Prologue
September 22, 1943. Autumn had begun. This is the period where bears eat without a second of break. Food and drink is all that is on their mind. They're preparing for winter hibernation. Two Eurasian brown bears, a mother and her cub wander near the river's beach. The cubs are with mom for one and a half years. This cub is two months old. He already has to keep up with her. If he falls behind, it could be the end. Females always give birth to two cubs, the cubs brother...
had been killed.
The tide went down and several species of crab are exposed. Fish themselves become easier to catch. They must be quick as the tide will rise before sunset. The cub eats the small crabs while the mother dispatches the adult crabs. The crabs tend to give a nasty pinch, and the mom's guard is down as she fails to notice the rifle pointed towards her. Seconds later... the birds, startled by a loud noise, fly away.
Chapter 1
Photographing wildlife is Richard George's specialty, his passion. Catching birds mid-flight with the photograph being still is an awe-inspiring sight, and seeing the long way down from the top of a mountain is a sight that pumps the blood in your heart, something he cherishes... it's just that he never intended to be dangling for dear life at the edge of a mountain at this moment.
"George!" cried Jack Lisowski, his assistant.
"I'm hanging on, Jim. You know, have you ever considered losing weight?"
"I weigh less than 65 kilos, you jerk!"
George was barely holding his fingers, feeling like a hammer has been hitting them repeatedly. His friend Jack is hanging by Georges legs and slipping down by the second. A fall of 700 meters.
"I-I have an idea, Jack."
"Now I'm certain we're gonna die."
Richard swallowed heavily and spoke. "I'm going to dangle from left to right, and you're gonna grab the ground and pull me up."
"Have you lost the plot!?"
George began to dangle from left to right.
"George, you'll pay for this!" Richard was able to garner momentum, his hands barely holding on, and the edge he was holding on to was slowly falling apart. "It's now or never, Jimmy boy!"
Jack let go of Richard's arms as he was swung and he grabbed the ground, slowly lifting himself up. He quickly went to George and used up all of his strength and barely pulled him in. Jimmy was breathing heavily, panting.
"Next time, watch where you step."
"Jack, come on, the birds are such beauty, I sometimes forget I'm walking on land and not the sky." Jack rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but the bushes rustled.
"What now!?" he said and went behind Richard, trembling. And he grabbed him by his hips."If it's wolves..."
"No, no, it can't be, they rarely attack humans."
"A lynx!?"
"Even less likely, they're shy creatures."
Jack squeezed George's hips, and George yelped a bit. Richard George then twirled his long and pointy black mustache, as he always does when he's nervous, and said, "Just walk to the right slowly." They began to move, their eyes not darting away from the bush. But from the bushes, a creature erupted. Jack Lisowski screamed like a 2-year-old. George nearly fell down the mountain once more, but once they blinked, they calmed slightly. Jack said, "Is that a bear cub?"
Chapter 2
The cub started nibbling on Richard's boot. The two of them stared dumbfounded. George spoke, "What are you doing here, you adorable little thing?" He smiled and chuckled, wanting to pet the bear but hesitated. The bear started playing with his shoelaces, untying them and making a mess. Jack cleared his throat, "If the cub is here, then the mom isn't too far behind." George gulped, "Let's go." They began to move, and after a minute, Richard turned back and the cub was running towards them.
George waved his arms up, trying to make himself bigger to scare off the cub, "Go back, return to the wild." The bear came to him and rubbed its head on Richard George's leg. Jack laughed, "It thinks you're its mom, oh that's the saddest thing I've ever seen."
"Oh shut up, bears can't imprint... Though one thing I believe is certain," a pause, Jack said, "Do you think... the mom's dead?"
Richard twirled his mustache, "Normally, we would've seen her already, which means she must've died." Jack shook his head, "Let's go, pick up the pace."
"W-wait, Jack, we can't leave the cub all alone. It's not ready to live by itself, it will die out there." Jack put his hands on his hips, "And what do you propose we do? Take it with us to the camp, a bear? Are you insane?"
George scoffed, "It's just a cub."
"In a few months, it will be a killing machine."
"Listen, Jack, we just have to hold onto it for a little while, maybe a few weeks at most, and we will find it a home. Someone will take care of it, I'm sure."
Jack shook his head, "Nobody is going to accept a freaking bear, man... You know what, whatever, do what you want, just leave me out of it." He waved dismissively and walked away. George smiled a bit. He wanted to carry the bear, but as a wild animal, he was cautious not to make it feel threatened.
He had no treats on him, but it was not needed as the bear followed him closely the entire way. As they walked, Jack spoke, "What a day. I guess I shouldn't have taken that old fool's money. It all feels like I'm being punished. First, I'm stuck with a mad photographer. Secondly, I nearly fall off a mountain, and then, six months from now, I will be eaten by a bear."
George scoffed, "Don't be so overdramatic. And who did you rob?"
Jack laughed, "Before we embarked on your little adventure, I was sitting in a diner. This old fool came, talked some old nonsense, put the tip on the counter, and went to the restroom. Now the waitress was in the back, so I snatched the money and walked away. The guy saw as he came out, but too late, I was far away by then." George frowned.
Afterwards, they reached the camp, the 22nd artillery company. Located in the forest, the army is called only when emergency arrives. Richard George, and Jack Lisowski are photographers and writers. Right now, they write propaganda, a job they dislike. However, picturing the wildlife and getting the most amazing pictures and selling them is what they enjoy... that is when it doesn't involve hanging on a cliff, as Jack Lisowski would put it.
The soldiers waited for their new captain; their old one was missing in action. The barracks were empty. The bear followed them constantly, like a lost puppy. George tied it with a rope. The bear looked very enthusiastic, constantly sniffing everything. George gave it some canned food, hoping it would relax. George chuckled to himself, "The great thing about bears is that they're not too picky, they'll eat anything."
Jack rolled his eyes, "You won't be able to hide it for too long, George. This is a disaster waiting to happen."
Jack went to the mirror, fixed his blonde hair, and heard a loud voice, "Attention!" George said, "Is that the new captain?" Jack scoffed, "Can't wait for the relic they're gonna bring us this time."
They went outside and joined the rest of the men and saw the new captain. He stood at 193 cm tall, with a scar on the left side of his neck and one on the right side of his forehead. He was in his mid-50s. He spoke in a low raspy voice, "Line up, ladies. My name is, Charlton Eastwood. I've eaten more bullets and wrestled more alligators than any of you would know, and unlike your previous captain, I won't be a p-" He abruptly stopped and made eye contact with Jack. George looked at Jack, "What's going on?"
Jack was shaking in his boots, "That's the guy I stole money from."
Chapter 3
Charlton stormed in front of them and grabbed Jack by the ear. "Now where's the tip?"
"T-that was so long ago, I already sp-" Charlton twists his ear.
"Agh alright alright here."
"And for my cakes?"
"I do-" twists his ear harder."Alright here." Charlton lets him go and asks, "What's your name, private?"
