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Rio glances out, sees plaster dust and a little sh

“Another,” Rio says, and reloads

The sa it and his fire drives the three of them back behind cover before Rio can aim

And then, a distant pop-pop-pop

And a voice yelling, “He’s down”

Rio looks out and sees Hansu Pang waving froe of the distraction to run up the back street and send Pang up to the roof of an apart and shoot the unaware sniper

Tilo is avenged

&

nbsp; Maybe noe can retrieve his body

Another day of the war Another sht that would never make it to the history books Another few hundred yards of rubble gained

The full platoon, forty-sixSuarez and the replaceht in a church that must have been quite beautiful once The roof is partly collapsed, but there are still hints of gilt and paint suggesting the ceiling was once a work of art The cross is gone from the altar, as are the usual vestments, candlesticks, censers, and chalices A painted plaster Madonna has lost her Baby Jesus and part of her face Another saint stands looking up toward heaven though sorenade from her hand

The pews are cots now, GIs sprawled along the on the slate floor just before the altar steps The ss at Rio’s awareness

“Hey, I found the wine!” a guy Rio knows only vaguely as Skip announces, proudly waving four bottles, two in each hand

Rio flinches, recalling Tilo’s glee at seeing the bottle of wine

“That’s sacred wine, you damn heathen,” says Cat