Winter in Stalingrad

They started the action immediately, and Bach quietly and quickly walked around behind the guarding German army. After getting ready, he made a gesture to Gennaxi.

The Soviet Union understood and threw a stone not far from the front of the sentinel.

These disturbances really aroused the vigilance of the sentinel. He raised his gun and took a shooting posture, and began to slowly approach the sound point.

Bach approached him unexpectedly at this time, reached out from behind him, and covered the sentry's mouth.

The sentry's eyes widened in shock, and before he could make a sound, Bach cut his throat skillfully.

The arterial blood of the German sentinel spattered a full meter away, staining Bach's cuffs red.But he didn't let go, still covering the sentry's mouth, pressing his head to keep him from moving.Bach waited patiently for the sentinel to completely lose his life information, then let go of his hand, and gently put him on the ground.

As soon as the man fell to the ground, Bach and Gennasi began to attack the two remaining German soldiers respectively.

Gennasi was close, and he rushed forward, smashing the head of one of the German soldiers with a shovel.Bach was one step behind him; his opponent had spotted him and was reaching for the pistol in his coat for the attack.

Oops!

Bach's heart sank. The gunshots would reveal their positions. It would be fine if only two escaped, but they might not be so lucky if they took this little girl with them.

This worry only lasted for a second.

Gennasi drew his dagger more quickly before the German soldier could shoot, and threw it at him with all his might.

Bach watched as the dagger was inserted into the temple of the German soldier, and one end of the dagger even pierced the other side of the skull.

The enemy fell to his knees and fell straight down. For the first time, Bach looked at Gennasi with fear.

"Your arms are unreasonably strong."

The Soviet boy smiled rather shyly. He was still holding an engineering shovel with blood in his left hand, which made this scene particularly terrifying.Of course, Bach, who had just killed his compatriots, was in the same situation at the moment. It is impossible for two people who have survived on the front line to be afraid of killing people.

"What I do most of the time is to drive tanks and artillery, and load bombs. However, I admit that my strongest record is to lift the roof of a malfunctioning tank and rescue my comrades in arms."

"Are you a monster?" Bach couldn't help asking.

"The shells are heavy, okay! I have to load so many shells every day, so it's only natural that I have a strong arm."

The German felt that his three views would be ruined if he continued to struggle. He shook his head and turned his attention to the shivering little girl curled up in a ball.

The little girl was disheveled and looked at the two adults who had saved her life with fearful eyes. In her opinion, the two people in front of her were not lifesavers. Although they were violently treated by the German army, these two generals She was even more afraid of a man who could still talk and laugh happily even after he killed him so easily.

Bach stepped aside consciously. The military uniform he was wearing was enough to shatter any Soviet civilian's sense of security.At this time, it would be more appropriate to let young Soviet soldiers solve the problem.

Gennasi walked up to the girl and squatted down so that his eyes could be at the same level as the little girl's. He knew that for a child, it would make them feel more secure if they didn't have to look up.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" He tried his best to speak softly: "But there is no way to save you if you don't do this. Don't be afraid, I am the Liberation Army of Stalingrad, and I have the responsibility to send any citizen back safely. Home."

The little girl raised her head and saw the golden five-star badge on the cap of the Soviet soldier.

She finally smiled.

Gennasi felt relieved and reached out to pick up the little girl.

"I'm Gennasi, can you tell me your name?"

"Iskra..." the girl replied shyly.

"Iskra, do you remember which direction your home is in?"

Iskra pointed in a direction for him.

"Go there, you'll be there soon."

Gennasi, holding the child, turned his upper body to look at Bach.

"Shall we take her home first?"

"Of course. But wait."

Bach walked to the place where the three German soldiers were hoarding supplies, dug out some food from their supplies, carefully packed it and carried it on his shoulders.Then pull the legs of the dead bodies and drag them into the ruins where they are not easy to be found.

