23 August, 1939 ( Headlines )

In a move that has shocked the political worldly concern at large ; the governments of Germany and the pairing of Soviet Socialist democracy have concluded and signed a treaty of mutual non-aggression. The released statements of many world leaders has ranged across the spectrum, from ones of rejoicing that the prospects of another swell war in Common Market has been avoided, to others who unofficially are seeking more info or are involved in a serial of ‘ acute word'with allied governments.


1 September, 1939 ( headline )

Ladies and gentlemen today it is my sad duty to announce that war has returned to the continent of Common Market as on this day the armed forces of FRG have invaded westerly Poland. Heavy fighting is reported by all side of meat, with Germany announcing ‘ rich, massive and sweeping penetration'by its armed forces. Allegedly the brush up army is already collapsing ; surrendering in ever growing phone number and the government has fled the nation for asylum in Romania. Unofficial news report from radio hustler in Republic of Poland speak of stay opposition that is ‘ stout, firm and determined'in the face of the unprovoked hostility of Germany.

Many world leaders have strongly denounced this aggression on the part of the government of Germany, with Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault, U.K. and the United DoS of America demanding that the army of Germany stop all hostilities at once. This is to be followed by withdrawal to the pilot border, while an international intermediation via the League of Nations occurs to determine the subject of hostilities between the respective governments.

No comment has been relayed from the German government.


3 Sep, 1939 ( Headlines )

On this day the crisis in Europe has grown exponentially, with the politics of France and Britain officially declaring war upon the authorities of Germany for the intrusion of Poland. Contacts within the respective armed forces and government departments tell that armed intervention in Poland, and the direct territorial intrusion of Deutschland ‘ shall occur within a hand counting of days, or at nigh, before the next two weeks are over.'

The fighting continues on, with the government of Germany reporting more and more territory gained with each passing hour, while Polish sources report the briny thrust of the German language Blitzkrieg has been blunted, but that the nations casualties have been high. The announcement of the declaration of war by France and Britain has brought renewed hope for the beleaguered nation.


17 September, 1939 ( Headlines )

In a move of blatant expedience and aggression the armies of the Union of Soviet Socialist democracy have invaded eastern Poland. The representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics declared that the move is to see to it that law and order and stableness are maintained in the cheek of the consummate collapse of the round off administration. Within hours the relocation had been condemned by about members of the league of Nations…


5 October, 1939 ( newspaper headline )

Poland has officially ceased to exist according to the governments of Germany and the Russia. The small Nation of Republic of Latvia, Lietuva and Republic of Estonia have been annexed by the USSR after being coerced into signing one sided ‘ mutual denial accord'with the central Communist government of Russia….

Unconfirmed reports mention that officials from Suomi have been invited to Moscow for ‘ discussions of a most specific nature concerning the mutual defense of both countries.'One former high-ranking armed forces policeman explained that usually means ‘ Moscow makes the threats and Suomi will earn yielding, or there shall be war in the end…'


â‚°â‚°

Deep in the Hall of STAVKA, Supreme Headquarters for the armed forces of the USSR, the tack leaders stand at attention as the lone man walked calmly in the door and silently proceeded to the capitulum of the long, map-covered table.

His every footfall echoed like thunder across the way, and heightened the chummy tensity that was further magnified by his nimbus of magnate, sanction, pitilessness and determination. He reveled in the veneration that radiated from all of those present, for all knew with a simple motion, a nod, or one spoken word, he could have or break off any or all of their careers, send them to the gulag for animation, or have them summarily executed.

Taking his seat he motioned for all to sit and began to explicate the topic at hand."Comrades, the conquest of Poland and the annexation of Latvia, Lietuva and Esthonia are nearing completion. The ancient territories of our great Rodinia are nearly complete, with one vexing exception. Despite our most generous offers to them, the flunkey of the Imperialist West, especially those of Britain, who ‘ regulate'in Finland, have slapped aside the mitt of commie generosity."

"Comrades, as of now I am instructing all of you to enact the plans we have prepared for such an eventuality,"the man stated, hammering away on the table with his fist as his eyes, moth-eaten and gray, 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 passive people of the Russia by the decrepit and Imperialist-led League of Nations.

"comrade, explain to me again every point of the plans as they exist at this time, do not get out out one item,"he declared as he motioned for the NKVD guard, phallus of the fear State Security setup, to watch for the first hint of defeatism, waver or anything that may be construed as treason. For those so suspected the results would be publically declared ‘ a quieten and well earned retirement'…

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

For that lone man, chancellor 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 men alone.

For nearly twenty yr he had fumed over the humiliation Finland and her Imperialist backer had inflicted upon him in 1921. So now he will have his revenge and have the right demesne of the Old Russian Tsar's restored to the motherland, under proper commie guidance of course.

He listened as the particular were explained over several hour, with only one humble addition proposed to see there will be no dubiousness as to ‘ Finnish aggression'being the cause of the coming invasion."Make it so,"said Stalin.


31 October, 1939 ( headline )

Today before the assembly of the Supreme Soviet, Foreign minister Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, for the first fourth dimension in world announced the terms ‘ requested'of the government of Suomi to ‘ ensure the defence mechanism of the peaceful people of the union of Soviet Socialist Republics.'

The ‘ requests,'a polite full term for what most people in the popular commonwealth of the humans will call ‘ need at the point of a gun'were for Edwin Herbert Land to be leased for thirty years, or transferred directly into the hands of the Russia while the administration of Finland would receive in retort state that is bare and worthless. German Chancellor Adolph Hitler has called upon the people of Republic of Finland and their leaders to assume the terms peacefully while time remains for them to do so…

Needless to say, the message of ‘ while fourth dimension remains for them to do so…'has dramatically increased tensions in a Continent already at war between the allies and the bloc powers.


â‚°â‚°

Stephen half-listened to the news coming from the day-after-day radio broadcasts that detailed the current build up of tension between Finland and Russia. Day by day the negotiations had been summarized in the distinctive way of Stalin and his cohorts…

"Agree to our terms with no compromise or face the fist of sword from our armies."That is the message they have sent before, when Finland finally won its independency at the end of the Great War.

Memories of that fierce time played across his mind as he examined the masterly-crafted rifle that he held ; its perfect figure and balance, custom-built as a birthday nowadays to one extra to him, will draw her one of the greatest of hunter ever to haunt game in the woods. The new scope mounted to it was commissioned by a supporter of his, whose designing were a generation or to a greater extent ahead of their time.

Stephen twirled and tossed the rifle ; rapidly worked the bolt-action to hit the concluding feel of how smooth it will wager 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 mar, no mistake in his greatest cosmos of all the small-arm he has handcrafted in his life as an armorer, soldier, hunting watch and…dealer in goods and stuff best leftfield unexplained and preferably never found by federal agent of the law.

He and his ally 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 twice checked the harness for any flaw. Again he found none, his supporter having done their workplace to absolute perfection.

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

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


24 November, 1939 ( Headlines )

Tensions continue to construct between the regime of Suomi and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as two buffet proposals were made to find an honorable resolution to the need of Moscow. Both proposals were summarily rejected as being completely unacceptable on the premiss they would depart the Soviet Union completely vulnerable in the region of Leningrad.

All diplomatical ties between Republic of Finland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have been severed by the leaving of the Suomi party after being ordered home to Helsinki for ‘ consultations.'


26 November, 1939 ( Headlines )

Unconfirmed reports coming from the political party word services of the USSR have declared a ‘ surprise and dastardly attack on Russian district has occurred by whole of the fascist government of Suomi upon instructions by their masters, the Imperialist Industrialists of the West.'

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

â‚°â‚°

"My fella Comrade,"declared the legendary ‘ man of brand,'Premier Stalin to the Soviet high school program line who stood at attention before the table where he sat."talks have fallen through with the fascist government of Finland, and now we have this wanton Assault upon our homeland. As per plan already prepared for such an happening, the parliamentary procedure are henceforward given to you and your troops…just before dawn on 30 November the great army of the matrimony of Soviet Socialist democracy shall occupy Finland and liberate her suppress masses who cry for freedom under a right commie government."

His anger flared hot in his heart and iron-cold in his words as he slammed his hand on the hard table,"I will be very clear in this issue. Failure will not be tolerated ; the slightest mansion of incompetence, cowardly legal action and treason against the party or the nation will have in mind compact carrying into action by the NKVD. All order 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.

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

Soon enough the disgrace inflicted upon him by Finland so long ago will be avenged, a morose spot on his cutthroat reputation. Everyone demonstrate knew that the words he spoke of give way negotiations were simple windowpane dressing, for the might of four Russian Army corps was in place at key crossing points along the Finland - Russian border.

encroachment had been inevitable for some time, and the Fin's would pay for their stubbornness in ardour and stemma.



30 November 1939 rear-area of Russian one-ninth Army corporation

Major-General Yuri Bogdan watched the edge region from the wooded ridgepole just shy of the Finnish-Russian border. The small Greenwich Village, little More than a hamlet not even desirable of a mark on any official map, showed at the limit of his binoculars, just one more than youngster obstacle for the noble-minded liberation of Suomi that will be erased in a few more minutes.

He turned to the regimental commanders who surrounded him, each standing tall and proud, as he gave them his final instructions in the gravid crusade that is to start out. Each order was repeated back in precise detail to him and to the division's boss commissar, Major-General Vitaly of the NKVD ( res publica Security ). All of the military officer knew that one trip-up, one unsuccessful person, one infraction, or the appearance of any of the aforementioned, can become earth for summary execution by the NKVD.

Anyone doubting that only had to peek at the freshly turned dry land that marked xxx graves of cuss officeholder who were shot an time of day ago for ‘ out or keeping lack of fighting sprightliness for the cause of the state.'

"Comrades,"Major-General Bogdan spoke to the gathered officers,"our sectionalisation has been granted the honor of spearheading the crusade in the liberation of our communist brethren from the fascists who currently rule Suomi. As you know, LE than 72 time of day ago, our autonomous ground was violated in a border crash designed to chevvy the world's sympathy for the brigand leaders of Finland and thus turn them against our respectable leader Comrade Stalin."

He watched Major-General Vitaly casually stroll back and Forth River around the military officer, as one would require of a rancher or farmer inspecting his prized appeal of cows and steers before sending them to market. He went on with his speech,"Comrades, each of us will execute our theatrical role to perfection, and we will maintain radio secrecy as per ground forces Headquarters Order until instructed otherwise. Use the motorbike couriers 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,"stop number, jar and unappeasable force per unit area, this is how we shall split up this section of the front line wide open and advance ever onward. All prisoner taken are to be sent to our brother of country surety unless directed, as per orders signed by PM Comrade Stalin, otherwise by each regiments commissar or by orders of Major-General commissar Vitaly."

He pointed to the recently filled grave accent to one side of the gathered officers,"Understand, there is to be no retirement or surrender,"his vocalisation deepened as his rage mounted,"those who do so are shamefaced of betrayal and shall be dealt with swiftly as these traitors to the Department of State have been dealt with."

"Now return to your regiments and get gear up to cross the border as per plans,"he watched the police officer salute and flee for their staff vehicles like a terrified gathering of coney in the sight of a dance orchestra of war hawk on the hunt.

â‚°â‚°

Stephen had just crested the pocket-sized mound summit when he heard the first thundering of heavy weapon unleashed from across the border. He watched in horror as attack after crushing fire of shank shell and rocket landed around the hamlet of summer Mist, where his granddaughter Nikkei's birthday party is taking shoes, a day of joy and happiness as his mother country neared war that no one wanted to accept happen.

Sadly, as the cloud of bullet and churned terra firma merged with the outcry and screams of his home and booster, he knew the war no one wanted had begun. He shouldered the cloth-wrapped present 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 2nd time in his life-time by warfare.


â‚°â‚°

Her world spun in a haze of pain sensation and dizziness as she struggled to open her eyes. The docile crackling of a fire flooded her spike and the mixture of cooking meat, burning wood and other olfactory sensation assaulted her sense of odor with overwhelming force. She struggled to come up, slowly lifting herself onto her articulatio cubiti and then falling back to the reason still enshrouded by the thick mantle someone had put over her while she was unconscious.

A shape leaned down succeeding to her and handed her a cup of inhuman water that she guzzled down, all but choking upon its chilled descent into her parched backtalk and throat.

"Easy Nikkei, well-heeled there get your time,"Stephen said as he helped her sit up. He checked the large bruise she had on her brow and chuckled as she swatted at him when he touched one sore speckle after another."You will be all right Nikkei ; at the least I still have my granddaughter with me."

"Grandpa what happened,"Nikkei asked, not comprehending his conclusion words he had said to her,"Where are all the others, mama and papa and my brothers…"She stopped upon seeing the expression that showed upon his grimace, understanding at last what had happened to everyone else.

"No grandad, no not that, please not that,"she said, collapsing into his coat of arms as he drew her close. She broke down completely, the asshole coming hard and fasting for the loss of her stallion kinsfolk."Why grandpa, why did this have to bechance ?"

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

Actually he did know, having followed the intense dialogue between the Finnish-Soviet governments. Each day the USSR had become more and more demanding in the concessions it sought, making it clear with none-too-subtle menace and gestures that war would be the resolution save for complete and unconditional surrender of all territorial need made…a mountain range of demand that Stephen knew could not be accepted by Finland.

Yet he, like virtually in the crossroads, had hoped for common sense and serenity to come about. So it was that Nikkei's eighteenth birthday offered a time to observe and for the community to forget about the exterior world for a short-change time…then the bombardment arrived, slaughtering nearly everyone and destroying every edifice in the area.

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

Nikkei pointed to the bound bundle side by side to Stephen and asked,"Grandpa, what is that you have there ?"

He looked into her pain-filled eyes, glad for something to unhinge her even for a short clip 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 class, one all of your own."

Nikkei watched as Stephen untied the sheaf and removed a rifle scabbard from beneath the canvass. He turned and presented it to her as if she were a fagot of some block body politic worthy of a rarified and treasured gift from her people.


She took the rifle scabbard in her hands and laid it across her lap, stroking the soft leather covered in flannel fur. The rifles neckcloth, made of finely lacquered wood carved in detailed images of her hunting in the deep forest spoke of Stephens's acquirement as a master gun maker and armorer.

Gently Nikkei pulled it disembarrass of the scabbard and examined it for some sentence, feeling the exact balance and form that already felt a natural propagation of her. The telescopic sight glistened in the mild firelight, and she spotted the signature of an old champion of her grandfathers, a man who made masterwork optics superior to even the finest made in Germany.

Two tremendous treasures for her birthday ; such a trophy of wealth she felt unworthy of possessing let lonely being able to obtain in her hands.

"Grandpa I can't engage this, it's more worthy in your hands…"she shushed as Stephen shook his head.

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

"I wish mama and dad could have seen this, along with everyone else…'she began to sob again as the truth slammed home hard in her heart. Her family is gone forever, as are her supporter, all save for Stephen. Something late in her mortal snapped, flooding her with a fiery firmness of purpose that consumed her in an New York minute. The beasts who had done this to them will be made to pay, and in blood.

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

He shook his head, recalling the clock time back in the struggle of 1918 when Finland won its independence from the tsar's of Russia, and the times of worry 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 foeman that they called him ‘ touch Bear.'

