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[Greene Planet]

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VENGEANCE

PROLOGUE
PUBLIC ENEMY

June 17th, 1946


They’d been searching for James Bond now for six months. Their intelligence was wrong once again as they soon found that Bond wasn’t in Royale-Les-Eaux.
Sean McDonough stood outside the casino as his colleague, Mathew Settle, both agents of the same organization, searched the ground floor. McDonough casually lit a cigarette and inhaled the smoke deep into his dark lungs. This man was a top-class agent, or so his superiors had told him. Settle was a new recruit and was looking for an opening case that would increase his chances of quick promotion. The boy was fresh out of college and had a brilliant mind that should have been used for New York’s enthusiastic DA that was currently taking down the Mob. McDonough nearly felt sorry for him, wasn’t even old enough to buy a beer, and was a good kid.
McDonough took one last drag on his cigarette before flicking it away. Settle came out of the casino with a tired and mad look on his face.
The boy ran his fingers through his hair. That reminded Sean of Bastogne when he was in the service. He was 1st Sergeant to F Company, 3d Battalion. Throwing down your helmet and running your fingers in you hair meant you were at the breaking point. But this kid was just plain upset.
“Calm down. Its looks like he got bad intelligence on him.” Sean spoke as he glanced back at Settle.
“We’ve been ____ing looking for this prick for six goddamn months.”
McDonough glanced at the streetlights for a brief moment, thinking back to his Holland jump. Market Garden, he thought. Bad Intelligence. He remembered the briefing on the operation, “If we secure a series of bridges, that will allow a rapid advance of armored forces to push forward into Germany…we hope to end the war by Christmas (1944)…”
McDonough broke out of his flashback and began to walk towards his car. Settle followed, and seemed to be pouting and whining all the way back to the now non-occupied French HQ for the organization. The two had an argument about the leader of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, like he was in the service, or if he was always the CO rather than once being an agent. There were many questions to be asked about Blofeld. But one thing that was certain, he cannot be redeemed.

*

June 19th, 1946
Langley, Virginia


“Goddamnit, Patterson!” Executive OSS Agent John Enders screamed into the face of an agent who served during the war, Private First Class Jimmy Patterson.
“What the ____ were you ____ing thinking? You are a goddamn Omaha beach survivor, you should ____ing know better. I ought to have you shot.”
Patterson exhaled, calming himself to speak, “sir, it was an accident. Private Polonsky had nothing to do with it.”
“Bull____!”
“But that’s good bull____.”
That managed to make Jimmy laugh, Enders joined in.
“Its alright, Jimmy. But I don’t wanna hear you do something back stupid again.”
Pfc Patterson nodded, “yessir.”
Enders looked down at Patterson’s dossier. He remembered back at the meeting earlier with Colonel Richard Sink… Sink was a an average sized man, he aged to be about 45 or 50, a thin moustache, and an accent similar to his cousin, Robert Sink (Dale Dye, in Band of Brothers). Now Enders, he came to be about six feet tall, handsome facial features, which won him his wife Diane, and a voice like Sinatra’s.
“This morning, a British agent was provided with evidence of him assassinating a former Nazi commander. This man, Cdr. James Bond of the Royal Navy denied the claim and escaped police custody. It is believed that he is at large and dangerous, and the Prime Minister can’t afford the local police informing the public that there’s a trained killer roaming London. And I was informed that Bond was the best they had, and he believes we have agents. And we all know that that’s true.”
Sink paused for a moment. “I want a an agent who served in the war. Enders that would be your department. Have an agent ready by tomorrow mornin’.”
Enders nodded and he lit a think cigar. “Yes, sir.”Sink looked around the room, “meeting adjourned.”
Enders glanced back up Patterson leaving the room “wait!”
“Yes, sir?”
“I’ve got a mission for you. This one’s straight from Sink…”

