‘Clack’

‘Clack’

I put the AKMS on its left side, and prepared to fire, if anybody comes uninvited.

I was like a sniper in position. With a slight difference that I am dozing off, and will surely fall asleep by the midnight.

‘Rustle’

In a single move I prepared to fire.

I waited for a few minutes but the sound did not happen again.

I maintained vigilance for a couple of minutes, and returned to laying low.

‘Rustle’

I kept on lying.

Whoever approached me was now less cautious. Maybe I made sound myself, spooking them.

I started hearing steps. Somebody, or something, was approaching the tent.

I threw a flashbang.

BOOM

“What is going on?!”

I jumped out of the tent, and aimed at the silhouette of the attacker.

BANG BANG

---

Old Man’s POV

We were looking around the fort, searching for the possible routes we could use.

The search progressed smoothly, until we heard echoes of gunshots.

‘Should we return?’

‘She can handle herself. I left the gun loaded, in case something happens.’ (J)

“You did what?!”

‘Tshhh!!!’ (J)

‘You idiot! The moment she notices this…!’

‘W-well, now she will be saying ‘thank you’, before beating the folly out of us.’ (J)

‘I am sooo glad to hear that.’

I had a bad feeling but I had reasons to believe she will handle everything.

---

The enemy was not patrolling far from the fort. During our recon we did not encounter any traces out here but we clearly saw torches going around the structure itself.

After we coursed around the Captain’s prospective attack area, we headed back.

When we approached the tank, we sat that there are a couple of dead bodies.

“Seledka!” [Herring!]

The commander’s hatch opened, and Captain looked at us.

“Password accepted. Get inside, their friends might show up.”

---

Belov’s POV

After I shot the first man, a second one rushed at me. I fell him down, and slit his throat.

“If I knew it is going to be like that, I would stay in the turret.”

“And what would happen then?” (J)

“Those idiots would not be dead.” I glanced in the direction where the two villagers’ bodies should be.

“Curious Barbara had her nose torn off.” (O)

“Not funny, you know.”

“When are we going to move out?” (O)

“How about at the dawn?”

“No objections, I am too tired.” (J)

“Same down here.” (O)

“Well, I will be sleeping then. Expect moving out at 4 o’clock.”

One of the indisputable advantages of the war room is that my body falls asleep as soon as I enter.

“Stella!” I called the monster.

‘Rustle’

‘Hissing’

It stepped out of the surrounding darkness, and looked at me in anticipation.

If it was not a dreadful creature, I might’ve thought it is a pet expecting attention.

“Can you do something for me?”

“If it is something I can do.” (S)

“It should be. Can you sneak into a temporary settlement, and look what is there?” I showed the fort on the holographic table.

It stopped blinking, and thought for a while.

‘Blinking…’ I reminded.

“Ah, yes!” Stella started blinking as normal human should.

It continued thinking, until it finally looked up.

“I am ready.” (S)

I released Stella, and it ran away in a moment. The blue dot flew towards the fort’s projection at a huge speed.

The fort started lighting up with red dots.

Stella finished sniffing through the fort in an hour, and returned.

---

The next morning at 4:00.

‘ttwrWRRRUUM’

“Forward. Faster.”

I glanced at Jester, and saw that he is weirdly nervous.

“You have anything to say…?”

“I… I happened to forget a shell in the gun…” A vein popped up on my forehead.

“What shell?”

“A high explosive… You were going to be left alone yesterday, so I thought… Just in case…” (J)

“And what was stopping you from telling me that for the entirety of the past night?

DON’T LOOK AWAY, YOU IMBECILE! ARE THE SAFETY NORMS A SCRIBBLE TO YOU?!

AAARGH! Be ready to load the armor piercing right after we fire your handiwork.

Right, 90.

Jester, stop f*ing my brain and focus on working. Don’t forget about cleaning the gun afterwards.

Faster. Faster, I said. Keep it at 40.”

‘BUM’

“Rather at 30…”

‘My a*…’