Ambush at Exit 4
Near Utah Beach, France
D-Day 0770
Baker-In the plane, just before we jumped, I finally came to the conclusion that I had to swallow my fears, take charge, and lead these men. It seems fate has a dark sense of humor. I'm a man with hell standing between me and my men. No matter. Not even hell will stop me.
Few hours later after they`d destroyed the AA guns, Mac, Baker and Stanzan continue to walk toward their next objective that is located near Utah Beach until they have to stop and to figure out where they are with another platoon they found next to a farmhouse.
Mac told Baker and Stanzan to stay put so he could go and talk to this platoon to find out their current location and about the rest of their squad. It has been six hours since they jump out of the plane and hadn't seen the rest of them ever since they were supposed to fight together. Baker was getting worrisome of what happen to his squad when he fell out of the plane. Had they all gotten themselves killed or scattered all over the Normanedy countryside like everyone else. He hope the latter is true. He didn't want any of them to get kill when he had promised them before the operation that he will lead them in combat and get them all home in one piece. So far, he doing an excellence job of not leading his men in the early hour of D-Day since, to be honest, he didn't asked to be squad leader in the first place. But he came to the conclusion that no matters what the given orders he`d been expected to follow, he got to lead this squad whether he like it or not.
Leaving them behind in a small field that is in front of the farmhouse, Stanzan look at a scarepony wearing a Germane uniform. It has been bothering him for a while when he mistook it as an actual Germane solder.
Curious, he asked Baker next to him about the scarepony, "I wonder why they put up this scarepony in an enemy uniform. Shouldn't they knows who the real Germane are?"
Baker reply without looking at him, "Probably the locals set it up so they can practice beating them up with pitchforks after what they`ve been through in a four years occupation. You know what the Germanes did to them."
"Yeah but why? That not the reason I`m looking for. There got to be another explanation about all this."
Before Baker could replied, Mac appeared and walked over to them.
"I got word from another platoon that some of our boys dropped in this area." Mac explained to them. "The krauts were nice enough to flood it for us as a welcoming gift."
"Sure as shit isn't gonna' be easy finding them out here." says Stanzan, scratching his head with his hoof, "Unless of course they... find us... is that Red?" he pointed to a ditch that is next to the base of the field.
Mac and Baker follow his gaze when they see Corporal Lionheart running at full speed toward them after coming out of the ditch. He stopped in front of them, out of breath, and gasped while he could catch his breath, "There... krauts... all over."
He first straighten himself up before he could continue on, "I think I saw a mortar team just back there. Jesus, it's great to see you guys. I spent this morning in a ditch full of water, but I got one. Picked him off as he sipped his morning joe. Did I mention it was great to see you guys?" He chuckle a bit and was so glad to be back with someone that he hadn't seen all morning.
Even if he is glad that Lionheart has joined the group, Mac picked up after what he had left off before Lionheart arrived, "The landings are scheduled for Zero Six Thirty, so there's no time to lose. Baker, you take Lionheart and clear the main road. I'll try to gather up anyone I can find around here. I'll meet you on the beach and we'll try to link up with 4th Infantry. Good luck guys."
Mac took Stanzan and together went toward the direction where Lionheart came from while Baker led Lionheart toward the main road that is next to the farmhouse.
As they are walking on the side of the road, Baker asked Red if he had seen anyone since the jump.
"To be honest with you Frost," Red began, "I`d haven't seen anyone around that time. Shortly after you fell out of the plane, the green light came on and we all jump right out like hell. We could've set the world record for getting out of that plane really fast. Corrion's barely made it out after his shoulder got hit but I saw that the back of the plane got hit pretty bad and there were smoke covering it. I think whoever the last pony on the back of the plane got killed."
Baker looked at Red without a single word as he understood about the plane and stay like that. He still hoped that everyone in his squad had made it out of that plane alive. Even for that last pony.
They came to an intersection when suddenly, they heard some rustling on their left follow by harsh whispers.
With quick reflexes, Baker and Red hit the ground and pointed their guns at the direction where the sound is coming from.
Sensing that whoever made that rustling didn't fire on them since Baker and Red is in open view, Baker decided to take the risk and called out, "Who's there?"
A couple of minutes later, the sound of the cricket could be heard.
Click Clack
Without hesitation when he heard the cricket, Baker called out again, "Is that really necessary? You could see us in broad daylight."
"Really? I thought you would shoot us if we come right out." said a mare with a high pitch voice from behind the hedgerow.
"And beside," said another, "We wouldn't trust anypony in this time of crisis."
Before Baker had time to reply back, Red answered for him, "Don't worry, we won't shoot ya."
