The Slay Spree - Short Stories

Demise

The puddles splashed as they kept sprinting towards the half-buried Grumman F6F Hellcat, an American fighter aircraft. The anti-aircraft artillery firing off at the distance, bringing down more of their aircrafts, there were bodies all over the floor for as far as they could see.

They kept vaulting over objects, stumbling over the bodies of their own comrades and made it there. Both of them quickly took cover against the plane to catch a breath, looked at each other and nodded.

“Alright, our task is simple. There’s a sniper somewhere in the building in front of us, we take him out and go home.” – Benjamin pulled out his canteen and took a few sips. Benjamin Lucas was one of the skilled and experienced snipers, he had the highest body count of all the snipers in major platoons.

“Sounds easy enough.” – Stephen pulled out a cigarette and lights it up.

“But it’s not. He brought down four units, more than twenty-six soldiers today. They are not sending anymore this way, until we bring him down.” – Benjamin prones and carefully places his sniper, the muzzle emerging from a hole and facing towards the building.

“Third floor, fifth window from the right.” – Stephen said while slowly scanning the building, each floor with his binoculars.

The building was demolished from various spots, huge irregular openings through the walls which revealed the desolate, cluttered interiors. Benjamin aimed at the sniper’s helmet who had set up his base on the highest spot, overlooking the whole battlefield. He clenched his sniper rifle and concentrated on his target. Everything else faded and the only audible sound was his own breath, as he steadily exhaled and inhaled.

The bullet hit the helmet and it fell down from the building, clanking around on the debris, blood dripping from the bullet mark. Stephen scoffed and glanced at Benjamin, who was grinning but still aiming down the sight.

“Let’s go check it out, switch your rifles and cover me.” – Benjamin ordered Stephen as they both stood up and trod towards a small opening at the front.

Stephen fired a green flare in the sky, signalling the base that the threat was eliminated and providing the troops a green light to advance. There was a large wooden staircase that led upwards, a few steps missing but overall it seemed intact. They vigilantly stepped to avoid unnecessary creaking. Each floor opened to a hallway full of broken doors and lights, rubble spread around the floor. Judging by the architecture, it looked like a hotel building where humans once inhabited.

They sneaked up to the window where the sniper fortified himself and threw away the ghillie blanket that concealed him, only to find out a mannequin proning and holding a replica sniper rifle. They looked at each other for a second and immediately crouched towards the nearby pillar, taking cover from the opposite side of the room. It was their instinct telling them the threat was still there, lurking in the shadows of the building. There was a faint click near Benjamin’s foot as he stood up.

“Hey, Ben.” – Stephen called him out, pointing towards the window. Their army had started moving forward, they received the green signal.

Benjamin’s eyes widened with fear, he never thought someone would be able to outrun him at such extent. The sniper was way ahead of him and completely aware of how he would think. Everything felt like falling apart.

“Ben! We gotta stop them! They’re in danger! – Stephen shouted.

Benjamin gulped, unable to understand the situation he just stood there, staring at his comrades running towards their inevitable deaths.

“Ben! What do we do? This is not the time to zone out!” – Stephen tried to pull Benjamin back from his complex.

“We- you have to stop them. There’s a sniper somewhere in this building, make a run for the window, slide down the rope and reach them fast. Go! Now!” – Benjamin spits out.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll take care of the sniper. Now, go!”

Stephen leapt out of the window, rappelled down the rope and sprinted in an irregular manner to avoid the sniper and to make sure he would make it in time. As much as he wanted to believe on Benjamin, he knew Benjamin was a person with a fragile ego.

Benjamin never liked to lose and would do whatever it  takes to win. He lost this time, it broke him but what devastated him was that more than thirty soldiers were going to die just because he was too confident. Running out of breath, Stephen did his best to run as fast as he could.

Far in the distance, a loud explosion was heard. It came from the window he jumped from, wreckage splurted out. It stopped Stephen on his tracks, he quickly turned around in utter shock.

Before he could take it all in and figure out the explosion, he heard a loud shot and felt something pass through his collarbone. His body thumped down, blood rushed out and soaked into the snow. He bruxed in regret, he failed himself.

Far off, in an unknown building, from an unknown opening, the sniper saw it all. He smiled as everything worked out in his favour, he finally took over one of the best snipers and deprived his enemies of the victory they thought they will get.