The Suitcase

Chapter 1- Patrol

On a typical warm Afghan day I was asked by General Conrad Krushnov to do a patrol round the twenty-five mile perimeter. It started off like a typical patrol no shooting just boring until our tires got blown out. Capt. Demetri Lebenov and I Sgt. Yuri Bromov left the vehicle quite carefully just in case it was an ambush we opened the boot of the vehicle and picked up our AK-47 assault rifles. Suddenly gun shots rang through the air hitting our jeep smashing all the windows, Demetri opened fire into the rocks but we reckoned it was just thin air he was shooting at, and suddenly Demetri pushes me out of the way and shouts R.P.G. (Rocket Propelled Grenade). I blacked out for a few seconds. When I regained consciousness I found the barrel of an automatic weapon in my face, it was a Mujahideen fighter. I looked over to my fellow soldier and saw him being beaten up. Suddenly I was lifted to my feet by two of the fighters. I counted the fighters around us there was four, two with me and two with Demetri. Demetri falls to the ground seemingly badly injured as one of the fighters bent down to pull him to his feet Demetri pulled a knife and proceeded to stab the fighter as this fighter fell to the ground Demetri grabbed his pistol then shot the other fighter. Both the soldiers dropped me to attack Demetri I got my pistol and shot the fighters killing them instantly. I got up and went over to help Demetri to his feet he kept saying to me how lucky we were to be alive. I picked up one of their bolt action rifles and passed Demetri one as well. I noticed there was a flask on the fighter’s belt I picked it up and took a sip of it, it was water. We started to head back to base but a few minutes later Demetri falls to the ground. I noticed there was a bit of debris in his shin, I removed it carefully and poured a little bit of water on it. Demetri suddenly sits up and says “sandstorm” I got up and put Demetri over my shoulder and with great difficulty carry him over to a cave which was a 100 yards next to me. Once we entered I carefully placed him flat on the ground and gave him a sip of the water. I removed my belt and used it as a tourniquet. He started to lose hope and think he was going to die but I kept trying to persuade him he wasn’t. I had just noticed the sandstorm had ended and at the corner of my eye I noticed military transport trucks which looked Russian. They were coming towards us. I left Demetri in the cave ran down to the road and signalled the truck to stop. The truck skidded to a halt just in front of me. The driver was very nervous when I asked him to wait while I retrieved Demetri I told him if he left I would find him and kill him A man got out and accompanied me to retrieve Demetri he then asked for our identification to make sure we were not spies I replied “I’m Sgt. Yuri Bromov and this is Capt. Demetri Lebenov”. I examined this mans uniform he was soviet and also a commander. He then told us his name Commander Sergei Gromov. When I had Helped Demetri in the back of the truck, I playfully punched his shoulder and said “told you we were going to be fine”. Sergei then hopped in the back with us he started out asking us questions about our mission one was when did we get ordered out here? I said I couldn’t remember. The truck came to a sudden halt I guessed we were at the main gate and the gates guard wanted the driver’s papers. The truck started moving again. It then parked outside the barracks Sergei said “we can leave the truck now”. I jumped out the back Demetri staggered and fell out I helped him to his feet once again and took him over to the field hospital. I told the doctors and nurses what I had done to cleanse the wound they then replied “if you had not removed the shrapnel and cleansed the wound we would probably have amputated his leg”. I left the hospital and entered my barracks and took a relaxing shower after it I checked my watch it said half past eleven almost midnight. I walked over to my bed and pulled back the covers I then noticed a letter lying on the mattress opening it I read

Dear Brother

   How’s the frontline of Afghanistan. Father’s still proud of you and what you’re doing for our country I finally got a job at a hospital in St Petersburg and mothers still unwell in bed but she is pulling through. Hopefully you could write back soon love your sister Alina.

Suddenly the alarm sounded I went over to the gun cabinet and chose the AK-47. I quickly put my uniform on and loaded my rifle I left the barracks and froze as I saw the mayhem in the camp. To my left the officer’s mess disappeared in a ball of flame. I heard Sergei’s voice urgently calling me. I ran over to him dodging the mortar shells. Sergei said “I need some volunteers to outflank the mortar squad”. We loaded up and followed Sergei there was seven of us myself, Sergei and his crack squad of handpicked soldiers. There was Hunter he was the sniper, Predator he was more the stealthy one, Doc he was the medic, Sarge he was basically demolition and bomb disposal and then there’s Mechanic can fix a tank as quick as you can blow a whistle. We got to the top of the hill and spotted the mortar pit. Sergei ordered Hunter, Predator and Doc to flank from behind and kill those who were in the tents. Sergei and his men would then move in and blow them away. We got to the bottom of the hill and noticed a guard smoking a cigarette I told Hunter to take him out when I gave him the signal. Predator then tapped my shoulder and said “one guard taking a leak behind a rock, ill take him out at the same time as hunter snipes the other guard”

“Three, two, one and go” I gave them the signal they took them both out quietly and hid the bodies. Predator makes a bird sound and the rest of Sergei’s squad came down firing at the pit which was at point blank range ripping everything apart like a saw through wood leaving a gory mess. Sergei ordered Sarge to destroy the pit. Sarge dismantled a mortar rocket and poured the gun powder around all the other rockets and bodies. Once we got to a safe distance he set it alight. Sarge shouts “fire in the hole” suddenly everything exploded and incinerated all their equipment and bodies. We got back to camp the whole place was a mess. Soldiers were making a start at rebuilding the officer’s mess. Sergei invited us to his barrack and we celebrated with drinks of vodka. General Conrad Krushnov entered and ordered us to go to his office tomorrow at 1100hrs and I was to bring Demetri. When I finally got to my bed I wrote my sister a reply to her letter.