Stepping into view from behind the hedgerow in front of them are three mare, one armed with a carbine and the other not.
"Who are you and what unit you all are from?" Baker demanded at them that one of them winches.
The one that winches quickly recovered before she could identify herself with a proper introduction, "My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie."
"Sup`" said the one with a carbine, presumably Rainbow Dash.
"Hi there!" said another with glee also known as Pinkie Pie.
"We are not actually from any units though," Twilight continue on, which give both Baker and Red a surprise look.
"What?" said Red, not hearing on what she said.
"Yeah, we are war correspondents. We`re supposed to jump in with you guys so we could give out information on what happening during D-Day. But then we got separated from the rest of the gang during the night drop." Rainbow answered back with a grim look on her face.
"And who are you?" Twilight pointed at Baker and Red in which was Baker turn to replied, "I am Sergeant Frost Baker and this is Corporal Lionheart. We`re from F Company of the 502nd."
Twilight motioned to the side of her helmet she is wearing, "Oh, so that what the heart stand for. Sorry, they hadn't put us in training like the other due of being a correspondent."
"No offense," Baker said, accepting apology then quickly added, "We just to have a squad but we also got separated because of the drop. Where you girls are heading to?"
"We`re supposed to link up with HQ at St. Marie du Mont but I think we got kinda lost our way over here." Twilight said to Baker.
"What do you mean lost?" says Rainbow, fumed, "I told you to take the other road but nooo, and you didn't even listen to me. We are more than lost, we`re stranded."
"Well you and your bragging that you've been seeing Germanes soldiers throughout the most of the night when it actually just the wind." Twilight snapped back.
"I swear it was them!"
They both argue some more then look at Pinkie for answer.
Taken aback this and has nothing to say, Pinkie said proudly, "I like cakes."
Rainbow facehoof herself while Twilight rolled her eyes before she said to the two soldiers that seem to be very quiet during their argument, "Sorry, it happened a lot. Where you boys are heading to?"
"We`re heading up to Utah Beach to clear out this road. We`re gladly to take you up to another intersection where a road head down to St Marie du Mont."
"We are happy to accept your generosity and your kindness to lead us to our destination!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Well, let's get going then," says Red, walking up a bit forward, "We got no time to lose."
They continue walking up the road when they came under rifle fire that is coming from a house on their right.
"Let's go get em'!" Red shouted as he fire his rifle at the house.
"Alright!" Baker turn to the other, "You girls stay here and watch for anyone that is coming up of this road. Got it?"
They nodded and stay put while Baker and Red run toward the house and engage the enemy. Hiding behind cover, Baker ordered Red to suppress fire while he could go around and flank them.
"You got it!" Red said then got up and fire steadily at a pair of Germanes soldiers that is hiding behind a hip-high wall.
When Red managed to get their head down, Baker went around them until he got them in his vision then fire his pistol at them, His bullets didn't hit them but it enough to shock them that they jumped up and got mowed down by Red's incoming fire.
After the area is cleared, Baker waved his arm in the circle and yelled at Twilight's group to form up.
As they approaches, Pinkie said out loud, almost in a robotic voice, "Checkpoint reaches."
"What?" Rainbow asked when she heard that Pinkie says something
"Nothing!" Pinkie replies back with a smiled.
"I guess there a road on the other side of this house where you guys should take." Red mentioned to the side of the house after they formed up.
They walked to the side of the house when the ground heaved and exploded as Navel shellfire bombed all around them, forcing them to hit the dirt.
When it ceased, Baker called out if anyone is alright. They all nodded, except that their ears is ringing and feeling kind of dizzy from all those concussion from the shellfire.
"We better hurry up so we could clear the exit for the infantry." Red said after he got up.
They reaches the intersection without fail and now it was time to split up.
Before the departure, Twilight said to Baker and Red one final time, "I hope we could see each other again sometime in the future. You guys take care and be careful of where you`re going. There a lot of enemy soldiers more than you think."
"Don't worry princess," says Red, smiling, "Everything will be taken care of."
And Baker added, "Before we go. I like to make one recommendation, you think I could have that carbine?" He pointed at the carbine Rainbow is currently holding, "I needed it once we get into a heavy fight. I don't like being stuck around with this pistol."
Rainbow look at her carbine and grunted, "Fine, but I do like that pistol."
They both traded it with affair, exchanges final goodbye and headed in the opposite direction.
When they left, Red said to Baker, "Hey Frost, are you sure that was the good idea of trading Mac's gun for a carbine? What will he says once he learned you traded it off with some correspondent."
"Red, one, that pony wasn't a correspondent if she armed with gun and two, Mac wouldn't notice if he took another guy pistol for himself."
