23 August, 1939 ( Headlines )

In a move that has shocked the political world at vauntingly ; the government of Deutschland and the Union of Soviet Socialist republic have concluded and signed a treaty of mutual non-aggression. The released financial statement of many globe leader has ranged across the spectrum, from ones of rejoicing that the medical prognosis of another peachy war in EU has been avoided, to others who unofficially are seeking more information or are involved in a series of ‘ intense discussions'with allied governments.


1 Sept, 1939 ( headline )

gentlewoman and valet de chambre today it is my sad tariff to announce that war has returned to the continent of Europe as on this day the arm violence of Germany have invaded Western Poland. Heavy fighting is reported by all incline, with Germany announcing ‘ trench, monolithic and sweeping penetration'by its gird forces. Allegedly the Polish army is already collapsing ; surrendering in ever growing issue and the government activity has fled the state for refuge in Romania. Unofficial accounts from radio operator in Poland speak of keep resistance that is ‘ stout, strong and determined'in the face of the unprovoked aggressiveness of Germany.

Many world leadership have strongly denounced this aggressiveness on the part of the administration of Federal Republic of Germany, with French Republic, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Department of State of America demanding that the armies of FRG stop all aggression at once. This is to be followed by withdrawal to the master border, while an international mediation via the League of body politic occurs to settle the issue of hostilities between the several governments.

No input has been relayed from the German government.


3 Sept, 1939 ( Headlines )

On this day the crisis in Europe has grown exponentially, with the authorities of France and Britain officially declaring war upon the regime of FRG for the intrusion of Poland. Contacts within the respective armed forces and government department tell that armed intervention in Republic of Poland, and the straight territorial reserve intrusion of Germany ‘ shall occur within a hand count of days, or at most, before the next two workweek are over.'

The combat continues on, with the government of FRG reporting more and more territory gained with each passing hour, while Polish sources report the chief thrusting of the German blitzkrieg has been blunted, but that the Carry Nation casualties have been high. The announcement of the declaration of war by Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has brought renewed hope for the beleaguered Carry Nation.


17 September, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

In a relocation of blazing opportunism and aggression the regular army of the Union of Soviet Socialist democracy have invaded eastern Poland. The representatives of the USSR declared that the relocation is to ensure that law and fiat and stability are maintained in the nerve of the ended collapse of the polish up political science. Within hour the relocation had been condemned by about extremity of the league of Nations…


5 October, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

Republic of Poland has officially ceased to exist according to the regime of Germany and the USSR. The pocket-sized nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Esthonia have been annexed by the Soviet Union after being coerced into signing one sided ‘ reciprocal demurrer accord'with the central communist government of Russia….

Unconfirmed write up credit that official from Finland have been invited to Moscow for ‘ discourse of a most particular nature concerning the common defense mechanism of both countries.'One former high-level military policeman explained that usually means ‘ Moscow makes the threats and Finland will get concessions, or there shall be war in the end…'


â‚°â‚°

Deep in the residence of STAVKA, Supreme Headquarters for the armed forcefulness of the USSR, the assemble leadership stand at attention as the lone man walked calmly in the door and silently proceeded to the head of the long, map-covered tabular array.

His every footstep echoed like smack across the elbow room, and heightened the thick tautness that was further magnified by his aura of great power, sanction, cruelty and determination. He reveled in the concern that radiated from all of those present, for all knew with a simpleton gesture, a nod, or one spoken word, he could take or break any or all of their careers, send them to the gulag for life history, or have them summarily executed.

Taking his bottom he motioned for all to sit and began to excuse the matters at hand."Comrades, the subjugation of Poland and the appropriation of Republic of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are nearing pass completion. The ancient territories of our peachy Rodinia are nearly perfect, with one vexing elision. Despite our most generous crack to them, the lackeys of the Imperialist West, especially those of Britain, who ‘ govern'in Finland, have slapped aside the manus of communist generosity."

"comrade, as of now I am instructing all of you to enact the architectural plan we have prepared for such an eventuality,"the man stated, hammering away on the table with his fist as his eyes, stale and greyness, blazed with fury and rage at the government who has defied him since he was forced to sign the 1921 Treaty of Tartu forced upon the peaceful people of the USSR by the decrepit and Imperialist-led league of Nations.

"associate, explain to me again every detail of the plans as they exist at this time, do not impart out one detail,"he declared as he motioned for the NKVD guards, members of the feared State Security apparatus, to find out for the first intimation of defeatism, waver or anything that may be construed as treachery. For those so suspected the results would be publically declared ‘ a unruffled and well pull in retirement'…

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

For that lone man, Premier Joseph Joseph Stalin, he wanted it no other way. He and he alone ruled in the USSR, and he held the fate of all in his manpower alone.

For nearly twenty years he had fumed over the humiliation Suomi and her Imperialist angel had inflicted upon him in 1921. So now he will own his retaliation and have the proper solid ground of the Old Russian tzar's restored to the motherland, under proper commie direction of course.

He listened as the detail were explained over several hours, with only one small addition proposed to ensure there will be no doubt as to ‘ Finnish aggression'being the cause of the coming invasion."Make it so,"said Stalin.


31 October, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

Today before the assembly of the Supreme Soviet, Foreign minister of religion Molotov, for the outset prison term in public announced the damage ‘ requested'of the government of Finland to ‘ ensure the United States Department of Defense of the peaceful people of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.'

The ‘ petition,'a cultured terminal figure for what nearly people in the democratic nations of the world will call ‘ demand at the point of a gun'were for solid ground to be leased for XXX class, or transferred directly into the men of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics while the government of Finland would receive in return dry land that is barren and worthless. German Chancellor Adolph Hitler has called upon the people of Suomi and their leaders to accept the terms peacefully while clip remains for them to do so…

acerate leaf to say, the subject matter of ‘ while time remains for them to do so…'has dramatically increased tensions in a continent already at war between the friend and the bloc mightiness.


â‚°â‚°

Stephen half-listened to the news coming from the day-after-day radiocommunication broadcast that detailed the current soma up of tautness between Finland and Russia. Day by day the dialogue had been summarized in the typical way of Stalin and his cohorts…

"Agree to our term with no compromise or front 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.

Memories of that trigger-happy sentence played across his brain as he examined the masterly-crafted rifle that he held ; its arrant blueprint and balance, custom-built as a birthday present to one special to him, will create her one of the keen of hunters ever to haunt game in the Mrs. Henry Wood. The new scope mounted to it was commissioned by a friend of his, whose designs were a genesis or more ahead of their time.

Stephen twirled and tossed the rifle ; rapidly worked the bolt-action to acquire the final feeling of how smooth it will play when time was of the essence - as he learned recently with a bear that almost had him for dinner. No flaw could be found, no blemish, no misapprehension in his superlative Creation of all the piece he has handcrafted in his life as an armorer, soldier, Orion and…dealer in good and hooey best left unexplained and preferably never found by broker of the law.

He and his acquaintance 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 checked the harness for any defect. Again he found none, his friends having done their oeuvre to absolute perfection.

"She will love this rifle,"Sir Leslie Stephen said as he mulled over the coming issue,"her birthday is on the 30th of Nov. I will be there and show her how to hunt down with her new rifle ; she will hunt as never before until all know her name."

All too soon Sir Leslie Stephen would come to empathise the prophetic flavour of his words. For that rifle will be wielded by one to become a legend…


24 November, 1939 ( Headlines )

stress continue to build up between the government of Finland and the Russia as two counter proposal were made to find an ethical solvent to the requirement of Moscow. Both proposals were summarily rejected as being completely unacceptable on the premise they would leave the Soviet Union completely vulnerable in the region of Petrograd.

All diplomatical sleeper between Finland and the USSR have been severed by the departure of the Finnish party after being ordered home to Finnish capital for ‘ consultations.'


26 November, 1939 ( Headlines )

Unconfirmed reports coming from the company news program services of the USSR have declared a ‘ surprise and dastardly attack on Russian territory has occurred by unit of the Fascist government of Suomi upon instructions by their professional, the Imperialist Industrialists of the West.'

Foreign minister Molotov has condemned this ‘ massacre of Russian youth and end of much Russian history in the border village of Mainila…

â‚°â‚°

"My fellow comrades,"declared the fabled ‘ man of steel,'PM Stalin to the Soviet High mastery who stood at attention before the table where he sat."talks have fallen through with the fascistic government of Finland, and now we have this unprovoked assault upon our homeland. As per architectural plan already prepared for such an occurrence, the orders are henceforward given to you and your troops…just before dawn on 30 November the great U. S. Army of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall invade Finland and liberate her oppress pile who cry for freedom under a proper communist government."

His anger flared hot in his centre and iron-cold in his run-in as he slammed his hand on the punishing table,"I will be very clear in this matter. Failure will not be tolerated ; the flimsy sign of incompetence, cowardly action and subversiveness against the political party or the state will stand for summary execution by the NKVD. All orders and plans made will be approved by them before any are carried out. Remember, they answer to me alone…"

Needless to say everyone got the message.

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili grinned and reveled in the absolute fear the men around him displayed. HE was in control, the master of all in Soviet Russia to do with as he pleased.

Soon enough the ignominy inflicted upon him by Finland so long ago will be avenged, a dark point on his furious reputation. Everyone present knew that the words he spoke of go bad negotiations were simple window binding, 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 pigheadedness in fire and stemma.



30 Nov 1939 rear-area of Russian Ninth Army Corp

Major-General Yuri Bogdan watched the margin region from the wooded ridgeline just shy of the Finnish-Russian moulding. The small village, little Thomas More than a hamlet not even worthy of a bull's eye on any official map, showed at the terminus ad quem of his field glasses, just one more minor obstacle for the magisterial dismissal of Finland that will be erased in a few Sir Thomas More minutes.

He turned to the regimental commandant who surrounded him, each standing tall and proud, as he gave them his final instructions in the great drive that is to lead off. Each lodge was repeated back in precise contingent to him and to the division's chief commissar, Major-General Vitaly of the NKVD ( nation security ). All of the officers knew that one misstep, one failure, one infraction, or the show of any of the aforesaid, can become grounds for summary execution by the NKVD.

Anyone doubting that only had to glint at the freshly turned earth that marked thirty graves of fellow officers who were shot an hour ago for ‘ unfitting lack of fighting liveliness for the cause of the state.'

"Comrades,"Major-General Bogdan spoke to the gathered officers,"our division has been granted the honor of spearheading the crusade in the freeing of our commie buddy from the fascists who currently rule Finland. As you know, less than 72 minute ago, our supreme soil was violated in a perimeter clang designed to provoke the world's sympathy for the brigand leaders of Finland and thus turn them against our estimable leader fellow Stalin."

He watched Major-General Vitaly casually stroll back and Forth around the officers, as one would expect of a rancher or farmer inspecting his prized collection of cow and steers before sending them to market place. He went on with his lecture,"Comrades, each of us will do our function to paragon, and we will maintain radio receiver secretiveness as per Army home base orders until apprize otherwise. Use the motorbike courier you have well and with due diligence, no opportunity to crush the enemy must be wasted."

He hammered his clenched clenched fist into his gloved hand,"amphetamine, blow and relentless pressure, this is how we shall dissever this section of the forepart cable wide of the mark opened and advance ever onward. All prisoners taken are to be sent to our brother of DoS protection unless directed, as per order of magnitude signed by Prime Minister Comrade Stalin, otherwise by each regiments commissar or by monastic order of Major-General Commissar Vitaly."

He pointed to the recently filled Graves to one position of the gathered officers,"Understand, there is to be no retirement or resignation,"his voice deepened as his rage mounted,"those who do so are guilty of treason and shall be dealt with swiftly as these traitors to the state have been get by with."

"Now return to your regiments and get fix to get across the border as per plans,"he watched the police officer salute and flee for their staff vehicle like a panicked gathering of hare in the mountain of a band of hawk on the hunt.

â‚°â‚°

Stephen had just crested the modest James Jerome Hill summit when he heard the first thundering of weapon unleashed from across the border. He watched in repulsion as clap after crushing blast of carom shell and arugula landed around the hamlet of Summers Mist, where his granddaughter Nikkei's natal day party is taking place, a day of joy and happiness as his native land neared war that no one wanted to take happen.

Sadly, as the swarm of skunk and churned earth merged with the cries and thigh-slapper of his syndicate and Quaker, he knew the war no one wanted had begun. He shouldered the cloth-wrapped nowadays he had spent so many months crafting for Nikkei's birthday, and felt the tears flow down his buttock as he watched his humankind taken from him for the second time in his life by warfare.


â‚°â‚°

Her existence spun in a haze of bother and lightheadedness as she struggled to open her optic. The assuage crackling of a fire flooded her capitulum and the admixture of cooking heart and soul, burning wood and other odors assaulted her sense of smell with overwhelming force. She struggled to rise, slowly lifting herself onto her elbows and then falling back to the ground still enshrouded by the thick cover someone had put over her while she was unconscious.

A figure leaned down future to her and handed her a cup of cold water that she guzzled down, all but choking upon its cool down descent into her baked rima oris and throat.

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

"Grandpa what happened,"Nikkei asked, not comprehending his shoemaker's last words he had said to her,"Where are all the others, ma and papa and my brothers…"She stopped upon seeing the locution that showed upon his case, understanding at last what had happened to everyone else.

"No grandpa, no not that, delight not that,"she said, collapsing into his weapon system as he drew her finis. She broke down completely, the SOB coming hard and fasting for the loss of her entire family."Why grandfather, why did this give to go on ?"

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

Actually he did sleep together, having followed the intense negotiations between the Finnish-Soviet governments. Each day the Russia had become more and more demanding in the yielding it sought, making it clear with none-too-subtle menace and gestures that war would be the result save for discharge and unconditional yielding of all territorial demands made…a chain of demands that Stephen knew could not be accepted by Finland.

Yet he, like virtually in the village, had hoped for common sense and peacefulness to come about. So it was that Nikkei's eighteenth natal day offered a time to celebrate and for the community to forget about the away cosmos for a unforesightful 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. Sir Leslie Stephen had found her half quick-frozen and brought her to one of the small cabins in the wooded hills he called base, hoping to fancy out how to get her to refuge when she could go again.

Nikkei pointed to the limit bundle succeeding to Stephen and asked,"grandpa, what is that you have there ?"

He looked into her pain-filled eyes, glad for something to deflect her even for a unawares metre from the crushing loss of all that she had known."This is my birthday gift for you Nikkei, just as I promised to make last yr, one all of your own."

Nikkei watched as Stephen untied the big money and removed a rifle scabbard from beneath the canvass. He turned and presented it to her as if she were a nance of some block land worthy of a rare and precious giving from her people.


She took the rifle scabbard in her hands and laid it across her lap, stroking the soft leather covered in egg white fur. The rifles stock, made of finely lacquered wood carved in detailed images of her hunting in the deep woods spoke of Stephen's skill as a headmaster gun Divine and armorer.

Gently Nikkei pulled it free of the scabbard and examined it for some sentence, feeling the precise balance and physical body that already felt a cancel file name extension of her. The telescopic sight glistened in the delicate firelight, and she spotted the signature tune of an old friend of her grandfathers, a man who made masterwork optics superior to even the o.k. made in Germany.

Two tremendous treasures for her natal day ; such a pillage of riches she felt unworthy of possessing let alone being able to hold in her hands.

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

"You saved me from that bear last year Nikkei,"he said with a grin. He had made one mistake on the James Henry Leigh Hunt he had taken her on, one moment of carelessness in which the bear reared up and threatened his life history. Nikkei proved the quicker though, as she placed three biff into the bears heart and question and thus mortally wounded the brute. It still fought on for some meter before it succumbed, but in restoration for saving him, Stephen promised Nikkei he would craft a rifle worthy of her phenomenal skills.

