23 August, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

In a move that has shocked the political world at large ; the governments of Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist republic have concluded and signed a treaty of reciprocal non-aggression. The unloose argument of many populace leaders has ranged across the spectrum, from ones of rejoicing that the prospects of another swell war in Europe has been avoided, to others who unofficially are seeking more information or are involved in a series of ‘ intense treatment'with Allied governments.


1 Sep, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

dame and man today it is my sad obligation to denote that war has returned to the continent of Europe as on this day the armed forces of Germany have invaded Western Polska. Heavy fighting is reported by all sides, with Germany announcing ‘ deep, massive and sweeping penetration'by its arm forces. Allegedly the polish army is already collapsing ; surrendering in ever growing numbers and the administration has fled the nation for asylum in Roumania. Unofficial accounts from radio operators in Poland speak of continued resistance that is ‘ stout, impregnable and determined'in the aspect of the motiveless aggressiveness of Germany.

Many world leaders have strongly denounced this hostility on the part of the government of Germany, with Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault, Great Britain and the United nation of United States demanding that the regular army of Germany cease all hostilities at once. This is to be followed by withdrawal to the master copy border, while an external intermediation via the league of Carry Amelia Moore Nation occurs to steady down the thing of enmity between the respective governments.

No comment has been relayed from the German government.


3 Sep, 1939 ( Headlines )

On this day the crisis in Europe has grown exponentially, with the government of French Republic and Britain officially declaring war upon the government of Deutschland for the invasion of Republic of Poland. Contacts within the respective military and administration section tell that armed intervention in Polska, and the lineal territorial intrusion of Germany ‘ shall occur within a paw count of mean solar day, or at most, before the following two week are over.'

The combat continues on, with the government of Federal Republic of Germany reporting more and more territory gained with each passing hour, while Polish rootage report the main jab of the German Blitzkrieg has been blunted, but that the nations injured party have been high. The promulgation of the declaration of war by France and United Kingdom has brought renewed hope for the bug nation.


17 September, 1939 ( Headlines )

In a motion of vociferous opportunism and aggression the armies of the Union of Soviet Socialist republic have invaded eastern Poland. The representatives of the USSR declared that the move is to see that law and order and stability are maintained in the boldness of the fill out collapse of the shine politics. Within hours the movement had been condemned by most penis of the League of Nations…


5 Oct, 1939 ( headline )

Poland has officially ceased to survive according to the governments of Germany and the USSR. The pocket-sized nations of Republic of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been annexed by the USSR after being coerced into signing one sided ‘ mutual United States Department of Defense accord'with the central communist regime of Russia….

Unconfirmed reports mention that officials from Finland have been invited to capital of the Russian Federation for ‘ treatment of a most specific nature concerning the reciprocal defense of both countries.'One onetime high-ranking military officer explained that usually means ‘ Russian capital makes the menace and Republic of Finland will make conceding, or there shall be war in the end…'


â‚°â‚°

oceanic abyss in the halls of STAVKA, Supreme military headquarters for the armed forces of the USSR, the assembled drawing card stand at aid as the lone man walked calmly in the doorway and silently proceeded to the head of the longsighted, map-covered table.

His every footfall echoed like skag across the room, and heightened the thick tension that was further magnified by his aura of superpower, authorization, ruthlessness and determination. He reveled in the fear that radiated from all of those present, for all knew with a dewy-eyed gesture, a nod, or one spoken Son, he could produce or break any or all of their career, send them to the gulag for life, or have them summarily executed.

Taking his seat he motioned for all to sit and began to explain the matters at bridge player."Comrades, the conquest of Poland and the annexation of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania and Estonia are nearing completion. The antediluvian district of our big Rodinia are nearly stark, with one vexing exception. Despite our most generous offers to them, the lackeys of the Imperialist Cicily Isabel Fairfield, especially those of Britain, who ‘ regularize'in Finland, have slapped aside the deal of communist generosity."

"companion, as of now I am instructing all of you to ordain the plan we have prepared for such an contingency,"the man stated, hammering away on the table with his fist as his centre, insensate and hoary, blazed with ferocity and passion at the authorities who has defied him since he was forced to sign the 1921 Treaty of Tartu forced upon the peaceful citizenry of the USSR by the decrepit and Imperialist-led league of Nations.

"brother, explain to me again every detail of the plans as they exist at this time, do not pass on out one item,"he declared as he motioned for the NKVD guard, member of the feared State security department setup, to watch for the firstly hint of defeatism, waver or anything that may be construed as lese majesty. For those so surmise the result would be publically declared ‘ a quiet and well earned retreat'…

Something that all at the table, especially the man who inspired such awe and affright in all about him, knew to think ‘ last by firing squad.'

For that lone man, Premier Joseph Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, he wanted it no former way. He and he alone ruled in the USSR, and he held the fate of all in his hands alone.

For nearly twenty yr he had fumed over the humiliation Suomi and her Imperialist backer had inflicted upon him in 1921. So now he will hold his revenge and have the proper lands of the Old Russian tzar's restored to the mother country, under proper communist guidance of course.

He listened as the details were explained over several hour, with only one pocket-sized addition proposed to check there will be no question as to ‘ Finnish aggression'being the causal agency of the coming invasion."Make it so,"said Joseph Stalin.


31 October, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

Today before the assembly of the Supreme Soviet, Foreign minister of religion Molotov, for the initiative time in public announced the damage ‘ requested'of the government of Suomi to ‘ see the defenses of the peaceful people of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.'

The ‘ request,'a polite full term for what most people in the democratic nations of the earth will call ‘ demands at the point of a gun'were for earth to be leased for thirty years, or transferred directly into the hands of the Russia while the politics of Finland would receive in return land that is barren and worthless. German Chancellor Adolph Adolf Hitler has called upon the the great unwashed of Finland and their leaders to admit the condition peacefully while time remains for them to do so…

Needless to say, the message of ‘ while clock time remains for them to do so…'has dramatically increased latent hostility in a Continent already at war between the friend and the axis king.


â‚°â‚°

Sir Leslie Stephen half-listened to the tidings coming from the day-after-day radio programme that detailed the current material body up of tautness between Finland and Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. Day by day the talks had been summarized in the distinctive way of Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili and his cohorts…

"Agree to our price with no via media or face the fist of steel from our armies."That is the message they have sent before, when Finland finally won its independence at the end of the Great War.

computer memory of that cutthroat time played across his creative thinker as he examined the masterly-crafted rifle that he held ; its gross design and correspondence, custom as a birthday nowadays to one special to him, will make her one of the greatest of hunters ever to stalk game in the Natalie Wood. The new scope mounted to it was commissioned by a ally of his, whose invention were a generation or more ahead of their time.

Sir Leslie Stephen twirled and tossed the rifle ; rapidly worked the bolt-action to gain the final tone of how smooth it will work when sentence was of the center - as he learned recently with a bear that almost had him for dinner party. No flaw could be found, no blemish, no mistake in his greatest introduction of all the piece he has handcrafted in his life story as an armorer, soldier, Hunter and…dealer in goods and stuff full left unexplained and preferably never found by agents of the law.

He and his friends had prepared to the best they could…let the Russians come, the hornets nest waits…

Pleased with the rifle he slid it into its white-fur-lined scabbard and double over checked the harness for any defect. Again he found none, his Friend having done their work to absolute perfection.

"She will get it on this rifle,"Stephen said as he mulled over the coming case,"her natal day is on the 30th of November. I will be there and demonstrate her how to hound with her new rifle ; she will hunt as never before until all know her name."

All too soon Stephen would fall to realize the prophetical tone of his words. For that rifle will be wielded by one to become a legend…


24 November, 1939 ( Headlines )

Tensions continue to build between the government activity of Suomi and the USSR as two counter proposition were made to find an respectable answer to the demands of Moscow. Both proposal of marriage were summarily rejected as being completely unacceptable on the premise they would leave the USSR completely vulnerable in the region of Leningrad.

All diplomatic ties between Finland and the USSR have been severed by the divergence of the Finnish party after being ordered home to Helsingfors for ‘ consultations.'


26 November, 1939 ( headline )

Unconfirmed reports coming from the party newsworthiness services of the Soviet Union have declared a ‘ surprise and dastardly tone-beginning on Russian territory has occurred by unit of measurement of the Fascist governance of Republic of Finland upon instructions by their masters, the Imperialist Industrialists of the West.'

Foreign Minister Molotov has condemned this ‘ butchery of Russian younker and destruction of practically Russian history in the border village of Mainila…

â‚°â‚°

"My fellow comrades,"declared the legendary ‘ man of steel,'Prime Minister Stalin to the soviet senior high school dictation who stood at attention before the table where he sat."dialogue have fallen through with the Fascist governing of Finland, and now we have this unprovoked assault upon our homeland. As per plans already prepared for such an occurrence, the orders are henceforth given to you and your troops…just before cockcrow on 30 Nov the cracking army of the conjugation of Soviet Socialist Republics shall invade Suomi and set free her oppressed masses who cry for freedom under a proper communist government."

His ira flared hot in his eyes and iron-cold in his countersign as he slammed his bridge player on the hard table,"I will be very clean in this matter. bankruptcy will not be tolerated ; the slightest sign of incompetence, cowardly activity and treason against the political party or the state will signify succinct execution by the NKVD. All orders and design made will be approved by them before any are carried out. Remember, they answer to me alone…"

Needless to say everyone got the message.

Joseph Stalin grinned and reveled in the absolute fear the men around him displayed. HE was in restraint, the master key of all in Soviet Russia to do with as he pleased.

Soon enough the disgrace inflicted upon him by Suomi so long ago will be avenged, a saturnine spot on his bowelless reputation. Everyone represent knew that the words he spoke of go wrong negotiation were mere window dressing, for the might of four Russian Army army corps was in place at key crossing points along the Finland - Russian border.

invasion had been inevitable for some time, and the Fin's would pay for their obstinacy in fire and line of descent.



30 Nov 1939 rear-area of Russian Ninth Army Corp

Major-General Yuri Bogdan watched the border region from the wooded ridge just shy of the Finnish-Russian perimeter. The small village, little to a greater extent than a village not even worthy of a mark on any official map, showed at the bound of his binoculars, just one Thomas More kid obstacle for the chiliad liberation of Republic of Finland that will be erased in a few more minutes.

He turned to the regimental commanders who surrounded him, each standing tall and proud, as he gave them his last instructions in the great cause that is to commence. Each order was repeated back in precise detail to him and to the class's tribal chief commissar, Major-General Vitaly of the NKVD ( province security measure ). All of the officers knew that one misstep, one nonstarter, one violation, or the appearance of any of the aforesaid, can go cause for summary execution by the NKVD.

Anyone doubting that only had to glint at the freshly turned Earth that marked thirty graves of fellow ship's officer who were shot an hour ago for ‘ unfitting lack of fighting spirit for the lawsuit of the state.'

"companion,"Major-General Bogdan spoke to the gathered officers,"our division has been granted the honour of spearheading the effort in the liberation of our commie brethren from the fascists who currently rule Republic of Finland. As you know, lupus erythematosus than 72 hours ago, our crowned head soil was violated in a molding clash designed to elicit the humans's sympathy for the banditti leader of Finland and thus turn them against our respectable drawing card comrade Stalin."

He watched Major-General Vitaly casually stroll back and forth around the officers, as one would carry of a rancher or Farmer inspecting his prized appeal of cows and steers before sending them to marketplace. He went on with his lecture,"Comrades, each of us will execute our parts to flawlessness, and we will sustain radio muteness as per army home office fiat until instruct otherwise. Use the motorbike courier you have well and with due diligence, no opportunity to crush the enemy must be wasted."

He hammered his clench fist into his gloved hired man,"fastness, shock and unrelenting pressure sensation, this is how we shall carve up this section of the look line wide opened and advance ever onward. All prisoner taken are to be sent to our comrades of commonwealth Security unless directed, as per orders signed by PM Comrade Stalin, otherwise by each regiments commissar or by parliamentary procedure of Major-General political commissar Vitaly."

He pointed to the recently filled graves to one side of meat of the gain officer,"Understand, there is to be no hideaway or surrender,"his spokesperson deepened as his furore mounted,"those who do so are guilty of treason and shall be dealt with swiftly as these treasonist to the State Department have been apportion with."

"Now return to your regiments and get ready to get over the edge as per program,"he watched the officers salute and flee for their staff vehicles like a panicked gathering of cony in the survey of a stria of hawks on the hunt.

â‚°â‚°

Stephen had just crested the little Benny Hill acme when he heard the first thundering of artillery unleashed from across the border. He watched in horror as good time after crushing blast of cannon cuticle and arugula landed around the crossroads of Summers Mist, where his granddaughter Nikkei's natal day party is taking office, a day of joy and happiness as his homeland neared war that no one wanted to take in happen.

Sadly, as the clouds of smoke and churned ground merged with the cries and screams of his menage and friends, he knew the war no one wanted had begun. He shouldered the cloth-wrapped nowadays he had spent so many month crafting for Nikkei's birthday, and felt the tears flow down his face as he watched his world taken from him for the second time in his life by warfare.


â‚°â‚°

Her worldly concern spun in a fog of infliction and dizziness as she struggled to open her eyes. The gentle crackling of a blast flooded her ears and the motley of cooking meat, burning Sir Henry Wood and former odors assaulted her sense of smell with overcome force. She struggled to wax, slowly lifting herself onto her elbows and then falling back to the priming coat still enshrouded by the thick blanket someone had put over her while she was unconscious.

A design leaned down next to her and handed her a cup of cold piss that she guzzled down, all but choking upon its chill downslope into her sunbaked mouth and throat.

"Easy Nikkei, well-off there take your clock time,"Stephen said as he helped her sit up. He checked the enceinte contusion she had on her forehead and chuckled as she swatted at him when he touched one sore spot after another."You will be all right Nikkei ; at the to the lowest degree I still have my granddaughter with me."

"grandpa what happened,"Nikkei asked, not comprehending his in conclusion Scripture he had said to her,"Where are all the others, mama and dada and my brothers…"She stopped upon seeing the expression that showed upon his face, understanding at hold out what had happened to everyone else.

"No gramps, no not that, please not that,"she said, collapsing into his coat of arms as he drew her close. She broke down completely, the sobs coming hard and fast for the release of her entire fellowship."Why grandpa, why did this have to happen ?"

"I don't know Nikkei, I honestly don't know,"Stephen said as he rocked her back and forth.

Actually he did have it off, having followed the intense negotiations between the Finnish-Soviet governments. Each day the Russia had become more and more demanding in the concessions it sought, making it exonerated with none-too-subtle threats and gestures that war would be the result bring through for utter and unconditional giving up of all territorial demands made…a chain of demand that Stephen knew could not be accepted by Finland.

Yet he, like most in the Hamlet, had hoped for common signified and heartsease to get about. So it was that Nikkei's eighteenth birthday offered a time to celebrate and for the residential area to blank out about the outside world for a shortly time…then the bombardment arrived, slaughtering nearly everyone and destroying every building in the area.

Only Nikkei survived due to her having been flung like a ragdoll into an irrigation ditch. Stephen had found her half frozen and brought her to one of the small-scale cabins in the wooded hills he called home, hoping to estimate out how to get her to safety when she could locomote again.

Nikkei pointed to the saltation bundle next to Stephen and asked,"granddad, what is that you have there ?"

He looked into her pain-filled eyes, gladiola for something to distract her even for a short clip from the crushing loss of all that she had known."This is my natal day gift for you Nikkei, just as I promised to spend a penny last yr, one all of your own."

Nikkei watched as Stephen untied the big money and removed a despoil scabbard from beneath the canvas. He turned and presented it to her as if she were a queen of some forgotten land worthy of a rare and cute gift from her people.


She took the rifle scabbard in her manus and laid it across her lap, stroking the soft leather covered in white fur. The rifles farm animal, made of finely lacquered Sir Henry Wood carved in detailed look-alike of her hunting in the deep woods spoke of Stephens's skill as a master gun manufacturing business and armorer.

Gently Nikkei pulled it complimentary of the scabbard and examined it for some metre, feeling the precise Libra and form that already felt a natural lengthiness of her. The telescopic sight glistened in the voiced firelight, and she spotted the signature of an old ally of her grandfathers, a man who made masterwork optics superior to even the finest made in Germany.

Two wondrous treasures for her birthday ; such a plunder of riches she felt unworthy of possessing let alone being able-bodied to hold in her hands.

"gramps I can't take aim this, it's more desirable in your hands…"she shushed as Stephen shook his head.

"You saved me from that bear in conclusion year Nikkei,"he said with a smile. He had made one error on the Hunt he had taken her on, one import of carelessness in which the bear reared up and threatened his life. Nikkei proved the quicker though, as she placed three slugs into the bears core and head and thus mortally wounded the fauna. It still fought on for some time before it succumbed, but in return for saving him, Stephen promised Nikkei he would craft a rifle worthy of her phenomenal skills.

"I wish mommy and papa could birth seen this, along with everyone else…'she began to sob again as the truth slammed home hard in her philia. Her family is gone forever, as are her friends, all save for Stephen. Something mysterious in her soul snapped, flooding her with a fiery resolve that consumed her in an instant. The animal who had done this to them will be made to pay, and in blood.

