Free The Devil's Blessing by Tony Hernandez Page A

now, but the fact that they were being hounded by monsters from all sides, even the sky itself, was a reminder of how dire their situation was.
    The world was covered in a deep, morning fog, almost as if they had just been gassed, as in the previous war.
    Since Haas’s arrival, the shift in mood and actions had been swift, so much so that Otto hadn’t even had the time to digest the different events that had put them in this situation. As they prepared to leave, grabbing as much as they needed and putting it all in large sacks to carry on their backs, Otto finally had time to think. Upon reflection, he actually did wholeheartedly agree with the plan, much to his surprise.
    Staying and fighting was stupid, plain and simple. It was accepting death for no reason whatsoever. He understood dying for a cause that was winnable, but that wasn’t the case. They were on the losing side. Maybe it was time for the German people to get wiped off the face of the earth, and maybe he was just delaying the inevitable. Nonetheless, Otto knew that the only real option was to survive and live.
    They had one transport vehicle, but it was of no use. Not only had the loan mechanic been killed off, they were also out of fuel. There was nothing to eat. Not for the men, the vehicles, or the rifles. Berlin had wanted them to fight without food, gas, or bullets. The next time they saw this vehicle again would probably be with a smiling Russian behind the wheel.
    The walk out West was a strange one.
    Leaving made for a bit of mixed emotions for Otto. Since he'd first been assigned there, there had been nothing more he'd wanted than to leave that place, and now that his wish was finally being granted, he regretted ever thinking it. It had become his home. A sick, disgusting, gray home, but his home nonetheless. It was filled with prisoners and death, guarded over men who hated him, but at least that was a known to him. He knew where he stood, for the most part, and the days were predictable. A small, predictable hell, but better a hell he knew than one he didn’t. Now, he was leaving that comfort, the comfort of knowing, all for a world that he didn’t know.
    But there was one thing this brave new world did promise, and that was a better chance at life. Not a guarantee. No one said it, but most understood: they were unlikely to survive what they were about to attempt, but they had to try. They had no choice.
    Another reason that Otto was left alive, he thought, was to help carry supplies. Every man had his own bag with his own needs, which, in a time of war, wasn’t that much, but they had also split the other things that they needed to share. The pots, the ammo. The radio, and Ingersleben’s tent.
    After an hour’s walk, Otto nearly forgot about his home, and turned to give it one last look. He could barely even see it. The small group of trees that was their forest was nothing more than a mirage to his eyes. He would remember the site until the day he died, which he hoped was a long while from now.
    The walk from the campsite was a terrifying one for another reason: they were put in the open with nowhere to hide. The plan was to take as many side roads and to walk inside the trees as much as possible. The plan was to head to Hanover. Varying reports had placed the Allied troops in or around there, but it was, at the very least, westward. They had to make sure to go around Berlin, either north or south, but there was no way to go through the capital. Even now, between where they were and Berlin, there were areas already taken over by the Red Army.
    They avoided detection for only a day.
    After spending nearly the entire day inside the ridge of a tree line that followed the road, it ended in an open field with nowhere to hide.
    It seemed to them that they were in the free and clear, since they were walking in a valley, and it gave them the false feeling that they were alone in the world. But before anyone could react, they saw a solitary figure