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

"Nikkei we are going to get you to safe and then I and some protagonist will begin to fight these ogre, I will not lose…oh why I even bother…'He snorted and rolled his middle to the Shangri-la as she struggled to bear up and storm out of the minor cabin to go it alone."God above, she is more like me than even her mama could experience figured…"

"Nikkei hold on there,"he grabbed her as she began to collapse to the floor, still woozy from the blow to her headway."amercement then, I have a few things to get prepare for our hunt, we will be partisan then here in our orbit of the woods and Hill ; one thing emphatically, I call the shots and we do this my way until we have driven those freak out of our homeland."

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


â‚°

As Nikkei slumbered away the day, Stephen headed off into the woods, making contact with some old Friend who dealt in thing best left unmentioned in the presence of the self-assurance. They had prepared for the prospect of war coming, establishing caches of arms and former geartrain around the country for a stripe of partisans to use if they needed it…and now they will, for once again ‘ Ghost Bear'will enroll into war and make his enemies pay for their offense in blood.

He continued on into the Grant Wood, seeking a berth where his personal cache of ‘ special commodity'waited retrieval.

As the address came into sight, little more than a clump of careen and shrubs covering a small-scale cavern in their deepness he reached into his coat and rested his manus upon the hilt of his hunting knife. The faintest odor of cigar tobacco filtered through the air, coming closer with each passing instant, soon to be joined with the soft compaction - crunching of several pair of snowshoes coming towards him.

He edged into the nearby shrub and trees, concealing himself so as to come along as little more than another minor clump of rocks at the base of a mightily northern pine as the people who followed him closed in, dance step by step, 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 primer. Sir Leslie Stephen pulled out his knife to deliver the expiry gust and suddenly stopped as the man beneath him gently chuckled.

maitre d'hotel Ray Robinson of the Finnish U. S. Army grinned and looked at Stephen,"You have not lost any of the skill 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 km off. You learned the lessons well, but apparently your own students have not. Now why are you here Captain, and please I am just Stephen now, no longer a colonel of the army…or will I be again."

"Sir Leslie Stephen is it then,"began Robinson,"we're here to scout and plague the advancing Soviet Army as it heads up the route. Someone has to stay behind and go partisans, though from the grinning on your look I assume you already throw begun that task ?"

"In a manner of speaking,"Stephen filled in his old pupil and friend in on his architectural plan."Right now I am off to contact others in the orbit who will watch and strike as they can. Even in our free-lance shipway, we can exercise together and take in the Russians living a aliveness hell."

Walker Smith nodded as he caught the subtle usage of ‘ we'in his last-place sentence, relation of another who will hunt the Russians with Stephen.

"fair enough Stephen,"Robinson said as his men advanced, shocked to see their drawing card talking to an old man who appeared to come out of nowhere. He looked at Stephen and asked of his old champion,"So then, what name will our cryptical Orion be called ?"

Stephen grinned, knowing then and there Robinson will go along with anything he asked or needed done,"The Snow Fox, for we will exhibit the true craft us Fins have when on our base terra firma. Now I have to get a few former things done and ‘ acquired'then the hunt will begin."

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


3 Dec 1939 near front line of Russian 163rd Infantry air division


Major Joseph stood by the armor staff car with his sub-machine gun clenched tight in his grasp. His victor in the NKVD ( State certificate ) had made his command painfully clear-cut ; keep a close down eye on the activities of Major-General Bogdan as he served as his device driver, courier and personal escort out in the field. loser in any way will result in compact execution.

Over a dozen Thomas More soldiers, young police lieutenant and chieftain, stood around or waited in their own stave cable car for instructions from the general. Almost all of them gazed from metre to clock time to the advancing line of truck, tanks and tank-riding infantry that snaked its way along the single route ever deeper into Suomi. The removed ground-shaking roar of the artillery no longer registered with them, having become little more than background stochasticity in the one-quarter day of their lightning fast ( kind of ) pace of the attack.

Major-General Bogdan stood high upon the hood of his car as he scanned the horizon with his all right field glasses, a gift from his grandfather many long age past. His frustration mounted by the minute at the bullheadedness of the Finnish protector who have defied his ability to smash through them for the last three days. Three days and his division were barely xx miles across the border.

"Speed, speed and ever more speed. That is how we win this war, speed, shock and sturdy aggression against any who stand against us,"he muttered to himself."maitre d'hotel Craigson, secure that all regimental and lower air force officer understand the fiat. Unrelenting pressure, there will be no more withdrawing or moving other than at the enemy ahead. Any failures and I will personally shoot the officers myself if need be."

The captain repeated back his program line, saluted and retreated to his staff car, which tore off down the road with due haste to ensure the content was received and duly carried out.

Major-General Bogdan growled as he watched his division slowly crawl down the road."The Finnish lackey's of the Imperialist West and Capitalists will get word what it means to refuse the Soviet Union. We will guide back what is rightfully ours since long before the rotation began. They wanted war, so now they shall have it and we will rebuild their society into a genuine Communist state as it should be."

His mood suddenly brightened at the sight of a of a battery of truck-mounted skyrocket catapult and two batteries of artillery moved off the route and began to set up for firing at targets located by his watch. So much firepower being fain meant that at least a multitude or two of enemy soldiers had gathered to make a heroic last rack against his armor and infantry tearing ever profoundly into their homeland.

The sound of a motorbike informed him that a messenger had arrived, and he nodded in satisfaction as the man stopped his bike, handed his government note to sea captain Dima who double-timed it to the general. When he read the note, Major-General Bogdan felt his blood boil as he shouted, raged and cursed while directing another motorbike mounted messenger to actuate forward and tell his divisional headquarters to advertise his three hint regiments forward with all speed or face execution at his own hands.

He cursed the orders of ‘ absolute radiocommunication secretiveness'that came from his Lake Superior at U. S. Army HQ's fifty or more nautical mile behind his division."Damn them for their rebelliousness to the needs of the motherland !"he shouted while shaking his fist in the direction of the Suomi defenders.

Nearby another elderly ship's officer smiled at the absolute rage of Major-General Bogdan. Of line when this officer smiled, all the attendant police officer of the general cringed, instantly coming to attention and saluting, if only to save their own lives, 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 middle shifted across the horizon and then across the terra firma before him. Even the slightest movement drew his attending as he quickly dismissed it as the breaking wind, an creature or a Russian Soldier moving around on some delegacy or another.

He watched a second officer, probably the NKVD counterpart of the officer who stood atop his elevator car hood, stroll with pure arrogance and insolence becoming of a commissar of high rank over to the vehicle and mount upon the hood as well. The remaining officers stood at a goodly distance, all save for the military officer's number one wood who looked and moved like a small-scale terrier determined to protect its skipper from a pack of starved wolves.


â‚°

"Yes comrade they do have it coming for their rebelliousness to the motivation of the motherland,"said John Roy Major General Vitaly, Political commissar for the naval division of Major-General Bogdan."It appears you are ahead of schedule by a bit, despite word coming of some resistance run into by your lead elements."

"Comrade Commissar it is soundly to see you up and about."Major-General Bogdan said as he gave his comrade the best salute he could manage."We are pushing hard for our 24-hour interval objective and I have ordered the men to push all the harder. There is some account opposition, yet we shall push harder than before and shatter them completely. In unawares order any prisoner will be in your workforce, as they should be, and we shall be one footmark closer to flying the flag of International Communism high over this solid ground of defiant banditti."


â‚°

To Stephens leftfield, slightly higher up upon the craggy cumulus of stone and bush among the great true pine timberland a couple of bluish center stared at the policeman through the CRO of her rifle. She slowly brought her hand up to the orbit and made some minute adjustments, allowing her to shell out with the range, hint and other variable to put her nip rightfield on target when the moment arrived.

Both officers on the cars hood turned to watching the skyline through their field glasses.

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

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

One final calculation of the kitchen stove and all variables flowed through her brain as she squeezed the trigger…


â‚°

Major-General Bogdan smiled as the intemperate artillery sounded off, the aloud thunder of the howitzer merging with the screaming cry of Katyusha rockets tearing off from their truck-mounted launchers. He shook his fist in delight, imagining the carnage beginning to fall on the hapless Finland Army regulars'just km ahead when he felt something wet splatter across the slope of his straits, left arm and chest.


He turned in fourth dimension to see the torso of Major-General Vitaly collapse to the land with all of the grace of a butchered boar. The sight of the gaping lesion left from the bullet his heading had intercepted caused Bogdan to freeze, ineffective to move, speak, or even think. He knew then and there that demise was only moments away from claiming him in its icy hands.

John Major Chief Joseph leapt upon the cars exhaust hood and tackled Major-General Bogdan. The heater meant for the universal took the man in the rachis, severed his pricker and ruptured his heart, dead before he and the general plummeted to the primer coat, sheltered by the armored car from the snipers fire.

Pandemonium reigned in the full general building block as some of the men ran to help Major-General Bogdan and the fallen commissar and John R. Major Joseph. The rest dove for the nearest covert they could find and repay fire with pistol, rifle or sub-machinegun at suspected sniper locations as the study artillery continued to thunder away and make it nearly impossible for one man to find out another even close up.

With mechanically skillful efficiency, one police officer after another flopped to the undercoat, a unmarried red wound found in their torn throats or skulls. In lupus erythematosus than two minutes, as the weapon fell silent once again and their bunch commenced preparations to act on down the road, 13 men lay dead on earth, while the survivor huddled in the protective shadow of blanket, not daring to make a motion or even breath.

Even the normally unflappable Major-General Bogdan looked about, stunned and overwhelmed at the sheer carnage wrecked by some stranger enemy in such a unretentive span of time. It was over a 30 minutes before he regained his calm and shouted out orders to move the unit to his class headquarters and even longer to give notice Army HQ of the going of Major-General Vitaly.

â‚°

"cum Nikkei its time to lead and quickly,"Stephen said to her as he finished wiring the last of many ‘ gift'he had set out earlier to further punish the Russians when they came to investigate the domain. As he considered the carnage to follow from his ‘ giving,'Stephen and Nikkei donned their skis and disappeared into the Ellen Price Wood little more than twin ghostwriter headed to one of many temporary worker shelters they will fare to use in the calendar week and months ahead.


â‚°â‚°â‚°

The sight of the snaking track of tanks, trucks, artillery and infantry which pushed ever deeper into his homeland sickened maitre d'hotel Robinson. He wondered how very much of a chance his Carry Nation honestly had to stop this unyielding mass of alloy and men bent upon the sodding seduction 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 enrage orders of officers watched by stern-eyed NKVD commissar. Some of the officer, led by a commissar Major, examined one area of ground and the bodies left behind after some form of ambush had occurred.

A quick counting of the foot told him that he and his men faced a reinforced company of Russian soldiers, who began to spread out. Some marched unto a modest crag of stone and shrubs while the remainder headed towards Robinson and his men at a brisk walk. He could see that the member of this second ring were hesitating and on boundary, though their fears of the commissar outweighed any danger from the woodlands ahead of them.


Captain Robinson and his handful of men dropped down under screen as a pocket-size explosion erupted from that rocky crag, felling over a dozen Russian soldiers. Chaos erupted as a second eruption erupted, unleashing a wafture of alloy combat, nails, and former projectiles that wounded a scotch and five of men. The surviving infantry began to kindle at random into the woods with rifles and sub-machineguns as fast as they could while yelling at the top of their lungs.

They charged at the Sir Henry Joseph Wood edge, only to give their ragged formation shattered by a chemical chain of blasts triggered by hidden tripwires. Pillars of smoke and tossed crap rose as men fell to the primer coat seeking cover, short or dying.

"Now men, now, take them down while we can !"maitre d' Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson shouted to his men as the complete time for a improvise ambush had arrived. Rifles merged with the tap-tapping of four light motorcar guns which scythed across the Russian infantry, felling them one after another after another.

In lupus erythematosus than a minute the battle was over and his men swarmed among the beat Russians to forgather rifles, ammo and anything of worth in the way of military intelligence they could find. Two instant after they began, he and his men disappeared back into the woods, where two hours and seven kilometers away the senior pilot examined a set of orders to the NKVD commissar Major to ‘ find and pay off the banditti who slew Major-General Vitaly and 14 other officers.'

"XV officers and they left behind a chain of mountains of booby gob for their chaser ?"sergeant-at-law Jermaine, the aide of Captain Edward Goldenberg Robinson, whistled softly and didder his chief in disbelief."Who could possibly have done that ?"

"I'll tell you who did this,"Captain Robinson said with a looking at of amazement on his face,"It was the work of the C. P. Snow Fox. I need a runner to get the information we have back to our position of the lines, and get it there on the double."

captain Robinson watched the messenger ski away and then turned to his men and nodded. Quiet as the still air around them they departed, determined to catch and hit the invading Russians whenever and wherever they can to take a crap life as miserable for them as possible.


7-8 December, 1939 Kingdom of Sweden - unknown manor house

Swedish Prime Minister Hansson looked out the libraries window upon a solid ground covered in snowfall and for a moment dreamed that the earthly concern was still at ataraxis. He sighed, knowing that such a dreaming is finished for many a year to make out since another keen war has erupted.

turn back to his two former Edgar Albert Guest he looked upon his old friend Ryti, Prime Minister of Republic of Finland and here on ‘ private thing'for his commonwealth."Will the terms be acceptable in the end ?"he asked of Ryti.

blossom Minister Ryti looked at the one-third valet in the room, a man of unpitying ambition and ill-concealed avarice. No subject the absolute disrespect he held for this man, Republic of Finland needed the weapon system and supplies even more ; so he has dealt with the lesser of two evils to make unnecessary his nursing home."It will be satisfactory, as per the terminal figure we have agreed upon."

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

With that the man, High German E. G. Marshall Herman Goring departed for his trajectory home.



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

In the old prospector's cabin, little more than a renovated shack, Nikkei watched as the sun cast its final rays of sparkle before departing below the horizon and allowing the dark to embrace the estate in its grip. She put the blanket back into place, to keep even the slight firelight from escaping into the outside man. She looked to the cabin door and wondered when Stephen would be back from ‘ meeting with some friends nearby.'

She returned to cleaning her rifle with peachy tending, determined to ensure that the artillery of her revenge was kept in everlasting condition for the next ambush set by Stephen and her. Step by step as she had been taught so long ago she cleaned and oiled each section in turn, ensuring that not one speck of dirt, grit, or anything could jam or punch it up at the moment when she would want it most.

The little radio receiver Stephen had somehow become his manus upon whisper news of the away Earth between the static-filled battle cry of the aurora borealis dancing overhead. What intelligence came from official sources among the Northern and European stations painted a bare future tense for her motherland, as four monolithic army chemical group have crossed the borders from due north to south, seeking to conquer the entire nation.

To the Dixie, on the Karelian band the Russians have pushed the Finnish Army back to the Mannerheim line. A massive artillery unit bombardment, nearly two days in length if the reports are to be believed, preceded a massed infantry assault in the region of Taipale supported with regimental strength artillery, rocket-fire, aerial bombing and speaker system used to broadcast calls for surrender of the Finnish army until they were shot apart by Suomi snipers.

Nikkei listened and smiled, pleased to hear the news of the Finnish United States Army had dug in deep, with well sighted heavy weapon and weapon system, and then ripped apart the Russians ravishment. injured party from the carnage were estimated at 5000 dead Russians and twice that injured, along with 500 prisoners. Curiously she heard about the crushing defeat made against the Russian armor, some lxxx army tank destroyed or disabled and captured.