After realizing that the matter was handled perfectly, he wiped off his sweat, and said to the young soldier and the little girl with satisfaction:

"Let's go."

The two Soviets looked at each other silently, exchanged a look of incomprehension, and then nodded in unison.

It's snowing.

Gennasi held Iskra on his shoulders, and the little girl happily knelt her face on his head, enjoying the sight from a high place.

The Germans consciously kept a distance from them, and Bach was well aware of Iskra's fear of him, and did not want to trouble her.

This rare and warm scene took away the sadness and haze in the heart of the German. In the thick smoke of war, the smiling faces of young people and children can heal many things.

Under the guidance of the little girl, they found her home.As Gennasi had expected, from the outside it looked like nothing but ruins.Iskra's real residence is located under the ruins, in a small basement.

Before they knocked on the door, Bach suggested that he hide outside and wait a while, but Gennasi did not immediately agree.

"But you participated in the rescue work." The Soviet boy hoped that his prisoners of war would be treated with the respect they deserved.

Bach shook his head.

"Listen to me, or you will scare the people inside to death. Or do you not believe me, and I'm afraid of running away?"

"No! Of course not!" Gennasi said, he couldn't restrain his voice, and he was taken aback by the firmness in his tone.At this time, he remembered that he and Bach still had a relationship of rival camps, and he and Bach had only known each other for only one day.

He trusted him even more than he trusted his fellow man.

Not just trust, Gennasi knew there was something else going on.

God, he's in love with him.

He is grateful for the opportunity in his life to know such a person who touched his heart.But at the same time, he also fell into deep worry, their gender, their position... The moment he knew that he fell in love with him, he also understood that his love might not be able to survive tomorrow.

He didn't even know what Bach thought of himself.

But Gennasi didn't want to worry about that anymore, he gently put down the little girl in his arms, and whispered in her ear:

"Please close your eyes for a moment."

After making sure that no one was watching them, Gennasi stepped on the thick snow, and the cold and familiar wind could not extinguish the fire in his heart.

He walked up to Bach and hugged him with all his remaining strength.

Bach returned the hug without hesitation.

Is this a hug between brothers or something else?

Gennasi couldn't tell the difference, and it seemed that there was no need to make a clear distinction.

He quickly let go of Bach, and then turned to the other side without looking back.

Iskra's mother received Gennasi in a friendly manner. She wiped away tears, held Gennasi's hand and said, "Thank you, young comrade."

The young Soviet soldier's face was sad, and for the first time in his life, he felt heartache at the word comrade.

Can they say comrades to people outside the USSR?And is it really necessary to use such words to determine respect between people?

He shook his head, shaking off the thoughts that came to his mind.

He said to Iskra's mother with a serious expression:

"There is another enthusiastic person who helped me save your daughter. He killed the German soldiers on guard."

The woman showed a puzzled look, but soon she thought that the man had left silently because he didn't want to leave his name.

"If you meet him, please thank him for me."

"He is just outside the door, my lady, with the cold stone where you once lived."

"Then why don't you ask him to come in with you?"

Gennasi smiled.

"I was afraid you would mind that he was a German."

The snow fell harder.

Bach was really cold, and the hot air he exhaled could not remove the ice beads on his hands. He knew that his hands must be frostbitten, but he was not sure whether it was necessary to amputate his hands.He raised his face, and managed to glance at the still closed door through the wind and snow.

Maybe it's better not to open it.

The Germans thought so.

But it's still open.

Gennasi poked his head out from the door, saw Bach's miserable state, and immediately frowned, regretting that he hadn't insisted on letting him in earlier.

The Soviet boy helped his captive up while biting off his gloves and warming his hands with his own body heat.Bach's frostbitten hands flinched as soon as they touched his skin. It felt like being scalded by boiling water. Gennasi firmly grasped them again.He was still biting his glove, unable to speak, and could only shake his head at Bach, signaling him to be patient.

