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Pop.
Pop.
Pop—
Just like back then, I’m helpless, and so broken, I can’t even stop the bleeding, let alone save anyone.
They’re dead.
I’m not.
They’re—
“Breathe, Lipovsky.” The authoritative voice sounds so close to my ear, I flinch. “Fucking breathe, Aleksander.”
His command has a firm roughness, and I look down to find that my fingers are curled around the rifle’s trigger, and my shoulders are shaking so hard that I can’t control them.
“Look at me.” It’s that voice again. There’s nothing gentle about his tone, not even an attempt to sound nice, but maybe that’s precisely what I need, because my head slowly turns to the side.
My chaotic breathing evens out as I’m caught off guard by the icy depths of the captain’s blue eyes. Staring into them is no different than being trapped at the North Pole.
“That’s it. Breathe.” His voice lowers further, and it’s almost welcoming but still commanding. “I’m going to need you to snap the fuck out of it, or you’ll die. Do you hear me?”
Slowly but surely, I regain control of my breathing. The shaking stops, and I nod sharply.
“Use your voice, soldier.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Team A was hit, and Team B went in as backup, so we’ll need to cover for them. Are you able to take a shot?”
Adrenaline rushes into my limbs, and I instinctively tighten my hold on my rifle. “Yes, sir.”
“If you don’t have the mental capacity, stay out of it. I will not have you endanger my men’s lives with your indecisiveness.”
“Those men are my friends.” I lift my chin. “I will do whatever it takes to get them out of this alive.”
There’s a short pause before he nods and motions at one of the nearby trees. “Go there.”
“Why not one of the previously designated spots?”
“Those are compromised. We lost all our snipers.” He says it without a hint of emotion, as if he didn’t just announce that many of the people I’ve started to consider my second family are gone.
A slight tremor rushes through me, but before it can disperse and grow, I briefly close my eyes, inhale deeply, and then crawl to the tree.
I’ll think about this later. For now, I’m on a mission.
The moment I push myself into that mindset, my head clears. Little by little, my movements become instinctive, robotic, and drip with purpose.
I don’t even pay attention to the persistent sound of gunshots or the mines that go off all around us.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
In a swift movement, I let my rifle hang at my back and climb the tree in record time. Instead of stopping at the first solid branch, I continue up until I have the best view of the warehouse and balance on a branch.
