Rifles of Santorini: Chapter 3

The German artillery battery loomed ahead, the towering guns silhouetted against the night sky. Nikos, Maria, and their team crouched in the shadows, breathing shallowly and controlled. From their vantage point, they could see the encampment clearly: rows of tents illuminated by the faint glow of lanterns, German soldiers moving in disciplined patterns, and the imposing figures of the guns they had come to destroy.

The crunch of boots on gravel, the distant barking of a dog, cut through the night. Searchlights cut across the black sky, beams flashing like swords as they swung. The resistance fighters stood there silently, poised, waiting for their moment.

Nikos turned to his team, his voice no more than a whisper. “We keep it plan. No changes. Kostas, you and your crew, handle the explosives. Maria and I, take the route clear of debris and keep watch for him. Eleni, remains in position, signals if necessary.

All nodded, their grim faces held tight with determination. They knew the risks—they had seen the dismal consequences of failure before. None of them wavered. This mission was too important.

And after one last glance at the camp, Nikos gestured for the others to proceed. They began to move silently, deliberately toward the first hurdle: a stretch of barbed wire fences running along the edges of the place. The glint of moonlight on wire was a particularly cruel reminder of how far the Germans had taken their efforts to protect their hold.

Kostas brought out his wire cutters and started snipping through the fence. Every snip was deliberate, with the sound faint but sharp in the stillness. The team held their breath as every second stretched into eternity. Eventually, the fence buckled, and they slipped through it one by one into the heart of the encampment.

They glided like shades, hugging the earth and sticking to the darkest corner. The Germans were everywhere. Their voices carry through the air as they told jokes and recited stories of their exploits. Nikos and his team shunned them with practiced precision as every movement had been calculated.

As they drew closer to the first gun, the size of their job began to sink in. The cannon were huge; their barrels, angled out at the sea like silent predators holding their breath in wait for an unsuspecting fish. Nikos felt a bitter surge of rage as he realized what destruction those guns could loose on Allied shipping—and innocent life.

Kostas and his team began their work, placing explosives at the base of the first gun. The charges were small but very well crafted to destroy the weapon without raising immediate alarm. Nikos and Maria stood guard, scanning the darkness for any sign of danger.

It passed just like hours to minutes because people moved as speedily as necessary to their areas. Upon first gun rigged up, the entire crew shifted toward the second; this procedure did not alter into less haste despite repetition.

But just as they reached the third rifle, tragedy befell them. A German soldier turned the corner with a rifle slung across his shoulder. For a second he stopped, his eyes bulging, as he glimpsed the resistance fighters.

Alarm—” the soldier began shouting; Nikos was quicker. He leaped forward, knife raised under the dim light, and shut the man up before he could complete the word. The soldier fell across the hard earth of the doorway, his dead body an ugly reminder of the price to be paid.

Maria knelt over the body, her face pale but steady. “We must go quicker now. They’ll miss him soon.

Nikos nodded, his jaw clenched. “Kostas, finish setting the charges. We’ll cover you.”

The tension was palpable as the team completed their work. Every shadow seemed to hold an enemy, every sound a potential threat. When the last explosive was in place, Nikos checked his watch. The timers were set to detonate in thirty minutes—enough time to retreat to a safe distance.

But the return was treacherous. The party moved fast but carefully, retracing their steps through the camp. Searchlights swept perilously close, and the barking of dogs grew louder.

Eleni signaled from her position on the hill: two blinks of her lantern, followed by one. The Germans were on alert.

Maria clinched her grip on her rifle, her gaze scanning the blackness. “They’re after us. We have to disperse.”

Nikos didn’t respond. He just nodded. “Kostas, take your men and head due north. Maria and I will guide them south. Eleni, keep under cover and listen for our cue.”

The team split, each group disappearing into the darkness. Nikos and Maria headed south, trying to draw attention to themselves. It didn’t take long to understand that the Germans were following them.

“They’ve seen us,” Maria said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.

“Good,” Nikos replied. “Let them track us.

They ran through the base, taking cover from tents to dodging searchlights. The Germans were close,, But Nikos and Maria were quick, using the terrain to their advantage.

Finally, they reached the edge of the encampment, where a narrow path led down to the cliffs. Nikos paused, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. “We make our stand here,” he said.

Maria nodded, holding her rifle ready. Together they stood facing the soldiers, whose hearts pounded with adrenaline.

The first explosion rent the night apart, a deafening roar lighting up the sky. Then the second, then the third. The Eagles’ Nest was crashing, its guns now rubble.

Nikos and Maria exchanged a glance, a brief moment of triumph amidst the chaos. But their fight wasn’t over. The Germans were closing in, and they would have to fight their way out if they wanted to survive.

The night was far from over, and the price of freedom was just beginning to be paid.