War Photographer's Notebook

Near noon, the dense fog in the forest dissipated completely. Correspondingly, the sound of firefights from the front line became much clearer than before.

But under the ruins of the castle, under the leadership of Heike and the restless Horst, the children lived a regular life as before.

Watching Sophie and Qiqi, who had drunk a lot, supporting each other into the room on the left side of the church, Wei Ran gently knocked on the door. "The door is unlocked." Dominique also helped open the door from the inside as he spoke.

"Nadia is gone?" Wei Ran asked before entering the door.

"I've left a long time ago." Dominic replied with an embarrassed face. While speaking, he looked in the direction of Sophie's room.

"Sophie drank too much, she doesn't know anything." Wei Ran said with a suppressed smile.

"You have been a great help to me!"

A relaxed smile appeared on Dominic's originally nervous face, completely unaware that there were two drunken girls hiding by the door and eavesdropping on his conversation with Wei Ran just next door.

"So you two weren't doing anything in my bed, were you?"

Wei Ran asked reluctantly, of course he was reluctant, as a man in his twenties, how could he be curious about the messy things between these hairy kids, but the two girls next door insisted on letting him Must ask.

Of course, Sophie and Qiqi weren't really gossiping, they were just worried that the girl named Nadia would be pregnant—obviously, in such a big environment, it would be very difficult for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old pregnant woman to survive.

"of course not!"

Dominic blushed and said, "Victor! What are you thinking! How could we do such a thing!"

"Oh—" Wei Ran deliberately pulled a long tone to stimulate the other party, "Really didn't do anything?"

"I really didn't do anything!" After Dominic finished speaking, he ran towards the basement.

"I hope not." Wei Ran muttered to himself, walked into the room and closed the door.

Glancing at the charcoal fire that had been extinguished by the sand, he could only put the wooden box in his hand back to its original position, and relighted the crackling oil stove as a heating tool.

Although he didn't drink at the dinner in the cave just now, and even the jug that contained the wine became Sophie's personal property, he couldn't resist following Sophie like a hawk last night, so it's good to catch up on sleep at this time Yes—he had to see tonight, after all, if Sophie was still using the magnet phone to communicate with Captain Letts.Both expected and unexpected, that night, Sophie sneaked to the forest on the side of the sluice in the dark and answered the phone again.

However, this night, Sophie waited by the phone for more than two hours, but the phone still did not ring in the forest. Not only that, Wei Ran even heard the buzzing of her shaking the generator handle on the phone again and again It's a pity that neither she nor Wei Ran heard any response that they wanted to hear.

Nearly one o'clock in the night, Sophie stumbled to her feet, dragged the box containing the phone to the tree with a rope, then went to the sluice and sat down, curled up into a ball with her knees in her arms.

Wei Ran, who had been watching from a distance, sighed. After a little hesitation, he finally got up and walked to the other party's side, took off his cloak and helped him put it on his body.

"Thank you," said Sophie who had been shivering tremblingly. "What's wrong?" Wei Ran asked knowingly.

"My dad might be in danger," Sophie said tearfully, "I can't reach him."

"Would you like to take a look at the other side?" Wei Ran asked tentatively. "Yes! Yes! Go to the other side and have a look!"

Sophie stood up as if she just thought of it, but soon, she sat down holding the valve of the sluice gate, "No, no, I can't pass, just in case"

"Sophie, the Americans are very close to us now."

Wei Ran started to turn the cold valve while speaking, "To be honest, the fortress probably doesn't care about us anymore, and"

"And what?" Sophie asked, grabbing the valve wheel.

"Besides, I don't mind killing
Two chain dogs. " Wei Ran said, and stuffed the British army kettle full of boiling water into the opponent's arms, "Warm up."

Taking the kettle in a hurry, the warmth conveyed by the canvas jacket made the 19-year-old girl shiver subconsciously. At the same time, Wei Ran continued to spin the roulette.

As the cast-iron gate was slowly lifted, a raging jet of water gushed out, splashing on the surface of the moat covered with a thin layer of ice.

In less than ten seconds, as the accumulated river water in the water channel emptied, the gushing water column also turned into a hula-la waterfall.Sophie glanced at Wei Ran who had already loaded the submachine gun, gritted her teeth and took out the square box flashlight in her pocket, and followed Wei Ran into the cold waterway.

Along the way, Wei Ran noticed that Sophie had been observing the wires fixed in the corner above her head, and even almost slipped several times because she accidentally stepped on a small fish and shrimp in the water under her feet.

Deliberately slowing down and accompanying the other party to carefully check the telephone lines along the way, Wei Ran also signaled Sophie who was walking behind to turn off the flashlight when he was approaching the mill.

