Rifles of Santorini: Chapter 4

The night was pitch dark and very silent as Nikos and his crew moved through the German camp. They were always careful, moving slowly and steady with each step. Their steps were as silent as shadows, close to being impossible to see the soldiers around them. The crew had practiced it many times before, and this was the day to put all of it into action. Every person knew his job, and they moved without a word. Nikos was in the lead, scanning the area ahead of him. Behind him, the team followed closely, sticking to the edges of the camp.

As they moved further into the camp, they encountered a few German patrols. The soldiers were walking along the paths, rifles in hand for possible trouble. They did not see them at first. The team quickly takes shelter behind barrels, trees or buildings. They were so silent that the German soldiers never noticed them. It felt like they were part of the night itself, merging with darkness. Nikos raised his hand and signaled. The team started moving again through the maze of tents and wooden structures.

Everything was moving as planned, but suddenly, the echo of boots shouting down the path could be heard. Nikos froze as his heart pounded in his chest. The team had been seen. A German patrol had turned a corner and was coming their way straight. There was no time to hide. Soldiers raised their rifles, and in a split second, shots were fired all around. The team scrambled to respond. Bullets flew in every direction as they fired back. Nikos ducked behind a large crate, his breath shallow and quick.

The firefight was short but intense. The team fought back with everything they had, but they were outnumbered. The Germans kept coming, and Nikos could hear more soldiers shouting orders. There was no way they could win this fight head-on. But they didn’t have to. Nikos motioned for the team to fall back, and they ran, ducking and dodging to avoid the bullets that whizzed past them. The alarms in the camp went off, signaling that the enemy had been attacked.

Nikos ran in the camp as fast as possible; they had to get to the assembly point before the Germans could mobilize and catch them. He ran down alleyways; they jumped over things that were in the way and wove around tents. Explosions could be heard in the distance, so they knew that their friends had gone ahead and started attacking the German artillery. Not a big win, but a very needed one.

They reached the rendezvous point just in time. The German artillery was burning, flames shooting up into the sky. It was a moment of triumph, but it didn’t last long. The team knew they couldn’t stay. The Germans would soon be after them, and the chase was just beginning. Nikos’s mind was racing as they made their way back toward Oia, but his thoughts were sharp. They’d had a successful mission, but now they’d made enemies, and the Germans would spare no one in finding them. Nikos and his team had to continue fighting and keep on moving. Greece’s freedom depended on it.