We were up before dawn, breaking camp, and were back on the road well before the sun crested the peaks. Mud from the previous day’s rain made the going slow, but now we could see well enough to avoid the worst patches. We still had to use the mechs to free the wheeled vehicles several times.

  The first group of retreating soldiers we passed were all wounded. They kept their heads down and didn't look at us too closely as they hurried by. I called out, trying to get what intel we could, but they ignored us.

  The next group was larger, and some of the men didn’t seem to have any injuries at all, but here they were, walking the wrong way. I grabbed the wheel and swerved the car across the road, forcing my driver to slam the brakes and bring it to a halt, and then I jumped out and confronted them directly.

  The first man was clearly wounded. Him I ignored. The next guy in line tried to keep his head down and dodge past me. I grabbed him by the tunic and yanked him nearly off his feet, pulling him up and grabbing the next one as he came by as well. I transferred both men to one hand as I reached for a third before an NCO yelled, "What are you doing?”

  I pushed the two men I had my hand down so they stumbled and fell, not to be mean but just so that they wouldn't scamper away, and then I grabbed the NCO, a junior sergeant, and pulled him to me. "Get your men under control, or I will. I want them right here, in front of me, lined up now."

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  "You can't do this. You're not even Hungarian..."

  I bent my bicep and lifted him completely off the ground. Only a couple of inches, but it got his attention. "But I can do this, which right now means I can do anything I damn well please. We are under the same orders as you. This pass will be held, or you will all be written up for desertion. If you don't like my fist around your neck, you can try a noose on for size. Or you can do as I say."

  I dropped the man and took a step back. “Now listen up! We are the 32nd Polish Hussars! We came over here on a little friendly mission. But when we were at a party a couple of nights ago in Budapest, a bunch of Russian assholes tried to mess things up. Too bad for them, we messed them up harder and better.” I was speaking Hungarian, and I had their attention. Now to see if I could keep it. I was gambling that word of the party had spread and they would be curious. “We are here at the personal request of the Regent of Hungary to secure this pass. I’m mighty glad to meet you boys! Because you can do us a favor and point us to the enemy. Now, I know you boys weren't thinking of running away just because a few Russians came over to say hi. I see some of you aren't wearing any bandages, and I expect you'll be perfectly happy to turn yourselves around and help us find the enemy and show him what happens when he messes with Hungary!"

  The sergeant was trying to get his bearings, but I had him thoroughly befuddled. "We've been overrun, and we're falling back per our orders to the secondary line of defense."

  "Secondary line of defense. And where would that be? Budapest?"

  A couple of the soldiers chuckled despite themselves. Somebody in the back said, 'You don't understand! They have ghosts!'"

  "Ghosts?"

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