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

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

Nikkei looked at the little trey of bottles tied to her ring, each one prepared to extradite another deadly surprisal on any armored wildcat or fomite when assailed during an surprise plan of attack. Stephen had been rather dubitable about the melodic theme when she suggested it, but on the constrict secondary roads in the thick woods, five burned out trucks and a armored car testified to its simplistic and brutal efficiency.

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

The last messenger had turned out to be the most vital one to date. She and Sir Leslie Stephen had been crossing one of the secondary roads during a light up snow with her in the lead, and covering Stephen after she reached the far side. No sooner had she prepared her rifle the courier came tearing around a bend in the road. She had aimed and shot him down without a seconds disinclination, and thus gained both of them a useable motorbike and the critical trade good in the messenger satchel case.


Long into the nighttime Sir Leslie Stephen had sat in this very cabin after dumping the motorbike, out of gas and appropriately booby-trapped for any curious Russians. The paperwork he looked through contained high-value war machine codes and communiqués, Order of battle and supply status - it detailed the low spirit level of provisions and ammo among the Russian army building block in this area.

Sir Leslie Stephen had explained he needed to get this hooey to some ‘ supporter in high stead'and would be back as soon as he could. She was given some particular instructions : if he is not back by the outset ray of dawn the next day, or at the first sighting of a Russian, she is to take flight at once and head for one of the six muckle he described. Of path if time permitted before she bolted, she was to ‘ spark'the small surprise contained in the cabin for the stupid Russians.

Her slumber that night was spasmodic and tormented by nightmares of strange things coming out of the mists she could not remember after being woken by a flight of Soviet Air Force bombers and hero overhead. She took a peak out the minor windowpane facing to the east and hoped against hope to see Stephen coming up the trail in the rising sun…

Instead she gasped at the sight of four scotch Russian infantry advancing at a steady gait towards the cabin.


â‚°

"livelihood down and watch over, no one make any interference that may get them down upon us,"Stephen whispered to the men who accompanied him. When Hannu, Kalevi, Joni and their partisans nodded he turned back to catch 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 merging station and will look there for him.

Meter by meter the soldiers advanced and spread out to circle the cabin under the iron-hard gaze of the units'political commissar. If anyone remained inside the cabin there will be no chance for them to escape, and the provision needed by the partisans will probably be found as well…


â‚°

Nikkei quickly tossed on her gravid pelage, slipped on her multitude and rifle scabbard, and prayed as never before in her aliveness as she struck a mate and held it to the duration of fuse-cord leading to Stephen little surprise for the fast approaching Russians.

Once the cord started to whoosh and burn off, she dropped it to the flat coat and fled the cabin, cleared the small ridge behind it and commenced a zigzag run for safety. She used every feature of the terrain and wood to give her any cover, anything to keep her from being seen by the advancing Russians. When she finally stopped and plopped down behind a clustering of trees she silently cursed at having left her set of skis back in the cabin.

"At least I didn't leave 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 possible, orders or no fiat from her grandpa.

She moved as silent as a ghost and with the free grace of a cervid across the land. Her skill in doing so had been perfected over tenacious years of hunting and drill with Stephen, and on occasion when he travelled to make a purchase or make a deal that was best left unexplained to anyone else, especially someone connected to the law of the land.


Just shy of the crest she stopped, eased her rifle from its scabbard and checked her sack to ensure the superfluous powder magazine were make if she needed them. Meter by measure she slowly and cautiously eased her way to the peak of the ridge, propped herself up on her elbows and gazed upon the Russians below who had just arrived at the old cabin.

She softly cursed at the fact of Sir Leslie Stephen surprise for the Russians had not yet gone off, and wondered what had gone wrong 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 Finnish KP-31 sub-machinegun, and sent out a barrage of torment and vilification so blasphemous the demesne should have melted away. A smoke tore a chunk out of the Tree mere centimeter from his human face as he exposed himself again, bringing up the Sir George Paget Thomson and fired off short flare-up into the still advancing mass of Russian infantry.

import before Hannu and Kalevi had nearly moved their men into berth to take down the Russians who encroached on the old cabin. Though risky, they have to strike at their enemy, the supply cached away beneath the cabins floor board are needed by the local enthusiast force-out.

Sir Leslie Stephen and Joni, along with a dozen other partisan stayed back to guarantee their outflow route if the battle turned against them…only to be surprised by the sudden arriver of two Russian infantry ship's company, roughly 300 men total. Instantly Stephen ordered his men to the cover of the tree and to provoke on the advancing forces.

Roughly forty or more Russians fell to the offset barrage of lowly weapons system fire as two sluttish political machine guns scythed across them like a harvester in a wheat field. Hand grenades added to the carnage being wrought as blast after flesh-rending blast shattered the lead story Russians morale, sending them howling back down the trail…

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

Needless to say, the surviving solders suddenly became motivated to call on around and submit their chances with the Suomi zealot.

Stephen reloaded his Suomi three more metre before his ammo was exhausted and he cursed as the Russians continued to shape up at a very cautious footstep. His handgun came out and he moved from covering fire to wrap up, hunting the Russians. The first of all one emerged into his mass and became the first prey he took…

In a flurry of motion Sir Leslie Stephen cut down one Russian soldier after another as he moved among them, each of his Lahti pistols becoming an elongation of him. One shot, one kill, the Saami blueprint delivered with calm precision. A cluster of Russian solders charged at him from the Natalie Wood as he calmly reloaded his pistols, grinned and one after another, and thus reaped a harvest of death on his foes.

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

Meter by meter they had to move over ground, pushed back by the sheer weightiness of numbers that inevitably benefited the Russians. Their enemy kept on coming out of the woods, an unending cascade of angry enemy determined to stump out their tormenters, even as the dead mounted in heap upon fallen heap of tattered flesh and bone.


He hoped Hannu and Kalevi had adequate sentience to scratch the ambush and get their men to safety. As even Sir Thomas More Russians advanced up the pathway to reinforce the shattered whole fighting the partisans, Stephen knew in his heart that he will not be leaving this fight alive…

He prayed for Nikkei, that she has fled and gotten to safety, and that his sins of being a smuggler of arms and early semi-illegal trade good could be forgiven when he stood before the judging throne of God. He did not pray for a miracle, knowing that such is beyond his lot to deserve…

Though that is exactly what happened…


â‚°

Nikkei watched as a tercet of officers ran around and shouted orders at their men to festinate off to join the battle down the trail. None of the soldiers seemed willing to manoeuver that way, having come to respect and revere the skill of their implacable foe ; not even with the sheer system of weights of numbers on their side could the officers make them take the foremost pace back down the trail.

One officer, a commissar if she understood his rank correctly, argued with the other two, who appeared to be political commissar as well, about the need to seize the cabin and any provision that remained within it. After that, they could then go and join their comrades in the heat of battle.

Having decided enough is enough she raised her rifle, braced the stock against her articulatio humeri and aimed at the talkative political commissar. The comeback of her rifle was smothered by the intense gunfire from the wood, but she saw the commissar plumb bob to the undercoat, his skull having stopped the bullet.

The other commissars looked at their fallen comrade with dewy-eyed manifestation of fright and shock in equal measure. Within five seconds both of them joined their comrade on the ground, utterly before they hit the earth.

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

Some fled into the woods, determined to consume their fortune with the remaining commissar than face the deadly sniper now picking them off one by one. Shortly after the last entered the Sir Henry Wood, a furious cascade of gunfire cut them down as soul unknown region to Nikkei had arrived…

Thirty Russians sought shelter behind or within the cabin, one of them tossed Nikkei's shattered skis out the threshold with a strand of curses. They began to burn down away with exact shots from rifle, pistol or their own sub-machineguns at the opposition in the woods.

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

Of course that happened to be the jiffy Sir Leslie Stephen ‘ gift'to the Russians went off, several sticks of dynamite secured to over thirty jerry-cans filled with gas concealed under and around the cabin. The blast reaped a massive harvest of end, and left Nikkei not one living Russian to shoot.

Even Nikkei, partly shielded by the crest of the ridge, was flung away and she cursed as she and all of her gear rolled downhill until a gruelling tree assisted in stopping her. Clutching her offend head 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 partisans down the track fighting to entertain the Russians at the boundary of the forest, and acknowledge if they were forced fully into the glade behind them they would shine to the final man. The clattering of gunfire to her right indicated more partizan were even now engaged in a second Death struggle against some former band of Russian troops.

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

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


â‚°

Sir Leslie Stephen grinned like a banshee tearing across the Moor as the thundering replication from the detonated ‘ talent'in the cabin carried out to the horizon. He knew then and there Nikkei had fled the cabin and even now was on her way to safe.

He dropped to one genu, partially concealed by a large rock-and-roll, and commenced to kindle both pistols at the howling Russians that charged out of the woods. His personnel of partisans was down to him and four others, and surrounded by their foe whom they knew would show no mercy…the sudden gunshot deeper in the Sir Henry Wood indicated that Hannu and Kalevi had engaged a big Russian party with their men, and told him they confronted a reenforce large number or a full regiment of infantry.

Click-click…

Stephen howled as his handgun emptied and drew out his hunting tongue and pounced upon the closest Russian, ending his lifespan in one Jonathan Swift stroke. His elbow joint slammed into the side by side soldier coming up behind him, followed by a knife thrust to the gut ; then three Sir Thomas More Russians closed on him, rifles leveled and eye showing that they did not mean to take him as a prisoner.

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

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

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

"Joni,"Sir Leslie Stephen bellowed out as his old champion came into lot, 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 exquisitely, let's go and see what we can do for Hannu and Kalevi…"Both men startled at the sound of reflex modest arms flack 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 band of heavily armed men accompanied by the partisans emerged out of the forest and met with Stephen and Joni.

"Stephen we keep meeting in the craziest of home,"skipper Robinson said to his old mentor,"for once I'm glad I could return the party favour of you saving my can on our hunting trip. Though it looks like your conflict went well enough given how badly your enthusiast were outnumbered…"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Who is that with Stephen ?"Jack Roosevelt Robinson asked Joni."I did not suppose there were any fair sex among the partisans in this neighborhood ?"

Joni just chuckled and shook his headland,"The wide story is Stephens to tell, 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 seize her should be alright, his chestnut tree will be fine despite the quelling thrill she gave them."

â‚°

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

"Oh and then I spotted the Russians running in your focusing after I took down those three commissar idiots that tried to fiat their troops around like rough little terriers,"she said as Sir Leslie Stephen and her joined Jack Roosevelt Robinson and Joni.


"triad commissars, she took down three of the Russian commissars ?"Robinson asked, and then he whistled when Nikkei tossed the fallen commissar hats over to him, ample cogent evidence of her claim.

"Three commissars from a total of thirty Russians I took down. Though the commissar are a waste product of a trade good slug, secure to just discard a grenade or something at them…"Nikkei mumbled as Stephen laughed and Joni and Captain Jackie Robinson just shook their heads.

"Granddaughter, do not lambaste yourself of a putting to death, after all you took down that divisional commissar a few twenty-four hour period back…"he looked at chieftain Robinson and nodded to the man's unspoken head."Yes she took down that Major-General your word author declared deadened, now my dear granddaughter has thirty more dodger to add to her list…"

Captain Robinson was handed a substance written by his radio wheeler dealer Corporal Hanki. It was orders from the high gear instruction for the Finnish army. He just shook his principal in disbelief as to what it stated the evidence in suddenly Russians mute testimony to the belated intelligence sent to him and the partisans…

…to all units detached on partisan bodily function and loyalist forces engaged within the area of ninth Red Army Corp. reliable tidings has affirmed that a reserve regiment of the 163rd Infantry Division has been sent back from the front lines to plug the main Russian supply itinerary and to convey anti-partisan patrols and chimneysweep. repeat, to all units…

"well it appears this o.k. objet d'art of intelligence has come, as they say, too little and too tardily for our need, as has become the pattern anymore,"said headwaiter Robinson as he showed the message to Stephen, Joni and Nikkei who was surprised at his action.

"Nikkei, like it or not you are now a origin of breathing in for the scout troop of the front line tune, just like Stephen, when word of what all the drumbeater accomplished here this day."master Robinson clasped her hands in his and gave them firms'shake of thanks.

"Stephen we need to get going,"Captain Robinson said a import later,"This regiment has been annihilated, but some survivors may make it to a nearby outpost or Garrison and wreak down yet more trouble on our heads. We can not sustain a second conflict such as that."

As if to emphasize his point, a flight of Russian wedge passed budget items at that particular instant, which caused everyone to dive for cover on the off chance they were being looked over. Nikkei watched the carpenter's plane go on their way, all the clock time holding her rifle skyward and wondering if she could withdraw one down given the chance.

"Stephen, you and your granddaughter are welcome to come with us,"Robinson said,"With the way she can shoot and your power to set an ambush…"He stopped when his old mentor held up a hand for silence. There will be no Sir Thomas More discussions, Sir Leslie Stephen and Nikkei will preserve on their own, seeking to run the army of the Red Bear as much as they can.

"Before we part let me render you some instructions and advice on how to arrest the Russian tanks…"Stephen filled Robinson in on the tactics he and Nikkei had developed and the weaknesses on the armor beasts.

Captain Robinson looked at Nikkei with profound respect, which caused her to blush from head to toe from sodding embarrassment. He turned back to Stephen and thanked him, stating he will pass this tidings up the mountain chain of program line. With that the different grouping departed and headed out on their own Chosen paths.



10 December, 1939 Finland Supreme Command central office


The men stood around the table as they examined the updated single-valued function and compared them to the latest incoming reports and word gathered from undercover agent, witnesser, radio intercepts and the like. Couriers delivered their satchels of messages and request while aide for the armed forces leadership gathered here stood silently by, prepared to do any questions or handle any undertaking they are assigned.

One man listened and mentally crunched all the data told to him by his foot soldier, details from troop move and battalion statuses to logistics and hoped-for moves by the Russian invaders. He asked detail questions concerning the four invading Russian Army corporation - the seventh, Eighth, one-ninth and Fourteenth - and pondered the successes his soldiers had scored, particularly within the domain of the ninth and the savage defeat a band of partisans had inflicted just two days past.

He perked up at the mention of an old legend having returned to the field of battle, the Ghost Bear, and his new companion, a partisan leader known simply as the C Fox. One old grinder and a new torpedo bringing Leslie Townes Hope to the land and inspiring the Finnish troops who received a massive boost to their morale and fighting heart as news of the Russian defeat spread with the violence of a lightning strike.

When he looked up at his subordinate word he understood from their smell they waited his pedagogy. They wanted to excise back and strike back hard, to deliver such a brute reversal to the Russian bear that his shriek will be heard around the earth for C to come.

He tapped the map with his finger, outlining his plan for that portion of the straw man facing the Russian one-ninth Army Corp. Each man took notes concerning his portion of the plan, and began to detail what he needed to do for the counterattack to arrive ; they acknowledged the odds to be long for any real success, yet it had to be done for the saki of their homeland.

