Chapter 162: Saving Private Carl

Relying on the urban combat experience gained in Oranienburg, Lin cautiously observed the surrounding environment before crossing the street. Without infrared night vision equipment, Bach's binoculars began to play a role. This area had not yet fully fallen under Soviet control, and scattered German soldiers could still be encountered along the way. Many of them were wounded, with some so severely injured that they needed their comrades to carry and support them. The soldiers guarding Berlin came from various branches of the German military—army, SS, Luftwaffe ground forces, and even some naval combat personnel. Therefore, Lin didn't need to inquire about Tank and Tichmeyer's whereabouts from the people around him. Instead, he relied on his judgment of body language and voices. He would only call out "Markus" or "Carl" when he suspected a target, sometimes switching the order, making it sound like "Carl. Markus."

In the current situation, Lin had no reservations. After passing through two blocks in succession, bullets flying overhead reminded him and his two followers that "this was a battlefield." Here, people couldn't hold their heads high or stand straight. Their movements resembled those of felines. Setting down the ammunition box and picking up the binoculars again, Lin saw a dark silhouette at the street corner ahead. Moments later, the distant illumination flare dispelled the not-so-thick darkness, revealing the silhouette. The distinctive and imposing outline of the "Tiger" revealed the landmark he had been searching for.

With the exhaust still emitting fumes, it meant the "Tiger" was still operational. After waiting for half a minute, Lin saw it shake, and hot flames erupted from the sides of the barrel, followed by thick smoke, resembling the scene of smoking a cigar.

From the battlefield position, Lin could basically confirm that it was one of the two "Tigers" he had previously fought alongside. Seeing it slowly retreating alone, Lin could imagine the fate of the other "Tiger." He hoped Tank and Tichmeyer could avoid such a tragic fate.

There were still some German infantry nearby providing cover for their heavy tanks, but they were widely scattered among the surrounding ruins. The lighting and distance were not enough for Lin to identify his comrades. Before he could leave the temporary observation crouch, a sharp "whoosh" sound pierced the air, and he quickly pressed his head against the broken wall, pulling back his left hand along with the binoculars. The explosion sounded less fierce than a regular artillery shell, but the shockwave was still very clear. The shrapnel flew far, hitting many debris on the ruined buildings.

As the aftermath of the explosion dissipated, Lin looked up and saw the crater left by the shell only six or seven meters away. The hard concrete ground left a basin-sized pit, and its depth was difficult to gauge at a glance. This was obviously an armor-piercing shell that missed its target. Many soldiers had been killed or injured by such shells on the battlefield. Lin's mindset fluctuated for a moment, and he even had the idea of ending it hastily. However, it was just a moment of hesitation. He decisively got up and entered the adjacent building. After prolonged Allied bombing, most of the buildings remaining in Berlin were open with broken windows and doors, and even the walls that were originally blocked now had many holes large enough for people to pass through. Therefore, these surviving buildings became ideal places for soldiers from both sides to hide from gunfire and set up positions in urban combat.

Avoiding the front, Lin moved forward with Wolfram and Noah in the abandoned streets and alleys. In such a combat zone, it was highly likely to encounter soldiers from the opposing camp face to face. Everyone's spirits were highly tense, and many couldn't get the unified password issued by the city defense headquarters in time (in fact, these passwords could only be transmitted to some positions, checkpoints, and those military police still active in the city that had not yet been attacked by artillery). Plus, the battlefield environment did not allow for free conversation, so soldiers either judged identities based on the other's attire and accent or simply bypassed each other without interference.

"Markus? Carl?"

Seeing two figures crouching in the corner of the adjacent ruins, Lin initially thought they were two young privates. However, as he approached, he was startled to see that they were two soldiers from the National Assault Regiment, with old faces and uniforms. It seemed they had lost their weapons and didn't know where to go, so they sat here waiting for the Soviets to capture them. Lin had nothing to say or do about their situation and thoughts, so he continued forward without a word. When they reached the north-south alley, they saw that the "Tiger" had already retreated from the street corner, but there were several bodies of soldiers lying on the ground near the corner. Lin saw two soldiers with similar stature to Tank and Tichmeyer, known as "Big Ears Steel Helmets," retreating from the opposite side to this side. Halfway through, they were hit by Soviet machine gun fire. A series of bullets kicked up a diagonal spray of dust on the ground, and the soldier behind was hit immediately. He opened his arms in pain, fell forward onto the exposed street, and then, in a crisp gunfire, the soldier in front was hit in the back, causing his body to suddenly tense up as he continued to move forward. At the moment he was about to fall, his head, body, and legs formed a reverse arch, as if all the strength of his life was used to display this unusual beauty. Next, he fell heavily to the ground like a heavy sandbag, without even a struggle.

