Man at War – Excerpt No. 71

20 November 2025

They approached from both sides of the church, meaning they risked crossfire if careless. Murphy kept a brisk pace while ensuring the steps of the man behind were audible.

When halfway to the rear a soldier was thrown clear from the cover. He knew by the way the man moved that he was dead before hitting the ground.

“Vampire,” Murphy said over his shoulder and heard the word being passed down.

a cinematic colour photograph of a British soldier wearing a Great War era uniform and equipped with a rifle, being thrown from cover, his face contorted in a mixture of fear and shock, with a stunned expression, Caucasian skin tone, and a messy brown hair, located near the ruins of a worn stone church with shattered stained glass windows, under the dark night sky, with only the moonlight illuminating the scene, the soldier's clothing and gear are appropriate for the Great War era, with earthy tones of brown and green, and the overall mood is one of chaos and destruction, captured through the lens of a camera.

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.