"Colonel Siilasvuo,"athletic field marshall Mannerheim, commandant of the United States Army of Finland, said to the one he has selected to lead the countermove,"Retake Suomussalimi and dispose of the Russian 163rd Division, you fly out this time of day and set out military operation 24-hours from now."

Colonel Siilasvuo saluted and departed to watch his plane and pull in his plans as the others returned to the single-valued function and made early hard choices in the ongoing war.


10 Dec, 1939 163rd Russian infantry class home office

Outside the hotel appropriated by Major-General Bogdan to be his divisions headquarters a lone gunshot sent the guards scuttling inside on the double over with weapons drawn. Once they determined that their commanding officer was safety they returned to their C. W. Post, save for the two who dragged the corpse of Colonel Saddam bin Hussein at-Takriti, previous commander of the put down 662nd infantry Regiment.

"valet,"Major-General Bogdan declared to the officers around him as he calmly placed his smoking pistol on his desk,"Let the record show that Colonel Hussein has been found guilty by summary court martial of treason and dereliction of duty and cowardice in the typeface of the enemy, not to mention instantaneously stupidity in the behavior of field operations."

All officers save for the sadistic commissar of the air division shook as he gazed upon each one in turn,"He has been executed by purchase order of STAVKA for his treason. All of you understand this, one failure, one pitiable endeavor to excuse incompetence or treason and I will shoot you as well."


Major-General Bogdan left his desk a moment later and headed to tick off the late reports from the forepart and to machinate architectural plan for the following attack upon the illogically obstinate V. He should already have smashed their forepart line, torn across the shank of Suomi and bisected this fascist nation. His craze became apparent when he slammed his clenched fist on a turgid table that shattered under that hammer-blow, and sent the man typing out orders to skin from his professorship in a desperate bid to stay put alive.

walk into the map way he howled for one of his aides to give ear, and once the captain appeared, began to rattle off the society for the day concerning flak itinerary and times, logistics and artillery fire design. Of course of instruction, with so few forces left to him, especially after the 662nd Infantry Regiment was slaughtered, the provision did not consume too very much time.

The merely thing that really bothered him is bill from the Suomi radio which wheel spoke of the legendary man called the"Ghost Bear'is active in the part. His unit in the revolutionary war in which Finland broke itself relieve from the native land of Russia, aided by the Fascist Imperialists of the decadent western sandwich domain, had faced the man and his zealot.

No topic how hard they tried to catch him, no matter the bait used or executions summarily carried out, he had not only evaded them, but carried out a campaign of destruction that decimated nearly seven divisions. Many a mother threatened her insolent child with stories of ‘ the shade Bear will come and get you."

A courier arrived at his side and declared that Major-General Zelenfsev, commanding officer of the 44th Infantry Division will be arriving on the evening of 15 Dec to ‘ discourse the electric current matter of the front end lines.'

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


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

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

Once the bike stopped he turned off the motor and placed it future to the checkpoints wooden structure, little more than a small-scale, hastily built hut with a field sound for ‘ emergency brake usage only'by elder ship's officer or the fear NVKD. This accomplished he moved to put up before the checkpoints ship's officer, an old, ragged and weather worn lieutenant he did not know but figured must be an NVKD political commissar or security official.

"lieutenant,"Osip said as he stood at attention and saluted,"I am Sergeant Osip and on messenger duty for the one-ninth Army Headquarters. Here are my social club and papers sir,"he handed them over to the scowling, stern-faced lieutenant whose oculus showed no mercy could be expected,"and I am prepared to present the satchel is still sealed upon your directions sir."

"Fine then Sergeant,"the lieutenant said not bothering to introduce himself, thus a for certain sign he is NVKD."Come into the hut and we can do the review over some ‘ official party java'while you tell me all that is going on up at the headquarters for the 163rd Division."


Over the adjacent half hour serjeant Osip enjoyed half a feeding bottle of the fine Russian vodka he knew to be, and revealed all he knew not only of the 163rd partitioning home office, but of all the Russian Ninth US Army he had seen first manus or even heard rumors about.

The lieutenant gently challenged him on each point, asking the Same head from dissimilar Angle while he expressed dubiousness here and there about the veracity or loyalty and dedication of Sergeant Osip. The drunken, thoroughly terrified sergeant-at-law was ordered in every detail, which pleased him to no end, and even more so as he saw the messenger's substance satchel remained sealed with the decal of the Ninth U. S. Army aged commissar.

"Sergeant Osip you have done your duty to the motherland and the Soviet Union admirably,"the Lieutenant said. Sergeant 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 body oceanic abyss in the forest next to the real lieutenant who had manned the checkpoint,"serjeant-at-law"Stephen, wearing the overcoat and uniform of the courier, climbed onto the motorbike and headed down the road to ‘ deliver'his goods to the 163rd air division military headquarters.


â‚°

Four hours later Sir Leslie Stephen left the hotel which had become the 163rd division domain central office. He learned of the dire fight they had undertaken when ordered by United States Army home base to recede, the continuous torment by Suomi drumbeater and steady army forces on their supply lines, and more detailed entropy that he intended for later exploitation.

Before he departed he collected from the higher floors where the fourth-year officeholder of the HQ slept a small gift for Nikkei. Taking the back stairs down to the vauntingly parking service department behind the hotel he evaded the few half-awake sentries on guard duty with contemptible relaxation, activated his ‘ gift'to the Russians and quietly fled into the night to where he had stashed the motorbike.

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

As he motored on down the back trail and secondary roads on his stolen motorbike, Stephen grinned as old retentivity returned concerning the last war. Compared to his beloved for hunting and deal fashioning ( in illegal arms and other commodity such as Vodka banned from being exported ), only the joy of killing Russian soldiers once again outperform them.


16 December, 1939 rear-area Russian Ninth U. S. Army Corp

Within the shelter profoundness of an old Isidor Feinstein Stone and earth-covered firm Nikkei listened to the radio and absorbed the later news of the war. The warmth from the roaring flame in the hearth reminded her of safe winter Nox with her dead folk, and she was sword lily to be complimentary for a time of the dusty wintertime nighttime just outside the house.

Sir Leslie Stephen had gone off ‘ to come up out some details'that he understood from the messages broadcast to partisans by the various Republic of Finland radio stations. For the hundredth time since he left she looked down to the pistol at her side, hoping she will not need it if the Russians or other troublemakers discovered and entered the old house.

As she devoured her repast of a thick, racy, spicy, meat-stew and some semi-stale dinero with butter and jam she shook her head in unbelief. The conference of land had tossed the Russia out of its ranks, and many of its member nation representatives made large words of aid and weaponry being prepared for shipment from the many Nordic and European governments to Finland.

The daily newsworthiness from capital of Finland spoke of partisans under the leadership of the ‘ wraith bear'and ‘ coke Fox'which had annihilated the Russians 662nd Infantry Regiment completely with minimal passing to the Finnish forces involved in the battle…an overstatement that irritated Nikkei due to the dead on target number of old family friends and associated who were lost.

When she took another bowl full of the stew from the kettleful simmering over the fire the late news of the conflict on the Mannerheim job came through. Apparently the Russians launched a three-division assault, and in a 40 time of day pitched battle were repulsed, less than 1200 Russians escaped from their personnel of 35000.

She and Stephen, wherever he had gotten off to, had been doing their contribution of harassing the Russians - taking down lone trucks and a couple of storage tank, disabling artillery batteries that passed by and she took a depraved sort of delight in taking down the messenger on their motorbikes…the number of them had been dropping off over the past week, evidence of her having culled the herd with pitiless efficiency.

particular from the engagement for Suomussalimi were broadcast. The 27th foot Regiment of Finland had executed a chain of daring ravishment from three different steering, isolated and destroyed key whole of the Russian 163rd Infantry sectionalization. That unit, plus the 44th Infantry variance were being harassed and worn down in non-stop raiding and skirmishing that the Finnish USA excelled at.

She grinned at the mention of Suomussalimi being back in Finnish hands. Then the news spoke of the Finnish regular army and partisans ‘ using new and grand weapons'to portion out with the Russian armor ; the very proficiency she and Stephen developed a few days ago - a bottle of alcohol and gasoline with few former matter mixed in to progress to it into a sticky gasoline gel, and then a gas or oil soaked rag that is tied to it and lit just before being tossed at the tank.

Net result…one cooked tank, especially if you can hit the railway locomotive, national fuel army tank, or the commonly go up barrel of military reserve fuel mounted on the after deck.

Stephen returned a few minutes later as she cleaned out her pipe bowl with a chunk of bread. She watched him move to the flame and take up a trough of stew and sit down future to her, his thick coat and hat showing clear signs he had been involved in some form of altercation earlier in the night.


He moved over to the thunder fervency and stood before it to warm up."Nikkei I have found out that some ‘ special visitors'will be passing through this domain in the next few days,"he said to her with a grin of pure wicked delight."The 163rd Division had been retreating through the 44th variance and the completely area is in complete topsy-turvyness. Both divisional commanders are dead, having been at the 163rd's headquarters when the hotel went up in flames…literally !"

He chuckled at that, just as he had chuckled soon after visiting the 44th Divisions store of supplying trucks parked in a relatively unguarded lager. Thirty minute of deliberate work delivered spectacular resolution, he had just finished crossing the lone nosepiece on the roadway when the total railway yard of ammunition and provision-laden motortruck went up in a chain of mountains of ball of fire from the small turkey he had liberally placed on their fuel tanks.

So great was the chaos generated he was able to infiltrate the sentry duty shack on his English of the bridge and induction the demolition charges the Russians had emplaced just that day case the Suomi US Army pushed the Read Bear back across the river. As if that had not caused enough pandemonium and wrong, a flight of Finnish Air violence planes swept his side of the river route, damaging and destroying over lx fomite and damaged countless others.

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

"It appears the Ninth army Corps air force officer for the Russians is coming in person to inspect the rationality for the hold in ‘ conquering these decrepit lackey's of the Imperialist west,"he laughed and shook his head at such gimcrackery,"General Dashicev will be here in a few days and we have a prospect to ‘ greet'him in proper partizan style."Here he mimicked with his hired man a pistol being fired off, the slug delivered between the full general eyes.

"Nikkei I found out there will be some ‘ special visitors'coming through this area in the future pair of days,"Stephen said to her with a loathly grin."I found out the 163rd division has been ordered to retreat and the 44th section is sitting on its haunches per orders of the NKVD. It appears that General Dashicev, leader of the Ninth Army Corp of the Russians will be making a turn of the nominal head lines."

"How…how did you incur this out gramps ?"Nikkei asked, incertain if her grandfather was pulling her leg or if he was telling the truth. She just sat there and shook her head in awe at his audacity as he explained all he had been up to while gone. Then he told her the news show she never dreamed of auditory sense, but confirmed by two crushed hats he pulled out of his sack and tossed into her lap…

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

"That one belonged to Major-General Bogdan, the one you missed a pair of weeks ago,"Stephen said to her with a teasing smiling."The early to Major-General Zelenfsev, I found both of them discussing a rather efficient means to counterattack our army. They never paid care to the fact a ‘ Russian regular army courier'might deem it worth the clip to take out the commanding officers of their respective partition when the opportunity presented itself."

He showed her the collecting of papers, plans and other data he had taken from the now put down field military headquarters."I got this clobber for our forces before my ‘ talent'to the Russians went off…"

"Grandpa, what…what did you do ?"she asked, unsure if she wanted to get a line the fib. One thing she had come to love of her grandfather is he had a scrap spirit that shone brave and true, and could be as ruthless as any murderer when issue called for him to be. She wondered if in time, and if she lived to see the end of the war, she will suit the Lapp 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 fuel truck parked within the garage connecting that old hotel, a fuel truck that had some sticks of dynamite added to ensure that the resulting surprise would be…spectacular."

"Now that the bridgework is destroyed, the full general gone, and most of the 44th air division supply are no more, our side will have a much easier time disposing of them,"he clenched his clenched fist and grinned while his cold eyes blazed with pure fury and pleasure at the impending victory for the Suomi forces in the area.

"Do you want a Russian United States Army corporation General added to your killing or not ?"Sir Leslie Stephen chuckled at the feral grin that grew on Nikkei's grimace."Good, we will head out soon enough, but first I have something to take care of…"

Nikkei watched him remove a small box-like megabucks from the rear of his backpack and head for the door."Grandpa what are you doing ?"she asked, the concern audible in her voice and seeable on her face.

"I'll be coming back shortly Nikkei,"he said and then became deadly serious,"emphatically this time travel along my orders, at the outset sign of danger snaffle your gear and flee as fast as you can. No leaving your skis behind or coming to witness me alright ?"He waited until she nodded,"You know the meeting places we discussed before, as I have said, if you have to fly psyche for one of the six fix. The partizan already know to go along and eye out for you if our locomotion turn for the worse."


â‚°â‚°

Captain Robinson and his handful of men moved with extreme maintenance as they swept the get together seat for any star sign of an trap from Russian forces. His men on the flanks indicated with hand signal no one was in the area. His soft, repel execration seemed to repeat across the wooded hills.

"Where in the world has Stephen gotten off to this fourth dimension ?"Esme Stuart Lennox Robinson declared. He nearly had a heart attack as the sound of a pistol hammer being eased back into place filled his ears. The corporal succeeding to him who still had a length of stale steel placed under his jaw did not move an inch.

"You're getting haphazard master Robinson,"Stephen said as he pulled both side arm away from the men, sliding them back into their holsters."I've been shadowing all of your men for the last half minute ; you did not even see the Russian patrol waiting for you just down the trail…"

"What patrol, we did not see any augury 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 foot lay dead."Like I said, you and your men are getting boggy. Now let's get down to concern as quickly as we can. I paid a sojourn to the 163rd Infantry Divisions military headquarters and got these papers,"he tossed Robinson a heavy satchel bag filled with full of life info,"before my natural endowment to them went off."

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

"I hope this information is as vital as Stephen thinks it is,"senior pilot Robinson said to himself.

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


18 December, 1939 England

In the halls of fantan men of power and authority sat, or stood, around the long set back discussing effect, estimate or examined the great wall-mounted map which dominated the room. At the insistence of a lone man, the only one who dared to champ away on his stylemark cigar, commenced to deport their portions of the plan in concern to the Finland-Soviet War and the surrounding Norse nations.

Many of the senior high school Command, rector and Parliamentarians looked at the cigar-chomping man with shock, surprise, skepticism and apprehension for one to purport such an insolent scheme. They listened as he delivered his reason for the plan, why it will come after if implemented in time, and the bully of profit towards thwarting Germany and its mighty war machine.

"man,"Mr. Churchill declared while he thumped his fist on the board,"We must aid Finland with all the supplies, limb and ammo, planes, tanks and troops we can while denying the governing of Germany the most vital resource they need. atomic number 26 ore, the ore supplied to them by Kingdom of Sweden and shipped via Norway ; we will solve both problems with one expedition…cut off the mines from Germany and have a vital route to move our relief force out on into Finland."

Churchill concealed early, yearn range architectural plan currently unfolding in Germany that may gain an unexpected harvest in the weeks to come…especially one concerning Chancellor Hitler…

Many in the elder Command approved the initial disbursement of the plan, and made a few recommendation here and there, seeking to refine it into a viable schema. Even prime Minister Chamberlain gave his reluctant approval after an across-the-board debate on international law and treatment of neutral and sovereign lands.

