War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 878
At 03:30 in the morning, the suddenly turned on lights awakened Wei Ran who was sleeping.

When he opened his eyes, he immediately saw Captain Letts, who was fully dressed, standing by the bed and looking at him. There was a soft clicking sound.

"Get up quickly when you wake up," Captain Letts reminded in a low voice, "We are about to start working."

Hearing this, Wei Ran immediately turned over and got out of bed, put on his boots as quickly as possible, and then put on the silly flying three-piece suit he got last night and the steel helmet hanging by the bed.

When he was ready, Captain Letts immediately turned off the lights and limped out of the room with him.

However, Wei Ran originally thought that they were going to transport in the dark again, but this time, Captain Letts took him to the oil warehouse.

"These oil barrels placed against the wall were all brought in last night, and a can of oil was taken from each barrel and put into the empty barrel. We have to make up for the losses incurred yesterday before dawn."

While explaining in a low voice, Captain Letts also handed Wei Ran a rubber tube less than one meter long and a 10-liter water tank.

This...is that okay?
Wei Ran looked at the greasy tools in his hand, then at Captain Letts who walked out of the warehouse and was about to lock the door from the outside, and at the row of 200-liter oil drums against the wall in the warehouse and the empty barrels prepared in advance. Bucket finally nodded resignedly.

Taking off the cumbersome helmet and pilot's three-piece suit, Wei Ran, like a shameless fuel nerd, gently unscrewed the oil drums that were delivered last night under the dim light, and used The principle of siphon draws a can of fuel from each barrel, and then pours it into the 200-liter empty barrel prepared in advance.

At the same time, Captain Letts has already entered another warehouse next door, dragging a sack of slices, throwing a few potatoes, onions, or carrot sausages or even packets of seasonings into it from time to time.

After about an hour, the door of the oil warehouse was opened again with a gap, and Wei Ran, who had already finished his work, also got out immediately.

"Are you done?" Captain Letts asked in a low voice.

"It's over," Wei Ran, who was holding a helmet and a pilot's three-piece suit in his hand, yawned and replied in a low voice. He didn't expect that he woke up in the middle of the night to steal fuel.

Hearing this, Captain Letts immediately locked the door, and then took Wei Ran away from the warehouse next door, carrying away a sack full of vegetables, fruits, and various foods and drinks, and then took away two bags from the warehouse storing coal. A tin bucket filled with coking coal.

As expected, these items were sent to the garage and loaded into the trailer of the two canvas-covered halftracks.

By the time they finished all this work, it was already five o'clock in the morning, and the fortress gradually became lively.But the two of them had already returned to the room, took off their clothes and lay on their respective beds and continued to sleep soundly.

It was already 07:30 in the morning when he was woken again by Captain Letts.

Following the other party to eat a fairly hearty army stew and a cup of coffee for breakfast, Captain Letts finally fulfilled the duties of a quartermaster seriously, and Wei Ran, who was his assistant in name, was not idle at all. When the time comes, it is not to send some vegetables to the kitchen, to deploy some ammunition to the firepower point, or to send some medicine to the infirmary.

As the saying goes, if the top beam is not upright, the bottom beam is also impossible to be upright. With such a boss, if Wei Ran doesn't give himself some benefits, he will be sorry for the job.

So before he even had dinner, he had already packed all kinds of medicines into the medical kit he had "picked up" from the US army, and by the way, he had also filled the British army kettle and the portable flagon with only some hawthorn leaf tea. Full of wine that I don't know who should have drunk it.

Not only that, even the anti-tank gun that he had no chance to use this time, he took advantage of the time to help deliver ammunition to the air defense unit, refilled the ammunition, and took a few extra high-explosive armor-piercing bullets and threw them into the bag as a pawn. spare.

Of course, in addition to these, he did not forget to pay attention to who had cameras and film in their hands.It's a pity that at the end of the day, even though he had already started to worry about where to put the extra pairs of socks and the standard gloves that were distributed, he still didn't "borrow" the crucial camera.

"Victor, you are better suited to be a quartermaster than I am."

