Dusk

was falling on one of the countless British airfields. Another day in August 1943 was drawing to a close. It was one of the busiest days of the month, if not the entire quarter. Dark groups of soldiers, laden with equipment, slowly approached the planes parked on the tarmac. There were still 30 minutes left before departure. Now was the time for a moment of respite. Everyone was dropping their parachute, backpack, helmet, and weapons into a heap, enjoying their last moment of rest. The commander of the second of the three platoons flying into action, John Mael, known simply as "Old Man" by his colleagues, approached the pilots of his assigned aircraft.

"How's it going, guys?" he asked, trying to maintain a relaxed tone.

"Everything's fine, even the weather's on our side today. So it looks like we'll have a piece of cake for today.

" "You might as well. You'll fly, drop us off, and get out. And we're out there," he pointed toward the English Channel, "having our work cut out for us.

" "Have fun. We're going for a final checkup and firing up the engines," the pilot was referring to the two large propellers of the transport Dakota.

The pilots had gone to their jobs, so John went to check on his men. He had ten of them in total. The two sappers were practicing for the last time the procedure for placing shaped charges, designed specifically for the armored doors to the large bunker—the V-1 rocket storage facility. The rest were dozing or chatting cheerfully with the airport staff about anything but the impending mission.

Patting the sappers on the shoulders, John stepped aside. He took a few deep breaths. This was his debut as a platoon commander, and he was afraid something would go wrong. True, he knew the plan perfectly; in fact, he'd carried it out hundreds of times on the training ground. But what if reality turned out differently from the plans? Would he be able to cope?

"I'll manage, I'll manage..." Repeating this, he walked back to his men.

Suddenly, one of the engines of the plane next to him let out a piercing screech and, sending up clouds of white smoke, slowly began to rotate its propeller. Immediately after, the second engine also started, and a minute later, all three planes were humming in a steady, measured tone.

"Let's get started!" he said, signaling for the parachutes and other equipment to be donned. A moment later, one of the mechanics handed him a parachute and helped him secure all the buckles. After inspecting the parachutes, he glanced toward the cockpit, where he saw the beaming pilot giving him a thumbs-up, signaling they were ready to board. He waved to the men and boarded. More soldiers soon followed. Everyone moved as far to the back of the plane as possible and settled as comfortably as possible on the bench. Once everyone was boarded, one of the mechanics approached the door and stowed the ladder. He then threw a pack of cigarettes and a small hip flask, a gift from the airport staff, into the cabin and closed the door. The cabin was dark, illuminated only by two light bulbs, one in front and one in back. A sudden jolt signaled that the plane was moving toward the runway.

A moment later, all three planes were lined up on the runway. Suddenly, the sky lit up with three green flares fired from the control tower, clearing for takeoff. The air filled with the roar of aircraft as they lifted off after a long takeoff run and set course for the target.

"Okay, boys. According to the plan, we have about an hour to the target. Anyone who wants can take a nap. Wake up call 10 minutes before the jump." With that, he pulled three cigarettes from his pack, two for the pilots and one for safety (he didn't smoke himself), took a sip from his hip flask. He handed the rest to his "boys" and checked on the pilots.

A strong jolt roused him from his sleep. One of the pilots was leaning over him and flashing the "ten minutes to jump" signal. He stood up and woke the rest of the squad. They chatted for a moment when the pilot flashed "five minutes to jump" and opened the door. A red light flashed above the door. John motioned his men to get ready. Everyone stood up, connected their parachute lines to the cable stretched along the plane, and approached the door. John stood first, holding two equipment pods. Suddenly, a red light began flashing, signaling "equipment drop." He pushed the pods out with all his might, and a moment later, he saw two parachutes. Instinctively, he stood and stood in the doorway, staring at the red light. A second later, a green light flashed, signaling "jump." He jumped into the void, immediately feeling the tug of his parachute. He had a descent of about 180 meters ahead of him.

...

A few seconds before impact, he saw the ground. He immediately brought his legs together and straightened, threw off his backpack, and immediately hit the ground. He rolled onto his back to absorb the impact and immediately reached for the parachute release buckle. As soon as he freed himself, he ran to the backpack, or more precisely, to the folding Sten submachine gun attached to it. He yanked it out of the straps, folded it, inserted the bolt and reloaded.

He took a deep breath. He could now defend himself. The most dangerous part of the operation was behind him. Now he had to gather the squad and equipment caches that had been scattered during the landing.