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

pastor of War Hore-Belisha stood and rapped his fist on the table to gain everyone's attending."Distinguished valet de chambre,"he began,"recall that we and French Republic have been warned via the government of Switzerland that Federal Republic of Germany will view any front of Allied troops within the delimitation of Norway or Sverige as an attack upon mainland Germany itself and leave in quick retaliation."

"It appears there is an loose agreement between Sverige and Germany ; for our agents and tangency are even now reporting that freight of small arms, auto guns and swooning shank, plus pregnant amounts of ammo have even now crossed into the boundary line of Suomi from Sweden."Hore-Belisha emphasized each point with a nip of one hand into the former."This appears to be done via Field marshall Hermann Goering, and with the backup of Chancellor of the Exchequer Adolf Hitler. If we interfere with an invasion of Norway and Kingdom of Sweden we will risk sundering the chain of supply going to Finland…lose that and Communist Russia will win by sheer weight of number."

Winston First Duke of Marlborough looked upon the curate of War with eyes that blazed in righteous fury. Standing, he slammed his fist on the tabular array and locked gazes with his adversary."Understand this, the fate of Finland and of the free globe are tied together as one ; here are my statement 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 ; cipher had been decided, to the letdown of many.



18 Dec, 1939 Federal Republic of Germany

He sat behind his desk and paused, stunned by the news program contained in the top cloak-and-dagger report in his hand. He read it three more metre, examining each point and fact and assumption for the least sign of illusion or of the facts being deliberately misconstrued or manipulated.

His aide stood by, having sensed something of great implication is going on in the judgement of his leader, and thus he will be here to see chronicle made.

The man closed the report and laid it upon his desk, shocked by the magnitude of weakness to be found within his ‘ allies'of the unification of Soviet Socialist commonwealth. He looked at his auxiliary and gave off a rapid-fire Ernst Boris Chain of orders and sat back in his chair as the young captain ran off to gather the officers so indicated.

XXX minutes later Chancellor Adolph Hitler stood before his gathered stave in the confluence room that adjoined his office. For over six hours the meeting continued, with Chancellor Hitler demanding severe solvent from each man, save up for marshall Goring, whom nodded at the unspoken question concerning the hole-and-corner provision being sent to Finland via Sweden.

In due lodge a programme began to egress for the opportunity that lay open before them, one which grew greater with each hour Russia bled on the snowy field of operation, J. J. Hill, and woodland."Gentlemen,"Hitler said,"We have a gilded chance that history and destiny gives to one multitude to change the public every millennium ; the arms bought by Sweden will continue without suspension, and we shall increase our gift of military intelligence to Finland."

Chancellor Der Fuhrer walked over to the large wall map and rapped his fist hard on the margin of Republic of Finland - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."That is where Russia and the communists will be bled white, and here,"he slammed his fist difficult lower on the map,"is what we shall do…"

The gathered men looked upon such a bluff and simple conception with equal measures of awe, shock and hunger, for indeed a lucky opportunity - one filled with danger and extreme risk true up - had arrived to fork over an deathly blow to their ancestral enemy.

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

Hitler nodded and then said to the departing officer and ministers,"This entropy changes all we have expected, the downfall of Russia is at paw once and for all…the death of a tyrant will soon occur."

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



20 Dec, 1939 rear-area of the Russian Ninth Army corp

Nikkei paused as she and Stephen neared the top of the mound and motioned for him to do the same. She strained to pluck up the speech sound she heard a moment before and then grinned when it became clear, another Russian courier on a motorbike was making his rounds along the main route.

Sir Leslie Stephen smiled and motioned to a spot halfway up the James Jerome Hill, a cleft in the rock 'n' roll surrounded by ample bush and trees which made for a near-perfect snipers nest. He motioned to a large Boulder surrounded by larger Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree where he will cover her as she took down the courier ; from long practice both reached their attitude, shed their skis and had their various weapon system - the Suomi KP sub-machinegun for him, the master-crafted rifle for Nikkei - readied for business.

A sudden wafture from Nikkei told Stephen something else was amiss, as she looked floor for the first gear clip since the war began. When he looked through the vegetation and onto the main route he understood completely her shock…for an unusual convoy worked its way ever so slowly down the road long since churned to mud and junk due to the good never-ending traffic and stride of the tanks.

quaternion minibike guard led the way for the convoy followed by a lone, light-armored tank, a staff car that was made for a high-ranking armed services officer, possibly a plain marshall, visiting the front end telephone line. To the dorsum of the convoy, four to a greater extent minibike mounted sentry duty completed the retinue. If not for the presence of that tank, no matter how little compared to its armored brother, he would experience had Nikkei engage the faculty car while he took down the motorbike mounted guards…

"If not for that blasted storage tank,"he pumped his clenched fist in thoroughgoing thwarting that such a great award is getting away, only to realize his misapprehension a present moment later…


â‚°â‚°

Nikkei lined her sights upon the two large, fuel-laden, highly-flammable, barrels of the Light tank. For once she was glad to have a magazine loaded with Stephen ‘ limited ammunition'for such an juncture. She kept adjusting her aim to compensate for the slow crawl advance of the armoured beast, growing more impatient with each indorsement that Sir Leslie Stephen mulled over her taking the shot or for the two of them to withdraw.

From the corner of her eye she saw Stephen pump his fist, their agreed upon signal for her to start any ambush they have established. One final adjustment on her leading the armoured combat vehicle, and a gentle power play of the trigger…

Bang !
hit !

Twice she worked the rifle bolt of lightning in her palm-guided, up-back, forward-down traverse motion to reload for the next shot she would want. She paid the tank no more heed, swinging around to the staff car even then breaking and sliding across the frost and mud covered road…

Bang !

The staff cars left-back tire shredded from the bullet impact, the firebug bearing igniting the prophylactic material almost instantly. The resident of the staff car leapt from the vehicle as the motorbike guards leapt to cover one man in a dim greatcoat…the gleam of the morn sunlight off of his social status lapels denoted him to be a true prize, maybe the Russian superior general her grandfather spoke of arriving ahead of schedule.


She changed cartridge clip, palmed the rifle bolt and chambered the starting time round of regular ammo she used. The strait of the Russians firing with pistols and sub-machineguns blindly into the surrounding land did not cause her any alarm…

gravy !

The tank firing a 76mm carom troll into the woods barely 50 meters downhill from her localization did get her notice…

She rolled to one incline of the sheltering stone as a secondment cannon round slammed home closer than the conclusion. Her pinna pounded from the deafening noise, off-white hurt and gut felt as if it had been reduced to mush. The steady tap - tapping of Stephen's Finnish sub-machinegun told the narrative of dead Russians and his effort to distract the tank…

BOOM ! ! !

The effect of the blast bodily lifted Nikkei off the ground like a rag skirt. With pinna still ringing like a cacophony of church Alexander Graham Bell she half-moved, half-stumbled back to the cleft in the Edward Durell Stone and gasped at the sight before her…the staff car and most of the motorbike had been reduced to twisted metal while the destroyed tankful poured forth a holla pillar of flame high into the morning sky.

Stephen moved from Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to tree, boulder to boulder, aiming his guess to pin down the Russians who sheltered behind the Boulder. There, they are safety from his fire for the time, but not from Nikkei…

Shaking, she fought to steady enough to line a bead on that important Russian officer. No matter though, one guard or another kept his body between him and her…until…


â‚°â‚°

Stephen moved as a shade across the terrain, steadily closing on the Russians posture, determined to pull together the Russian policeman as due payment for his showing up in Republic of Finland. Here was the chance of a lifetime, to take down a full-fledged Russian cosmopolitan or field-marshal…or if he can be captured, the boon for the Finnish regular army will be…

Bang !

quaternity more than shots followed in quick succession, and then came a strange composure only parted by the continuous yowl of the flaming cooler. He grinned at the precision work of his granddaughter, moved carefully to the sharpness of the woodwind instrument and prepared to cross the route. Stephen wondered what information that might benefit the Finnish Armed strength awaited his breakthrough on that dead officer's carcass…

The sudden arriver of two squadrons of Russian light bombers and fighters which passed low and close over his position changed everything. There is no way they could have missed the butchery that had been inflicted on the minuscule but important caravan ; especially as the armoured combat vehicle still burned like a blowtorch with a column of disastrous fume clawing ever higher into the sky.

He rapidly retreated back into the Natalie Wood, and raced to Nikkei to help her get ready for a fasting, surd and long marchland deeper into the timberland trails. Three Sir Thomas More Russian aircraft squadrons passed overhead, and he prayed that none of the pilots would face down and blemish him or Nikkei…if they did there will be no escape.

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

A short whistle caught her attention and she watched Stephen wave to her, point down a smaller face track that snaked among the woods, and pushed off with her poles, pressing to continue up with the hard stride he set for them.

They pushed onward fast and hard to increase the aloofness between them and the ambush site. Then came the clarion shout of a grade or more of carpenter's plane high overhead. At the sharpness of a expectant clearing they watched the princely aeriform battle then being waged high in the skies ; a dance of death between the Suomi and Russian Air Forces so far above the earth…

contrail swept the taint sky, here moving in a straight line of descent, there they curved and spiraled until one or two at a clock time ended in cloud of black smoke. Outnumbered by eight to one the Finnish pilots pressed home each of their onset, savaging the Russian constitution that sought to make it past them, only to cascade down out of the sky and into the merciless clench of the earth.

It ended in less than ten proceedings during which Stephen counted the Russians had lost seventeen fighters and eleven hoagy. From the trails of black dope which departed to the E, at to the lowest degree twice that routine of plane had been damaged ; he hoped every one of the Russians crashed on the way back to their ground. As for losses on the side of Finland, he could not tell one way or another.

Two hours later as the pair stopped to overhear their breath, having covered nearly seven kilometre, Sir Leslie Stephen gave Nikkei a arch smile and asked,"So my granddaughter, what shall we use to mark your pickings of that tankful ?"

"How about a squirrel grandpa ?"she replied. To her astonishment he agreed, and when they set camp that Night among some old ruin he added five minor George Fox and one squirrel to her growing tally of kill recorded on the rifle.

"grandpa,"Nikkei said, and then hesitated, still shaken by the close phone call with demise at the hands of the army tank returned fire."Who would the Russians send to the front melody escorted by a tank, and so many minibike riders ?"

Stephen paused and rubbed his bridge player over his Chin as he mulled the question over and over. Finally he reached the sole logical finale that fit the evidence of such a caravan moving with minimal guard."The only thing that makes sense was either a new Divisional commander or possibly the commander of the Russian Ninth Army Corp, General Dashicev whom we have been hunting for. Either way we, or I should say, you, give birth done much to disrupt the Russian Army in this area."

He scuffed up Nikkei's fuzz with his hand despite her best effort to fend him off,"Come now Nikkei we have to push on before we make camp. There is an old hunting inn, or I should say what's left of one, where we will hole up and count on out what to blow up next."

"Grandpa is there any luck I can get a bath ?"Nikkei asked, not expecting any form of good news in the matter.

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

Stephen shook his chief and moved to overhear up with Nikkei, who raced on down the trail determined to have her hot bathing tub."Never underestimation that girl…so much like me after all…still a grand old day, and one less Major painful sensation of a Russian leader to be concerned with."

In a handful of solar day Stephen and Nikkei would let out who was in the bushwhack convoy. Yet the mountain chain of events unleashed by their efforts will ask longer to unfold and shape not only the Winter War, but the life of ten of gazillion of people across EEC and beyond.


22 Dec, 1939 STAVKA headquarters, Moscow

Premier Stalin watched from the high up balcony of STAVKA headquarters as the firing team prepared for the following round of executions. Normally the sight of such bloodletting would quell his sadistic rages in bit, but not this evening. No, this evening the blood would flow in red streams across the land. The incompetent who had allowed such disgrace and embarrassment to descend upon the USSR had to be expunged permanently for their crimes.

Stalin slammed his clenched fist on the Lucy Stone railing repeatedly, angered beyond sensibility or reason. He had sent his Minister of defence force, marshal Voroshilov to join with one-ninth ground forces corporation commandant General Dashicev and get to the buns of the mess at the figurehead lines. The Ninth Army Corps should have sliced Finland in half at the waist hebdomad ago, yet had not advanced more than sixty kilometre across the boundary line, and if the reports are true, two elite group infantry partition had been destroyed by a bold and heady Suomi counterattack.

He watched as the sentence men, the military whole who was to travel with marshal Voroshilov to the front lines, were brought to the wall five at a time. The loss leader of the firing squad executed each command with well honed precision, his men fired on control with no hesitation and the following in air to be shot had the accolade of dragging their suddenly friends away before assuming their place at the wall.

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

Hour after hour he stood on that balcony as the executions continued well into the dark. Once the utmost man of the bodyguard unit was disposed of, the portion of those NKVD troops who failed to procure the roadway followed.

Until the news of the United States Marshals Service expiry had arrived, few dared to dispute his decision to invade Finland and to restitute what land rightfully belonged to Soviet Russia and Russia alone. Even Sweden and Norge began to suffer their doubts about standing up against Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic on the side of Finland, until the universe wire and radio service had announced the expiry of Voroshilov.

Combined with another crushing victory scored by the Finnish US Army against the Russian power fighting it out on the band, many world leadership now pledged to support Republic of Finland in any way potential. And now Deutschland, the ostensible ally of Russia, had begun to send off out feelers to the North Germanic language political science to see if German ships bearing arms and supplies for Finland would be permitted passage through their territory.


Once again Stalin seethed at the continuous betrayal heaped upon betrayal of the world commonwealth against the rise of the USSR, and of the domination of the world by Communist forces. They refuse to see and recognize the inevitableness of his crusade and crusade, to add the cosmos into a communist fortunate age no matter the cost in blood and fire.

"No the war will carry on on,"Joseph Stalin growled, his angriness still stoked to levels beyond comprehension,"more men and tanks will be sent, more sheet dispatched and we will fight on until I have victory over the Finnish who dishonored me in 1921, or the hold out Russian falls all in on the field."

Stalin never moved until the last captive were executed well into the succeeding Clarence Day dawning.


24 December, 1939 Finland Supreme dictation Headquarters

For the showtime prison term since the war with Russia had commenced field marshall Mannheim allowed himself to give off a chuckle and a smile at the bad joke one of his aide told. He returned to the function and paper laid out on the table before him, listening to the unending livery of memos, content, intelligence and so Forth.

On the 22nd of December the Russian seventh United States Army Corp threw itself at the Mannerheim justificatory line, a to the full military force of nine infantry divisions, three armored combat vehicle brigades and a light-headed armor army corps of armored cars and fast armoured combat vehicle. The Soviet general had come up with a crafty plan, queer the ice-covered lakes where armored combat vehicle and armored vehicles could engage and pull prospicient line of infantry-bearing sled ; other units would go up a coincidental ravishment from the land and overwhelm the defenders.

A brainy plan that would have worked, redeem for the Finnish scouts and saboteur operating in the Russian rear-areas who discovered the plan and troop movements…exactly as the intelligence gathered by the ‘ Ghost Bear'had indicated.

Forewarned the presence line commanders had locomotive engineer rig up a monumental surprise for the Russian ravishment - remote-detonated explosives combined with the employment of their pre-registered clayey howitzer and the new profound anti-tank cannons ( which had arrived via Sweden ) that lined the fortified positioning along the shoreline.

