Ivan shows me the ropes

There are explosions and gunshots, but I do not flinch. I’m laying perfectly still next to Ivan, both of us on our stomachs. We’re in a ruined building, and haven’t moved for a long time. Ivan looks down the scope of his rifle. I’m looking through his binoculars.

“Where did that bastard go?” Ivan whispers to me.

“I’m looking for him.” I whisper back, scanning a trench line. I see the tops of helmets from time to time.

“Look at the collar.” He whispers. “The shoulder boards.”

I move my field of view from left to right, until an arm comes into view at an intersection of the trench.

“Hold on.” I whisper. He moves out to where I can see him. “There’s white!”

“Where is he?”

“Intersection of the trench, to the right.” I whisper, my eyes fixated on the target, a lower ranking German officer.

“I see him.” Ivan whispers.

Just like that, his rifle goes off and the officer lurches from the impact to his chest. He falls and drops out of view.

“Get back.” Ivan whispers, and the two of us hurriedly crawl out of view.

“You hit him.”

“Where?” He asks.

“Upper chest. Lung, probably. Good shot.”

“No hope of getting that dog tag.” Ivan mutters. “That one will have to go unconfirmed. Anyways, let’s relocate.”

I hand Ivan his binoculars back as we leave the room, and unsling my rifle.

“You’re doing a good job.” He tells me.

I follow Ivan into a staircase, and we start up it. Peter and Nikolai are coming down the other side, and we meet them halfway.

“Relocating?” Ivan asks them.

“We just shot an engineer.” Peter answers. “You?”

“A Lieutenant.”

“Good, it will make them nice and docile while they figure out who to replace him with.” Peter says.

“Want to stop for a cigarette?” Ivan asks.

“Sure.”

Ivan and Peter sit together on the stairs. I sit down several steps below them. Nikolai comes over to me and sits on the stairs next to me.

“Learning?” Nikolai asks, pulling his bolt back and ejecting a casing which tinks its way down to the bottom of the stairs.

“Ivan is a pro.” I tell him.

“Indeed.” Nikolai says, fishing a loose round out of a pouch and topping off his rifle with it. He brings the bolt forwards and closes it.

“Did Ivan let you shoot yet?”

“Not yet.”

“He’ll give you a chance eventually, probably tomorrow.” Nikolai says. “I worked with him when I first came to the city.”

“Hold on.” Nikolai whispers. “Listen.”

I hear Ivan and Peter talking behind and above us.

“I hope you’re being careful.” Peter says.

“Don’t worry.”

“Seriously, you need to keep an eye on her. Don’t let her do anything stupid and put you at risk.”

“I think you might be underestimating her.” Ivan defends me. “She’s been very receptive.”

“Receptive, huh?” Peter asks. “Did she bat her eyelashes at you? Twirl her hair?”

“What are you getting at?”

“I’m just telling you to be careful. I bet she’s the reason Evgeny was killed.”

“Hold on a minute.” I snarl, something having snapped in my brain. I storm up the staircase and stop before the two of them.

“What makes you think so low of me?” I ask Peter. “Do you think I’m some kind of idiot? It’s because I’m a girl, isn’t it?”

“It’s because you’re a rookie.” He snorts at me. “And rookies do stupid shit.”

“You think I lack basic survival instincts?” I ask him.

“Enough of that.” Ivan interjects. “Stop arguing with him, Tatyana.”

“Yes, sir.” I sigh and back off.

“And Peter.” He says. “You shouldn’t have said anything about Evgeny. That was in poor taste.”

“Sorry about that, sir.”

“Our break is over.” Ivan says. “Let’s move.”