Young Lions by Andrew Mackay

can’t,” a soldier replied. “They’re locked shut.” Some of the soldiers tried to use their rifle butts as a battering ram but the ancient oak doors were many inches thick and their energetic exertions made no impact on the doors what so ever. The doors stubbornly refused to budge.
    The fifth bell rang as the soldiers fired their Schmeissers at the Cathedral doors which finally began to splinter and shatter under the combined assault of half a dozen machine guns. Two soldiers fired a machine gun burst inside the Cathedral to clear the entrance and shattered the stained glass windows which had stood inside for a thousand years. “Grenade!” A soldier shouted as two soldiers threw a pair of grenades inside in rapid succession. “Clear!” The grenadiers shouted as chunks of masonry fell from the walls.
    Sixth bell. The frenzied mob of soldiers crashed through the damaged Cathedral doors. The soldiers stampeded through the foyer like a herd of wildebeest and the first man tripped the booby trapped grenade which Zorn had set earlier. The explosion ripped through the tightly packed soldiers who fell like ten pins in a jumbled heap of dead and dying men. Zorn watched the shredding of the soldiers as he ran towards the Cathedral doors stairs. I must retrieve the report from Wurst’s body.
    Groups of soldiers were heading for the communal entrances to the flats surrounding the Square whilst other soldiers fired indiscriminately at the windows. Soldiers continued to collapse to the ground as the assassins found new targets. Hordes of panicking civilians ran around the Square like lemmings but they were trapped by the barricades and they were trapped by the soldiers and were hopelessly caught in the crossfire.
    Seventh bell. Another section of soldiers entered the Cathedral, leapfrogging over their fallen comrades. “Medic! See what you can do for the wounded.” A feldwebel ordered. He spotted an S.S. officer approaching. “Sir!” The feldwebel shouted as he snapped to attention and saluted. The S.S. officer spotted the feldwebel at the same time and returned the salute.
    “Over here, Feldwebel!” Zorn replied. A thin film of sweat spontaneously spread over his forehead as Zorn realized that he was at real risk of being discovered.
    “Where are they, sir?” The feldwebel demanded as his forefinger itched on the trigger.
    “Down that way!” Zorn pointed down the length of the Cathedral, “I’m going to get reinforcements,” he said as he started heading towards the door. His heart was pounding so powerfully and so hard and fast that it threatened to burst out of his chest
    Eighth bell. As the feldwebel streamed by with his section. Zorn picked up a discarded Schmeisser, cocked it, switched off the safety catch and pulled the trigger unleashing a torrent of bullets into the backs of the unsuspecting soldiers. Because you’ve seen me. Because I can’t leave any witnesses. Because no one must know that I was here. The men fell on top of each other like dominoes. “I’m sorry,” Zorn said as he finished off the wounded with a double tap to the back of the head with his Luger.
    The Medic ordered to help the wounded heard the sudden burst of machinegun fire shatter the silence of the church. He slowly stood up and cautiously poked his head out from behind a column in time to see a figure disappear around a corner.
    A section of S.S. troopers started to pound up the flat stairs to the top floor where Sam and Alan were firing.
    “They’re coming,” Alan said, furiously working the bolt as he fired another shot.
    “I know. We’ve still got time. Keep firing,” Sam shouted as he squeezed off another round.
    Ninth bell. Zorn realized that he couldn’t leave by the main door. It was simply too conspicuous. Someone might spot him. He headed for the side exit, Luger in hand. He stepped out of the door and hurriedly jumped back to avoid being crushed by the crowd. Civilians were streaming past away from the Square,