He landed on a small meadow near an orchard. Suddenly, two armed men emerged from the orchard.

"Stop! Give me the password!" one of them shouted, aiming a pistol at his chest.

Both were dressed in civilian clothes, at least that's how they looked in the darkness of the night.

"We've come to play! Response!

" "The toys are waiting! Welcome to France." John's fears proved unfounded; these weren't Germans, but members of the French Resistance.

"Hello. Excuse me, gentlemen, but I need to gather my men. We'll talk in a moment."

He ran to the other end of the meadow, where several of his soldiers had emerged from a wheat field. They were carrying two equipment caches. He ordered them to run to the civilians by the orchard, unpack the caches, and hide them in a location they had indicated. He also ordered them to bury their parachutes. When asked about the rest, they pointed to the field from which they had emerged. The rest of the unit was just approaching. After a quick headcount, it turned out they were all there. A blessing in disguise, he thought; if nothing happened now, it would happen later. He ran for his backpack and headed toward the orchard.

"Okay. We're all here. As previously agreed, the gentlemen will lead us on." With that, he pointed to the civilians. "

Yes, sir. We'll accompany you until the end of the mission. Then we have orders to fly with you to England.

" "Lead the way!"

The unit set off, carrying all its equipment. It wasn't much. A few grenade bundles, a small and a large radio set, an LMG with ammunition, and the most important: two shaped charges, a detonator, and 100 meters of cable. In addition, nine soldiers had Sten rifles and ten magazines each, one had a sniper rifle. They walked deeper into the orchard, which soon ended. They crossed a narrow boundary and entered the forest. After a while, they reached a path, which they continued along.

According to the map, they were moving in the right direction and at a good pace; they even had 15 minutes to spare.

Now the most important thing was to reach the missile complex and take a good position for an attack. On the model, it looked easy, but what would it be like in reality?

After about half an hour of moonlight walking, they saw the end of the forest line. They stopped. The guide motioned for John to join him.

"At the edge of the forest, a steep depression begins, forming a horseshoe shape around the factory. Now it's your turn; we're at your disposal.

" "Thank you. Let's go on first-name terms; it'll be nicer and easier. I'm John.

" "Paul

-Jacques," they replied, shaking hands.

John gave the signal to rest and set off on his own reconnaissance. He crawled to the edge of the forest, and what he saw exceeded his wildest expectations. Ahead of him was a trench dug into the hillside, from the bottom of which a large bunker jutted out. It looked about 100 meters long and twice as wide. Its ceiling reached almost to the top of the trench, making the bunker about 30 meters high. The approach to it was guarded by three lines of barbed wire. Sentries with dogs circled between the second and third lines, but nothing between the first and second.

"Probably mines," he thought.

Along the fence, every 20 meters or so, stood towers with heavy machine gun nests and searchlights.

In front of the bunker was a large square, where the road and railway line ended. This was also where the fortifications were at their strongest. There were several guardhouses and smaller bunkers.

According to the plan, a small side entrance to the bunker lay roughly in front of him. His goal. But no one at headquarters had anticipated the excavation would be so steep.

"It's technically impossible," the intelligence chief in his unit stated with typical phlegm.

The forest formed a large semicircle around the bunker and the square in front of it. The edge of the forest was covered with tufts of bushes and grass. To John's left was a small hill.

Returning to the unit, he began his briefing.

"It's not bad, guys," he began. "Just beyond the edge of the forest stands 'our' bunker. Unfortunately, the slope we have to overcome is much steeper than we thought. After that, all we have is a minefield and guards with dogs. The final plan is this: the light machine gun will stand on this hill"—he pointed to the hill behind him—"and cover our descent to the bunker. Then, once we're inside, it will move to the area of ​​the main gate and the airfield, which must be somewhere there." He waved his hand toward the square in front of the bunker. "From there, it will support us, but only after hearing the whistle." The rest will spread out along the forest, about 10 meters wide, and will cover "Miki" and "Lala," who will descend to cut the wire and mark a passage through the mines. When you reach the door, you will cover the passage of the sappers, who will advance on your signal. Once you make the entrance, the rest will move in. "Długi" will position himself, with his little gem"—he pointed at the sniper rifle—"at the very edge of the line, facing the square, and won't let anyone get near us. Then he will go with an LMG to cover the escape. He will also take a small radio and listen. Is everything clear?" he looked at the circle of faces gathered around him. "If so, go to your positions. I'm the only one starting the operation. The radio stays with me.