The corner of the latter's mouth was lifted up with difficulty, which seemed to be a response to his miserable smile.

After entering the room, Gennasi helped Bach to sit down at a dining table full of pots and utensils, and only then had the opportunity to remove the glove from his mouth.

"Hold on, Iskra's mother made us borscht."

Soon, Soviet women were bringing beef soup and boiled potatoes to the table.The meat was still found in the army rations Gennasi brought.

Bach's hands were shaking so badly that it took three failed attempts to grab the spoon.During this period, the whole table was watching his behavior, and Gennasi had to fight the urge to feed him, which was too noticeable to say so.

The German put the soup into his mouth and swallowed the life-saving hot food into his stomach with the temperature almost scalding his intestines.Then he raised his head, squeezed out an ugly smile at the three people in front of him, and said in Russian:

"Thank you, it's delicious."

Including Iskra's mother, all three of them smiled in relief.

Gennasi almost cried and ate this traditional Soviet meal that tasted like his mother. It was so delicious that he felt that he would die without regret.

After the meal, Gennasi offered to help Iskra's mother wash the dishes. He knew that a local like her should know the specific location of the Soviet stronghold.These ordinary people trapped in the city will ask the People's Liberation Army for food after they are too hungry. If they are lucky, one or two kind soldiers will distribute the food to them.

Before finding the opportunity to speak, the door to the basement was opened.

Everyone in the room was startled, and Bach was thankful that he raised his hand in surrender in time.Because those two people who came in without knocking were Soviet soldiers.

One of them was holding a large bag of things, which seemed to be food.

"Comrade, let's come..." The leading soldier wearing glasses spoke carelessly as soon as he came in, but before he finished speaking, he saw a German who raised his hand to surrender to him, and then he saw the German in front of him. The plates on the table that have been eaten.

Behind the soldier with glasses, the older soldier holding the package immediately dropped the things in his hands, took out the long gun behind his back, and prepared to shoot.

"Please wait!"

Gennasi dropped the tableware and strode up to the two Soviet soldiers. He already knew the identity of the soldier wearing glasses from the military badge.

"Comrade Commissar! Please don't shoot, he is an intelligence agent who has come to join us."

The Soviet political commissar raised his eyebrows, squinted at Gennasi and Bach, and then stretched out his hand to signal the soldiers behind him to put down their guns.

He didn't respond to Gennasi immediately, but set his sights on Bach.

He asked the names of the Germans and the young Soviet soldiers, and then took Gennasi aside alone, leaving his companions to watch over Bach.

It was still snowing heavily outside the house, and Gennasi followed the political commissar for a considerable distance before finding a place where he could shelter from the wind.

The Soviet political commissar simply told Gennasi to call himself Victor, then took out a jug of wine from his arms, drank some himself, and handed the wine to Gennasi who was already frozen.

"Thank you, Comrade Political Commissar." As a low-level artilleryman, Gennasi, of course, did not dare to call the political commissar by name directly, and he took the jug gratefully.

"You're welcome, Comrade Sidorov, don't be nervous. I called you here alone. I just want to ask you something about this German."

Victor learned about the whole process of their encounter from Gennasi. The teenager avoided the plots of the special relationship between the two, but only told the political commissar that they had established a friendship after a long talk and rescued Iskra together.During this process, the political commissar lit a cigarette, interrupted Gennasi from time to time, and patiently asked him some details.This made Gennaxi feel very embarrassed. He had already guessed that he was suspicious from the content of the political commissar's repeated inquiries.

It was not until the smoke was over that Victor began to express his opinion.

"Judging from his appearance and your description, he is the Felix Moritz Bach we are looking for, that's right."

"Are you looking for him?!" Gennasi widened his bright eyes.

Victor nodded, noticing the hurt look on the boy's face.

The man smiled, he was very good at reading people's expressions, Gennasi had something to hide from him, but the part he said was not a lie.