While eating dinner, Captain Letts ate his dinner slowly while praising Wei Ran who was sitting opposite him.

"If there is an opportunity in the future, I will work hard in this direction."

Wei Ran responded frankly to the other party's praise, and at the same time lowered his voice and asked, "Is there anything I need to pay attention to?"

"Those leash dogs in the fort never check in the garage"

Captain Letts leaned forward and continued in a low voice, "If they find out, don't panic, just say it's for reissue in order to prepare for the lack of supply before deployment. Those idiots don't know how to manage warehouses at all."

"They can only chew bones." Wei Ran responded with a hint of contempt, and immediately got the former's nod of approval.

After eating dinner while chatting about the chain dog, the two waited until it was dark, then drove the half-track motorcycle again, and left the fortress with the supplies loaded in advance. Like yesterday, they rushed along the creek to the mill in the forest. beside.

Still with the help of a boat converted from half an oil barrel and the narrow waterway, these materials were transported by Letz's daughter Sophie to the abandoned castle on the other side.

After sending the supplies and ammunition here, the two drove the car to the wooden house again, and put some ammunition here as well.

Only this time, there were no loot in the cabin.Instead, there were two children who looked about the same age as Dominic who was sent over yesterday.

Compared with Dominic, the two boys who were wearing the uniforms of the Youth League or the Labor Service Corps were not in good condition. Although the two boys didn't suffer any trauma, their pale and frightened faces and trembling bodies, But they all hinted that they must have experienced something terrible.

"Blindfold their eyes and tie their hands behind their backs." Captain Letts issued an order out of Wei Ran's expectations.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of explaining, Wei Ran stretched out his hand to take the rope handed over by the other party, tied the hands of the two obviously frightened children behind their backs, and then covered their eyes with cloth strips.

Under the command of Captain Letts, the boys were helped into the emptied trailer.Afterwards, Captain Letts directly covered each of their bodies with a thick piece of canvas, and tied them tightly with ropes.

Without any explanation, let alone any hint, Captain Letts drove the car ahead and led Wei Ran back to the mill again.

Silently, he sent the two teenagers with their hands tied behind their backs and blindfolded eyes into the waterway, and watched them, led by Sophie, wading farther and farther in the cold river water, and finally were completely swallowed by the darkness.

"Let's go back." Captain Letz slammed the floor and left the mill with Wei Ran again.

"Don't you want to explain?" Wei Ran asked before the other party started the car.

"Explain what?"

Captain Letts asked a question, and then said nonchalantly, "It's just some poor people who were frightened by the war. They will die in this forest sooner or later."

"So you saved them?"

"save?"

Captain Letts snorted, and stepped into the driver's seat with great effort, "I'm just helping those little wastes collect the corpses in advance, okay, go back quickly, this time you walk in front of me."

Hearing this, Wei Ran opened his mouth, and finally sat in the driver's seat with his legs raised, and steered the half-track motorcycle to walk ahead along the stream.

The journey back to the fort was fairly smooth, but Captain Letz did nothing else that night, and Wei Ran finally didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to steal oil and food.

In this way, I worked with Captain Wrights for another two days. On the evening of the third day, when Wei Ran was able to lead the way and drive to the hut in the woods in the dark, the hut also appeared again. Not too many but not too much Too little loot.Before that, they had just sent an extra cart of supplies and a barrel of fuel to the mill.

"Listen to Victor"

Captain Letts took advantage of Wei Ran's time to load the registered spoils into the car and said, "This is the last batch. After the supplies are delivered to the mill tomorrow afternoon, I will find someone to take you to participate in a sneak attack on the American camp." , then you will die in that conflict."

"And then I rush to the mill by myself?" Wei Ran asked while fixing the two boxes of spoils with a rope.

"Yes." Captain Letts nodded, "The safety over there will be left to you in the future."

"Don't worry," Wei Ran replied absent-mindedly, and at the same time couldn't help wondering when the American soldiers Timov and Buck would show up at the mill.

"Go, go."

Captain Letts sat in the driver's seat of the half-track motorcycle with difficulty, "Let's see what good things they brought this time."