*

June 18th, 1946
Moscow, Russia

“I can speak English,” said General Gustav Mosley, “but I prefer to speak Russian.
The Prime Minister of Britain quietly sipped his tea. The General described the drink as “mud water” and not a man’s drink. Mosley had suggested the two drink shots of Vodka. However, Prime Minister Clement Attlee declined and asked for a simple cup of tea.
“So why are you here, Minister?”
“A British agent has escaped every attempt to be arrested by our agents, however the Americans believe they have an agent worthy of Cdr. James Bond 007…”
The General cut Attlee off, “Bond? He’s impossible!”
“Not if we send two top agents.” The Minister finished his tea and smiled.
Mosley calmed down and became intrigued by the idea, “who are the Americans sending?”
“A Pfc James Patterson.”
Mosley aimed his figure at Attlee, “he’s the best, and I’ve worked with him on numerous occasions. OK, I will send best agent.” He said with a very thick accent, “Agent Dimitri Petrenko of the Red Army. He is also a war man.”
The Prime Minister nodded and leaned forward with a large grin on his face, “thank you for your help, General. I am in your debt.”
“Then at least drink one shot,” Mosley laughed.
“Alright. It won’t kill me…”

Edited by Greene Planet, 25 June 2009 - 03:28 AM.

[Greene Planet]

CHAPTER ONE
BROTHERS IN ARMS


June 6th, 1944
Dog Green Sector, Omaha Beach

The roaring waves washed up the beach, soaking the sand and the anti-tank baracades.
1st Sergeant Felix Leiter of the US Army Rangers itched his whiskers after he lit his unusually large cigar. Once the men sighted the cigar, he began to wish they had there cigarette that they’d left back on the Washington. Captain Joe Miller stood next to Leiter, stuffing a wab of chew into the back of his mouth, while checking his ammo supply for his Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Most of the soldiers on the Landing craft were just out of high school, Leiter had the feeling that they didn’t want to be shooting M-1s, or throwing hand grenades rather than throwing baseballs. But their country need them. A “Call of Duty” Miller would always call it. Leiter prefered the saying “call to arms”. Leiter’s team was often called “brothers in arms”. He had to admit, it was a good title to have. It was this time that he wanted to join the paratroopers rather than the Rangers… “30 SECOND!” the Landing craft driver cut through Leiter’s thoughts and caught his attentions.
“Alright.”
The men turned to see him and quickly checked their ammo, “stay down, and make every bullet count. Good luck, and I’ll see you on the beach.”
Suddenly, the ramp went down, and the men infront of the two began to be blown to bits by MG-42 fire.
“GO! GO! OVER THE SIDE!”
the first three rows of soldiers were hit with death quickly and bloody.
Leiter jumped over the side and landed into the sea of blood… “as soon as you accept your already dead…you’ll be able to function like a soldier…”

“I said what do we do now, sir!” a Private said from another screamed over the dramatic machine gun fire.
“GET THE ____ UP THE BEACH!”
“But, sir?”
“GO!” Leiter began to tread through the water up the beach, stumbling over the bits and pieces of his dead comrades, avoid gun fire, and most of all avoiding death. Mortar fire was focased on the beach from somewhere up by Brecourt Manor, which was where artillery was firing down on Utah Beach. It was up to the 101st to take down the guns. But it was his job to take Omaha.

*

June 5th, 1944
Dorset, Southern England

“Now, the force will include elements of B and D companies, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, a platoon of B company, Royal engineers, and the men of the glider pilot regiment. The object will be to prevent Jerry armor from crossing the bridges and attacking the eastern flank of the landings at Sword Beach. Any questions?”

James Bond awakened from his memory of Pegasus Bridge and quickly departed from his bed to pour himself a drink. He swiftly gulped down the bourbon and poured himself another.
Bond cursed out loud.
Alone. Whenever he’d been asked by one of his fellow comrades “so do you have a girl waiting for you back home?” and Bond would say nothing, ingnoring the man, he hadn’t known what to say then, but now he does, “____ off.”
Bond couldn’t help but chuckle at the notion of telling one of his superior officer to ____ off. He finished his second glass and went over to his coat, set on his dresser, and fumbled for his cigarette case.
He casually lit one with his desk lighter from work. Work. It wasn’t even his work anymore. Now it was a minefield. He would be hunted. Bond presumed that M would notify the Prime Minister, and jolly ol’ Attlee would ask foreign governments to help the cause of the British Government’s best agent escaping from probable murder of a former Nazi General. A ____ing Nazi General. Nazi. Even if Bond did kill the man, the act shouldn’t be a nation security risk. He had to find a way to fix this. Leiter. Bond remembered saving the man back during the siege of Bastogne. He had been placed as Leiter’s intelligence officer during Market Garden, whom served under Richard Winters, executive officer, and former of company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Carwood Lipton, who’d been screaming at the men to “STAY IN YOUR FOXHOLES” after the first mortar raid. Bond had found Leiter, who’d been knocked out by a flying piece of wood from a tree that had been blown to bits. Bond had befriended Leiter, so naturally, he pulled the man into his foxhole and fortified the cover and ran back to his own foxhole.


