Maki pressed the button on the side of the microphone and replied, “He’d better bundle up it’s cold this time a year. Over.”
The voice coming from the radio speaker on the floor replied, “Indeed, he wouldn’t want to catch cold. Over.”
Maki pressed the microphone button again as he said, “Go Asgard actual. Over.”
“The Titans are rampaging toward the north. They will reach the brook soon. Over.” The voice on the other end of the radio said.
Maki replied, “Understood, what does the all father wish me to do? Over.”
“He’s dispatching a group of Valkyries to make a stand. He feels that delaying the Titans at the brook would be worth the blood price. Over.” Asgard actual replied.
“Then we shall ride forth with and partake in our mischief in support of the Valkyries. Over.” Maki replied.
“Excellent. Do what you can to punish the Titans from your side. Over” Asgard actual replied.
“There are few of us here. I shall go forth myself. Antti will be here soon to mind the store. Over” Maki replied.
“Understood and good luck. Over.” Asgard actual replied.
Hale looked at Maki, his face etched with confusion, “What did all that nonsense you just spewed mean?”
Maki chuckled, “It was code. The Soviets have radios too. We wouldn’t want them listening in and understanding what we just said.”
Maki pulled a book out of his right uniformed pants pocket and began thumbing through it, “Ahh here it is. The brook is the codeword for the crossroads at the village of Kivennapa.”
Maki turned to the map and quickly located the village. He placed a finger on it and said, “Here.”
“What are we to do?” Hale asked.
“Command wants me to dispatch as many snipers as I have available to the village to harry the invader. They’re sending up a battalion to delay the bastards.” Maki replied.
“Why? Many villages along that road have already fallen. What makes this one different?” Hale asked.
“Because it sits on a crossroads. If the Russians take the village, they’ll have access to this road that runs east and west. Right now, they are limited to the north and south running road they are currently on. Since they have confined themselves to the road. If they reach that cross roads they’ll be able to spread themselves out.”
Hale’s eyes focused on the map, “Oh, I see what you are saying. Right now, we have them in a bottle neck. If they are able to gain the cross roads, they’ll be able to work their way loose. So, you’re sending me there?”
Maki nodded, “And I’m going with you.”
Hale looked incredulous, “No offense, but you grew up in Viipuri. What do you know about sneaking through a forest and using a rifle?”
Maki chuckled, “Not much.”
“Then why?” Before Hale could finish his sentence, Maki held up a hand.
He crossed the room, picked a gun out of a pile of them laying on the floor in a corner and said, “I can help you with this.”
Hale’s eyes widened as they took in the weapon Maki was holding up, “A machine gun?”
Maki nodded, “A PPD 34. It’s a submachine gun to be precise.”
“Where did you get it?” Hale asked.
“Onni brought it in. He collected two of them from the corpses of a squad of Soviets he slew.” Maki replied.
“If I had something like that when they took Pekka, I could have saved him.” Hale replied.
“Perhaps.” Maki paused then added, “Perhaps not. You are only one man and you were engaged with an entire battalion.”
Hale sighed loudly, “I know. I just can’t help but to think if I made different decisions, that somehow he’d be here with me right now.”
“You did everything you could for him, and then you did what was best for Finland. You preserved yourself to fight another day.” Maki replied.
“I know but-”
“Peace Hale. I need you focused on what’s ahead, not what happened yesterday. Put it behind you. I need you in the here and now. Your family needs you.”
Hale nodded slowly. His features revealing the turmoil within him, “I know you’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right! I’m your commanding officer.”
Hale laughed, “You’re barely older than I am!”
Maki joined in the laughter, “Aye, and I would have gotten lost in the woods getting here if not for the rest of you holding my hand.” Maki’s stopped laughing and patted the PP 34, “But I can contribute. I can cover you so you can use your skills on those fuckers.”
“You know, they are young men just like we are. They’ve been told to fight just like we have.” Hale replied.
