The French youth slapped Tony’s shoulder, then gripped it tightly, the English student’s head turning abruptly for their eyes to meet, the matted black haired teenager smiling grimly as he whispered, ‘We go together Englishman…into the unknown as we were born…nude and helpless.’ The Frenchman forced a mischievous grin, ‘French, German, Thai and English…four nations as one…’
Tony sniffed and smiled, tightening his grip on the weeping Thai’s hands for comfort, his jaw tightening in final defiance as he nodded in ultimate hatred towards the two armoured figures, the huddled figures before them slowly parting, ‘This filth has no idea what we are as humans…’ He smiled towards the weeping slim blonde clinging to the Frenchman’s shoulders, stiffening as the Thai male kissed his tensed back once more, the teenager’s tears running across his taut pulsating skin, ‘We have love…they have nothing but hate. They will lose after we are gone…’
The Frenchman’s eyes glistened in surprised agreement at the bravery, his own teeth clenching as an impatient shriek from one of the armoured figured caused all to tense, the group whimpers increasing. Tony pushed himself upwards resolutely, still staring unflinchingly at the two black armoured figures just inside the doorway, the Thai teenager’s arms around his chest as he moved his hands from the wrists, holding both hands tightly, his voice a whisper over his shoulder, ‘I love you now…we go together, stay with me…please.’
Tony glanced round nervously, the deep brown innocent eyes staring longingly into his as the tanned, slim youth nodded, grimacing in trepidation, ‘I stay…we die as one soul…together.’
South of the Nakdong River, South Korea
Stumbling and falling to his knees, Gusung gasped in the pelting rain, his chest heaving as he struggled upwards, wincing at his jarred knees and elbow, a hand pushing on a water drenched car bonnet to rise. Screams filled his ears as he slipped further between the two empty stationary cars, their doors open, his soaked capped head jerking from side to side in rising adrenalin.
Rifle cracks resounded from the darkened dense trees ahead, the South Korean in his mid twenties realising the slope leading up from the highway seemed far steeper than originally perceived. Drenched soldiers were to either side, ushering panicking and wide eyed drivers and their passengers past, their assault rifles raised as they shouted, most of the terrified civilians oblivious to the frantically barked instructions.
Lightning snaked across the sky, temporarily illuminating the soaked roadway and reflecting off the water logged roofs, his eyes straining in rising fear as the screams heightened, several people sat silently in their vehicles in transfixed fear, the gunfire rising in intensity.
Several policemen were attempting to move children and their parents across the bridge, the huddled bodies drawing together in collective fear as they shuffled forward, desperate shouts from the armed officers failing to increase the speed, Gusung biting his lower lip as he glimpsed the burning and crackling vehicles further along to the east.
Shaking himself from stunned inaction, he pushed past some of the bewildered civilians, screaming at the top of his voice, ‘Move over the bridge! Keep going...the army is there and safety for all!’ Blank expressions met his urgent stares, most of the struggling people having withdrawn into themselves in horrified shock, unable to comprehend his words as loud thunder rumbled around them.
Exasperated, he pushed forward, reaching the edge of the trees with several other marines, the soldiers jumping a wide ditch and grasping for branches or roots on the steep sodden bank, many swearing as they heaved themselves upwards, rainwater splattering from the shaking foliage above.
Pushing into the trees, the marines bent double against the slope, ducking below low branches, the screaming behind spurring them on as desperate shouts and bursts of machine gun fire erupted further up the slope. Branches cracked under boots, the aroma of wet and damp earth along with acrid smoke and burnt wood filled Gusung’s nostrils, his assault rifle rising to below his chin as he forced his straining muscles upwards, his stomach twitching uncomfortably in rising fear.
Scrambling further, the moaning of wounded reached him, several bloodied soldiers crawling back down the slope, others ahead propping themselves painfully against tree trunks, forcing their rifles into firing positions, a number scraping earth and shattered branches to prop up their weapons. Gusung winced as he passed, glimpsing some with deep wounds, blood pools forming beneath the determined defenders as they attempted to spread out to form a weak defensive line, further detonations erupting across the summit of the hill, the distant shrieks of hatred intensifying.
A frantic medic was applying field dressings to the worst wounds before lunging towards the next casualty, his face strained with stress as he scrambled from one injured defender to the next. Hearing groans and determined grunts, he pushed himself onwards, grey smoke billowing and twisting around him from a raging fire to the left, the flames spitting and cracking in the sodden forest as the rain fell unforgivingly.
Then he emerged into a small clearing, Gusung gasping in the stale smoke filled air, glimpsing other figures further up the slope through the trees, many ducking for cover, flashes from their extended assault rifles as mortar and artillery rounds erupted across the trees further up the steep slope. He ducked as he approached the nearest soldiers, hearing an officer ahead shout into his short wave radio, ‘More artillery! Target the summit...the enemy is advancing in force!’
The South Korean commander dropped the radio to his feet, screaming to the men on either side, ‘Make ready…they will come soon! Concentrate your fire...bring them down!’
Gusung dropped to one knee, thrusting his shoulder against a tree trunk, the rifle rising to his upper chest as he realised others were duplicating his actions on either side, his