Under his leadership, the two half-track motorcycles went around and drove out of the forest again. Sure enough, there was already a truck waiting for them outside the forest.

"Mr. Letz"

The two boys from the labor group who had met three days ago jumped out of the cab and greeted them in unison.

"What good things did you bring this time?" Captain Letts asked with a smile.

"We got the medicine Dominic needs, enough to last him for a long time."

While the trainee squad leader was speaking, he had already untied the rope and carried one of the boxes full of spoils into the cab.

"This time we got a lot of flour and cheese," said another exempt soldier, pointing to the truck behind him, "and my brother's Christmas present for Sophie in advance."

"Christmas gift?" Captain Letts was taken aback, "Isn't it only November?"

"Yes teacher"

The exempt soldier put the flour into the drag bucket and explained, "My brother secretly got it from the contraband warehouse. He said that Sophie would definitely like it, so he asked me to deliver it in advance, anyway. These things should have been burned, and there is no need to worry about anyone finding out."

"Be careful, you will be in trouble if you are caught by those chain dogs." Captain Letts couldn't help reminding.

"Don't worry, Mr. Letts"

The trainee squad leader who also came over with a bag of flour said confidently, "Since his brother joined the chain dog, we can always get the news in advance, but you should pay attention to safety."

"Who would have trouble with a quartermaster?"

Before Captain Letts finished speaking, the exempt soldier carried a roll of canvas that was less than one meter long but thick as a thigh and put it in the trailer, and then covered it tightly with the flour brought by his companions. Strictly.

"That's right, Mr. Letts, are you all here now?" the trainee squad leader asked with concern.

"It's all here." Captain Letts nodded, lit a cigarette and sighed, "Now we just have to wait for the war to end."

"My brother said that this war may not be too long." The exempt soldier said with a trace of joy.

"This war should have ended long ago"

The trainee squad leader who had already brought another bag of flour followed suit, his tone also full of anticipation.

In the low-pitched exchange between the teacher and the student, the two half-track motorcycles were quickly filled with various supplies.

Patting the flour stained on his hands, the trainee squad leader stretched out his hand and said, "Mr. Letz, the next time we meet is after the war in the forest, I hope."

"Hopefully we'll all be alive then"

Captain Letts kept the other party and patted the other party's back lightly, "Frantz, and Thomas, both of you will live, and Thomas' brother Jerome will also live.

Thomas, tell your brother that I already knew he liked Sophie, and I'd love to see Sophie hook up with him. "

"I'll tell my brother," the exempt soldier Thomas said with a smirk, and at the same time hugged Captain Wrights lightly.

"Okay, we're leaving now, goodbye."

"Goodbye"

While the two young men were waving goodbye, Wei Ran drove a half-track motorcycle and followed Captain Wrights back to the camp again.

Unexpectedly, at 03:30 in the morning, Wei Ran made another fuel burner and successfully evened out a barrel of fuel, which made up for the deficit caused by the extra delivery to the mill.

Knowing that this was the last day in the fortress, Wei Ran, while working with Captain Laitz, also inquired about his plan from the other party's mouth.

According to the plan of the bald old man, the castle has already stockpiled enough supplies to last the winter.So in order to ensure safety, we will reduce contact with that side and stop delivering supplies.

On the other hand, in view of the current situation, Captain Letts is also prepared. According to his plan, he will take the opportunity to find a way to get out when the Americans capture the fort.Of course, if the Americans can't fight here, he can only continue to be his quartermaster.

But in any case, before the war in this forest is over, he will find a way to get out and join his daughter Sophie, and by the way, he will bring Dominic's parents and younger brother there.

In the evening of this day, Wei Ran followed Captain Laitz to deliver the materials prepared in advance to the mill for the last time.

Unlike before, this time Captain Letts and his daughter Sophie talked for a long time in the dark.Correspondingly, the carrying work was also handed over to Wei Ran and Dominique who was waiting at the other end of the waterway.

After he delivered the last few boxes of supplies along with his backpack, Sophie immediately handed him an ordinary watch when he climbed up from the waterway, and at the same time showed the dial of the watch on her hand and said, "Victor, I have adjusted the time of these two watches. Tomorrow at nine o'clock in the evening, I will open the water gate on the other side. You only have 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I will close the water gate.

