He rose and stood in front of them.
“I asked you a civil question. Why can’t you answer me?”
Their silence infuriated him.
“Answer me, damn it.” He grasped the shoulders of one of the bodies, shaking them. Beneath the clothing the flesh loosened from the body.
“Hell, you’re dead,” Hicks told the body disgustedly. He turned to his gun crew. “They’re dead. That’s why they didn’t answer me. No damned good.”
The loader turned to the other man.
“Le’s git outa here, Hicks is nuts.”
“Yeah. He gives me the creeps.”
They climbed out of the trench and scurried back to their places among the platoon.