Ollie ripped a piece of cloth from the lining of Lucien’s cloak. As he wrapped it around Boar’s leg, he noticed bloodied bits of bone on the lieutenant’s trousers.

Boar grabbed the cloth. He winced as he tightened the tourniquet.

Ollie crawled to the side of the boulder, and as he did, he heard German commands. He scanned below, finding another patrol making their way up the mountain. His adrenaline surged. “There’s more.”

“How many?” Boar pulled himself toward the edge of their rock.

“Ten.” Ollie looked at his pistol, regretting he hadn’t searched Dietrich’s vehicle for ammunition.

Boar looked below. “Bloody hell.”

Ollie glanced to the snowcapped summit. “The only way out of here is up and over.”

Boar struggled to stand on one leg and fired two shots.

Ollie heard a yelp. Machine-gun fire battered their rock.

Boar flopped down. He gasped for air and pointed at Ollie with a bloodied finger. “Give me your weapon.”

“No,” Ollie said. “I only have a few bullets. And I plan to use them.” He scanned around the boulder to see Wehrmacht flanking them. Closer. Thirty yards at most.

“I don’t think you understand, Yank.” Boar took in short breaths, like a panting dog.

Ollie prepared for another shot.

“Ollie.”

The sound of the lieutenant using his name caused him to hesitate. He looked at Boar, his trousers soaked with blood.

“I’m offering you a chance to get out of here.” Boar tightened the tourniquet.

“I’ll fight.” Ollie turned, preparing to target the enemy, and heard a metallic click.

“Give me your weapon,” Boar said, pressing his pistol to Ollie’s temple.

Ollie froze. Machine-gun fire sprayed the boulder, sending bits of rock into his hair.

“You and I both know that I’m not getting out of here,” Boar said. “If you choose to stay, I’ll pull the trigger. You’ll be dead anyway when the ammunition is gone.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Boar leaned forward and ripped the weapon from Ollie’s hand. He checked the clip and slammed it back into the pistol. “I need to set something straight.”

Ollie heard rocks falling as the Wehrmacht climbed the slope. “What are you talking about?”

Boar grimaced as he propped himself against the boulder. “You’ll understand, if you make it out of here.”

“This isn’t right.”

The lieutenant removed his identification discs, strung on a cord around his neck, and tossed them to Ollie. “Go, before I change my mind.”

Stunned, Ollie watched Boar lean over the boulder and fire. A soldier let out an agonizing scream. Realizing this was his only opportunity, Ollie shook away his indecisiveness and scrambled up the embankment. Pain shot through his ankle. His boots slipped on rubble. Bullets ripped over limestone. He climbed, tearing skin from his palms.

Boar fired another shot. Then there was a spattering of gunfire as the Wehrmacht closed in.