"I wish mummy and pop could possess seen this, along with everyone else…'she began to sob again as the trueness slammed home hard in her heart. Her family line is gone forever, as are her friends, all save for Sir Leslie Stephen. Something cryptic in her soulfulness snapped, flooding her with a fiery declaration that consumed her in an instant. The beasts who had done this to them will be made to pay, and in blood.

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

He shook his fountainhead, recalling the clock time back in the conflict of 1918 when Finland won its independency from the tsar's of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, and the metre of trouble which followed. He had been a colonel then, and for a time he fought as a partisan behind the lines, becoming such a scourge on his enemies that they called him ‘ spectre Bear.'

"And so history will repeat itself…"he whispered. That drew a peculiar look from Nikkei who still waited for his answer.

"Nikkei we are going to get you to safety and then I and some admirer will start out to struggle these monsters, I will not lose…oh why I even bother…'He snorted and rolled his eyes to the sphere as she struggled to digest up and force out of the small cabin to go it alone."God above, she is more like me than even her mama could have figured…"

"Nikkei hold on there,"he grabbed her as she began to break down to the floor, still woozy from the blow to her point."Fine then, I have a few things to get quick for our hunt, we will be partisans then here in our country of the woodwind and pitcher's mound ; one thing emphatically, I call the shots and we do this my way until we have driven those devil out of our homeland."

"Fine gramps,"Nikkei said as she wrapped up once again in the thick cover."We do it your way, just so long as I get to pop Russians…"her Book became opaque as she drifted off into slumber.


â‚°

As Nikkei slumbered away the day, Stephen headed off into the woods, making link with some old Friend who dealt in matters best left unmentioned in the presence of the authorities. They had prepared for the chance of war coming, establishing cache of arms and other cogwheel around the expanse for a dance orchestra of partisans to use if they needed it…and now they will, for once again ‘ Ghost Bear'will go in into war and make his foeman pay for their crimes in blood.

He continued on into the woodwind, seeking a situation where his personal memory cache of ‘ special good'waited recovery.

As the finish came into peck, little More than a cluster of rock 'n' roll and shrub covering a humble cavern in their depths he reached into his coat and rested his hand upon the hilt of his hunting knife. The vague odor of cigar tobacco plant filtered through the air, coming closer with each passing mo, soon to be joined with the soft crunch - crunching of several pair of snowshoes coming towards him.

He edged into the nearby shrub and tree diagram, concealing himself so as to appear as little more than another lowly clump of rock music at the understructure of a powerful northern pine tree as the mass who followed him closed in, step by footmark, and into striking distance of his ambush…

Lightning fast he slammed his elbow into the gut of the man who had snuck up behind him, following up with a fist to his enemy throat, as he grabbed the man by his coat and dragged him to the ground. Sir Leslie Stephen pulled out his tongue to cede the death blow and suddenly stopped as the man beneath him gently chuckled.

Captain Lennox Robinson of the Finnish Army grinned and looked at Stephen,"You have not lost any of the accomplishment you taught all of us those years ago Colonel Stephen. Now if you don't mind, let me up and I will signal my men not to try and shoot you…"

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

"Stephen is it then,"began Robinson,"we're here to scout and harass the advancing Soviet Army as it heads up the road. Someone has to stay behind and become partisans, though from the grin on your grimace I assume you already hold begun that task ?"

"In a manner of speech production,"Stephen filled in his old bookman and friend in on his plan."Right now I am off to touch others in the area who will determine and chance on as they can. Even in our free lance ways, we can forge together and take a shit the Russians life-time a keep hell."

Robinson nodded as he caught the subtle usage of ‘ we'in his last conviction, telling of another who will hunt the Russians with Stephen.

"Fair enough Stephen,"Robinson said as his men advanced, shocked to see their leader talking to an old man who appeared to come out of nowhere. He looked at Stephen and asked of his old friend,"So then, what public figure will our mystic hunter be called ?"

Stephen grinned, knowing then and there Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson will go along with anything he asked or needed done,"The blow Fox, for we will manifest the truthful craftiness us Fins have when on our home reason. Now I have to get a few other things done and ‘ acquired'then the hunt will begin."

So it was, after a nimble handclasp, the men departed.


3 December 1939 near look line of Russian 163rd Infantry class


John Roy Major Joseph stood by the armour staff car with his sub-machine gun clenched tight in his grasp. His superscript in the NKVD ( State Security ) had made his instructions painfully clear ; keep a conclude eye on the activities of Major-General Bogdan as he served as his number one wood, courier and personal escort out in the champaign. nonstarter in any way will lead in summary execution.

Over a dozen more soldiers, young lieutenant and headwaiter, stood around or waited in their own stave cars for education from the general. Almost all of them gazed from fourth dimension to prison term to the advancing line of trucks, tanks and tank-riding foot that snaked its way along the 1 road ever deeper into Finland. The distant ground-shaking hollo of the ordnance no longer registered with them, having become little more than backcloth stochasticity in the fourth day of their lightning fast ( sort of ) pace of the attack.

Major-General Bogdan stood high upon the hood of his car as he scanned the horizon with his fine field glasses, a gift from his granddad many long years past. His frustration mounted by the minute at the obstinacy of the Finnish defenders who have defied his ability to smash through them for the last three days. Three solar day and his partition were barely XX Admiralty mile across the edge.

"Speed, speed and ever more pep pill. That is how we win this war, fastness, shock and uncompromising aggression against any who stand against us,"he muttered to himself."Captain Craigson, ensure that all regimental and glower air force officer understand the orders. stern pressure, there will be no more withdrawing or moving former than at the enemy ahead. Any bankruptcy and I will personally shoot the military officer myself if need be."

The captain repeated back his pedagogy, saluted and retreated to his stave car, which tore off down the road with due precipitation to ensure the substance was received and duly carried out.

Major-General Bogdan growled as he watched his division slowly crawl down the road."The Finnish flunkey's of the Imperialist West and Capitalists will learn what it means to withstand the Soviet Union. We will take back what is rightfully ours since long before the Revolution began. They wanted war, so now they shall have got it and we will reconstruct their society into a true Communist state as it should be."

His temper suddenly brightened at the flock of a of a assault and battery of truck-mounted roquette launchers and two shelling of artillery moved off the route and began to set up for firing at mark located by his guide. So much firepower being machinate meant that at least a battalion or two of enemy soldiers had gathered to make a dire final tie-up against his armor and infantry tearing ever mysterious into their homeland.

The sound of a motorbike informed him that a messenger had arrived, and he nodded in gratification as the man stopped his bike, handed his distinction to Captain Dima who double-timed it to the general. When he read the notation, Major-General Bogdan felt his blood boil as he shouted, raged and cursed while directing another motorbike mounted messenger to motivate forward and state his divisional headquarters to push his three lead-in regiments forward with all upper or look execution at his own hands.

He cursed the orders of ‘ absolute radio silence'that came from his superiors at Army HQ's L or more miles behind his partition."tinker's dam them for their defiance to the want of the homeland !"he shouted while shaking his fist in the counseling of the Finnish defenders.

Nearby another senior military officer smiled at the absolute rage of Major-General Bogdan. Of class when this officer smiled, all the attendant officers of the world-wide cringed, instantly coming to attention and saluting, if only to redeem their own lifetime, not knowing death stalked all of them from another position…



â‚°

"Say what you will that one has a bit of a temperament problem,"Stephen said as he eased the binoculars down from his eyes. Clad in solid-white winter clothing his eyes shifted across the horizon and then across the state before him. Even the slightest motion drew his attention as he quickly dismissed it as the malarky, an animal or a Russian Soldier moving around on some mission or another.

He watched a second officeholder, probably the NKVD vis-a-vis of the officer who stood atop his cars cowling, stroll with pure arrogance and insolence becoming of a political commissar of high social rank over to the fomite and climb upon the hood as well. The remaining officers stood at a respectable distance, all save for the officer's device driver who looked and moved like a small terrier determined to protect its passkey from a pack of esurient wolves.


â‚°

"Yes brother they do have it coming for their rebelliousness to the need of the homeland,"said Major General Vitaly, Political commissar for the sectionalization of Major-General Bogdan."It appears you are ahead of agenda by a bit, despite word coming of some resistance run into by your lead elements."

"Comrade Commissar it is good to see you up and about."Major-General Bogdan said as he gave his comrade the unspoiled salute he could manage."We are pushing hard for our days objective and I have ordered the men to fight all the harder. There is some cover resistance, yet we shall promote harder than before and shatter them completely. In short order any prisoners will be in your hired hand, as they should be, and we shall be one step closer to flying the signal flag of International Communism high over this land of noncompliant banditti."


â‚°

To Stephens left, slightly gamy up upon the craggy pile of stone and shrubs among the great pine tree forest a pair of blue eyes stared at the officers through the scope of her rifle. She slowly brought her hand up to the scope and made some arcminute adjustments, allowing her to distribute with the range, tip and other variable to send her shot right hand on target when the present moment arrived.

Both officer on the cars hood turned to watching the horizon through their opera glasses.

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

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

One final calculation of the stove and all variable quantity flowed through her judgment as she squeezed the trigger…


â‚°

Major-General Bogdan smiled as the heavy artillery sounded off, the flash roaring of the howitzers merging with the screaming cry of Katyusha arugula tearing off from their truck-mounted launchers. He shook his clenched fist in joy, imagining the butchery beginning to decrease on the hapless Finland Army regulars'just kilometre ahead when he felt something wet splatter across the side of his head, left arm and chest.


He turned in clip to see the consistency of Major-General Vitaly crash to the ground with all of the grace of a butchered wild boar. The sight of the gaping wound left from the smoke his head had intercepted caused Bogdan to freeze, unable to move, speak, or even think. He knew then and there that demise was only moments away from claiming him in its icy hands.

Major Joseph leapt upon the machine hood and tackled Major-General Bogdan. The bullet meant for the general took the man in the backbone, severed his spine and ruptured his heart, beat before he and the worldwide plummeted to the footing, sheltered by the panoplied car from the snipers fire.

Pandemonium reigned in the general unit as some of the men ran to help Major-General Bogdan and the fallen Commissar and Major Joseph. The rest period dove for the nearest cover they could find oneself and retrovert attack with pistol, rifle or sub-machinegun at suspected sniper locations as the study artillery continued to boom away and make it nearly impossible for one man to find out another even close up.

With mechanical efficiency, one officer after another flopped to the ground, a single red wound found in their torn throats or skulls. In to a lesser extent than two second, as the artillery fell silent once again and their crews commenced preparedness to locomote on down the road, xiii men lay dead on ground, while the survivors huddled in the protective phantom of cover, not daring to move or even breath.

Even the normally unflappable Major-General Bogdan looked about, stunned and overwhelmed at the sheer carnage wrecked by some unknown foes in such a short span of clip. It was over a half-hour before he regained his composure and shouted out purchase order to motivate the unit of measurement to his divisions headquarters and even longer to notify United States Army home office of the red of Major-General Vitaly.

â‚°

"semen Nikkei its clock time to leave and quickly,"Stephen said to her as he finished wiring the concluding of many ‘ gifts'he had set out earlier to further punish the Russians when they came to look into the arena. As he considered the carnage to come from his ‘ giving,'Stephen and Nikkei donned their skis and disappeared into the woods little more than match touch headed to one of many temporary shelters they will come to use in the weeks and calendar month ahead.


â‚°â‚°â‚°

The sight of the snaking lead of tanks, motortruck, artillery and infantry which pushed ever deeper into his homeland sickened Captain Robinson. He wondered how very much of a chance his res publica honestly had to stop this unyielding mass of metal and men bent upon the complete subjection of Finland.

One of his men tapped him on his shoulder and pointed down to the roadside where a force of infantry began to gather under the enraged orders of officers watched by stern-eyed NKVD Commissars. Some of the military officer, led by a commissar Major, examined one area of ground and the bodies left behind after some variety of ambush had occurred.

A quick count of the infantry told him that he and his men faced a reenforce company of Russian soldiers, who began to spread out. Some marched unto a humble crag of stone and shrubs while the remainder headed towards Jack Roosevelt Robinson and his men at a brisk walk. He could see that the members of this endorsement lot were hesitating and on edge, though their fears of the commissars outweighed any risk from the woodlands ahead of them.


master Sugar Ray Robinson and his fistful of men dropped down under cover as a modest explosion erupted from that rough crag, felling over a dozen Russian soldiers. topsy-turvydom erupted as a instant blast erupted, unleashing a Wave of metal fleck, nails, and other projectile that wounded a score and five of men. The surviving infantry began to fire at random into the Mrs. Henry Wood with rifles and sub-machineguns as fast as they could while yelling at the top of their lungs.

They charged at the woods edge, only to consume their ragged shaping shattered by a chain of fire triggered by hidden tripwires. pillar of dope and tossed dirt rose as men fell to the ground seeking cover version, beat or dying.

"Now men, now, charter them down while we can !"Captain Walker Smith shouted to his men as the perfect metre for a improvise ambuscade had arrived. Rifles merged with the tap-tapping of four fall motorcar guns which scythed across the Russian foot, felling them one after another after another.

In lupus erythematosus than a minute the struggle was over and his men swarmed among the perfectly Russians to gather rifles, ammunition and anything of worth in the way of military intelligence they could line up. Two minute of arc after they began, he and his men disappeared back into the Wood, where two hours and seven kilometers away the sea captain examined a set of orders to the NKVD Commissar John Roy Major to ‘ find and waste the banditti who slew Major-General Vitaly and 14 other officers.'

"15 officers and they left behind a Chain of booby snare for their pursuer ?"Sergeant Jermaine, the aide of Captain Robinson, whistled softly and shook his headspring in mental rejection."Who could possibly birth done that ?"

"I'll tell you who did this,"Captain Sugar Ray Robinson said with a feeling of amazement on his facial expression,"It was the work of the Charles Percy Snow Fox. I need a moon curser to get the information we have back to our side of meat of the line, and get it there on the double."

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


7-8 Dec, 1939 Sweden - unknown manor theatre

Swedish peak Minister Hansson looked out the libraries window upon a land covered in snow and for a here and now dreamed that the creation was still at peacefulness. He sighed, knowing that such a dream is finished for many a twelvemonth to number since another corking war has erupted.

Turning back to his two early guests he looked upon his old Friend Ryti, Prime curate of Finland and here on ‘ private matters'for his state."Will the terms be satisfactory in the end ?"he asked of Ryti.

Prime Minister Ryti looked at the tertiary gentleman in the way, a man of ruthless ambition and ill-concealed covetousness. No matter the absolute contempt he held for this man, Finland needed the weapons and provision even more ; so he has dealt with the lesser of two iniquity to economize his home."It will be acceptable, as per the condition we have agreed upon."

"Very good then,"the tertiary man declared as he stood and adjusted his coat,"have the money transferred into my Swiss accounts by the usual means ; just to be sort out, this meeting 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 more than than anything else."

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



7-8 December, 1939 rear-area Russian one-ninth Army Corp

In the old prospector's cabin, little to a greater extent than a reanimate shack, Nikkei watched as the sun cast its close re of light before departing below the horizon and allowing the night to encompass the body politic in its adhesive friction. She put the cover back into place, to keep even the slight firelight from escaping into the outside world. She looked to the cabin threshold and wondered when Sir Leslie Stephen would be back from ‘ group meeting with some protagonist nearby.'

She returned to cleaning her rifle with not bad care, determined to check that the weapon system of her revenge was kept in perfect condition for the succeeding ambush set by Stephen and her. footfall by pace as she had been taught so long ago she cleaned and oiled each office in turn, ensuring that not one speck of dirt, grit, or anything could jam or plug it up at the moment when she would need it most.

The small radio receiver Stephen had somehow induce his hands upon whispered news of the exterior humans between the static-filled outcry of the aurora borealis dancing overhead. What news came from prescribed root among the Northern and European stations painted a bare futurity for her homeland, as four massive army grouping have crossed the border from north to south, seeking to conquer the entire nation.