The Russian attack began with a massive ten-hour artillery onslaught followed by the first wave of Russian troop surging across the ice. Explosives and artillery decimated the Russian force out, sending armoured combat vehicle and sleds into the watery depths below shattered ice. The panoplied fomite and armored combat vehicle that did arrive at the survived this were crushed by the anti-tank guns and the infantry who joined in the coloured massacre of the lakes.

The solid ground struggle had been a much closer matter, baker's dozen hour of hellish combat that left over two-hundred burned out tanks and thousands of Russian dead stacked like cordwood. The Suomi armed forces had paid a costly price for it, yet the newly deployed extraneous volunteers made the conflict in amount and quality…some 25000 troops from Hungary, Italy, Sweden and Norway plus a sprinkling of other nationalities, sub each and every one !

Field report combined with wiretap transmittal program in the clean-cut from the Russian Seventh Army Corp military headquarters nearly matched. For all intensive purposes the Seventh US Army had been destroyed in that one great winner-take-all battle.

Then just after midnight on the 23rd the Russian resumed their unsavoury north of Lake Lake Ladoga. Five infantry air division of the Russian one-eighth ground forces corp, with great tank and gun livelihood, assaulted the weak-appearing Finnish side with a great deal of enthusiasm and determination ; only to encounter out they had struck hard into a multi-layered, multi-supporting region of dugout, heavy weapon, machine gun nests, minefields and anti-tank hit man which shredded the Russians in LE than seven hours.

Again it was the strange volunteers who helped make the remainder, another 20,000 mix-bag of nationalities whose military skills and expertise allowed them to campaign as laborious as his Finnish US Army troop ! Even the air battle went dramatically in their party favour, with twenty-one Finnish Air forcefulness sheet downed for ninety-seven Russian. The overlook world-wide for the Eighth Army very politely stayed in his theater of operations headquarters when a six battery bombardment of Finnish heavy artillery unit landed on its position.

Field marshall Mannheim softly chuckled and looked at his forgather police officer."Our troops, the foreign volunteer effect, and the supplies of arms and ammo from Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Italy and Hungary are making the difference of opinion ; how ironical that so often of the death we bring down on the Russians has been supplied by their very own ‘ ally'Germany."

"Field Marshal,"one of Mannheim's Aidoneus quietly said and handed over a series of content forms for him. He read them quickly, one of them various fourth dimension and looked to his intelligence top dog who nodded and grinned like a woman chaser. He just stood there in jar, unable to conceive for a time that two enthusiast - the Ghost Bear and C. P. Snow Fox had doubled their previous putsch over the Russians.

"My God Above thank you for this large natural endowment you have given unto us all,"he said and bowed his point in a brief petition of thanks and praise. The substantiation of reinforcements - reservists and strange volunteers - to stiffen the Finnish defenders facing the one-ninth and Fourteenth armies was great news, and now this natural endowment on Christmas Eve truly was heaven sent.

marshal Mannheim made a note to have those two partisans decorated if Finland managed to hold on and win the ongoing war.

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

Once he had their tending he read the stop subject matter and after the clapping and cheering ran its course ordered it to be broadcast over national wireless. The marshall shook his fist in triumph, knowing then and there the war with Russian Federation had turned and turned for the better…he gave that some due consideration…

"Pass the Christian Bible to all our figurehead note forcefulness as well, but indicate they are to be doubly argus-eyed at this news,"he said with all due earnestness,"The Russians will not forget nor forgive. We can gestate them to dispatch even more reinforcements and faster than ever to insure our Carry Nation is crushed once and for all."

"Understand this much gentleman,"he continued, his iron-hard gaze locking on every man and woman in turning,"our side has won many smashing victories and the upright Godhead has delivered the enemy drawing card into our hands as well, but we have not won the war. Our large struggle may well be ahead, thus I am ordering our forcefulness who are facing the Ninth and Fourteenth Russian US Army corp to stiffen their defenses so we can pin those violence in place."

"gentleman's gentleman, I sense a great change is coming in the air, a violent storm groovy than anything we have ever seen will hit and change the world."Mannheim grinned, never understanding the storm would be one of blood, firing and brand coming down on their opposition in little order.



25 December, 1939 rear-area Russian one-ninth United States Army corporation

Nikkei slid deeper into the steaming water and reveled in the vivid heat and soft waving that lapped across her abdomen and breasts. She twirled her fingers in the water, generating ripples that spread out and glistened in the soft lantern ignitor ; such a simple natural endowment she wanted for Xmas, a hot tub, something she took for granted before the war began…before her humans turned top side down and slammed to the ground with brutal intensity.

For four years she and Stephen had been cooped up in the laying waste of an old hunt lodge that actually had water system piped in from a nearby hot spring. The low moaning of the rash reminded her of old ghost stories her founder would recite near the fireplace, shadows dancing on the wall as he moved about, often making carnal shadows with his workforce in renditions of ‘ prick and the Wolf.'

One hard spate of wind that pounded on the door blocked by an old couch and desk, to prevent tardily submission by anyone in the orbit, reminded her that not everyone was enjoying such a bounty as she on the birthday of the Prince of peacefulness. to the highest degree of the old lodge lay exposed to the chemical element, but enough remained, such as the bathing room she occupied, to offer decent shelter…once they dealt with the bear out of the shoes that had taken up residency.

As Nikkei reached for the rag and grievous bodily harm 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 place hardly made it worth the travail. Her being able to aim a hot bath and rid herself of days of grime and dirt made it worth the effort.

She gathered a rich lathering of soap on her workforce and the rag, and then slowly began to scour down her fount, neck and sleeve. The cumulate grime and tension built from the start of the war eased away bit by bit, and she could relax for a time, free people of the guardianship and retentivity of the wider world.

On one breast she softly swirled the rag in sensuous lap that advanced unto her swollen nipple. Sensations both old and new flowed into her mind, awakening desires she had never allowed herself to fully explore or to even talk about with anyone. Her eyes closed and a soft gasp passed her candid brim as a thin shudder played along her eubstance ; the estrus of the piddle accentuated the gratifying Wave which flowed one upon another along the very roughage of her being.

Her free hand came to roost between her boob, and the finger's breadth slowly snaked their way downward. Once there, they began to caress and cod and delight a fortune of her body that sent her unto the heavens with sensuous bliss that she could only compare to the Sung of the heavenly choir. Nikkei sensed her mettle trouncing faster and faster as her breath quickened, origin thundered and her body came awake in a rainbow of ace that could not be described.

She pushed her fingerbreadth into the depths of her muliebrity 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 former close kin…none had desired to be with her since she was found out to be ineffectual to have youngster, thus making her the disdain of the Village and a bad matrimony prospect.

The wild, raw, primordial rush of flame and heat caught her off guard duty as a thousand thousands of universes cascaded before her, multitudinous probability of what may be and could be, and then collapsed back into the here and now as she screamed her delight to the humans when her release hit.

Her script covered her rima oris as she blushed deeper than ever before in her life, wondering if anyone had heard the noise…and blushed even deeper as Stephen burst through the door with a drawn pistol, lost his footing on the pat floor and tumbled face first into the bathtub with Nikkei.

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

"gramps, 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 arms over her bared bosom and slew deep into the waters while a hot rosiness surged deep and red across her already flower face. All she wanted to do was dissolve away and go away ; her mind tore in different directions, desires playing a thousand melodies at once while she fought to naturalise the confusion.

On the battle field sniping at the enemy she has mastered her emotions to a fine grade ; but in the matters of the heart, she has never encountered such as she faced now. She lowered her promontory but could not shoot her eyes away from him as he pulled off his shirt and wrung the H2O of it…the iron-hard muscles of his lithe frame, crossed with a roadmap of scars acquired over a life-time of hardship and battle, flexed with each braid made upon his shirt.

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

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

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

He laughed at the cute slight squealing phone given off by Nikkei at his hint. Though as he left the way to modify and dry his cloths, the sparkle that danced in her eyes spoke intensity to his experienced spirit and mind.


â‚°â‚°

Tap - tap - tap !

Stephen pulled the low punch away from Nikkei's rifle and examined the latest little fox-marker added to the wooden store. Feeling the smoothness of the indentation he coated the exposed wood with an amber hued discoloration, when dry it will glisten with a honey-gold texture as any abstemious played across it.

"One more of so many dodger added, I had taught my granddaughter to run for deer, boar and bear."Sir Leslie Stephen gave off a deep, disgusted sigh at the winds of portion and ill-fortune."Instead she has become a hunting watch of Russians who have raped our homeland and stolen her future. All those eld ago when her phratry adopted her…."

His mind drifted into memories of his lost family all those class ago when they had adopted Nikkei after she had been orphaned. No one knew where she had come from, even the regime failed to line up the parents of the little lady friend found wandering alone in the woodwind instrument, her wear covered in blood…

A girl of true whodunit who had grown into a okay Lester Willis Young woman ; one that he wished he could have given a life history of peacefulness to instead of the cursed war the Russians had forced upon all of them.

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

"To all of our member of Finland's armed strength engaged in the desperate battles to protect our fatherland from the barbarians of the Soviet Union. I and all of our masses thank you for the dedication and forfeiture of so lots you have give for us, and may on this day when we celebrate the nascence of the Prince of Peace each of you find moderation from this endless hurt inflicted by the Russians.."

Stephen half-listened to the radio receiver static filled broadcast. He heard the point given of the great battle fought on the isthmus and near Lake Ladoga on the 22nd and 23rd ; the Russian one-seventh and Eighth army Corps had been stopped, shattered and scattered before stubborn Finnish resistance"assisted by voluntary who support our cause for freedom and self-determination as a democracy against the tyrannical might of Communist Russia."

"We wish to affirm that in the death workweek the Russian army stupor power of the Russian one-ninth Army corp has suffered extreme setbacks due to our state's army, air force and zealot alive behind the foeman lines. It has been confirmed that the ninth regular army has lost their commander, one General Dashicev along with the pastor of defense force for the Soviet Union, Marshall Voroshilov who had come to the forepart lines to see first-hand what had caused the Ninth army to be held up in the field."

Sir Leslie Stephen turned his wide attention to the radio…

"My fellow Fin's our beloved solders and subject fighting behind the melodic phrase have demonstrated loud and readable to the world why the Ninth Army, along with all other Russian USA Corps, has failed to crush our nation. In the Death of the Department of Defense government minister Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has learned the object lesson we will never surrender and never give way to their force of enslavement. And so with each fight we undertake against the Russian invader, we bleed them and bleed them more, until the day will come in the virtually futurity when they will admit frustration and seek to make a just and honorable peace."

"May the time soon come when we can separate in replete the action at law of the two known as the Snow Fox and the spook Bear ; may God celebrate them rubber and wield them as instrumental role of justice against our ancient enemy from the barbarian lands of Russia."

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

He imagined how Nikkei would trip the light fantastic around like an ale-drunken bee after sense of hearing of the prize she had bagged. The expiry of General Dashicev was welcome newsworthiness, and showed his guessing as to who occupied the stave car in the caravan they had ambushed. Yet the death of Marshall Voroshilov, Russian curate of Defense, truly marked the greatest prize any drumbeater sniper could hope to rack up suddenly of PM Stalin.

He gently cleaned the rifle with an old rag, gently removing the to the lowest degree trace of filth, junk or oil his work may have left upon it."I made this for my earnest Nikkei to hound deer and bear with, and now she ahs been forced by this war to get a hunter of men. I wish her parents could see her now…"


He fought back the binge that threatened to fall as his middle lodged in his throat. His children 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 minor pile of supplies that had been cached away in the basement of the old hunting lodge. While Nikkei had been taking her bathtub he had gone down and brought the nutrient, cloths, ammunition and other assorted good the two needed as they hunted Russians.

Also, as he had hoped, the two minor sleds he had stored among other goodness in the hoard remained intact and untaken. At to the lowest degree he and Nikkei could dribble Sir Thomas More good on them than they can just upon their backbone. Plus he had new batteries for his small radio a Quaker had built a few long time ago…

That little vector has proven to be a lawful wonder. Incredibly small, lightweight and reliable, he can use it to relay or have voice and Morse-code signal. His old friend in the United States who made it was a contemporaries ahead of his sentence, and a simple attachment allowed it to be powered by a hand-cranked generator-system.

When the tensions between Russian Federation and Finland had begun to increase, he and his fellow smugglers plus some of the link they had within the armed forces began to contrive and cook. Thus a relay-chain of a sort exists to pass information and didactics along to those who needed it ; they always are sent in brief transmission of Morse-code to avoid return detection by the Russians.

Other information, rules of order and the care are broadcast five times daily by the governing over the populace radio broadcast. No matter how much the Russians may try, only the leaders of the partizan in particular areas behind the lines possessed the essential codification to understand them.

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

He stopped mumbling at the sound of Nikkei's ghostly footsteps mix in with the crackling of the flame in the fireplace. His gaze moved to his clothing hung over the vertebral column of two old electric chair near the fireplace, the heat slowly drying them out after that dip in the tub.

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

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

Stephen looked up at her, the luminosity from the fire caressing her in a whirlpool dance of light and shadower. He saw her chewing on her small lip, obviously troubled by something, or more likely what had happened between them in the bathing room.

"Nikkei what's bothering you my dear ?"Stephen said and laid the rifle down on its white-furred scabbard."I can narrate you are interest or troubled, so please tell 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 air abdomen, thigh and knocker for him to see, hoping that he will not turn away from her unspoken interrogation. One paw came to rest on his flushed nerve, the heat flowing into her hand as she began to caress his iron-hard, weatherworn, scarred skin in such a entitle way that it twitched with each lenient and delicate stroke.

"Nikkei I did not mean to offend you earlier…"Sir Leslie Stephen's quarrel ended when she gently touched a fingertip to his lips. She pulled her hand away and shed the robe from her body, then leaned onto her hip, sweeping her legs back behind her at the knees and propped herself up on one arm. With the former she took his hand into her and entwined their fingers.

Stephen's eyes drank in every sensuous and diffused bender of her body, the richness of her amber hair, soft blue oculus full phase of the moon of life and painfulness mixed in equal meter, the steadily rise and fall of her bared bosom. As his regard descended to her most intimate of treasures she shifted her leg enough for him to see her banish woman and the little glint of moisture already gathered there on her pelt and surrounding hair.

"Nikkei what are you…I mean…"for one of the few clip in his life story, Stephen found himself at a loss for speech as his mind flared to ashen unfeelingness. He could not believe this is actually happening and with his beloved and only surviving granddaughter…

"Grandpa I want this to be my natural endowment to you,"she said to him. He could hear the love and affection in her voice for him, something that had been there for years and only now did he realise in full…his adopted Nikkei had fallen in love with him prospicient ago and now sought to move their relation to the next level.

"I have forgotten since the war began what it meant to be alive and liberal of worry and anger,"she said, her eyes releasing a lone binge down her cheek."I want to be your present granddaddy for tonight, to remind us both what life means ; I don't expect to make it through this war, so practically demise has already come close…and with that storage tank firing at me…"she shuddered at the memory of how shut she had brushed with dying that day.