" "What about us?" he heard one of the guides say behind him.

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot about you. By the way, what do you have with you and what are your skills?

" "We have two Lugers with silencers and a few magazines. We also have grenades.

" "Sure." Go with the others, you'll be useful, especially inside." He pointed to the bunker.

After the civilians had left, John glanced at his watch. It was almost time to establish contact with headquarters and the other two platoons. He approached the waiting radio operator, and together they set up the radio. When the radio was ready, he glanced at his watch again. He had five minutes left until the communication session. He reached for the canteen strapped to his belt and took a deep drink. He had his first moment of respite since the operation began. In fact, everything was going according to plan, but he had a bad feeling. The door to the bunker seemed oddly small, and the bunker too large. Second and Third Platoons only had 20 kilograms of plastic each. But that would have to do. Besides, he was afraid of getting lost in the maze of corridors inside the bunker. Intelligence had provided England with a plan of the interior, but something could always go wrong. He closed his eyes. In moments like these, he always remembered his beloved. He knew Jenny was waiting for him. In his mind's eye, he pictured her beautiful, typically English face, her lustrous red hair falling over the most graceful neck in the world. He felt a wave of heat wash over him. From nowhere, he heard her whisper:

"John, I love you. Can you hear me? John..."

A sudden jolt ripped him from his idyll. He opened his eyes. The radio operator stood before him, pointing at his watch. Time to establish contact. He walked over to the radio station. The operator pressed a few buttons, tuned the frequency, and handed him the receiver.

"This is Blower! This is Blower! Engine, come in!" He began calling. "This is Blower! This is Blower! Engine, come in!

" "This is Engine! Blower, how can you hear me?" he heard as if from afar.

"I can hear you well.

" "How are the columns?

" "The temple must be full of them, because it's full of priests. But there's nothing outside.

" "The other pilgrims can't see anything either. How long will it take you to get to the temple?"

"In five minutes. Pass it on to the others.

" "I'll pass it on. Don't forget the souvenirs.

" "I won't forget! No reception

!" "No reception !"

He handed the receiver to the radio operator.

"Wire."

"Yes?

" "Take only the radio and one battery. Give the rest

to "Długy" and get ready for work." He set off toward the edge of the forest. Reaching "Długy," he patted him on the shoulder.

"We start in four minutes."

He crawled along the entire line, exchanging a few words with everyone, until he reached the light machine gun. Then he returned to the center of the line and glanced at his watch. He still had a minute. He felt every muscle in his body tense, his hair stood on end, and the whole world became brighter. His heart began to pound so hard he feared the sentries below might hear him. He checked the time again. That was it. He put the Sten's butt to his shoulder and aimed at the nearest guard.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard a dry crack, like a branch breaking. Immediately after, another. He was right; the other platoons had begun their attack. He aimed once more at the attentively listening sentry. He slowly pulled the trigger. The shot caught him off guard. The others followed. A short burst of fire erupted from a light machine gun. A searchlight on one of the towers lit up, revealing in the glow a sentry aiming his machine gun. But suddenly, the sentry grabbed his arm and fell to the ground over the railing.

John glanced at the second tower closest to his unit. It stood dark, as if dead. John rose to his knees and waved for "Miki" and "Lala" to come down.

Suddenly, he spotted a German running along the bunker with a dog. As soon as he saw him, he raised his rifle to his eye and fired. The bullet missed John by centimeters; he could almost hear its whistle. He immediately dropped and fired a three-round burst at the sentry. The German fell, and his dog pulled him by his leash in the direction they had come from. For a moment, silence reigned. Gunfire could be heard in the distance. Others were clearly facing a more difficult ordeal. The sharp wail of sirens pierced this apparent silence. An alarm was sounded in the garrison. Soldiers began running out of the bunkers and guardhouses into the square. They were greeted by fire from light machine guns and snipers from three sides.

By this time, the boys below had managed to reach the first line of barbed wire and cut it. The worst was ahead of them: mines. They crawled side by side, stabbing each other with their bayonets, but no explosion occurred. Suddenly, one of them froze, and immediately began digging up the ground with his hands. After a moment, he stuck a small flag into it and, avoiding it, continued on his way. So, there were mines.

Despite the constant fire, more and more soldiers were running out into the square in front of the bunker. They formed groups and rushed in different directions. A large group also ran into the bunker itself.