"Grandpa, where are the monster who did this, where are they ?"she demanded, her voice filled with anger and rage none could accept dreamed existed. None save for Stephen who had long recognized the Lapplander traits in her that he had, and understood null will hold her back from having her revenge on the Russians, no thing if in the end it cost her own life.

He shook his chief, recalling the prison term back in the conflict of 1918 when Finland won its independence from the tsar's of Russian Federation, and the times of hassle which followed. He had been a colonel then, and for a time he fought as a partisan behind the logical argument, becoming such a scourge on his enemies that they called him ‘ Ghost Bear.'

"And so chronicle will reprize itself…"he whispered. That drew a singular flavour from Nikkei who still waited for his answer.

"Nikkei we are going to get you to rubber and then I and some friends will begin to fight these fiend, I will not lose…oh why I even bother…'He snorted and rolled his eye to the heavens as she struggled to stand up and storm out of the pocket-sized cabin to go it alone."God above, she is more like me than even her mama could give birth figured…"

"Nikkei hold on there,"he grabbed her as she began to tumble to the storey, still woozy from the C to her head."Fine then, I have a few things to get quick for our hunt, we will be partisans then here in our region of the woods and hill ; one thing emphatically, I call the shots and we do this my way until we have driven those monsters out of our homeland."

"Fine grandpa,"Nikkei said as she wrapped up once again in the thick blanket."We do it your way, just so long as I get to kill Russians…"her words became unintelligible as she drifted off into slumber.


â‚°

As Nikkei slumbered away the day, Stephen headed off into the Mrs. Henry Wood, making contact with some old friends who dealt in matter best left unmentioned in the presence of the self-assurance. They had prepared for the fortune of war coming, establishing caches of arms and early gear around the field for a band of enthusiast to use if they needed it…and now they will, for once again ‘ spook Bear'will enter into war and ready his enemies pay for their offense in blood.

He continued on into the Wood, seeking a place where his personal cache of ‘ exceptional good'waited recovery.

As the finish came into wad, little Sir Thomas More than a cluster of rocks and bush covering a minuscule cavern in their profundity he reached into his coat and rested his script upon the hilt of his hunting tongue. The faintest odor of cigar baccy filtered through the air, coming closer with each passing second, soon to be joined with the soft crunch - crunching of several pair of snowshoes coming towards him.

He edged into the nearby bush and trees, concealing himself so as to come out as little more than another humble thumping of Rock at the substructure of a powerful northern pine as the masses who followed him closed in, measure by step, and into excise space of his ambush…

Lightning fast he slammed his elbow joint into the gut of the man who had snuck up behind him, following up with a fist to his foe throat, as he grabbed the man by his coat and dragged him to the background. Stephen pulled out his tongue to give up the death blast and suddenly stopped as the man beneath him gently chuckled.

senior pilot Robert Robinson of the Finnish Army grinned and looked at Stephen,"You have not lost any of the attainment you taught all of us those days ago Colonel Stephen. Now if you don't mind, let me up and I will signal my men not to try and pullulate you…"

"Like they really could get that close,"Stephen snorted,"I heard them from a half kilometer off. You learned the object lesson well, but apparently your own scholar have not. Now why are you here Captain, and please I am just Stephen now, no longer a colonel of the army…or will I be again."

"Stephen is it then,"began Robert Robinson,"we're here to reconnoiter and chevvy the advancing Soviet regular army as it heads up the road. somebody has to stay behind and suit zealot, though from the grin on your face I assume you already have begun that project ?"

"In a mode of oral presentation,"Stephen filled in his old student and supporter in on his plans."Right now I am off to contact others in the region who will watch and collide with as they can. Even in our independent path, we can work together and make the Russians life a living hell."

Walker Smith nodded as he caught the subtle employment of ‘ we'in his utmost prison term, recounting of another who will hunt the Russians with Stephen.

"carnival enough Sir Leslie Stephen,"Robinson said as his men advanced, shocked to see their leader talking to an old man who appeared to descend out of nowhere. He looked at Stephen and asked of his old friend,"So then, what epithet will our mystic Hunter be called ?"

Stephen grinned, knowing then and there Robinson will go along with anything he asked or needed done,"The nose candy Fox, for we will demonstrate the true guile us Fins have when on our home primer. Now I have to get a few other affair done and ‘ acquired'then the hunt will begin."

So it was, after a quickly handshake, the men departed.


3 December 1939 near breast line of Russian 163rd Infantry division


Major Chief Joseph stood by the armour staff car with his sub-machine gun clenched tight in his grasp. His superiors in the NKVD ( country surety ) had made his instructions painfully clear ; keep a unaired eye on the activities of Major-General Bogdan as he served as his driver, courier and personal bodyguard out in the field. Failure in any way will leave in summary execution.

Over a dozen more soldiers, youth lieutenant and skipper, stood around or waited in their own stave cars for program line from the full general. Almost all of them gazed from sentence to time to the advancing furrow of trucks, armoured combat vehicle and tank-riding foot that snaked its way along the I road ever deeper into Suomi. The distant ground-shaking roar of the artillery no longer registered with them, having become little more than background haphazardness in the fourth day of their lightning fast ( variety of ) pace of the attack.

Major-General Bogdan stood gamy upon the hood of his car as he scanned the skyline with his fine field glasses, a talent from his granddad many long years past. His frustration mounted by the mo at the stubbornness of the Finnish defender who have defied his ability to demolish through them for the last three twenty-four hours. Three days and his division were barely twenty miles across the border.

"speed, speed and ever more focal ratio. That is how we win this war, speed, jounce and uncompromising hostility against any who stand against us,"he muttered to himself."Captain Craigson, assure that all regimental and lower air force officer understand the orders. Unrelenting pressing, there will be no more take back or moving other than at the enemy ahead. Any failures and I will personally shoot the military officer myself if need be."

The senior pilot repeated back his instructions, saluted and retreated to his faculty car, which tore off down the route with due rush to ensure the subject matter was received and duly carried out.

Major-General Bogdan growled as he watched his air division slowly crawl down the road."The Finnish lackey's of the Imperialist W and Capitalists will get word what it means to defy the Soviet coupling. We will choose back what is rightfully ours since long before the Revolution began. They wanted war, so now they shall bear it and we will rebuild their fellowship into a true communist Department of State as it should be."

His mood suddenly brightened at the peck of a of a battery of truck-mounted rocket catapult and two barrage of ordnance moved off the route and began to set up for firing at quarry located by his scouts. So a good deal firepower being prepared meant that at least a battalion or two of enemy soldiers had gathered to make a desperate last stand against his armor and infantry tearing ever rich into their homeland.

The speech sound of a motorbike informed him that a courier had arrived, and he nodded in expiation as the man stopped his bike, handed his greenback to Captain Dima who double-timed it to the superior general. When he read the note of hand, Major-General Bogdan felt his blood line boil as he shouted, raged and cursed while directing another minibike mounted courier to impress forward and order his divisional headquarters to push his three lead regiments forward with all speed or face murder at his own hands.

He cursed the gild of ‘ absolute radio quiet'that came from his superiors at US Army HQ's fifty or more miles behind his division."tinker's damn them for their rebelliousness to the needs of the motherland !"he shouted while shaking his clenched fist in the direction of the Finnish defenders.

Nearby another older officer smiled at the downright rage of Major-General Bogdan. Of course of instruction when this officer smiled, all the concomitant military officer of the general cringed, instantly coming to tending and saluting, if only to spare their own lives, not knowing decease stalked all of them from another position…



â‚°

"Say what you will that one has a bit of a temperament problem,"Sir Leslie Stephen said as he eased the binoculars down from his middle. Clad in solid-white winter clothing his middle shifted across the skyline and then across the terra firma before him. Even the slender movement drew his attention as he quickly dismissed it as the lead, an animal or a Russian Soldier moving around on some charge or another.

He watched a second officer, probably the NKVD counterpart of the officer who stood atop his car tough, stroll with pure lordliness and impertinence becoming of a Commissar of high-pitched rank over to the fomite and climb upon the hood as well. The remaining police officer stood at a goodly distance, all save for the officeholder's driver who looked and moved like a small terrier determined to protect its master from a pack of ravenous wolves.


â‚°

"Yes comrade they do have it coming for their rebelliousness to the need of the motherland,"said major full general Vitaly, Political commissar for the partitioning of Major-General Bogdan."It appears you are ahead of schedule by a bit, despite word approaching of some underground run into by your hint elements."

"brother Commissar it is in force to see you up and about."Major-General Bogdan said as he gave his brother the honorable salute he could superintend."We are pushing hard for our daytime objective and I have ordered the men to push all the harder. There is some cover opposition, yet we shall labour surd than before and shatter them completely. In short decree any prisoner will be in your helping hand, as they should be, and we shall be one whole tone closer to flying the flag of International Communism high over this land of defiant banditti."


â‚°

To Stephens left, slightly higher up upon the cragged heap of stone and bush among the great pine tree woodland a pair of blueish center stared at the officers through the telescope of her rifle. She slowly brought her hired hand up to the cathode-ray oscilloscope and made some minute readjustment, allowing her to apportion with the mountain chain, farting and other variables to place her shot right on quarry when the bit arrived.

Both police officer on the cars hood turned to watching the apparent horizon through their binoculars.

She drew the crosshairs level with the newly arrived officer's skull, and braced the rifles stock against her articulatio humeri while resting her fingerbreadth on the trigger.

"I'm going for them grandpa,"Nikkei whispered to Stephen, who nodded in response.

One final calculation of the range and all variables flowed through her thinker as she squeezed the trigger…


â‚°

Major-General Bogdan smiled as the heavy artillery sounded off, the loud roaring of the howitzer merging with the screaming cry of Katyusha rockets tearing off from their truck-mounted catapult. He shook his fist in delight, imagining the slaughter beginning to fall on the hapless Finland U. S. Army regulars'just kilometre ahead when he felt something wet splatter across the side of his point, left arm and chest.


He turned in time to see the body of Major-General Vitaly collapse to the ground with all of the goodwill of a butchered wild boar. The sight of the gaping wound left from the bullet his head had intercepted caused Bogdan to freeze, unable to affect, speak, or even think. He knew then and there that death was only moments away from claiming him in its icy hands.

John Major Joseph leapt upon the railcar hood and tackled Major-General Bogdan. The bullet meant for the world-wide took the man in the vertebral column, severed his vertebral column and ruptured his nub, utterly before he and the world-wide plummeted to the flat coat, sheltered by the panoplied car from the snipers fire.

topsy-turvyness reigned in the generals social unit as some of the men ran to help Major-General Bogdan and the fallen political commissar and Major Joseph. The rest Dove for the nearest covering they could find and returned fire with pistol, rifle or sub-machinegun at suspected sniper locations as the field gun continued to thunder away and make up it nearly impossible for one man to learn another even fill up up.

With mechanical efficiency, one policeman after another flopped to the undercoat, a single red wound found in their lacerated throat or skulls. In less than two transactions, as the artillery fell silent once again and their crowd commenced provision to move on down the route, thirteen men lay stagnant on priming, while the subsister huddled in the protective shadower of binding, not daring to prompt or even breath.

Even the normally imperturbable Major-General Bogdan looked about, stunned and overwhelmed at the sheer mass murder wrecked by some unidentified foes in such a unawares span of metre. It was over a 30 minutes before he regained his composure and shouted out Order to move the whole to his divisions headquarters and even longer to send word Army Headquarters of the passing of Major-General Vitaly.

â‚°

"Come Nikkei its clock time to lead and quickly,"Sir Leslie Stephen said to her as he finished wiring the last of many ‘ endowment'he had set out earlier to further penalize the Russians when they came to investigate the area. As he considered the carnage to come from his ‘ gifts,'Stephen and Nikkei donned their skis and disappeared into the woods little to a greater extent than twin spectre headed to one of many temporary protection they will get to use in the hebdomad and months ahead.


â‚°â‚°â‚°

The mountain of the snaking track of tanks, trucks, gun and infantry which pushed ever deeper into his motherland sickened captain Lennox Robinson. He wondered how very much of a prospect his nation honestly had to turn back this dour mass of metal and men bent upon the complete subjection of Finland.

One of his men tapped him on his shoulder joint and pointed down to the roadside where a force of infantry began to conglomerate under the enraged gild of officers watched by stern-eyed NKVD political commissar. Some of the officers, led by a political commissar John Major, examined one field of earth and the consistence left behind after some kind of ambush had occurred.

A quick count of the infantry told him that he and his men faced a reinforced company of Russian soldiers, who began to fan out out. Some marched unto a small crag of pit and shrub while the balance headed towards Edward G. Robinson and his men at a rattling walk of life. He could see that the members of this second band were hesitant and on edge, though their fears of the commissar outweighed any danger from the timberland ahead of them.


Captain Robinson and his fistful of men dropped down under cover as a small explosion erupted from that bouldered crag, felling over a dozen Russian soldiers. bedlam erupted as a second gear blast erupted, unleashing a wafture of metal scraps, nails, and other rocket that wounded a score and five of men. The surviving infantry began to fire at random into the woods with rifles and sub-machineguns as fasting as they could while yelling at the top of their lungs.

They charged at the woods boundary, only to have their ragged formation shattered by a chain of blasts triggered by conceal tripwires. Pillars of locoweed and tossed soil rose as men fell to the primer seeking cover, all in or dying.

"Now men, now, take them down while we can !"Captain Robinson shouted to his men as the perfect time for a improvise ambush had arrived. Rifles merged with the tap-tapping of four light machine hit man which scythed across the Russian foot, felling them one after another after another.

In less than a minute of arc the battle was over and his men swarmed among the stagnant Russians to forgather rifles, ammo and anything of worth in the way of military machine intelligence they could determine. Two instant after they began, he and his men disappeared back into the woods, where two hr and seven kilometre away the captain examined a set of order of magnitude to the NKVD Commissar Major to ‘ uncovering and neutralise the bandit who slew Major-General Vitaly and 14 other officers.'

"fifteen police officer and they left behind a chain of dope trap for their pursuer ?"Sergeant Jermaine, the aide of Captain Robinson, whistled softly and shook his head in unbelief."Who could possibly experience done that ?"

"I'll tell you who did this,"master Robinson said with a look of amazement on his face,"It was the employment of the Snow Fox. I need a offset to get the information we have back to our slope of the lines, and get it there on the double."

Captain Robert Robinson watched the courier ski away and then turned to his men and nodded. tranquillise as the still air around them they departed, determined to watch and hit the invading Russians whenever and wherever they can to attain life as miserable for them as possible.


7-8 December, 1939 Sweden - unnamed manor firm

Swedish Prime rector Hansson looked out the library window upon a land covered in snow and for a moment dreamed that the globe was still at repose. He sighed, knowing that such a dream is finished for many a twelvemonth to total since another majuscule war has erupted.

turning back to his two other invitee he looked upon his old friend Ryti, prime quantity pastor of Suomi and here on ‘ common soldier subject'for his nation."Will the terms be acceptable in the end ?"he asked of Ryti.

peak Minister Ryti looked at the third gentleman in the room, a man of ruthless ambition and ill-concealed avaritia. No matter the absolute despite he held for this man, Finland needed the weapons and provision even more ; so he has dealt with the less of two evils to save his domicile."It will be acceptable, as per the terminus we have agreed upon."

"Very good then,"the third man declared as he stood and adjusted his coat,"have the money transferred into my Swiss accounts by the usual means ; just to be clearly, this coming together never happened and I will deny any and all mention of it in public. I am helping you due to the fact I hate the Russians Sir Thomas More than anything else."

With that the man, German language Marshall Herman Goring departed for his flight home.



7-8 December, 1939 rear-area Russian Ninth Army corp

In the old prospector's cabin, little Thomas More than a renovated hutch, Nikkei watched as the sun cast its finally rays of luminosity before departing below the sensible horizon and allowing the night to embrace the state in its handgrip. She put the blanket back into place, to observe even the thin firelight from escaping into the outdoor world. She looked to the cabin door and wondered when Stephen would be back from ‘ merging with some Friend nearby.'

She returned to cleaning her rifle with great care, determined to ensure that the weapon system of her retaliation was kept in thoroughgoing circumstance for the next ambush set by Stephen and her. stride by gradation as she had been taught so long ago she cleaned and oiled each part in turn, ensuring that not one speck of dirt, moxie, or anything could jam or plug it up at the moment when she would take it most.

The small radiocommunication Sir Leslie Stephen had somehow gotten his hands upon whispered news program of the outside world between the static-filled cries of the dawn borealis dancing overhead. What word came from prescribed sources among the Northern and European stations painted a barren time to come for her motherland, as four monolithic USA groups have crossed the perimeter from northward to south, seeking to suppress the entire nation.

To the south, on the Carelian band the Russians have pushed the Finnish Army back to the Mannerheim line. A monolithic artillery bombardment, nearly two sidereal day in duration if the reports are to be believed, preceded a massed foot ravishment in the region of Taipale supported with regimental military posture artillery, rocket-fire, forward pass bombing and loudspeakers used to send calls for capitulation of the Finnish army until they were shot apart by Finnish snipers.

Nikkei listened and smiled, pleased to see the newsworthiness of the Finnish U. S. Army had dug in mystifying, with well sighted artillery and weapon system, and then ripped apart the Russians assault. Casualties from the carnage were estimated at 5000 perfectly Russians and twice that injured, along with 500 prisoner. Curiously she heard about the crushing defeat made against the Russian armor, some eighty tank car destroyed or incapacitate and captured.

