Slumping backwards, he reached for his automatic rifle, gritting his teeth as he heaved himself into a more comfortable position, his voice a low hiss, ‘Any movement? How long was I asleep for?’
The older soldier lifted himself slightly, glancing out through the shattered window above before grunting, his grime smeared uniformed body lowering once more, ‘About two hours, captain. There has been nothing…some fighting to the west and east…several explosions and that damn shrieking…’ He wearily slipped the helmet from his head, rubbing matted hair as dust showered his shoulders, ‘One of the blocks collapsed at the edge of the estate…some of our men would have been inside. There was a low rumble first…I think they blew up the foundations when the creatures broke into the ground floor.’ The soldiers shrugged, ‘The air was full of dust for about an hour…we couldn’t see anything so were worried the enemy were going to attack…no one came.’
Medvedev struggled upwards, glass cracking beneath his boots as he pushed himself to a crouch, lifting the rifle across his chest, ‘I will go and have a look downstairs with the others…what’s left of them. Have we still got two snipers on the roof?
The other soldier coughed, the cold air filtering through the window heavy with dust as he grinned, ‘There is a better view from the roof…they have some bread and stew too…we found it in one of the apartments. There is plenty of tinned food downstairs, two of the men gathered it during the day…’ The younger man sighed, dirt smeared across his face as he ran a hand across a stubbled chin, ‘There are no rations coming up and we have lost radio contact with command again…I think the enemy are jamming us.’ He shrugged despondently, ‘We have no situation reports…but there is enemy fire to the south on either side…unless we move soon, they will cut us off.’
Medvedev gritted his teeth as he slipped towards the door hanging from its hinges, broken chairs, pictures and ornaments laying in the hallway outside, ‘We probably have six hours of darkness left to move in…I will try and organise a route out if there is one, I should be able to see one from the roof.’ He swallowed nervously, ‘But we can’t take all the units in the neighbouring blocks with us…the enemy will overrun and slaughter the men if they find out.’ He turned at the doorway, his expression grim, ‘I think they have deliberately passed by this estate…left us here to rot…it’s just too quiet. They must know there are soldiers hiding up in these blocks…they are just waiting for us to try and escape. If these monsters catch us in the streets, they will tear us to pieces like they did the others.’
As the officer slipped from the room, glass fragments crunching under his boots, the older soldier smirking at the younger, whispering, ‘We have scavenged tinned food and are storing it in one apartment…the enemy is preserving their own food supply in an entire housing estate…us.’
The Ukraine
The Barrett high powered sniper rifles moved slowly from side to side through the darkness, several with thermal sights, the others infra-red, searching through the trees and buildings ahead. The mixed unit had moved up from further south, their young ambitious commander, Major Johann Kelb, staring through enhanced binoculars into the darkness, the ground selected as a perfect defensive position facing the expected advance of a new enemy. His men were equipped with multi-coloured camouflage uniforms and smocks, Trevakian designed and newly deployed armoured plates adorning their shoulders.
Commander of a German Special Forces unit, they had parachuted into the southern Pripyet Marsh area earlier that day, the unit of nearly two hundred men supplemented with veterans from Poland, Romania and Hungary…the Italian and Greek units still to arrive and currently airborne over the Balkans. Ukrainian regular troops were dug into the hillside before his men along with two British observers, the cunning officer estimating the enemy would take at least two hours to reach their positions, fleeing and retreating regular units providing unconventional updates and potential intelligence as they passed. The officer had arranged for interception patrols behind the prepared positions to reorganise the defeated militia and Ukrainian regular army, the demoralised units having been thrown piecemeal against a superior and merciless foe.
Behind the defensive positions, the town streets of Dityatki and Ivankiv to the south and south west were clogged with fleeing refugees, residents of smaller villages and farmsteads moving south to avoid the brutal and merciless invaders. Rumours were rife, news of the destruction of Moscow stunning an already terrified population, a realisation that the might of Russian military strength was in question. The broadcasts spreading further panic as news of invasions from further afield were broadcast through short wave battery operated radios, the mobile phone networks now little more than useless as the debris of destroyed satellites orbited the stricken planet.
At thirty five, the charismatic Major Kelb had experienced numerous covert actions across the globe, usually concealed under the banner of the United Nations or European Union peacekeeping missions, his exploits rarely peaceful or restrained. The black haired and slim, brusque and often direct commander was renowned for efficiency and a deep care for subordinates, regularly attending and participating in the rigorous training schedules across several countries. The loyalty he received in return was unquestionable, a high number of his men gaining promotion and progressing to lead their own squads.
Lowering the glasses,
