THE SNIPER

The Sniper

The battle had been going on for many days.
Today was no different.
He wanted to get his kills in.
But still he waited, sweating in the summer heat

Two days prior he had been here late in the afternoon to creep up to this vantage point, clearing a narrow zigzag path so it was easier to get here. He had used every rock and foundation that jutted up as cover.

Carrying the barest of supplies, dragging his rifle behind him. Armed with that, a few rounds of ammo, water and dry bread, and his entrenching tool.

He began by digging a pit here. In the early dark, he piled a bit more brick and rubble in what looked like a random pile (from a distance).
He made sure there was a long narrow slit in the pile through which he could sight and fire.

Yesterday he and his sighting assistant had been here to set up and observe.
It had been a quiet day [comparatively] as the fight went on somewhere in the distance.
The hours were marked by occasional gun duels elsewhere, machine guns rattling somewhere, a grenade echoing in the dead city, artillery strikes, crump of a mortar round, and counter strikes...

And the three cold meals they brought with them.

No target had made itself known.  
He and his partner knew the enemy was there.
But they learned fast not to make themselves visible in a static position.
Not during the day anyway.

So they then dug a second pit. This one wasn't nearly as grand or anything. It was a bit closer to their lines; more a place to retreat to if they were discovered  / after firing. As they withdrew for the day, they made their way to a free standing pile of bricks that had been the corner of an apartment building.

Here they placed a mine with a trip wire. Just a little insurance if the enemy decided it worth placing their own sniper here or in case an assaulting team tried to use it for cover. It was his only blind spot and lay close to his position. Then, they crept back to their main line, calling out the password of the day to the forward listening post they were using to come and go.
Receiving the appropriate counter, they arrived safely, shared a bit of cold mess and turned in.

Today, they woke long before the dawn, to spend two hours silently and slowly making their way to the spot of their firing pit.  They waited as the sun slowly came up and rose higher in the sky. As the sun was behind them, they knew they couldn't begin. Not till they were no longer silhouetted could they begin, so they quietly ate a cold breakfast.

One would think the enemy would be blinded this early and this an advantage, but it was seldom enough to offset making a nice dark outline against a rising sun.

Late morning. Now to begin. The piled bricks allowed the periscope sight to be raised over a low lip while it remained in a shadow so that it wasn't easy to spot.
Using his periscope, the sniper's assistant took time to survey the ground for signs of trouble or a target. He raised the periscope lens so he could observe and wait. "Safe" his assistant signed and the sniper moved into firing position. He looked out at the enemy line. He placed his weapon and began to slowly scan the enemy line.

Nice flat ground between these ruins and the ones on the other side of the street.
Street was a euphemism.
It used to be a street. Now it was a wide lane between the parallel lines of debris.

The ruins were shapeless mounds of brick, concrete, and steel for the most part.
Far to his left was the only recognizable structure that still stood; possibly a hotel of some sort.
Now it's entire surface, on every face, was scarred by flying shrapnel, bullets, and the like.

To the front was a long low heap of debris that had been shops and housing.
About six meters behind that mound was the enemy line. Numerous small impacts had damaged the pavement. A mere twenty meters away was his enemy. He saw the smoke from cigarettes rising and could smell something cooking somewhere. They were bad about cooking. His people never did that near the line. It gave away where you where if there was too much smoke. Made you a target for artillery.

To the far right stood a corner, with a bent and incongruous signal lamp. It no longer functioned of course. There was the last bit of a foundation and corner of a building there. He had placed a mine there the night before just in case someone decided to use this as snipping position or got nosey.

Movement? He saw a head, then a shoulder, and an occasional ass appear and disappear as some obviously new men made the ultimate mistake.

Yet, he held his fire. He was after bigger game.
He hadn't even chambered a round yet.
He began to concentrate on controlling his breathing.

Then he signaled and his assistant placed a round in his hand.
He chambered a round and locked the weapon.

Sighting carefully and then some guy appeared in his sight.
An Officer! And another one.
He signaled "One more" and his assistant looked through the periscope to check for trouble.
He picked another round with his free hand an signaled "Safe" again.

The sniper eased the safety and held his breath a count of two and_
One round fired!
A hit. A scream.
A death wound as well.

Incredibly, target number two stood stock still as he looked down at the blood all over his uniform and his superior who was already on the ground.
But he hadn't moved; as if in fright, he couldn't move.

The sniper ejected the spent round. The assistant placed the second round in the chamber and tapped his shoulder. The sniper seated the round, counted to two as he sighted on target number two who was finally turning to dive for cover.

The sniper seated and fired the second round.
Another hit. Another scream.
Possibly in the spine. Not a death wound, but crippling most likely. Damned the luck!
He knew most soldiers would rather they were dead than crippled for life.

Time had seemed to drag during all this, yet only about 12 seconds had passed from his chambering the first round till....

With that, all hell broke loose.
Men sounding like the animals they were inside.
All making horrible sounds of despair and violence.

They didn't know where the firing came from and were shooting at places the "thought" he might be. Small and medium sized weapons fire everywhere. They thought they could get lucky.

They were wrong.
BUT_

Orders in another tongue to attack!
Snarls and feet as they began to run.
About fifteen of them charged across the street to get revenge.
That was stupid of them as his artillery spotters were certain to be calling for batteries to rain death on this spot!

The sniper and the assistant were already moving as quickly as possible to the rear.

And now, friendly mortar rounds came down on the street behind them.
As the sniper and the assistant yelled the days password the forward machine gunner was firing over their heads.

More screams as some of those in the "street" were hit by fragments and bullets....
But they came on towards the "main line"
The "battle" spread down the line and more weapons were firing.

Perhaps a couple of hundred men on either side were cursing each other and doing their best to kill.
After a few minutes, it had spent it's fury and died down to the dull grind of afternoon.

The men checked for wounded....
And dead.

So did the enemy.

More or less quiet as the afternoon fled_
The men sweated, they smoked and talked softly about home, and 'the future',

They ate their meals such as they were and drank water...
The sniper returned to his lines and had dinner.
Evening was coming on.

The assistant checked their ammo
And the sniper cleaned his weapon

Tomorrow was another day, and another pit!