Man at War – Excerpt No. 66

Without prompting, a group of three broke off and ran towards the high ground. From there this team would provide fire support. Two of the men were from indigenous tribes back home, who grew up hunting and were deadly with a rifle at any distance. The lance corporal leading them was raised on a farm and spent his summers picking off prairie dogs to save the cattle from injury.

From experience, Murphy knew they would be in position in roughly three minutes and the rest of the team would reach the church in five. Prior to that they reached an old communications trench, so Murphy and two corporals approached with their trench guns.

a cinematic nighttime photograph of three armed British soldiers standing atop a rugged ridge, observing troops maneuvering towards a damaged church in the far distance, with the soldiers wearing worn and muddy World War I uniforms, helmets, and carrying rifles, set against a dark and ominous sky with clouds illuminated by moonlight, the scene illuminated by the faint light of the moon and the distant fires, with the church's tower partially destroyed and smoke rising from the surrounding area, the photography style is dramatic and gritty, with deep shadows and intense highlights, capturing the intensity and chaos of war.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.