At the bottom, "Miki" and "Lala" finally reached the bunker. They tried to open the door and, surprisingly, succeeded. They stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the commander.

John motioned for them to guard the entrance from both sides. He crawled over to the sappers.

"Okay, guys. I don't know what this is about, but you have to find out. When you get inside, take us down. Got it?

" "Yes!

" "Well! Have fun!" he pointed toward the door.

The sappers began to carefully climb down. Suddenly, one of the men below started shooting. John looked up. A group of Germans was moving along the bunker. There were about ten of them. The first two fell instantly. The rest immediately lay down, taking cover from the wounded. One ran in the direction they had come from. But suddenly, his legs dug into the ground and he fell limply against the bunker wall.

"I love 'Długa', I just love it!" John thought.

The sappers had already descended and were crawling along the marked path. One of them stayed by the mine, while the other headed directly for the bunker, disappearing within a moment.

The prone group of Germans were firing heavily at each other, and one of John's men was hit in the shoulder. Fortunately, it was relatively harmless. The rest of the group, with the Germans in their sights, were pounding on them as if to avenge all the air raids on Great Britain at once. They were shooting very accurately. After a moment, silence reigned again, broken only by the short growls of an LMG and sniper fire.

This apparent silence was broken by the dry crack of something falling onto the concrete. Immediately after, the sound of boots pounding. Looking straight ahead, John saw Germans running out onto the bunker roof. He immediately fired a burst from his Sten gun. Several Germans fell limply to the concrete, but the rest remained flat on the ground and began firing. John crawled over to one of his men.

"Andy! Throw a couple of grenades over there and we're out of here!

" "Okay!" Andy replied, beaming.

"At least this one's having fun," John thought as he moved down the line.

Halfway there, he shouted to his men.

"Go after Andy! Keep your heads down! And don't disturb the sappers there!"

Crawling to the light machine gun position, he leaned over to the gunner.

"Go! See you there!" He pointed to the square in front of the bunker.

Between bursts, he saw the gunner nod in confirmation.

A sudden explosion buried his head in the ground. It was Andy who threw a grenade, which exploded in the crowd of Germans. Immediately after the explosion, he threw a second one and began to descend. More followed.

At the bottom, the sapper finished disarming the mine and headed for the bunker. He clearly wasn't needed there, because they both emerged immediately, unwinding the cable behind them. They walked along the bunker about 20 meters and collapsed. One began connecting the cables to the detonator, the other flashed the "Explosion" sign at John. John motioned for him to wait and pointed to the men descending the slope. The sapper didn't look too happy, but he waited.

His men were already halfway down the slope when he started down. He caught up with them quickly and issued further orders as he marched.

"Everyone to the left of the door! And watch out, we're blowing it up!"

Andy, who had been descending first, had just reached the first line of barbed wire. He stood up and, crouching, ran on. Others followed. John came down last. He immediately ran to the sappers. "

Okay, guys! We're blowing it up!"

One of the sappers vigorously turned the detonator handle. After a moment, a dull thud was heard. A little dust flew out the door. John stood up and moved toward the door. Waving a hand to the rest of the squad, he went inside.

Beyond the outer door, the corridor twisted several times and ended at a second door. This one was thicker and more powerful. The explosion of the shaped charges had left two holes in it near the hinges. John kicked it repeatedly, but to no avail. He waved at two men, and they began pounding on the door together. After many kicks, the door finally creaked open. After a few more, it fell from the wall and fell to the ground. A

brightly lit corridor appeared before John. He tapped the soldier standing next to him, and they ran to the opposite wall. John, pressing himself against the wall, saw an enemy unit running toward him. He immediately greeted them with a burst from his Sten. Behind him, he heard a burst as well. The rest of the unit waited. The corridor was too narrow. As

he pounded on more Germans, John tried to remember the layout of the bunker. The plan of action called for them to enter the corridor connecting the firing station with the launching hall. But the corridor they entered didn't match what he remembered. He was saved by a sign on the wall just ahead, pointing the way to the launching area. After hitting the last German, John began to reload his magazine and shouted to his men,

"We're following me! James, are you still there?" he shouted back.

"I'm here! There's a lot of them, the bastards!

" "Okay! Let's go! James, you cover the rear!"