Jack holds his ear. "I-I'm not a private, I mean I, along with George here, w-we're photographers and boost morale for the troops." Charlton scoffs. "Figures, who in their right mind would issue a uniform hobbit size? Drop and give me 50."
"W-Wait, sir, I'm useful. I speak fluent German. So if we capture an enemy-"
"Would you like to give me 100?"
Jack goes to the ground and starts doing push-ups. Charlton turns to George. "Lord almighty, what is that on your face?" George's eyes widen a bit. "Oh this?" He twirls his mustache. "It's my mustache."
"It looks like someone glued two rotten bananas on your face. Drop and give me 20." Charlton then turns his attention to the soldiers. After finishing their push-ups, the two immediately go into the camp. "I can't lift my arms above my waist," says Jack.
George sees that the cub had escaped from the rope. "Oh no." He frantically looks around, searching for it until he hears munching sounds. He tiptoes his way to the sound and witnesses the cub greedily eating the bread and attempting to open a can of tuna.
"It's already a menace. What did I tell you?" says Jack. George simply scoffs but then the cub runs between his legs. "Catch it, Jack!" The cub runs outside, George on its trail. Numerous times he attempts to jump on it to stop it, but each time he ends with a mouth full of dirt. Afterwards, George tries to grab the cub by the leg, but he keeps tripping. Jack is laughing to the point he could hardly breathe.
"Stop laughing and help me!" Jack laughs harder.
George is out of breath and the cub climbs up a tree. "Now what," says George between breaths. Jack speaks. "It will come down the same way it came up." An hour passes.
"Jack, I don't think it's coming down." Jack shrugs and walksoff. "I've had enough of this."
"Jack, come on! Can you at least give me a long stick?"
After a minute, Jack comes back with a long stick. George uses it to poke the bear, attempting to force it to come down. The cub merely licks the stick unfazed. At this, both of them call it quits and start to walk away. Brown bear cubs are excellent climbers; however, once they reach maturity, they become too heavy to climb.
As George walks, he hears branches break. As he turns around, he sees a round ball falling on him. It was the bear. "AHHHH," he screams and opens his arms without thinking, and the bear drops on his chest. George falls down.
"Guess that solves our problem," says Jack.
They took the bear to the camp. George held it down this time tying the rope better and fed the bear milk. "So what gender is it?" Jack asks and pulls the small tail up.
"Jack, come on. You don't check the gender that way."
George inspects the bear, seeing the thick ears, thick brown fur, sharp claws, and large hands to body size, the overall robust body, and says, "I believe it is a male." The bear then urinates on the floor. Jack looks away. "Now I know too much about bears."
"You could say an unbearable amount of knowledge," he laughs as Jack rolls his eyes. The door opens and several soldiers came in. They stop their chatter and ask, "Is that a bear?"
"Um... would you believe me if I said it's a dog?" says George.
Chapter 4
"That's definitely a bear," one of the soldiers approached. They all wore a look of surprise. The bear immediately ran towards them and headbutted the leg of one of them and started to climb another. "H-hey, get off me," one of the soldiers said. "I think he likes you," they laughed. The bear sniffed him and licked his hair. One of the men grabbed the bear. George's eyes widened in fear, a wild animal never likes to be picked up. However, the cub didn't mind. He curiously looked at the man, continuing to sniff and lick everything.
One of the men gave it honey, and the bear licked it enthusiastically. In several Slavic languages, a bear is called medved, which means "he who eats honey." George came over to the soldiers, "Listen, now, if we're to help the cub, you mustn't utter a word to the captain."
One of the soldiers scoffed, "We're never telling a word to that old geezer." They gave the bear belly rubs, and the bear laid back, spreading its legs, enjoying it. George went to Jack and said, "This could not have gotten better. Finally, we can stop writing that treacherous propaganda. With the bear, we boost the troops' morale. We can now have more time to take pictures of wildlife." He laughed enthusiastically.
Jack said, "If only there were women in here, then it would be complete."
George cleared his throat, "Well, you know, Jack...there are lots of men here." George laughed while Jack stormed out in embarrassment.
The following day at 5 am, the captain went into the barracks, throwing pans and yelling. For the soldiers that did not wake up, he began to flip their beds, tossing them on the floor. Jack rubbed his eyes, "You said for us to wake up at 6 am." "You think the enemy is gonna wait and have breakfast with you?" Charlton flipped the bed, and Jack fell. "Wake up, ladies!" He began to approach George.
Richard George looked down, he saw the bear cub, and the cub began to run. George picked him up and put him under the bed, but the cub refused to stay still. So George placed the bear under his shirt. Once Charlton saw him, he paused, "What's under your shirt?"
"Oh, nothing, sir. I just ate breakfast, and you know, sir, my stomach grows rapidly whenever I eat. I mean, I simply eat a single cookie, and poof, it becomes the size of 10 bowling balls."
Charlton looked up, shaking his head, "Just get up," and left.
George got the bear out of his shirt, "Ow, ow, your claws already hurt a lot." Outside, the soldiers trained. There were regular sparring matches, and they shot their rifles at the wooden target. They crawled on all fours through the mud with wires above as the captain, Charlton Eastwood, would fire his gun sometimes, a mere meter from their heads and the long jugs that filled out the day. Meanwhile, George and Jack, along with the cub, were in the woods looking to photograph wildlife.
They were also on the lookout for the enemy. So far, nothing on either side. They rested and drank water. The bear sat down on its butt, almost like a man. "See this, Jack? Oh, my," he giggled in excitement. George went to the bear and waved. Jack said, "What are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to teach him how to wave,"
Jack scoffed, "That's a bear, not a dog, George. It's a wild animal, you should know this."
A sound in the skies roared. George looked up, "It must be an eagle, quick, the camera." They set up the camera and waited patiently. Three minutes later, it was dead silent.
"Tch, I can't believe we missed it," said Jack, and as he turned, both he and George were stunned, their mouths wide open. The bear, still sitting on its butt almost like a man, began to wave with its left paw. George was overcome with joy, the same way when a parent is when their child utters its first word. "Oh, you wonderful little creature," Jack crossed his arms and looked away. He thought to himself, 'He is kinda cute though.'
Chapter 5
Bears are part of the group Caniformia, a group of animals that are more closely related to dogs than to cats. It is not known who's living animals bears are closely related to; modern scientists theorize that bears are most closely related to seals and they most likely had a common ancestor about 35 million years ago. There are 3 groups of bear lineages alive today: the first one includes pandas, which diverged from bears 19 million years ago. The second one includes the spectacled bear living in South America, an ancestor of the giant short-faced bear - prehistoric bears that, on all fours, are taller than most of the human population. Finally, there is the family group called Ursinae, which contains the remaining six bear species. Brown bears have the most subspecies - about eight are confirmed. They also possess the second largest bear; the Kodiak bear is only behind the polar bear.
