"Mikhail Evstafiev. Two Steps From Heaven " - читать интересную книгу автора

"It was lance-corporal Prokhorov shooting, comrade lieutenant,"
reported Myshkovsky breathlessly when he got back. "He said it was so the
spooks in the village wouldn't stick their noses out. Remedial shot, he
said."
Prokhorov had taken up a position with a sniper's rifle, and turned to
the cowed sentry:
"Burkov, fuck you! Get over to the sergeant and tell him to come here."
"But I'm on duty, I can't leave my post ..."
"Whaaat? Lost your marbles in attack, or something? On your way - one
foot here, the other one there!"
At first, they just fooled around to shape up, aiming at rocks and
bushes from the top of the hill. However, this pastime soon palled. Panasyuk
offered a bet to make things more interesting:
"For five chits, all right? Prokhor, let's see which one of us can hit
that donkey over there."
Prokhorov missed, which made him even more angry. Panasyuk got the
donkey with his first shot, leaned back against a rock and pulled out a
packet of cigarettes, while the unlucky grand-dad, boiling with frustration,
studied the village through the rifle sights, hoping that something live
would appear, a domestic animal, say, or an Afghan, so that he could renew
the bet and win back his five chits - a whole FIVE - from Panasyuk.
Sharagin went for a piss after his tea and saw the grand-dads messing
around with the rifle. He saw Prokhorov, pop-eyed and red-faced, pull money
out of his pocket and give it to the sergeant. Buttoning up his fly as he
went, Sharagin wandered over to the shooters. He wouldn't mind doing a bit
of shooting himself.
"Hey, Prokhor, look! An old woman's come out! No, no, a bit further to
the right," prompted the sergeant.
"Same conditions as before?" Asked Prokhorov, just to be sure.
"Yep. There's a war on, she's got no business roaming the streets.
Right, comrade lieutenant?"
"I guess so."
"One fucking spook about to bite the dust!" Cried Prokhorov gleefully.
The sun was already low, and the veiled woman cast a long shadow, which
dragged behind her along a wall, as if trying to hold her back from
inevitable disaster.
A 7.62 whooshed toward the village.
The old woman stopped, as if struck by a sudden thought, then slid
slowly to the ground, fell on her side and lay motionless.
"Never cross the road on a red light," quipped one of the men who had
gathered to watch the show.
"Want a go, comrade lieutenant?" Offered Panansyuk. "I'll load it up
with an exploding head, if you like." He retreated a few steps behind the
beaming Prokhorov and returned the five chits. They stood there watching as
their commanding officer settled down on a sleeping bag, and adjusted the
rifle sights.
"Look, look, comrade lieutenant, over on the left by the wall!"
Prompted Titov, eyes glued to a pair of binoculars. "There's a spook there,
see him?"