He moved forward, carefully eyeing the end of the corridor. They reached the end of the corridor without incident and turned down another, from where the entrance to the launching area was visible. But a moment later, they were greeted by machine gun fire. John felt a sudden tug on his shoulder and pain in his left hand. He fell to the ground and began to retreat. Suddenly, a civilian overtook him and rolled a grenade forward like a bowling ball. A moment later, the sound of an explosion was heard, and silence fell.

"There's an entrance at the end of this corridor!" Get in there and secure the hall!" he shouted, yanking a bandage from his ammunition pouch. Everyone had passed him by, leaving him alone. He was angry with himself. He should have guessed the hall was guarded. Especially during an alarm.

As he applied the bandage, he remembered Jenny again. He saw her smiling face and her row of white teeth again.

"No!" he stopped himself. "Jenny will be later. Now there's work!"

He stood up and headed for the hall, where the sound of fading gunfire was coming from. His arm ached, but he could carry the weapon and shoot. So it wasn't that bad. Or so he thought.

What he saw in the hall took his breath away. The sound of dozens of pairs of boots echoed through the hall, filled with V-1 rockets. Soldiers were running around the hall. British soldiers. Half of his unit was covering all the entrances to the hall, firing heavily at each other as they did so. The rest were dismantling one rocket to collect the most valuable parts.

A moment later, from one of the entrances, he heard:

"Our guys are coming!"

The remaining two groups had reached the hall and were beginning their mission: blowing up the bunker.

"John! Good to see you!" the commander of one of the units ran up to him. "We've planted the charges in the fuel and TNT depots for the rockets. We're sticking the rest in the walls.

" "Okay. As soon as you're done, we're leaving. The entire Wehrmacht in the area will be here any minute. "

They dispersed, each to their own duties. John headed towards the rocket being dismantled by his men.

"How are things going, guys?" he asked

. "We'll be finished soon. We've got everything from the nose, a fuel sample and the entire engine." James ran into a closet—he pointed to an open door in the opposite wall—"and was gathering some papers. "

He immediately headed that way. In the room, he found James actually gathering some documents.

"What are you gathering?" he asked in surprise.

"It looks like some technical documentation or something. I'm sure it'll be useful.

" "Okay. Collect it, but with gas. Because we're leaving soon."

He went back out into the hall. Sappers from all the units were just finishing splicing the cables together. One of them stood up and shouted,

"Everything's ready!"

John looked around the hall. His men were just loading their backpacks and wrestling with the engine. Finally, they took it in pairs.

He ran to the gate leading to the square in front of the bunker. To his left was the end of the runway. He turned and saw the other two commanders leading all three platoons out.

"Halt!" he shouted.

To questioning glances, he replied,

"They'll shoot us like ducks in the square!" The plan was to wait in front of the bunker, but the end of the runway is no more than 50 meters from the bunker. Are we staying here!?"

A murmur of approval greeted him, and the looks of the other platoons' commanders also expressed agreement.

"Then we'll secure the hall again!" The radio operator called me!

Everyone scattered around the hangar again. Only the radio operator and the other commanders remained. John approached them.

"I left an LMG and a sniper on the slope as backup. I'll try to get them here. I'll also call the air force to get us out of here.

" "Okay. I'll get my insurance too.

" "Me too," the others replied.

The radio operator had already set up his radio and was crawling out to extend the antenna outside the bunker. As soon as he returned, John told him to tune in to the small radio he'd left for "Długa." After a moment, the radio operator handed him the receiver.

"This is Blower! This is Blower! "Długa" is receiving.

" "This is "Długa," I can hear you fine. "

"Go back to the door we came in through and go in there too. Change of plans.

" "Okay. Just send us some cover.

" "I will. What's the situation outside the bunker?"

"For now, it's quiet.

" "Thanks. We're waiting for you! No reception.

" "No reception. "

He handed the receiver back and headed toward the entrance he'd used to enter the hall. There, he found two of his men and several soldiers from the other platoons.

"Merry," he said to one of his men, "take two more men and go to the entrance we entered through. There, you'll cover the passage for the LMG and "Długy." Then you'll come back here with them and report to me.

" "Yes, sir.

" "Mery" tapped the two men beside him and they set off down the corridor.

John returned to the radio.

"Tune in to command.

" "Already done." "Drucik" handed him the receiver.

"This is the blower! This is the blower!

This is the engine! How can you hear me?

" "I can hear you fine! Get the planes, and with gas! The entire Wehrmacht will be on our heads!