"Hmm.... good point." Red agreed with Baker suggestion.
They continue heading up the road toward the beach when Baker decided to not go up any further and got off the road into a ditch the run right between the dikes where the flooded water are. Going down to the closing of the dikes where it elevated upward, Baker and Red went down when two soldiers appeared from around the dike. Baker recognized them before they could shout out his name.
It Dare and Wildarrow, the two soldiers that were also in the plane.
They came rushing toward Baker and Red like crazy before stopping in front in them, delighted that they found someone that is from their squad.
"Wasn't sure if we were gonna' see any of you guys." says Dare, happy to see Baker and Red.
Wildarrow added of a clicking sound with his tongue, "Been shooting at Germanes coming off that beach all morning."
"One poor bastard was trying to take a crap while Wildarrow plugged him."
Dare laughed when Wildarrow said to him, “I swear he was going for his gun."
"We got this as well. The poor bastards that had it put up a hell of a fight before a potato masher got the best of them. Browning .30 cal. Watch out for the blood on the trigger." Dare thug his head to his right where in the distance, is a bipod .30 cal. Browning resting in place behind some ammo crate while it is facing a road, not to mention not fare from it a bundle of bodies crumpled up on each other in a big pile of heap.
"Have you seen the other" Red asked them, hoping to find some information about the rest of the squad.
There were an unusual sense in the air about these two. Dare and Wildarrow looked at each other before Dare could answered back with his eyes on the ground, "No but before I could jump out, I saw somebody on the back of the plane on the ground, dead."
"I`m pretty sure it was Mustang. He was supposed to be the last one to jump out but I hadn't seen him."
Guilt hit Baker hard that he lost one of him men but he shook it away then said to his men, "Alright, enough talk. We got to keep moving. Let's head over to that MG position. The coastline shouldn't be that far. I could see the bunker on that ridge line over there."
They has to wade through the water that was between them and the MG before they could get to it. There were trucks waiting to evacuate Germanes soldiers from the beach line. They could see those boarding trucks while the fighting on the beach is getting closer.
Thinking that they should take him out since it was part of the mission of clearing out the exit, Baker ordered Red to take his team and position themselves and be ready to fire while Baker went to the .30 cal., cocked the bolt to see if the bullet is in the chamber and waited until all the Germanes soldiers come out of the truck.
Seeing his chance to fire, Baker yelled out, "Fire!" and soon the first Germane soldier begin to drop, followed by other while the survivors quickly scattered to find any available covers and began to fire back. The paraponies put enough fire on one of the trucks that it engine caught fire them exploded, killing anyone around the blast radius.
The picked off the last of the enemy before they could move up and toward the bunkers to check if there any Germanes soldiers in it.
Before they could climb up to the first bunker, someone shouted, "Baker!"
They turn and saw Mac and Stanzan coming from the ridge.
Mac reaches them and exclaimed, "Baker. Glad you're okay. Looks like the 4th ID has things under control. As soon as they start moving their equipment ashore, we'll get resupplied and move out. I've got to speak to HQ to figure out where the hell the rest of our men are. Get some rest while you can; we've got a long day ahead of us."
Before any of them leave, Mac shouted, “Hey Baker! I see that you got yourselves a nice carbine. Where did you get it?”
“Uh… I found it?” Baker reply, thinking that Mac won’t buy it.
And he did so Mac continue, “In that case, what did you do with my pistol?”
“Oh shit,” Baker hear Red said behind him, “Baker you’re in trouble!”
...
Watching the landings from one of the MG emplacement that overlook the beach, Baker, Red, Stanzan, Wildarrow and Dare are looking down at the scene on the beach. But it was even more spectacular when they look at hundreds of ships waiting offshore while the landing crafts come and unload it troops and supplies on the beach.
Wanting to say something to something he will never want to forget, Stanzan said out load for those who is with him to hear, “I understand the large hearts of heroes, the courage of present times... "
Baker look at Stanzan with a confused look.
"It's from a poem my dad used to read me as a kid." Stanzan answered him slightly, which ease Baker's concern and he look back out toward the sea.
Stanzan continue what seem to be the final verse of the poem he was talking about, "It amazes me that something so beautiful could be a part of something so ugly."
On the beach, men coming in from the naval ships and Higgins boats and were getting things organized, and preparing to move a few units inland.
Baker and his men had come a long way just to witness this view. But it won't last for long. The day is far from over and Baker still need to locate the rest of his squad. They have a lot of things ahead of them to accomplish so they might be about to go home.
Something like this can be so beautiful when you realized that it not the way you think it would be.