“Fuck them. We are fighting for our homes and our way of life. They are fighting, because if they don’t, the party will riddle their families with bullets.” Maki replied.
“Dark the world has become. A place where the candle light of freedom sputters and blinks in the growing winds of tyranny.” Hale replied.
“I thought I was the university graduate. Who taught you philosophy?” Maki asked.
“My dad. Though we have a hard life living off the land, he always challenged me to exercise my mind as hard as I exercised my body.” Hale replied.
“He sounds like a wise man.” Maki replied.
“He is.” Hale replied softly.
“You’ll get to see him again when this is all over.” Maki reassured.
Hale nodded slowly. As Maki added, “Eat up. We’ve got to get moving.”
As Hale sipped on his stew and coffee, Maki wrote a note. When he finished, he nailed it to the tent post that was prominently visible upon entry.”
“What’s that?” Hale asked.
“It’s a letter to the rest of the squad to join us. We’ll need all the help we can muster.” Maki replied.
Maki then worked to load his pack. He placed within enough rations for several days, and six clips of ammunition that appeared to fit the Russian submachine gun. He then walked over to grey chest and opened it. Pulling out the first aid kit, he took several fresh bandages and wraps from it for Hale’s shoulder. He placed the kit back into the larger chest and dropped the bandages and wraps into his pack.
Turning to Hale the Lieutenant asked, “How are you doing on bullets?”
“I’m completely out.” Hale replied.
Maki’s eyes narrowed, “You were out of ammo, yet you’ve been lamenting about not saving Pekka this whole time?”
Hale nodded sheepishly, “Yes.” Before Maki could fire off a retort Hale held up his hand and continued, “I know it doesn’t make any sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. This is why you need to clear your head of this nonsense. The mental energy you are wasting on what you couldn’t have hoped to prevent is best saved for our mission.”
“I’ll try.” Hale replied softly.
“No, you’ll do. That’s an order.” The Lieutenant barked sternly, “There are several boxes of 7.62mm ammo for your rifle next to the grey footlocker. Fill up your bandolier, and your clips. Hell fill up your pockets too. We are probably going to need every last bit of it.”
“Yes sir.” Hale replied.
Hale quickly finished up his meal and strode over to the spot Maki had indicated. Looking down he immediately spotted several wooden boxes. The unpainted boxes smelled faintly of freshly cut wood. The ammunition containers were about four inches wide and a foot deep. The two ends of the boxes sported handles made from a black colored rope.
Hale knelt down and wrestled the top off box closest to him. His eyes took in the gleam of the box full of 7.62mm rifle rounds. The bullets, about four inches in length, started with a sharp point on the business end, and ended with a flat circular base. In the middle of the flat circular based, surrounded by numbers, and contrasting with the brass coloration of the rest of the bullet’s casing, was a silver circle. The percussion cap. Hale thought.
Hale worked quickly to fill his bandolier
with the new rounds of ammunition. Task complete, he began filling up his empty magazines with the new bullets. Finally, he located his rifle, still on the floor by the entrance of the tent, and ejected the clip. Only two bullets remained inside the clip. He quickly filled the clip back up and slammed it home in his rifle.
Finishing up, he helped himself to some ration tins, and then turned to see what Maki was up to. The Lieutenant had gone through a transformation. Gone was the relaxed looking officer in his white sweater, and gray uniform pants. He was now suited up in white pants, and over coat just like Hale had worn outside.
Like Hale’s, the white coat had a large hood that would help to protect the wearer of the jacket from the sub-zero temperatures of a Finnish December. Maki had donned his pack which hung on his back. On his right shoulder he wore the PPD 34. He also sported a gray colored utility belt with a pistol holster, and several grenades attached to it. The grenades were the German style wooden handled variety with the metal top that the Germans called the Stielhandgranate or stick grenade, “Ready?” Maki asked.
Hale nodded, “Yes.”
