Kozak didn't emphasize the '1' in Sergeant Wolf's name, which resulted in her calling him Woof most of the time. As she stood there calling for Wolf to pop his head up while trying to keep from screaming, a young engineer fifty meters away stopped what he was doing and looked over to see who was going 'Woof, woof.' From where he stood, it looked as if Kozak was baying at the moon. That sight, in the middle of what had been a tense and exhausting night, caused the young engineer to burst out laughing. His squad leader, wondering what was so funny, stopped what he was doing. 'Are you losing it, Havarty, or is it a private joke?'
Havarty continued to laugh as he pointed at Kozak, who was still calling to Sergeant Wolf. The squad leader snickered, then wiped the smile from his face. 'So? What's so strange about that? What do ya expect? She's an officer and an infantryman. Insanity and strange habits go hand in hand when you mix those two. Now get back to work before I sic her on ya.'
While they waited for the platoon sergeant of 2nd Platoon to arrive, Ilvanich checked out the radio that two men had pulled out from under a pile of wreckage. Even though he had made a point of watching how the radiotelephone operators performed their checks and used their equipment, Ilvanich soon found that it was impossible to put the radio into operation. The electromagnetic pulse that had preceded the nuclear detonation had fried every transistor in the radio.
Tapping him on his shoulder, Fitzhugh got Ilvanich's attention. Pushing the worthless radio away, Ilvanich turned to see why Fitzhugh interrupted him. 'Major, we found Lieutenant Zack over by the tunnel. He's dead too.'
Nodding, Ilvanich turned back to look at the radio. Unable to contact anyone, and realizing that they could not stay where they were, Ilvanich decided that he had to do something soon, before the Ukrainians recovered and came forward to investigate, or radiation levels exceeded permissible levels.
Standing up, Ilvanich looked at the remaining leadership of the ranger company gathering about him before he responded. Unlike Fitzhugh, Ilvanich doubted if the sergeants were sure about his taking over. In the pale moonlight, Ilvanich could see it in their eyes. Except for the scurry of men and medics tending to wounded about them, there was an eerie silence as he did so. While there was what he thought was a glimmer of doubt, Ilvanich also saw that they were there in response to the orders he had issued, through Fitzhugh. If there was one thing that he was sure of, it was that they were professionals and understood their situation. They understood what had happened, they understood that Fitzhugh wasn't ready to assume command under such circumstances, and they understood that if something wasn't done soon, none of them would make it out alive. Deciding that this moment was as good as any to find out how receptive the leadership of Company A was to him as their commander, Ilvanich began to issue his new orders. As he did so, he watched how the gathered sergeants reacted to him.
'The electromagnetic pulse has destroyed these radios. Unless there is another radio somewhere here that can reach battalion, we have no means of contacting them.' Ilvanich paused to let that fact soak in. 'The blast, I am sure, has also released radiation, some of which will be residual. That means we cannot stay here for very long. And no doubt once they get over their own shock, the Ukrainians will be back in force.' Again Ilvanich paused. Now as he prepared for the moment of truth, he drew in a deep breath. 'With the weapons which we came for destroyed or buried, there is no reason for us to remain in place and accumulate radiation. Follow-on forces will no doubt be diverted to the other weapons storage site by either the battalion commander or corps. While your battalion commander will no doubt organize a survey and monitoring team to come over here and check out the situation here, that will take time, time in which we will continue to be exposed to radiation and the danger of a counterattack. I do not believe it is a good idea to wait and depend on what others may or may not do. So we are going to move out from here.'
The reaction by the sergeants, though muted, was positive. The decision to move, regardless of who made it or who led them, was welcomed. Not only would they escape the stench of burned bodies that was beginning to permeate the area, but they would move away from the invisible enemy, radiation, that each suspected would soon saturate the area. Ilvanich allowed himself a few seconds to enjoy his success. Then, as was his habit, he got back to the matter at hand. 'All right, if you have no objections, we must get on with this. Now give me a complete account of your units, their conditions, and positions. Then we will go over how I expect the next thirty minutes to go and what we will do.'
