Strike Hard, Strike Deep: Heroes of the 82nd Airborne Book 8

By Todd McLeod and Eric Meyer

The 82nd Airborne Division is still fighting its way through the Ardennes forest.

Every yard of ground takes them closer to Germany. And every yard is bitterly contested by the Germans, who have amassed infantry and armor to block their advance.

The American commanders have prepared a counter-attack to sweep the enemy out of the forest and pushed them back across the border. Sent out on reconnaissance, Ray Cassidy and his buddy Harry Byrd stumble upon the main concentration of German forces. Attempting to flee through the dripping forest, with thick snow making every step for sure, Cassidy is captured by the enemy. Harry Byrd, hiding in the forest, is in no doubt about two important factors. The first, the Germans plan to attack soon. The second, that before they attack, they plan to murder Cassidy.

Harry manages to get back to the platoon and tell them what he saw. The news is passed on to HQ and they plan an artillery strike before dawn the next day. If the Germans don’t manage to kill him, his own side will finish the job. The Lieutenant forbids a rescue attempt, which means Ray Cassidy is doomed to die. Unless Cassidy’s buddies decide different, and time is running out.

Heroes of the 82nd Airborne Book 8 – Strike Hard, Strike Fast is the eighth work of shortread fiction set during the Second World War. The book is a collaboration between Todd McLeod and Eric Meyer, the bestselling author of more than fifty war novels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Swordworks Books
• Release date: Jun 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005301583

Book preview

Strike Hard, Strike Deep

By Todd McLeod & Eric Meyer

BOOK 8 OF THE HEROES OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE SERIES

SHORT FICTION

Copyright 2021 by Todd McLeod & Eric Meyer

Published by Swordworks Books

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Chapter One

They clustered around the fire, hands outstretched trying to get some warmth into their bodies. The men of 1st Platoon, 82nd Airborne Division, had seen six months of hard fighting, ever since they parachuted into Normandy on the eve of D-Day. They fought a tenacious, bitter enemy, who’d defended every foot of ground with ruthless reluctance to give way. They’d hit back with machine guns, with well-prepared ambushes, and with armor. Yet the Allies had beat them back at every turn. Until they reached the Ardennes forest on the edge of the border with Germany, and the fighting became more intense. They’d beaten the enemy's attempt to stage a stealthy counterattack in the dark gloom of the dark, dripping forest. Yet the Germans were still out there, bitterly determined to stop the Allies from advancing another step. The American generals didn’t agree, and their troops continued pressing east.

Harry Byrd shivered and edged closer to the blazing woodpile. He was pale-skinned and inclined to a degree of flab. Unusual for an Airborne trooper, as was his loathing of the outdoors. Yet underneath the flab lay solid muscle. At nearly six feet, he was tall, with blonde hair, a throwback to his Viking ancestors, like his piercing blue eyes.

It’s New Year’s Eve, so you’d think they’d give us a break. Instead, they’re sending us back into action in the next couple of days.

His buddy Ray Cassidy wasn’t concerned about the cold. A direct opposite to Byrd, he was an outdoorsman, shorter than the other man, wiry trooper, and leathery. Before the Army, he’d spent every spare moment in the outdoors. Indulging his passion for hunting, frequently