“On the side of the tent I have several sets of skis. We’ll use them to quickly make our way over the snow to the village.” Maki said.
Hale smiled, “Good. After slogging through miles of this knee-deep snow, I’ve learned my lesson about losing track of my skis.”
“The skis are a huge advantage for us. Without them we wouldn’t be able to move around the Russians like we have. Those idiots have been hugging the roads and ignoring the woodlands. We’ve made them pay dearly for their ignorance thus far. By hitting the bastards by surprise, then disappearing into the forest using our skis, we drive fear into their hearts. The same group of Finns, using their skis, can easily hit them again elsewhere in a short amount of time. This gives those Marxist pigs the impression there are a great many more of us than is actually the case.” Maki said.
The two men quickly attached the skis to their boots and began the journey northward toward the village of Kivennapa. As they traveled away from the tent, the two men set a steady pace. It wasn’t long before Hale’s injured shoulder began to ache with the effort of using his ski poles to push himself forward over the snow.
As Hale’s discomfort grew, he began to give it away with heavy breathing and a slowing pace. Worried Maki turned and asked, “Are you ok?”
“It’s my shoulder, the effort of pulling myself forward with the ski pole is causing it to hurt.” Hale replied.
“Let’s take a break for a few minutes. I may have something to help.” Maki replied.
Hale gently lowered himself to the frigid snow pack, careful not to cause any additional discomfort. As he did so, Maki took off his pack and began to rummage through it. He pulled out an object, wrapped in brown paper. Tearing the paper open, he dropped the contents of the pack into his open palm. It was a syringe.
Turning to Hale, he said, “Take off your coat.”
Hale leaned back so that the bottom of his pack rested on the ground. He then gently slipped his arms out of it. Once the pack was laying on the ground, he stood up and removed his coat. The freezing air immediately made him regret his choice as the force of the icy air slammed into him like a brick wall. He unconsciously grabbed himself with his arms trying to retain his warmth.
“Lower your right arm and let it relax.” Maki asked.
Hale did as he was told. Looking over at Maki he said, “What’s that?”
“It’s a syringe of morphine. This will help you forget about the pain in your shoulder.” Maki said.
“I thought we were supposed to save that for serious injuries.” Hale replied.
“I need you to get to the village in fighting condition. This will help.” Maki said. Then added, “Stand still.” As he plunged the needle into Hale’s arm.
Hale winced at the sharp pain in his arm. A few moments later he smiled as the pain in his shoulder began to disappear. He met Maki’s gaze and said, “Wow.”
“That is going to have to do you for a while. I brought most of our base camp’s supply, but I need you to be able to shoot straight when we get there.” Maki said.
Hale nodded as a numbing haze began to descended over his awareness, “Let’s get moving.” Maki added.
Hale, reached down and picked up his pack. He slid it onto his back, left arm first, and then very slowly slipped his right arm in. There was almost no pain. Smiling he picked up his rifle, slung it over his left shoulder, and picked up his ski poles.
With Hale’s pain greatly diminished, the two men were able to set a steady pace. The miles quickly fell away as they headed in a northerly direction. Occasionally, Maki would bring them to a halt for a few minutes so they could catch their breath. As the sun touched the south western horizon, they changed direction. They were now heading northeast with the sun almost behind them.
The golden rays of the setting sun, glistened off the white blanket draped across the countryside. The snow-covered countryside, sparkled in the light, making it seems as if there were tiny diamonds embedded everywhere. Hale, basking in the natural beauty of the Finnish countryside, was startled when Maki raised his right arm and made a fist, the signal to stop.
Hale dutifully came to a stop. His ears, uncluttered by the sound of their skiing, he heard the noise of engines ahead. In a whisper Maki said, “Let’s take a break and eat. Once it’s fully dark, we can continue toward them quietly.”
“How close are we to the Russians?” Hale asked.
