Chapter 35

Over the next three days the village settled down to a new routine. With Alexis’ and Spiro’s help twenty able men of the village were instructed in the use of the captured weapons by John and the Prof. Andrias and Cookie scouted the road into the village for ambush sites. Dave and Shaun stayed near the radio room with the German operators.

From them they learnt that only twenty men guarded each of the fishing villages, whilst eighty were stationed at Tyropolis. The expected transit from Tyropolis came on the evening of the third day.

Hans, one of the radio men explained about the lack of any officers to take the call due to all the men being with the women they had discovered. There followed a long discussion, with Dave smiling broadly in the background.

After Hans signed off, Dave explained to Shaun. “It seems the Major is not pleased. The discovery of the women should have been reported to him immediately. When Hans told him all the men were on the mountain with the women, he nearly had a seizure”.

An hour later Hans contacted the Tyropolis radio operator again. After he signed off, Dave told Shaun it seemed there were only nine girls left in the brothel and four of them were pregnant. The Major is rounding up some men and trucks to bring the women back to the town. The radio man will inform Hans of when they leave.

Alexis and Spiro came to see Shaun that evening. “Major, when they come from Tyropolis to remove the women you will attack them, yes!” Shaun nodded, wondering where this was going. Alexis continued. “After we have killed them all, we will gather up their weapons and distribute them amongst the men of the fishing villages. Then we will kill them there. With their weapons and the ones we have we will attack the ones in Tyropolis and kill them. We do not wish for you and your men to be involved with these attacks. We, the men of Tyros, will kill the rest of the scum ourselves. We have had to suffer the indignity that our women have undergone silently because we could not fight back. Now we can. We do not wish for your help in this matter, it is something we have to do to prove that we are still men”.

Shaun listened with growing admiration to what Alexis said. “I understand your need to be involved in this matter, and if you do not need our help, then so be it. All I ask is that you listen to any advice, I or my men offer you”.

Alexis and Spiro nodded, and then left.

“Wow, I’d hate to be the SS when they do get them”. Dave murmured. The others nodded agreeing.

Andrias stood up, “I will be with them. It is expected of me. They know I was born here”.

Shaun smiled, “I understand Andrias, and at least there will be one professional amongst them”.

Dave delivered the message early next morning. “They’re coming with five trucks, so Hans says. The Major has been scouring the town to gather the trucks. Hans reports that there are thirty to forty of them coming”.

Shaun wasted no time in organizing the twenty men Alexis and Spiro had been training in the MP40’s Cookie and the Prof took a Bren each, whilst Andrias and John each had an MG34. They set up positions where the road narrowed to cross the bridge. The machine guns were spaced along the killing ground ten feet above the road. Ten of the villages armed with MP40’s were detailed to hide below the embankment and not to lift their heads above it. He warned them that some of the SS would take shelter there and then they would kill them. He and Dave would take out the drivers with their rifles. All had been warned not to damage the trucks too much because they would be needed later.

A mule cart was turned over effectively blocking the bridge and the men took up their positions and settled down to wait.

They heard the trucks before they saw them, groaning as they climbed the steep roadway to the bridge.

They came into view; the first three trucks were German Army but the two behind were commandeered trucks from the town.

Shaun had taken up a position near the bridge, whilst Dave was fifty yards further along. He would take out the driver of the last truck while Shaun took care of the driver of the first truck. Their shots would be the signal to open fire to the rest of the men.

The convoy ground to a halt by the upturned cart blocking the bridge. A burly NCO climbed down from the lead truck and bawled out orders to the men on the back of it. About twenty men jumped down and approached the cart. Further along the line of trucks other men jumped down to stretch their legs.

Shaun sighted on the driver of the lead truck. The range was around sixty yards as he squeezed the trigger. The driver slumped in his seat with a bullet in his head as Shaun heard Dave’s rifle crack, and then the sound of the Brens and MG34s snarling as the men in the roadway were knocked down like nine pins.

It was all over in less than four minutes with bodies were strewn along the road. The men of the village moved amongst them finishing off any that remained alive.

Later in the village bar with Alexis and Spiro in attendance, Shaun had a council of war.

“We have the possibility that in two days they will start to ask questions in Tyropolis. We will need to move fast now if we are to maintain the surprise element”.

Alexis spoke up, “We can take the two commandeered trucks and attack the two fishing villages tonight with ten men in each truck. If we get there by two or three in the morning the pigs will still be asleep”.

“Won’t they have guards on duty?” Dave asked.

Spiro shook his head. “Not now. They think we are too scared of them. That changes tonight,” he said grimly.

The two villagers stood up. “Thank you Major for all your help, but the men of Tyros will complete this”. Alexis murmured.

“Do you mind if we go along, just to keep an eye on things”. Shaun asked.