" "The planes will be here in five minutes! I repeat: in five minutes!

" "Understood!" Planes in five minutes! Request a change of plan: We're waiting in the bunker. Have the planes taxi to the very end of the runway.

"Change approved! Wait. No reception!

" "No reception."

He handed the receiver to the radio operator and ordered him to fold up his radio. He stood up and shouted,

"Okay! The planes will be here for us in five minutes!"

He walked over to the commanders of the other platoons.

"My men have heavy equipment," he pointed to the backpacks and engine stacked by the exit. "If they come out with this, they'll be easy targets.

" "We'll cover them," he heard in response.

"Good. Let's get on those planes and get out of here."

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw "Merry" with the LMG operator and "Długy."

"Good thing you're here. We'll be out of here soon. You, along with the remaining LMGs and snipers, will cover our passage to the planes." He turned to "Długy" and the LMG operator. "You're back to the plane on my whistle.

" "Yes, sir!"

He glanced at his watch. They still had two minutes. The roar of aircraft engines penetrated the open hangar door. Suddenly, two fighters emerged from the ceiling and circled over the square. "

The Germans are going after our transport," he thought with horror, and pulled his binoculars from his belt.

After examining the planes, he calmed down. They were British Hurricanes. A moment later, two more fighters appeared over the square.

"Well, we're almost home," he rejoiced inwardly.

He looked out at the runway. Four planes had just touched down at the far end.

"Get ready!" he shouted into the hall.

Four transport Dakotas were approaching the end of the runway and began to turn. A hand with a flare gun extended from one of them and fired a green flare.

At that moment, a truck rolled through the main gate into the square, followed by several others.

"Let's go! But with gas! Cover! Watch out for those trucks! Sappers! As soon as we're a safe distance away, you're going to blow it up!"

The thunder of boots echoed through the hall. The soldiers from John's platoon grabbed their backpacks and engine and, ducking as low as possible, ran toward the nearest Dakota.

Meanwhile, Germans jumped out of the trucks, took cover wherever they could, and began shooting. Three light machine guns and snipers from the hangar responded. The rest of the soldiers fired as they ran, kneeling every now and then, taking more precise aim. When the men with the cargo reached the plane, they began loading it quickly. They finished it almost immediately. Then they helped John's civilian guides and the other units board. Then they ran to the second plane. The plane they had just loaded moved down the runway. As soon as it had departed, the entire escort began boarding. Those who boarded broke the plane's window and protected their helpless colleagues as they boarded. When the loading was almost complete, John took out his whistle and blew it with all his might. The LMG crew and "Długa" stood up and followed him to their planes.

John felt like he wasn't running anymore; he felt like he was flying.

"Why is this plane so far away?" he thought

. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sapper pressing the detonator button. Then all hell broke loose. The ground dropped from under his feet. The roar of an explosion hit him, followed by a blast. He saw Andy leaning out the door to catch him. The plane slowly moved. John caught up with him and, without slowing, jumped toward the door. He felt the blast of the explosion push him inside. Strong arms grabbed him under the arms and fell with him. They lay safely on the floor of the plane.

John stood up and helped Andy up.

"Well, we're home, guys!" he shouted

. A general uproar answered him. Once they were airborne, with fighters covering them on all sides, John said,

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep."

With that, he walked over to a spare bench and sat down. His eyes closed of their own accord.

...

He dreamed of Jenny. He dreamed of her as if she were an angel. He imagined her happiness when she saw him after the action. He saw her running to him across the barracks yard and throwing her arms around his neck. He saw, almost felt, her hair against his face. In his dream, he wondered what he would do after his return. He would most gladly take his beloved to a nice restaurant for a romantic dinner. Or maybe they could go to the cinema together?

"No, because they're showing a newsreel there and they'll definitely show photos from the war. I don't want to hear about her, at least not for a while," he said in his sleep.

They would go and have dinner. Having settled this, he returned to his dreams of Jenny. Once again, he saw only her. He felt her touch on his face. He held her close. He saw her beautiful teeth emerging from behind her luscious, red lips...

He felt a tug on his shoulder. The one he'd been hit in. Pain brutally tore into his sleep. He opened his eyes. It was "Lala." He was leaning over him.

"What's the matter!?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. "Why are you tugging on my wound?

" "I'm sorry. I didn't notice." "Lala" hastily withdrew his hand. "We're about to land. The pilot says there's quite a welcoming committee waiting for us there. It wouldn't be nice if the management found you sleeping as blissfully as a three-month-old baby.