In the silent night, amidst the sound of rushing water, Wei Ran carefully moved to the bottom of the floor, and carefully pulled the wooden block stuck on the floor, then slowly pushed the floor away, and climbed up the mill in the dark.

After a careful inspection, Wei Ran whispered, "Come on, don't turn on the flashlight."

Hearing this, Sophie immediately leaned out her upper body and let Wei Ran pull her up.

Before she could stand still, the girl shifted her gaze to the hydraulic mill not far away. However, after some groping, she became more and more flustered.

"Victor, I... I'm going to the cabin."

Sophie said, and returned the kettle and cloak to Wei Ran, "Can you help me guard this place? I'll be back soon."

"Tell me what you're looking for." Wei Ran grabbed the opponent's wrist while taking over the kettle and cloak.

After a little hesitation, Sophie whispered, "If my dad didn't leave me a message on the mill, then he must be in danger. If he wants to send me a message, it's his mill here or that log cabin." The only choice."

"Take your weapon"

Wei Ran said, and handed the submachine gun in his hand to the other party, "Can you use it? I've already loaded the bullet."

"I can use it, I can use it." Sophie subconsciously took the submachine gun, "My father taught me how to use it, don't worry."

"There are also these magazines." Wei Ran took off the magazine bag on his body and hung it around the opponent's neck.

"I'll be back soon, an hour at the most!" Sophie promised tremblingly.

"You are waiting at the second bend in the waterway"

Wei Ran whispered, "Put the beast on the first corner. When I come back, I will flash your flashlight three times in a row, and then call Dominic's name. If I don't call Dominic's name, you immediately run back and close the floodgates."

"Can"

"Don't waste time, remember what I just said?" Wei Ran pushed the other person to the edge of the opened floor while speaking.

"Remember," Sophie replied in a panic. After all, she was only a 19-year-old girl, and now is the time when she needs a backbone.

"Repeat it again." Wei Ran had already motioned for the other party to sit on the floor while speaking, and poked his head into the water channel.

"Hiding behind the second turn, set up a trap in front of the first turn." Sophie paused, then obediently jumped into the waterway under Wei Ran's push, "You will hit three times first when you come back Flash, then call Dominique's name. If. If」

"If I didn't call Dominic's name, you should run back immediately and close the water gate." Wei Ran added while covering the floor, and then put the cloak on his body. "You'll be back right?" Sophie asked tearfully. "certainly"

Wei Ran put away the kettle, and replied as a matter of course, "I'll be back soon, if someone enters the waterway before me and
If you step on a trap, you immediately go back and close the water gate. "

"There's a phone in the hollow of that crooked pine tree to the east of the mill." Sophie put her hand on the gap in the floor and whispered with her neck up, "If, if I close the water gate, you just need to connect the phone to the hollow phone line and call me and I'll open the floodgates right away."

"Okay, it's a deal." After Wei Ran finished speaking, he simply got up and walked out of the mill empty-handed.

Under the floor, Sophie waited until Wei Ran's back completely disappeared from sight, then turned around in a panic, stepped on the cold river water, and walked towards the bend of the river in the dark.

In the forest outside the mill, Wei Ran also quickened his pace and trotted all the way to the log cabin in the forest that served as a supply point. At the same time, he was also paying attention to the chain dogs or Americans that might be hidden in the surrounding forest.Fortunately, until he rushed to the vicinity of the wooden house, he didn't encounter any two-legged animals at all.

Even, when he walked vigilantly all the way to the wooden house, he saw boxes of ammunition supplies.And inside the wooden house, there are many trophies from the US military.

After closing the door and turning on the flashlight, Wei Ran carefully inspected the loot stored in the wooden house, but found nothing special at all, and there was no clue left by Laitz in this small wooden house. .

"pata"

Just as he was thinking about whether to search the ammunition boxes outside, there was a knocking sound outside the door.

Subconsciously lying down on the ground and putting away the flashlight, Wei Ran listened for a moment, then stretched out his hand and carefully opened the door with a finger-wide gap. With a little moonlight, he could vaguely see that the door was at the right place. A wooden stick lay quietly.

"Is that Sophie?" A voice cautiously asked at the back door of a pine tree not far from the cabin.

"Who are you?" Wei Ran asked while hiding in the wooden house, taking advantage of the opportunity, he grabbed two silly and beautiful MK2 grenades from a wooden box beside him.

"Are you Victor?"

The person behind the tree obviously recognized Wei Ran, "Brother Victor, is that you? I'm Okan, Uncle Otto's orderly Okan, we met before, do you remember?"