Richard George read all the information he had written down and looked at the cub, a smile on his lips. How something so adorable can become a tough survivor when need be. Once Jack arrived, he wore a frown on his face. "What is this?" The cub, covered in feathers, as it slashed Jack's pillow. Everyone laughed; even Jack couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
George flipped over the pictures he took of the cub. Jack walked towards him. "They're cute, I'll give you that, but I'm not sure it's going to get us paid."
George raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Jack, your skepticism knows no bounds. People love adorable stuff just as much as the raw nature. With our little furry friend, I'm going to outsell that bastard Harker."
Jack cleared his throat. "Well, you certainly outsold him in the worst mustache of the century department."
"Jack, come on."
Jack Lisowski laughed and said, "At least I don't have to write the propaganda that was honestly dehumanizing." As he finished, Jack felt something between his legs. The cub had passed him and went outside. "Oh no," George and Jack said at the same time.
They rushed outside, running after the bear. The cub ran without a care in the world until it crashed on one of the soldier's feet; it was Charlton Eastwood. He squinted his eyes. "What on earth is this?"
George said, "S-sir, it's a dog... a fat one."
"I may have poor vision, but I'm not blind,"
Jack came forward. "We found it in the woods and have been taking care of it the past few days."
Charlton crossed his arms. "I knew you two were useless idiots, but this surprised even me. A bear? You think that bringing in this beast was the best option?"
Jack said, "It's harmless."
"Until it grows up and eats you in your sleep."
George spoke. "Less than 20 percent of a bear's diet consists of meat; we can teach it not to attack us."
Charlton uncrossed his arms and slowly walked towards George. "Did you ever hear of the story of a man who saved a baby hippo from a crocodile? The man saved it, and the two became the best of friends... until the hippo grew up and drowned the man in the same pool he saved it from."
George swallowed hard and said, "With all due respect, sir, that was a hippo, and this is a bear. Bears kill only a single person a year, and sloth bears are the main culprits. Hippos kill over 400, and... the cub boosts the troops' morale, sir, you can ask them, they'll say the same thing if we can keep him just a little while."
Charlton scoffed; he looked at the bear, which was sitting down like a man and waving its left paw. Charlton said, "Fine, but once it gets big, I'm calling someone to take it to a zoo." He walked off. Jack and George breathed easily and cuddled the cub.
Chapter 6
A new year has arrived, the bear cub is no more, now he has become an adult. 140 cm at the shoulder and over 2 meters in length, its belly needs to be regularly fed and the soldiers are struggling to supply the right amount of food. The bear keeps trying to break the door and get into the kilos and kilos of meat. The bear growls and starts clawing the door, George steps in with a jar of honey and lures the bear out.
The bear sits at the table like a man, on all fours it towers over any soldier, but oddly enough, the bear has remained docile, never harming anyone, he still has his curious and playful nature. Charlton watches them shaking his head.
Richard George takes a knife and puts honey on the bread and feeds it to the bear, then proceeds to comb the bear's fur.
"Lord almighty, what have I lived to witness?" said Chalrton
The bear continues to scratch himself on the table and the ground. Jack said, "Is he marking his scent?"
"It may appear so, however, it seems that he is trying to get rid of his winter coat," said George. He then walked to a tree and began scratching his back on it. Jack held his laugh, "You look like a fool," the bear saw it and he too began to scratch his back on the tree just like most bears do. In the afternoon, the sun showed its might and the first real hot day of the year was at full swing. The men were in a large tank of water inside enjoying a much-needed refreshment until the door was shattered.
The bear came in trying to escape the heat as well, and he plunged himself into the tank, splashing the water everywhere. The bear would jump up and down, cooling off. The soldiers felt like they were thrown overboard in dangerous seas. Afterwards, the bear got out and shook its fur like a dog, getting rid of the water. Then he felt a strong smell in his nostrils and started to run.
George ran outside barely holding onto his towel and searched for honey, "where are you!?"
The bear was running towards the door, Charlton Eastwood stopped in front of the door, but the bear didn't slow down. Charlton saw the 210-kilo bear, which is in the smaller weight class compared to most male brown bears, running swiftly, he had no choice but to get out of the way. The bear broke down the door and ate all the meat, leaving only bones.
Charlton smoked his cigar and looked at Jack who stood in front of him in his office. "Do you see now what kind of beast we're dealing with? It's only a matter of time before it starts eating us!"
"Sir... I'm not in charge of the bear,"
Charlton smoked. "Then where is that guy with the horrendous mustache?"
"George... can't find his underwear."
A loud marching sound was heard, the room began to shake, and the wall was destroyed. Jack screamed and hid under the desk, "We're under attack, we're under attack!"
Then nothing, no noise.
As Jack looked up, he saw the bear sniffing the place. Charlton turned red, "That bear is out of here as soon as the sun rises tomorrow!"
The bear was chained down with a tough collar, Jack and George next to him. "This was inevitable, honestly," Jack sighed. "Well, I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes," he walked away.
George stroked the bear's head and offered him milk, but the bear turned away. "Guess you outgrew it, huh... I'll miss you buddy, but I promise you'll be in the most humane zoo. I'll come visit whenever I can, you know."
George held back tears. It was getting harder for him to speak.
"I'll cherish the pictures I have of you." He kissed the bear on the head and walked away. A few steps, and he stopped and looked behind and saw the bear sitting and waving its left paw. George smiled, waved back and went to bed.
At the dead of night, everyone was asleep, the shadows were still, but one shadow moved swiftly through the night. Barely detected, it was a spy. He was covered in black clothing, only his eyes could be seen, but in this night, it was unlikely to spot him.
He moved silently and saw two guards patrolling. He snuck up behind one, a single punch knocking him down within seconds, he moved to the other guard, grabbing him by the neck and putting him to sleep. The spy opened the door and began to search for the war plans, he grabbed anything that was secret.
Meanwhile, the bear smelled something, he detected some unknown presence entering the camp. The bear stood up on its hind feet, smelling the air, he then moved in the direction of the smell. He was stopped by the chains, but three pulls later, the chains were broken off.
Bears have poor eyesight compared to most animals, their eyesight is the same as humans, however, their sense of smell is second to none. The average distance that bears can smell is 30 kilometers, and in the extreme, such as with the polar bear, who can smell up to 64 kilometers.
The spy grabbed all the plans and documents he could carry and began to leave, but he saw something, a weird furry shape through the window. He heard sniffing. At first, he thought it must have been a wild boar, but then there was pounding on the door, a second later, the door was sent flying, and the bear emerge. The spy was frozen in fear.
The bear got on its hind legs and started roaring. The spy screamed for his life, all the soldiers were awakened. Charlton Eastwood arrived first on the scene and saw it, the spy was on the ground in a fetal position crying, while the bear was sniffing him. Other soldiers soon arrived as well.
By morning, the spy was caught and the bear was awarded with honey. The spy was hysterical for hours and kept rambling in his german tounge, only Jack understood him.
Charlton, with a cigar in hand, came to Jack and Jack said, "The German spy said he will give us any information we want as long as we don't unleash the bear on him." Charlton turned over to George, who was looking at him the same way a child does when asking for more lollipops. Charlton groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Fine, he can stay for a few more days."