So if you don't get there in 5 minutes, you'll have to figure out a way to swim back before you drown. "

"No problem, I will be there on time at nine o'clock tomorrow night." Wei Ran said, took the wristwatch that was obviously seized from the Americans and put it on his wrist.

"See you tomorrow, Victor." Sophie took the initiative to hug Wei Ran, then turned around and jumped into the waterway, dragging the empty oil barrel boat and running away.

After sealing the floor for the last time, Captain Letts said as he walked out, "Tomorrow evening, someone will send you to the supply point of the log cabin. Then you will hide in the log cabin and come over by yourself after dark. You know me, right?" ?”

"Know the way" Wei Ran nodded, he made this trip every night, of course he knew the way.

"Let's go." While speaking, Captain Letts had started the half-track motorcycle.

The two drove back to the fort one after the other, and took another round of ammunition supplies to the wooden house supply point.

When the two of them returned to the fortress again, Captain Letts put down the things in his hands, leaned on a cane, and took him straight to the cafeteria. Opposite the old man.

"Jens, this is Victor, a newcomer who came here a few days ago."

"What? Is Mr. Quartermaster trying to force people into my place again?"

The old guy named Jens took a bite of a crumpled apple, stared at Wei Ran's incomplete right hand and asked, "What's wrong with your hand?"

"It was shot by a sniper," Wei Ran replied with a normal expression.

"Snipers? Americans or Soviets?" Jens asked somewhat inquisitively.

"Soviet" Wei Ran replied casually.

"When?" Jens continued to ask.

Putting down the fork in his hand, Wei Ran smiled and replied, "This time last year, in Kyiv."

"good luck"

Finally, Jens didn't continue to ask, but took another big bite of the apple, chewed it, and let the juice wet his beard.

Seeing this, Captain Letts glanced at the soldiers passing by without a trace, took up the topic with a normal expression and continued, "In short, let him and you go to the front to fight the Americans. This idiot is not suitable to be my assistant at all. He's been causing me quite a bit of trouble for a few days."

"I don't care if he dies on the battlefield," Jens said in advance, "The Americans have become less stupid recently, and it is said that they are already attacking the village of Hurtgen."

Hearing the exclamations of the young soldiers around him, Jens winked at Wei Ran who was sitting opposite, "So soldier, do you still insist on going to the front with me?"

"Yes, sir"

Wei Ran pretended to stand up and said, "Sir, I am a soldier, and I will defend our land to the death!"

Taking a sneak peek at the young soldiers who seemed to have been injected with chicken blood, Wei Ran straightened his right arm pretendingly, and said vaguely, "Hey! Have you eaten!"

"Hey! It's amazing!" Amidst the clash of cups and plates, the eavesdropping members of the Youth League subconsciously stood up and stretched their arms in response.

Qiqi stared at Wei Ran, who had a mischievous smile on his face. Captain Letz and Jens also suppressed their laughter, stood up and gave the same passionate but equally vague responses.

With so much fanfare, he changed from a quartermaster assistant to a front-line combatant, Wei Ran also received a small gift from Letts after the meal - a G43 rifle with a scope and two spare magazines .

"Your mission is to die in the battle, don't die there in a flash." Captain Letz reminded Wei Ran in a low voice.

"Do not worry"

Wei Ran took the rifle and fiddled with it, then looked greedily at the STG44 assault rifle hanging on the wall.

"You are going to die, so don't waste such a good weapon."

Captain Letts knocked on the helmet on Wei Ran's head angrily, and said in a very mean voice, "Even this gun, Jens will bring it back."

"Uncle Letts. Letts." Wei Ran changed his address to a more personal one, and said after a little hesitation, "Can I ask you a few questions?"

Letz walked to the door, opened it abruptly and looked out, then closed the door again, limped back and sat on the bed, lit a cigarette unhurriedly, and puffed out the clouds. asked, "What do you want to ask?"