"It seems he didn't tell you."

Victor hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to explain it to the child.

He lit a second cigarette.

"He was a man of considerable background, a member of the anti-Nazi organization White Rose.

"White Rose?"

"We don't know the details of this organization. On the surface, it is just a student organization, engaged in anti-Nazi campaigns. But it is said that there is another faction secretly planning to overthrow the Nazi government and want the German Democratic Party to come to power. .

As far as I know, this more obscure and hidden faction has the support of Western countries behind it.For example, your friend hid his identity and joined the army, and also participated in the intelligence processing work on the front line.He sent many important telegrams to our intelligence department on a secret channel.Two days ago, White Rose got in touch with us, and only then did we know who this person was, and we also knew that his identity had been exposed.And White Rose wants us to rescue him. "

Victor stopped explaining, he adjusted his glasses, and was very interested to see the shocked face of the boy in front of him.Gennasi looked regretful at first, then covered his face in frustration.

"What's the matter with you, Comrade Sidorov?" Victor asked.

Gennasi buried his face in his hands and said angrily:

"I'm too bad." His guts were green with regret: "I used to think that he betrayed the German army because he was greedy for cheap. For some time, I regarded him as a pure German traitor."

Of course, Bach would not easily reveal his true identity to this little boy, but why was he so impulsive?

The political commissar patted him on the shoulder.

"You are right to maintain such a skeptical attitude. After all, he is not our comrade. After all, what he wants to defend is his own country. In the future, if necessary, he may become our enemy. Don't forget his back Whoever, we are to him only a means to an end. But right now, the intelligence and capabilities he knows will be useful to us."

The young Soviet man was silent for a long time. He could say that he had never thought about such a complicated issue in his life.He knew that he didn't have the brains of Victor. The commissar's thinking had already transcended their current war and entered the future stage.

After trusting Bach as a companion, Gennasi was convinced that he didn't like the Nazis in his bones. He never thought about whether the German didn't like the Soviet Union as well.

"Comrade Political Commissar, I don't know if I am qualified to ask you how our army will deal with him?"

Gennasi frowned when he said the word disposition.It's a bit ashamed to say that, including himself, most Soviets are not willing to treat the captured German soldiers kindly.When I talked to my brothers about the Germans who were locked up in prisoner-of-war camps, I also expressed the hope that they would freeze more people to death there, so as to save rations for the Soviets.Deep down in his heart, he clearly knew that this was not much different from the fascist thought that the Nazis put the Jews in concentration camps and hoped that they would die more.

But when it was Bach, the object of his adoration, it was difficult for Gennasi to treat him fairly with other Germans.

When Victor heard him ask this question, he really showed a displeased expression.As a political commissar, he always habitually doubted the positions of others, and judged whether their ideas ran counter to Marxism-Leninism.

But there was pure worry in Gennaxi's eyes, and finally the political commissar relaxed.He can still trust his own judgment, and he can feel the patriotism and sense of justice emanating from Gennasi.

They were able to rescue a Soviet child together, and it was only natural that they would form a friendship.

"We will protect him and assign him a suitable job."

Hearing what Victor said, Gennasi was finally relieved.

They returned to the basement of Iskra.This time, Bach had a separate discussion with the political commissar, who informed Bach of the final decision.

"Okay, thank you." After listening, the German was not surprised at all, he had already guessed that the Soviet Army had already arranged everything for him.

Now, he was more worried about Gennasi, the silly boy didn't know how to hide it, he was too friendly to himself, but it would be bad for him for a commissar to find out.

Several soldiers packed their bags and prepared to follow the political commissar to the headquarters.

Before he left, Victor gave food to the mother and daughter of Iskra, and comforted them. Although he just said that we were about to defeat the German army, Gennasi still treated Wei as the political commissar. Kedo's impression has changed.

The four bid farewell to the Iskra mother and daughter, and Gennasi promised that he would visit them again.