"Jonas' brother?" Wei Ran indirectly affirmed his identity, "I haven't given him the canned food and compass you entrusted to me. I plan to give it to him on his birthday."

"Really, Brother Victor?"

Before he finished speaking, Okan jumped out from behind the pine tree with an MP40 submachine gun in his hand, and his excited tone was already crying.

"It's really me, why are you here?" Wei Ran also put the grenade back into the wooden box containing the loot, got up and walked out of the wooden house, while also secretly vigilant about possible enemies hiding around.

"I sneaked here in the evening"

Okan flew up to Wei Ran, and said in a panic, "Uncle Letz and Uncle Jens were caught by dogs on a leash this morning. Uncle Otto asked me to wait here. He said Sophie or you will definitely come here."

"Where's Uncle Otto?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice, "What else do you know?"

"Our position is lost"

Okan choked up and said, "Uncle Otto Otto is dead. He was shot in the stomach by an American machine gun. Now the Americans are not far from the fortress."

"Don't cry, now is not the time to cry." Wei Ran looked around vigilantly, and whispered, "Get out of here with me first."

"Where are we going?" Orkan asked, trying to hold back his sobs. "Just go with me"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he pushed the other person's right shoulder to leave the wooden house, and went in a circle to the direction of the mill.

He didn't bring Orkan to the mill until he was sure that no one was following him, and he lifted the floor and let him jump into the waterway.

"Where is this place?" Okan asked curiously. "Shh-"

Wei Ranbi made a silent gesture, and after walking to the first corner, under the horrified gaze of the former, he carefully took out the huge animal trap from the waterway, and released it.
It is in a state where it can bite at any time.

Throwing the rusty animal trap with a tetanus effect to Okan behind him, Wei Ran leaned against the damp wall, stuck out the head of the flashlight and flashed it three times in a row, then asked softly, "Dominique ?are you there?"

"exist!"

As soon as his words fell, Sophie immediately responded, and then ran over stepping on the water.

"Sister Sophie!"

"Okan!" Sophie immediately recognized the young man following Wei Ran, but immediately after, her expression changed, and she asked nervously, "Okan, my father?"

Okan turned his head and glanced at Wei Ran, seeing that the latter had no intention of opening his mouth, he lowered his head and answered with difficulty, "He and Uncle Jens were both arrested by those vicious chain dogs."

"Plop!"

The square flashlight in Sophie's hand spun and fell into the cold river water. Sophie's legs went limp, and then Wei Ran, who was quick-eyed and quick-handed, supported her shoulders so that she wouldn't fall into the water. inside.

"Let's go out first"

Wei Ran said before the girl's tears fell into the river, "Go out and close the sluice first, and then discuss what to do."

"I'm going to the fort"

Sophie wiped away the tears that were about to overflow her eyes, and struggled nervously trying to get away from Wei Ran's support, "I'm going to the fortress to find my father!"

"Are you crazy?"

Wei Ran clenched the opponent's wrist, "You can see Captain Letz when you go to the fort? Or do you think you can take down that fort and rescue him just by using the submachine gun in your hand?"

"I"

"Let her go!" Qiqi's voice came from the darkness, "Brother Victor, let her go, let her go to the fortress."

Hearing this, Wei Ran let go of his hand decisively after a little hesitation.And Sophie also left and walked towards the direction of the mill.

"Good luck, Sophie"

Qiqi bent down to pick up the flashlight under the water, and said casually, "After the chain dog tortures the existence of this waterway from your mouth, and tortures our existence, we will not resist at that time, and will be honest. Hide in the basement and wait for the dogs on leashes to come and burn us with flamethrowers, just like the Jews we saw burning at intersections last spring."

Following Qiqi's description, Sophie's footsteps became slower and slower, and finally she covered her mouth and tried not to cry, but at the same time she sat down in the cold water uncontrollably.

"Stupid woman"

Qiqi muttered in a moderate voice, shook the cold river water accumulated in the flashlight and said, "Sophie, since my mother died, we don't have a doctor. If you have a cold, the only thing I can think of is To help you, I will give you all the medicines we have.”

Having said that, Qiqi also walked up to Sophie, pulled her up, took the submachine gun in his hand and returned it to Wei Ran, and said while going back, "Brother Victor, I'm sorry for the flood gate. I'll take her back first."

"Don't worry." While responding to the other party, Wei Ran also exchanged a glance with the guilt-ridden Orkan.

"Do not blame you"

Wei Ran patted the other person on the shoulder, led him out of the water channel behind the two girls, and then closed the sluice gate himself.

