Prologue

Set in war torn Sarajevo.

Saint Valentine’s Day, Sarajevo 1996.

 

            It was fifteen days before the siege of Sarajevo would end but Corporal Danijel Majstorović could not have known that.  Indeed, would such knowledge alone have altered his outlook that on particular day? It was hard to say.

 

            The siege of Sarajevo was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. At the height of the conflict the hills surrounding the city bristled with the weaponry of a Serb force some 18,000 strong.  The Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People’s Army blockaded the city and their orders were uncomplicated �" nobody gets out alive.

 

            The truth of it was that Danijel was sick to the pit of his stomach of the war, the cold, the damp, the dirt, the orders, the death.  The stench of decay clung to the shattered remnants of the city like a shroud.  At times he considered the actions that he had taken, the orders he had carried out and he wondered whether the human spirit was something that could be eroded or polluted like ink swirling in a cup of water. His father, a former soldier had once told him that the greater the loyalty of a soldier toward the cause, the greater is the motivation amongst his brothers to achieve that cause and the greater the probability that those men will see their cause realised.

 

            When the young Danijel had asked what his father had meant, the man had stared at him and said simply, “You will see.”

 

It had been snowing for three days straight and, like the inhabitants of the shocked city, he was freezing. His cheeks stung and were raw, his lips blistered and sore. He flexed his fingers; the joints were painful and tight with the cold. It was important to keep sharp; snipers had to stay sharp.

 

“There, in the shadow of the Tram station.” Ratko Galić said lowering his binoculars. Ratko was the spotter, Danijel’s eyes in the hills. Ratko swept up the spotting scope and pressed it to his eye. “Single target, male, carrying a pack... looks like... medical supplies. He is in the shelter of the front facing wall under the tram sign.”

 

Danijel adjusted the sights on his weapon, the Zastava M91, a present from his father, and pressed the synthetic polymer stock to his cheek.  He located the ruined wall and waited for movement.

 

“He’s hunkered down in the recess,” Ratko said slowly. “The little bug.”

Danijel could tell by the inflection in his voice that Ratko was smiling. Gently, Danijel shifted his sights to scope the area and his elbows crunched in the snow. He flexed his fingers again. A short way from the target’s hiding place was a sign that read:  Pazite, Snajper!

 

Beware, Sniper!

 

“Come on little bug...” Ratko whispered.

 

Ten minutes passed.

 

There was a flicker of shadow. “He’s getting ready to move,” the spotter murmured.

 

Danijel slowed his breathing and channeled his thoughts through the sight.  His pulse was a steady, deliberate thud in his ears.

 

The target emerged, slowly at first, dirty fingers gripping the loose masonry as he shifted himself out of his hole.  Danijel’s finger curled around the trigger and applied light pressure, he felt the mechanism start to respond.

 

“Wait until he is out in the open,” Ratko said.

 

A boy of perhaps 11 years old hauled the pack out of his hiding place and swung it across his thin shoulders.  Bony wrists flexed as he shrugged it onto his back.  He lowered himself into a sprinter’s crouch and dipped his head slightly, perhaps to offer a prayer. The boy launched himself forward, propelling himself on spindly legs.

 

“Take the shot.”

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

Author's Note

A first draft.

Reviews

[spence]

A compelling opening that reads very well despite being in first draft form. The only advice I feel qualified to offer would be to begin the tale with paragraph two and follow on to a slightly amended first paragraph to better lead into the introduction to Danijel, ie, 'It would be 15 days before the siege of Sarajevo ended, etc'. I'd definitely turn the page to this one- the sniper perspective is a very good hook. Is this still a work in progress? I'd be interested to read on when you post, so I'll put it on my bookshelf! Take care, spence

[O V Montoya]

Absolutely fascinated. So, you call this a first draft? I think its is very well written. The tension is almost palpable. I have no words of critique for you. I have to say, I enjoyed this tremendously.