Chapter 7
At night, the flames of the campfire danced as the soldiers laid down. The bear was offered honey but declined. He started sniffing around and found something far more interesting...beer.
The bear, using its jaws, took out the bottle cap and drank the beer in one gulp, then moved on to another bottle. Charlton took the beer, "Control your pet, idiots! We had cocaine sharks in the '50s and I really don't want a drunk bear causing a rampage."
George got the bear's attention with sausages. Charlton sat back, lit up a cigar, and saw three soldiers have completely fallen asleep. He scoffed, "Look at them, how do they expect to take out the German forces when they're this weak? Back in my day in WW1, we tore through Germans like a hot knife through butter."
Jack looked at him and said, "It's old men like you that cause these wars."
"What did you say!?" Silence fell. Seconds later, Charlton laid back but was still glaring at Jack. He puffed his cigar and lowered his hand to the ground. As he held his hand up, the cigar was gone. "What the?" He scoffed and lit another one, placing it down. As he held his hand up to smoke, the cigar vanished into thin air once more. "Who's the smart—" Charlton lit a third cigar, placed it on the ground. But this time, he glanced down and saw the bear sucking the cigar, chewing it, and swallowing.
"There is something seriously wrong with that bear," said Jack.
Once the morning came, everyone slept well except for George. He spent the entire night making sure that the bear doesn't drink any alcohol, eat any cigars, and doesn't break into the room containing kilos and kilos of meat. Charlton watched the desperate George looking after the bear like a mother looks after five kindergarten kids while cooking and cleaning at the same time. Charlton laughed, but then he got a call. As he listened, his face turned grim. He spoke, "Get the equipment, we're needed, the entire army."
"What's going on?" said George. Charlton turned to him, "There's a battle in the woods."
Jack scratched his neck, "We'll stay here and guard the camp."
"Oh no no no, you two are coming with us. We are all needed." A chill ran through George and Jack.
Jack said, "We're not properly trained, we'll just get in the way."
"You'll learn pretty damn fast," Charlton said and joined the troops. Jack and George looked at each other, concerningly. George chained up the bear and said, "Stay here do not move, it's for your own good and I mean it!" He stared into the bear's brown eyes before slowly walking off and joining the troops. The bear was alone. He felt nervous. He looked around and saw no one, not a single thing to interact with. He couldn't stand it and broke through his chains.
At the battle, it was hectic. Explosions hitting the ground, loud noises engulfing the ears, bullets flying through the air, artillery bombs blowing up the trees. Neither side knew what they were even hitting, they just threw the shells in and fired. Jack and George needed to carry the artillery shells, but the way was long and with bullets flying through the air, bombs dropping meters away, and smoke filling the eyes, more shells were dropped halfway to the ground than fired at the enemy.
Charlton was carrying a shell. A single artillery shell weighs 50 kilos. Charlton Eastwood could pick up this weight with ease in his earlier years. Eastwood carried the shell with another soldier, but the soldier got wounded in the leg. Charlton was now forced to carry it by himself. He reached the artillery until he felt a sharp pain in his back and legs. He dropped the shell and collapsed to the ground.
The bombs from the enemy started to become more frequent. They were losing. "Dammit, we need more shells!" Some soldiers came to Charlton, and so did the shells. They fired them at the enemy. Then more shells came and more and more, so many shells so easily brought. Charlton coughed and said, "Yes, I said I needed more shells but I didn't expect this much. How many people have carried these—" Once he turned, his mouth was wide open. Nothing in his 30 years in the military could prepare him. He saw the bear carrying the artillery shells with ease. The bear walked on its hind legs and carried them almost like a man. Without a care in the world, he would bring one shell, return, and bring another. George and Jack themselves saw this and were shocked as well. The soldiers quickly suppressed their shock and fired and fired, overwhelming the enemy, sending the Germans running. After the battle, they laughed at how ridiculous it all was but were very grateful. If it weren't for the bear, they would've most likely lost. They celebrated and saw the bear as more than moral support, more than a celebrity, now more of a hero.
The bear sat down and ate a nice steak while Jack and George were beside him, patching slight bruises and scratches on them. Charlton went over to them and spoke, "You gave him a name yet?"
George pondered a bit, "I can't believe it slipped my mind, we should definitely name him after all he's been with us so long."
"Well, any ideas?"
"Hmm, how about Jimmy the Pooh?"
"How original," said Jack.
Charlton scoffed, "You gotta have more creativity in that brain of yours."
Jack wondered a bit, putting his index finger on his chin before he said, "How about Wojetek?"
Charlton raised an eyebrow, "Why that one?"
"It's a word of Slavic origin, meaning 'smiling warrior'."
Charlton thought about it, "I like it."
A few hours later, the soldiers were on the move for the first time in forever. They needed to join up with another group to fend off the Nazi forces. George and Jack walked, and George said,"I'm starting to get nervous. I got too used to not going on the field,"
Jack spoke. "Well, no use in regretting now."
Meanwhile, Charlton saluted the general. "You wanted to ask me something, Captain?"
Charlton nodded. "Yes, sir, if you would please fulfill this request."
The general looked at it and raised his eyebrows. "What is this, Captain? Why do you need so much food and a large cage? What are you transporting, a bear?"
"Well, sir... yes."
The general was dumbfounded. "Is this some sort of joke, Captain? It's impossible to transport anything that isn't either equipment or a soldier."
Charlton cleared his throat. "Well, you see, sir, this is a soldier." He handed over the documentation which read Private Wojetek the Bear. The general was even more confused before he shrugged and said, "I'm too old to deal with this." He accepted the request.
Chapter 8
In a dark room clouded with smoke, a Nazi commander looked over the war situation on his map. A soldier came in sweating. Luck was not on his side as he had to explain why the spy had failed. He mumbled his words; the commander ordered him to repeat. The soldier closed his eyes; he knew he couldn't avoid it. He told the commander how a bear caught the spy and that the bear was on the side of the enemy. He expected that he would be thrown in a hole; most of his superiors would have done that, but Baron Stauffer wasn't like the rest.
He thought about the situation until an idea came to him.
Meanwhile, the soldiers rested after walking the entire day. But soon they got bored and came up with an idea...to wrestle with the bear. One by one, they fought Wojtek shirtless, but Wojtek would simply throw them around like ragdolls; he wasn't even using half his strength.Afterwards, George would give him belly rubs.
The camp was near a river, and they soon went fishing. The bear went into the water, got the high ground, and waited for fish. "This is incredible; usually they learn this behavior from their mother, but it seems that Wojtek figured it all out on his own," said George.
The other men started fishing as well; they fished with their hands. But the fish were slippery. George came close to catching one fish; he caught it in his hands, but it slipped away.
"Come on, Jack, dip your toes," said George, while Jack said, "You're acting like children."