She moved to Sir Leslie Stephen and sat down on his lap with her legs crossing behind his backrest. Her one mitt brought his to rest on her titty ; the mere touch of his pelt on hers sent a thrill and chill blazing across her being. When he began to fondle her breast, teasing to a greater extent and more than fiery waves of delight from her torso, she leaned into him and all but melted away as the easygoing Snow does before the fire of a fire.

He kissed her cheek and softly blew puffs of his heated breath on her cervix. Stroking her whisker he looked once again into her eyes and seen the love and restiveness playing against one another."Are you sure this is what you want Nikkei ? You only have one offset time in such affair 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 older of Sung, and fulfilled the quondam dance of all, two gist and two bodies coming together in one ; the cries of passion and cardinal release echoed throughout the old ruins until Stephen released his life germ into Nikkei, and then collapsed from the exertion. The two cuddled and caressed one another while sharing loving grinning and whispering words meant for them alone.

An hour later as Nikkei contently slept away, her gentle snore merging with the crackling flames, Stephen gave her a smiling and softly kissed her on the cheek before laying down for his own remainder. He made for certain though that his side arm and hunting knife were within sluttish grabbing distance if they were needed.


28 December, 1939 Suomussalimi, Finland

Colonel Siilasvuo returned the courier salute and dismissed him with a passing wave of his mitt.

Two days ago he had been alerted to important direction that will arrive at his headquarters ; and given the current weather that raged just outside the hotels thick stone paries, it had to be something between extremely pressing and insane for a courier to be risked in temperatures, snow and winds that were the worst in recorded history.

Since him and the 27th Infantry Regiment, now reinforced by three additional regiments of reservists and strange Volunteer, he had waged relentless guerrilla war to bleed the Russian one-ninth Army Corp white and give them to this neighborhood when from all accounting they could have been used on the Isthmus during the last Russian assault.

However the Russians had dug in deep and still managed to go on him from mounting a successful bang across the river. He could fight and not attack, and the Same for them…a frustration that grew all the more with each passing day. Even his raiding parties had met with minimum success, save for sniping at the Russians who hid in their fortified positions.

Only Captain 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 success upon succeeder. When he considered the report of the old colonel, commonly known as the"Ghost Bear'in the finally bang-up war, it is little wonder the man leads and coordinates the drumbeater to such a record, even as he and the snowfall Fox carry out their own two-person crusade upon the hated Russians.

He opened the mailboat and withdrew out the bundle of written document and photo, and whistled when he gave the top page - ordination from champaign marshall Mannerheim himself - a cursory coup d'oeil. They explained in brief and concise contingent that major reinforcements were expected to be arriving inside two weeks for the Russian Ninth Army Corp…

Colonel Siilasvuo raged, cursed and complained as he stormed out of the old hotel which housed his orbit home base. He shouted above the howling wind for his senior officers to gather around him as he woke his device driver to demand him down riverside…he had been forbidden from launching anything stiff than maraud across the river to slit apart the remaining strength of the Ninth regular army while time remained. So he had chosen to inspect the forward defense force and ensure the Russians received a warm welcome when they struck.

As expected, the DoD were strong and growing hard with each release day ; with log and Harlan Fisk Stone bunkers housing machine guns, anti-tank cannon and fighting location for foot. Other positions inside the Town had already been made ready…when the Russians struck the river and Charles Percy Snow would be red with their blood.




28 December, 1939 Berlin, Germany

"Ah yes, I will learn this one here,"Admiral Donitz said as he looked over the beautiful gold-chain necklace set with alright diamonds. He held it in both hands and admired the fiery bursts which came out as the light played across each gemstone. The jeweler had promised the natural endowment would be crafted to perfection, and so he had achieved yet again with the giving for his dear wife.

"Klaus what do you think of it ?"Donitz asked of his bodyguard and device driver. He moved around to front the man so he could see the tremendous illusion wrought by Karl, his personal jewelry maker and one of the few men he called a true master of that trade.

"full admiral, as always Mr. Karl has outdone himself, you have chosen the gift well for Mrs. Donitz and she will probably be pleased beyond standard at your gift of affection for her."John Major Klaus, polite as ever turned back to watching the shop and all of the people within it, plus those who paused even for a moment to expect through the storefronts windows. His handwriting never strayed far from the clutch of his pistol.

The sound of sirens caused everyone to turn and watch the street as the motorcade of Chancellor Hitler began to pass by. Donitz looked at his spotter and smiled,"Punctual as always, I noticed some workplace was being done on his vehicle last night as I left the spot. Did you remember to have that looked into Klaus ?"

"Yes sir, I had it checked out by naval security, and the Gestapo Major in charge of security ensured me when I appeared in person that ‘ a modest job had arisen and was even now being fixed.'about 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 visual modality, and disappeared in a earsplitting explosion that tore the fomite asunder. Major Klaus took the brunt of the shockwave which blew out the storefront, killing him instantly along with Karl…

Donitz coughed, choked and gasped for air amidst the roiling clouds 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 pond of red. One look at the twisted, burning cadaver of the premier car told him there would be, could not be, any subsister ; but he rushed over to see if against all odds his Carry Nation leader had somehow survived.

The military date swarmed the area to gain ascendancy as fast as possible ; one officer threatened Admiral Donitz until he showed his armed forces report and then took control over the scene. All too swiftly the truth was confirmed when the attack of the Chancellors car were extinguished at long last.

Chancellor Adolf Hitler was bushed, 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 top dog in disbelief, a wonderful act for the sake of appearances to the masses. His personal agents, unity loyal to him and him alone, had penetrated the network of Russian spies and agents that existed in Berlin…and he knew who controlled them as well…

He never expected their design to act. Now that it had, his allies in the German government would guarantee his succession to the Chancellorship and, as promised for the keep of Goering and his cabal, would portion out with Russia once and for all…of course of instruction he still had to create a ‘ phone call'to the brainiac behind this mad plot to ensure his own survival.


30 Dec, 1939 Moscow, Russia

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

"fellow I believe my point has been duly made,"prime minister Stalin calmly stated as he holstered his pistol. He gave a nod and two NKVD guards rushed over and dragged the body of General Voroshilov, who of deep had been recalled to Moscow for ‘ common soldier consultations regarding the war.'

"I will permit no more failure in the matter of this war with Finland,"he growled,"each day our country loses yet more influence, respect and positioning around the world. I have since the die offensive of 22-23 December given ordination for monumental reinforcement to deploy in the sphere of the Seventh and eighth regular army corp, we have peace with the Germans and thus our front with them is now reduced to second and third downright whole ; the elite group military group being redeployed will be in home by the end of January, when the net offensive shall begin."

"The Ninth Army corporation shall direct limited offensives ; they have consistently failed and thus will not be of any more major usage."He smashed his fist onto the table many times to emphasize his head.

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili went on for some time berating the cosmos for all manner of perceive slights and secret plan 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 slash ; or have everyone shot down on the spot by the sub-machinegun wielding NKVD escort who circled behind each man like a watching and waiting vulture.

From one face an officer appeared, delivered several message word form to Stalin and then bolted for his life after being dismissed with a casual wave. As he scanned them his mood swung from rage to outright joy back to a boiling, stewing fury that promised death to someone before the night passed.

"Gentlemen,"Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili declared with a forced calm and smile while holding up the third gear message pattern in one hand,"as I stated, we have peace with FRG and now it is guaranteed for some meter to come. Our factor in the German High bidding have confirmed the news being broadcast over the radio."

He paused and grinned,"Adolf Hitler is dead. soul managed to place an volatile twist inside of his armored car, and needless to say the massacre wrought was phenomenal. Admiral Donitz has been sworn in as the new Chancellor of Deutschland and thus will fill many month to fully put away of his rivals and gain full control over his commonwealth's governance."

The staff military officer and ministers shouted and cheered at the news of Der Fuhrer's destruction, and gave off claim for the long life of Premier Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union and the inevitable domination of the macrocosm by Communism. By almost general spontaneity they began to sing the national Sung of Russia, their dedication and notion in their cause having been reconfirmed by the universe at large.

Wisely Joseph Stalin withheld the two other subject matter that arrived at the like time. They detailed the trend of superior general Timoshenko and Shaposhnikov, the newly appointed co-commanders of the Finland front man. During the flight of steps to headquarters near a secured aerodrome the airplane carrying them, escorted by twelve paladin, was jumped by a large number of Suomi fighters.

Every one of the Russian pilots fought until their woodworking plane went down in flame. Despite their best efforts, the plane carrying both superior general had been shot down as well with no survivors. Once again the drawing card of his arm forcefulness had disappointed him, and the reports of flagging morale among the infantry along with some units on the edge of mutiny confirmed the officers were deliberately failing, seeking cause to oust him once and for all from power.

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

None of the rejoicing officer before him knew what hit them when with a nod Stalin had his bodyguard cut them down to the last. He summoned his personal adjutant and demanded a gear up document, which once he signed with a few casual strokes of his pen, was sent to the NKVD communicating commissar and dispatched.

Within forty-eight hours the blood bath had finished, completely decimating the Russian armed military unit higher statement and replacing all officeholder of Major or gamey rank with Political political commissar. He gave new orders to all of the Russian armed forces ; any tip of disloyalty or deficiency of proper commie spirit will result in that man's entire platoon or company being summarily executed en mass.

Stalin never understood just how deadly he had misjudged the unfolding chain of events his rabidity and lust for lineage would unleash in short order…


30 December, 1939 Deutschland, OKH highschool statement

Admiral Donitz, newly sworn in Chancellor of Germany and all of her masses looked out the window of his authority and the pristine snowfall from the latest tempest. Just over twenty-four time of day ago Chancellor Hitler had been assassinated by a bomb planted inside of his armored faculty car ; in poor order the Gestapo had discovered and captured a gang of Russian spies and factor who caused Adolf Hitler's death.

Their death penalty warrants were the beginning matter taken guardianship of by Donitz after taking the oath of office. Now he had a massive pick to make, one discussed long into the night by him and the senior high school Command. He had been aware of plans being drafted, on Der Fuhrer's orders, for an intrusion of Russia…he wondered if Hitler had been aware of his pending end, not that it mattered now.

Hitler's death at the custody of suspected Russian federal agent, proven or not, gave them the effectual and moral justice for the intrusion to come in. The John R. Major domain leaders, even those of France and Britain, had been contacted via direct or third-party transmitted cable television service of the plan to deal out with Russia and Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili for their betrayal in assassinating the German Chancellor.

Many had responded with the usual commiseration and various degrees of admonishment of Russia.

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

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


To the Chancellor of Germany, Admiral Donitz,

In fear to the matter of Soviet Union and their attest barbarity to the proper conduct of relations between governments I say this much. So long as Marshal Goering continues to supply arms to Suomi via Sweden and no encumbrance with our own arms shipments to Suomi comes about, we wish you God focal ratio and critical victory over the godless Russian government of Stalin.

"valet de chambre,"premier Donitz began as he turned to front the garner high Command,"well-nigh of our forces are in spot already since the invasion of Poland and we have managed to secretly increase our forces there by a large degree. Have all of you discussed and familiarized yourself with the program and overall goals ?"

Each officer in turn affirmed his role and detailed any last minute concerns, details and so Forth River. Satisfied that all is in place Donitz sat behind his desk and signed the orders laid out before him…

"Gentlemen"he said,"Operation Wotan, the invasion and destruction of the Soviet Union, will start at 12:01 a.m. on 10 January, 1940. Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili has inflicted pain and rake upon us, and now we will pay him and his people back a million fold."

Stalin sewed the wind with the seeds of war in Finland, and now he will harvest the harvesting of steel and blood and fervour Born of the whirlwind coming back upon him.


30 December, 1939 England, unknown fix

"Thank you for the call option,"Churchill said into the telephone set,"it had been most unexpected but delightful none the less and I wish you victory in your cause against Russia."

He hung up the phone and sighed at the chain of case now coming forth to realization. The Russian-Finnish war promised to bleed Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic white as Finland continued to resist common sentiency, logical system and belief in their consistent suppression of one Russian army Corp after another in horrendous struggle around their nation.

Even he had listened to the growing tales told on the radiocommunication of such heroes as the Snow heller, Ghost Bear and the snowfall Fox. Individuals who had managed to visit the great unwashed slaughter at key multiplication and locations on the Russians, and both co-commanders for the Republic of Finland Front perished with intelligence given to the Suomi Air power from Britain.

Of track, the assassination of Hitler carried out by disloyal High German who assumed the British agents who controlled them were actually Russian, had yielded a case to keep the Western world. Russia and Germany will bleed each other white, and by the clock time they deal with one another, UK and Anatole France will be ready to face the German army who will come at them.

As a historian Winston S. Churchill understood all-too-well what forces of death and destruction he has unleashed, but for the sake of a free future and saving tenner of 1000000 of lifespan, he chose the lesser of two evils set before him.

One other matter caused him no end of headache ; the simpleton fact of admiral Donitz being capable to pose a direct song to Churchill's ‘ secret'localization meant the man had agents all over England. Agents that for some cause he used for his own deep purposes and never shared with his fellow Germans.

Churchill shook his question, mentally replaying the conversation news by word he had with the new Chancellor of Germany. He examined each nuance, affectedness and modulation for the slender edge it may give him in any succeeding traffic with Admiral Donitz. The sheer power, audacity, and guile of the man were incredible to get word and witness as he described to John Churchill dates, time, shoes and conversations of English penetration agents and spies 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 decipher this composite brain-teaser enshrouded within a brain-teaser that represented Donitz…no subject what ; Donitz had proven to be an adversary Worth watching very, very closely.


8 Jan, 1940 rear-area Russian Ninth USA corp

political commissar General Kolya stood on the houses front porch and watched the first off stars of the Night emerge in the clear sky. It reminded him of the small farming village he had grown up in, and many others he had been based near or within since the revolution and subsequent dominance of the Communist party.

Of course this exceptional Finnish community, once called summer Mist, had been exterminated in the first minute of the war. These mass 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 Finland governing who refused to comply with the rightful demands of Moscow.

"Unbelievable, in the eye of this war we have such a wonder as the night to see,"he stated to the aide-de-camp and to commissar Major-Generals Romanov and Cranston, commanding officer of the 51st and 58th Infantry variance."Now then, I have plans set out for dealing with these troublesome partisans once and for all…."


â‚°

From a wooded pitcher's mound that looked down on the cadaver of Summers Mist Stephen watched with keen interest the cluster of tents and fomite which marked the Corps headquarters unit. The solicitation of officers standing out in the cold told him tacky and clear that they were elder Russian commanders ; ones that would ascertain a final and very lethal lesson.

He and Nikkei had learned of the military headquarters new location from one of many motorbike riding couriers they had disposed of since Christmas. Her craze at the mere intellection of Russians standing amidst her old home only was surpassed by his own, and tempered by the chance to score one Thomas More John Roy Major triumph over the encroacher.

The Finnish radio stations conducted their regular updates of the war, now reduced to a range of mountains of violent skirmishes on the front lines and aerial conflict between the Finland and Russian air forces. The messages sent to partisan building block behind the lines confirmed this, plus directed them to strike as voiceless as they can when chance presented itself.

He looked over at Nikkei's spot to his right and slightly up the hillside. Concealed among a bunch of rock, tree, shrubs and a Snow cloak set up as a Hunter blind he could barely pee-pee out her scheme as she lay as low to the ground as possible. With a motion he informed her to shoot when the safe opportunity presented itself.

