"Hello! Is anyone here?!"
Nobody answered. Snow has started to flood the hallway lit by two out of five lights in the ceiling.
"Hello! Anybody here?!"
He shrugged and entered. The whole living room was turned upside down, anything valuable was taken away. He started to walk back when he spotted a older man dead on the kitchen floor, white eyes frozen open and black bullet hole in a middle of the balding scalp. Pool of frozen black blood surrounds him. Cold chill went down Carsten's spine.
"Oh fuck. I'm so sorry."
He ran outside.
"There's dead people on the floor. That place has been trashed."
Wind started to turn into storm.
"Let's get inside anyway. We carry them into the back room."
"Okay. Let's get some heat up too."
Yazad helped Marcel to carry the old couple out of the kitchen and took them to their bedroom, turning off lights and closing the door behind.
"Too bad about them, they had no chance to fight back."
They cleaned up the place to sit somewhere, then Yazad made fire into the fireplace, warming their freezing toes and hands. Wind howled outside and slapped snowflakes against the windows, covering it with a white mass.
Next morning they heat from the fireplace was gone and the room was cold again. They stretched themselves, ate as little food as possible and started to walk again. Carsten stumbled and almost fell as his foot got stuck behind a power line wire.
"Watch out, Carsten."
"Yeah I know."
They pass old apartment buildings, windows all frozen. There's an old stone shed with roof fallen in obscured with snow surrounding it, Sebastian almost fell in as he climbed what he believed is a hill to check the surroundings. Some of the wall has crumbled, leaving a large hole into the building. They climbed in to the car repair shop from open door partly hidden by snow. They found few tools that might be helpful, two knives, shelves full of canned beans and pineapple pieces. They stocked up as much as they could carry, then continued their walk in thick snow, passing a generator box, that was still humming.
"Don't touch it. Circle around that."
They followed Oliver's instructions, passing in front of the brick ruins with trees growing out from inside. All the doors and windows on the garages were shut and boarded up, they gave up looting it after watching three sides of it. There was nothing of interest in rest of Tõdva village, a wild fire had burned through the rest of the habitat and charred empty ruins stood like broken teeth. Forest has grown where once was high voltage power line corridor, rusty remains of the power poles were mostly hidden by overgrowth of trees, creating a snow filled barrier on their way. Luckily Sebastian found a way through it and waited others to reach him. Day started to turn into night as they continued deep into the forest. They break in to first house they saw to escape another snowstorm. It was abandoned for a long time, but someone tried to conserve it as much as possible. There was no food, the furniture was covered with transparent cellophane film, which was a good fire starter mixed with firewood in the furnace. Sebastian collected more of it to carry along. Next morning they continued through the village and on the faint line of the road between the forest. Suddenly they made it to the part of the road that was cleaned from snow and modular fence with large sodium street light mounted on top of one pole lighting the road with bright yellow light.
"Stop! Show me your hands!"
"Bags on the ground! Now!"
Five people with heavy winter clothing and assault rifles climb out from the gate and take aim at them. One of them took their guns and then searched through their bags.
"They have canned food! What is the cellophane for? Hey, I'm asking a question!"
"Fire starter. It burns well."
"Okay. So what is your purpose for coming here."
"We don't have any purposes. We left the city when military started to take over it."
"What city?"
"Tallinn."
"Fuck." He whispered in surprise. "Okay, we keep the guns in storage for you during your stay. We also take five cans as entry tax."
"Okay."
"Dima, take the guns to the storage. Open the gates!"
He turned back as Dima took over the guns to take five cans.
"Follow me. I want to know what is the exact situation there and who were the military. Take your bags with you."
The village was lit by different style and shape street lights, some brighter some dimmer. They were taken to the brick row house in front of the wood mill, where people worked. Smoke was coming from the large chimney of the boiler house. They entered a warm hallway and was leaded to living room where they sit down behind the table, placing their bags next to their chairs.
"So let's start from the beginning. I want to know how you survived it all."
After listening the story from each person and taking notes while at it, he concluded.
"So there was survivors after all. Okay, I take a book and I want you to point the exact emblem you saw on the sleeves of the soldiers, Marcel."
"Okay."
He went to the next room and came back with a large book with a lot of military signs. He let Marcel look through the book.
"This one."
"U.S. Marines. Why are they collecting survivors into camp? I be right back, wait here."
He hurried outside, then came back with another guy.
"Is this true?"
"Yes."
"I will warn the guards. God damn those..."
He turns around and exits the building, closing the door behind him. The commander sits back down on the armchair and sighs.
"Okay, I have a proposal for you guys. We need people to guard the premises and help with work. Are you willing to stay and work for us, we give you warm room and food in return."
"I guess I can. How about you guys?" Said Marcel.
After talking with each other.
"Okay, we're cool with that." Answered Sebastian.
"Good. So let's get started, we have no time to rest."
They follow him to the saw mill, where he whistles with his mouth. The operator shuts the machine off after finishing the last board, people stop the cart with a timber on it and gather in front of him.