Lin's heart suddenly tightened: "Please don't let it be those two kids!"

"Captain, look, that looks like Carl!" Wolfram's surprised and excited shout immediately attracted enemy fire. Although the submachine gun bullets lacked accuracy, they suddenly hit Lin and his companions, making all three of them quickly hide behind the rubble.

"Where did you see Carl?" Lin asked hurriedly.

Since they were already targeted, Wolfram continued without hesitation, "To the right, across the street, there's a broken house with only two walls left, just one floor. I just saw someone hiding inside, looked like Carl!"

Lin wanted to take a peek, but the Soviet soldier who targeted this area immediately fired another burst of bullets, this time hitting the rubble pile Lin was hiding behind. The bullets whizzed into the rubble, making a hair-raising sound.

"Okay, let's try our luck!"

Saying this to himself, Lin bent down and handed the iron box containing the last two anti-tank rockets to Noah, whispering to him, "After firing towards the rear position on the opposite side of the street, quickly retreat to the broken building we passed by earlier and wait."

Noah nodded: "Understood!"

Lin then instructed Wolfram, "Gordon, move left twenty meters. When Noah fires, aim at the position where bullets are coming from across the street, it doesn't matter if you hit, the key is to distract the enemy and watch your own safety at the same time!"

Wolfram widened his eyes: "Captain, are you going across the street?"

Instead of answering yes or no, Lin took out a magazine filled with bullets from his pouch and handed it to Wolfram. With a firm belief that even moved himself, he said, "You are all my brothers, and I will spare no effort to save you even at the cost of my life!"

At this moment, faced with such fearless sacrifice and the true emotions forged by blood and fire, a different expression appeared in Wolfram's eyes, very different from before. He said heavily, "Captain, take care!"

Lin sighed and took out the binoculars with his left hand, holding the beloved "Mauser m1932 submachine gun" in his right hand. He went to the right without hesitation. Wolfram immediately picked up the mp44 assault rifle and moved to the left. Noah opened the ammunition box on the spot, took out a long spindle-shaped anti-tank rocket, and placed it in the launcher with slightly trembling hands, silently counting the time in his mind... Observing the situation on the opposite side through the binoculars, Lin confirmed the building Wolfram mentioned, with only two walls left, and saw the top of a German helmet—experienced soldiers would always protect their bodies and heads when hiding. In a moment, a rocket with a bright tail flew out from their side, and Lin quickly put the binoculars back into his pocket and pulled out the second shotgun from the holster. Considering that Soviet soldiers could appear in the street area at any time, he simultaneously cocked both shotguns with his thumbs. The sound of gunfire rang out, and Lin moved forward, waiting for the fifth bullet from the assault rifle to shoot out. Without any distractions, he sprinted forward.

Accustomed to crowded cities, walking suddenly on an empty street was very refreshing, but Lin didn't feel that way at all. He sprinted a few meters straight ahead, then suddenly changed direction like dribbling on a soccer field, turning sharply to the right without reducing speed—bullets flying from the opposite side proved his assumption to be correct. Although the sound of enemy bullets flying made his emotions extremely tense, he didn't dare to be the slightest bit slow in his movements. After two meters, he made a second turn, charging straight to the opposite street. In order to maintain as fast a running speed as possible, he intentionally preserved some adjustment space by lowering his body. The obstacle Lin tried to cross was only a medium-width street. With the heavy night vision equipment removed and fully prepared for a sprint, there was no need for a third turn, and he had already reached the opposite street. The ruins along the street blocked the Soviet soldiers from shooting from the other side of the street, but Lin didn't dare to be complacent. He turned sideways and climbed over a pile of rubble along the street, stumbling into the broken house with only two walls left, panting heavily against the wall. At this moment, the German soldier facing him raised his head in surprise, and his submachine gun also turned towards Lin. Just as he was about to fire, his eyes widened in astonishment.

"Carl..." Lin's call was like that of a father with a stern heart finding his angry child, full of pity and love.