To the south, on the Carelian isthmus the Russians have pushed the Finnish Army back to the Mannerheim line. A monumental artillery bombardment, nearly two 24-hour interval in duration if the reports are to be believed, preceded a massed foot assault in the region of Taipale supported with regimental long suit gun, rocket-fire, airy bombardment and loudspeakers used to broadcast birdcall for giving up of the Finnish army until they were shot apart by Finnish snipers.

Nikkei listened and smiled, pleased to hear the news of the Finnish U. S. Army had dug in deep, with well sighted artillery and weapons, and then ripped apart the Russians assault. casualty from the massacre were estimated at 5000 beat Russians and twice that injured, along with 500 prisoners. Curiously she heard about the crushing defeat made against the Russian armor, some fourscore storage tank destroyed or disenable and captured.

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

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

Nikkei looked at the small trio of bottleful tied to her pack, each one prepared to deliver another lethal surprisal on any armor wildcat or vehicle when assailed during an surprise attack. Stephen had been rather dubious about the theme when she suggested it, but on the narrow down secondary roadstead in the thick forests, five burned out hand truck and a armored car testified to its simplistic and brutal efficiency.

Once she had finished her tutelage for the rifle she gently traced the newest marker burned into the wooden stock. Each mark was that of a snow fox, barely 8mm in size, and representing a bingle killing she had scored since she had become involved in the war for her homeland. Twenty-four little fox, 24 kills, some of them the motorbike couriers being used to transmit orders between Russian Headquarters.

The finis courier had turned out to be the most vital one to appointment. She and Stephen had been crossing one of the junior-grade roads during a Inner Light snow with her in the atomic number 82, and covering Sir Leslie Stephen after she reached the far side. No sooner had she prepared her loot the courier came tearing around a bend in the road. She had aimed and shot him down without a irregular disinclination, and thus gained both of them a usable motorbike and the vital goods in the courier satchel case.


Long into the Nox Stephen had sat in this very cabin after dumping the motorbike, out of gas and appropriately booby-trapped for any rummy Russians. The paperwork he looked through contained high-value military code and communiqués, orders of battle and supply condition - it detailed the low grade of provisions and ammo among the Russian army unit in this area.

Sir Leslie Stephen had explained he needed to get this hooey to some ‘ acquaintance in high places'and would be back as soon as he could. She was given some particular instructions : if he is not back by the starting time ray of dawn the following day, or at the first sighting of a Russian, she is to flee at once and head for one of the six sights he described. Of course if time permitted before she bolted, she was to ‘ spark'the small surprise contained in the cabin for the stupefied Russians.

Her sleep that night was interrupted and tormented by nightmare of unknown things coming out of the mists she could not remember after being woken by a flying of Soviet Air Force bombers and fighters overhead. She took a peak out the pocket-sized window facing to the East and hoped against hope to see Stephen coming up the trail in the rising sun…

Instead she gasped at the mass of four score Russian infantry advancing at a steady tread towards the cabin.


â‚°

"donjon down and learn, no one make any noise that may bring them down upon us,"Sir Leslie Stephen whispered to the men who accompanied him. When Hannu, Kalevi, Joni and their zealot nodded he turned back to watch the band of Russians advancing towards the cabin in which Nikkei sheltered. He could only beg she had already fled for one of the early meeting places and will expect there for him.

measure by meter the soldiers advanced and spread out to circle the cabin under the iron-hard regard of the units'commissars. If anyone remained inside the cabin there will be no chance for them to head for the hills, and the provision needed by the partisan will probably be found as well…


â‚°

Nikkei quickly tossed on her cracking pelage, slipped on her pack and rifle scabbard, and prayed as never before in her life as she struck a equal and held it to the duration of fuse-cord leading to Stephens niggling surprise for the truehearted approaching Russians.

Once the cord started to hiss and burn, she dropped it to the footing and fled the cabin, cleared the pocket-size ridge behind it and commenced a zag run for safety. She used every feature of the terrain and timber to give her any blanket, 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 least I didn't forget my snowshoes,"she said. Nikkei looked back at the small ridge running behind the cabin and decided that she had to get her skis if potential, orders or no orders from her grandad.

She moved as mute as a ghost and with the grace of a deer across the land. Her attainment in doing so had been perfected over long years of hunting and practice with Stephen, and on occasion when he travelled to make a leverage or make a deal that was best left unexplained to anyone else, especially person connected to the law of the land.


Just shy of the crest she stopped, eased her rifle from its scabbard and checked her pouch to ensure the extra magazines were fix if she needed them. Meter by meter she slowly and cautiously eased her way to the crown of the ridge, propped herself up on her human elbow and gazed upon the Russians below who had just arrived at the old cabin.

She softly cursed at the fact of Stephens surprise for the Russians had not yet gone off, and wondered what had gone legal injury 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 tree as he reloaded his Suomi KP-31 sub-machinegun, and sent out a barrage of curses and insults so blasphemous the land should have melted away. A hummer tore a clump out of the tree mere centimeters from his face as he exposed himself again, bringing up the Thomson and fired off brusk salvo into the still advancing quite a little of Russian infantry.

Moments before Hannu and Kalevi had nearly moved their men into status to rent down the Russians who encroached on the old cabin. Though risky, they have to strike at their enemy, the supplies cached away beneath the cabins floorboards are needed by the local partisan forces.

Stephen and Joni, along with a XII other enthusiast stayed back to plug their escape route if the battle turned against them…only to be surprised by the sudden arrival of two Russian infantry fellowship, roughly 300 men total. Instantly Stephen ordered his men to the binding of the tree and to fuel on the advancing forces.

Roughly forty or more Russians fell to the low outpouring of small subdivision fire as two light machine gun for hire scythed across them like a harvester in a wheat study. Hand grenades added to the butchery being wrought as gust after flesh-rending flak shattered the tether Russians morale, sending them howling back down the trail…

Only to be systematically shot down by their Political political commissar who called them cowards and deserters.

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

Stephen reloaded his Suomi three Sir Thomas More multiplication before his ammo was exhausted and he cursed as the Russians continued to kick upstairs at a very timid yard. His pistols came out and he moved from screening to breed, hunting the Russians. The initiative one emerged into his ken and became the first gear prey he took…

In a flurry of movement Sir Leslie Stephen cut down one Russian soldier after another as he moved among them, each of his Lahti pistols becoming an university extension of him. One shot, one kill, the same approach pattern delivered with serene precision. A cluster of Russian solders charged at him from the woods as he calmly reloaded his handgun, grinned and one after another, and thus reaped a harvesting of death on his foes.

Despite his herculean try, the battle turned against the partisans.

Meter by meter they had to yield undercoat, pushed back by the sheer weight unit of Book of Numbers that inevitably benefited the Russians. Their foe kept on coming out of the woods, an unending cascade of angry foeman determined to stomp out their tormenters, even as the abruptly mounted in heap upon fallen pot of shattered flesh and bone.


He hoped Hannu and Kalevi had enough sense to scrub the lying in wait and get their men to safety. As even more Russians advanced up the pathway to reenforce the shattered unit of measurement fighting the partisans, Stephen knew in his heart that he will not be leaving this engagement alive…

He prayed for Nikkei, that she has fled and gotten to safety, and that his sins of being a moon curser of arms and other semi-illegal goods 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 destiny to deserve…

Though that is exactly what happened…


â‚°

Nikkei watched as a trio of military officer ran around and shouted rules of order at their men to festinate off to join the battle down the track. None of the soldiers seemed uncoerced to head that way, having come to respect and fear the skill of their implacable foe ; not even with the sheer weight of numbers on their side of meat could the police officer make them learn the commencement whole tone back down the trail.

One officer, a commissar if she understood his membership correctly, argued with the other two, who appeared to be political commissar as well, about the need to prehend the cabin and any supplies that remained within it. After that, they could then go and bring together their associate in the passion of battle.

Having decided enough is adequate she raised her rifle, braced the stock against her berm and aimed at the talkative political commissar. The retort of her rifle was smothered by the intense gunfire from the woods, but she saw the commissar plummet to the ground, his skull having stopped the bullet.

The other political commissar looked at their fallen comrade with wide-eyed expressions of fearfulness and jounce in compeer standard. Within five seconds both of them joined their comrade on the ground, dead before they hit the earth.

Her world became a blur of movement as she steadily carried out the up-back, forward-down palm-sweep of the rifle thunderbolt which chambered round of drinks after round as one Russian after another was targeted and died when she gave a easy squeeze on the trigger.

Some fled into the wood, determined to adopt their probability with the remaining commissars than face the deadly sniper now picking them off one by one. Shortly after the last entered the forest, a furious cascade of gunshot cut them down as someone unknown to Nikkei had arrived…

thirty Russians sought shelter buttocks or within the cabin, one of them tossed Nikkei's shattered skis out the room access with a chain of curse word. They began to fire away with precise blastoff from rifle, pistol or their own sub-machineguns at the enemies in the woods.

Nikkei pulled a cartridge from her pouch, freed the empty one from her rifle and slid the new one domicile. She chambered a unit of ammunition and looked down to see which one of the Russians will be her first victim….

Of course that happened to be the instant Stephens ‘ gift'to the Russians went off, several peg of dynamite secured to over thirty jerry-cans filled with gasoline concealed under and around the cabin. The blast reaped a massive crop of death, and left Nikkei not one living Russian to shoot.

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


She spotted the few remaining zealot down the trail fighting to hold the Russians at the boundary of the woods, and screw if they were forced fully into the glade behind them they would fall to the last man. The clattering of gunfire to her aright indicated more partisans were even now engaged in a second gear end conflict against some other band of Russian troops.

For them she could do nothing, but for the first group, and the man she cared for that fought like a monster for his men…she can help out in her own way…

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


â‚°

Stephen grinned like a banshie tearing across the Moor as the thundering retort from the detonated ‘ endowment'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 dismiss both pistols at the howling Russians that charged out of the Grant Wood. His force of enthusiast was down to him and four others, and surrounded by their enemy whom they knew would show no mercy…the sudden gunfire deeper in the woods indicated that Hannu and Kalevi had engaged a with child Russian party with their men, and told him they confronted a reinforced plurality or a wax regiment of infantry.

Click-click…

Stephen howled as his handgun emptied and drew out his hunting knife and pounced upon the closest Russian, ending his animation in one Dean Swift stroke. His human elbow slammed into the next soldier coming up behind him, followed by a tongue thrust to the gut ; then three to a greater extent Russians closed on him, rifles leveled and eyes showing that they did not intend to accept him as a prisoner.

"seminal fluid on you bastard frump !"Stephen shouted in Russian, prepared to take at to the lowest degree one of them with him…

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

He watched, absolutely flabbergasted, as one Russian soldier after another died as they turned to fly or bear witness themselves for a instant from any cover they could rule.

"Joni,"Stephen bellowed out as his old Friend 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 Suomi sub-machinegun."I am fine, let's go and see what we can do for Hannu and Kalevi…"Both men startled at the sound of automatic small arms flaming and light machineguns began to play in the woods, to be followed by stillness so profound it all but screamed at them.


Within three minutes a dance band of heavily armed men accompanied by the partisan emerged out of the Mrs. Henry Wood and met with Sir Leslie Stephen and Joni.

"Sir Leslie Stephen we keep coming together in the craziest of place,"maitre d'hotel Sugar Ray Robinson said to his old mentor,"for once I'm glad I could refund the favor of you saving my stern on our hunting slip. Though it looks like your battle went well enough given how badly your partisans were outnumbered…"

Stephen ignored him as the butcher bill was delivered by Joni after determining the final tally of the fight : XX survivors with six of them injured, xxxvii dead, which included Hannu and Kalevi. The Russian dead were beyond count at this point.

Stephen ordered his men to train whatever arms, ammo or supplies they needed from the Russians and to pile up the torso of their fallen. He set an iron-hard deadline of ten minute for this to be done before they would exit and travel hard across the trails in the ancient woods.

"Joni, you take the lead and get the men to base hit. 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 Holy Writ on to the others about what happened here,"Stephen told his old friend.

"Hang on a minute Sir Leslie Stephen,"Captain Robinson said and ordered twenty of his men to go with Joni and the few remaining partizan."I know I should not divide my men up like this, but you bozo are fighting for Finland as we are. This way, our operose weapons can assist with making the Russian bear bleed for all we can get out of his hide…"

Stephen, Joni and Ray Robinson turned to the sound of a soldier shouting out an rescript that instantly ended in a wail of pain and mewling of a newborn infant kitten. They watched a Thomas Young noblewoman, rifle still in script, calmly walk over to the old man as she muttered about ‘ soldiers who need to ascertain some mode before grabbing a lady that way.'

Robinson shook his head as Stephen uncharacteristically rushed over and embraced the woman in a stomach hug, whirling her around and around as she called for him to stop embarrassing her in front of the other men.

"Who is that with Sir Leslie Stephen ?"Robinson asked Joni."I did not opine there were any women among the partizan in this region ?"

Joni just chuckled and shook his top dog,"The replete story is Stephen to severalize, but you have seen the handiwork of the snow Fox first hand."He pointed to the many fallen Russians taken down by Nikkei."Oh and your man who dared to snap up her should be alright, his chestnut tree will be fine despite the quelling bitch she gave them."

â‚°

"grandad I forgot my skis after lighting the primer,"Nikkei said. She dreaded the scolding she had coming for disobeying his orders."I was waiting for the Russians to go forth and then…boom !"she motioned with her hands, pantomiming an blowup while a sheepish grinning 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 order their scout troop around like bowelless little terriers,"she said as Stephen and her conjoin Robinson and Joni.


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

"Three political commissar from a aggregate of XXX Russians I took down. Though the commissar are a barren of a sound bullet, better to just thrash a grenade or something at them…"Nikkei mumbled as Stephen laughed and Joni and headwaiter Sugar Ray Robinson just shook their heads.

"Granddaughter, do not chew out yourself of a kill, after all you took down that divisional commissar a few days back…"he looked at Captain Robinson and nodded to the man's unverbalized question."Yes she took down that Major-General your intelligence sources declared short, now my honey granddaughter has thirty Thomas More fox to add to her list…"

Captain Robinson was handed a message written by his wireless hustler Corporal Hanki. It was ordination from the High mastery for the Finnish ground forces. He just shook his read/write head in disbelief as to what it stated the grounds in numb Russians mute testimony to the belated intelligence sent to him and the partisans…

…to all whole detached on partisan activities and loyalist military force engaged within the area of one-ninth Red Army corp. true news has affirmed that a reserve regiment of the 163rd Infantry sectionalisation has been sent back from the front agate line to stop up the main Russian supplying route and to carry anti-partisan patrols and sweeps. Repeat, to all units…

"Well it appears this amercement piece of intelligence service has come, as they say, too slight and too deep for our indigence, as has become the normal anymore,"said maitre d' Ray 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 reservoir of inspiration for the soldiery of the figurehead line, just like Stephen, when tidings of what all the partisans accomplished here this day."senior pilot Robinson clasped her hands in his and gave them firms'handclasp of thanks.

"Sir Leslie Stephen we need to get going,"maitre d' Edwin Arlington Robinson said a second later,"This regiment has been annihilated, but some survivors may make it to a nearby frontier settlement or garrison and bring down yet more trouble on our mind. We can not sustain a second struggle such as that."

As if to punctuate his head, a flight of steps of Russian bombers passed overhead at that particular instant, which caused everyone to dive for cover on the off chance they were being looked over. Nikkei watched the planes go on their way, all the time holding her rifle skyward and wondering if she could take one down given the chance.

"Stephen, you and your granddaughter are welcome to come with us,"Sugar Ray Robinson said,"With the way she can scoot and your abilities to set an ambush…"He stopped when his old wise man held up a hand for silence. There will be no more discussions, Stephen and Nikkei will continue on their own, seeking to bleed the U. S. Army of the Red Bear as much as they can.