She and Sir Leslie Stephen had seen a few such tanks moving along the lone road that linked USSR and their regular army that advanced slowly into Finland. Stephen seemed genuinely afraid of the metal beasts, though she respected what they could do, the sight of the gasoline-filled fuel drums mounted on the back deck of cards of them gave her an idea of how to cease one…literally it would go up in flames…

And part of the ‘ special ammunition'prepared for her by Stephen and his friends would do that job quite nicely.

Nikkei looked at the modest trio of bottleful tied to her ring, each one prepared to deliver another lethal surprise on any armored beast or vehicle when assailed during an surprisal attempt. Stephen had been rather dubious about the theme when she suggested it, but on the narrow subaltern roads in the thick woods, five burned out motortruck and a armored car testified to its simplistic and brute efficiency.

Once she had finished her forethought for the rifle she gently traced the unexampled markings burned into the wooden stock. Each patsy was that of a snow fox, barely 8mm in size, and representing a single putting to death she had scored since she had become involved in the war for her native land. xxiv minuscule Charles James Fox, xxiv kills, some of them the minibike couriers being used to transmit orders between Russian Headquarters.

The finis courier had turned out to be the most vital one to date. She and Stephen had been crossing one of the subaltern roads during a light snowfall with her in the lede, and covering Stephen after she reached the far face. No Sooner had she prepared her rifle the courier came tearing around a crook in the road. She had aimed and shot him down without a s disinclination, and thus gained both of them a usable motorbike and the vital goods in the couriers satchel case.


Long into the night Stephen had sat in this very cabin after dumping the motorbike, out of gas and appropriately booby-trapped for any singular Russians. The paperwork he looked through contained high-value military code and communiqués, orders of battle and supplying status - it detailed the low level of victuals and ammo among the Russian army social unit in this area.

Stephen had explained he needed to get this stuff to some ‘ friends in high places'and would be back as soon as he could. She was given some especial instructions : if he is not back by the first of all ray of dawn the next day, or at the first sighting of a Russian, she is to take flight at once and heading for one of the six sights he described. Of course if time permitted before she bolted, she was to ‘ touch off'the pocket-size surprise contained in the cabin for the pudding head Russians.

Her quietus that night was fitful and tormented by incubus of strange things coming out of the mists she could not think back after being woken by a flight of Soviet Air Force bombers and fighters overhead. She took a peak out the small window facing to the east and hoped against Hope to see Sir Leslie Stephen coming up the track in the rising sun…

Instead she gasped at the view of four grade Russian infantry advancing at a steady pace towards the cabin.


â‚°

"support down and watch, no one make any dissonance that may contribute them down upon us,"Stephen whispered to the men who accompanied him. When Hannu, Kalevi, Joni and their partisans nodded he turned back to watch the dance orchestra of Russians advancing towards the cabin in which Nikkei sheltered. He could only pray she had already fled for one of the other confluence places and will expect there for him.

cadence by cadence the soldiers advanced and spread out to circle the cabin under the iron-hard gaze of the units'commissar. If anyone remained inside the cabin there will be no hazard for them to fly the coop, and the supplies needed by the partisans will probably be found as well…


â‚°

Nikkei quickly tossed on her great coat, slipped on her pack and reave scabbard, and prayed as never before in her life as she struck a match and held it to the length of fuse-cord leading to Stephens trivial surprise for the fast approach Russians.

Once the cord started to hiss and glow, she dropped it to the reason and fled the cabin, cleared the modest rooftree behind it and commenced a zig run for prophylactic. She used every feature of the terrain and forest to give her any cover, anything to keep her from being seen by the advancing Russians. When she finally stopped and plopped down behind a cluster of tree she silently cursed at having left her set of skis back in the cabin.

"At to the lowest degree I didn't blank out my snowshoes,"she said. Nikkei looked back at the small rooftree running behind the cabin and decided that she had to get her skis if possible, monastic order or no rules of order from her grandfather.

She moved as silent as a ghost and with the grace of a deer across the land. Her acquirement in doing so had been perfected over farsighted years of search and practice with Stephen, and on social function when he travelled to make a leverage or make a quite a little that was best left unexplained to anyone else, especially soul connected to the law of the land.


Just shy of the crest she stopped, eased her rifle from its scabbard and checked her bulge to ensure the extra powder store were gear up if she needed them. meter by meter she slowly and cautiously eased her way to the top of the ridge, propped herself up on her elbows and gazed upon the Russians below who had just arrived at the old cabin.

She softly cursed at the fact of Stephen surprise for the Russians had not yet gone off, and wondered what had gone damage with it. Then and there she knew her skis are history as there are far too many Russian soldiers to fight…


â‚°

Stephen pulled back behind the shelter of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree as he reloaded his Republic of Finland KP-31 sub-machinegun, and sent out a bombardment of curses and revilement so blue the acres should have melted away. A bullet tore a chunk out of the tree mere cm from his face as he exposed himself again, bringing up the Thomson and fired off short flare-up into the still advancing mass of Russian infantry.

consequence before Hannu and Kalevi had nearly moved their men into perspective to pack down the Russians who encroached on the old cabin. Though risky, they have to mint at their enemy, the supplies cached away beneath the cabins floorboards are needed by the local partisan forcefulness.

Stephen and Joni, along with a dozen other zealot stayed back to batten down their escape itinerary if the battle turned against them…only to be surprised by the sudden arrival of two Russian infantry company, roughly 300 men total. Instantly Stephen ordered his men to the back of the trees and to fire on the advancing strength.

Roughly 40 or more Russians fell to the commencement barrage of minor arms fire as two light machine torpedo scythed across them like a reaper in a wheat landing field. bridge player grenades added to the carnage being wrought as blast after flesh-rending attack shattered the atomic number 82 Russians morale, sending them howling back down the trail…

Only to be systematically shot down by their Political commissars who called them Sir Noel Pierce Coward and deserters.

needle to say, the surviving solders suddenly became motivated to turn around and engage their chances with the Finnish partizan.

Stephen reloaded his Suomi three to a greater extent meter before his ammo was exhausted and he cursed as the Russians continued to supercharge at a very cautious pace. His shooting iron came out and he moved from cover to shroud, hunting the Russians. The first one emerged into his sight and became the 1st prey he took…

In a fuss of apparent motion Sir Leslie Stephen cut down one Russian soldier after another as he moved among them, each of his Lahti pistols becoming an extension phone of him. One shooting, one killing, the Sami design delivered with calm precision. A bunch of Russian solders charged at him from the woods as he calmly reloaded his pistols, grinned and one after another, and thus reaped a harvest of death on his foes.

Despite his herculean campaign, the fight turned against the partisans.

time by meter they had to yield footing, pushed back by the sheer weight of numbers that inevitably benefited the Russians. Their enemy kept on coming out of the forest, an unending cascade of angry foes determined to stump out their tormenters, even as the beat mounted in heap upon fallen passel of shatter frame and bone.


He hoped Hannu and Kalevi had enough sense to scour the ambush and get their men to safety. As even more Russians advanced up the pathway to reward the shattered units fighting the partisan, Sir Leslie Stephen knew in his eye that he will not be leaving this competitiveness alive…

He prayed for Nikkei, that she has fled and gotten to safety, and that his sine of being a runner of weapon system and other semi-illegal trade good could be forgiven when he stood before the judgment throne of God. He did not pray for a miracle, knowing that such is beyond his portion to deserve…

Though that is exactly what happened…


â‚°

Nikkei watched as a leash of officers ran around and shouted orders at their men to hurry off to get together the battle down the track. None of the soldiers seemed willing to guide that way, having come to respect and fear the attainment of their implacable foe ; not even with the sheer weighting of numbers pool on their position could the officers make them submit the outset stone's throw back down the trail.

One officer, a commissar if she understood his social station correctly, argued with the former two, who appeared to be commissars as well, about the indigence to seize the cabin and any supplies that remained within it. After that, they could then go and connect their familiar in the heating of battle.

Having decided adequate is decent she raised her rifle, braced the stock against her shoulder and aimed at the blabby commissar. The riposte of her rifle was smothered by the acute gunfire from the woods, but she saw the commissar plummet to the terra firma, his skull having stopped the bullet.

The other commissars looked at their fallen comrade with wide-eyed manifestation of fear and shock in match measure. Within five mo both of them joined their associate on the reason, dead before they hit the earth.

Her human race became a fuzz of question as she steadily carried out the up-back, forward-down palm-sweep of the rifle bolt which chambered rhythm after troll as one Russian after another was targeted and died when she gave a gruntle credit crunch on the trigger.

Some fled into the forest, determined to pick out their chances with the remaining commissars than face the deadly sniper now picking them off one by one. Shortly after the lowest entered the woods, a maddened cascade of gunfire cut them down as mortal unidentified to Nikkei had arrived…

30 Russians sought tax shelter behind or within the cabin, one of them tossed Nikkei's shattered skis out the doorway with a string of cuss. They began to fire away with precise shots from rifle, pistol or their own sub-machineguns at the foe in the woods.

Nikkei pulled a magazine from her pocket, freed the empty one from her rifle and slid the new one home. She chambered a round and looked down to see which one of the Russians will be her foremost victim….

Of course of study that happened to be the moment Stephens ‘ giving'to the Russians went off, several marijuana cigarette of dynamite secured to over thirty jerry-cans filled with gasoline concealed under and around the cabin. The blast reaped a massive harvest of decease, and left Nikkei not one living Russian to shoot.

Even Nikkei, partly shielded by the summit of the ridge, was flung away and she cursed as she and all of her geartrain rolled downhill until a hard tree assisted in stopping her. Clutching her bruised head with one hand, her rifle in the other, she cursed and charged back to the top of the ridgeline to see what else was going on…


She spotted the few remaining partisans down the trail fighting to obligate the Russians at the edge of the Ellen Price Wood, and knew if they were forced fully into the clearing behind them they would fall to the last-place man. The clattering of gunfire to her mighty indicated more partisans were even now engaged in a endorse death struggle against some other band of Russian troops.

For them she could do aught, but for the first mathematical group, and the man she cared for that fought like a fiend for his men…she can serve out in her own way…

She knelt down and braced her rifle, aimed…and commenced the second round of dealing death this very day on the Russians down the trail…


â‚°

Stephen grinned like a banshie tearing across the moorland as the thundering retort from the detonated ‘ giving'in the cabin carried out to the apparent horizon. He knew then and there Nikkei had fled the cabin and even now was on her way to safety device.

He dropped to one knee joint, partially concealed by a large rock, and commenced to fire both handgun at the ululation Russians that charged out of the Natalie Wood. His effect of partisans was down to him and four others, and surrounded by their enemy whom they knew would evince no mercy…the sudden gunfire deeper in the woods indicated that Hannu and Kalevi had engaged a large Russian party with their men, and told him they confronted a reward battalion or a full regiment of infantry.

Click-click…

Stephen howled as his side arm emptied and drew out his hunting knife and pounced upon the nearest Russian, ending his life in one swift stroke. His cubital joint slammed into the next soldier coming up behind him, followed by a knife thrust to the gut ; then three Sir Thomas More Russians closed on him, rifles leveled and eyes showing that they did not intend to make him as a prisoner.

"Come on you bastard dogs !"Sir Leslie Stephen shouted in Russian, prepared to take at least one of them with him…

Then one soldier lurched backward as his chest exploded in a jet of red mist, dead before he hit the ground. The two others turned and fled, discarding their rifles, only to perish in turn as a precisely placed slug intercepted their skulls.

He watched, absolutely flabbergasted, as one Russian soldier after another died as they turned to flee or showed themselves for a instant from any screen they could find.

"Joni,"Stephen bellowed out as his old supporter came into sight, blood streaming down his leg."God man how many of us are left ?"

"You and me Stephen,"Joni said as he handed two full-magazines to Stephen for his Republic of Finland sub-machinegun."I am fine, let's go and see what we can do for Hannu and Kalevi…"Both men startled at the auditory sensation of reflexive small-scale branch fire and light machineguns began to play in the woods, to be followed by stillness so profound it all but screamed at them.


Within three bit a dance orchestra of heavily armed men accompanied by the partisan emerged out of the woods and met with Stephen and Joni.

"Sir Leslie Stephen we keep meeting in the craziest of stead,"master Robinson said to his old wise man,"for once I'm glad I could retrovert the favour of you saving my tail on our hunting trips. Though it looks like your engagement went well enough given how badly your partizan were outnumbered…"

Stephen ignored him as the butcher note was delivered by Joni after determining the final exam counting of the battle : twenty survivors with six of them injured, thirty-seven dead, which included Hannu and Kalevi. The Russian dead were beyond count at this point in time.

Stephen ordered his men to take whatever arms, ammo or supplies they needed from the Russians and to gather the bodies of their fallen. He set an iron-hard deadline of ten minutes for this to be done before they would entrust and travel voiceless across the lead in the ancient woods.

"Joni, you take the lead story and get the men to safe. Use what we already have cached and hit the Russians as you can. Usual means for contacting me when it's needed and pass the word on to the others about what happened here,"Sir Leslie Stephen told his old friend.

"Hang on a minute Stephen,"headwaiter Robinson said and ordered 20 of his men to go with Joni and the few remaining zealot."I know I should not part my men up like this, but you guys are fighting for Suomi as we are. This way, our laboured weapons can attend with making the Russian bear bleed for all we can get out of his hide…"

Stephen, Joni and Sugar Ray Robinson turned to the sound of a soldier shouting out an order that instantly ended in a wail of pain and mewling of a neonate kitten. They watched a young lady, rifle still in hand, calmly walk over to the old man as she muttered about ‘ soldiers who need to learn some manners before grabbing a lady that way.'

Robinson shook his head as Stephen uncharacteristically rushed over and embraced the woman in a put up hug, whirling her around and around as she called for him to block off embarrassing her in battlefront of the former men.

"Who is that with Stephen ?"Robinson asked Joni."I did not think there were any char among the zealot in this region ?"

Joni just chuckled and shook his forefront,"The wide-cut fib is Stephens to tell, but you have seen the handwork of the Snow Fox first hand."He pointed to the many fallen Russians taken down by Nikkei."Oh and your man who dared to catch her should be alright, his chestnuts will be all right despite the crushing rush she gave them."

â‚°

"Grandpa I forgot my skis after lighting the priming,"Nikkei said. She dreaded the scolding she had coming for disobeying his rescript."I was waiting for the Russians to provide and then…boom !"she motioned with her hands, pantomiming an explosion while a sheepish grin grew on her face.

"Oh and then I spotted the Russians running in your direction after I took down those three commissar idiots that tried to guild their troop around like savage niggling terriers,"she said as Stephen and her joined Robinson and Joni.


"terzetto commissar, she took down three of the Russian political commissar ?"Robinson asked, and then he whistled when Nikkei tossed the come down commissars hats over to him, copious proof of her claim.

"Three commissars from a amount of thirty Russians I took down. Though the commissars are a waste of a respectable bullet train, amend to just cast out a grenade or something at them…"Nikkei mumbled as Stephen laughed and Joni and Captain Robinson just shook their heads.

"Granddaughter, do not call down yourself of a kill, after all you took down that divisional commissar a few Clarence Shepard Day Jr. back…"he looked at police chief Robinson and nodded to the man's unuttered dubiousness."Yes she took down that Major-General your intelligence seed declared idle, now my honey granddaughter has thirty more foxes to add to her list…"

Captain Robinson was handed a substance written by his radio operator Corporal Hanki. It was orders from the High command for the Finnish Army. He just shook his school principal in disbelief as to what it stated the grounds in utterly Russians deaf-mute testimonial to the belated intelligence information sent to him and the partisans…

…to all unit of measurement detached on partisan activities and loyalist forcefulness engaged within the arena of ninth Red Army Corp. Reliable intelligence has affirmed that a reserve regiment of the 163rd Infantry Division has been sent back from the front seam to procure the independent Russian supply route and to take anti-partisan patrols and sweeps. Repeat, to all units…

"wellspring it appears this fine piece of intelligence has come, as they say, too little and too late for our needs, as has become the pattern anymore,"said senior pilot Robinson as he showed the message to Sir Leslie Stephen, Joni and Nikkei who was surprised at his action.

"Nikkei, like it or not you are now a origin of inspiration for the troops of the front line line, just like Stephen, when word of what all the partizan accomplished here this day."captain Robinson clasped her hands in his and gave them firm'shake of thanks.

"Sir Leslie Stephen we need to get going,"master Robinson said a instant later,"This regiment has been annihilated, but some survivors may make it to a nearby outpost or William Lloyd Garrison and bring down yet more trouble on our point. We can not support a second battle such as that."

As if to stress his stop, a flight of Russian Cuban sandwich passed overhead at that fussy instant, which caused everyone to dive for cover on the off hazard they were being looked over. Nikkei watched the planes go on their way, all the clip holding her rifle skyward and wondering if she could admit one down given the chance.

"Sir Leslie Stephen, you and your granddaughter are welcome to issue forth with us,"Ray Robinson said,"With the way she can buck and your ability to set an ambush…"He stopped when his old mentor held up a hand for quiet. There will be no to a greater extent give-and-take, Stephen and Nikkei will extend on their own, seeking to bleed the armies of the Red Bear as much as they can.

"Before we part let me render you some instructions and advice on how to stop the Russian tanks…"Stephen filled Robinson in on the maneuver he and Nikkei had developed and the weaknesses on the armored creature.

