URMA 1942. THEIR MORALE SHATTERED BY THE JAPANESE B ARMY’S SEEMINGLY ENDLESS VICTORIES, THE BROKEN BRITISH SURVIVORS OF YET ANOTHER LOST BATTLE STRUGGLED TO ESCAPE AS BEST THEY COULD IN THE CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ENEMY WASN’T FAR BEHIND.
THE JAPS ARE UNSTOPPABLE. WHAT CAN WE DO AGAINST AN ENEMY WILLING TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH EVERY TIME?
STORY ALAN HEBDEN ART VILA COVER JANEK MATYSIAK
4 CORPORAL DAN FARLEY WAS HIS PLATOON’S ONLY SURVIVING N.C.O. THROWN IN AT THE DEEP END TO SINK OR SWIM, HE FELT HE WAS SINKING VERY FAST INDEED. WE NEED A BREAK, CORP. THE LADS ARE DEAD ON THEIR FEET.
YES, I SUPPOSE YOU’RE RIGHT.
NOT DARING TO LIGHT A FIRE, THEY HUNKERED DOWN BY A CLEARING TO SIT OUT THE DARK INSECT-RIDDEN TROPICAL NIGHT NOT KNOWING IF WOULD BE THEIR LAST ONE ON EARTH.
UUURH!
KEEP IT DOWN, MATE, OR I’LL HAVE TO GAG YOU. I KNOW YOU’RE IN PAIN, BUT THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
HARDLY ANY FOOD OR AMMO LEFT, NO MEDICAL SUPPLIES, NO NOTHING, NO HOPE. THAT JUST ABOUT SUMS IT UP. IT CAN’T GET ANY WORSE.
5 BUT IT COULD. SUDDENLY A HUGELY AMPLIFIED VOICE SCREECHED THROUGH THE JUNGLE, SENDING A CHILL DOWN EVERYONE’S SPINE.
TOMEE, TOMEE! YOU HEAR ME, TOMMEE! YOU GOIN’ DIE, TOMMEE. NO-ONE SAVE YOU NOW, TOMMEE!
THEY...THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE! WE’RE DOOMED!
SHUT UP, BAKER!
DAN TRIED TO CONTAIN HIS OWN FEARS AND QUELL THOSE OF HIS MEN. IT’S A LOUDSPEAKER. THEY COULD BE A MILE OR MORE AWAY. THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE WE ARE. THEY’RE TRYING TO SPOOK US INTO GIVING OURSELVES AWAY. JUST SIT TIGHT. WORDS CAN’T HURT US.
IT WAS EASY TO SAY THAT, BUT IN REALITY THE TERRIBLE SCREECHING VOICE WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE. DIE SOON, TOMMEE! NO-ONE SAVE YOU NOW, TOMMEE!
I CAN’T STAND IT ANY MORE.
6 THE MAN, PRIVATE JACK BAKER, UTTERED A STRANGLED CRY, LEAPT TO HIS FEET AND RUSHED OFF BEFORE ANYONE COULD STOP HIM.
GOT TO GET AWAY!
BAKER!
DAN JUMPED UP BUT HE ALREADY KNEW IT WAS TOO LATE. NO, DON’T GO AFTER HIM. JUST HOPE HE DOESN’T RUN INTO THE JAPS AND LEAD THEM BACK TO US.
7 THEY LISTENED FOR A WHILE, BUT THERE WAS NO SOUND OF SHOOTING OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT TELL THEM IF BAKER HAD ENCOUNTERED THE ENEMY OUT THERE IN THE DARKNESS. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE THE TERRIBLE SCREECHING VOICE BEGAN AGAIN AS THE AWFUL TRUTH DAWNED ON DAN. DIE TODAY, TOMMEE! YOU HEAR ME, TOMMEE! YOU GOIN’ DIE, TOMMEE! NO-ONE SAVE YOU!
BAKER, MEANWHILE, HAD BEEN RUNNING BLINDLY IN A WIDE CIRCLE VAINLY TRYING TO ESCAPE THE FRIGHTFUL SCREECHING VOICE. DIE SOON, TOMMEE! NO-ONE SAVE YOU, TOMMEE!
SOMEONE STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!
I’M SCARED. THEY’RE GOING TO KILL US AND THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THEM.
OUT OF NOWHERE A FIST OF STEEL SLAMMED INTO HIS FACE.
OOOOF!
8 BAKER CAME GROGGILY TO A MINUTE OR SO LATER TO FIND HIMSELF SECURELY GAGGED AND TIED TO A TREE. A SHADOWY FIGURE WAS GOING AWAY FROM HIM.
DIE TODAY, TOMMEE! DIE, DIE!
UUUURH!
KEEP ON SHOUTING, TOJO. THAT WAY I’LL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO FIND YOU.
LESS THAN A MILE AWAY A SMALL JAPANESE SCOUTING PARTY WAS CAMPED FOR THE NIGHT. IT WAS ONE OF THEM WHO WAS USING A MEGAPHONE. DIE, TOMMEE! TOMORROW YOU DIE!
THAT’LL DO FOR NOW, KOKU. THE WHITE DOGS AREN’T FALLING FOR IT THIS TIME AND I WANT TO GET SOME SLEEP TOO. WHEN THE MAIN FORCE GETS HERE TOMORROW WE’LL SOON TRACK THEM DOWN AND FINISH THEM OFF.
9 KOKU WAS DISAPPOINTED. HIS BANSHEE WAILINGS HAD OFTEN FLUSHED OUT RETREATING ENEMY TROOPS AND HE WAS PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS.
GIVE ME A FEW MORE MINUTES, CORPORAL-SAN. THEY MAY BE AT THE END OF THEIR TETHER FOR ALL WE KNOW. HOW ABOUT IT?
RECEIVING NO REPLY KOKU LOOKED ROUND, HIS MOUTH DROPPING OPEN WITH SHOCK.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT, CORP...? HAAA! THEY ARE ALL DEAD!
10 THEN AN ALMOST INHUMANLY STRONG HAND SEIZED HIS HAIR AND YANKED BACK HIS HEAD, GIVING HIM A FINAL TERROR-STRICKEN MOMENT TO COMPREHEND HIS OWN IMPENDING DEATH.
A FEW MINUTES LATER THE GAG WAS RIPPED OFF BAKER’S MOUTH.
AND YOU CAN JOIN THEM, LOUDMOUTH!
HUUURH!
THE ROPE TYING HIM WAS TAKEN OFF AND HE WAS HAULED UNCEREMONIOUSLY TO HIS FEET AND GIVEN A MIGHTY SHOVE THAT PROPELLED HIM FORWARD. START WALKING AND KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT OR I’LL GAG IT AGAIN!
OOF!