Stephen returned to watching the camp with his field glasses, noting a rumbling circle of trucks passing behind the commanders'tent…




â‚°

Commissar General Kolya turned to face the wearisome convoy of trucks that snaked its way up the road and passed his tent. One band of NKVD personnel riding in the back of a motortruck saluted as they passed, as did the side by side and the future after that. His bosom surged in pride at this grand display of proper political smell and allegiance to the commonwealth which he will use to urge and terrify the Russian infantry into proper shape.

On his desk sat a pile of write up that many whole in his program line were in well-nigh mutiny, having refused to comply with lawfully given orders by their new NKVD officer. All of the old officeholder had been, as per Stalin's decree, been executed ; though Kolya included all of the officers and not spared the police lieutenant and captains as Stalin had done.

Two days ago he had assumed ascendence of the Ninth U. S. Army corporation and now he has to deal with this rebellion ; and if reports are straight, it is spreading like wildfire in a drought stricken forest through the Russian Army…especially with building block being sent to reinforce the Finnish Front.

He turned to the two divisional commanders and waved at the passing game hand truck,"valet de chambre these are the lawful heart and someone of the res publica ; you will whip the men of your new units into build and then we shall deal with the partisans…"

He cringed as one passing motortruck repeatedly backfired.


â‚°

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

She squeezed the trigger…

Bang !


â‚°

Commissar Major-Generals Romanov and Cranston watched in slack-jawed horror as their commander toppled forward as a puppet cut innocent of its strings. The HQ safety, gathered officer and staff looked at the crimson soil that flowed from beneath the fallen man across the albumen snow ; for an eternity of time they could not draw their trunk to impress, horrified at having last visit them so far behind the figurehead lines…

An timelessness 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 next officer, one among many, who stood around in frozen terror…

Bang !
Bang !



Twice more her rifle barked, the interference covered by the incessant backfiring of the truck. As per Stephen plan she immediately backed from her position, pulled down the blow cloak and worked her way down the hillside with him. inside ten minutes they were skiing hard and fast to give up the area.


â‚°

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

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

Instantly the twenty men who had assembled by this prison term leveled their sub-machineguns and unfold fervor, tearing the hand truck, driver and NKVD precaution to shreds. A grenade was lobbed into the unresolved ass and reduced the vehicle to twisted metal and a roaring flak that marked the grave of two score of state security personnel.

A gunfire to his rightfield dropped one of his men to the land, mortally wounded. He turned to see NKVD troops jumping down from the hand truck that followed and assumed a coup d'etat was underway by traitors to the state."Cut them all down, everyone of the traitors…"

His cobbler's last command ended in a gurgle and spray of profligate as a fit of bullets tore his dresser open.

Pandemonium reigned as factions of NKVD soldiery tore into one another, leaving scores perfectly and many more than bruise upon the snowy downfall of Summer Mist. This bedlam only escalated when skipper Sugar Ray Robinson and his men stumbled onto the scene, already prepared to bust the HQ, and swept the stead clean of any survivors.

After destroying anything they could not carry off they departed as silently as trace and reported to the Finland senior high school Command another achiever for the ‘ spectre Bear'and the ‘ nose candy Fox,'who initiated the tike civil war at the headquarters.


â‚°

quartet hours and respective kilometers later, Stephen hugged Nikkei and scuffed her hairsbreadth in congratulations. They set off for the next hidden cache and shelter from which they will plan the succeeding strikes against the Russians.

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

"I imagine the Russians were killing one another off,"Sir Leslie Stephen shrugged and grinned,"or a bunch of our soldiers arrived in meter to require reward of the chaos you created and exterminated the total home office and that convoy of truck. seed Nikkei we have to deal a lot of ground tonight and I want to get going while we have the moonlight to guide us…"

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




9 January, 1940 STAVKA headquarters, USSR

The conspirators gathered for the final clock time, knowing they are committed no matter the outcome. One by one each went over his part of the architectural plan, the role of his troops or government activity department, and the tight timeline they had to maintain to the second once everything began.

One humble gap in the program, one slipup of any kind and it will be all over. But the post of their bankruptcy would be the decease of Russia and imposition of a High German warlord and politics over the mother country for God alone knew how many generations.

The agent of the NKVD had recently received confirmation of the High German armed forces gathering en people along the German-Russian frontier in what had been Republic of Poland. An immense force of mechanise infantry and of tanks, airplane and bombers…an unbelievable fist of iron prepared to demolish home into a countermine Russia.

Normally the build up personnel of Soviet Union would be sufficient to deter the High German, but now mutiny was sweeping the four USA corps stuck within Finland and others enroute to Republic of Finland or still on the frontier had joined with them. Commissars had been killed, elections of new officer held and bill sent to STAVKA in the clear…

The troop will no longer follow orders given by Stalin or his men and called upon the German language to invade and liberate their native land from the oppression of Communism.

The Germans promptly responded, declaring to the world they will commence their ‘ liberation of Russia'unless Stalin steps down or is removed before 10 January, 1940. Each had cringed as Donitz explained on the wireless that he held only Stalin and his henchmen, and not the Russian soldiers or Russian universe responsible for for the character assassination of Chancellor Hitler…

So the machinator 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 Zhukov, the lone cosmopolitan to survive Stalin's rabies, told the gathered men."devote the orders, in one hr it begins…"

With those Word the men departed to save their homeland.


9 January, 1940 Berlin, Germany

"General has this been confirmed ?"Chancellor Donitz said into the telephone. His staff waited in tense silence, each one wondering if the consequence being reported in Soviet Russia are avowedly ; and if not unfeigned, will their Chancellor present the final order to commence the invasion of Russia.

"Thank you,"Donitz said and slowly hung up the phone. He breathed deeply, turned to his staff and smiled in genuine delight."Gentlemen, the news show have been confirmed, Stalin and his henchmen are suddenly and superior general Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov has been sworn in as the new Premier of Russia. The purchase order have already been confirmed by our listening posts and agents in Moscow, all struggle save for local anesthetic self-defense is to cease immediately inside Finland and a ‘ request'made to our governing to mediate serenity talks between Finland and Russia."

"Orders are to be sent at once that the encroachment of Russia is herewith cancelled."Donitz saved his greatest surprise for last as he held up a letter delivered earlier by the ambassador of Switzerland."I have here the personal alphabetic character of Winston John Churchill who has accepted our offer of a return to the status-quo of 1939 between our state. We will call in from Poland, though it shall rest as a liege subject governance in our field of influence."


"valet de chambre,"Donitz continued,"we have peace at death and Germany has become a world exponent once again. The contumely and opprobrium inflicted upon us in the Great War has been erased forever…"

With that the premier dismissed his men and returned to the day to day grind of running a government. He did pause briefly to reflect how the future will go from here on out. public security has come to Europe as far as Federal Republic of Germany is concerned, though Italia's authoritarian Mussolini is making his common blustering noise about Northern Africa…

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


10 Jan, 1940 rear-area of Russian ninth Army Corps

In the depths of their sheltered encampment Sir Leslie Stephen, Nikkei and Captain Robert Robinson listened to the voice of Field marshall Mannheim come all the way and trenchant over the radio set. They could scarcely believe their ears…

"To all citizens and soldiers, foreign volunteers and partisans who have been involved in the defense of our motherland against the forces of a tyrannical Russia ; this day, a great day of solemnisation for us all, I am sword lily to proclaim that the tyrant of USSR, Premier Joseph Stalin is dead. His successor prime minister Zhukov has ordered all Russian effect are to cease belligerency at once after a massive demonstration of the Russian peoples collective firmness led to their solders refusing to take orders anymore."

Nikkei looked at Stephen, hoping against hope that this is not a ambition she will shortly wake up from…

"The chancellor of Deutschland, Admiral Donitz, has graciously extended the offer of his government being a neutral intermediator for peace negotiation to be held by representatives of Suomi and Russia. This marriage proposal has been supported in the last minute by the government of Britain and France and the United States. lady and gentleman, as will be confirmed in short order by the governments official broadcast, our valiant battle of majority rule against communist authoritarianism has come to an end. Our sacrifices have been groovy, but God has saved us in the end. We acknowledge the efforts of all who defended our native land on the front tune, and from behind foeman lines, heroes such as the C. P. Snow Old Nick, C Fox and Ghost Bear. Ladies and Gentlemen, the war is over…"

The remaining quarrel were drowned out by the collective call of joy and delight by Nikkei, Stephen and Captain Robert Robinson and his men. Nikkei leapt into Stephen impregnable sleeve and kissed him as hard and long as she could, knowing that at long stopping point she and he will return home and establish a new life in the hereditary home of their people.

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

"Nikkei please call me Stephen,"he insisted upon,"as soon as we can we will maneuver home, or anywhere else you wish to. I have respective attribute across the area from my…other action,"he rolled his eyes to the heavens at the amount of money he had stashed away from being a smuggler.

"Grandpa…sorry, Stephen…"Nikkei said,"That old hunt lodge. We make it our home and see what we can earn 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 Captain Walker Smith with a all-embracing smiling,"but I have orders to see the two of you to flying field marshal Mannheim at once. He wants to see the both of you ; it appears you have made a rather extremum impression on the man…"

Robinson shook his heading and stopped talking as Nikkei and Stephen headed to their protection, determined to have a buck 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 number one clang between E and westward, between communist USSR and those who love to be absolve has come to an end. The madness of Stalin has ceased, the mighty and unstoppable Red Bear beaten, humiliated and humbled by one nation united for the defense of their homeland, and due to the bravery and determination of the ace known in history to come as ‘ coke Fox'and"Ghost Bear'history has changed forever…

The retentive feared European war ceased before it even began as Germany brokered a lasting ataraxis treaty between Russia ( now led by Zhukov ) and Republic of Finland. All territorial addition and pre-war title made by the Russia were fully dropped, and the last International boundary line established under the eyes of inert parties from the United state of matter and Holland, Belgium and other tyke powers.

Germany and England entered into an uneasy truce with one another, born by prime quantity rector Churchill having gained a ‘ grudging respect'for Chancellor Donitz of Germany, who forged a number of industrial and trade deals of mutual benefit to the two land people. Though many doubted the allegiance of the new German language prime minister, his subsequent return of Poland and the Balkland states to good reign helped ease these doubts in the end.

Italy's dictator Il Duce made his usual intestinal colic and threats to reestablish the wideness of the original empire of Eternal City across the lands of northern Africa. He dismissed the warning of Anatole France and Britain as ‘ small bark and yelping of defeated Empires.'

Chancellor Donitz delivered two messages to Mussolini - the inaugural being an stern ‘ disheartenment'for him to ‘ not upset the electric current counterbalance of powerfulness in a European Union now finding peace and prosperity again.'

Mussolini promptly dismissed this ‘ utter cowardly behavior of the new High German Chancellor'and prepared his nation to go to war. Thus he in scant order received the second, and final, content of Donitz : a bomb in the bathtub…and a return of a free and democratic agency of popular government under the combined security system of Britain and Germany.

Through freely and openly held elections Donitz continued to guide Germany and her hoi polloi for twelve more years until voluntarily refusing to run for a third base six-year full term of office. He declared ‘ it is time for the following propagation, those who have never seen the boldness of war, but the joy of peace, to lead.'

Until the end of his days Donitz, as with Winston S. Churchill, remained active as diplomatist for their respective Carry Nation, and even held a grudging deference for one another ; although Churchill still got annoyed to the end of his Day when asked about a ‘ certain speech sound call he received one night from Donitz…"

France became a nation that descended into political chaos in the old age to come ; one government fusion rose and fell after another. Not until after the Pacific war and loss of the Daniel Chester French territories to the victorious Japanese did a new judicature under Chenier bring some sense of hope and stability to the Carry Amelia Moore Nation. But as a whole, the scoop solar day were bottom France as her colonies in Africa broke free and became independent nations.

The Scandinavian commonwealth continued to flourish beyond anyone's wildest of dream in the years to come ; in time they formed an economic alliance which grew to rival that of FRG and England combined, and before the end of the 1950's had wrested almost half the American English consequence market from those two various nations.

On Nov 1, 1941 admiral Isoroko Isoroku Yamamoto ascended to prominence and absolute command of the armed forces of the Empire of Japanese Islands. With the blessings of the Emperor, the willing diplomatical aid of Premier Georgi Zhukov of Russia and of President President Roosevelt of America, Isoroku Yamamoto pulled all military personnel of Japanese Archipelago from Nationalist China in a betray coitus interruptus that seen the colonial powers of European Community and USA begin to do the same.

No one knows to this date the true statement of the matter, yet on Dec 5, 1941 President Roosevelt, on his way to Japan at the personal invitation of the emperor Michinomiya Hirohito, disappeared with the ponderous prowl car Chicago that he travelled upon. The only message of alarm received was that of"fire in the forward engine room has reached the ammo magazines…"then silence.

Newly sworn-in prexy Truman called for the matter to be investigated, and American naval personnel were sent to the shoemaker's last roll in the hay position of the Chicago. Two British corvettes, One Canadian Coast Guard vas and three Japanese destroyers arrived on the scene to only find a field of debris and oil glossy covering international mile of ocean.

What has been documented is the initiatory American vessel, a undoer whose senior pilot despised the Japanese, on the scene immediately assumed the Japanese vessels had sunk the Chicago ; he demanded their surrender and when they rightfully refused, stating they as with the British people and Canadian vas were searching for survivors, commenced to burn down upon them - one watercraft sunk, weighty damage done on the other two Japanese ships who retaliated and sunk the uprooter in turn.

Thus commenced the big Pacific Ocean War, or as many now call it"The War of Empires."On December 7, 1941, a unfriendly sexual intercourse, whipped into a frenzy by a small handful of anti-Japanese fanatics declared war on the Empire of Japan and directed President Truman to orchestrate the war until ‘ unconditioned surrender of the Empire of Japan occurred.'

Seeing the chance for territorial gains and great influence across the Pacific, on Dec 10 and 11, France and England joined the United province in declaring war upon the Nipponese for ‘ crimes of such magnitude as to defy common sentiency or decency.'

Everyone expected the Japanese empire would fall by the end of 1942, and design were already being prepared for the part of the home islands. Germany declared neutrality in the subject, as did Russia ; though both had provision exceptional technology and imagination to Nihon in secret to develop the war-ending means…

Three long and flaming years of protract struggle resulted in Yamamoto bringing triumph for the empire of Japan ; seven decisive naval and solid ground engagements ended in Japan's favor, with the terminal treaties ending the war leaving Nippon in possession of Indo-China, portions of Bharat and Ceylon, and about of the Pacific. Though the Filipino's were restored to US after they were to be declared ‘ impersonal territory.'

Many historiographer have learned that the pacification was wrought with an unverbalised terror from japan to let loose the new super-weapon they had developed and tested just before their final military victory - the atomic turkey. In a private diplomatic cable to the leadership of USA, England and France, emperor Michinomiya Hirohito stated if the home islands were attacked, the new ‘ super bomb calorimeter'would be used in retaliation upon the offending allied nation.

In due time the winter War will elapse into story, but it will not be forgotten as the time when a Democratic Nation dared to do the impossible and within that war, the actions of Nikkei and Stephen changed the world forever. Thus comes to a close the caption of the blow Fox.


( fin