Read Online Back in her time by Patricia Corbett Bowman - Free Book Online Page B

targets. I’ll give the signal to start.”
    â€œAw, Sarge. We already know how to shoot. At least most of us. We spent hours at Aldershot doing just that,” said Swampy.
    â€œThis time, wear your gas mask and see how you do,” Sarge ordered.
    Several men grumbled that they couldn’t see a thing with that frigging mask fogging up, but they toed the line when Sarge barked at them.
    Lying prostrate, breathing heavily in her gas mask, Taylor raised her head to sight the targets. It was true. Her mask was all fogged up. None of the guys seemed to be able to hit anything, even Sharpshooter, who had been around guns all his life. Taylor removed the mask, wiped it off for about the third time, and put it on haphazardly, aimed, and shot. An empty bean can shot high into the sky.
    â€œNow, that’s the kind of shooting I want to see, men.” Sarge looked as proud as a new papa.
    After practice, Mac and Whitey approached Taylor.
    â€œGiving lessons, Junior?” Whitey asked.
    Taylor glanced around to see if anyone was listening and whispered, “My mask was on crooked. I didn’t have it over my face completely. I couldn’t see a thing with it on, either.”
    Mac and Whitey smiled. Fellow conspirators. “You sure fooled Sarge. Good thing he didn’t notice,” said Mac.
    Whitey said, “I hope this doesn’t mean headquarters expects gas warfare, if they’ve got us training with our masks.”
    I don’t remember Pops saying anything about gas.
    â€œNo, we’re okay. They only used it in the First World War.”
    The guys nodded gravely and went to see what, if anything, was next.

Chapter Fourteen

    A march no harder than usual commenced. Mac, Taylor, and Whitey walked one behind the other, quiet now as they concentrated on their footing as they made their way over the mountainous terrain toward their next battle. Taylor was lost in thought as usual.
    I might be here forever. It’s not too bad, though, if you don’t count this friggin’ war. This guy Reid has a mother waiting back in Toronto, apparently. She could be my great-grandmother, I think. It would be nice to meet my birth relatives. How many people get to meet their biological “greats”? That’s if I survive this war. I know Pops does, ’cause he’s around back in my time, but I could still die, couldn’t I? If I’m killed here, will I still exist back at home? Wait. I will survive back home. I have to because Reid goes on to father my kin. Unless he’s already fathered them? Then, I could get killed here. That corporal talked about sending a letter to Reid’s mother, not his wife, so Reid’s not married yet. Reid could have fathered a child, though. That doesn’t add up. Reid’s son or daughter would be too old to have me, wouldn’t they? He could have had my parent later in life — or he is my great-grandfather. This is so confusing!
    Taylor added and subtracted from 1944 to her birth date in the 1990s. Mumbling to herself, she didn’t hear Sarge come up beside her.
    â€œJust heard another story about you, Junior. Is it true you saved an American soldier from a minefield when you were returning from the field hospital?”
    â€œI didn’t actually save him, sir. He jumped into the jeep I was in and saved himself.”
    â€œThat’s not quite the way I heard it. You gave one of your predictions again. Something about knowing where the enemy had planted those mines, wasn’t it, Junior?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œHow did you know, Junior?”
    â€œSir, I could tell you, but you wouldn’t believe it.” This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’ll tell Pops who I really am now.
    â€œLook, I don’t want to get the men all riled up with this hocus-pocus nonsense. It was probably a lucky guess that saved that American’s life. Let’s keep this to ourselves. Do you