"This is your birthday present for your brother"

Wei Ran led Okan to the ruins of the castle while taking out the two boxes of canned spirit meat and the pocket watch-style compass from his bag and returned them to Okan, "You can give it to him yourself at that time." .”

"Victor, Uncle Letz and" "Leave this matter to us and keep it secret for now"

Wei Ran looked at Horst who was waiting at the bridge, raised his chin and said, "That's Horst, you go with him, and he will arrange a place for you later."

"Well, I know Horst." Okan nodded, "We're from the same town."

"Rest tonight and don't think about anything."

Wei Ran gave instructions again, and then
He patted Horst on the shoulder, "Ocon will leave it to you, arrange a place for him to live, and find him some food."

"it is good"

Horst agreed without thinking, and lowered his voice to ask tentatively, "Victor, Sophie, is she okay?"

"It's okay, just stepped on a rainbow trout in the waterway and fell."

Wei Ran improvised an excuse, waved his hand and said, "Take Okan back quickly, and find him a pair of boots by the way, his boots are already soaked.

"Okan, come with me." Horst patted Okan on the shoulder vigorously, and led him quickly to the entrance of the basement.

Wei Ran quickly followed the two girls who were walking towards the ruins of the church until he watched the backs of the two half-children completely disappear into the shadows.

"I'll take her to change clothes first"

Qiqi said, pushed open the door, helped Sophie into the small room on the left side of the icon, and locked the door before Wei Ran could respond.Wei Ran opened his mouth, turned and walked to the next door, pushed open the door and glanced at Dominic who was still sleeping soundly, then closed the door, taking advantage of the opportunity to add a few pieces of firewood that only dared to burn at night to the coking coals burning in the fireplace .

Kicking off his boots, Wei Ran sat on a wooden plinth by the fireplace, thinking about the current form while warming himself by the fire.

There is no doubt that as the American soldiers advance little by little, the ruins of this castle hidden in the forest will be discovered by the Americans sooner or later.He has no way of predicting what kind of situation the girls and children under the ruins will face at that time.

Just as he was thinking wildly, Qiqi also opened the door and walked in.

Seeing Wei Ran pointing to the next door, the girl nodded and said softly, "I helped her change her clothes, she just drank some wine and fell asleep."

"Don't you live in the basement?" Wei Ran asked curiously, "How did you come up?"

"I woke up when you opened the sluice to release the water"

Qiqi lit a cigarette on her own, "I'm a light sleeper, and it's hard for me to continue to sleep with such a big movement, so I secretly followed. Brother Victor, what's the situation now?"

"Both Captain Letz and Jens have been arrested." Wei Ran sighed, and recounted in detail all the information he asked from Okan on the way back.

"We have to know if they are alive and if they are still inside the fort."

Qiqi frowned, and said calmly, "If they are still in the fortress, we might still have hope. If they are sent to Aachen, I'm afraid they will really be in trouble."

"What are you going to do?" Wei Ran calmly looked at the young girl sitting beside him and asked.

"I'll wait at the mill tomorrow"

Qiqi, who had obviously made up her mind a long time ago, said, "Many people I know are fighting in this forest. As long as you are lucky, you will always meet people you know well, and then you will know their situation?"

"I'll go as well"

Before the words were finished, Sophie, who was carrying a coconut jug in her hand, also pushed the door and walked in. By the way, a cold wind mixed with the aroma of wine was blowing.

"How many people do you know?" Qiqi said disdainfully, "Sophie, you should stay and be the cook, someone must be in charge of cooking."

"Everyone who knows Dominic knows me, and everyone who knows my father knows me." Sophie said stubbornly, "And Victor's cooking skills are also very good, so he can be responsible for cooking for his friends." " or."

"How many people do you know?"

The two girls said to Chao Wei Ran in unison, and after that, the two of them couldn't help but burst out laughing one after another, and the slightly tense atmosphere before also eased a lot.

"That `s a deal"

Sophie unscrewed the kettle that originally belonged to Wei Ran, poured out a glass of wine and took a big sip, "Qiqi and I will wait at the mill tomorrow, Victor, you are responsible for cooking for the children."

"Can"

Wei Ran, who was about to say something, finally nodded, "Okay, I will be responsible for their meals, but you should also pay attention to safety,
At the very least, you have to take your weapons. "

Anyway, when "he was still an American soldier", when he followed Timov through that waterway, he was directly put in the back of the head with a gun.

Thinking about it this way, the two girls probably won't be in any danger. Besides, although he doesn't know when Timov will come over, he knows at least what time of the day it will be, and it's a big deal to catch up in advance after cooking. Just go and help.