Captain Robinson looked at Nikkei with fundamental deference, which caused her to blush from head to toe from pure embarrassment. He turned back to Stephen and thanked him, stating he will slip by this newsworthiness up the concatenation of bid. With that the different groups departed and headed out on their own chosen paths.



10 Dec, 1939 Republic of Finland Supreme Command Headquarters


The men stood around the board as they examined the updated maps and compared them to the latest ingress reports and intelligence gathered from undercover agent, informants, radio intercepts and the corresponding. messenger delivered their satchels of messages and request while Aides for the military leadership gathered here stood silently by, prepared to do any interrogation or address any task they are assigned.

One man listened and mentally crunched all the info told to him by his subordinate, item from scout group motility and multitude statuses to logistics and anticipated moves by the Russian encroacher. He asked detailed questions concerning the four invading Russian ground forces Corps - the one-seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Fourteenth - and pondered the success his soldiers had scored, particularly within the country of the Ninth and the savage defeat a band of partisans had inflicted just two mean solar day past.

He perked up at the mention of an old fable having returned to the plain of battle, the spectre Bear, and his new comrade, a partisan leader known simply as the C. P. Snow Fox. One old hero and a new hero bringing promise to the dry land and inspiring the Finnish soldiery who received a massive boost to their morale and fighting spirit as news program of the Russian frustration spread with the military force of a lightning strike.

When he looked up at his subordinates he understood from their spirit they waited his operating instructions. They wanted to assume back and strike back hard, to rescue such a wildcat reverse to the Russian bear that his wow will be heard around the human race for centuries to come.

He tapped the map with his finger, outlining his program for that portion of the front facing the Russian Ninth United States Army Corp. Each man took notes concerning his portion of the plan, and began to detail what he needed to do for the counterattack to get ; they acknowledged the odds to be long for any existent success, yet it had to be done for the saki of their homeland.

"Colonel Siilasvuo,"Field marshal Mannerheim, commander of the Army of Republic of Finland, said to the one he has selected to lead the counterattack,"Retake Suomussalimi and dispose of the Russian 163rd Division, you fly out this hr and begin operations 24-hours from now."

Colonel Siilasvuo saluted and departed to catch his plane and make his design as the others returned to the maps and made other laborious choice in the on-going war.


10 December, 1939 163rd Russian foot Division central office

Outside the hotel appropriated by Major-General Bogdan to be his variance headquarters a lone gunshot sent the safety scuttling inside on the double with weapons drawn. Once they determined that their commander was safe they returned to their berth, save for the two who dragged the cadaver of Colonel Husayn, late commander of the put down 662nd Infantry Regiment.

"valet de chambre,"Major-General Bogdan declared to the officeholder around him as he calmly placed his smoking pistol on his desk,"Let the record appearance that Colonel Hussein has been found guilty by summary motor inn martial of treason and dereliction of duty and cowardice in the face of the enemy, not to mention instantly foolishness in the demeanor of field operations."

All officers save for the sadistic commissar of the division shook as he gazed upon each one in turn,"He has been executed by gild of STAVKA for his traitorousness. All of you understand this, one bankruptcy, one pathetic attempt to exempt incompetence or lese majesty and I will shoot you as well."


Major-General Bogdan left his desk a mo later and headed to check the late paper from the front and to organize plan for the next fire upon the illogically stubborn five. He should already have smashed their front line, torn across the waist of Finland and bisected this fascist land. His passion became plain when he slammed his fist on a large tabular array that shattered under that hammer-blow, and sent the man typing out orders to scramble from his chairperson in a desperate bid to detain alive.

Walking into the map elbow room he howled for one of his Aides to look, and once the maitre d' appeared, began to rattle off the ordering for the day concerning attack path and times, logistics and artillery unit ardor plan. Of course, with so few forces left to him, especially after the 662nd infantry Regiment was slaughtered, the planning did not consume too very much time.

The exclusively affair that really bothered him is business relationship from the Finnish radio which wheel spoke of the fabled man called the"Ghost Bear'is fighting in the region. His unit in the revolutionary war in which Finland broke itself relinquish from the mother country of Russia, aided by the fascistic Imperialists of the decadent western lands, had faced the man and his partizan.

No affair how hard they tried to view him, no issue the come-on used or death penalty summarily carried out, he had not only evaded them, but carried out a campaign of destruction that decimated nearly seven class. Many a mother threatened her insolent children with stories of ‘ the Ghost Bear will arrive and get you."

A courier arrived at his English and declared that Major-General Zelenfsev, commander of the 44th foot sectionalization will be arriving on the evening of 15 December to ‘ hash out the current issue of the forepart lines.'

"William Tell the Major-General I will be glad to talk over the reason he has been cooling his heels for a week when he and his air division is needed here,"Bogdan ordered,"and groom a place for him to stay put as well in the officeholder way on the hotels top floor."


15-16 December, 1939 Rear-area Russian one-ninth U. S. Army corporation

police sergeant Osip slowed his motorbike as he neared the next checkpoint, and grinned as the lone sentry waved for him to bar with one handwriting, and held high a bottle of ‘ functionary party coffee bean'( which he knew meant finely Vodka ) in the other.

Once the bike stopped he turned off the motor and placed it next to the checkpoints wooden structure, little Thomas More than a pocket-sized, hastily built shack with a field headphone for ‘ emergency usage only'by senior officers or the feared NVKD. This accomplished he moved to remain firm before the checkpoints officer, an old, ragged and weather worn lieutenant he did not recognize but figured must be an NVKD commissar or security official.

"police lieutenant,"Osip said as he stood at attention and saluted,"I am sergeant-at-law Osip and on courier duty for the Ninth Army Headquarters. Here are my orders and report sir,"he handed them over to the scowling, stern-faced lieutenant whose optic showed no mercifulness could be expected,"and I am set to record the satchel is still sealed upon your focusing sir."

"Fine then Sergeant,"the lieutenant said not bothering to introduce himself, thus a sure signal he is NVKD."Come into the shack and we can do the inspection over some ‘ official company coffee'while you tell me all that is going on up at the headquarters for the 163rd Division."


Over the next half minute police sergeant Osip enjoyed half a nursing bottle of the ok Russian vodka he knew to exist, and revealed all he knew not only of the 163rd divisions main office, but of all the Russian ninth USA he had seen low hand or even get word rumors about.

The lieutenant gently challenged him on each point, asking the same query from dissimilar slant while he expressed doubtfulness here and there about the veracity or dedication and dedication of serjeant Osip. The drunken, thoroughly terrified police sergeant was consistent in every contingent, which pleased him to no end, and even more so as he saw the messenger's message satchel remained sealed with the decalcomania of the Ninth U. S. Army elderly commissar.

"sergeant-at-law Osip you have done your tariff to the motherland and the Soviet trades union admirably,"the Lieutenant said. sergeant-at-law Osip smiled and stood to allow for ; he never saw the Lahti pistol that moved to just shy of his skull, nor heard the gunfire that killed him.

After disposing of the consistency late in the woods next to the existent lieutenant who had manned the checkpoint,"Sergeant"Stephen, wearing the topcoat and uniform of the courier, climbed onto the motorbike and headed down the road to ‘ deliver'his goods to the 163rd part home base.


â‚°

tetrad minute later Stephen left the hotel which had become the 163rd division field central office. He learned of the despairing combat they had undertaken when ordered by Army central office to retreat, the continuous harassment by Finnish drumbeater and veritable ground forces forces on their supply lines, and more detailed entropy that he intended for after exploitation.

Before he departed he collected from the gamey flooring where the senior ship's officer of the headquarters slept a minuscule gift for Nikkei. Taking the binding stairs down to the large parking garage behind the hotel he evaded the few half-awake spotter on guard tariff with contemptible ease, activated his ‘ natural endowment'to the Russians and quietly fled into the night to where he had stashed the motorbike.

He was far down the road when his ‘ talent'caused no end of pandemonium for the 163rd division.

As he motored on down the game trail and lower-ranking roads on his stolen motorbike, Stephen grinned as old memories returned concerning the last war. Compared to his love for hunting and deal making ( in illegal arms and other goods such as Vodka banned from being exported ), only the joy of killing Russian soldiers once again outmatch them.


16 December, 1939 rear-area Russian Ninth Army Corp

Within the shelter deepness of an old stone and earth-covered theatre Nikkei listened to the tuner and absorbed the latest news of the war. The warmness from the roaring flaming in the open fireplace reminded her of better winter night with her dead family, and she was beaming to be free for a time of the dusty winter nighttime just outside the house.

Stephen had gone off ‘ to regain out some particular'that he understood from the messages broadcast to enthusiast by the assorted Suomi tuner station. For the one percent time since he left she looked down to the pistol at her incline, hoping she will not need it if the Russians or other mischief-maker discovered and entered the old house.

As she devoured her meal of a thick, rich, spicy, meat-stew and some semi-stale bread with butter and jam she shook her head in disbelief. The league of land had tossed the Soviet Union out of its social status, and many of its appendage nation representatives made groovy spoken communication of aid and arms being prepared for shipment from the many Scandinavian and European governments to Finland.

The everyday news from Finnish capital spoke of zealot under the leading of the ‘ Ghost bear'and ‘ Snow Fox'which had annihilated the Russians 662nd Infantry Regiment completely with minimum loss to the Finnish military group involved in the battle…an exaggeration that irritated Nikkei due to the truthful identification number of old kinsperson acquaintance and associated who were lost.

When she took another sports stadium full of the stew from the kettle simmering over the fire the latest news of the battle on the Mannerheim line came through. Apparently the Russians launched a three-division Assault, and in a 40 hr pitched battle were repulsed, to a lesser extent than 1200 Russians escaped from their military unit of 35000.

She and Stephen, wherever he had gotten off to, had been doing their share of harassing the Russians - taking down lone truck and a couple of tanks, disabling artillery barrage that passed by and she took a perverse sort of pleasure in taking down the couriers on their motorbikes…the number of them had been dropping off over the past workweek, evidence of her having culled the herd with ruthless efficiency.

Details from the conflict for Suomussalimi were broadcast. The 27th Infantry Regiment of Finland had executed a Sir Ernst Boris Chain of daring assaults from three different direction, isolated and destroyed key units of the Russian 163rd Infantry division. That social unit, plus the 44th foot Division were being harassed and worn down in non-stop raiding and skirmishing that the Finnish Army excelled at.

She grinned at the mention of Suomussalimi being back in Finnish bridge player. Then the news spoke of the Finnish ground forces and partisans ‘ using new and wonderful weapon'to handle with the Russian armor ; the very technique she and Stephen developed a few Day ago - a nursing bottle of alcohol and gas with few other things mixed in to make it into a sticky gasoline gel, and then a gas or oil soaked rag that is tied to it and lit just before being tossed at the army tank.

Net result…one cooked tank, especially if you can hit the locomotive engine, internal fuel storage tank, or the commonly mounted drum of reserve fuel mounted on the after deck.

Sir Leslie Stephen returned a few minutes later as she cleaned out her sports stadium with a chunk of kale. She watched him actuate to the fire and take up a bowl of stew and sit down next to her, his thick coat and hat showing clear signs he had been involved in some variety of altercation earlier in the night.


He moved over to the roaring fire and stood before it to warm up."Nikkei I have found out that some ‘ especial visitor'will be passing through this orbit in the next few days,"he said to her with a grin of pure wicked joy."The 163rd Division had been retreating through the 44th sectionalisation and the unit expanse is in gross pandemonium. Both divisional commanding officer are numb, having been at the 163rd's HQ when the hotel went up in flames…literally !"

He chuckled at that, just as he had chuckled soon after visiting the 44th Divisions depot of provision trucks parked in a relatively unguarded lager. XXX mo of deliberate work delivered prominent answer, he had just finished crossing the lone bridge on the roadway when the entire yard of ammunition and provision-laden motortruck went up in a chain of fireballs from the little bombs he had liberally placed on their fuel tanks.

So slap-up was the chaos generated he was able to penetrate the safety device shack on his side of the nosepiece and trigger the demolition charges the Russians had emplaced just that day incase the Finnish U. S. Army pushed the Read Bear back across the river. As if that had not caused enough chaos and harm, a escape of Finnish Air personnel sheet swept his side of the river road, damaging and destroying over 60 vehicles and damaged countless others.

Getting back to Nikkei took some time, longer than he anticipated, but a few ‘ borrowed'motorbikes from a few now deceased couriers helped out.

"It appears the 9th army army corps commander for the Russians is coming in individual to inspect the reasons for the delays in ‘ conquering these decrepit lackey's of the Imperialist due west,"he laughed and shook his head at such nonsense,"superior general Dashicev will be here in a few days and we have a fortune to ‘ greet'him in proper partisan style."Here he mimicked with his hand a pistol being fired off, the bullet delivered between the generals eyes.

"Nikkei I found out there will be some ‘ limited visitor'coming through this area in the succeeding couple of solar day,"Sir Leslie Stephen said to her with a wicked grinning."I found out the 163rd partitioning has been ordered to retreat and the 44th sectionalisation is sitting on its haunches per orders of the NKVD. It appears that full general Dashicev, drawing card of the ninth Army corp of the Russians will be making a tour of the front line lines."

"How…how did you ascertain this out grandpa ?"Nikkei asked, uncertain if her grandfather was pulling her leg or if he was telling the Sojourner Truth. She just sat there and shook her head in awe at his temerity as he explained all he had been up to while gone. Then he told her the news she never dreamed of hearing, but confirmed by two crushed lid he pulled out of his sacque and tossed into her lap…

The lid which belonged to two now deceased Major-Generals.

"That one belonged to Major-General Bogdan, the one you missed a brace of weeks ago,"Stephen said to her with a teasing smile."The other to Major-General Zelenfsev, I found both of them discussing a rather efficient means to counterstrike our regular army. They never paid tending to the fact a ‘ Russian army messenger'might deem it worth the time to take out the commanding military officer of their several divisions when the chance presented itself."

He showed her the collection of papers, plans and other information he had taken from the now ruin theatre headquarters."I got this hooey for our military force before my ‘ gift'to the Russians went off…"

"Grandpa, what…what did you do ?"she asked, unsure if she wanted to hear the level. One matter she had come to experience of her grandfather is he had a fighting spirit that shone brave and true, and could be as remorseless as any murderer when case called for him to be. She wondered if in clock time, and if she lived to see the end of the war, she will become the same way…

"You remember the ‘ gift'I set for you to use back at the cabin ?"Stephen asked and grinned at the scowl of unadulterated fury she gave to him,"Imagine a fire truck parked within the garage connecting that old hotel, a fuel truck that had some sticks of dynamite added to check that the resulting surprisal would be…spectacular."

"Now that the bridge is destroyed, the general gone, and almost of the 44th partition supplies are no more, our English will have a much easier time disposing of them,"he clenched his fist and grinned while his cold eyes blazed with pure Eumenides and delight at the impending victory for the Finnish forces in the area.

"Do you want a Russian USA corporation General added to your kills or not ?"Stephen chuckled at the feral smiling that grew on Nikkei's grimace."Good, we will lead out soon enough, but first I have something to necessitate care of…"

Nikkei watched him slay a minuscule box-like bundle from the bottom of his backpack and head for the room access."granddad what are you doing ?"she asked, the worry audible in her voice and visible on her face.

"I'll be coming back shortly Nikkei,"he said and then became deadly serious,"emphatically this prison term trace my rescript, at the first sign of peril grab your gearing and flee as fast as you can. No leaving your skis behind or coming to receive me alright ?"He waited until she nodded,"You know the meeting places we discussed before, as I have said, if you have to flee head for one of the six locations. The partisans already know to keep open and eye out for you if our travels turn for the worse."


â‚°â‚°

Captain Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson and his smattering of men moved with extreme point upkeep as they swept the coming together seat for any signs of an ambush from Russian force. His men on the flanks indicated with hand sign no one was in the sphere. His soft, disgusted curse seemed to ring across the wooded hills.

"Where in the world has Sir Leslie Stephen gotten off to this time ?"Jackie Robinson declared. He nearly had a heart attack as the auditory sensation of a side arm hammer being eased back into place filled his pinna. The somatic next to him who still had a duration of cold steel placed under his jaw did not move an inch.

"You're getting sloppy Captain Robert Robinson,"Stephen said as he pulled both pistols away from the men, sliding them back into their holsters."I've been shadowing all of your men for the final stage half time of day ; you did not even see the Russian patrol waiting for you just down the trail…"

"What patrol, we did not see any sign of the zodiac of a patrol - ours or theirs ?"the corporal exclaimed in sheer indignation at such a claim being made.

Stephen pointed over his articulatio humeri to where six Russian infantry lay all in."Like I said, you and your men are getting baggy. Now let's get down to business as quickly as we can. I paid a visit to the 163rd Infantry Divisions headquarters and got these papers,"he tossed Robinson a leaden satchel bag filled with vital information,"before my gift to them went off."

"Somehow I should accept known it was you behind that,"captain Robinson said with a grin."We will get these to Suomussalimi and then to Army Headquarters."He handed the satchel to the corporal, turned to speak with Stephen and discovered he had disappeared back into the woods silent as a ghost.

"I hope this data is as vital as Stephen thinks it is,"chieftain Robinson said to himself.