"Listen up. We have increased alert situation. Alex, Dmitri, Juhan, Karl and Siim: go grab your weapons and go to your guard posts. The material production will be decreased temporarily, we also have plenty of firewood also. Stay frosty, we are dealing with Marines. According to my source the capital city is overrun by them and they are gathering survivors with unknown purpose. Move out."
He waited for most of men to leave and turned to them.
"You take over the wood work while we guard the area. If the story of the hostile takeover is true, we all are in deep trouble. When shit goes sideways, I make sure you get your weapons back to defend yourselves. So now let us do our job and get to work."
Despite the size of the timber it was relatively easy to maneuver the cart. It took all of their strength to get it up the small ramp in the doorway. Operator helped to attach the hook to the bottom of the timber and winch pulled the log off the cart, then he continued to saw through the first log. The noise was loud. Suddenly they hear a loud bang in a distance, crows fly out of the forest followed by bloom of smoke.
"Hey! Hey!" Carsten yelled to operator, who then turns off the machine again.
"What is it?"
"There was an explosion in the forest north from here."
"Somebody tripped the mine..."
Rattle of gunfire stopped his sentence.
"Call everyone inside now!"
"Okay." He runs outside almost crashing into Oliver.
"Everyone get inside. Hurry."
They run into the mill house when suddenly bullets knock holes into the doors, break windows and lights in the ceiling. With a large bang the power went out. The operator took out the sniper rifle and climbed up the elevator, took a good position and returned fire. After third shot the shooting stopped. He opened fire again, now shooting much more frantically.
"Get out of here, go to the boiler house! Hurry!"
As they run out from the side door they saw a large APC crash into the wall, knocking one of the doors off and smashing the timber cart against the other wall. Next moment the other wall gave way and concrete ceiling panel came crashing down on the vehicle. Several soldiers jump out of the back door and open fire at the operator, then shoot at them while they jump in from the back door of the boiler house. The room is hot, red light is flickering in the furnace and hot water gashes through the pipes. They met commander who was armed with M249 and as they go behind him, he took aim at the hot water pipes. As the soldiers enter the room he shot the pipes, sending boiling hot water into them, causing three of the soldiers to get severe burns, steam quickly fills the room as hot water bursts the damaged pipes, steaming hot liquid flows on the floor like fast lava and soldiers scream in pain behind the wall.
"Grab your guns from the table and move. We have immediate evac of the site."
They grab their weapons and follow him. Bullets starts to whistle by as they exit out the front. He opens cover fire as they run into the woods. Snow is deep and gets into the boots, making running uncomfortable, but the share amount of adrenaline keeps them going. Their tracks are obscured by snowstorm that started to blowing again, pushing them forward. Yazad kicks in the door of large abandoned factory and they follow him inside and hide in the maze of the chemical processing equipment and odd apparatus they didn't recognize. They entered one of the back rooms and sheltered behind the rows of metal closets, ready to defend themselves. As day turned into night they were certain that the soldiers lost their track.
Next morning they heat from the fireplace was gone and the room was cold again. They stretched themselves, ate as little food as possible and started to walk again. Carsten stumbled and almost fell as his foot got stuck behind a power line wire.
"Watch out, Carsten."
"Yeah I know."
They pass old apartment buildings, windows all frozen. There's an old stone shed with roof fallen in obscured with snow surrounding it, Sebastian almost fell in as he climbed what he believed is a hill to check the surroundings. Some of the wall has crumbled, leaving a large hole into the building. They climbed in to the car repair shop from open door partly hidden by snow. They found few tools that might be helpful, two knives, shelves full of canned beans and pineapple pieces. They stocked up as much as they could carry, then continued their walk in thick snow, passing a generator box, that was still humming.
"Don't touch it. Circle around that."
They followed Oliver's instructions, passing in front of the brick ruins with trees growing out from inside. All the doors and windows on the garages were shut and boarded up, they gave up looting it after watching three sides of it. There was nothing of interest in rest of Tõdva village, a wild fire had burned through the rest of the habitat and charred empty ruins stood like broken teeth. Forest has grown where once was high voltage power line corridor, rusty remains of the power poles were mostly hidden by overgrowth of trees, creating a snow filled barrier on their way. Luckily Sebastian found a way through it and waited others to reach him. Day started to turn into night as they continued deep into the forest. They break in to first house they saw to escape another snowstorm. It was abandoned for a long time, but someone tried to conserve it as much as possible. There was no food, the furniture was covered with transparent cellophane film, which was a good fire starter mixed with firewood in the furnace. Sebastian collected more of it to carry along. Next morning they continued through the village and on the faint line of the road between the forest. Suddenly they made it to the part of the road that was cleaned from snow and modular fence with large sodium street light mounted on top of one pole lighting the road with bright yellow light.
"Stop! Show me your hands!"
"Bags on the ground! Now!"
Five people with heavy winter clothing and assault rifles climb out from the gate and take aim at them. One of them took their guns and then searched through their bags.