Leiter owed him a favor. Bond went over to his telephone and bought a plane ticket to Langley. He was traveling to the Lion’s Den…

[Greene Planet]

CHAPTER TWO
INTO THE STORM




The scene at top of Point du Hoc was one of horror and disbelief. Dead soldiers, both German and American, bomb craters turned into shelter, trenches and concrete bunkers spread all over the area. Leiter stared in awe; approaching him was Corporal Bennings who screamed over the constant gunfire, “the guns aren’t hear, sir!” Leiters said his vey words in disbelief, “what the ____ do you mean the guns aren’t here?”
Bennings repeated himself, “the guns are gone, they must of set up fake ones, sir, to trick us.” Leiter replied, “it worked, Corporal.”
Leiter reorganized his thoughts after the initial shock and shouted his orders, “we need to find those guns, second and third squads, and move up to that village.” Leiter led the squads along the hellish landscape; German soldiers, entrenched, fired their weapons, chewing the rangers up. Felix dropped inside a trench and fired his Thompson at close range. Above him and to the left was Pvt. Foreman, the BAR gunner. As Leiter emerged from the trench, he was horrified at what he saw. A German quad-20mm anti-aircraft gun was spraying the rangers running towards the village. At the same time, a German soldier took aim at him.
Suddenly, Leiter came out of his nightmare and quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead. Holy ____.

*


The hypnotic engine drone mixing with the gushing wind from the open door and several airsickness pills was leading me off to dreamland. Consciousness was slipping away slowly, the war hasn’t even begun and I was going to sleep through it. I blinked several times hoping to stay awake but my sight was becoming blurred, loosing focus and blackness was enveloping me. The smell of cigarette smoke and sweat filled my nostrils. My eyelids felt like weights and just when I succumbed to sleep, someone nudged me. I grunted, slowly sitting up in my seat and turning to see who it was that pulled me out of dreamland. A smiling Charlie Meyers holding a cigarette, asking me for a light, greeted me. I nodded and pulled my lighter from my pocket, handing it to him. A flare flickered near my face, illuminating the dark interior of the fuselage. I could just make out the light blonde locks sticking out from under Meyer’s helmet, how it contrasted against the dark paint on his face and his sharp blue eyes. With a click the Zippo lighter shut and it returned to darkness. “Here ya go,” Meyers, returned the lighter and I tucked it away, only to pull it out seconds later to light my own cigarette. Soon I join Meyers, puffing away at my tobacco. I never use to smoke before, but they do the trick, stress relief and all that. Had a calming affect on me and it might just keep me awake long enough. I could roughly make out the outline of Marshall sitting three seats down and across from me, his helmet leaning slightly to the left like it always did. He was playing with his cricket, clicking it again and again. Marshall is my best friend, from the first day in basic to hopefully the end of the war. Next to him was Freddie Hughes, an avid fan of the Yankees being that he’s from New York City and had a good sense of humor. You can trust him to make fun of just about anything.
James Patterson awakened himself during the aero plane flight, so keep himself from dosing off again, he asked one of the flight attendants for a cup of good old’ Joe. And he lit a cigarette. He was dreaming of his flight into Normandy on the fifth of June, after the jump, the French resistance picked him up and they traveled to one of the un-occupied beaches and the US coast guard picked him up and put him on the USS Frankford.
Patterson needed to focus for his meeting with Petrenko. After that, it was into the storm on finding James Bond 007.