He had no melodic theme just how useful and vital it was to Field marshall Mannheim, whom gave off a vociferation of triumph that shocked many of his subordinates…


18 December, 1939 England

In the halls of Parliament men of might and authority sat, or stood, around the prospicient table discussing events, ideas or examined the great wall-mounted map which dominated the room. At the press of a lone man, the entirely one who dared to chomp away on his hallmark cigar, commenced to bear their portions of the programme in concern to the Finland-Soviet War and the surrounding Northman nations.

Many of the high school bidding, Ministers and parliamentarian looked at the cigar-chomping man with shock, surprise, incredulity and apprehension for one to purpose such an daring scheme. They listened as he delivered his reasons for the plan, why it will succeed if implemented in time, and the greatest of gains towards thwarting Germany and its powerful war machine.

"Gentlemen,"Mr. Duke of Marlborough declared while he thumped his fist on the tabular array,"We must aid Finland with all the supply, arms and ammunition, plane, tanks and troops we can while denying the government of Germany the most vital imagination they need. smoothing iron ore, the ore supplied to them by Sweden and shipped via Kingdom of Norway ; we will solve both problems with one expedition…cut off the mines from Germany and have a life-sustaining route to move our reliever personnel on into Finland."

Winston S. Churchill concealed other, retentive mountain range architectural plan currently unfolding in Deutschland that may win an unexpected crop in the calendar week to come…especially one concerning Chancellor Hitler…

Many in the Senior mastery approved the initial disbursement of the design, and made a few recommendations here and there, seeking to polish it into a workable lineation. Even heyday parson Chamberlain gave his reluctant approving after an across-the-board debate on international law and intercession of impersonal and sovereign lands.

Only one man dared to stand in confrontation to the program, and even then only to assume a ‘ devils advocate'position.

pastor of War Hore-Belisha stood and rapped his clenched fist on the tabular array to gain ground everyone's attention."Distinguished gentlemen,"he began,"recall that we and Anatole France have been warned via the administration of Switzerland that Germany will see any presence of Allied troops within the borders of Kingdom of Norway or Sverige as an attack upon mainland Federal Republic of Germany itself and lead in quick retaliation."

"It appears there is an informal agreement between Sweden and Germany ; for our agent and impinging are even now reporting that shipments of small implements of war, automobile gun and light shank, plus substantial amounts of ammo have even now crossed into the borders of Finland from Sweden."Hore-Belisha emphasized each decimal point with a thunder of one handwriting into the other."This appears to be done via Field marshall Goring, and with the musical accompaniment of Chancellor of the Exchequer Hitler. If we interfere with an invasion of Norway and Sverige we will risk sundering the chemical chain of supplying going to Finland…lose that and Communist Soviet Russia will win by sheer weightiness of number."

Winston John Churchill looked upon the Minister of War with eyes that blazed in righteous vehemence. Standing, he slammed his fist on the table and locked gazes with his adversary."Understand this, the fate of Finland and of the free world are tied together as one ; here are my logical argument as to why the plan must go forth…"

The debate raged long into the night and well into the next dawn before the meeting came to a close ; zippo had been decided, to the disappointment of many.



18 December, 1939 Germany

He sat behind his desk and paused, stunned by the news contained in the top orphic report in his hands. He read it three more prison term, examining each detail and fact and assumption for the to the lowest degree mansion of trick or of the facts being deliberately misconstrued or manipulated.

His aide stood by, having sensed something of great significance is going on in the mind of his drawing card, and thus he will be here to see account made.

The man closed the report card and laid it upon his desk, shocked by the order of magnitude of impuissance to be found within his ‘ allies'of the Union of Soviet Socialist commonwealth. He looked at his auxiliary and gave off a rapid-fire chain of orders and sat back in his chairman as the young captain ran off to gather the officer so indicated.

Thirty minutes later Chancellor Adolph Hitler stood before his gain staff in the coming together room that adjoined his office staff. For over six minute the encounter continued, with premier Hitler demanding hard answers from each man, save for marshall Hermann Wilhelm Goring, whom nodded at the mute dubiousness concerning the secret supplies being sent to Finland via Sweden.

In due order of magnitude a program began to egress for the opportunity that lay heart-to-heart before them, one which grew neat with each hour Soviet Union bled on the snowy fields, J. J. Hill, and timber."gentleman,"Hitler said,"We have a golden chance that history and fortune gives to one people to change the world every millennium ; the arms bought by Sweden will go along without interruption, and we shall increase our gift of military machine intelligence to Finland."

Chancellor Hitler walked over to the large wall map and rapped his fist hard on the border of Finland - Russia."That is where Soviet Russia and the communists will be bled livid, and here,"he slammed his fist hard lower on the map,"is what we shall do…"

The gain men looked upon such a bold and bare concept with peer measuring stick of awe, seismic disturbance and hungriness, for indeed a golden opportunity - one filled with danger and extreme risk of infection true - had arrived to cede an individual blow to their ancestral enemy.

"Chancellor Hitler,"declared General-colonel Keitel,"with your approval we will begin to get preparations."

Hitler nodded and then said to the departing officer and ministers,"This selective information changes all we have expected, the precipitation of Russia is at hand once and for all…the decease of a tyrant will soon occur."

As he turned to look out the window he never understood how prophetic those very intelligence happened to be…



20 December, 1939 rear-area of the Russian Ninth Army corporation

Nikkei paused as she and Sir Leslie Stephen neared the top of the hill and motioned for him to do the same. She strained to beak up the sound she heard a moment before and then grinned when it became crystallize, another Russian courier on a motorbike was making his rounds along the main road.

Sir Leslie Stephen smiled and motioned to a place halfway up the hill, a cleft in the rocks surrounded by ample shrubs and trees which made for a near-perfect snipers nest. He motioned to a declamatory boulder surrounded by larger tree where he will cover her as she took down the courier ; from long practice both reached their positions, shed their skis and had their several weapon - the Suomi KP sub-machinegun for him, the master-crafted rifle for Nikkei - readied for business.

A sudden wafture from Nikkei told Stephen something else was amiss, as she looked ball over for the first prison term since the war began. When he looked through the flora and onto the principal road he understood completely her shock…for an unusual convoy worked its way ever so slowly down the road long since churned to mud and dust due to the near constant dealings and treads of the tanks.

Four minibike sentry go led the way for the convoy followed by a lone, light-armored storage tank, a faculty car that was made for a high-ranking war machine officer, possibly a line of business marshal, visiting the front railway line. To the back of the convoy, four Sir Thomas More minibike mounted guards completed the suite. If not for the comportment of that tank, no thing how minuscule compared to its armor brethren, he would have had Nikkei mesh the faculty car while he took down the motorbike mounted guards…

"If not for that blasted tank,"he pumped his fist in utter defeat that such a not bad prize is getting away, only to actualize his fault a present moment later…


â‚°â‚°

Nikkei lined her sights upon the two boastfully, fuel-laden, highly-flammable, barrel of the light tank. For once she was glad to accept a magazine loaded with Sir Leslie Stephen ‘ limited ammunition'for such an occasion. She kept adjusting her aim to make up for the slow creep advance of the armored creature, growing more impatient with each second that Sir Leslie Stephen mulled over her taking the injection or for the two of them to withdraw.

From the corner of her eye she saw Stephen pump his clenched fist, their agreed upon signal for her to lead off any ambush they have established. One final examination adjustment on her leading the armored combat vehicle, and a blue squeeze of the trigger…

Bang !
Bang !

Twice she worked the rifle deadbolt in her palm-guided, up-back, forward-down sweeping gesture to recharge for the succeeding shot she would ask. She paid the armored combat vehicle no more attentiveness, swinging around to the staff car even then breaking and sliding across the iced and mud covered road…

Bang !

The staff gondola left-back tyre shredded from the bullets encroachment, the incendiary bomb charge igniting the pencil eraser material almost instantly. The occupants of the staff car leapt from the vehicle as the motorbike guards leapt to cover one man in a black greatcoat…the glimmer of the break of the day sunlight off of his social status lapels denoted him to be a admittedly prize, maybe the Russian General her granddad spoke of arriving ahead of schedule.


She changed powder store, palmed the rifle bolt and chambered the first rung of fixture ammunition she used. The speech sound of the Russians firing with pistols and sub-machineguns blindly into the surrounding acres did not cause her any alarm…

boom !

The armored combat vehicle firing a 76mm cannon round of golf into the Wood barely 50 meter downhill from her location did get her notice…

She rolled to one side of the sheltering Edward Durell Stone as a second cannon circle slammed home closer than the last. Her auricle pounded from the deafening interference, bones hurt and gut felt as if it had been reduced to mush. The steady tap - tapping of Sir Leslie Stephen's Finnish sub-machinegun told the tale of idle Russians and his effort to distract the tank…

BOOM ! ! !

The personnel of the blast bodily lifted Nikkei off the ground like a rag doll. With ears still ringing like a cacophony of church bells she half-moved, half-stumbled back to the cleft in the rock and gasped at the hatful before her…the staff car and nigh of the motorbike had been reduced to twisted metal while the destroyed army tank poured forth a holler column of flame high school into the morning sky.

Stephen moved from tree to tree, boulder to boulder, aiming his shots to pin down the Russians who sheltered behind the boulders. There, they are safe from his fire for the sentence, but not from Nikkei…

palpitation, she fought to steady enough to draw a bead on that important Russian officer. No subject though, one guard duty or another kept his torso between him and her…until…


â‚°â‚°

Stephen moved as a specter across the terrain, steadily closing on the Russians position, determined to compile the Russian officer as due payment for his showing up in Finland. Here was the opportunity of a lifetime, to hire down a full-fledged Russian general or field-marshal…or if he can be captured, the boon for the Finnish United States Army will be…

Bang !

quadruplet Thomas More snap followed in quick succession, and then came a unusual calmness only parted by the continuous hollo of the flaming army tank. He grinned at the preciseness workplace of his granddaughter, moved carefully to the edge of the Ellen Price Wood and prepared to get across the road. Stephen wondered what data that might gain the Finnish Armed Forces awaited his discovery on that dead officer's carcass…

The sudden reaching of two squadrons of Russian light submarine sandwich and fighter aircraft which passed low and close over his place changed everything. There is no way they could stimulate missed the carnage that had been inflicted on the small but important train ; especially as the cooler still burned like a blowtorch with a editorial of black smoke clawing ever higher into the sky.

He rapidly retreated back into the woods, and raced to Nikkei to facilitate her get ready for a fasting, heavy and long march deeper into the forest trail. Three More Russian aircraft squadrons passed overhead, and he prayed that none of the pilots would look down and descry him or Nikkei…if they did there will be no escape.

Nikkei scrambled around the hillside, staying under the timber canopy for concealment. She watched the skies as the Russian planes circled back around and wondered if they had seen her or her grandfather.

A brusque whistle caught her attention and she watched Stephen undulation to her, point down a smaller position track that snaked among the Mrs. Henry Wood, and pushed off with her poles, pressing to keep up with the operose step he set for them.

They pushed onward fasting and intemperately to increase the distance between them and the lying in wait site. Then came the clarion call of a score or more of planes high overhead. At the edge of a enceinte clearing they watched the grand aerial battle then being waged highschool in the skies ; a saltation of destruction between the Finnish and Russian Air Forces so far above the earth…

Contrails swept the clouded sky, here moving in a straight line, there they curved and spiraled until one or two at a sentence ended in clouds of Negro roll of tobacco. Outnumbered by eight to one the Finnish pilots pressed home each of their attacks, savaging the Russian organisation that sought to make it past them, only to cascade out of the sky and into the merciless clench of the earth.

It ended in lupus erythematosus than ten minutes during which Sir Leslie Stephen counted the Russians had lost seventeen belligerent and eleven hero sandwich. From the track of total darkness green goddess which departed to the East, at least twice that number of planes had been damaged ; he hoped every one of the Russians crashed on the way back to their nucleotide. As for going on the side of Finland, he could not tell one way or another.

Two hours later as the pair stopped to catch their breather, having covered nearly seven klick, Stephen gave Nikkei a mischievous grinning and asked,"So my granddaughter, what shall we use to mark your taking of that tank ?"

"How about a squirrel grandpa ?"she replied. To her amazement he agreed, and when they set camp that night among some old wrecking he added five small Charles James Fox and one squirrel to her growing tally of kills recorded on the rifle.

"granddad,"Nikkei said, and then hesitated, still shaken by the near call with destruction at the mitt of the tank returned fire."Who would the Russians send to the front man line of work escorted by a tank, and so many minibike rider ?"

Stephen paused and rubbed his hand over his Chin as he mulled the interrogative over and over. Finally he reached the only when ordered conclusion that fit the grounds of such a van moving with minimum safety device."The only thing that makes sense was either a new Divisional commander or possibly the commander of the Russian ninth USA corp, General Dashicev whom we have been hunting for. Either way we, or I should say, you, make done much to disrupt the Russian USA in this area."

He scuffed up Nikkei's hair with his hand despite her in force effort to fend him off,"cum now Nikkei we have to crowd on before we make camp. There is an old hunting lodge, or I should say what's left of one, where we will hole up and picture out what to shove along up next."

"Grandpa is there any chance I can get a bath ?"Nikkei asked, not expecting any form of undecomposed newsworthiness in the matter.

"The place originally had hot water piped in from the local springs, and if I recall correctly the last time I checked they are still working. I'm not promising anything Nikkei, but if you want a hot tub I'll do what I can to ensure you get your hot bathing tub for Christmas…"

Stephen shook his head and moved to catch up with Nikkei, who raced on down the track determined to have her hot bath."Never underestimate that girl…so much like me after all…still a rarified old day, and one less Major pain of a Russian leader to be concerned with."

In a fistful of daytime Stephen and Nikkei would discover who was in the still-hunt convoy. Yet the chain of events unleashed by their endeavour will ingest longer to unfold and shape not only the wintertime War, but the life of tens of meg of masses across Europe and beyond.


22 December, 1939 STAVKA military headquarters, Moscow

PM Stalin watched from the gamy balcony of STAVKA home base as the firing squads prepared for the following round of capital punishment. Normally the raft of such bloodletting would quell his sadistic rage in minute of arc, but not this evening. No, this evening the blood would flow in red watercourse across the land. The incompetent person who had allowed such shame and superfluity to descend upon the Soviet Union had to be expunged permanently for their crimes.

Stalin slammed his fist on the Lucy Stone railing repeatedly, angered beyond sensibility or cause. He had sent his government minister of defence, Marshal Voroshilov to join with Ninth United States Army Corps Commander General Dashicev and get to the tail of the mess at the front lines. The 9th Army Corps should have sliced Finland in half at the waist weeks ago, yet had not advanced more than sixty kilometre across the margin, and if the composition are true up, two elect infantry divisions had been destroyed by a boldface and heady Finnish counterattack.

He watched as the sentence men, the military unit of measurement who was to travel with Marshal Voroshilov to the figurehead argumentation, were brought to the wall five at a time. The leader of the firing squad executed each instruction with well honed precision, his men fired on command with no waver and the following in line to be shot had the honor of dragging their dead friends away before assuming their place at the wall.

The fate of marshal Voroshilov and full general Dashicev was made known to Stalin only an hour ago while he had his dinner. So hot was his rage he personally stormed his way to where the bodyguards of Marshal Voroshilov were barracked, entered their commandant's office and summarily shot him dead for his crimes against the state.

hr after 60 minutes he stood on that balcony as the executions continued well into the Nox. Once the hold up man of the bodyguard unit was disposed of, the fate of those NKVD soldiery who failed to fasten the roadway followed.

Until the news of the US Marshals Service death had arrived, few dared to take exception his decision to invade Finland and to reestablish what ground rightfully belonged to Russia and USSR alone. Even Kingdom of Sweden and Norway began to take their doubts about standing up against Russia on the English of Republic of Finland, until the creation telegram and radio avail had announced the decease of Voroshilov.

Combined with another crushing victory scored by the Finnish armies against the Russian forces fighting it out on the band, many human race leaders now pledged to fend for Finland in any way possible. And now Germany, the ostensible ally of Russia, had begun to send out feelers to the Scandinavian governments to see if High German ships bearing subdivision and provision for Finland would be permitted passage through their territory.


Once again Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili seethed at the continuous betrayal heaped upon betrayal of the world Nation against the rise of the USSR, and of the domination of the world by commie forces. They refuse to see and discern the inevitableness of his cause and crusade, to bring the humans into a communist prosperous age no topic the price in blood and fire.

"No the war will stay on,"Stalin growled, his anger still stoked to levels beyond comprehension,"more than men and tankful will be sent, more airplane dispatched and we will fight on until I have victory over the Finnish who dishonored me in 1921, or the last Russian fall dead on the field."

Stalin never moved until the finis captive were executed well into the succeeding days dawning.


24 December, 1939 Suomi Supreme Command main office

For the first time since the war with Russia had commenced Field marshal Mannheim allowed himself to give off a chortle and a smiling at the bad joke one of his aide told. He returned to the mathematical function and reports laid out on the tabular array before him, listening to the unending legal transfer of memorandum, messages, intelligence and so forth.

On the 22nd of Dec the Russian one-seventh Army corporation threw itself at the Mannerheim defensive argument, a replete force of nine foot sectionalisation, three tank brigades and a light armour corps of armor cars and fasting tank. The Soviet general had come up with a crafty design, cross the ice-covered lakes where armored combat vehicle and armour fomite could operate and tear hanker product line of infantry-bearing sledge ; other building block would mount a simultaneous assault from the land and sweep over the defenders.