Wojtek caught a fish in his jaws midair with ease, and to the soldiers, it became clear that they had to change tactics. They took a stick, tied a rope, and added a hook - not the best fishing rod. They casted the line and waited. Only Charlton was able to catch a single fish, while Wojtek caught and ate 18 fish.
As the soldiers moved on later during the day, Wojtek sat on the jeep and stuck his tongue out like a dog in a car. For whatever reason, he couldn't stand still and every now and then would jump out of the vehicle and go for a run.
"This must be what it's like to have a child," said Jack.
As they rode, they saw the beautiful sunset. "Give me the camera," said George. They set up the camera and took a picture of the sun coming down. Jack said, "It's like a painting come to life... wait, are you on the wheel?"
"I thought you were?" The jeep went left, nearly hitting a tree. As George tried to stabilize it, he nearly hit the vehicle in front, and as he slowed down, the vehicle behind him nearly crashed. Everyone had to stop abruptly.
"Who gave you idiots the wheel?" said Charlton. Jack responded, "You, sir?"
"So you're calling me an idiot?" The three of them laughed, but Charlton quickly stopped. "But you're still giving me 200 push-ups each."
As the ride resumed, Jack took the binoculars and looked at the beach, seeing the crashing waves, and he smiled. George raised an eyebrow. "What, see any pretty girls?"
"You think I'm a pervert? Of course I do," he smiled. On the beach, there were two beautiful women in bikinis. Jack smiled, but soon his smile disappeared. George said, "What, did they catch you in the act?"
"Um... the bear,"
"What?"
The bear was also excited to see the girls, so much so that he ran full sprint towards them. The girls saw the behemoth of fur and claws running towards them; they screamed. George went to the back, leaving the wheel behind. Jack grabbed it just in time, stabilizing it, but then the sun hit his eyes.
"George!"
"Just hold on."
"I'm going to either lose my limbs or eyesight with you!"
George grabbed a megaphone and spoke through it, saying, "Don't worry, ladies, the bear is good."
All the soldiers laughed except the women who yelled at George and called him crazy. The bear did no harm, although he would constantly sniff them and their volleyball. Wojtek would touch the ball and played with it like a cat. In the end, the soldiers had to take the volleyball from the girls as Wojtek simply had too much of an obsession with it.
By the next day, Jack hoped that there would be no more shenanigans. Several soldiers were split into groups to cover more ground in search of suspicious activity. Charlton, Jack, George, Wojtek, and 15 other men were in one group. They reached an abandoned village and a field with nothing planted. Charlton signaled a halt.
He knelt down and squinted his eyes. He took a small rock and threw it – nothing. He took another rock and threw it – nothing. He took a third rock and threw it, there was an explosion. There were landmines.
Charlton turned over, "You know what to do". Two soldiers went down, took a knife, put it in the ground, once they felt something, they knew it was a mine and marked the spot. As the two progressed slowly, more soldiers came from behind, following them and avoiding the marked spots.
"You're up," Charlton said to Jack. Jack was shaking, "I'll be the last."
"No, cause George and Wojtek will be the last and you're wasting time get a move on."
Jack wiped his sweat and knelt down, crawling on the ground, triple-checking every marked spot. Every time he pressed his hand to the ground, he did it slowly and gently.
"Get a move on, you won't blow up as long as you follow the marked spots," Charlton turned to George. "I'm sorry, but you'll be on your own, you need to contain Wojtek by any means."
"Don't worry, I have his medicine," George smiled.
Charlton slightly punched his shoulder and went. Eventually everyone crossed. It was just George and Wojtek. Getting a 200-plus kilo bear over the minefield is a nightmarish challenge one wrong step and they'll both perish.
George took out the jar of honey and walked upright on the minefield; there was no other choice. George needed eyes on the back of his head; he kept looking behind him, making sure not to step on the mine and had to just as quickly look in front to lure Wojtek away form any mines. The process was excruciatingly slow, taking 3 times longer than it did for a single man. George started to sweat, waving the honey, attracting Wojtek. His arms hurt, his concentration falling. Something was wrong with George's eyes; he couldn't keep them open for more than a second; he began to rapidly blink. He desperately wanted to sit down and rest for a minute but Wojtek couldn't stand still. But something happened.
Wojtek lost interest in the honey. He looked away, starting to go in the wrong direction. "No no, now's not the time for you to be picky." Wojtek's paw was going straight to the mine. "No!" George grabbed his paw, but his strength was nothing to Wojtek. So George pinched the skin with all his might, the bear growled at him.
George was startled and his foot was about to land on a mine.
"Stop, stop, hey, stay still, stop!" the soldiers yelled. George froze. Wojtek seemed to be even more agitated; he kept looking to his right and growled. Soon they heard it, loud vehicles came.
"We need to move."
Jack grabbed Charlton's arm. "We can't just leave them here."
"Listen, how do you think the Germans will react to seeing those two, they'll be bewildered, it will give us just enough time to ambush them and take them out." The soldiers moved and hid. Charlton shouted, "George, do not move, stay still." George was on the verge of tears, "Oh, please lord, make this quick."
The German vehicles stopped. They slowly got out and started speaking. Charlton hunched toward Jack and whispered, "What are they saying?" Jack listened, "They're saying, what is this, what is this, what are we looking at?"
"Great, now on the count of three we jump then, 1... 2..."
"W-wait, sir, something isn't right, the way they're talking, it just feels o-"
"3!"
They raised their guns at the Germans and yelled, "Hands in the air!" But the Germans were unfazed. Charlton looked at the situation, squinting his eyes, then he realized it. He turned around and gritted his teeth as he saw German soldiers from behind that were waiting for them this entire time.
From the crowd emerged Baron Stauffer; his plan worked to perfection.
Chapter 9
Baron Stauffer, a man of slight build but with a piercing gaze, slicked back black hair and large glasses, wore the officer's uniform covered in medals. He looked over to his left. George, barely standing from fear, and Wojtek, who was agitated. He stood on his hind legs and roared. The Germans raised their guns, some were intimidated. Baron then turned to his right to face Charlton. He took a step forward.
"You seem nervous, Captain," Baron showed his thick German accent.
Charlton's forehead dripped with sweat. "So, you knew we were coming here, you got us. What are you waiting for?"
Baron gave a cruel smile. "Surely, my Captain, you don't plan on causing a shootout. You're surrounded; all of you will surely die."
"There's a high chance of that... but there's also a high chance of you being turned into swiss cheese."
"Now, now, Captain, I won't shoot you first." The Germans began firing at George and Wojtek.
Panic struck them; they were about to fire, but Charlton stopped them.
"Now, Captain, I suggest you take my offer."
Charlton squinted his eyes and raised his voice. "George?"
Silence...a few seconds later "We're fine; they just shot near us." The sweat dripped onto Charlton's mouth, and he wiped it off. "Let them live; at least you can take our lives." A cold shiver ran down Jack's spine. The other soldiers also began to worry, uncertainty cascaded on them.
