair of medical shears out of his kit, knelt beside Toby and

  cut his throat."

  Blood sprayed Winston's face. "What the fuck have you done?" he shouted.

  Ithaniel laughed. "Look at you Winston, you're bleating like a lamb."

  Winston drew Harry's gun from his tunic pocket.

  Ithaniel smiled. "I saw you pick that up off the river bank where your friend dropped it."

  "What?"

  "I've been following you, waiting for a chance to have a quiet word."

  "Fuck you." Winston said.

  In a blur of movement Ithaniel took the gun from Winston's hand.

  "If you intend to shoot me, at least make sure the safety is off."

  Ithaniel unlocked the safety and handed it back.

  Winston blinked - unsure of what was happening, then he took the gun.

  "You're the one that's going to bleat like a lamb."

  "I doubt it." Ithaniel said.

  In a fluid swirl of energy Eurides appeared beside Winston.

  "Hello Ithaniel."

  *