Chapter 37

ITALY, AUGUST 1944

THE 2ND HAD BEEN GROUNDED for three consecutive days of high winds and rain. Endless games of poker and dice took up time and diverted thoughts of the next mission.

“Paulie, I just got the word. Manowitz in two days,” Vinnie said excitedly. They were standing behind a supply shed in an attempt to keep out of the sight of the ever-peering Captain Swedge. In the past week, Paul was sure to find Swedge in the mess, briefing and debriefing sessions, and at The Cave. If his intention was to spook Paul, he was succeeding.

“Swedge had to show up and cause all this shit,” Paul said, adjusting his rain poncho. Heavy rain had turned to a drizzle and was forecast to end by the time of the evening mess. Despite the near 80-degree temperature, Paul felt a chill run up his back. “You’re sure about the target?”

Vinnie nodded. “As sure as one can be in this man’s army.”

“I have to talk to the guys.” Paul said, trying to stay calm. “If one of the crew has any doubt, I’m not going to go through with it.”

Vinnie grabbed Paul by his shirt. “You can’t squash the plan because of one yellow belly. Too many are going to die if we don’t go. You said so yourself, that’s why you got it sold. Maybe you’re the one who has doubts?”

“Fuck you!” Paul fumed.

Vinnie looked up at the lifting gray clouds. “My buddy in the motor pool tells me the Park Avenue cowboy came in two days ago early in the morning, signs out a Jeep. He brings the gut rattler back when it is almost dark. That by itself isn’t incriminating evidence, so I ask him where Swedge went. Mind you, my friend is no brain surgeon, and I get nothing. So I ask him what did he see Swedge do before he left. He thinks for a while then says that he went and looked at the map on the wall, like he was studying for a test. I checked that map where my buddy thought he was pointing. I could only find one place that made any kind of sense. Lesina.”

“What’s he doing up at the 325th?” Paul asked.

Vinnie was more than his normally animated self, waving his arms like a Southern preacher. “Clark Johnson. Maybe Swedge goes up there just to see his goombara cheech, maybe he don’t.”

“I don’t like him visiting Johnson. We have to assume that Swedge has enlisted him, and for only one purpose.”

“Yeah, shoot our asses out of the sky if we make a move,” Vinnie stated without hesitation. “The best defense is a good offense. If we get the chance tomorrow, I say we take AAF-457 out. I already got a reputation for shooting down our own planes.”

“You can’t go and pop a guy on hunches, and that’s all we have,” Paul said. “Swedge might have a backup for Johnson if he should go down. How many are we going to kill?”

Vinnie shrugged his shoulders and walked away.