Baron spoke. "I'm afraid that it is not possible, my Captain. I came here for the bear, and I will take all of you as my prisoners of war. I know you have plans of the invasion, and I'd love to hear you sing them to me this afternoon while I put on Beethoven in the background."
"Bastard!"
"Now, now, Captain, no need for immaturity. I am asking very little; you would be wise to accept."
Charlton stood still. One of the soldiers whispered to him. "Captain, what are we to do?" Charlton looked down and then up at Baron. "Why is the bear important to you?"
"That is not for you to know, Captain. You have 3 seconds to accept or I will end your lives, and now your friend wouldn't like to hear of your dying screams. It's unpleasant to the ears. 1."
Jack tugged at Charlton's uniform. "Captain, what are we to do?"
"Follow my lead." Charlton raised his gun and began firing. George heard it. "No, don't!" There was nothing he could do. For just a few seconds, there was loud fire and yelling in German. Then a bomb went off… then it went quiet.
Black uniforms emerged and walked swiftly towards George. Wojtek was freaking out, roaring and foaming from his mouth. He stood on his hind legs and waved his arms. Baron Stauffer put his arms behind his back and said, "If you don't want to be blown up, I suggest you come here, Richard George."
The Germans walked on the minefield with no care; they knew exactly where the mines were. They signaled George where to step. Desperate and scared, George obeyed. The Germans grabbed him firmly and pulled back slowly. Wojtek went on all fours and continued to roar. They pulled back George slowly and used him as bait, leading Wojtek, making sure that he doesn't land on any mine. Once on safe ground, they put a sack on George's head and tossed him in a car. Wojtek began to charge but was shot in the shoulder. The Nazis threw a bear trap, and Wojtek screamed again. George heard it. He shook in the car, kicking and broke the glass. A German soldier threw him outside. "Wojtek, Wojtek, stop, please, stop hurting him!" George was grabbed and thrown in the trunk.
A net was dropped on Wojtek and was tied with chains on a vehicle, and the Germans drove off. George saw nothing but darkness in the trunk; he could barely breathe. The car stopped; he was grabbed, he struggled but was hit on the head. He had no idea where they were taking him; he couldn't see anything, he only felt hands on him. He was sat down, and the sack taken off. He saw Baron lighting a cigar and said.
"Beer or tea?"
George was taken aback. "Tea."
George started to twirl his mustache, but his hands shook like he was a 120-year-old man on the verge of death. A teacup was placed in front of him. Baron sat opposite George, and Beethoven was playing in the background. "You know, we Germans make the best beer. Weihenstephan Brewery, producing since 1040." He puffed some smoke.
"I... I just never been into alcohol." The Germans had seized George's camera and scanned through the pictures, laughing. Baron looked at the pictures as well. George took a cup of tea, sipping it while not taking his eyes off Baron. He heard noises..it was Wojtek!
He glanced at the window and saw Wojtek. He was in a steel cage being dragged; he was hurting and screaming, a cry for help. Baron blew out smoke and said, "I see you're a man of nature, Richard George."
"What do you want, if I may say? I-I do not know the war plans or any plans, I'm afraid I can't help you there."
Baron shook his head. "No need, I knew you didn't know. You're valuable to me for other reasons."
George was confused. "What are those reasons?"
Baron smoked his cigar and leaned forward slightly, looking at the table when he started to speak and slowly glancing up at George. "You see… I do not like hurting animals. People? I was happy when my witch of a mother died, but when my cat was hit by a car, I cried for days. So I am deeply in distress and feeling guilty for harming that wonderful bear. But, alas, there was no other option. But he is strong; he will recover, and that's where you come in."
"Me?"
"Yes, you're close to that bear and he trusts you. I will need you to stay beside him and teach him that we're not the enemy."
George swallowed hard. "W-what is the reason? Are you gonna use Wojtek for a circus or on the battlefield?"
Beron translated it in German and the soldiers laughed. George was scared and confused. Beron turned to him. "Of course not, that's a silly thought. I would never do such a thing. Instead, I want to be Wojtek's friend. I want to understand him. But after what I've done, he'll never trust me. If I decide to talk to him, he'll take my head. That's why I need you, Richard. George, you're my link to befriending Wojtek."
George was in utter confusion. Beron finished his cigar and said, "Let me show you something," he walked into another room and quickly returned. In his hand, he carried a Wake Island rail, a flightless bird native to the Pacific island of Wake. Adults have a length of 22cm. George stared at the bird amazed. "I have never seen or heard of this bird before," Beron nodded. "And it's a shame, Richard, as this bird is being hunted to extinction. Less than 10 exist in the wild. Not even God can save this creature, and I am most likely one of the few, if not the only, people to possess this bird," he placed it on the table. "You see, I own a private zoo, and I collect the most extraordinary animals. Wojtek is extraordinary."
"But...you're a Nazi."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I told you, Richard, I loathe humanity."
"I don't understand."
"You see, Richard, humanity breaks the rules of nature and spits on nature. We always scream about pests when we're the worst pest, the most invasive species on the planet. However, we're simply too strong to be eliminated, so it is what it is,"
George shook his head in horror. "But...how can you worship that...that madman, Hitler?"
"He is no madman to us, he is a hero, he saved our country,"
"You're insane!"
"Am I? Before him, politicians did nothing. Hitler gave us back our pride. The politicians of the Weimar Republic did nothing but steal. You see, Richard, I don't agree with everything Hitler has to say, but he is making our enemies taste the same humiliation they gave us."
George started to sweat. "Not everyone in Germany thinks like you do, I bet most don't."
Beron laughed. "Most do, Richard. Ninety-five percent of people voted for him. He was democratically elected. During the Olympics, people ran for him! You're lucky, you know, that you're with me. I'm the least bad German officer. But enough talk, let's have some Pfefferrpotthast, it opens up the appetite."
Nightfall came, the cabin glowed, and 20 meters away from it was the sewage system. In it a man came out and gasped for air. The man was Jack, he was joined by several more soldiers from behind, including Charlton.
Chapter 10
They crawled themselves to land, barely able to stand their own smell, and then they realized how close they were to the enemy. "Can it get any worse?" said Jack. Charlton hushed them. The soldiers made their camp near and licked their wounds.
After a short rest, they spied on the German guards. They were mainly guarding Wojtek. George himself was in a cage near Wojtek. They saw how there was a train nearby. Charlton devised a plan. They will go out at 2 am get Wojtek and George, and get on the train. Night fell and it got cold; however, they couldn't start a campfire as the Germans would've seen the smoke. The soldiers lay there with mixed emotions. Comfort was there as Wojtek and George were alive, but pressure was building. They did not know what to expect.
Jack shivered and was by the river watching the moonlight flicker on the water. "Getting all sentimental?"
Jack nearly screamed. "You could've maybe not snuck up on me?"
"Would you have preferred if I grabbed your shoulder like they do in horror films?"
Jack scoffed at Charlton. "So you're really going to save them?"
"I don't leave others in need behind, and besides, I have unfinished business with that pancaked face four eyes."
"How creative you are," a few seconds of silence before Jack continued. "I uh...may have misjudged you."