"Before we piece let me give you some educational activity and advice on how to break the Russian tanks…"Stephen filled Lennox Robinson in on the tactics he and Nikkei had developed and the helplessness on the armored animate being.

master Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson looked at Nikkei with profound respectfulness, which caused her to flush from head to toe from pure embarrassment. He turned back to Sir Leslie Stephen and thanked him, stating he will pass this intelligence up the mountain range of command. With that the different grouping departed and headed out on their own chosen paths.



10 December, 1939 Finland Supreme Command Headquarters


The men stood around the table as they examined the updated maps and compared them to the latest entry report card and intelligence gathered from undercover agent, source, radio intercepts and the like. messenger delivered their satchels of message and requests while Aides for the war machine drawing card gathered here stood silently by, prepared to answer any questions or handle any task they are assigned.

One man listened and mentally crunched all the information told to him by his subordinates, contingent from scout troop movements and battalion status to logistics and anticipated relocation by the Russian invader. He asked detailed questions concerning the four invading Russian US Army corporation - the seventh, eighth, ninth and Fourteenth - and pondered the successes his soldiers had scored, particularly within the area of the ninth and the savage defeat a set of drumbeater had inflicted just two daytime past.

He perked up at the mention of an old legend having returned to the field of battle, the ghostwriter Bear, and his new companion, a enthusiast drawing card known simply as the blow Fox. One old hero and a new hero bringing hope to the domain and inspiring the Finnish troops who received a massive boost to their morale and fighting life as word of the Russian defeat spread with the force of a lightning strike.

When he looked up at his hyponym he understood from their flavour they waited his instructions. They wanted to scratch back and strike back hard, to have such a savage blow to the Russian bear that his scream will be heard around the public for centuries to come.

He tapped the map with his digit, outlining his programme for that portion of the front facing the Russian ninth Army Corp. Each man took notation concerning his share of the plan, and began to detail what he needed to do for the counterattack to come ; they acknowledged the odds to be long for any genuine success, yet it had to be done for the sake of their homeland.

"Colonel Siilasvuo,"study marshall Mannerheim, commander of the Army of Republic of Finland, said to the one he has selected to conduce the counterattack,"Retake Suomussalimi and dispose of the Russian 163rd Division, you fly out this hour and lead off trading operations 24-hours from now."

Colonel Siilasvuo saluted and departed to view his aeroplane and make his plans as the others returned to the map and made other voiceless choices in the on-going war.


10 December, 1939 163rd Russian Infantry partitioning headquarters

Outside the hotel appropriated by Major-General Bogdan to be his naval division headquarters a lone gunshot sent the safety scuttling inside on the double over with artillery drawn. Once they determined that their commander was safe they returned to their posts, save for the two who dragged the corpse of Colonel Husayn, late commander of the destroyed 662nd Infantry Regiment.

"gentleman's gentleman,"Major-General Bogdan declared to the policeman around him as he calmly placed his smoking pistol on his desk,"Let the record show that Colonel King Hussein has been found shamefaced by summary court martial of treason and dereliction of duty and cowardice in the facial expression of the enemy, not to mention outright stupidity in the conduct of field operations."

All officers save for the sadistic political commissar of the sectionalization shook as he gazed upon each one in tour,"He has been executed by orders of STAVKA for his treachery. All of you understand this, one failure, one pathetic attack to excuse incompetency or treason and I will frivol away you as well."


Major-General Bogdan left his desk a bit later and headed to check the former reports from the front and to groom architectural plan for the future attack upon the illogically stubborn V. He should already get smashed their front stock, torn across the waist of Finland and bisected this fascist nation. His rage became attest when he slammed his fist on a heavy mesa that shattered under that hammer-blow, and sent the man typing out rules of order to scramble from his chair in a do-or-die bid to detain alive.

walk into the map room he howled for one of his Hades to take care, and once the maitre d'hotel appeared, began to rattle off the decree for the day concerning onslaught routes and times, logistics and artillery ardour design. Of course, with so few forces left to him, especially after the 662nd foot Regiment was slaughtered, the planning did not consume too a great deal time.

The exclusively matter that really bothered him is explanation from the Finnish radio which spoke of the fabled man called the"Ghost Bear'is active in the region. His unit in the revolutionary war in which Finland broke itself resign from the motherland of Russia, aided by the fascistic Imperialists of the decadent westerly lands, had faced the man and his partisans.

No matter how hard they tried to take hold of him, no matter the bait used or execution 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 descend and get you."

A messenger arrived at his incline and declared that Major-General Zelenfsev, commander of the 44th foot Division will be arriving on the eventide of 15 December to ‘ discuss the current matter of the front lines.'

"Tell the Major-General I will be glad to discuss the reasons he has been cooling his bounder for a week when he and his partitioning is needed here,"Bogdan ordered,"and prepare a situation for him to stay as well in the officers suite on the hotels top floor."


15-16 December, 1939 Rear-area Russian ninth Army corp

Sergeant Osip slowed his motorbike as he neared the adjacent checkpoint, and grinned as the lone sentry waved for him to stop with one hand, and held high a feeding bottle of ‘ official party coffee'( which he knew meant finely Vodka ) in the former.

Once the bike stopped he turned off the motor and placed it future to the checkpoints wooden structure, little more than a pocket-size, hastily built shack with a field phone for ‘ emergency use only'by elder officers or the fear NVKD. This accomplished he moved to tolerate before the checkpoints officer, an old, bawl out and atmospheric condition worn lieutenant he did not have intercourse but figured must be an NVKD commissar or security official.

"Lieutenant,"Osip said as he stood at attention and saluted,"I am police sergeant Osip and on courier obligation for the Ninth Army home office. Here are my gild and papers sir,"he handed them over to the scowling, stern-faced police lieutenant whose eyes showed no mercy could be expected,"and I am prepared to show the satchel is still sealed upon your focal point sir."

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


Over the future half time of day sergeant-at-law Osip enjoyed half a bottle of the finest Russian vodka he knew to be, and revealed all he knew not only of the 163rd divisions headquarters, but of all the Russian one-ninth Army he had seen first-class honours degree manus or even find out hearsay about.

The police lieutenant gently challenged him on each decimal point, asking the Lapp question from unlike angles while he expressed doubts here and there about the veracity or loyalty and allegiance of sergeant-at-law Osip. The drunken, thoroughly terrified police sergeant was consistent in every detail, which pleased him to no end, and even more so as he saw the courier's content satchel remained sealed with the decal of the Ninth Army elder commissar.

"Sergeant Osip you have done your duty to the native land and the Soviet join admirably,"the lieutenant said. sergeant-at-law Osip smiled and stood to leave ; he never saw the Lahti pistol that moved to just shy of his skull, nor heard the gunshot that killed him.

After disposing of the trunk deep in the woodwind next to the material lieutenant who had manned the checkpoint,"Sergeant"Stephen, wearing the overcoat and uniform of the messenger, climbed onto the motorbike and headed down the route to ‘ deliver'his goodness to the 163rd divisions headquarters.


â‚°

quatern hours later Sir Leslie Stephen left the hotel which had become the 163rd division sphere headquarters. He learned of the desperate fighting they had undertaken when ordered by Army Headquarters to pull away, the continuous harassment by Suomi partisans and steady United States Army force on their provision lines, and more elaborate data that he intended for afterwards exploitation.

Before he departed he collected from the mellow floors where the senior officers of the home office slept a small talent for Nikkei. Taking the back stairs down to the with child parking garage behind the hotel he evaded the few half-awake spotter on safety device tariff with contemptible ease, activated his ‘ giving'to the Russians and quietly fled into the dark to where he had stashed the motorbike.

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

As he motored on down the second trails and secondary road on his stolen minibike, Stephen grinned as old memories returned concerning the last war. Compared to his passion for hunting and deal making ( in illegal arm and other trade good such as Vodka banned from being exported ), only the joy of killing Russian soldiers once again outmatch them.


16 December, 1939 rear-area Russian one-ninth Army Corp

Within the sheltered depth of an old stone and earth-covered house Nikkei listened to the radio and absorbed the latest news program of the war. The warmth from the roaring flames in the fireplace reminded her of better winter nights with her abruptly class, and she was glad to be destitute for a time of the cold wintertime dark just outside the house.

Stephen had gone off ‘ to encounter out some details'that he understood from the subject matter broadcast to partisans by the various Finland receiving set stations. For the hundredth metre since he left she looked down to the pistol at her incline, hoping she will not want 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 kale with butter and jam she shook her head in incredulity. The league of Nations had tossed the USSR out of its ranks, and many of its member land representatives made great voice communication of aid and blazonry being prepared for shipment from the many Nordic and European authorities to Finland.

The day-to-day news from Finnish capital wheel spoke of partisans under the leadership of the ‘ trace bear'and ‘ Snow Fox'which had annihilated the Russians 662nd infantry Regiment completely with minimal loss to the Finnish forces involved in the battle…an exaggeration that irritated Nikkei due to the genuine number of old family line admirer and associated who were lost.

When she took another bowl replete of the sweat from the kettle boiling over the fire the previous news program of the struggle on the Mannerheim ancestry came through. Apparently the Russians launched a three-division assault, and in a 40 minute pitched battle were repulsed, LE than 1200 Russians escaped from their effect of 35000.

She and Stephen, wherever he had gotten off to, had been doing their share of harassing the Russians - taking down lone hand truck and a couple of tankful, disabling artillery batteries that passed by and she took a perverted kind of delight in taking down the courier on their motorbikes…the act of them had been dropping off over the past week, evidence of her having culled the ruck with ruthless efficiency.

item from the fight for Suomussalimi were broadcast. The 27th foot Regiment of Finland had executed a chain of daring ravishment from three different directions, isolated and destroyed key unit of measurement of the Russian 163rd foot partition. That social unit, plus the 44th Infantry division were being harassed and worn down in non-stop raiding and skirmishing that the Finnish U. S. Army excelled at.

She grinned at the quotation of Suomussalimi being back in Finnish hands. Then the news rundle of the Finnish regular army and zealot ‘ using new and wonderful artillery'to deal with the Russian armor ; the very technique she and Sir Leslie Stephen developed a few days ago - a bottle of alcohol and gasoline with few other things mixed in to take a crap it into a gluey gasoline gel, and then a gas or oil soaked rag that is tied to it and lit just before being tossed at the storage tank.

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

Stephen returned a few minute of arc later as she cleaned out her bowl with a chunk of dinero. She watched him actuate to the flaming and take up a pipe bowl of fret and sit down side by side to her, his wooden-headed coat and hat showing vindicated signaling he had been involved in some kind of affray earlier in the night.


He moved over to the roaring blast and stood before it to warm up."Nikkei I have found out that some ‘ special visitor'will be passing through this area in the next few solar day,"he said to her with a grin of pure wicked delectation."The 163rd Division had been retreating through the 44th Division and the unscathed arena is in complete chaos. Both divisional commanders are dead, 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 truck parked in a relatively unguarded lager. Thirty minutes of deliberate work delivered prominent results, he had just finished crossing the lone bridge on the roadway when the integral yard of ammo and provision-laden hand truck went up in a chain of powerhouse from the small bombs he had liberally placed on their fuel tanks.

So bang-up was the topsy-turvyness generated he was able to penetrate the guard hutch on his side of the bridge and trigger the demolition charges the Russians had emplaced just that day incase the Finnish army pushed the Read Bear back across the river. As if that had not caused enough chaos and damage, a flight of stairs of Finnish Air Force planes swept his English of the river road, damaging and destroying over sixty vehicles and damaged countless others.

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

"It appears the Ninth army corporation commanding officer for the Russians is coming in person to inspect the reasonableness for the wait in ‘ conquering these decrepit crawler's of the Imperialist west,"he laughed and shook his headland at such nonsense,"General Dashicev will be here in a few days and we have a hazard to ‘ greet'him in proper partizan style."Here he mimicked with his hand a handgun being fired off, the bullet delivered between the general eyes.

"Nikkei I found out there will be some ‘ limited visitors'coming through this area in the next couple of daylight,"Stephen said to her with a disgustful grin."I found out the 163rd partitioning has been ordered to crawfish out and the 44th division is sitting on its haunches per orderliness of the NKVD. It appears that General Dashicev, leader of the ninth army Corp of the Russians will be making a term of enlistment of the front lines."

"How…how did you find this out grandpa ?"Nikkei asked, unsure if her granddad was pulling her leg or if he was telling the truth. She just sat there and shook her head in awe at his audaciousness 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 squeeze lid he pulled out of his sack and tossed into her lap…

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

"That one belonged to Major-General Bogdan, the one you missed a couple of calendar week ago,"Stephen said to her with a teasing grin."The early to Major-General Zelenfsev, I found both of them discussing a rather effective means to counterattack our army. They never paid attention to the fact a ‘ Russian Army courier'might deem it worth the time to take out the commanding police officer of their respective divisions when the opportunity presented itself."

He showed her the appeal of paper, plans and other information he had taken from the now destroyed field home office."I got this stuff for our power before my ‘ gift'to the Russians went off…"

"gramps, what…what did you do ?"she asked, unsure if she wanted to get wind the fib. One matter she had come to know of her grandad is he had a fighting spirit that shone brave and dead on target, and could be as ruthless as any murderer when events called for him to be. She wondered if in 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 pure fury she gave to him,"Imagine a fire truck parked within the garage connecting that old hotel, a fuel truck that had some spliff of dynamite added to ensure that the resulting surprise would be…spectacular."

"Now that the bridge is destroyed, the general gone, and most of the 44th Divisions supply are no more, our position will have a much promiscuous fourth dimension disposing of them,"he clenched his fist and grinned while his cold eyes blazed with pure fury and pleasure at the impending victory for the Finnish force-out in the area.

"Do you want a Russian Army corp full general added to your putting to death or not ?"Stephen chuckled at the feral grin that grew on Nikkei's face."Good, we will head out soon enough, but first I have something to adopt tutelage of…"

Nikkei watched him remove a lowly box-like bundle from the bottom of his backpack and head for the door."Grandpa what are you doing ?"she asked, the care audible in her part and visible on her face.

"I'll be coming back shortly Nikkei,"he said and then became deadly sober,"emphatically this time take after my ordering, at the foremost sign of the zodiac of danger grab your gear and flee as fast as you can. No leaving your skis behind or coming to obtain me alright ?"He waited until she nodded,"You know the encounter places we discussed before, as I have said, if you have to flee heading for one of the six locations. The drumbeater already know to keep and eye out for you if our travels turn for the worse."


â‚°â‚°

master Sir Robert Robinson and his handful of men moved with extreme attention as they swept the meeting berth for any polarity of an ambuscade from Russian force-out. His men on the flank indicated with hired man signaling no one was in the area. His soft, disgusted curse seemed to echo across the wooded hills.

"Where in the world has Stephen gotten off to this prison term ?"Robinson declared. He nearly had a heart plan of attack as the sound of a pistol hammer being eased back into place filled his ears. The corporate following to him who still had a length of common cold steel placed under his jaw did not move an inch.

"You're getting miry Captain Edward G. Robinson,"Stephen said as he pulled both handgun away from the men, sliding them back into their holsters."I've been shadowing all of your men for the endure half hour ; you did not even see the Russian patrol waiting for you just down the trail…"

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

Stephen pointed over his shoulder to where six Russian infantry lay beat."Like I said, you and your men are getting slapdash. Now let's get down to business concern as quickly as we can. I paid a sojourn to the 163rd Infantry variance headquarters and got these papers,"he tossed Sir Robert Robinson a heavy satchel bag filled with vital data,"before my gift to them went off."

"Somehow I should have known it was you behind that,"Captain Edward G. Robinson said with a grinning."We will get these to Suomussalimi and then to U. S. Army Headquarters."He handed the satchel to the corporal, turned to speak with Stephen and discovered he had disappeared back into the Wood silent as a ghost.

"I hope this information is as critical as Sir Leslie Stephen thinks it is,"headwaiter Robinson said to himself.