"What do you want this war to end?" Wei Ran asked while riding upside down on a chair.

"Any ending." Letz paused, "I just want it to end quickly."

"What if you have to choose one or the other?"

"Of course I won." Letz replied without even thinking about it. "Although I am a quartermaster now, I am also a soldier. As long as I am a soldier, who wants to lose a battle?"

"Of course the French and Italians," Wei Ran muttered to himself.

"But compared to winning or losing, I hope this war will end sooner." Letz once again emphasized the ending he wanted to see, and asked instead, "That's all you want to ask?"

"Of course not." Wei Ran smiled, "Can you tell me about Dominic's parents?"

Before the other party could speak, Wei Ran grinned and said, "To be honest, I don't know much about Uncle Kasten and Aunt Heidi."

"It's okay if you don't know them"

Captain Letts handed the cigarette case to Wei Ran, and after he took one away, he handed over the lighter, and waited until Wei Ran lit the cigarette before explaining, "Heidi used to be my wife's colleague, They are both teachers in the same school, except that Heidi is a math teacher, and my wife is an art teacher. However, Heidi was introduced to Kasten by my wife, and this is already more than ten years ago Something happened."

"Where is Uncle Kasten?" Wei Ran asked, "I only know that he is a mechanical engineer."

"Yes, he is indeed a mechanical engineer."

Captain Letts said proudly, "But he can become an engineer, all thanks to my funding, otherwise, that guy would have starved to death long ago, not to mention continuing to study."

I almost forgot that you are the sole heir of the last noble.
Wei Ran grinned secretly, and then deliberately said in an uncertain tone, "I seem to have heard Uncle Kasten mention this matter many times, and he always refers to him"

"Always say he should become a construction engineer and help me build a beautiful and strong castle, right?"

Captain Letts didn't wait for Wei Ran to finish speaking, and he said what Wei Ran didn't intend to say, "I heard him say this kind of nonsense longer than Dominic, that little trash came to this world." It will take a long time.

You see, it's been so long, I haven't seen any castles, but I paid for his and Heidi's apartment and car for them. "

Although it sounded like a complaint, Wei Ran saw a smile on the face of this serious middle-aged man.

"What about you?" Wei Ran poured a cup of coffee for the other party and asked the doubts of the past few days, "Are you a teacher too?"

"I'm just a gym teacher"

Captain Letts subconsciously glanced at his crippled foot, "That was before the war started. After the war started, I was conscripted to the Mountain Division and became the mountaineering instructor for those young soldiers."

"And then followed him to Poland?" Wei Ran asked subconsciously.

"yes"

Captain Letts shook his head regretfully, "But fighting is really different from mountaineering. Mountaineering is dangerous, but fighting is cruel. Facts have proved that it is really not what I am good at. To prove this, I even Mountaineering has been deprived."

"War can always bring something, and it will always take something away." Wei Ran said subconsciously.

"yes"

Letz nodded subconsciously, grabbed his cuff and said with a smile, "So after I recovered from my injury, I became the instructor of the Youth Corps again. But I don't like that job very much, so with the help of some friends, I Joined the RAD and later became quartermaster of the fort because of his knowledge of the forest and surrounding villages and towns."

"A quartermaster is the job that suits you," Wei Ran said seriously.

"Indeed, I got the rank of captain because of it."

Letz, who was supposed to be serious, winked and said, then took off his hat, scratched his little hair and said in distress, "But this job is not easy, look at my hair, it's almost falling out Finished."

"I guess it must be because your sleep quality is not very good." Wei Ran also hinted with winks.

"That's true." Letz shook his head helplessly. Obviously, for this courageous quartermaster, hair loss is also an unsolvable problem.

Just when Wei Ran was about to continue asking something, Bang Bang Bang knocked on the door from outside, and Captain Letz immediately put on his hat, stood up with a silver-covered cane, and said loudly on purpose, "OK Young man, rest early, you will go to battle tomorrow. The only thing I can do is let you enjoy this room alone."

After finishing speaking, Captain Letts opened the door, greeted the members of the youth group who were about to say something at the door, and limped towards the next room.

(End of this chapter)