"1-4 detta är Helge 1 kom"

The radio flashed again. Przemek , Sofia and Jonathan were looking at it. “What are they saying?” asked Przemek . “They’re asking 1-4 to answer I think. Before Przemek could think of an answer the radio flashed again. Przemek and Jonathan had been here two days and one night. A few hours ago he woke up and could move and think normally again but his head still hurt trying to figure out was was being said on the radio.

"1-4 detta är Helge 1 kom!” Przemek was thinking of what to do. You want me to hot mic it?” asked Jonathan. Przemek was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like a good idea.

« 1-4 Varför svarar ni inte kom?” Jonathan grabbed the radio and pressed the mic button twice.

“1-4 Om du inte kan tala nu tryck in sändknappen igen”. Przemek looked at Sofia. She instinctively answered: “He’s asking you to do that again if you can’t talk” Przemek looked to Jonathan and nodded. Jonathan followed suit.

”1-4 Hembiträdet sa att du skrek efter hjälp på komradion” “The guys on the beach radio’d for help it seems”

“1-2 Är bensinstationens avlämnings gömma säker?” “they’re asking if the gas station drop off point was still safe.”

Jonathan pressed the mic button twice. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking” Jonathan asked Przemek .

“If they go to the bunker and find their mates dead they’ll search this whole block. I don’t feel like moving this soon we should stop them before they try to do anything.” Jonathan nodded at Przemek ’s response. “Where’s the gas station?” Przemek asked. “Down the road of the machine gun nest, maybe 100 meters.” Zofia answered.

“You’re not going to do what I think you are Sofia asked as they both put their kit back on.”

“If we don’t care for them they’ll look for us and kill anyone they find in this neighbourhood if they don’t find us.” Przemek answered as he put on his vest. Jonathan put on his gear over his football jersey and jeans, Przemek gave him a curious look. “You saw what they did to the people on the beach and you saw how they tried to kill you. I guarantee you their colleagues wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. We don’t know where they are driving from and when they’ll be here so we have to be fast. Przemek handled the MAG machine gun and looked at it. He put his rifle slinged on his back and took two ammunition band aswell for the MAG. “You gonna take that machine gun?” Jonathan asked. Przemek nodded. “You know how to use those Swedish grenades.” “Yes” answered Jonathan as he grabbed a handful. Sofia didn’t know what to do as she walked outside the room. She knew that they were right. Their friends are dead and they would come for the whole neighborhoud trying to find who did it.

Jonathan and Przemek walked outside with their equipment, Jonathan looked back at Sofia and said “Don’t worry, if we die they’ll know it was us and you won’t be in trouble”

Sofia didn’t have time to think of a response as they ran towards the gas station Przemek looked at Jonathan.

Jonathan looked back. “Whatever happens we win, don’t forget that. We got nothing to lose, they have everything.”

Jonathan understood what Przemek meant. Him and Przemek were annihilated. They had nothing to lose, death would just be a relief. The only thing keeping them going was the energy to make it out, to be safe somewhere.

The gas station was between two small hills. As they got there and caught their breath they stopped on the road 100 meters away. Right between the neighbourhood and the gas station.

He pointed at the hill on the left of the road overlooking the gas station. “The bush on the top of the hill direction of my hand.” Jonathan nodded “Go there and wait for my signal. Don’t shoot before I do and don’t be conservative with the ammo.” He patted Jonathan before Jonathan took off full speed. He laid down his machine gun on its bipod and put his rifle next to it. He grabbed the ammunition belts and laid it next to it. He check the machine gun chamber and the ammunition box in it. Jonathan followed suit, he kneeled behind the hill and signaled Przemek he was ready with a thumbs up. Now all they had to do was wait.

*20 minutes later*

A few hundred meters away from the gas station, two military vehicles drove full speed through the road. A simple Mercedes Class G and a Mercedes splinter. Lukas tried the radio again. Ever since they left he had tried to contact the machine gun squad with no avail. Him and his band were already stretched out thin and losing three men was the last thing they needed. He hoped his gamble of bringing a dozen men out here was worth it. His G class was first in the convoy with the splinter right behind. They were crammed in it. His driver, him in the passenger seat and three in the back. With even one guy sitting in the trunk. Xasan, his driver was adamant that he should come, his brother was there at the beach. “We’re here Xasan slow down.” He pointed at the gas station “There, park there next to the pump.” Xasan started to turn into the gas station The sprinter behind stopped on the main road parallel to them. “Okay dismount, Lucas you stay with the ve-“

“He was cut off by the windshield exploding followed by the driver’s head. He ducked just in time as machine gun burst hit damn near everyone in the back. Glass, car seat cushion and blood and human flesh poured on him. The gun fire stopped briefly before it started focusing on the sprinter on their right. It was chaos. The sprinter desperately tried to reverse as it was damn near cut in two at the windshield level. Lukas tried to exit the car before being pulled back in by his seatbelt. He desperately tried to remove the glass and brain matter on it before getting himself lose and jumping out. He ran towards the back. There the soldier in the trunk, the only other one alive from his vehicle was frozen. As the machine gun rained fire on the sprinter. Jonathan tried to peek to see where the fire was from. One of the guys in the sprinter ran towards him. “THEY’RE OVER THERE” he pointed towards the machine gun before taking a bullet in the head from somewhere in the right. Lukas staggered as blood was shot on his face. He let go of his man that was just shot before making a run for the gas station. He fired blindly in the direction of the machine gun. He couldn’t make out where the shots were coming from. Before he could make it near the entrance he was shot in the back and collapsed.

