The Rabbit Hole

The Rabbit Hole is the 12th chapter of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. This chapter is special from the others as you have horror theme, optional stealth playthough and no squad to command with.

Summary[]

Sometimes being alone is the hardest battle of all.

Plot[]

Baker woke up in the side of the river after the river carried him back in Eindhoven. He gets up and see an abandoned hospital and a scene between the Germans and the Dutch Girl that Franky was seen last. The Germans killed the girl which made Baker to prepare himself with a fight.

After killing the Germans in the entrance, he approach the entrance and last time seeing the girl before he move in. He continue the area and found Franky's jacket which proof that he was in here. Baker either sneaks or fight the Germans he encountered. During the journey, he saw and hear Leggett as a ghost.

Baker found Franky which the kid refused to come back as still trying to find the girl unbeknownst to him that she was dead. As Franky run away, Baker continue the pursuit and fight more Germans on the way. Baker finally found him mortally wounded in the stairwell and console the dying soldier which recreate the scene seen in Lost.

Red encounter Baker and console Matt on Franky's death. Soon, they are escaping the hospital and fighting the Germans along the way. As Baker enter the amphitheater, a bomb hit the area with the Germans coming to kill Baker like the scene in Lost. However, it is revealed by the time Red arrived, Baker was shooting at nothing and Baker sits there thing about Franky's fate before exiting the hospital.

Objectives[]

Find Franky[]

Eliminate German Patrols
Enter the Hospital
Search for Franky

Rendezvous with the Squad[]

Exit the Hospital

Checkpoints[]

The Girl in White
Hide and Seek
Chasing Ghosts
Just Save One
Second Time Around
Madness Devours

Transcript[]

Baker woke up in the stream after he jump down the building and fell into the river. He looked around and saw that he was flowed to somewhere and lost all his equipment with only his pistol as his defense. He climb up the river bank to see where he is. He saw a large building in the distance and German patrols around the area. Another thing caught Baker attention is the girl, the girl who followed Franky that he tried to protect is now captured by German infantry. The girl struggle with the German, and as she released herself from the German, his friend shoot her down with the hat that Franky gave falls. Shocked at the situation, Baker goes down the bank to compose himself. "If the girl is here, Franky must be somewhere around here. I have to find him," Baker thought and prepare to fight the Germans.

Looking up the bank, he saw two German soldiers patrol nearby. Looking around his surroundings, he have few ways to go through before engaging the Germans. He can go to his left and sneak through the river and head to the left flank or to his right where resistance is lesser but have enough cover for the Germans. He checked his ammunition and only left 9 clips for his pistol. He needs to grabs MP 40, regardless of which soldier, as a real weapon against the Germans, especially when he have no squad around him.

He sneaks against a lone German near the river side and far from other German patrols and shot him in the head with the bombing as a cover of noise. Baker soon grabbed the dead soldier MP 40 and dash towards the other side without other Germans noticing. He was at the left side of the field and noticed two Germans near the campfire and car wreckage watching the bombing of Eindhoven. Baker soon position himself and aim at the two Germans, then he fire upon them killing both of them immediately. This lead the other two patrols to be alerted and take cover against the lone American.

After taking down the German patrol outside, he soon approach the asylum entrance. He saw the dead girl again and was thinking "Poor girl, how am I suppose to tell Franky about this". He entered the asylum with the entrance blocked, he is now trapped in abandoned asylum which is crawling with Germans. As he explore the entrance, he saw Franky jacket on the ground, proving that he was in this asylum. With this information, he decided to find Franky. He can either fight the Germans inside the asylum or stealthy sneak by and avoid combat.

He managed to sneak through the German soldiers by understanding their patrol routes and navigate through the desolated hospital. He enter a room through a window and eliminate the Germans in the area. He continue his path through a hole he can enter to behind the walls. He navigate through the wall and exit through another hole, entering a new area. He fought some Germans and explore the area, he is haunted with Leggett's ghost with his glasses and words heard through a radio.

Baker quickly leaves and reach the amphitheater where he found Franky running to another area.

Baker: Franky!

Franky stop running and face towards Baker.

Baker: Son, don't do this.

Franky: You know, I didn't think it'd be like this. I feel ... I felt like ... If I just saved one person it was good I came. I, uh, I found her. We got stuck in here. So, I sent her off before the Krauts can get at us.