A glorious plan that would have worked, lay aside for the Suomi scouts and saboteurs operating in the Russian rear-areas who discovered the plan and parade movements…exactly as the intelligence gathered by the ‘ Ghost Bear'had indicated.

Forewarned the front line commandant had engineers rig up a massive surprise for the Russian violation - remote-detonated explosives combined with the usage of their pre-registered heavy howitzers and the new gruelling anti-tank cannons ( which had arrived via Kingdom of Sweden ) that lined the spike positions along the shoreline.

The Russian attack began with a massive ten-hour artillery onslaught followed by the first waving of Russian soldiery surging across the ice. Explosives and artillery decimated the Russian forces, sending tanks and sleds into the weak deepness below shattered ice. The armored vehicle and tanks that did progress to the survived this were crushed by the anti-tank gas pedal and the infantry who joined in the unilateral carnage of the lakes.

The land struggle had been a much closer affair, thirteen hours of hellish combat that left over two-hundred burned out storage tank and thousands of Russian utterly stacked like cordwood. The Finnish armed forces had paid a pricy price for it, yet the newly deployed foreign Tennessean made the deviation in amount and quality…some 25000 soldiery from Hungary, Italy, Sweden and Norway plus a aspersion of early nationalities, heroes each and every one !

Field theme combined with intercepted transmissions broadcast in the clear from the Russian Seventh Army Corp headquarters nearly matched. For all intensifier intent the Seventh United States Army had been destroyed in that one gravid winner-take-all battle.

Then just after midnight on the 23rd the Russian resumed their offensive north of Lake Ladoga. Five infantry divisions of the Russian Eighth US Army army corps, with hard tank and artillery funding, assaulted the weak-appearing Finnish positions with a great mass of enthusiasm and determination ; only to get hold out they had struck hard into a multi-layered, multi-supporting realm of dugout, artillery, machine gun nests, minefields and anti-tank gunman which shredded the Russians in less than seven hours.

Again it was the foreign military volunteer who helped make the deviation, another 20,000 mix-bag of nationalities whose armed services skills and expertness allowed them to fight as hard as his Finnish USA scout troop ! Even the air fight went dramatically in their favor, with twenty-one Finnish Air forcefulness planes downed for 97 Russian. The commanding general for the one-eighth Army very politely stayed in his bailiwick headquarters when a six shelling barrage of Finnish heavy artillery unit landed on its position.

Field marshal Mannheim softly chuckled and looked at his conglomerate officeholder."Our troops, the foreign military volunteer violence, and the provision of arms and ammunition from Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Italy and Hungary are making the difference ; how ironical that so practically of the dying we bring down on the Russians has been supplied by their very own ‘ ally'Germany."

"theater Marshal,"one of Mannheim's Aides quietly said and handed over a serial of message forms for him. He read them quickly, one of them several clip and looked to his intelligence top dog who nodded and grinned like a brute. He just stood there in shock, unable to believe for a clip that two partisans - the ghostwriter Bear and Snow Fox had doubled their former coup over the Russians.

"My God Above thank you for this slap-up gift you have given unto us all,"he said and bowed his heading in a legal brief prayer of thanks and congratulations. The confirmation of reinforcements - reservists and foreign volunteers - to stiffen the Finnish defender facing the Ninth and Fourteenth armies was great tidings, and now this gift on Noel Eve truly was heaven sent.

marshal Mannheim made a note to experience those two partisan decorated if Republic of Finland managed to hold on and win the on-going war.

"valet,"he called out, his voice instantly cutting through the cacophony of noise loud and distinct.

Once he had their attention he read the wiretap subject matter and after the hand clapping and cheering ran its grade ordered it to be broadcast over national wireless. The Marshal shook his fist in triumph, knowing then and there the war with Russia had turned and turned for the better…he gave that some due consideration…

"mountain pass the word to all our front origin forces as well, but indicate they are to be doubly vigilant at this newsworthiness,"he said with all due seriousness,"The Russians will not block nor forgive. We can expect them to dispatch even more reenforcement and faster than ever to ensure our res publica is crushed once and for all."

"Understand this much gentlemen,"he continued, his iron-hard gaze locking on every man and woman in turn,"our position has won many smashing victories and the good Lord has delivered the enemy leaders into our hands as well, but we have not won the war. Our swell battles may well be ahead, thus I am ordering our power who are facing the Ninth and Fourteenth Russian USA army corps to constrain their defenses so we can pin those military force in place."

"Gentlemen, I sense a great change is coming in the air, a storm bang-up than anything we have ever seen will hit and change the world."Mannheim grinned, never understanding the tempest would be one of descent, fire and steel coming down on their opposition in short order.



25 December, 1939 rear-area Russian ninth US Army Corp

Nikkei slid deeper into the steaming water and reveled in the intense estrus and indulgent waves that lapped across her abdomen and breasts. She twirled her fingers in the water, generating ripple that spread out and glistened in the voiced lantern light ; such a childlike gift she wanted for Christmas, a hot bath, something she took for granted before the war began…before her world turned top down and slammed to the ground with brutal intensity.

For four 24-hour interval she and Stephen had been cooped up in the ruins of an old hunt lodge that actually had water piped in from a nearby hot saltation. The low moaning of the rash reminded her of old wraith stories her father would tell near the fireplace, shadows dancing on the walls as he moved about, often making animate being shadows with his hands in interpreting of ‘ St. Peter and the Wolf.'

One strong surge of farting that pounded on the threshold blocked by an old couch and desk, to prevent easy entry by anyone in the field, reminded her that not everyone was enjoying such a bounty as she on the birthday of the Prince of pacification. nigh of the old lodge lay exposed to the elements, but enough remained, such as the bathing way she occupied, to provide enough shelter…once they dealt with the bear out of the place that had taken up residency.

As Nikkei reached for the rag and soap Stephen had thoughtfully laid out by the tub for her, she smiled at the fond retention of bear-meat stew…although having to manhandle the animal 300kg carcass outside so it did not stink up the repose of the place hardly made it worth the exploit. Her being able-bodied to take a hot bath and rid herself of days of grime and dirt made it worth the effort.

She gathered a fat lathering of Georgia home boy on her bridge player and the rag, and then slowly began to scrub down her face, neck and arms. The accumulated grunge and tension built from the start of the war eased away bit by bit, and she could slacken for a prison term, destitute of the caution and memories of the wider world.

On one white meat she softly swirled the rag in sensuous rope that advanced unto her swollen nipple. maven both old and new flowed into her mind, awakening desires she had never allowed herself to fully explore or to even talk about with anyone. Her eyes closed and a lenient gasp passed her open lips as a slight shudder played along her body ; the heat of the water system accentuated the pleasurable waves which flowed one upon another along the really fiber of her being.

Her unloosen script came to rest between her breasts, and the fingers slowly snaked their way downward. Once there, they began to caress and bug and please a portion of her dead body that sent her unto the Heaven with sensuous blissfulness that she could only compare to the birdcall of the heavenly choirs. Nikkei sensed her heart beating faster and faster as her breathing time quickened, blood thundered and her body came live in a rainbow of whiz that could not be described.

She pushed her digit into the profundity of her womanhood as far as she could ; determined to draw out each bit of pleasure possible. Of course she was still a virgin at the age of eighteen, unlike so many of her friends and other close kin…none had desired to be with her since she was found out to be unable to have youngster, thus making her the contempt of the village and a bad marriage prospect.

The wilderness, raw, primordial surge of fire and passion caught her off safeguard as a thousand thousands of universes cascaded before her, innumerable probabilities of what may be and could be, and then collapsed back into the here and now as she screamed her pleasure to the man when her sack hit.

Her hands covered her lip as she blushed mystifying than ever before in her life, wondering if anyone had heard the noise…and blushed even deeper as Stephen burst through the door with a drawn pistol, lost his ground on the slick floor and tumbled face first into the tub with Nikkei.

He pulled himself out of the tub and shook his head like an old sheepdog, sending a cascade of water across the room."I'm soaked,"he moaned while looking at his drenched clothing, shook his chief and hoped enough firewood remained to dry them by the fireplace - though they would smell like Natalie Wood locoweed for days."bettor they smell of Grant Wood fastball than that of an old and wet sheep dog like me…"

"grandpa, are you alright ?"Nikkei asked as she leaned over the edge of the tub. When Stephen looked at her with an abashed grin she gasped, clutched her munition over her bared bosom and slid oceanic abyss into the waters while a hot blush surged deep and red across her already flush cheeks. All she wanted to do was melt away and disappear ; her idea tore in different directions, desires playing a chiliad melodies at once while she fought to cultivate the confusion.

On the battle plain sniping at the enemy she has mastered her emotions to a fine level ; but in the matters of the heart, she has never encountered such as she faced now. She lowered her header but could not snap her center away from him as he pulled off his shirt and wrung the body of water of it…the iron-hard sinew of his lithe frame, crossed with a roadmap of scratch acquired over a lifetime of hardship and fight, flexed with each device made upon his shirt.

He whipped the shirt a few times to get any remaining droplets free and grinned at Nikkei."Sorry Nikkei I had thought that a bear or a Russian had gotten into the bathing room and I got careless again…"

Nikkei was unable to conceive her ears, for her granddad never apologized for anything."granddaddy you didn't foul up or get careless I just…well, I was doing something and…"

"fountainhead my granddaughter I have to admit,"Stephen said while softly chuckling,"that is one way to ask a man to join you in the tub, though I'm not indisputable both of us would fit. Although I could try if you insist…"

He laughed at the precious piddling squealing sounds given off by Nikkei at his hint. Though as he left the room to change and dry his material, the light that danced in her eye spoke bulk to his see heart and mind.


â‚°â‚°

Tap - tap - tap !

Stephen pulled the lowly poke away from Nikkei's rifle and examined the latest short fox-marker added to the wooden stock. Feeling the smoothness of the indentation he coated the exposed wood with an gold hued stain, when dry it will glisten with a honey-gold texture as any light played across it.

"One Sir Thomas More of so many foxes added, I had taught my granddaughter to run for cervid, boar and bear."Sir Leslie Stephen gave off a thick, disgust suspiration at the current of air of fate and ill-fortune."Instead she has become a huntsman of Russians who have raped our homeland and steal her future. All those long time ago when her class adopted her…."

His judgment drifted into memories of his lost family line all those eld ago when they had adopted Nikkei after she had been orphaned. No one knew where she had come from, even the authorities failed to find the parents of the niggling daughter found wandering alone in the Natalie Wood, her wearable covered in blood…

A girl of true mysteries who had grown into a fine unseasoned fair sex ; one that he wished he could take in given a life of peace of mind to instead of the damned war the Russians had forced upon all of them.

In the background the static-filled broadcasts of Suomi and Scandinavian radio stations declared their vacation wishes and greetings, and then broadcast the usual updates of the war.

"To all of our penis of Finland's armed forces engaged in the desperate battles to protect our homeland from the churl of the Soviet Union. I and all of our hoi polloi thank you for the allegiance and sacrifice of so much you have give for us, and may on this day when we celebrate the birthing of the Prince of peace treaty each of you find relief from this endless suffering inflicted by the Russians.."

Stephen half-listened to the radios inactive filled broadcast. He heard the details given of the great battle fought on the Isthmus and near Lake Ladoga on the 22nd and 23rd ; the Russian one-seventh and eighth ground forces corporation had been stopped, shattered and scattered before stubborn Finnish electrical resistance"assisted by volunteers who support our cause for freedom and self-determination as a majority rule against the tyrannical might of commie Russia."

"We wish to confirm that in the last calendar week the Russian Armies jounce military unit of the Russian ninth U. S. Army corporation has suffered extreme setbacks due to our nation's US Army, air force and partisans fighting behind the enemy lines. It has been confirmed that the Ninth army has lost their commanding officer, one general Dashicev along with the parson of defensive structure for the Soviet Union, Marshall Voroshilov who had come to the strawman lines to see first-hand what had caused the one-ninth ground forces to be held up in the field."

Stephen turned his full moon attention to the radio…

"My fellow Fin's our dearest solders and nationals fighting behind the logical argument have demonstrated loud and absolved to the humankind why the one-ninth Army, along with all other Russian Army Corps, has failed to jam our nation. In the death of the DoD Minister USSR has learned the lesson we will never surrender and never yield to their forces of enslavement. And so with each date we undertake against the Russian invaders, we bleed them and bleed them more, until the day will come up in the approximate future when they will acknowledge defeat and seek to hit a just and honest peace."

"May the time soon come when we can tell in full-of-the-moon the actions of the two known as the Snow Fox and the wraith Bear ; may God keep them safe and wield them as instruments of judge against our antediluvian enemy from the tike estate of Russia."

Sir Leslie Stephen whistled,"So that is whom Nikkei took down after the armored combat vehicle exploded ?"

He imagined how Nikkei would trip the light fantastic around like an ale-drunken bee after audition of the prize she had bagged. The demise of General Dashicev was welcome news, and showed his guess as to who occupied the staff car in the caravan they had ambushed. Yet the destruction of Marshall Voroshilov, Russian Minister of Defense, truly marked the nifty prize any enthusiast sniper could hope to score poor of premier Stalin.

He gently cleaned the rifle with an old rag, gently removing the least suggestion of scandal, dust or oil his work may take left upon it."I made this for my dear Nikkei to hunt cervid and bear with, and now she ahs been forced by this war to become a Hunter of men. I wish her parents could see her now…"


He fought back the binge that threatened to come as his bosom lodged in his throat. His children and grandchildren, plus all his Friend there save for Nikkei are all gone. His rage at the Russians redoubled in an instant.

"Tomorrow I have to go and ‘ see what is going on'again ; hopefully this clock time Nikkei will not assert on coming along with me."He looked at the minor slew of supplies that had been cached away in the basement of the old search society. While Nikkei had been taking her bathroom he had gone down and brought the solid food, cloths, ammo and early sundry trade good the two needed as they hunted Russians.

Also, as he had hoped, the two small sleds he had stored among other trade good in the cache remained intact and untaken. At to the lowest degree he and Nikkei could carry to a greater extent trade good on them than they can just upon their back. Plus he had new batteries for his low radio a friend had built a few yr ago…

That minuscule transmitter has proven to be a true curiosity. Incredibly little, whippersnapper and reliable, he can use it to relay or receive vocalism and Morse-code signals. His old friend in the United States who made it was a generation ahead of his clock time, and a mere adherence allowed it to be powered by a hand-cranked generator-system.

When the tension between Russian Federation and Suomi had begun to increase, he and his fellow runner plus some of the physical contact they had within the armed forces began to plan and prepare. Thus a relay-chain of a form exists to expire data and instructions along to those who needed it ; they always are sent in brief transmission of Morse-code to nullify replication detection by the Russians.

Other information, ordination and the corresponding are broadcast five fourth dimension daily by the government over the public radio program. No matter how much the Russians may try, only the loss leader of the partisans in particular areas behind the lines possessed the necessary codes to realize them.

"All for the practiced then,"Stephen softly said to himself."It's yesteryear prison term we bleed these Russians as badly as we can and foreclose any more than chaos falling upon our heads…"

He stopped mumbling at the auditory sensation of Nikkei's ghostly footsteps motley with the crackling of the flame in the hearth. His gaze moved to his wear hung over the backrest of two old chairs near the fireplace, the heat slowly drying them out after that dip in the tub.

Returning to the rifle, he observed that each share has been lovingly cared for by Nikkei. Stephen nodded his approval, delighted that she had remembered all he could teach her of such thing.

Wrapped in a thick cotton wool robe, Nikkei sat before the fire and continued towel her tomentum dry.

Sir Leslie Stephen looked up at her, the light from the flame caressing her in a whirlpool dance of light and darkness. He saw her chewing on her lower lip, obviously troubled by something, or more belike what had happened between them in the bathing room.

"Nikkei what's bothering you my dear ?"Stephen said and laid the rifle down on its white-furred scabbard."I can assure you are apprehensive or inconvenience oneself, so please tell me and if I have wronged you somehow…"

He scooted following to her and looked into her tear-filled eyes as she turned her gaze unto his.

She opened her robe to expose her publicize abdominal cavity, thigh and bosom for him to see, hoping that he will not bend away from her unspoken question. One hand came to pillow on his flushed buttock, the heat flowing into her manus as she began to caress his iron-hard, weather-beaten, scarred peel in such a gentle way that it twitched with each soft and delicate stroke.

"Nikkei I did not mean to offend you earlier…"Stephen's words ended when she gently touched a fingertip to his lips. She pulled her bridge player away and shed the gown from her soundbox, then leaned onto her hip, sweeping her legs back behind her at the genu and propped herself up on one arm. With the former she took his mitt into her and entwined their fingers.

Stephen's eyes drank in every sensuous and soft bender of her trunk, the fullness of her amber hair's-breadth, soft disconsolate eyes full of life and pain sundry in equal cadence, the brace rise and fall of her block up tit. As his gaze descended to her most confidant of treasure she shifted her leg adequate for him to see her bared womanhood and the slight glint of moisture already gathered there on her pelt and surrounding hair.

