~The artillery shells hitting the ground were like claps of thunder. ~

Bullets riddled the young boy’s body.

“I’m hit Sar…”, he said.

The young man never finished his sentence, his last words coming out as gargles. Jacob raised his rifle and shot three more shots at the enemy trenches opposite to him. He ducked back into his trench and threw another magazine to Steven who was sitting about four feet away. Jacob wheeled around and looked to his side. Only to see the young man’s body drowned in its own blood. Jacob continued to stare at the corpse in disbelief. The sounds of the assault slowly died off. Steven looked over the edge of the trench. He didn’t see any movement. He slowly stood up with most of the 301st division.

“No! Get down!”, Jacob yelled.

It was too late. Their heads exploded with a chorus of sickening crunches and cracks. Jacob was showered with Steven’s blood. Crouching Jacob looked around desperately for survivors, there were only four soldiers left crouching with shocked looks on their faces.

“Fall back!”, Jacob yelled.
“電荷 (Chinese word for charge.)”, A U.S.S. (United Soviet States) model X screeched.

As Jacob and his men fell back, almost synchronized, the U.S.S. troops charged along with the model M’s in the secondary trenches opposite of them. The sound of gears and hydraulics was deafening. The two opposing forces clashed with the sound shrapnel hitting steel. The model M’s were holding them off.

Jacob and what was left of the 301st reached checkpoint C after running for fifteen minutes. Two of his men got shot down in the retreat, they screamed for help but none came to save them. They reached the wire fence that marked the checkpoint. A large man with burly eyebrows and a dark completion approached them.

“What the fuck you think your doin’, soldier!”, “get back to the front lines they need you up there.”, the man said.

“Lt. Stevenson, the battles lost we lost most of the 301st and –.”, Jacob was interrupted.

“I don’t care! Get the fuck back up there.”, Lt. Stevenson interrupted.

“No.”, Jacob said in a stern voice.

“What did you just say, Sergeant Efton?”, the Lt. said.
“No I will not.”, Jacob said again.

“I’m gunna’ give you thirty seconds to run as far as you can, because desertion is punishable with death. So start running!”, Lt. Stevenson said.

Jacob and the others started running past the wire fence, at top speed.

“Fire the A3 artillery on my mark private, 30”

They had reached and surpassed check point D which was a small secondary trench.

“20.”

Jacob read the sign as he ran passed it. ~ Mine field ahead. ~

“10”

The 301st had reached the middle of the mine field. It was shadowed on both sides by large boulders and small burrows.

“Fire!”

The A3 artillery cannons thunder clap was heard by Jacob and the others shortly before the ground beneath them exploded with the impact. The men flew through the air like ragdolls. Jacob hit his head with a sickening crack on a small boulder.

“Throw the bodies in the mass grave with the rest on the deserters. Mark the 301st as all K.I.A.” Lt. Stevenson said.

~Darkness began to enshroud Jacob’s vision as unconscious started to slip into his mind.~