Baker: Frank! Slow down! I gotta tell you something.

Franky: Don't ... Don't be my Dad right now. Go back. Just go back and let me save her. Please.

Franky soon run again towards a corridor to find the girl. However, Baker knows she is dead and have to get to Franky before he got himself killed.

After dealing with further German resistance, he continue his path to find Franky which lead him to a hallway with the end of it was blocked with wreckage caused by the bombing except a small gap that a person can fit in. Baker soon entered the hole and scouted the area, he took the stairs and saw his fear to come true. Franky was shot with multiple bullets towards his torso and holding his wounds to ease his own pain. He also tried to talk to his Sergeant despite the pain.

Soldier (Franky): Sorry, Sarge ...

Baker: Don't be sorry. You did good.

Soldier: Did she ... did she get out okay?

Baker: Yeah. Yeah, she's fine.

Franky look away from Baker, knowing his expression to try ease his pain and lying to feel better, he said his last words.

Soldier: Liar.

Soon, shots are heard and Baker look behind was a German soldier being shot and dropped down the stairs. The soldier that shot the German was Red.

Hartsock: He's gone ... Matt ... he's gone.

Hartsock puts his hand in front of Baker.

Hartsock: We have to go. Look at me!

Baker grabs Hartsock's hand, and Hartsock lifts Baker to his feet.

Hartsock: Let's move, Matt. Follow me.

Baker follows Hartsock, under some rubble.

Hartsock: Just go under it! We gotta move!

All of a sudden, bomb shells start raining hell outside the hospital.

Hartsock: Shit! Watch out!

Hartsock and Baker dash to the far side of the hospital and walk into another room.

Hartsock: Shit! There's more Krauts. Get down!

Baker and Hartsock take shelter behind a turned over bed frame. A German soldier is standing in front of a massive hole in the ground.

Hartsock: Shoot 'em, Matt! Shoot 'em now!

Baker shoots the German soldier and he falls into the hole.

Soon, two more Germans appeared and took cover opposite of the hole, Baker provide suppressing fire while Red flank them like how they did back in Normandy. As they walked through the hallway, they found a lone German patrolling. Baker took the opportunity to shoot him, soon the Germans nearby are alerted and engage the Americans. They took cover at the narrow walls from the German firing, Baker managed to kill the German at corridor and Red sprint to the next cover to suppress the other Germans. Baker manage to flank and kill the Germans.

After the two take out a few more Germans, they proceed to nearby hallway where burst through the door is a burning German who is crying for help. The two left him dead and proceed the hallway. As more bombing progress, the lights went out. They sprint through the hallway before Red stop in the middle to talk about the situation.

Hartsock: There goes the lights...the whole city...god Matt, all those people...

Baker reached the amphitheater and checked the area once more for enemies. Baker looks up at the ceiling where it have the windows at the night sky. Red who was covering Baker's rear heard the loud crash at Baker area and rushed to help him. Baker saw the three Germans coming to kill him and point his pistol at his attackers.

As Red arrived at the scene, he saw nothing but Baker shooting three shots at nothing who thought there were Germans. Red talk to the downed Baker.

Hartsock: There's no one there, Matt.

Baker is in disbelief got up slowly and thinking to himself and about Franky as in the background, the bomb is still hanging over the amphitheater.

Baker: He didn't know-- thought he was doing the right thing. We would be better men to respect that.

Franky: Yeah, but I still died.

Baker: Yeah, you did.

Chapter Ends

Characters[]

Staff Sergeant Matthew Baker
Staff Sergeant Joseph Hartsock
Private First Class Kevin Leggett (Ghost, Hallucination)
Private Franky "Beans" LaRoche (DOW)
Dutch Girl (KIA)

Weapons[]

American Weapons[]

Death Pistol
M3 Grease Gun (Franky's, Picks Up)

German Weapons[]

MP 40

Recon Report[]

September 20th, 1944[]

For the 101st Airborne, the first day of the invasion brought almost equal parts of success and failure. The air drops were largely successful, landing the majority of the division's manpower and material on-target. The 501st, successfully dropping at DZ 'A', managed to quickly defeat the light resistance in the town of Veghel, secure both of the bridges, and set up a strong blockade near the town of Eerde. The 502nd, dropping in DZ 'B', right outside of St. Odenrode, had equal success in capturing the town and its bridge over the Dommel River.