"Many have. Just because I love cowboy movies doesn't mean I act like one," he laughed.
Jack smiled a bit before stopping and saying, "Your plan sucks."
Charlton paused, "You've gotten bold, mind saying that again?"
"Sneaking up behind and knocking them out doesn't feel complete."
"And what is complete to you?"
Jack shrugged. "Getting to the train won't be as easy as you think. The Germans will realize we've knocked one of them out and freed their prisoners. Hiding a giant brown bear isn't exactly easy. Wojtek will be distressed once freed, so we'll have to run... that could lead to disaster."
"So what's your plan?"
"We sneak up to the train first, get it running, offer a distraction by throwing a grenade in the woods, free the prisoners, and then rush in. That way we'll buy about 30 seconds more time to get ahead with the train."
Charlton listened and grinned. "I may have misjudged you as well."
2 am struck; the soldiers glanced at the German guard. In front was Charlton, while the other group where Jack was were sneaking up to the train. Charlton told them before they went, "Remember, two grenades is all we have; don't mess up."
They arrived in their positions, now one soldier needed to throw the grenade precisely. Charlton's group waited for the bomb to strike. In front of them, Wojtek raised his head in the air and sniffed. He began to let out cries; he had smelled them. He began to raise his left paw and waved. The Germans were confused, but quickly thought there must be something in front. They began to cautiously walk in front.
"Damn, hurry," whispered Charlton. He ordered his men to prepare themselves in case the Germans got too close. On the other side, a soldier threw his grenade far and deep into the woods.
In the cabin, Baron Stauffer was still awake. He always goes to bed at 4 am and sleeps for only 2 hours. From his window, he saw a light flash, and the explosion was heard. His soldiers were in deep distress, but Baron raised his hand for them to be quiet. He put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. His eyes widened and he spoke his order.
At the train, the soldiers saw the Germans running towards the explosion. "Yeah," they whispered to themselves. They heard shouting, and Germans slowly came back. "What is this?" one of the soldiers said.
The Germans were talking to themselves and arguing. Jack did his best to hear what they were saying. The Germans continued to argue. Jack closed his eyes and heard some words. They were disconnected. He couldn't hear everything. He only heard three clear words, but his eyes opened in horror.
"Did you hear what they said?"
Jack's mouth was dry; in an instant, he spoke in a panic. "They're going to check the train."
Charlton began to sweat as the Germans nearly reached him; the thought of the plan failing already made his stomach turn. On the other side, Jack's group was panicking. Most prepared their weapons to fight. Jack was sweating and frantically looking around. He said to himself, "Think, think, think!" until he realized it.
He grabbed the last remaining grenade they had and tossed it in the air. It landed on the roof and blew up.
The Germans were in a panic; they went back away from Charlton and the others went into the cabin and some started firing in the woods from where the first grenade landed. Charlton said, "Let's go!"
Jack's group went on the train and began to start it up. Charlton and his group reached the cages. "I-I y-you're alive. Oh, god, you're alive!" cried George. "Shush, they'll hear you." The cages were released; Wojtek, limping from his bear trap injury.
Once they all got on the train, the Germans noticed and started firing. But it was too late; they already started the train and were on their way. "Was that cool or what?" yelled Jack proudly. "Oh, Jack, if you didn't smell, I would've hugged you."
"Shut up!"
Wojtek then sniffed Jack and turned the other way. They all laughed.
Chapter 11
On the train, they were finally relaxed. One of the soldiers lit up a cigar. Wojtek came, sucked the cigar, chewed it, and swallowed. "I see he's still fine," said Charlton. Jack came over to George, "How are you feeling?"
"They forced me to eat this awful meal, something... pheffer... phefferpotthast, something like that." Jack stared at him deadpanned, "You know I lived in Germany for three years and I never heard of that."
A sudden noise struck - bullets. Behind them was a train, a few meters. The Germans were firing, the wooden back was filled with holes. "Block it with anything you can grab and find some grenades!" ordered Charlton. Once the back of the train was shot off, the soldiers barricaded it with wood, although this would only delay the inevitable. "Captain!" the driver of the train yelled. "What!?"
"We have... a big problem." In front of them was a tree that had fallen on the road. Charlton covered his mouth with his hand, the situation was dire. "We have no choice, we gotta stop and get off the tracks." The driver slowly slowed the train. 4 soldiers came out and started to pull the tree, to no avail.
Jack and George joined in, still nothing. Every soldier then came except the driver, they were barely moving, and the German train looked eager to ram them. Then Wojtek came and began to push the tree, finally, it was moving. Seconds later, it was pushed out of the tracks. They returned to the train.
However, the Germans were right on their tail. They pulled out axes and began to chop away at the barricaded back. With ease, it was cut down and the Germans began to enter.
They were welcomed with open claws by Wojtek.
The Germans began running straight back to the train when Wojtek got on his hind feet and began slicing the air and roaring. One soldier, however, got up on the train. He crawled his way to the driver. The speed was immense and the sound he nearly blew his ears.
After reaching the end, he went down, took a breath, rubbed his ears, and pulled out his rifle. Aiming it at the unsuspecting driver, he grinned and put his finger on the trigger.
He felt a shoulder tap.
He turned, and Charloton knocked him out cold. The driver started, "C-Captain Oh God, thank you so much." Charlton's eyes widened at the road, "Watch out!" In front, Germans cut down a tree, 3 times the size of the last one. It smashed the train tracks and 3 seconds later the train hit the tree.
George, Jack, and other soldiers were thrown back, a loud screeching sound was heard. Wojtek gripped the floor with his claws but slipped. His full body was going directly at Jack.
Jack screamed and covered his face. Wojtek got on his hind feet and smashed at the wall, mere centimeters away from Jack. "L-let's not do that again, yeah?" Charlton was knocked out for a few seconds before opening his eyes, and in cold sweat, he got out. The driver was fine, though slightly dizzy.
The front of the train smashed, almost falling to pieces, then the German train rammed them from the back. The whole train began to move left, right and left, then fell to the side.
The soldiers went out with Wojtek as the Germans also exited their train and began firing. Charlton saw a town and shouted, "Follow me!" They raced to the town while firing back at the Germans. Once they reached the town, they caught their breath.
George saw the town, it was black, covered in decay, worn-down architecture, destroyed houses. He looked down, saw a girl's doll and a teddy bear covered in mud. There was nothing but smoke, he was horrified. He saw these destroyed towns only in pictures, in real life it made ghost towns look like a paradise.
"Come on!" Charlton grabbed George's shoulder and they hid. Once the Germans arrived, they began firing an intense exchange of fire. The flash of yellow combined with the black and grey look of the town was like no other horror film. Shouting, shouting, firing, firing, shouting, chaos. Jack hid behind a wall and clenched his rifle, he was in a fetal position.
George tried to shield Wojtek, he didn't want him to be near the field, but Wojtek was nervous. He kept going left and right, jumping up and down, the noise was distressing him. Several bullets were flung their way as George saw two Germans firing at them. George was in utter horror, he fired back but not a single bullet was close.
