Letters Across the Sea Genevieve Graham (best inspirational books .TXT) 📖

of them despite the constant stab of pain in his leg, tossing grenades into the houses, feeling the whoosh of heat burn his skin as they exploded. He reached down to grab a tommy gun someone had dropped, and his whole body shook as he shot the walls of the houses apart.

“We’re doing it!” David yelled as they sprinted toward the next group of houses. “We’ve got them on the run!”

A madness seized Max, and he whooped with laughter, running for all he was worth. If this was it, if this was to be Max’s final battle, then he was taking as many enemy soldiers with him as he could. With David and Arnie at his side, he turned a corner and came upon an unprepared Japanese platoon, and the three of them instinctively mowed the enemy down.

Just ahead, the targeted houses looked wide open, and Max careened through the door of the nearest one, hunting for the Japanese. Through the smoke, he spotted enemy soldiers scrambling out of a back window. He gave chase, lifting his gun once more, then he froze when he spotted movement to his left.

“Grenade!” he screamed, wheeling back toward the entrance, shoving Arnie out ahead of him. The three of them tumbled out the door, deafened by the explosion.

“Grenade!” he heard foggily from nearby.

Still stunned, they watched men pour out of the next house just before it exploded, then fell to the ground with the impact. They staggered back to their feet, but the Japanese were there, shooting every one of them down. The enemy had regrouped, and they were like hornets, furious at the invasion.

“Retreat!” Max heard. “Retreat!”

“Come on!” he yelled, grabbing Arnie and David and dragging them behind him. “We’re getting out of here now!”

Max’s leg held him back just enough that his friends ran past him, but he followed as fast as he could. He could feel the bullets whizzing past, so close, so very close, and David turned to pull him along.

“Hurry up, Max! Let’s go!”

The next moment passed in a blur that burned into every one of Max’s senses. David was facing him, reaching for him, when suddenly his eyes flew open in an almost comical expression of disbelief.

Then he dropped like a stone.

Max fell beside him, screaming David’s name, pumping his chest and pleading for him to Breathe! Breathe! despite the savage hole shot right between his eyes. Seconds later Arnie knelt beside him, shaking David’s body while bullets thudded into the earth all around them.

“We gotta go! We gotta go!” Arnie sobbed beside him. “Come on, Max!”

But Max stared at David’s body, unable to move. He couldn’t leave him there. How could he do that? With all his strength, he threw David over his shoulder and started to run, feeling the dear weight of his brother-in-law jarring against him every step of the way. Arnie ran ahead of them, yelling encouragement. Then suddenly Max jerked, his leg giving way when a bullet struck him, and both he and David tumbled across the field, his gun rolling off on its own.

Arnie looked back, panicked, but Max shook his head. “Run, Arnie! Keep running!”

David’s body lay a few feet ahead. Max couldn’t stop now. If he left David behind, he might as well die. Digging his fingertips into the dirt, he dragged his body toward David’s. Then he froze, stopped by the black leather boot appearing in his vision. He looked up, straight into the barrel of a Japanese gun.

“Kōfuku!” the soldier screamed. He looked so young, Max thought. Barely old enough to be shaving. “Kōfuku!”

Through his shock, Max saw David’s still form just ahead. All he could think was, I’m so sorry, Hannah. I’m so sorry, Hannah.

A slow, smug smile spread expectantly across the face of the soldier, and Max dropped his face to the dirt, his empty hands held to the sides in surrender. There was no use in pleading. There was no escape.

He felt the hot metal barrel of the gun shove against the back of his head, then he closed his eyes, waiting. The rifle’s bolt opened then shut with a final click.

Then Max said goodbye.

1,689 OF DEFENDERS CAPTURED BY JAPS AS GARRISON FELL

Ralston Presents Figures in Commons Based Upon Reports from Nipponese Government; Original Contingent Totalled 1,985 All Ranks

By WILLIAM MARCHINGTON (Staff Writer, The Globe and Mail.) Ottawa, Feb. 25, 1942. – Only 296 Canadians from the contingent that, with the British, made such a gallant fight to save Hong Kong must be considered dead and missing, according to a brief statement given to the House today by Defense Minister J. L. Ralston.

At the end of the question hour, Colonel Ralston rose to announce that, according to a message received directly from the Canadian Minister at Buenos Aires, Hon. W. F. A. Turgeon, and which had been relayed to him from the Argentine Legation at Tokyo, the Japanese Government said a total of 1,689 Canadians had been made prisoners.

No names of those taken prisoner or of the casualties were yet available.

PART THREE — 1942 —

sixteen MOLLY

Richard Caolan Ryan,” I said firmly into the phone. “Yes, I’ll hold.”

Across the newsroom, Ian looked up. I glanced away, offering a tight smile.

After what felt like forever, the woman returned to the line. “Thank you for holding,” she said, her voice dry of emotion. How many of these types of phone calls was she receiving every day? “Now, what was the name?”

I closed my eyes, trying to contain my frustration. For two months, ever since Ian had wordlessly handed me The Globe and Mail article about the Battle of Hong Kong, I had been calling the Red Cross and government offices, always asking the same questions, always receiving the same answers.

“Corporal Richard Caolan Ryan. C Force, D Company,” I said. “He was in the Battle of Hong Kong. Can you tell me if he’s a prisoner of