He had no idea just how utile and vital it was to Field Marshal Mannheim, whom gave off a call of victory that shocked many of his subordinates…


18 December, 1939 England

In the halls of parliament men of power and assurance sat, or stood, around the farsighted table discussing issue, approximation or examined the great wall-mounted map which dominated the way. At the insistence of a lone man, the simply one who dared to chomp away on his earmark cigar, commenced to return their parcel of the plan in concern to the Finland-Soviet War and the surrounding North Germanic nations.

Many of the High command, government minister and parliamentarian looked at the cigar-chomping man with shock, surprise, disbelief and taking into custody for one to resolve such an audacious system. They listened as he delivered his reasons for the design, why it will succeed if implemented in time, and the nifty of amplification towards thwarting FRG and its mighty war machine.

"Gentlemen,"Mr. Churchill declared while he thumped his fist on the table,"We must aid Finland with all the supplies, sleeve and ammunition, plane, tanks and troops we can while denying the authorities of FRG the most vital resourcefulness they need. Fe ore, the ore supplied to them by Sweden and shipped via Norway ; we will lick both problems with one expedition…cut off the mines from Deutschland and have a full of life itinerary to move our backup man forces on into Finland."

Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill concealed other, foresightful range plans currently unfolding in Germany that may gain an unexpected harvest in the weeks to come…especially one concerning Chancellor Hitler…

Many in the senior Command approved the initial spending of the architectural plan, and made a few recommendation here and there, seeking to rectify it into a executable scheme. Even peak diplomatic minister Chamberlain gave his loath approval after an encompassing argument on international law and intervention of electroneutral and sovereign lands.

Only one man dared to stand in opposition to the plan, and even then only to assume a ‘ devils advocate'stance.

Minister of War Hore-Belisha stood and rapped his fist on the table to realize everyone's attention."Distinguished gentleman,"he began,"recall that we and France have been warned via the government of Svizzera that Deutschland will see any front of Allied scout troop within the borders of Norway or Sweden as an flack upon mainland Germany itself and result in contiguous retaliation."

"It appears there is an loose agreement between Sweden and Germany ; for our agents and tangency are even now reporting that cargo of minuscule arms, simple machine triggerman and light cannon, plus pregnant amounts of ammo have even now crossed into the borders of Republic of Finland from Sweden."Hore-Belisha emphasized each pointedness with a smack of one hand into the other."This appears to be done via Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goring, and with the accompaniment of Chancellor Hitler. If we interfere with an invasion of Norway and Sweden we will gamble sundering the chain of supply going to Finland…lose that and Communist Russian Federation will win by sheer free weight of number."

Winston Churchill looked upon the rector of War with oculus that blazed in righteous fury. Standing, he slammed his fist on the table and locked regard with his adversary."Understand this, the fate of Finland and of the free populace are tied together as one ; here are my arguments 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 ; nothing had been decided, to the disappointment of many.



18 December, 1939 Federal Republic of Germany

He sat behind his desk and paused, stunned by the news contained in the top closed book paper in his hands. He read it three to a greater extent time, examining each detail and fact and Assumption of Mary for the to the lowest degree signal of legerdemain or of the facts being deliberately misconstrued or manipulated.

His auxiliary stood by, having sensed something of great import is going on in the mind of his leader, and thus he will be here to see history made.

The man closed the reputation and laid it upon his desk, shocked by the magnitude of weakness to be found within his ‘ allies'of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. He looked at his aide and gave off a rapid-fire chemical chain of orders and sat back in his chair as the young captain ran off to gather the officers so indicated.

Thirty minutes later Chancellor Adolph Hitler stood before his assemble stave in the meeting room that adjoined his government agency. For over six 60 minutes the meeting continued, with Chancellor Der Fuhrer demanding gruelling reply from each man, save for Marshal Goring, whom nodded at the unspoken query concerning the arcanum provision being sent to Suomi via Sweden.

In due order a plan began to emerge for the opportunity that lay give before them, one which grew greater with each hour Union of Soviet Socialist Republics bled on the snowy fields, hills, and forests."Gentlemen,"Der Fuhrer said,"We have a golden opportunity that chronicle and destiny gives to one people to change the human race every millenary ; the limb bought by Sweden will go on without interruption, and we shall increase our gift of military intelligence activity to Finland."

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

The pucker men looked upon such a bold face and simple concept with equal quantity of awe, shock and hunger, for indeed a gilt chance - one filled with danger and extreme hazard true - had arrived to deliver an deadly coke to their ancestral enemy.

"Chancellor Adolf Hitler,"declared General-colonel Keitel,"with your approval we will start out to prepare preparations."

Hitler nodded and then said to the departing officers and minister of religion,"This information changes all we have expected, the ruination of Russia is at bridge player once and for all…the Death of a tyrant will soon occur."

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



20 December, 1939 rear-area of the Russian ninth Army Corp

Nikkei paused as she and Stephen neared the top of the hill and motioned for him to do the like. She strained to pick up the sound she heard a moment before and then grinned when it became earn, another Russian courier on a minibike was making his rounds along the primary road.

Stephen smiled and motioned to a place halfway up the Alfred Hawthorne, a cleft in the rocks surrounded by plentiful shrubs and trees which made for a near-perfect snipers nest. He motioned to a large bowlder surrounded by larger trees where he will continue her as she took down the courier ; from yearn praxis both reached their spatial relation, shed their skis and had their various weapons - the Suomi KP sub-machinegun for him, the master-crafted rifle for Nikkei - readied for business.

A sudden undulation from Nikkei told Stephen something else was amiss, as she looked shocked for the first metre 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 route long since churned to mud and detritus due to the near constant traffic and tread of the tanks.

Four minibike safety led the way for the convoy followed by a lone, light-armored tank, a staff car that was made for a high-ranking military ship's officer, possibly a field of operations marshal, visiting the front line. To the back of the convoy, four more motorbike mounted guards completed the entourage. If not for the presence of that tank, no thing how small compared to its armored brethren, he would possess had Nikkei engross the staff car while he took down the motorbike mounted guards…

"If not for that blasted tank,"he pumped his fist in pure frustration that such a great prize is getting away, only to realize his mistake a instant later…


â‚°â‚°

Nikkei lined her plenty upon the two large, fuel-laden, highly-flammable, barrels of the clean tank. For once she was glad to induce a mag loaded with Stephens ‘ special ammo'for such an social function. She kept adjusting her aim to pay off for the slow crawling advance of the armored wildcat, growing more raring with each indorse that Stephen mulled over her taking the guessing or for the two of them to withdraw.

From the recess of her eye she saw Stephen pump his fist, their agreed upon signal for her to start any trap they have established. One final adaption on her leading the tank, and a gentle squeezing of the trigger…

Bang !
Bang !

Twice she worked the rifle bolt in her palm-guided, up-back, forward-down traverse apparent movement to reload for the next dig she would call for. She paid the cooler no more heed, swinging around to the staff car even then breaking and sliding across the frost and mud covered road…

rush !

The stave cars left-back tire shredded from the smoke impact, the incendiary heraldic bearing igniting the rubber fabric almost instantly. The resident of the faculty car leapt from the vehicle as the motorbike guards leapt to cover up one man in a black greatcoat…the glow of the morning sunlight off of his rank and file lapels denoted him to be a true award, maybe the Russian General her grandpa spoke of arriving ahead of schedule.


She changed magazines, palmed the rifle bolt and chambered the first round of habitue ammo she used. The speech sound of the Russians firing with pistols and sub-machineguns blindly into the surrounding land did not have her any alarm…

BOOM !

The tank firing a 76mm cannon round into the wood barely 50 measure downhill from her location did get her notice…

She rolled to one English of the sheltering stone as a second cannon bout slammed home closer than the last. Her ears pounded from the deafening randomness, bones hurt and gut felt as if it had been reduced to mush. The becalm tap - tapping of Sir Leslie Stephen's Suomi sub-machinegun told the tale of drained Russians and his elbow grease to distract the tank…

BOOM ! ! !

The force play of the blast bodily lifted Nikkei off the reason like a rag doll. With spike still ringing like a cacophony of church buzzer she half-moved, half-stumbled back to the cleft in the stone and gasped at the sight before her…the stave car and to the highest degree of the motorbike had been reduced to twisted metal while the destroyed tank poured forth a holla pillar of flaming gamey 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 secure from his fire for the time, but not from Nikkei…

quivering, she fought to unshakable enough to draw a bead on that of import Russian ship's officer. No matter though, one sentry duty or another kept his body between him and her…until…


â‚°â‚°

Stephen moved as a ghost across the terrain, steadily closing on the Russians position, determined to collect the Russian officer as due requital for his showing up in Republic of Finland. Here was the chance of a lifetime, to take down a full-fledged Russian general or field-marshal…or if he can be captured, the blessing for the Suomi army will be…

Bang !

Four to a greater extent slam followed in promptly succession, and then came a foreign calmness only parted by the uninterrupted roar of the flaming tank. He grinned at the precision oeuvre of his granddaughter, moved carefully to the boundary of the woods and prepared to cross the road. Stephen wondered what data that might benefit the Finnish Armed strength awaited his discovery on that dead military officer's carcass…

The sudden reaching of two squadrons of Russian light bombers and fighters which passed low and close over his locating changed everything. There is no way they could have missed the carnage that had been inflicted on the minuscule but important caravan ; especially as the tank still burned like a torch with a column of black sens clawing ever higher into the sky.

He rapidly retreated back into the woodwind instrument, and raced to Nikkei to help oneself her get ready for a fast, unvoiced and prospicient marching deeper into the woods trail. Three Sir Thomas More Russian aircraft squadrons passed operating cost, and he prayed that none of the archetype would look down and blob him or Nikkei…if they did there will be no escape.

Nikkei scrambled around the hillside, staying under the forest canopy for screen. She watched the skies as the Russian woodworking plane circled back around and wondered if they had seen her or her grandfather.

A short whistle caught her attention and she watched Stephen undulation to her, orient down a minuscule position trail that snaked among the Mrs. Henry Wood, and pushed off with her poles, pressing to keep up with the hard stride he set for them.

They pushed onward fast and severe to increase the distance between them and the trap internet site. Then came the clarion Call of a score or Sir Thomas More of planes high overhead. At the bound of a large clarification they watched the noble-minded antenna fight then being waged high in the skies ; a dance of death between the Finnish and Russian Air Forces so far above the earth…

Contrails swept the taint sky, here moving in a straight line, there they curved and spiraled until one or two at a clock time ended in swarm of nigrify skunk. Outnumbered by eight to one the Suomi pilot pressed home each of their attacks, savaging the Russian formations that sought to wee it past them, only to cascade out of the sky and into the merciless clutches of the earth.

It ended in less than ten minutes during which Stephen counted the Russians had lost seventeen fighters and 11 bombers. From the lead of black gage which departed to the east, at least twice that number of planing machine had been damaged ; he hoped every one of the Russians crashed on the way back to their home. As for losses on the incline of Finland, he could not tell one way or another.

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

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

"gramps,"Nikkei said, and then hesitated, still shaken by the near cry with death at the script of the tank returned flak."Who would the Russians send to the front lines escorted by a army tank, and so many motorbike passenger ?"

Stephen paused and rubbed his handwriting over his Kuki as he mulled the question over and over. Finally he reached the simply logical last that fit the grounds of such a train moving with minimum guard."The only thing that makes sense was either a new Divisional commander or possibly the commander of the Russian Ninth army corporation, superior general Dashicev whom we have been hunting for. Either way we, or I should say, you, have done much to disrupt the Russian Army in this area."

He scuffed up Nikkei's hair with his helping hand despite her practiced campaign to resist him off,"seminal fluid now Nikkei we have to press on before we make encampment. There is an old hunting lodge, or I should say what's left of one, where we will hole out up and figure out what to squander up next."

"granddad is there any opportunity I can get a bathroom ?"Nikkei asked, not expecting any kind of good news in the matter.

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

Stephen shook his head and moved to trip up up with Nikkei, who raced on down the trail determined to have her hot bathtub."Never underrating that girl…so much like me after all…still a one thousand old day, and one LE major pain of a Russian leader to be concerned with."

In a handful of days Stephen and Nikkei would discover who was in the still-hunt convoy. Yet the string of outcome unleashed by their efforts will involve prospicient to blossom out and influence not only the Winter War, but the lifetime of tens of millions of citizenry across Europe and beyond.


22 December, 1939 STAVKA home office, Moscow

Premier Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili watched from the in high spirits balcony of STAVKA central office as the kindling police squad prepared for the side by side one shot of executions. Normally the sight of such bloodletting would appease his sadistic rages in arcminute, but not this even. No, this evening the blood would flow in red streams across the terra firma. The incompetent who had allowed such shame and embarrassment to descend upon the USSR had to be expunged permanently for their crimes.

Stalin slammed his fist on the Edward Durell Stone railing repeatedly, angered beyond sensitivity or reasonableness. He had sent his Minister of Defense, marshal Voroshilov to join with Ninth United States Army army corps Commander General Dashicev and get to the bottom of the mess at the front agate line. The Ninth Army corp should have sliced Finland in half at the waist weeks ago, yet had not advanced Sir Thomas More than sixty kilometre across the border, and if the reports are admittedly, two elite infantry divisions had been destroyed by a bold face and reckless Finnish counterattack.

He watched as the condemn men, the armed services unit who was to travel with Marshal Voroshilov to the front end logical argument, were brought to the bulwark five at a sentence. The loss leader of the lighting police squad executed each command with well honed preciseness, his men fired on command with no faltering and the next in line to be shot had the honor of dragging their short friends away before assuming their place at the wall.

The luck of Marshal Voroshilov and General Dashicev was made known to Joseph Stalin only an 60 minutes ago while he had his dinner party. So hot was his furor he personally stormed his way to where the bodyguards of marshall Voroshilov were barracked, entered their commander's office and summarily shot him dead for his crimes against the state.

Hour after time of day he stood on that balcony as the executions continued well into the dark. Once the last man of the escort unit was disposed of, the portion of those NKVD troops who failed to plug the roadway followed.

Until the word of the marshall death had arrived, few dared to take exception his decision to invade Finland and to reconstruct what solid ground rightfully belonged to Soviet Union and Russia alone. Even Sweden and Norway began to have their doubts about standing up against Russia on the side of Finland, until the human race telegram and wireless help had announced the Death of Voroshilov.

Combined with another crushing triumph scored by the Finnish armies against the Russian forces fighting it out on the Isthmus, many world leaders now pledged to support Finland in any way possible. And now Germany, the ostensible ally of Russia, had begun to send out barbel to the Scandinavian governments to see if German language ships bearing arms and supplies for Finland would be permitted passage through their territory.


Once again Stalin seethed at the continuous treason heaped upon betrayal of the world nations against the rise of the USSR, and of the domination of the world by communist forces. They refuse to see and agnise the inevitability of his effort and campaign, to bring the world into a communistic golden age no matter the cost in blood and fire.

"No the war will uphold on,"Stalin growled, his angriness still stoked to levels beyond comprehension,"more men and tanks will be sent, more planes dispatched and we will fight on until I have victory over the Finnish who dishonored me in 1921, or the utmost Russian drop idle on the field."

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili never moved until the last prisoners were executed well into the next days dawning.


24 December, 1939 Finland Supreme statement central office

For the beginning time since the war with Soviet Union had commenced area Marshal Mannheim allowed himself to have off a chuckle and a smile at the bad trick one of his Aides told. He returned to the single-valued function and reports laid out on the table before him, listening to the aeonian speech of memo, content, tidings and so off.

On the 22nd of Dec the Russian one-seventh ground forces corp threw itself at the Mannerheim defensive blood line, a full force of nine foot divisions, three tank car brigades and a light armor army corps of armored cars and debauched tanks. The Soviet general had come up with a crafty programme, foil the ice-covered lakes where storage tank and armour vehicles could operate on and pull retentive lines of infantry-bearing sled ; early social unit would mount a simultaneous assault from the realm and overwhelm the defenders.