Wojtek then went in between George's legs and got him up on his back. Wojtek continued jumping and started running. George barely held on, he was riding a bear, he couldn't believe it, amazement and horror filled him. It was like he was on top of an angry bull. The soldier saw this. They laughed, their eyes filled with tears, but their laughter stopped abruptly once they saw the angry bear charging them and George firing at them.
Fear overcame them, and they ran. George fell down to the ground, unable to keep himself on Wojtek's back. While the bear chased the Germans who climbed a pole. The bear then attempted to break a lamp post, "Nein, nein!"
Not too far, Charlton fired back, then a clicking sound. He shouted to his men at the opposite side, "I'm out!" Before they could respond, two got injured quickly. It was Baron Stauffer carrying a simple handgun. Rage overcame Charlton.
He quietly went around, sneaking up against Baron. Once he was close enough, Charlton saw that Baron injured a further two soldiers. Charlton charged him, and the two men smashed through the window.
Charlton got up and dusted the shattered glass off himself. He grabbed Baron and asked him, "You like jazz?"
"Atrocious music," Charlton punched him. Baron stumbled back, Charlton went for another punch, but Baron dodged and hit his ribs, then his jaw. Now it was Charlton who was stumbling back. He wiped his lips, "You know how to throw a punch, pip-squeak."
The two balled their fists up, going in circles. Baron threw a punch, then Charlton, they exchanged punches equally until Charlton grabbed Baron and threw him to the ground. Charlton grabbed Baron's shoulder, but Stauffer headbutted him and then with his fist gave a low blow. He went for his gun, but his gun was shot.B
aron looked up it was Jack holding the rifle with tears in his eyes.
Baron started to run. Jack shot again but missed. Outside, Baron saw that his soldiers were defeated. He then made eye contact with Wojtek. The bear began to charge. Baron, with no choice, entered the clock tower. Once he entered, he ravaged through everything until he found a handgun.
He began firing at Wojtek. The bear, taken aback, backed away. But George fired his rifle. Baron climbed up the stairs. Richard instinctively followed him. Halfway through, George got cold feet.
He looked down and Baron aimed his gun. George was startled. He screamed, closed his eyes, and fired. Baron stumbled back. George shook, regretting his decision. Baron aimed his gun again.
George fired, but there was no ammo. He screamed again and threw the gun at Baron. Stauffer stumbled back, but still had his handgun. George charged at him. The two men wrestled for the gun. Baron slightly glanced at the window, then back at George. Then, back at the window, he yelled in German.
Down was a German soldier with a bazooka. He fired at the clock tower. The tower went in flames.
Charlton knocked out the German with the butt of his rifle. The soldiers looked on. There was mere smoke and silence.
"George... no," whispered Jack. Few seconds later, nothing. They took off their helmets. Wojtek didn't understand what was going on and was confused.
"Help, help!"
They raised their heads up. The smoke cleared. George was hanging on one of the clock handles. "Please do something," he pleaded. "G-George, hold on, we're going to get you!" Charlton said. He looked around frantically. "W-What are we gonna do?" Jack said, shaking. "Get some cushions or anything soft, come on!" They frantically searched through the houses. George's grip on the handle got weaker and weaker. "I-I can't hold much longer, I'm slipping," his hands full of sweat. He wasslowly caming down, looked below him, pure horror.
A 500-meter drop. He looked at his hands, he was on the edge. George closed his eyes and prayed. The soldiers put every mattress they could find. "Y-You really think this will save him?" said Jack, shaking.
"I don't know."
George couldn't hold the clock handle, he fell. He couldn't keep his eyes closed, they opened automatically. He saw the blue sky being taller and the clock tower smaller. A sound in his ears rang, he felt so weak, like a plastic bag in the air. Then it hit.
He smashed onto the roof of a house and gasped for air. His whole body numb, he was unable to get a hold on anything. He then slipped and was falling down even more. The soldiers gasped in shock, Jack looked away. George was falling down, nothing could save him.
Then Wojtek began to run, got on his hind feet, opened his front limbs for a hug, and grabbed George. The soldiers stared, their jaws dropped, then cheered on. Wojtek placed George down, licking his hair. George was barely able to breathe. Charlton checked on him. "You have 7 broken ribs, that's all," Charlton said. George laughed, then winced. "Please don't make me laugh," Jack spoke. "Alright, give him some room," he stared at Wojtek, sighed, and gave him a pat on the head. "Good bear."
A strange noise was heard... stomping feet. From the smoke emerged Baron Stauffer. He was covered in ash from head to toe. He pointed his handgun, then collapsed to the ground. Charlton approached him hesitantly, aiming with a rifle. He walked to Baron, crouched down, and Baron gripped his pants. He stared at Charlton with hate in his eyes. He then went for his pocket. Charlton aimed directly at his forehead. Baron slowly pulled out a piece of paper and said, "My private zoo is located here... do what you will about this information." His head hit the cold ground.
Epilogue
Richard George, Jack Lisowski, and Charlton Eastwood rode on a bus. A year had passed since the war had ended; veterans were slowly adjusting back to civilian life. "The ribs still hurt a bit," said George as he rubbed them gently. "Don't touch them for another few months," said Charlton.
"You told me that 3 months ago," George frowned. Jack, who was reading a newspaper, spoke, "You guys gonna go see a movie? It's been ages since I've been to the cinema."
"I wonder if any Universal monster movies are playing. I missed so many of them during the war." George twirled his mustache and continued, "What about you, Charlton?"
Any westerns playing? I heard that John Wayne fella is popular."
Jack looked at the newspaper, "It doesn't list any here...though 'Gone with the Wind' is playing, gotta watch it again."
George was in disbelief, "Come on, Jack, you're gonna watch a five-hour-long film?"
"Oh, shut up, at least let me have something. It's bad enough I missed 'Casablanca.'"
The bus stopped and they stepped out. In front of them was the zoo. All the animals that Baron Stauffer had were transported here, including Wojtek. It became infeasible to maintain the large Eurasian brown bear. Jack said, "After we're done, let's head to the diner to grab a bite."
"You're buying" said Charlton, his hands in his pockets.
"You're still upset when I robbed you. Come on, that was years ago plus I paid you back."
"Not all of it."
Jack frowned at him. They made it to the enclosure and saw Wojtek down. His place had a decent amount of space. Wojtek had a cave and a pond to cool off, a tree for shade, and to scratch his back. He was eating fish, and the three of them looked at him. Nostalgia overwhelmed them, the memories flooded back. It felt like they had seen each other a mere week ago. There was a soft feeling in the heart, their bodies were weak. It was almost sadness but mixed with joy. However, George knew the truth; there was no chance that the bear would recognize them. It had been too long, and animals like Wojtek move on quickly. They looked at the bear for a while. The bear had not noticed them. Wojtek finished eating and looked up and saw them. He waved with his left paw. He had remembered them.