[Greene Planet]

CHAPTER THREE
EARS AIRBORNE (I)




The 82nd Airborne Division was now ready for the most ambitious airborne operation of the war, Operation Neptune -the airborne invasion of Normandy. The operation was part of Operation OVERLORD, the amphibious assault on the northern coast of Nazi-occupied France.
In preparation for the operation, the division was reorganized. Two new parachute infantry regiments, the 507th and the 508th, joined the division. However, due to its depleted state following the fighting in Italy, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment did not take part in the invasion.
On June 5-6, 1944, the paratroopers of the 82nd's three parachute infantry regiments and reinforced glider infantry regiment boarded hundreds of transport planes and gliders and, began the largest airborne assault in history. They were among the first soldiers to fight in Normandy, France.
The division dropped behind Utah Beach, Normandy, France between Ste Mere-Eglise and Carentan on June 6th, 1944. They were reinforced by the 325th GIR the next day. The division remained under strong German pressure along the Merderit River. Eventually, the 325th GIR crossed the river to secure a bridgehead at La Fiere on June 9th. It was during this action that Pfc Charles N. DeGlopper single-handedly defended his platoon's position and subsequently was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
The next day the 505th PIR captured Montebourg Station and on June 12th the 508th PIR crossed the Douve at Beuzeville-la-Bastille and reached Baupt. They established a bridgehead at Pont l'Abbe on June 19th. The division then attacked down the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and captured Hill 131 on July 3rd. The following day the 82nd seized Hill 95 overlooking La Haye-du-Puits.
James Patterson read in his wartime journal, he had written this just before his Division was sent to Berlin to occupational duties. Patterson continued.
By the time the All-American Division was pulled back to England on July 13, 1944, it had seen 33 days of bloody combat and suffered 5,245 paratroopers killed, wounded or missing. The Division's post battle report read, "...33 days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained was ever relinquished."

Following the Normandy invasion, the 82nd became part of the newly organized XVIII Airborne Corps which consisted of the U.S. 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions. General Ridgway was promoted and assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Meanwhile, Assistant Division Commander, General James Gavin was also promoted and assumed command of the 82nd Airborne.
Operation Market Garden
In September, the 82nd began planning for Operation Market Garden in Holland. The operation called for three-plus airborne divisions to seize and hold key bridges and roads deep behind German lines. The 504th now back at full strength rejoined the 82nd, while the 507th went to the 17th Airborne Division.
On September 17, the 82nd Airborne Division conducted its fourth combat jump of World War II into Holland. Fighting off ferocious German counterattacks, the 82nd captured the Maas Bridge at Grave, the Maas-Waal Canal Bridge at Heumen and the Nijmegen-Groesbeek Ridge. The next day attempts to take Nijmegen Highway Bridge failed.

On 20 September the 504th carried out an heroic assault crossing the Waal. With artillery support the first wave of the 504th assaulted, in twenty-six assault boats, under intense fire, taking 200 casualties in the process. Finally on D+4 the 504th finally secured their hold on the bridge, fighting off another German counterattack just before noon.

It was in this skirmish that Pvt. John Towle won the Medal of Honor. Its success, however, was short-lived because of the defeat of other Allied units at Arnhem. The gateway to Germany would not open in September 1944, and the 82nd was ordered back to France.

Battle of the Bulge - The Ardennes Offensive
Suddenly, on December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest which caught the Allies completely by surprise. The 82nd moved into action on December 17th in reponse to the German's Ardennes Counteroffensive and blunted General Von Runstedt's (picture left) northern penetration in the American lines. On December 20th the 82nd attacked in the Vielsalm-St. Vith region and the 504th PIR took Monceau. This fiece attack forced the German units back across the Ambleve River the next day.

However, further German assaults along the Salm hit the 505th PIR in the Trois Ponts area on December 22nd and by December 24th the division lost Manhay. On December 25th, 1944 the division withdrew from the Vielsalm salient then attacked northeast of Bra on December 27th reaching Salm by January 4th, 1945.

On January 7th the 508th PIR Red Devil's launched an attack with the 504th in the vicinity of Thier-du-Mont where it suffered heavy casualties. The 508th was then withdrawn from the line and placed in reserve until January 21st when it replaced elements of the 2d Infantry Division.

On January 29, 1945 First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Jr. of Company C, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment won the Congressional Medal of Honor for action at Holzheim, Belgium. After leading his unit and capturing 80 Germans.

On February 7th, 1945 the division attacked Bergstein, a town on the Roer River. The 82nd crossed the Roer River on February 17th. During April, 1945 the division performed security duty in Cologne until they attacked in the Bleckede area and pushed toward the Elbe River. As the 504th PIR drove toward Forst Carrenzien, the German 21st Army surrendered to the division on May 2, 1945.
Patterson stopped reading the journal once he felt the plane hit the cement of Miami’s airport.