A brilliant plan that would stimulate worked, spare for the Finnish scouts and saboteurs operating in the Russian rear-areas who discovered the architectural plan and parade movements…exactly as the intelligence information gathered by the ‘ ghostwriter Bear'had indicated.

Forewarned the front line commandant had engineers rig up a monolithic surprisal for the Russian ravishment - remote-detonated explosives combined with the usage of their pre-registered heavy trench mortar and the new threatening anti-tank carom ( which had arrived via Sweden ) that lined the arm lieu along the shoreline.

The Russian blast began with a monumental ten-hour heavy weapon barrage followed by the first moving ridge of Russian soldiery surging across the ice. Explosives and artillery decimated the Russian force-out, sending cooler and sleds into the reeking depths below shattered ice. The armored vehicles and tank that did give the survived this were crushed by the anti-tank shooter and the infantry who joined in the colored massacre of the lakes.

The soil battle had been a much closer matter, xiii hours of hellish fight that left over two-hundred burned out tanks and thousands of Russian dead stacked like cordwood. The Suomi armed forces had paid a beloved Mary Leontyne Price for it, yet the newly deployed strange volunteers made the remainder in measure and quality…some 25000 troops from Hungary, Italy, Sweden and Noreg plus a aspersion of other nationalities, Hero of Alexandria each and every one !

Field report combined with wiretap transmissions broadcast in the crystalize from the Russian one-seventh USA Corp HQ nearly matched. For all intensifier role the Seventh Army had been destroyed in that one expectant winner-take-all battle.

Then just after midnight on the 23rd the Russian resumed their offensive north of Lake Lake Ladoga. Five infantry divisions of the Russian Eighth USA corporation, with heavy army tank and artillery funding, assaulted the weak-appearing Finnish positions with a great deal of enthusiasm and finding ; only to find out they had struck hard into a multi-layered, multi-supporting region of bunker, ordnance, political machine gun nests, minefields and anti-tank guns which shredded the Russians in less than seven hours.

Again it was the foreign volunteers who helped cook the difference, another 20,000 mix-bag of nationalities whose armed services skill and expertise allowed them to fight as hard as his Finnish army soldiery ! Even the air battle went dramatically in their favor, with twenty-one Finnish Air Force planes downed for ninety-seven Russian. The commanding general for the Eighth Army very politely stayed in his airfield military headquarters when a six battery battery of Finnish cloggy artillery landed on its position.

flying field Marshal Mannheim softly chuckled and looked at his gathered officeholder."Our troops, the foreign volunteer forces, and the supply of arms and ammo from Sweden, Norway, Italy and Hungary are making the difference ; how ironic that so much of the Death we bring down on the Russians has been supplied by their very own ‘ ally'Germany."

"airfield Marshal,"one of Mannheim's aides quietly said and handed over a serial publication of message form for him. He read them quickly, one of them respective times and looked to his intelligence tribal chief who nodded and grinned like a wolf. He just stood there in shock, ineffective to trust for a clip that two partisans - the wraith Bear and Snow Fox had doubled their previous coup d'etat over the Russians.

"My God Above thank you for this outstanding talent you have given unto us all,"he said and bowed his headspring in a legal brief prayer of thanks and congratulations. The confirmation of reinforcements - reservists and foreign volunteers - to stiffen the Finnish defenders facing the ninth and Fourteenth regular army was great news show, and now this gift on Christmas Eve truly was heaven sent.

marshall Mannheim made a note to have got those two enthusiast decorated if Finland managed to deem on and win the ongoing war.

"Gentlemen,"he called out, his interpreter instantly cutting through the blare of noise loud and distinct.

Once he had their aid he read the intercepted substance and after the applause and cheering ran its trend ordered it to be broadcast over national radios. The marshal shook his clenched fist in triumph, knowing then and there the war with Russia had turned and turned for the better…he gave that some due consideration…

"Pass the word to all our front line power as well, but indicate they are to be doubly vigilant at this news,"he said with all due seriousness,"The Russians will not bury nor forgive. We can require them to dispatch even more reinforcements and faster than ever to assure our commonwealth is crushed once and for all."

"Understand this much gentlemen,"he continued, his iron-hard gaze locking on every man and womanhood in play,"our side of meat has won many smashing victories and the practiced nobleman has delivered the enemy loss leader into our men as well, but we have not won the war. Our greatest struggle may well be ahead, thus I am ordering our force play who are facing the one-ninth and Fourteenth Russian Army corp to reduce their denial so we can pin those force-out in place."

"valet de chambre, I sense a neat change is coming in the air, a storm neat than anything we have ever seen will hit and deepen the world."Mannheim grinned, never understanding the storm would be one of descent, blast and steel coming down on their enemy in short-circuit order.



25 December, 1939 rear-area Russian ninth U. S. Army Corp

Nikkei slid deeper into the steaming H2O and reveled in the intense heating system and soft waves that lapped across her abdomen and boob. She twirled her finger's breadth in the water, generating rippling that spread out and glistened in the soft lantern light ; such a simple giving she wanted for Xmas, a hot tub, something she took for granted before the war began…before her humans turned upper side down and slammed to the ground with brutal intensity.

For four days she and Stephen had been cooped up in the ruins of an old hunting lodge that actually had water piped in from a nearby hot springtime. The low moaning of the blizzard reminded her of old shade stories her father would tell near the fireplace, shadows dancing on the walls as he moved about, often making animal trace with his deal in renditions of ‘ Saint Peter the Apostle and the Wolf.'

One solid upsurge of confidential information that pounded on the door blocked by an old couch and desk, to prevent easy entry by anyone in the sphere, reminded her that not everyone was enjoying such a bounty as she on the birthday of the Prince of repose. Most of the old lodge lay exposed to the elements, but enough remained, such as the bathing room she occupied, to cater decent shelter…once they dealt with the bear out of the place that had taken up residency.

As Nikkei reached for the rag and max Stephen had thoughtfully laid out by the tub for her, she smiled at the fond memories of bear-meat stew…although having to manhandle the brutes 300kg carcass outside so it did not stink up the rest of the blank space hardly made it worth the effort. Her being capable to take a hot tub and rid herself of day of filth and dirt made it worth the effort.

She gathered a rich lathering of soap on her hands and the rag, and then slowly began to scrub down her face, neck and arms. The accumulated filth and tension built from the start of the war eased away bit by bit, and she could relax for a time, free of the cares and memories of the wider world.

On one titty she softly swirled the rag in sensuous lot that advanced unto her swell up nipple. wizard both old and new flowed into her brain, awakening desires she had never allowed herself to fully explore or to even let the cat out of the bag about with anyone. Her eyes closed and a piano pant passed her unresolved sass as a svelte thrill played along her body ; the heat of the pee accentuated the pleasurable waves which flowed one upon another along the very fibers of her being.

Her destitute hand came to rest between her breasts, and the fingers slowly snaked their way downward. Once there, they began to caress and bait and please a portion of her dead body that sent her unto the heavens with sensuous seventh heaven that she could only compare to the songs of the celestial consort. Nikkei sensed her bosom beating faster and faster as her breath quickened, blood thundered and her body came alive in a rainbow of sense that could not be described.

She pushed her fingers into the depths of her womanhood as far as she could ; determined to draw out each bit of pleasure possible. Of course she was still a Virgo 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 children, thus making her the scorn of the village and a bad marriage prospect.

The natural state, raw, primordial spate of flame and heat caught her off precaution as a thousand M of macrocosm cascaded before her, myriad chance of what may be and could be, and then collapsed back into the here and now as she screamed her pleasure to the world when her acquittance hit.

Her paw covered her sass as she blushed deeper than ever before in her aliveness, wondering if anyone had heard the noise…and blushed even inscrutable as Stephen burst through the door with a drawn side arm, lost his footing on the wily floor and tumbled face first into the bathtub with Nikkei.

He pulled himself out of the tub and shake off his mind like an old sheepdog, sending a cascade of piddle across the way."I'm soaked,"he moaned while looking at his drenched clothing, shook his headspring and hoped enough firewood remained to dry them by the open fireplace - though they would reek like wood smoke for twenty-four hours."punter they smell of Sir Henry Wood grass than that of an old and wet sheep dog like me…"

"granddad, are you alright ?"Nikkei asked as she leaned over the edge of the bathtub. When Stephen looked at her with an abashed grin she gasped, clutched her branch over her bared knocker and slid deep into the water while a hot flush surged late and red across her already rush boldness. All she wanted to do was melt away and melt ; her mind tore in different counselling, desires playing a G melody at once while she fought to chasten the confusion.

On the battle field sniping at the enemy she has mastered her emotions to a all right level ; but in the topic of the heart, she has never encountered such as she faced now. She lowered her point but could not tear her middle away from him as he pulled off his shirt and extort the water of it…the iron-hard muscle of his lithe skeletal system, crossed with a roadmap of scar acquired over a lifetime of hardship and battle, flexed with each twist made upon his shirt.

He whipped the shirt a few times to get any remaining droplets absolve and grinned at Nikkei."Sorry Nikkei I had thought that a bear or a Russian had gotten into the washup way and I got regardless again…"

Nikkei was unable to believe her capitulum, for her grandad never apologized for anything."grandfather you didn't foul up or get careless I just…well, I was doing something and…"

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

He laughed at the cute short squealing sounds given off by Nikkei at his hint. Though as he left the room to shift and dry his cloth, the sparkle that danced in her eyes spoke volumes to his feel heart and mind.


â‚°â‚°

Tap - tap - tap !

Sir Leslie Stephen pulled the pocket-size slug away from Nikkei's rifle and examined the a la mode minuscule fox-marker added to the wooden stock. Feeling the smoothness of the indentation he coated the exposed Ellen Price Wood with an amber hued soil, when dry it will glint with a honey-gold texture as any ignite played across it.

"One more than of so many dodger added, I had taught my granddaughter to hound for deer, wild boar and bear."Stephen gave off a deep, disgusted sigh at the winds of luck and ill-fortune."Instead she has become a hunter of Russians who have raped our native land and stolen her future. All those years ago when her family adopted her…."

His mind drifted into store of his lost family all those years ago when they had adopted Nikkei after she had been orphaned. No one knew where she had come from, even the potency failed to find the parents of the little girl found wandering alone in the Grant Wood, her clothing covered in blood…

A girl of true mystery who had grown into a ticket Cy Young cleaning lady ; one that he wished he could have given a life story of peace to instead of the damned war the Russians had forced upon all of them.

In the screen background the static-filled programme of Finnish and Northman radio station declared their holiday wishes and greetings, and then broadcast the usual updates of the war.

"To all of our members of Finland's armed forces engaged in the desperate battles to protect our homeland from the barbarians of the Soviet trades union. I and all of our people thank you for the dedication and sacrifice of so lots you have give for us, and may on this day when we celebrate the giving birth of the Prince of Peace each of you find fill-in from this interminable woe inflicted by the Russians.."

Stephen half-listened to the radios still filled broadcast. He heard the details given of the great engagement fought on the Isthmus and near Lake Lake Ladoga on the 22nd and 23rd ; the Russian Seventh and eighth Army army corps had been stopped, shattered and scattered before refractory Finnish resistance"assisted by military volunteer who support our campaign for freedom and self-determination as a democracy against the tyrannical might of Communist Russia."

"We wish to affirm that in the lowest week the Russian army electrical shock force of the Russian ninth US Army Corps has suffered extreme blow due to our nation's army, air force and partisan active voice behind the enemy blood. It has been confirmed that the ninth U. S. Army has lost their commander, one General Dashicev along with the pastor of defense team for the Soviet Union, E. G. Marshall Voroshilov who had come to the front end lines to see first-hand what had caused the Ninth Army to be held up in the field."

Sir Leslie Stephen turned his full aid to the radio…

"My fellow Fin's our beloved solders and nationals fighting behind the lines have demonstrated flashy and absolved to the world why the Ninth Army, along with all former Russian US Army corp, has failed to jam our res publica. In the decease of the Defense Department minister of religion Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic has learned the example we will never deliver and never concede to their forces of enslavement. And so with each engagement we undertake against the Russian invaders, we bleed them and bleed them more, until the day will occur in the approximate future when they will admit defeat and seek to make a just and honorable peace."

"May the clip soon come when we can tell in full phase of the moon the actions of the two known as the Snow Fox and the Ghost Bear ; may God restrain them safe and wield them as cat's-paw of jurist against our ancient enemies from the barbarian lands of Russia."

Stephen whistled,"So that is whom Nikkei took down after the tank exploded ?"

He imagined how Nikkei would trip the light fantastic toe around like an ale-drunken bee after hearing of the plunder she had bagged. The death of General Dashicev was welcome news, and showed his guess as to who occupied the faculty car in the caravan they had ambushed. Yet the death of Marshall Voroshilov, Russian pastor of defense force, truly marked the greatest pillage any partisan sniper could trust to score inadequate of Premier Stalin.

He gently cleaned the rifle with an old rag, gently removing the to the lowest degree trace of dirt, dust or oil his employment may have left upon it."I made this for my pricy Nikkei to hunt deer and bear with, and now she ahs been forced by this war to go a hunting watch of men. I wish her parents could see her now…"


He fought back the tear that threatened to come as his substance lodged in his throat. His kid and grandchildren, plus all his friends 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 meter Nikkei will not assert on coming along with me."He looked at the pocket-size piling of supplies that had been cached away in the basement of the old hunt lodge. While Nikkei had been taking her bath he had gone down and brought the food, fabric, ammunition and early assorted good the two needed as they hunted Russians.

Also, as he had hoped, the two pocket-sized sleds he had stored among other goods in the cache remained intact and untaken. At least he and Nikkei could carry more goods on them than they can just upon their back. Plus he had new barrage for his small radio a friend had built a few years ago…

That little transmitter has proven to be a true wonder. Incredibly lowly, lightweight and reliable, he can use it to relay or obtain vocalism and Morse-code signals. His old friend in the United States who made it was a multiplication ahead of his time, and a simple fastening allowed it to be powered by a hand-cranked generator-system.

When the tensions between Russia and Finland had begun to increase, he and his feller contrabandist plus some of the contacts they had within the arm forces began to plan and prepare. Thus a relay-chain of a sort exists to pass along information and instructions along to those who needed it ; they always are sent in brief transmitting of Morse-code to debar counter sleuthing by the Russians.

other information, orders and the like are broadcast five time daily by the government over the public radio program. No subject how much the Russians may try, only the drawing card of the partisans in specific area behind the stock possessed the requirement codes to realize them.

"All for the better then,"Stephen softly said to himself."It's yesteryear time we bleed these Russians as badly as we can and forbid any more Chaos falling upon our heads…"

He stopped mumbling at the sound of Nikkei's ghostly pace fuse with the crepitation of the flames in the fireplace. His gaze moved to his clothing hung over the cover of two old president near the fireplace, the heat slowly drying them out after that dip in the tub.

Returning to the rifle, he observed that each part has been lovingly cared for by Nikkei. Stephen nodded his favorable reception, delighted that she had remembered all he could learn her of such topic.

Wrapped in a duncical cotton robe, Nikkei sat before the fervour and continued towel her fuzz dry.

Stephen looked up at her, the light from the flaming caressing her in a whirl dance of light and shadower. He saw her chewing on her lower lip, obviously troubled by something, or more probable what had happened between them in the bathing room.

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

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

She opened her robe to expose her bared abdomen, second joint and chest for him to see, hoping that he will not turn away from her unsaid question. One script came to rest on his flushed boldness, the passion flowing into her script as she began to caress his iron-hard, weather-beaten, scarred pelt in such a gentle way that it twitched with each voiced and soft stroke.

"Nikkei I did not think of to offend you earlier…"Stephen's words ended when she gently touched a fingertip to his lip. She pulled her hand away and shed the gown from her body, then leaned onto her hip, sweeping her branch back behind her at the stifle and propped herself up on one arm. With the other she took his handwriting into her and entwined their fingers.

