The First Bad News is the 7th chapter of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. This chapter shows Baker learns what happened to Lt.Col.Cole
Introduction
Bad news travels one soldier at a time.
Transcript
A few Planes flew,as Baker was sitting, Corrion & Zanovich walk up.
Zanovich: Eah. You want some coffee,Baker?
Corrion: Hey,Mac needs to talk to you.
As Baker was heading was heading his way he saw Dawson talking with Franky & McCreary.
Dawson: What about you,Franky? Do you believe in fate?
McCreary: Yuh, Not this shit again! I'm getting some of that coffee.
McCreary walks off. Dawson stare at Baker as he walk by.
Dawson: I'm Serious.
Franky: Damn,I don't know,Daws; Some people get shot: Some people don't-- Don't seem to make shit for sence.
Baker walks by Roselli & Jasper talking to each other,
Roselli: Just ask Yourself honestly,could I lug around & fire a twenty pound gun all day?
Jasper: Do You live in a Fantasy world? Is it nice there? I'm carrying a Goddamn Bazooka!
Baker saw Dr.Gideon sitting next to a jeep with a couple of dead bodies on it,then goes in Mac's tent.
Baker:Everything okay? Who's that?
Mac:It's Lieutenant Colonel Cole,Matt.
Baker:What? How? What?!
Mac tells Baker what happened back to when Cole was leading.
Doran: There's krauts everywhere. White One! We need support now, Goddamn it!
Radio: Say again! Over!
Doran: This is Kickoff Blue! There's jerry all over! We need support now! We got MG,Mortars,Arty,Every goddamn thing firing as us!
Cole: Doran! I don't give a shit what bullshit they're giving you! Whatever breath you got left,you use it to scream into that goddamn radio! & keep your head down!
Doran: This is Kickoff Blue! Can anyone hear me?
Cole: Doran,keep your goddamn head down!
An explosion happened & Doran was killed.
Cole:Bob. Bob!
As Mac tells Baker what happened, planes flew by, Cole order his men,1 Kingsley was shot,laying there,while another,Walton,also injured cuffs up blood.
Mac: When our planes started strafing,as he ran a few of our men into the field to lay panels. He was behind the other men & just... Well,he was... Straightening the panels.
Baker: Why would he...?
Mac: Matt,I have no idea! He did that a couple of times & then... Then there was a crack...
Cole was shot in the head,killed.,Mac burst into a house.
Mac: We never found the sniper-- Just the tally he left behind on the windowsill.
Mac look at the tally as the German Sniper had killed 8 men,including Cole. Mac finished his story.
Mac: I mean he was there, & then he wasn't. It just doesn't make any goddamn sense.
Baker:It never does.
Hartsock & Paddock are talking.
Paddock: Oh,Should I go get a ruler? My moneys on Roselli.
Baker walks up.
Baker: Red,I need to talk to you for a second.
Mac talks with Col.Sink about what happened to Cole.
Sink: This is a terrible loss,Sergeant. did you get the bastard?
Mac stays quiet,simply shook his head,then...
Mac :Sir?
Sink: Yes,Sergeant.
Mac: Did you get word from Division yet about where Recon is going?
Sink: Well,my guess is you'll want to tell them yourself,Sergeant.
Mac: Yes,Sir! I'd like that very much,Sir.
In the tent,Baker got through telling Red about what happened to Cole.
Hartsock: Why would he do that?! Why would he do something so goddamn reckless?!
Baker: He saved a lot of lives,Red.
Hartsock :& now how many will die,because he isn't around to lead them? It's not about one battle,Matt.
Baker:Would You prefer he was still around with nothing to lead instead? What's the life of one officer worth to you? Twenty Men? Forty?
Hartsock: You know damn well,I value...
Mac came in.
Mac:Everything alright here?
Hartsock: Just talking! What do you need?
Mac: Division has ordered your men to Eindhoven to rendezvous with Sink & the 506. You'll be linking up with thirty corps. Good luck.
Hartsock: That it?
Mac:If you want my advice-- & that's rhetorical-- Keep the war out there.
Mac walks off,as Baker & Red ready their mission.
Cutscene Ends.
Characters
- Colonel Robert F. Sink
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole (KIA)
- First Sergeant Greg "Mac" Hassey
- Staff Sergeant Matt Baker
- Staff Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock
- Corporal Sam Corrion
- Corporal Patrick "Paddy K" Kingsley
- Corporal Franklin Paddock
- Corporal Tom Zanovich
- Technician 5th Grade Bob Doran (KIA)
- Private First Class Mike Dawson
- Private First Class Gary Jasper
- Private First Class Dale McCreary
- Private First Class James "Jimmy" Roselli
- Private First Class Simon Walton
- Private Franky "Beans" LaRoche
- Gideon