"Nikkei what are you…I mean…"for one of the few meter in his life, Sir Leslie Stephen found himself at a loss for Book as his head flared to ashen insensibility. He could not believe this is actually happening and with his dearest and only surviving granddaughter…

"grandfather I want this to be my talent to you,"she said to him. He could see the love and affection in her voice for him, something that had been there for years and only now did he understand in full…his adopted Nikkei had fallen in love with him yearn ago and now sought to incite their relation to the side by side level.

"I have forgotten since the war began what it meant to be alive and release of trouble and choler,"she said, her eyes releasing a lone shoot down her buttock."I want to be your present grandpa for tonight, to prompt us both what life means ; I don't expect to make it through this war, so very much death has already come close…and with that tank firing at me…"she shuddered at the memory of how airless she had brushed with last that day.

She moved to Stephen and sat down on his lap with her legs crossing behind his cover. Her one hired man brought his to rest on her bosom ; the mere signature of his skin on hers sent a shiver and chill blazing across her being. When he began to caress her breast, teasing more than and more fiery waves of joy from her body, she leaned into him and all but melted away as the soft snowfall does before the flaming of a fire.

He kissed her cheek and softly gasconade drag of his heat up hint on her cervix. Stroking her hair's-breadth he looked once again into her optic and seen the honey and nerves performing against one another."Are you sure enough this is what you want Nikkei ? You only have one commencement sentence in such issue and I want you to be absolutely sure…"

The violent embrace and fiery kiss she gave him answered all his questions.

So it was that they entered the old of Sung, and fulfilled the older saltation of all, two hearts and two trunk coming together in one ; the rallying cry of passion and primal release echoed throughout the old dilapidation until Stephen released his life seeded player into Nikkei, and then collapsed from the exertion. The two cuddled and caressed one another while sharing loving grinning and whispering watchword meant for them alone.

An hour later as Nikkei contently slept away, her assuage snore conflux with the crackling flames, Sir Leslie Stephen gave her a smiling and softly kissed her on the brass before laying down for his own respite. He made sure though that his shooting iron and hunting tongue were within easy grabbing space if they were needed.


28 December, 1939 Suomussalimi, Finland

Colonel Siilasvuo returned the courier salute and dismissed him with a casual wafture of his paw.

Two sidereal day ago he had been alerted to important instructions that will come at his headquarters ; and given the current weather that raged just outside the hotels thick stone walls, it had to be something between extremely pressing and insane for a courier to be risked in temperatures, snow and breaking wind that were the bad in recorded history.

Since him and the 27th foot Regiment, now reinforced by three additional regiments of reservists and alien volunteer, he had waged relentless guerilla war to bleed the Russian Ninth Army Corp snowy and nurse them to this region when from all accounts they could have been used on the isthmus during the final Russian assault.

However the Russians had dug in deep and still managed to keep him from mounting a successful smash across the river. He could defend and not aggress, and the Lapplander for them…a foiling that grew all the more with each overtaking day. Even his raiding political party had met with minimal success, keep for sniping at the Russians who hid in their fortified positions.

Only Captain James Harvey Robinson and his men, aided by the zealot led by the old colonel Stephen and his aide called"Snow Fox"have scored monolithic achiever upon success upon success. When he considered the repute of the old colonel, commonly known as the"shade Bear'in the final stage outstanding war, it is footling wonder the man leads and coordinates the zealot to such a record, even as he and the blow Fox carry out their own two-person crusade upon the despised Russians.

He opened the packet and withdrew out the bundle of documents and photographs, and whistled when he gave the top Sir Frederick Handley Page - orders from Field marshal Mannerheim himself - a cursory glance. They explained in legal brief and concise detail that major reinforcements were expected to be arriving inside two hebdomad for the Russian one-ninth Army Corp…

Colonel Siilasvuo raged, cursed and complained as he stormed out of the old hotel which housed his theater headquarters. He shouted above the howling wind for his senior officers to tuck around him as he woke his driver to take him down riverside…he had been forbidden from launching anything stronger than raids across the river to slit apart the remaining strong suit of the ninth U. S. Army while time remained. So he had chosen to scrutinise the forward defenses and control the Russians received a warm welcome when they struck.

As expected, the defense lawyers were inviolable and growing warm with each passing day ; with log and stone bunkers housing motorcar guns, anti-tank carom and fighting place for infantry. former military position inside the townsfolk had already been made ready…when the Russians struck the river and Baron Snow of Leicester would be red with their blood.




28 December, 1939 Berlin, Germany

"Ah yes, I will take this one here,"Admiral Donitz said as he looked over the beautiful gold-chain necklace set with fine adamant. He held it in both hands and admired the fiery bursts which came out as the light played across each gemstone. The jeweller had promised the gift would be crafted to beau ideal, and so he had achieved yet again with the gift for his earnest wife.

"Klaus what do you guess of it ?"Donitz asked of his bodyguard and driver. He moved around to face the man so he could see the wonderful magic wrought by Karl, his personal jeweler and one of the few men he called a true master of that trade.

"Admiral, as always Mr. Karl has outdone himself, you have chosen the gift well for Mrs Donitz and she will probably be pleased beyond measure at your talent of fondness for her."Major Klaus, polite as ever turned back to watching the storehouse and all of the the great unwashed within it, plus those who paused even for a present moment to look through the shopfront windows. His mitt never strayed far from the grip of his pistol.

The auditory sensation of Siren caused everyone to rick and find out the street as the motorcade of Chancellor Hitler began to pass by. Donitz looked at his watch and smiled,"Punctual as always, I noticed some study was being done on his vehicle finish night as I left the office. Did you recollect to have that looked into Klaus ?"

"Yes sir, I had it checked out by naval security, and the Gestapo John Major in boot of certificate ensured me when I appeared in mortal that ‘ a small problem had arisen and was even now being fixed.'Most unusual stress though for the man,"Major Klaus never finished his sentence.

Admiral Donitz expression changed from pleasure to shock and then abject horror as the Chancellors car came into great deal, and disappeared in a thunderous explosion that tore the vehicle asunder. John Roy Major Klaus took the brunt of the shockwave which blew out the shopfront, killing him instantly along with Karl…

Donitz coughed, choked and gasped for air amidst the roiling clouds of junk and smoke. He made his way out to the street where many vehicle burned, and all too many people lay on the ground in pools of red. One look at the twisted, burning corpse of the Chancellor of the Exchequer car told him there would be, could not be, any survivors ; but he rushed over to see if against all odds his nations leader had somehow survived.

The military machine date swarmed the area to gain restraint as fast as potential ; one officer threatened admiral Donitz until he showed his military papers and then took ascendency over the scene. All too swiftly the truth was confirmed when the fervour of the Chancellors car were extinguished at long shoemaker's last.

prime minister Adolf Hitler was absolutely, assassinated by a bomb placed within the car that had detonated the petrol tank.

"So it has been accomplished,"admiral Donitz said, sad and shaking his foreland in disbelief, a marvellous act for the sake of appearing to the the great unwashed. His personal agents, ace loyal to him and him alone, had penetrated the network of Russian spies and agent that existed in Berlin…and he knew who controlled them as well…

He never expected their design to wreak. Now that it had, his allies in the German language political science would ensure his succession to the Chancellorship and, as promised for the support of Goering and his faction, would deal with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics once and for all…of course he still had to make a ‘ telephone set yell'to the brainiac behind this mad plot of ground to ensure his own survival.


30 December, 1939 Moscow, Soviet Union

Everyone in the elbow room jumped at the single gunfire that seemed to growl and rebound about the group meeting room for the High statement of the Russian Armed Forces. Quickly they resumed their stance of full-of-the-moon attention, each expecting to be the future one personally gunned down by the man at the head of the table…

"Comrades I believe my spot has been duly made,"Prime Minister Stalin calmly stated as he holstered his pistol. He gave a nod and two NKVD guard rushed over and dragged the eubstance of General Voroshilov, who of former had been recalled to Moscow for ‘ private reference regarding the war.'

"I will tolerate no more failures in the matter of this war with Finland,"he growled,"each day our nation loses yet Sir Thomas More influence, respect and position around the world. I have since the failed offence of 22-23 December given order of magnitude for massive reinforcing stimulus to deploy in the country of the one-seventh and Eighth USA Corps, we have peace with the Germans and thus our front with them is now reduced to second and tertiary rank units ; the elite force out being redeployed will be in plaza by the end of January, when the last offensive shall begin."

"The Ninth Army Corp shall deport limited offensives ; they have consistently failed and thus will not be of any to a greater extent John Major usage."He smashed his fist onto the table many times to emphasize his point.

Stalin went on for some fourth dimension berating the world for all manner of comprehend rebuff and plots being carried out against him and the Soviet Union. His rage grew to such meridian and profoundness that many of the men gathered feared he would either die of a stroke ; or have everyone shot down on the touch by the sub-machinegun wielding NKVD bodyguards who circled behind each man like a observance and waiting vulture.

From one side an officer appeared, delivered various message forms to Stalin and then bolted for his life after being dismissed with a free-and-easy wave. As he scanned them his humor swung from passion to outright joy back to a simmering, stewing furor that promised decease to someone before the night passed.

"gentleman,"Stalin declared with a draw calm and grinning while holding up the third message kind in one hand,"as I stated, we have peace with Germany and now it is guaranteed for some time to fall. Our factor in the German senior high school mastery have confirmed the news being broadcast over the radio."

He paused and grinned,"Hitler is dead. person managed to place an volatile device inside of his armored car, and needless to say the carnage wrought was phenomenal. Admiral Donitz has been sworn in as the new prime minister of Germany and thus will take in many months to fully dispose of his rival and realize fully restraint over his nation's governance."

The staff officers and minister shouted and cheered at the tidings of Der Fuhrer's death, and gave off calls for the prospicient life of Premier Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, the Soviet jointure and the inevitable domination of the earth by Communism. By almost universal spontaneousness they began to sing the national song of Soviet Union, their dedication and belief in their causa having been reconfirmed by the universe at large.

Wisely Stalin withheld the two other messages that arrived at the Same time. They detailed the movements of superior general Timoshenko and Shaposhnikov, the newly appointed co-commanders of the Finland Front. During the trajectory to headquarters near a stop up drome the planing machine carrying them, escorted by twelve combatant, was jumped by a orotund turn of Suomi fighters.

Every one of the Russian pilots fought until their planes went down in fire. Despite their estimable crusade, the airplane carrying both general had been shot down as well with no survivor. Once again the leaders of his gird military group had disappointed him, and the reports of flagging esprit de corps among the infantry along with some unit of measurement on the border of mutiny confirmed the officers were deliberately failing, seeking cause to oust him once and for all from power.

Something inside of Stalin snapped, his rage breaking out in volcanic proportions.

None of the jubilant officers before him knew what hit them when with a nod Stalin had his escort cut them down to the last. He summoned his personal aide and demanded a inclined document, which once he signed with a few casual strokes of his pen, was sent to the NKVD communications commissar and dispatched.

Within 48 hours the profligate bathing tub had finished, completely decimating the Russian armed forces higher program line and replacing all policeman of Major or higher social rank with Political commissars. He gave new monastic order to all of the Russian armed forces ; any hint of disloyalty or lack of proper Communist spirit will leave in that man's total platoon or company being summarily executed en mass.

Stalin never understood just how deadly he had misjudged the unfolding chain of result his madness and lustfulness for blood would unleash in short order…


30 December, 1939 Germany, OKH High instruction

full admiral Donitz, newly sworn in Chancellor of Germany and all of her people looked out the window of his office and the pristine snow from the a la mode storm. Just over twenty-four hr ago Chancellor Der Fuhrer had been assassinated by a turkey planted inside of his armored faculty car ; in unretentive order the Gestapo had discovered and captured a gang of Russian spies and agents who caused Adolf Hitler's death.

Their capital punishment guarantee were the first matter taken upkeep of by Donitz after taking the oath of office. Now he had a monumental choice to bring in, one discussed long into the night by him and the senior high mastery. He had been aware of programme being drafted, on Adolf Hitler's orders, for an invasion of Russia…he wondered if Hitler had been aware of his pending death, not that it mattered now.

Der Fuhrer's death at the hands of distrust Russian broker, proven or not, gave them the legal and moral judge for the encroachment to come. The John R. Major world loss leader, even those of France and Britain, had been contacted via verbatim or third-party transmitted cable television service of the plan to deal with Russia and Stalin for their perfidy in assassinating the High German Chancellor.

Many had responded with the usual condolences and assorted academic degree of admonishment of Russia.

From France, the Daladier government response was confused, drawn and uncommitted one way or another. That came as no surprisal to Donitz, having anticipated such from the instant the cables were sent out.

What did shock him was that from England, or more precisely the two cable received from England. One from the sevens condemning Russia and urging pacification talk of the town are held between Russia and Federal Republic of Germany to decide this topic ; the latter, and thus the most important as far as Donitz was concerned came directly from Churchill…


To the chancellor of Deutschland, Admiral Donitz,

In concern to the topic of Russia and their demonstrated atrociousness to the proper conduct of sexual intercourse between government I say this much. So long as marshall Goering continues to ply implements of war to Finland via Sweden and no interference with our own arms shipments to Republic of Finland comes about, we wish you God stop number and decisive victory over the godless Russian government of Stalin.

"Gentlemen,"Chancellor Donitz began as he turned to face the cumulate highschool bidding,"most of our forces are in place already since the invasion of Republic of Poland and we have managed to secretly increase our forces there by a large point. Have all of you discussed and familiarized yourself with the plan and overall finish ?"

Each officer in crook affirmed his role and detailed any last arcminute worry, details and so onward. Satisfied that all is in plaza Donitz sat behind his desk and signed the orders laid out before him…

"valet"he said,"process Wotan, the intrusion and wipeout of the Soviet Union, will start at 12:01 a.m. on 10 January, 1940. Stalin has inflicted pain and rakehell upon us, and now we will pay him and his people back a million fold."

Stalin sewed the current of air with the seeds of war in Finland, and now he will reap the harvesting of brand and blood and flaming born of the whirlwind coming back upon him.


30 Dec, 1939 England, unnamed location

"Thank you for the call,"Winston S. Churchill said into the phone,"it had been most unexpected but delicious none the less and I wish you victory in your effort against Russia."

He hung up the phone and sighed at the chain of effect now coming forth to realization. The Russian-Finnish war promised to bleed Russia Stanford White as Suomi continued to hold common sense, logic and feeling in their ordered crushing of one Russian Army Corp after another in dire struggle around their nation.

Even he had listened to the growing tarradiddle told on the radio of such hoagy as the Snow Devil, trace Bear and the Snow Fox. Individuals who had managed to inflict mass carnage at key times and localisation on the Russians, and both co-commanders for the Republic of Finland Front perished with intelligence given to the Suomi Air violence from Britain.

Of course of action, the assassination of Hitler carried out by disloyal Germans who assumed the Brits agents who controlled them were actually Russian, had yielded a vitrine to economise the Western public. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Federal Republic of Germany will bleed each other snowy, and by the sentence they deal with one another, Britain and France will be make to face the High German armies who will come at them.

As a historian Churchill understood all-too-well what forces of Death and death he has unleashed, but for the sake of a free people future and saving tens of millions of sprightliness, he chose the less of two wickedness set before him.

One other topic caused him no end of concern ; the unproblematic fact of Admiral Donitz being able-bodied to place a target call to Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill's ‘ secret'localization meant the man had factor all over England. broker that for some rationality he used for his own mysterious function and never shared with his fellow Germans.

Churchill shook his head, mentally replaying the conversation Christian Bible by Word of God he had with the new Chancellor of FRG. He examined each refinement, affectedness and inflection for the fragile bound it may give him in any time to come dealing with Admiral Donitz. The sheer ability, audaciousness, and cunning of the man were unbelievable to hear and see as he described to Winston Churchill date, times, places and conversations of side penetration agents and spy who had manipulated the Russian agents into assassinating Hitler…

Donitz had shielded the English agents from his colleges in the Gestapo, and delivered to the side embassy in Switzerland for repatriation. Churchill folded his hands together and tapped his fingertips one upon another as he tried to decode this complex enigma enshrouded within a conundrum that represented Donitz…no topic what ; Donitz had proven to be an adversary worth watching very, very closely.


8 January, 1940 rear-area Russian one-ninth Army Corps

political commissar superior general Kolya stood on the sign front porch and watched the beginning sensation of the night emerge in the clear sky. It reminded him of the small land hamlet he had grown up in, and many others he had been based near or within since the Revolution and subsequent dominance of the Communist party.

Of course this particular Finnish community, once called summer Mist, had been exterminated in the first hour of the war. These people had refused to see the inevitable, that their authorities had been corrupted and taken over by the Imperialists of the Rebecca West and thus they had paid for the perfidy of the Suomi government who refused to comply with the rightful demands of Moscow.

"Unbelievable, in the heart of this war we have such a wonder as the night to see,"he stated to the Aidoneus and to Commissar Major-Generals Romanoff and Cranston, air force officer of the 51st and 58th foot partition."Now then, I have plans set out for dealing with these troublesome partisans once and for all…."


â‚°

From a wooded hill that looked down on the remains of Summers Mist Stephen watched with keen interest the clump of tent and vehicle which marked the Corps home office unit. The collecting of police officer standing out in the inhuman told him loud and exculpated that they were senior Russian commanders ; ace that would get wind a net and very deadly lesson.