September 20th, 1944 (2) — The open terrain around the highway made attacks difficult to predict or defend against..

Later in the day, the corridor near Son once again came under attack by the 107th Panzerbrigade. The 107th focused on the shelling the trucks along the corridor and shutting down XXX Corps' Advance. The 506th, with armored support from XXX Corps' tank regiments, launched a counter-attack against the encroaching armor. Although the counter-attack managed to stall the enemy tanks and protect the road, the combined might of the American and British Forces was not enough to force a retreat.

September 20th, 1944 (3) — This large bridge in Nijmegen was the single most important objective towards the success on the entire operation.

Further north, the combined forces of XXX Corps' lead tanks and the 82nd Airborne's 504th PIR were able to take the bridge in Nijmegen intact. This event marked the largest success in the 82nd's mission. The enormous steel bridge in Nijmegen was the 82nd Airborne's primary mission. The bridge stood over the only suitable path into Arnhem, and if destroyed, was too large for XXX Corps' engineers to reconstruct. If the 82nd failed to capture the bridge, it would have meant an instant end to Operation Market Garden. Conversely, the bridge's safety provided a glimpse of hope towards the operation's success.

Faulty Intelligence[]

One of the main reasons behind Field Marshal Montgomery's confidence in his risky plan was the belief that the only real fighting forces stationed in Holland would be Volksgrenadiers, or "People's Infantry"; units hastily created from conscripts either too young or too old to serve in the standard army. The other German forces in the area were simply retreating from the Normandy battles, and would be too disorganized and battle-weary to mount any threatening defense against the airborne invasion. This over-confidence trickled down to the men, as well, and many airborne soldiers scoffed at having to fight only "boys and old men."

Faulty Intelligence (2) — OB West Walter Model and his successor, OB West Gerd von Rundstedt

Montgomery would've been mostly correct, if not for the actions of both Oberbefehlshaber West (Commander-In-Chief West) Walter Model and his successor, OB West Gerd Von Rundstedt. Model, desperately trying to reinforce the northern line in Holland, pulled the entire 2nd SS Panzer Corps into Anhem to rest and refit. Von Rundstedt, knowing Montgomery's tendency to extensively plan before any attack, saw an opportunity to order Von Zangen's 15th army to retreat west from the Port of Antwerp. Between these two actions, the German forces in Holland had not only a strong armored presence to crush the 1st Airborne in the north but an extra 60,000 veteran heavy infantry soldiers to consistently attack the 101st and 82nd airborne in the south.

Dutch Resistance[]

Although the German invasion of Holland was swift and brutal, the Germans view the Dutch as fellow Aryans, and thus, the initial occupation was less repressive than in other conquered nations. At first, many Dutch accepted the occupation. However, as the German occupation became more oppressive; forcing men to work in German factories, withholding rations, and executing civilians, the support for Dutch resistance movements increased dramatically. Even though the punishment for involvement, in an resistance efforts was a death sentence, many brave Dutch civilians saw the need to fight against their German oppressors.

Dutch Resistance (2) — 501st CO Col. Howard Johnson works with Dutch Resistance members to plan out an attack on German positions.

Although the resistance movements engage in similar activities: sabotaging phone and railway networks, forging ration cards, running underground newspapers, hiding Jewish citizens and enemies of the regime, and even attacking German officers, the resistance took the form of small, de-centralized, completely independent organizations. By the time the allies invaded in 1944, intelligence identified four major resistance organizations, the "Knokploeg" or Assault Group, the "Radd Van Verzet" or Council of Resistance, the "Orde Dienst" or Order of Service, and the "Landeliijke Organiste Voor Hulp Aan Onderduikers" or National Organization For The Help Of People In Hiding.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

It is the only chapter where Baker have no squad to command.
Stealth is allowed to be used.
There are signs of Leggett in this chapter:
- In the recon points, you can see Leggett's glasses on the first recon point and Leggett's voice through the radio on the second recon point.
- Behind the walls, if you see through the hole in the wall on the way, there is brief cutscene where Leggett ghost can be seen.
There is a hint that the Germans that Baker shot in the amphitheater is a hallucination. All the Germans encounter are holding MP 40 and one of them is holding a Karabiner 98k.