Kiruna.Blomkvist,keepyourfuckingheaddownifyoudon’twanttogetyourarseshotoff.YearslaterhestillrememberedtheextrapractisedrillsthatCaptainAdolfssonusedtodevise.
Hestoppedtocatchhisbreath,hisheartpounding.Hecouldhearnothingbuthisownbreathing.Thehumaneyeperceivesmotionmuchquickerthanshapesandfigures.Moveslowlywhenyou’rescouting.Blomkvistslowlypeekedaninchoverthetopedgeofthebattery.Thesunwasstraightaheadandmadeitimpossibletomakeoutdetails,buthecouldseenomovement.
Hepulledhisheadbackdownandranontothenextbattery.Itdoesn’tmatterhowgoodtheenemy’sweaponsare.Ifhecan’tseeyou,hecan’thityou.Cover,cover,cover.Makesureyou’reneverexposed.
Hewas300yardsfromtheedgeof?sterg?rdenfarm.Some40yardsfromwhereheknelttherewasanalmostimperablethicketoflowbrush.Buttoreachthethickethewouldhavetosprintdownagrassslopefromtheartillerybattery,andhewouldbepletelyexposed.Itwastheonlyway.Athisbackwasthesea.
HewassuddenlyawareofpaininhistempleanddiscoveredthathewasbleedingandthathisT-shirtwasdrenchedwithblood.Scalpwoundsneverstopbleeding,hethoughtbeforeheagainconcentratedonhisposition.Oneshotcouldjusthavebeenanaident,buttwomeantthatsomebodywastryingtokillhim.Hehadnowayofknowingifthemarksmanwaswaitingforhimtoreappear.
Hetriedtobecalm,thinkrationally.Thechoicewastowaitortogetthehellout.Ifthemarksmanwasstillthere,thelatteralternativewasassuredlynotagoodidea.Ifhewaitedwherehewas,themarksmanwouldcalmlywalkuptotheFortress,findhim,andshoothimatcloserange.
Hecan’tknowifI’vegootherightorleft.Rifle,maybeamooserifle.Probablywithtelescopicsights.WhichwouldmeanthatthemarksmanwouldhavealimitedfieldofvisionifhewaslookingforMikaelthroughthesights.
Ifyou’reinatightspot—taketheinitiative.Betterthanwaiting.Hewatchedandlistenedforsoundsfortwominutes;thenheclamberedoutofthebatteryandraceddowntheslopeasfastashecould.
Hewashalfwaydowntheslopeasathirdshotwasfired,butheonlyheardavaguesmackbehindhim.Hethrewhimselfflatthroughthecurtainofbrushandrolledthroughaseaofstingingtles.