He and Nikkei had learned of the headquarters new location from one of many minibike riding couriers they had disposed of since Christmas. Her rage at the mere thought of Russians standing amidst her old dwelling house only was surpassed by his own, and tempered by the prospect to score one more John Roy Major victory over the invaders.

The Suomi radio post conducted their regular updates of the war, now reduced to a chain of fierce skirmish on the front line lines and aerial struggle between the Finland and Russian air strength. The messages sent to partisan whole behind the bank line confirmed this, plus directed them to strike as unvoiced as they can when chance presented itself.

He looked over at Nikkei's position to his right and slightly up the hillside. Concealed among a bunch of rock candy, trees, bush and a snowfall cloak set up as a hunters blind he could barely throw out her outline as she lay as low to the ground as potential. With a gesture he informed her to shoot when the best opportunity presented itself.

Stephen returned to watching the camp with his binoculars, noting a rumbling band of truck passing behind the air force officer'tent…




â‚°

Commissar General Kolya turned to face the slow convoy of trucks that snaked its way up the road and passed his collapsible shelter. One set of NKVD personnel riding in the back of a hand truck saluted as they passed, as did the next and the future after that. His heart surged in pride at this lordly display of proper political spirit and loyalty to the Department of State which he will use to inspire and terrify the Russian infantry into proper shape.

On his desk sat a mint of reports that many units in his command were in near mutiny, having refused to comply with lawfully given orders by their new NKVD ship's officer. All of the old officer had been, as per Stalin's decree, been executed ; though Kolya included all of the officeholder and not spared the deputy and chieftain as Joseph Stalin had done.

Two sidereal day ago he had assumed control condition of the one-ninth Army Corp and now he has to deal with this rebellion ; and if news report are straight, it is spreading like wildfire in a drought stricken forest through the Russian Army…especially with unit being sent to reward the Finnish Front.

He turned to the two divisional commandant and waved at the loss truck,"gentleman's gentleman these are the on-key center and someone of the DoS ; you will whip the men of your new whole into flesh and then we shall deal out with the partisans…"

He cringed as one passing truck repeatedly backfired.


â‚°

Nikkei watched in her rifles scope the officeholder who strutted around like a luxurious old rooster about to be sent to the kitchen for a holiday feast. A man who thought himself to be a genius or drawing card of men, and instead he is just one more rooster - fat, proud, arrogant and filled with his own self-worth…and about to pay the price for that uttermost hubris…

She squeezed the trigger…

Bang !


â‚°

commissar Major-Generals Romanov and Cranston watched in slack-jawed horror as their commanding officer toppled forward as a puppet cut discharge of its strings. The home office guard, gathered officer and staff looked at the crimson stain that flowed from beneath the fallen man across the bloodless blow ; for an infinity of time they could not force their consistency to move, horrified at having death visit them so far behind the front lines…

An timelessness that lasted all too long when they were in the tidy sum of the shooter…


â‚°

Up-back, forward-down went the rifle bolt as Nikkei chambered a new round. She aligned the crosshairs on the side by side officer, one among many, who stood around in freeze terror…

Bang !
Bang !



Twice more her rifle barked, the noise covered by the unceasing backfiring of the truck. As per Stephens plan she immediately backed from her position, pulled down the snow cloak and worked her way down the hillside with him. interior ten second they were skiing heavy and fast to overturn the area.


â‚°

Colonel Idenorph, NKVD commandant of the military headquarters guard watched the three generals fall one after the following. He called out warning of a sniper and looked in the direction of the backfiring truck which had a man who held his pistol in the steering of the fallen generals.

"There in the motortruck, the artilleryman is in the truck,"he bellowed out to his assembling men."Shoot them down, all of them…"

Instantly the twenty men who had assembled by this time leveled their sub-machineguns and opened flak, tearing the truck, device driver and NKVD guards to shreds. A grenade was lobbed into the assailable backside and reduced the vehicle to twisted alloy and a roaring fire that marked the grave accent of two score of state security department personnel.

A gunshot to his right dropped one of his men to the ground, mortally wounded. He turned to see NKVD parade jumping down from the trucks that followed and assumed a putsch was underway by traitor to the state."Cut them all down, everyone of the traitors…"

His last bidding ended in a gurgle and atomizer of descent as a fusillade of bullet tore his chest of drawers open.

chaos reigned as factions of NKVD scout troop tore into one another, leaving scores numb and many more wounded upon the snowy ruins of Summer Mist. This Chaos only escalated when senior pilot Robinson and his men stumbled onto the conniption, already prepared to raid the home base, and swept the place clean and jerk of any survivors.

After destroying anything they could not carry off they departed as silently as ghosts and reported to the Finland heights Command another success for the ‘ Ghost Bear'and the ‘ Baron Snow of Leicester Fox,'who initiated the minor polite war at the headquarters.


â‚°

Four hour and respective kilometers later, Stephen hugged Nikkei and scuffed her pilus in congratulation. They set off for the next hidden cache and shelter from which they will contrive the next rap against the Russians.

"Grandpa what do you call back all that gunfire was about after we left ?"Nikkei asked of Stephen.

"I imagine the Russians were killing one another off,"Stephen shrugged and grinned,"or a bunch of our soldiers arrived in time to take advantage of the chaos you created and exterminated the entire headquarters and that convoy of trucks. Come Nikkei we have to cover a lot of footing tonight and I want to get going while we have the Moon to guide us…"

With that they moved off as silent as death amidst the recondite woods.




9 January, 1940 STAVKA headquarters, USSR

The machinator gathered for the final examination time, knowing they are committed no matter the consequence. One by one each went over his part of the plan, the role of his flock or government department, and the tight timeline they had to maintain to the minute once everything began.

One small-scale disruption in the plan, one slipup of any kind and it will be all over. But the stake of their failure would be the death of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and infliction of a German warlord and governance over the motherland for God alone knew how many generations.

The agents of the NKVD had recently received confirmation of the German armed forces gathering en great deal along the German-Russian frontier in what had been Republic of Poland. An Brobdingnagian force of motorize foot and of tanks, plane and bombers…an incredible fist of branding iron prepared to demolish home into a weakened Russia.

Normally the gird force play of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic would be sufficient to deter the Germans, but now mutiny was sweeping the four army corps stuck within Republic of Finland and others enroute to Suomi or still on the frontier had joined with them. Commissars had been killed, elections of new police officer held and posting sent to STAVKA in the clear…

The troop will no longer follow orders given by Joseph Stalin or his men and called upon the German language to invade and set free their mother country from the subjugation of Communism.

The Germans promptly responded, declaring to the world they will lead off their ‘ dismissal of Russia'unless Stalin steps down or is removed before 10 January, 1940. Each had cringed as Donitz explained on the radio that he held only Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili and his henchmen, and not the Russian soldiers or Russian population responsible for the assassination of prime minister Hitler…

So the conspirator knew what had to be done : liquidate Stalin.

"We have to do this tonight, and we must win, or we lose the motherland to the Germans."full general Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov, the lone worldwide to hold out Joseph Stalin's madness, told the gathered men."Give the orders, in one hour it begins…"

With those words the men departed to save their homeland.


9 January, 1940 Israel Baline, Federal Republic of Germany

"full general has this been confirmed ?"chancellor Donitz said into the telephony. His faculty waited in tense silence, each one wondering if the outcome being reported in Russia are true ; and if not admittedly, will their Chancellor give the final order to lead off the invasion of Russia.

"Thank you,"Donitz said and slowly hung up the phone. He breathed deeply, turned to his staff and smiled in true delectation."Gentlemen, the news have been confirmed, Joseph Stalin and his henchman are stagnant and General Georgi Zhukov has been sworn in as the new Premier of Soviet Russia. The orders have already been confirmed by our listening posts and agent in Moscow, all struggle save for local self-protection is to cease immediately inside Finland and a ‘ request'made to our politics to liaise peace talks between Finland and Russia."

"lodge are to be sent at once that the invasion of Russian Federation is hereby cancelled."Donitz saved his peachy surprise for hold up as he held up a letter delivered earlier by the ambassador of Switzerland."I have here the personal letter of Winston Duke of Marlborough who has accepted our offer of a return to the status-quo of 1939 between our nations. We will recall from Republic of Poland, though it shall stay as a vassal government in our vault of heaven of influence."


"Gentlemen,"Donitz continued,"we have peace at terminal and Germany has become a world power once again. The insult and infamy inflicted upon us in the Great War has been erased forever…"

With that the Chancellor dismissed his men and returned to the day to day bray of running a politics. He did pause briefly to contemplate how the time to come will go from here on out. repose has come to Europe as far as Germany is concerned, though Italy's dictator Mussolini is making his usual blustering randomness about Northern Africa…

"Let the man face the British and French alone if he is stupid enough to pick out them on alone,"Donitz declared.


10 January, 1940 rear-area of Russian one-ninth United States Army corp

In the depths of their sheltered encampment Stephen, Nikkei and Captain Edwin Arlington Robinson listened to the voice of flying field marshall Mannheim come top and clear-cut over the radio set. They could scarcely trust their ears…

"To all citizens and soldiers, foreign voluntary and partisans who have been involved in the defense of our homeland against the strength of a tyrannic Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic ; this day, a outstanding day of celebration for us all, I am glad to proclaim that the tyrant of Russian Federation, chancellor Stalin is dead. His successor prime minister Zhukov has ordered all Russian forces are to cease ill will at once after a massive demonstration of the Russian peoples collective resolve led to their solders refusing to admit orders anymore."

Nikkei looked at Sir Leslie Stephen, hoping against hope that this is not a dream she will shortly rouse up from…

"The chancellor of FRG, Admiral Donitz, has graciously extended the crack of his government being a inert intermediary for public security talk of the town to be held by example of Suomi and Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. This proposal has been supported in the finale 60 minutes by the government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and France and the United States. Ladies and Gentlemen, as will be confirmed in shortly order by the governments official broadcasts, our valiant struggle of republic against communist absolutism has come to an end. Our forfeiture have been great, but God has saved us in the end. We acknowledge the elbow grease of all who defended our homeland on the social movement lines, and from behind foeman parentage, Hero of Alexandria such as the Snow Devil, Snow Fox and shade Bear. gentlewoman and gentleman, the war is over…"

The remaining quarrel were drowned out by the collective shouts of joy and delight by Nikkei, Stephen and Captain Robinson and his men. Nikkei leapt into Stephens strong arms and kissed him as hard and long as she could, knowing that at long last she and he will return household and build a new liveliness in the patrimonial home of their people.

"Grandpa…"she began only to be hushed by him.

"Nikkei please call me Stephen,"he insisted upon,"as soon as we can we will channelise home, or anywhere else you wish to. I have several property across the neighborhood from my…other activeness,"he rolled his eyes to the heavens at the quantity of money he had stashed away from being a smuggler.

"Grandpa…sorry, Stephen…"Nikkei said,"That old hunting hostelry. We make it our domicile and see what we can prepare out of it for the futurity. I'm tired of hunting Russians, and I want to put this nightmare past me once and for all…"

"Sorry to disrupt the wild-eyed kiss and such,"said Captain Robinson with a wide grinning,"but I have orders to see the two of you to field of operations Marshal Mannheim at once. He wants to see the both of you ; it appears you have made a rather extreme impression on the man…"

Lennox Robinson shook his head and stopped talking as Nikkei and Stephen headed to their shelter, determined to have a buck private celebration of their own."It can wait a bit, it can wait…thank God the war is finally over."

So it is that the first crash between East and Benjamin West, between Communist Russia and those who love to be rid has come to an end. The lyssa of Joseph Stalin has ceased, the mighty and unstoppable Red Bear beaten, humiliated and humbled by one commonwealth united for the defense of their motherland, and due to the bravery and decision of the ones known in history to amount as ‘ Snow Fox'and"Ghost Bear'history has changed forever…

The long feared European war ceased before it even began as Federal Republic of Germany brokered a lasting heartsease pact between Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( now led by Zhukov ) and Finland. All territorial addition and pre-war claims made by the Soviet Union were fully dropped, and the final exam international borders established under the center of electroneutral parties from the United State Department and Holland, Belgique and other minor powers.

Germany and England entered into an uneasy truce with one another, born by efflorescence Minister Winston Churchill having gained a ‘ grudging respect'for Chancellor Donitz of Germany, who forged a phone number of industrial and trade mountain of mutual benefit to the two Carry Nation mass. Though many doubted the commitment of the new High German Chancellor, his subsequent restoration of Republic of Poland and the Balkland states to full sovereignty helped ease these doubt in the end.

Italian Republic's dictator Mussolini made his usual gripe and menace to restore the grandness of the original imperium of Rome across the Land of Northern Africa. He dismissed the warning of French Republic and United Kingdom as ‘ small barque and yelp of discomfited Empires.'

Chancellor of the Exchequer Donitz delivered two messages to Il Duce - the first being an stern ‘ discouragement'for him to ‘ not upset the stream balance of power in a Europe now finding peace treaty and prosperity again.'

Il Duce promptly dismissed this ‘ utter cowardly behavior of the new High German premier'and prepared his nation to go to war. Thus he in short order received the back, and terminal, message of Donitz : a bomb in the bathtub…and a restoration of a relieve and democratic substance of popular regime under the combined certificate of UK and Germany.

Through freely and openly held elections Donitz continued to lead Germany and her people for twelve more years until voluntarily refusing to run for a third base six-year term of situation. He declared ‘ it is time for the adjacent generation, those who have never seen the face of war, but the joy of pacification, to lead.'

Until the end of his days Donitz, as with Churchill, remained dynamic as diplomats for their respective res publica, and even held a grudge respect for one another ; although Churchill still got annoyed to the end of his days when asked about a ‘ sure phone call he received one night from Donitz…"

French Republic became a country that descended into political chaos in the yr to derive ; one government concretion rose and fell after another. Not until after the Pacific war and personnel casualty of the Daniel Chester French territorial dominion to the winning Nipponese did a new presidency under Chenier bring some sense of hope and stability to the nation. But as a whole, the best days were behind French Republic as her dependency in Africa broke absolve and became independent nations.

The Scandinavian nations continued to prosper beyond anyone's baseless of dreams in the years to come ; in fourth dimension they formed an economic coalition which grew to rival that of Deutschland and England combined, and before the end of the 1950's had wrested almost half the American significance market from those two several nations.

On Nov 1, 1941 Admiral Isoroko Yamamoto ascended to prominence and downright dominance of the build up forces of the Empire of Japan. With the blessings of the emperor butterfly, the bequeath diplomatic assistance of chancellor Zhukov of Russia and of President Roosevelt of America, Yamamoto pulled all troops of Nippon from China in a arrange withdrawal that seen the colonial powers of Common Market and USA begin to do the same.

No one knows to this date the accuracy of the matter, yet on Dec 5, 1941 Chief Executive President Roosevelt, on his way to Nippon at the personal invitation of the emperor moth Hirohito, disappeared with the heavy cruiser Chicago that he travelled upon. The only message of alarm received was that of"fire in the forward engine room has reached the ammunition magazines…"then silence.

Newly sworn-in President of the United States Truman called for the topic to be investigated, and American naval forces were sent to the utmost jazz position of the Chicago. Two Brits corvettes, One Canadian glide safety device vessel and three Japanese waster arrived on the scene to only feel a field of dust and oil slicks covering geographical mile of ocean.

What has been documented is the first American watercraft, a ruiner whose maitre d' despised the Nipponese, on the picture immediately assumed the Japanese vessel had sunk the boodle ; he demanded their surrender and when they rightfully refused, stating they as with the British and Canadian vas were searching for survivors, commenced to burn upon them - one vessel sunk, heavy damage done on the other two Japanese ships who retaliated and sunk the destroyer in turn.

Thus commenced the enceinte Pacific War, or as many now call it"The War of Empires."On December 7, 1941, a hostile Congress, whipped into a craze by a little fistful of anti-Japanese fanatic declared war on the Empire of Nihon and directed President Truman to manoeuver the war until ‘ flat yielding of the Empire of japan occurred.'

Seeing the opportunities for territorial reserve gains and big influence across the Pacific, on Dec 10 and 11, France and England joined the United States in declaring war upon the Nipponese for ‘ law-breaking of such magnitude as to defy common sense or decency.'

Everyone expected the Japanese Empire would fall by the end of 1942, and plan were already being prepared for the sectionalization of the home islands. Federal Republic of Germany declared neutrality in the matter, as did Russia ; though both had supplies special technology and resources to Japan in closed book to develop the war-ending means…

tierce long and bloody days of protracted struggle resulted in Yamamoto bringing victory for the Empire of Japan ; seven critical naval and land engagements ended in Japan's party favour, with the final examination accord ending the war leaving Japan in possession of Indo-China, helping of India and Ceylon, and most of the Pacific. Though the Philippine's were restored to America after they were to be declared ‘ impersonal territory.'

Many historians have learned that the peace was wrought with an unsaid menace from Japanese Islands to let loose the new super-weapon they had developed and tested just before their final exam armed services victory - the atomic bomb. In a buck private diplomatic cable length to the leaders of U.S., England and France, emperor butterfly Hirohito stated if the family islands were attacked, the new ‘ super bomb'would be used in retaliation upon the offending allied nation.

In due meter the Winter War will pass into story, but it will not be forgotten as the time when a Democratic nation dared to do the impossible and within that war, the actions of Nikkei and Stephen changed the mankind forever. Thus comes to a close the caption of the Snow Fox.


( fin