Stephen's optic drank in every sensuous and soft curve of her consistency, the fullness of her amber hair, diffused blue center full of life and pain sensation miscellaneous in equal measure, the steady rise and declension of her bared bosom. As his gaze descended to her most intimate of treasures she shifted her leg enough for him to see her banish womanhood and the slight glint of moisture already gathered there on her cutis and surrounding hair.

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

"Grandpa I want this to be my talent to you,"she said to him. He could hear the love and warmness in her voice for him, something that had been there for twelvemonth and only now did he understand in full…his adopted Nikkei had fallen in passion with him yearn ago and now sought to move their recounting to the next level.

"I have forgotten since the war began what it meant to be alive and unloose of headache and angriness,"she said, her eye releasing a lone shoot down down her impertinence."I want to be your present granddaddy for tonight, to remind us both what life means ; I don't expect to have it through this war, so very much dying has already come close…and with that tank firing at me…"she shuddered at the retention of how tightlipped she had brushed with decease that day.

She moved to Sir Leslie Stephen and sat down on his lap with her legs crossing behind his cover. Her one mitt brought his to rest on her titty ; the mere tactile sensation of his tegument on hers sent a thrill and frisson blazing across her being. When he began to caress her breast, teasing more and More perfervid wave of pleasure from her body, she leaned into him and all but melted away as the soft snow does before the flames of a fire.

He kissed her face and softly blew comfort of his inflame breath on her neck. Stroking her hair he looked once again into her middle and seen the love and nervousness playacting against one another."Are you sure enough this is what you want Nikkei ? You only have one first time in such matters and I want you to be absolutely sure…"

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

So it was that they entered the oldest of strain, and fulfilled the former dance of all, two bosom and two organic structure coming together in one ; the war cry of passion and aboriginal release echoed throughout the old ruination until Sir Leslie Stephen released his life history seed into Nikkei, and then collapsed from the exertion. The two cuddled and caressed one another while sharing loving smiles and whispering Bible meant for them alone.

An minute later as Nikkei contently slept away, her blue stertor merging with the crackling flames, Stephen gave her a grin and softly kissed her on the impudence before laying down for his own balance. He made sure though that his pistols and hunting knife were within easy grabbing distance if they were needed.


28 December, 1939 Suomussalimi, Finland

Colonel Siilasvuo returned the couriers salute and dismissed him with a casual wafture of his hand.

Two days ago he had been alerted to important instructions that will come at his HQ ; and given the current conditions that raged just outside the hotels thick pit walls, it had to be something between extremely urgent and insane for a courier to be risked in temperatures, snow and idle words that were the worst in recorded history.

Since him and the 27th Infantry Regiment, now reinforced by three additional regiments of reservists and alien volunteers, he had waged relentless guerrilla warfare to hemorrhage the Russian one-ninth Army corporation white and hold them to this region when from all accounts they could have been used on the band during the last Russian assault.

However the Russians had dug in oceanic abyss and still managed to celebrate him from mounting a successful strike across the river. He could fight back and not attack, and the Lapplander for them…a defeat that grew all the more with each passing day. Even his raiding company had met with minimal winner, save for sniping at the Russians who hid in their fortified positions.

Only Captain Edward G. Robinson and his men, aided by the partisans led by the old colonel Sir Leslie Stephen and his aide-de-camp called"Snow Fox"have scored massive success upon succeeder upon success. When he considered the reputation of the old colonel, commonly known as the"spectre Bear'in the go capital war, it is little wonder the man leads and coordinates the partisans to such a book, even as he and the Charles Percy Snow Fox carry out their own two-person crusade upon the hated Russians.

He opened the mailboat and withdrew out the bundle of papers and exposure, and whistled when he gave the top Page - orders from Field Marshal Mannerheim himself - a cursory glance. They explained in brief and concise item that major reward were expected to be arriving inside two week for the Russian Ninth Army Corp…

Colonel Siilasvuo raged, cursed and complained as he stormed out of the old hotel which housed his subject field home base. He shouted above the howling wind for his senior officers to gather around him as he woke his device driver to involve him down riverside…he had been forbidden from launching anything stronger than raid across the river to slice up apart the remaining military posture of the Ninth Army while sentence remained. So he had chosen to visit the forward defense reaction and ensure the Russians received a warm welcome when they struck.

As expected, the defense mechanism were substantial and growing secure with each release day ; with log and stone bunkers trapping automobile guns, anti-tank cannon and fighting attitude for infantry. Other positions inside the township had already been made ready…when the Russians struck the river and snow would be red with their blood.




28 Dec, 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 diamonds. He held it in both hands and admired the fiery bursts which came out as the Christ Within played across each gemstone. The jeweler had promised the gift would be crafted to ne plus ultra, and so he had achieved yet again with the endowment for his dear wife.

"Klaus what do you think of it ?"Donitz asked of his bodyguard and driver. He moved around to face up the man so he could see the wonderful thaumaturgy wrought by Karl, his personal jeweller and one of the few men he called a on-key professional 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 gift of affection for her."Major Klaus, polite as ever turned back to watching the memory board and all of the people within it, plus those who paused even for a moment to reckon through the shopfront windows. His hand never strayed far from the grip of his pistol.

The sound of sirens caused everyone to twist and see the street as the motorcade of Chancellor of the Exchequer Adolf Hitler began to transcend by. Donitz looked at his watch and smiled,"Punctual as always, I noticed some work was being done on his fomite last night as I left the office staff. Did you remember to have that looked into Klaus ?"

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

Admiral Donitz expression changed from delight to shock and then abject repugnance as the Chancellors car came into sight, and disappeared in a thunderous plosion that tore the vehicle asunder. 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 swarm of dust and smoke. He made his way out to the street where many fomite burned, and all too many people lay on the soil in syndicate of red. One flavour at the wind, burning remains of the prime minister car told him there would be, could not be, any survivor ; but he rushed over to see if against all odds his nations leader had somehow survived.

The armed forces escort swarmed the area to gain ascendance as fast as possible ; one officer threatened admiral Donitz until he showed his armed forces papers and then took ascendancy over the scene. All too swiftly the Sojourner Truth was confirmed when the flak of the Chancellors car were extinguished at long hold out.

Chancellor Hitler was abruptly, 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 header in disbelief, a marvellous act for the sake of show to the mickle. His personal factor, ones loyal to him and him alone, had penetrated the electronic network of Russian spy and agents that existed in Berlin…and he knew who controlled them as well…

He never expected their plan to work. Now that it had, his allies in the German governance would ensure his taking over to the Chancellorship and, as promised for the sustenance of Goering and his faction, would deal with Russia once and for all…of course he still had to make a ‘ headphone call'to the originator behind this mad game to ensure his own survival.


30 December, 1939 Moscow, Russia

Everyone in the elbow room jumped at the single gunfire that seemed to growl and spring about the meeting room for the High Command of the Russian Armed force play. Quickly they resumed their position of full attention, each expecting to be the future one personally gunned down by the man at the fountainhead of the table…

"Comrade I believe my point has been duly made,"chancellor Joseph Stalin calmly stated as he holstered his pistol. He gave a nod and two NKVD guards rushed over and dragged the body of superior general Voroshilov, who of late had been recalled to capital of the Russian Federation for ‘ private consultations regarding the war.'

"I will tolerate no Sir Thomas More loser in the matter of this war with Finland,"he growled,"each day our country loses yet more influence, respect and position around the man. I have since the break down offence of 22-23 December given fiat for massive reinforcements to deploy in the areas of the one-seventh and eighth ground forces corps, we have peace with the German language and thus our front line with them is now reduced to second and third social station units ; the elite forces being redeployed will be in shoes by the end of January, when the final examination offensive shall begin."

"The one-ninth army Corp shall conduct trammel offense ; they have consistently failed and thus will not be of any more John R. Major usage."He smashed his fist onto the table many fourth dimension to punctuate his head.

Stalin went on for some time berating the mankind for all way of perceive slight and plot being carried out against him and the Soviet Union. His rage grew to such heights and depths that many of the men gathered feared he would either die of a solidus ; or have everyone shot down on the situation by the sub-machinegun wielding NKVD bodyguards who circled behind each man like a watching and waiting vulture.

From one side an police officer appeared, delivered various message phase to Joseph Stalin and then bolted for his life after being dismissed with a casual wave. As he scanned them his mood swung from madness to outright joy back to a simmering, stewing rage that promised last to someone before the night passed.

"Gentlemen,"Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili declared with a forced calmness and grinning while holding up the third gear message form in one hand,"as I stated, we have peace with Federal Republic of Germany and now it is guaranteed for some time to come in. Our factor in the German High Command have confirmed the news being broadcast over the radio."

He paused and grinned,"Hitler is abruptly. Someone managed to locate an volatile gimmick inside of his armored car, and acerate leaf to say the carnage wrought was phenomenal. full admiral Donitz has been sworn in as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer of FRG and thus will acquire many months to fully fling of his rivals and gain fully ascendance over his nation's governance."

The staff ship's officer and ministers shouted and cheered at the news of Hitler's last, and gave off claim for the longsighted life of prime minister Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, the Soviet trades union and the inevitable supremacy of the world by Communism. By almost universal spontaneity they began to sing the national birdcall of Soviet Union, their dedication and belief in their cause having been reconfirmed by the universe at large.

Wisely Stalin withheld the two other messages that arrived at the same time. They detailed the motion of general Timoshenko and Shaposhnikov, the newly appointed co-commanders of the Finland Front. During the flying to headquarters near a fix aerodrome the planing machine carrying them, escorted by twelve hero, was jumped by a prominent figure of Finnish fighters.

Every one of the Russian fender fought until their woodworking plane went down in flames. Despite their intimately efforts, the planer carrying both full general had been shot down as well with no survivors. Once again the leaders of his build up personnel had disappointed him, and the written report of flagging esprit de corps among the foot along with some social unit on the bound of mutiny confirmed the ship's officer 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 triumphant officers before him knew what hit them when with a nod Stalin had his bodyguards cut them down to the last. He summoned his personal aide and demanded a prepared document, which once he signed with a few casual strokes of his pen, was sent to the NKVD communications commissar and dispatched.

Within 48 hour the descent bath had finished, completely decimating the Russian armed forces in high spirits command and replacing all officers of Major or high rank with Political commissars. He gave new orders to all of the Russian armed forces ; any confidential information of disloyalty or want of proper communist spirit will leave in that man's entire platoon or company being summarily executed en mass.

Stalin never understood just how deadly he had misjudged the unfolding chemical chain of events his madness and luxuria for profligate would unleash in short order…


30 December, 1939 Germany, OKH High Command

admiral Donitz, newly sworn in chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany and all of her people looked out the window of his office and the pristine snowfall from the latest storm. Just over 24 hour ago Chancellor Der Fuhrer had been assassinated by a bomb planted inside of his armored staff car ; in short order the Gestapo had discovered and captured a crew of Russian spies and federal agent who caused Hitler's death.

Their performance warrants were the first subject taken tutelage of by Donitz after taking the expletive of office. Now he had a massive option to make, one discussed long into the night by him and the high Command. He had been mindful of plans being drafted, on Hitler's orders, for an encroachment of Russia…he wondered if Hitler had been aware of his pending death, not that it mattered now.

Hitler's death at the deal of suspected Russian agents, proven or not, gave them the legal and moral judge for the encroachment to come. The major world leadership, even those of Anatole France and Britain, had been contacted via manoeuver or third-party genetic cable of the plan to trade with Russian Federation and Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili for their perfidy in assassinating the German Chancellor.

Many had responded with the usual commiseration and versatile grade of admonishment of Russia.

From France, the Daladier governance response was confused, drawn and uncommitted one way or another. That came as no surprise to Donitz, having anticipated such from the wink the cable television service were sent out.

What did shock him was that from England, or more precisely the two cables received from England. One from the parliament condemning Russia and urging peace lecture are held between Soviet Russia and Germany to settle this issue ; the latter, and thus the most important as far as Donitz was concerned came directly from Churchill…


To the Chancellor of Germany, full admiral Donitz,

In fear to the matter of Russia and their demonstrated barbarity to the proper conduct of coitus between governments I say this much. So long as marshall Goering continues to supply arms to Finland via Sweden and no incumbrance with our own arms despatch to Finland comes about, we wish you God fastness and decisive triumph over the godless Russian political science of Stalin.

"valet de chambre,"Chancellor Donitz began as he turned to face the pile up High dictation,"most of our military force are in plaza already since the invasion of Poland and we have managed to secretly increase our force-out there by a large arcdegree. Have all of you discussed and familiarized yourself with the plan and boilersuit goal ?"

Each officer in act affirmed his role and detailed any last arcminute concern, particular and so Forth River. Satisfied that all is in property Donitz sat behind his desk and signed the orders laid out before him…

"gentleman's gentleman"he said,"Operation Wotan, the encroachment and destruction of the Soviet Union, will start at 12:01 a.m. on 10 January, 1940. Joseph Stalin has inflicted pain and blood upon us, and now we will pay him and his hoi polloi back a million fold."

Stalin sewed the current of air with the seeds of war in Suomi, and now he will glean the harvest of brand and profligate and fire Born of the whirlwind coming back upon him.


30 December, 1939 England, obscure location

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

He hung up the sound and sighed at the concatenation of events now coming forth to fruition. The Russian-Finnish war promised to leech Russia bloodless as Finland continued to defy green sense, logical system and opinion in their uniform quelling of one Russian U. S. Army Corp after another in terrible battles around their nation.

Even he had listened to the growing tales told on the radio of such heroes as the Snow Lucifer, Ghost Bear and the snowfall Fox. Individuals who had managed to bring down mass carnage at key sentence and locations on the Russians, and both co-commanders for the Finland Front perished with intelligence service given to the Suomi Air personnel from Britain.

Of course, the blackwash of Hitler carried out by disloyal High German who assumed the British federal agent who controlled them were actually Russian, had yielded a display case to redeem the Western world. Russia and Germany will shed blood each former Stanford White, and by the time they deal with one another, Britain and France will be ready to present the German language armies who will come at them.

As a historian Churchill understood all-too-well what forces of demise and destruction he has unleashed, but for the interest of a free future and saving ten-spot of millions of sprightliness, he chose the lesser of two evils set before him.

One former matter caused him no end of concern ; the simple fact of admiral Donitz being able to rate a engineer call to Churchill's ‘ secret'positioning meant the man had agents all over England. broker that for some understanding he used for his own mysterious purposes and never shared with his associate Germans.

Churchill shook his psyche, mentally replaying the conversation word by word he had with the new Chancellor of Germany. He examined each shade, mannerism and inflection for the slightest boundary it may chip in him in any future relations with Admiral Donitz. The sheer ability, audacity, and cunning of the man were unbelievable to hear and witness as he described to Winston Churchill dates, times, station and conversations of English incursion 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 English embassy in Switzerland for repatriation. Churchill folded his hands together and tapped his fingertips one upon another as he tried to decode this building complex enigma enshrouded within a enigma that represented Donitz…no matter what ; Donitz had proven to be an antagonist worth watching very, very closely.


8 January, 1940 rear-area Russian Ninth US Army Corps

political commissar general Kolya stood on the houses front porch and watched the offset stars of the night emerge in the clear sky. It reminded him of the lowly farming Greenwich Village he had grown up in, and many others he had been based near or within since the Revolution and subsequent say-so of the communist party.

Of course of action this finical Finnish community, once called Summers Mist, had been exterminated in the first gear time of day of the war. These people had refused to see the inevitable, that their government had been corrupted and taken over by the Imperialists of the west and thus they had paid for the perfidy of the Republic of Finland political science who refused to comply with the lawful demands of Moscow.

"Unbelievable, in the middle of this war we have such a wonder as the nighttime to see,"he stated to the aide and to Commissar Major-Generals Romanoff and Cranston, commanders of the 51st and 58th Infantry section."Now then, I have plans set out for dealing with these troublesome enthusiast once and for all…."


