“Thank you.” Hale replied.
He took a small sip of the broth, Not bad. He thought.
Hale held the cup with both hands relishing the warmth his fingers felt. Looking down at it, he saw pieces of meat floating within a brown looking broth. Steam came from the liquid and filled his nose with the smell of boiled venison. There were small bits of bread within the cup. As the bread dissolved, it helped to thicken the broth.
Hale took another sip of the stew and looked at the left side of the tent. There was a campaign table with a map sitting on it. Helping to hold the map down on the table were two objects a large stone, and a radio microphone. Hale’s eyes followed the cord attached to the bottom of the round black microphone. His eyes came to rest on a large gray box sitting on the floor next to the table.
Maki followed the course of Hale’s gaze and said, “One of our few radios. It helps me to stay abreast of what is going on.”
“What have you heard so far? How bad is it?” Hale asked.
“It’s pretty bad. We’re facing the Soviet 7th Army’s 19th Rifle Corps, specifically the 24th Rifle Division.” Maki replied.
Without warning Hale suddenly stiffened. He turned to face the Lieutenant and said, “I’ve got to get back out there. They’ve captured Pekka.”
Maki shook his head, “No, you need to rest, you’re exhausted. The snipers we have put in place have nearly ground the bastards to a halt. At the pace they are moving it will be a week before they even reach the Mannerheim line.”
“But Pekka-”
Maki held up a hand, “Knew the risks the same as the rest of us. He would want us to focus on the invader and not some half-cocked attempt to sneak past half a million Soviets to rescue him.”
Hale’s nostrils flared as his cheeks began to turn red. As the fire of anger burned through his blood, Hale’s eyes narrowed. With clenched fists he turned to face Maki and squared his shoulders. The action caused him to grimace in pain. The Lieutenant placed a hand on Hale’s good shoulder and said, “I understand. The thought of those bastards having one of my snipers makes me sick inside. Especially Pekka. During his many years of service, he’s given much to Finland.”
“He has a family. A wife, and two daughters.” Hale replied.
Maki sighed, “I know.” He repeated himself, this time in a low whisper before saying in a louder voice, “He would want us to keep fighting to protect them.”
Hale nodded and turned to look down at the map. It was a detailed map of the local area. The chart had a transparent sheet of plastic over top of it. Two grease pencils laid on the table at the edge of the map, one black, the other red. Hale’s eyes were drawn to a red arrow that hugged the only northward running road in this area. The red line was labeled with a 24.
Hale traced the red line back to the border of the Soviet Union. There were several more numbers written on the Soviet side of the border 43, 70, 123. Each number had a question mark written behind it.
Maki saw what Hale was looking at and said, “Those are the other three divisions in the 19th Corps. We haven’t detected them yet.”
“So many.” Hale’s voice drifted off into a whisper.
“Aye. To many” Maki said in a low voice.
The radio crackled to life interrupting the two men, “Loki do you have a copy? Over.”
Maki picked up the radio microphone and said, “This is Loki go.”
The radio speaker replied, “Loki this is Asgard. Uncle Lenin is going for a walk. Over.”
Maki pressed the button on the side of the microphone and replied, “He’d better bundle up it’s cold this time a year. Over.”
The voice coming from the radio speaker on the floor replied, “Indeed, he wouldn’t want to catch cold. Over.”
Maki pressed the microphone button again as he said, “Go Asgard actual. Over.”
“The Titans are rampaging toward the north. They will reach the brook soon. Over.” The voice on the other end of the radio said.
Maki replied, “Understood, what does the all father wish me to do? Over.”
“He’s dispatching a group of Valkyries to make a stand. He feels that delaying the Titans at the brook would be worth the blood price. Over.” Asgard actual replied.
“Then we shall ride forth with and partake in our mischief in support of the Valkyries. Over.” Maki replied.
“Excellent. Do what you can to punish the Titans from your side. Over” Asgard actual replied.
“There are few of us here. I shall go forth myself. Antti will be here soon to mind the store. Over” Maki replied.
“Understood and good luck. Over.” Asgard actual replied.
Hale looked at Maki, his face etched with confusion, “What did all that nonsense you just spewed mean?”
Maki chuckled, “It was code. The Soviets have radios too. We wouldn’t want them listening in and understanding what we just said.”
Maki pulled a book out of his right uniformed pants pocket and began thumbing through it, “Ahh here it is. The brook is the codeword for the crossroads at the village of Kivennapa.”
Maki turned to the map and quickly located the village. He placed a finger on it and said, “Here.”
“What are we to do?” Hale asked.
“Command wants me to dispatch as many snipers as I have available to the village to harry the invader. They’re sending up a battalion to delay the bastards.” Maki replied.
“Why? Many villages along that road have already fallen. What makes this one different?” Hale asked.
“Because it sits on a crossroads. If the Russians take the village, they’ll have access to this road that runs east and west. Right now, they are limited to the north and south running road they are currently on. Since they have confined themselves to the road. If they reach that cross roads they’ll be able to spread themselves out.”
Hale’s eyes focused on the map, “Oh, I see what you are saying. Right now, we have them in a bottle neck. If they are able to gain the cross roads, they’ll be able to work their way loose. So, you’re sending me there?”
Maki nodded, “And I’m going with you.”
Hale looked incredulous, “No offense, but you grew up in Viipuri. What do you know about sneaking through a forest and using a rifle?”
Maki chuckled, “Not much.”
“Then why?” Before Hale could finish his sentence, Maki held up a hand.
He crossed the room, picked a gun out of a pile of them laying on the floor in a corner and said, “I can help you with this.”
Hale’s eyes widened as they took in the weapon Maki was holding up, “A machine gun?”
Maki nodded, “A PPD 34. It’s a submachine gun to be precise.”
“Where did you get it?” Hale asked.
“Onni brought it in. He collected two of them from the corpses of a squad of Soviets he slew.” Maki replied.
“If I had something like that when they took Pekka, I could have saved him.” Hale replied.
“Perhaps.” Maki paused then added, “Perhaps not. You are only one man and you were engaged with an entire battalion.”
Hale sighed loudly, “I know. I just can’t help but to think if I made different decisions, that somehow he’d be here with me right now.”
“You did everything you could for him, and then you did what was best for Finland. You preserved yourself to fight another day.” Maki replied.
“I know but-”
“Peace Hale. I need you focused on what’s ahead, not what happened yesterday. Put it behind you. I need you in the here and now. Your family needs you.”
Hale nodded slowly. His features revealing the turmoil within him, “I know you’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right! I’m your commanding officer.”