The last call
The radio crackled in the frozen Ardennes forest,
barely louder than Jakob's breathing. Cut off from his
unit, he tirelessly transmitted messages that went
unanswered. On the third night, he received a reply,
not from command, but from a German soldier hiding
just a mile away. Enemies in uniform, survivors by
chance, exchanged coordinates, weather reports, and
stories from home over the radio. When rescue finally
arrived, Jakob destroyed the radio. Some wars, he
decided, should end quietly.