" "Sure. Thanks. How are you feeling?

" "I'm safe and sound, that's the most important thing. Other than that, I feel great."

John patted him on the shoulder and looked into the cockpit.

"How long until we land?

" "A few minutes. We're waiting for our turn," the pilot said, pointing to the airport.

Two planes were already standing in front of the hangars, surrounded by a large crowd. Seeing John's surprise, the pilot added,

"Apparently Winnie himself showed up," he meant Prime Minister Churchill.

"Well, we're in for a treat," John added jokingly, and went out to the passenger cabin.

"We've got quite a party coming up downstairs. Apparently the Prime Minister himself is here. "

A murmur of joy answered him. "We're landing," one of the pilots shouted. He sat down and waited. After about a minute, the plane touched down, tires squealing. Another minute later, they were in the square in front of the hangar. John stood up and walked to the door. He turned to his "boys," who were already lining up to leave. "One more thing, gentlemen," he said in a formal tone. "The operation we conducted is top secret. You are bound by state and military secrets. I hope you know what that means. " Everyone nodded. "Now, glory to the heroes!" he shouted cheekily, and, opening the door, jumped out. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a uniform with general's insignia approached him. They saluted. John reported, "Mr. General." The commander of 12th Platoon is reporting back from action. Everyone's back. I have two wounded. They saluted and shook hands. It's good to see you again, 'Old Man.'" The general rejoiced. "We're currently under attack by the Prime Minister and his entourage," he said, pointing to a group of men in suits talking to John's soldiers. "When they're finished, you'll report to headquarters. Give the men until noon tomorrow, but no one leaves the unit ." "Sure." After a brief conversation with the Prime Minister and a few other officials, he went to the hangar, where his men were assembling their equipment. "Well, that's it, guys," he addressed them in a patronizing tone. "Now go to the barracks and get yourselves cleaned up. You have noon tomorrow. The canteen is yours, drink as much as you want. But no one leaves the unit, that's the order." He was answered by a roar of delight.

Everyone was throwing their equipment into a heap and running for the barracks.

He slowly took off his backpack and equipment belt. He stretched his back and went to the officers' quarters. He grabbed a key from the porter's lodge and went to his room. He smiled at the sight of his old belongings. He was finally home. His first dream was to take a shower. He emerged after about an hour. He immediately felt better. He dressed in his dress uniform and looked out the window. The motorcade was still parked outside the gate. So the Prime Minister hadn't left yet.

"And thank goodness for that," he thought, going to the phone and dialing his home number. Jenny's.

After a moment of waiting, he heard someone pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" he heard Jenny's voice.

"Hi, honey. It's me, John. I'm back from work.

" "Oh, that's great! When will you be home?

" "Unfortunately, I think it won't be until tomorrow. I have more responsibilities now. I'm no ordinary private anymore.

" "Well..." she sighed. "Come as soon as you can. I'm waiting for you.

" "I will as soon as I can." I love you. Bye

. "I love you too. Bye."

She hung up the phone.

He lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He didn't know how long it took him to wake up from his stupor when the roar of cars roused him. He went to the window. The Prime Minister and his entourage were leaving the unit. He straightened his uniform and headed for the headquarters building. On the way, he passed a group of his soldiers rushing joyfully to the canteen.

"Drink to my health too!" he shouted after them cheerfully.

He entered the headquarters building and headed straight for the general's office. He was already waiting for him in the adjoining room. He gestured for John to sit in a large club chair.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked . "

I'd love to. "

Approaching the bar, he asked,

"Describe the action to me."

John, sipping his whiskey, described the entire operation as thoroughly as he could. When he finished, the general looked satisfied.

"After listening to the accounts of the other commanders and your own, I decided you deserved a promotion." Tomorrow's order will promote you and award you the Medal for Services to the British Crown.

" "Thank you," he stammered, embarrassed.

"The items you brought back are extremely valuable intelligence material. The resistance fighters also brought with them many documents and plans that are important to us. Therefore, I consider the operation a complete success. From tomorrow noon, the entire unit will be free until the end of the week.

" "Yes, sir.

" "That's all, enjoy.

" "Thank you."

John left the general's office and went to the canteen. After drinking a few beers and singing with everyone, he went to bed. Tomorrow he will meet his beloved Jenny..."