Without hesitation, the leadership of Company A gathered around to render their reports and hear their commander's orders.
After a brief discussion over a map with Fitzhugh and his senior sergeants, Ilvanich decided on where they would go and the formation they would use. As they prepared to break up and head back to their platoons to pass the word, one of the sergeants stood up and stared at the tunnel behind him. 'Major, I think we need to go in there and see if there are any survivors.'
This comment caused everyone to stop what they were doing, for each of them, except Ilvanich, had been thinking the same thing. Looking first at the tunnel, then at Ilvanich, they waited for his response.
Ilvanich looked at the tunnel, and then at the faces of his leaders. It was, he knew, foolish to go in there. No one, he knew, could have survived, the blast. Even if they had somehow miraculously survived the fireball, that same fireball would have eaten every cubic centimeter of air in the tunnel and replaced it with superheated gases. Exposure to that, even for a second, would be enough to destroy a man's lungs. After considering his response, he was about to point this out in graphic detail, but decided not to. The men in that tunnel were their comrades and friends, people they felt a responsibility to. 'You realize that the chances of anyone being alive in there are nil.'
The sergeant who had brought up the matter nodded. 'We know that, Major. But we have to try. Otherwise I'd never again be able to face the wives and kids of people I know in there.' There was a pause before he added, 'We have to try. You understand, don't you?'
No, Ilvanich thought, he didn't understand why a man was willing to go and confirm something that he already knew. 'What is your name please?'
'Rasper, Sergeant First Class Allen Rasper. Platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon.'
'You realize, Sergeant Rasper, that whoever goes in there will absorb more radiation, perhaps a lethal dose.'
The only response by Rasper to Ilvanich's observation was to repeat his comment. 'Sir, we have to try.'
Realizing that Rasper's comment was more of a statement than a plea, Ilvanich decided to give in. Although he knew it was not meant to be a test, to refuse this request, as insane as it was, would jeopardize his tenuous position as their temporary commander and could lead to further disaster. 'All right, we will go. But we go with a radiacmeter. Once the radiation level becomes too high, we turn back. Agreed?'
Rasper and the others nodded.
Ilvanich looked about the group. 'Who is going with me?'
Caught off guard by the idea that Ilvanich was going, the Americans looked at each other for a second. Then Rasper stepped forward. 'I'll handle the radiacmeter, Major.'
Ilvanich reached out and put his hand on his shoulder. 'Good, good.' Then he turned to Fitzhugh. 'While we're in there, you are in command. You are to prepare the company to move from here as soon as we return. Bring your map and come over here.'
Moving up next to Ilvanich, Fitzhugh turned his small flashlight onto a map he held between himself and Ilvanich. Ilvanich, a professional soldier to the core, had already considered their situation and had come to a decision. Using his finger to trace a line on the map, Ilvanich issued his orders. 'We will move to the south, along the side of the mountain to a point here. That line of march should take us away from the downwind area of this mess, away from where I expect the Ukrainians to launch their next attack, and take us to a landing zone, here, that we can defend. Have the company ready to move when I return. Understood?'
Fitzhugh nodded. 'Yes, sir. Understood.'
'Good, now get moving.' When the rest of the leaders had gone, and while Rasper checked out his radiacmeter, Ilvanich dug about the ruins of the guard shack looking for some rubberized ponchos he had come across before. Finding them, he pulled two out, tossing one to Rasper. 'They will not give us much protection, but it will help. We can discard them after we are finished.'
Rasper put on the poncho Ilvanich had handed him and his protective mask. When he and Ilvanich were ready, the two men tromped off into the gaping black void that reeked of burned flesh. For a moment every eye in the company was on them as each man shared two common feelings: that someone was going to at least search for survivors and, at the same time, relief that they were not the ones going in.
'Colonel Dixon, the corps G-3 is on the line for you.'