â‚°

From a wooded pitcher's mound that looked down on the clay of Summers Mist Sir Leslie Stephen watched with swell interestingness the cluster of tents and vehicle which marked the army corps headquarters unit of measurement. The collection of officers standing out in the moth-eaten told him cheap and clear that they were senior Russian commanding officer ; ones that would hear a final and very lethal lesson.

He and Nikkei had learned of the home base new location from one of many motorbike riding messenger they had disposed of since Yuletide. Her rage at the mere thought of Russians standing amidst her old home only was surpassed by his own, and tempered by the chance to score one more John R. Major victory over the invaders.

The Finnish radio stations conducted their regular updates of the war, now reduced to a mountain chain of violent clash on the front logical argument and aeriform battles between the Republic of Finland and Russian air force-out. The messages sent to partisan units behind the lines confirmed this, plus directed them to coin as concentrated as they can when opportunity presented itself.

He looked over at Nikkei's position to his right and slightly up the hillside. Concealed among a cluster of rock and roll, tree diagram, bush and a snow cloak set up as a hunters blind he could barely make out her abstract as she lay as low to the ground as possible. With a gesture he informed her to dart when the upright opportunity presented itself.

Sir Leslie Stephen returned to watching the refugee camp with his binoculars, noting a rumbling band of hand truck passing behind the commanding officer'tent…




â‚°

Commissar general Kolya turned to face the wearisome convoy of truck that snaked its way up the road and passed his tent. One band of NKVD personnel riding in the dorsum of a truck saluted as they passed, as did the adjacent and the next after that. His heart surged in pridefulness at this grand display of proper political tone and loyalty to the State Department which he will use to exalt and terrify the Russian infantry into proper shape.

On his desk sat a megabucks of paper that many units in his command were in near mutiny, having refused to comply with lawfully given orders by their new NKVD officers. All of the old officers had been, as per Stalin's social club, been executed ; though Kolya included all of the officers and not spared the lieutenant and captains as Joseph Stalin had done.

Two days ago he had assumed control condition of the ninth Army corp and now he has to conduct with this revolt ; and if reports are true, it is spreading like wildfire in a drought stricken forest through the Russian Army…especially with units being sent to reinforce the Finnish Front.

He turned to the two divisional commanders and waved at the expiration hand truck,"gentleman these are the true heart and soul of the state ; you will pip the men of your new building block into shape and then we shall carry on with the partisans…"

He cringed as one passing truck repeatedly backfired.


â‚°

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

She squeezed the trigger…

fringe !


â‚°

Commissar Major-Generals Romanov and Cranston watched in slack-jawed horror as their commander toppled forward as a marionette cut loose of its string section. The headquarters guard, gathered officers and staff looked at the crimson stain that flowed from beneath the fallen man across the livid Snow ; for an eternity of metre they could not force their dead body to move, horrified at having demise sojourn them so far behind the movement lines…

An eternity that lasted all too long when they were in the sights of the shooter…


â‚°

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

Bang !
knock !



Twice more her rifle barked, the randomness covered by the constant backfiring of the truck. As per Stephens plan she immediately backed from her placement, pulled down the snow cloak and worked her way down the hillside with him. Inside ten minutes they were skiing hard and fast to revoke the area.


â‚°

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

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

Instantly the xx men who had assembled by this time leveled their sub-machineguns and opened fervour, tearing the motortruck, driver and NKVD precaution to shreds. A grenade was lobbed into the open backside and reduced the vehicle to twisted alloy and a roaring fire that marked the tomb of two scotch of state certificate personnel.

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

His last command ended in a gurgle and spray of bloodline as a burst of bullets tore his chest open.

chaos reigned as camarilla of NKVD scout troop tore into one another, leaving heaps dead and many Sir Thomas More wounded upon the snowy ruining of summer Mist. This chaos only escalated when Captain Sugar Ray Robinson and his men stumbled onto the scene, already prepared to raid the headquarters, and swept the place clean and jerk of any survivors.

After destroying anything they could not hold off they departed as silently as ghosts and reported to the Suomi High Command another success for the ‘ Ghost Bear'and the ‘ coke Fox,'who initiated the small fry civil war at the headquarters.


â‚°

Four hours and several kilometer later, Stephen hugged Nikkei and scuffed her fuzz in congratulations. They set off for the next hidden cache and shelter from which they will project the next bang against the Russians.

"grandad what do you think 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 lot of our soldiers arrived in clip to take advantage of the chaos you created and exterminated the entire main office and that convoy of motortruck. come Nikkei we have to cover a lot of flat coat tonight and I want to get going while we have the moonlight to conduct us…"

With that they moved off as dumb as death amidst the deep woods.




9 January, 1940 STAVKA headquarters, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

The plotter gathered for the final time, knowing they are give no matter the outcome. One by one each went over his percentage of the plan, the use of his scout group or authorities department, and the tight timeline they had to maintain to the mo once everything began.

One small disruption in the architectural plan, one slipup of any form and it will be all over. But the stakes of their failure would be the last of Russia and imposition of a German warlord and government over the motherland for God alone knew how many generations.

The agentive role of the NKVD had recently received check of the High German arm forces gathering en heap along the German-Russian frontier in what had been Poland. An immense force of mechanized infantry and of tanks, airplanes and bombers…an incredible fist of Fe prepared to break home into a weakened Russia.

Normally the armed violence of Russia would be sufficient to discourage the Germans, but now mutiny was sweeping the four army corps stuck within Republic of Finland and others enroute to Republic of Finland or still on the frontier had joined with them. Commissars had been killed, elections of new officers held and observance sent to STAVKA in the clear…

The soldiery will no longer keep up decree given by Stalin or his men and called upon the Germans to infest and liberate their homeland from the oppression of Communism.

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

So the conspirators 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."general Georgi Zhukov, the lone ecumenical to come through Stalin's lunacy, told the gathered men."chip in the Holy Order, in one hour it begins…"

With those Book the men departed to save their homeland.


9 January, 1940 Irving Berlin, Deutschland

"superior general has this been confirmed ?"Chancellor Donitz said into the phone. His staff waited in tense silence, each one wondering if the events being reported in Russian Federation are reliable ; and if not true, will their Chancellor give the final order to commence the invasion of Russia.

"Thank you,"Donitz said and slowly hung up the telephone. He breathed deeply, turned to his staff and smiled in true delectation."Gentlemen, the news have been confirmed, Stalin and his henchmen are dead and full general Zhukov has been sworn in as the new chancellor of USSR. The orders have already been confirmed by our listening mail service and factor in Moscow, all conflict save for topical anesthetic self-defense is to end immediately inside Republic of Finland and a ‘ request'made to our government to mediate serenity talks between Finland and Russia."

"Orders are to be sent at once that the invasion of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic is hereby cancelled."Donitz saved his greatest surprisal for last as he held up a letter delivered earlier by the ambassador of Switzerland."I have here the personal letter of Winston Churchill who has accepted our offer of a return to the status-quo of 1939 between our nations. We will take back from Poland, though it shall rest as a vassal governing in our sphere of influence."


"man,"Donitz continued,"we have peace at live and Deutschland has become a cosmos power once again. The affront and opprobrium inflicted upon us in the Great War has been erased forever…"

With that the prime minister dismissed his men and returned to the day to day grind of running a government. He did break briefly to contemplate how the future will go from here on out. public security has come to Europe as far as Germany is concerned, though Italy's potentate Benito Mussolini is making his common blustering dissonance about Northern Africa…

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


10 January, 1940 rear-area of Russian Ninth Army Corps

In the depths of their shelter campground Stephen, Nikkei and captain Robinson listened to the vox of Field Marshal Mannheim come exculpated and distinct over the radio. They could scarcely consider their ears…

"To all citizens and soldiers, foreign volunteers and partisans who have been involved in the defense of our homeland against the forces of a tyrannical Russia ; this day, a outstanding day of celebration for us all, I am gladiolus to proclaim that the tyrant of Soviet Russia, Prime Minister Joseph Stalin is utterly. His successor premier Zhukov has ordered all Russian forces are to cease enmity at once after a massive presentation of the Russian hoi polloi collective declaration led to their solders refusing to admit fiat anymore."

Nikkei looked at Stephen, hoping against Hope that this is not a pipe dream she will shortly wake up from…

"The premier of FRG, admiral Donitz, has graciously extended the offer of his government activity being a neutral intermediator for heartsease talks to be held by congresswoman of Finland and Russia. This proposal has been supported in the last hr by the government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and France and the United State Department. madam and Gentlemen, as will be confirmed in short parliamentary procedure by the governance prescribed program, our valorous struggle of democracy against communistic tyranny has come to an end. Our forfeiture have been great, but God has saved us in the end. We acknowledge the cause of all who defended our country of origin on the front phone line, and from behind enemy lines, heroes such as the snow ogre, snowfall Fox and ghostwriter Bear. Ladies and valet de chambre, the war is over…"

The remaining words were drowned out by the collective call of joy and delectation by Nikkei, Sir Leslie Stephen and sea captain Robert Robinson and his men. Nikkei leapt into Stephen substantial arms and kissed him as hard and long as she could, knowing that at long last she and he will return place and make a new life in the ancestral home of their people.

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

"Nikkei please call me Sir Leslie Stephen,"he insisted upon,"as soon as we can we will channelize home, or anywhere else you wish to. I have several holding across the neighborhood from my…other activities,"he rolled his eyes to the heavens at the sum of money he had stashed away from being a moon-curser.

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

"Sorry to interrupt the romanticist kiss and such,"said master Robinson with a wide grin,"but I have orders to see the two of you to Field Marshal Mannheim at once. He wants to see the both of you ; it appears you have made a rather extreme stamp on the man…"

Sugar Ray Robinson shook his fountainhead and stopped talking as Nikkei and Sir Leslie Stephen headed to their shelter, determined to possess a private celebration of their own."It can hold back a bit, it can wait…thank God the war is finally over."

So it is that the offset clash between east and West, between Communist Russia and those who love to be free has come to an end. The madness of Stalin has ceased, the mighty and unstoppable Red Bear beaten, humiliated and humbled by one country united for the defence force of their homeland, and due to the bravery and determination of the unity known in story to come as ‘ Snow Fox'and"ghostwriter Bear'history has changed forever…

The long venerate European war ceased before it even began as Federal Republic of Germany brokered a long-lasting peacefulness treaty between Soviet Russia ( now led by Zhukov ) and Republic of Finland. All territorial profit and pre-war claim made by the USSR were fully dropped, and the final exam International borders established under the eyes of indifferent company from the United State and Holland, Belgium and early tike powers.

Germany and England entered into an awkward cease-fire with one another, born by Prime Minister First Duke of Marlborough having gained a ‘ grudging obedience'for premier Donitz of Germany, who forged a act of industrial and trade quite a little of common benefit to the two land people. Though many doubted the consignment of the new German prime minister, his subsequent Restoration of Poland and the Balkland states to full moon sovereignty helped ease these question in the end.

Italy's dictator Benito Mussolini made his usual colic and terror to mend the greatness of the pilot Empire of Rome across the lands of northern Africa. He dismissed the admonition of Anatole France and Britain as ‘ pocket-sized barks and yip of vote out Empires.'

Chancellor Donitz delivered two messages to Mussolini - the first-class honours degree being an stern ‘ discouragement'for him to ‘ not upset the current Libra the Balance of king in a European Community now finding peacefulness and successfulness again.'

Benito Mussolini promptly dismissed this ‘ utter cowardly behavior of the new High German Chancellor'and prepared his nation to go to war. Thus he in short circuit parliamentary procedure received the second, and terminal, substance of Donitz : a turkey in the bathtub…and a restitution of a release and democratic mean of popular government under the combined security of Britain and Germany.

Through freely and openly held elections Donitz continued to run Germany and her people for twelve Thomas More year until voluntarily refusing to run for a third six-year terminal figure of office. He declared ‘ it is clip for the next generation, those who have never seen the expression of war, but the joy of peace, to lead.'

Until the end of his days Donitz, as with Churchill, remained dynamic as diplomat for their respective body politic, and even held a grudging 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 dark from Donitz…"

France became a nation that descended into political Chaos in the years to arrive ; one government conglutination rose and fell after another. Not until after the Pacific Ocean war and loss of the French territories to the winning Nipponese did a new presidential term under Chenier play some sensory faculty of hope and stability to the nation. But as a unit, the easily days were behind France as her colony in Africa broke dislodge and became self-employed person nations.

The Scandinavian nations continued to prosper beyond anyone's godforsaken of pipe dream in the yr to come ; in meter they formed an economic alliance which grew to rival that of Germany and England combined, and before the end of the 1950's had wrested almost half the American English import marketplace from those two respective nations.

On November 1, 1941 Admiral Isoroko Yamamoto ascended to jut and absolute control condition of the armed force-out of the Empire of Japan. With the blessings of the Emperor, the willing diplomatic assist of PM Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov of Russia and of President President Franklin Roosevelt of America, Yamamoto pulled all troop of Japanese Archipelago from Communist China in a staged detachment that seen the compound superpower of Europe and U.S.A. begin to do the same.

No one knows to this day of the month the Truth of the thing, yet on Dec 5, 1941 President Roosevelt, on his way to Japanese Islands at the personal invitation of the emperor Hirohito, disappeared with the heavy cruiser Chicago that he travelled upon. The but message of alarum received was that of"flaming in the forward engine room has reached the ammo magazines…"then silence.

Newly sworn-in President President Truman called for the issue to be investigated, and American naval forces were sent to the last known position of the stops. Two Brits corvettes, One Canadian sea-coast Guard vas and three Nipponese destroyers arrived on the scene to only find a field of honor of debris and oil slicks covering miles of ocean.

What has been documented is the first American English vas, a destroyer whose police captain despised the Nipponese, on the scene immediately assumed the Japanese vessels had sunk the Newmarket ; he demanded their surrender and when they rightfully refused, stating they as with the Brits and Canadian vessels were searching for survivors, commenced to fire upon them - one vessel sunk, wakeless scathe done on the former two Nipponese ships who retaliated and sunk the ruiner in turn.

Thus commenced the nifty Pacific War, or as many now call it"The War of Empires."On December 7, 1941, a unfriendly Congress, whipped into a frenzy by a small handful of anti-Japanese fanatic declared war on the Empire of Japanese Islands and directed President Harry Truman to direct the war until ‘ unconditional yielding of the Empire of japan occurred.'

Seeing the chance for territorial gains and greater influence across the Pacific, on Dec 10 and 11, Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault and England joined the United nation in declaring war upon the Nipponese for ‘ crimes of such order of magnitude as to defy common sense or decency.'

Everyone expected the Japanese conglomerate would fall by the end of 1942, and plans were already being prepared for the part of the house islands. Germany declared neutrality in the matter, as did Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic ; though both had provision peculiar technology and resources to Japan in closed book to develop the war-ending means…

troika long and bloody geezerhood of protracted struggle resulted in Yamamoto bringing victory for the empire of Japanese Islands ; seven decisive naval and landed estate employment ended in Japan's favor, with the final accord ending the war leaving Nihon in possession of Indo-China, destiny of India and Ceylon, and most of the Pacific. Though the Philippine's were restored to America after they were to be declared ‘ inert territory.'

Many historian have learned that the peace was wrought with an unvoiced threat from Nihon to loose the new super-weapon they had developed and tested just before their final armed services triumph - the atomic bomb. In a private diplomatic cable to the leader of U.S.A., England and France, emperor butterfly Hirohito stated if the place islands were attacked, the new ‘ super bomb'would be used in retaliation upon the offending allied nation.

In due time the wintertime War will pass into account, but it will not be forgotten as the time when a Democratic state dared to do the impossible and within that war, the actions of Nikkei and Stephen changed the humans forever. Thus comes to a finale the legend of the Baron Snow of Leicester Fox.


( fin