“About half a mile or so to the east is the road. The sound echoes and carries through this frigid night air.” Maki replied.
The two men opened their packs and pulled out some ration tins, “What are you going to try sir?” Hale asked.
“Hmmm.” Maki responded, “I wonder which one of these would taste the best frozen?”
Hale looked at the two tins that Maki was holding up, “Probably the chicken. If we dig a hole in the snow behind one of the thicker trees, we could build a fire. The enemy probably won’t see it.”
“I’d rather not risk it.” Maki replied.
Hale sighed, “As you wish.” Trying to take his mind off the numbing cold he asked, “Tell me about Sade. How did you meet her?”
“We met in the fall of ‘34, I was attending the University in Helsinki.” Maki replied.
“Was she in one of your classes?” Hale asked.
“No, we met by chance. She was sitting in the park one day, and I was out for a walk. It was a warm day for late September and I was enjoying the feel of the sun on my face. When I rounded a bend in the path, there she was.” Maki said.
“Did she see you?” Hale asked.
“No. She was leaning up against a tree next to a small lake. The sun was setting behind her, and I could see the rays shining through her golden tresses.” Maki said.
“What did you do?” Hale inquired.
“She seemed really focused on a book she was reading. The book was sitting in her lap, so she did not notice me standing there. I found a spot nearby and pretended to watch the water.” Maki said.
Hale laughed, “How did that go.”
“Not very well. She noticed me almost immediately.” Maki replied.
“I bet. What did she do?” Hale questioned.
“I feel like I am being interrogated by the Soviets. You’re asking more questions than a commissar.” Maki chuckled.
Hale, in his best imitation of a Russian accent said, “You will tell me what I want to know or it will go badly for you Finn.”
Maki laughed and relaxed a bit, “Very well. If you must know.”
“It’s helping. We’ve got a lot of time, and this story is helping to keep my mind off the cold and my shoulder.” Hale replied.
Maki closed his eyes and smiled, “She looked up and saw me gazing at her. She hesitated for a moment and then returned my smile.”
Hale leaned in, “Caught! What did you do?”
“There was only one thing I could do, to
salvage the situation. I walked over to her and introduced myself.” Maki replied.
Hale whistled softly in appreciation, “Bold. How did that go?
“Better than I thought it would. My heart was pounding, my bladder was weak, and I prayed that she did not see that my hands were shaking.” Maki paused for a moment and then continued, “She didn’t, so I asked if she would like to get some coffee at a nearby café.”
“I don’t think I would have been brave enough to do that.” Hale said.
“I couldn’t believe that I was either, but what did I have to lose at that point?” Maki said.
Hale chortled, “True. So, what happened?”
“She said that she would be happy to have coffee with me, but first she wanted to watch the sunset.” Maki said.
Hale swallowed a bite of his dinner, “Then you got coffee?”
“Well it was a bit late to have some coffee at that point so I asked her to dinner.” Maki said.
Hale whistled softly in appreciation, “A courageous move! Do they teach you such things at the university?”
“No, it just felt right.” Maki replied.
“What happened next?” Hale wondered.
“This isn’t very fair.” Maki said.
“How so?” Hale asked.
“You’re finding out all about Sade, without telling me anything about Nea.” Maki replied.
“There isn’t much to tell. It was a lot different than how you met Sade.” Hale said.
“Let me be the judge of that. Before I continue about Sade, you are going to tell me about Nea.” Maki said.
“Yes sir.” Hale said.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just curious too.” Maki said with a soothing voice.
“Oh.” Hale paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, “Me and Nea were different than you and Sade. Nea belonged to the family that owned the farm next to ours.”
“Here in Karelia?” Maki prompted.
Hale nodded, “About forty miles north of here.”
“Viipuri is not much beyond that. We both have a lot to lose if we can’t stop these bastards. Tell me more about Nea.” Maki said.
“As I was saying.”
The Winter Sniper Page 10