"They have canned food! What is the cellophane for? Hey, I'm asking a question!"
"Fire starter. It burns well."
"Okay. So what is your purpose for coming here."
"We don't have any purposes. We left the city when military started to take over it."
"What city?"
"Tallinn."
"Fuck." He whispered in surprise. "Okay, we keep the guns in storage for you during your stay. We also take five cans as entry tax."
"Okay."
"Dima, take the guns to the storage. Open the gates!"
He turned back as Dima took over the guns to take five cans.
"Follow me. I want to know what is the exact situation there and who were the military. Take your bags with you."
The village was lit by different style and shape street lights, some brighter some dimmer. They were taken to the brick row house in front of the wood mill, where people worked. Smoke was coming from the large chimney of the boiler house. They entered a warm hallway and was leaded to living room where they sit down behind the table, placing their bags next to their chairs.
"So let's start from the beginning. I want to know how you survived it all."
After listening the story from each person and taking notes while at it, he concluded.
"So there was survivors after all. Okay, I take a book and I want you to point the exact emblem you saw on the sleeves of the soldiers, Marcel."
"Okay."
He went to the next room and came back with a large book with a lot of military signs. He let Marcel look through the book.
"This one."
"U.S. Marines. Why are they collecting survivors into camp? I be right back, wait here."
He hurried outside, then came back with another guy.
"Is this true?"
"Yes."
"I will warn the guards. God damn those..."
He turns around and exits the building, closing the door behind him. The commander sits back down on the armchair and sighs.
"Okay, I have a proposal for you guys. We need people to guard the premises and help with work. Are you willing to stay and work for us, we give you warm room and food in return."
"I guess I can. How about you guys?" Said Marcel.
After talking with each other.
"Okay, we're cool with that." Answered Sebastian.
"Good. So let's get started, we have no time to rest."
They follow him to the saw mill, where he whistles with his mouth. The operator shuts the machine off after finishing the last board, people stop the cart with a timber on it and gather in front of him.
"Listen up. We have increased alert situation. Alex, Dmitri, Juhan, Karl and Siim: go grab your weapons and go to your guard posts. The material production will be decreased temporarily, we also have plenty of firewood also. Stay frosty, we are dealing with Marines. According to my source the capital city is overrun by them and they are gathering survivors with unknown purpose. Move out."
He waited for most of men to leave and turned to them.
"You take over the wood work while we guard the area. If the story of the hostile takeover is true, we all are in deep trouble. When shit goes sideways, I make sure you get your weapons back to defend yourselves. So now let us do our job and get to work."
Despite the size of the timber it was relatively easy to maneuver the cart. It took all of their strength to get it up the small ramp in the doorway. Operator helped to attach the hook to the bottom of the timber and winch pulled the log off the cart, then he continued to saw through the first log. The noise was loud. Suddenly they hear a loud bang in a distance, crows fly out of the forest followed by bloom of smoke.
"Hey! Hey!" Carsten yelled to operator, who then turns off the machine again.
"What is it?"
"There was an explosion in the forest north from here."
"Somebody tripped the mine..."
Rattle of gunfire stopped his sentence.
"Call everyone inside now!"
"Okay." He runs outside almost crashing into Oliver.
"Everyone get inside. Hurry."
They run into the mill house when suddenly bullets knock holes into the doors, break windows and lights in the ceiling. With a large bang the power went out. The operator took out the sniper rifle and climbed up the elevator, took a good position and returned fire. After third shot the shooting stopped. He opened fire again, now shooting much more frantically.
"Get out of here, go to the boiler house! Hurry!"
As they run out from the side door they saw a large APC crash into the wall, knocking one of the doors off and smashing the timber cart against the other wall. Next moment the other wall gave way and concrete ceiling panel came crashing down on the vehicle. Several soldiers jump out of the back door and open fire at the operator, then shoot at them while they jump in from the back door of the boiler house. The room is hot, red light is flickering in the furnace and hot water gashes through the pipes. They met commander who was armed with M249 and as they go behind him, he took aim at the hot water pipes. As the soldiers enter the room he shot the pipes, sending boiling hot water into them, causing three of the soldiers to get severe burns, steam quickly fills the room as hot water bursts the damaged pipes, steaming hot liquid flows on the floor like fast lava and soldiers scream in pain behind the wall.
"Grab your guns from the table and move. We have immediate evac of the site."
They grab their weapons and follow him. Bullets starts to whistle by as they exit out the front. He opens cover fire as they run into the woods. Snow is deep and gets into the boots, making running uncomfortable, but the share amount of adrenaline keeps them going. Their tracks are obscured by snowstorm that started to blowing again, pushing them forward. Yazad kicks in the door of large abandoned factory and they follow him inside and hide in the maze of the chemical processing equipment and odd apparatus they didn't recognize. They entered one of the back rooms and sheltered behind the rows of metal closets, ready to defend themselves. As day turned into night they were certain that the soldiers lost their track.
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