Sofia kept digging. She digged out the dirt in the back garden. She digged and digged through the noise of the gunfire in the distance. She tried the tears on her eyes as she thought back about her father.

Przemek stared at what was left of the vehicles as smoke from his barrel rose above his sight. After maybe thirty seconds he whistled towards Jonathan. Jonathan looked back and signalled to walk down the hill towards the vehicles. Jonathan ran down the hill before laying down in a ditch next to the road. He was a few meters from the vehicles as he looked back at Przemek and signalled for him to advance. Przemek ran through the wet grass with the machine gun on his hip level pointed at the vehicles. He layed down as Jonathan took over and walked towards the back of the vehicles. Two men were on the right of the sprinter. Jonathan took care of them as they rushed out of the van. He peeked inside only to see the remains of their dead comrades. As he walked towards the back he saw three bodies near the sprinter. One of them, the one near the gas station entranced was crawling. Jonathan was joined by Przemek . Armed with his machine gun. “Talk to him and try to figure out if there’s more of them coming” Jonathan nodded and ran towards the injured man. Lukas on his stomach rolled around on his back and as he took out his pistol from his hip holster Jonathan kicked him in the hand sending his pistol flying away. Jonathan grabbed him by the collar before punching him in the face until he stopped resisting.

He seemed to fall out of consciousness as Jonathan stopped hitting him. Przemek joined him and they bother dragged him by his shoulder straps into the gas station. As Lukas got back to his senses Przemek was emptying his pockets looking for a map or anything that could give them any idea what they could be facing.

“Hör du mig sveda?” Jonathan asked Lukas. Lukas nodded, he tried to grab Przemek hand as he was emptying his admin pouch on his vest. Przemek answered him by slapping him across the face. “How many of you are there? Should we expect more company?” Przemek asked. Lukas looked at him. “You really expect me to answer that? Would you answer that question in my position?".

“Only if I wanted to live” answered Przemek . Lukas kept staring at him. “If I don’t answer my radio in about ten minutes, the next batch of guys will be under way soon.”

“How many of you are there left?”

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“You bastards are going to have to kill me I’m not selling my friends out”

“Debil at best we’re going to let you rot here and hopefully for you you’ll bleed out before the crazies in the nearby village come here to inspect the carnage and cave in your head with a pick axe”. Przemek answered frustrated.

“Just show us where you all are on this map, that way we can just avoid your bunch and we’ll be on our way” Jonathan said as he picked up Lukas map from his vest, he opened it infront of them.

Lukas smiled and answered in Danish “Why is a dane like you working with this slav”

“Why is your bunch gunning down innocent civilians?” Lukas answered. Przemek looked at both confused.

Lukas smiled.

“You’ll understand soon enough, I’m not telling you guys anything else. Now fuck off and p-”

Jonathan’s pistol hit Lukas point blank in the head catching Przemek off guard, he recoiled before looking at Jonathan. “Let’s go!” Jonathan yelled out as he took the last of Lukas munition inside his backpack. Przemek catched his breath before grabbing Lukas map. He ran to follow Jonathan outside who was taking all the ammunition he could get his hand on.

The rain started pouring down again. Jonathan was inspecting one of the soldiers backpack. A helmet, the type without ear protection was attached to it. He remove straps attaching it before putting it on his head. Przemek still surprised by his latest action gave him a hard look before tending back to his own equipment. After every shootout they were low on ammunition and until now they were lucky to find some laying around “by pure chance”.

“How much time do you give us?” Jonathan asked. “Against their reinforcement? I don’t see how we can surprise them the same way. And if there’s even one squad of them coming for us, I’m not liking our odds.”

“It’s high time we leave this place, I thought shit was calmer on this side of the strait.” Jonathan responded.

“We get back to that home and leave asap. When we get back take the map and try to find if there’s somewhere we can crash on our way up north”

Up north. Przemek didn’t know what those words still meant. Jonathan was right. They knew things wouldn’t be easy here in Sweden but be it because of dumb luck since they arrived, they barely had time to catch their breath. Winter was coming and it wouldn’t be a good idea to roam around the way they were doing right now in that cold. Przemek looked around. He had to find a way to slow them all down.

“Pass me one of those grenades.” Przemek yelled out to Jonathan from across the gas station. Jonathan nodded and threw one of them to Przemek . “You got some paracord?” Jonathan took a roll of it from his backpack and threw it aswell. “You got something in mind?”

“Tak, grab the machine gun and keep it pointed down the street.” Przemek said as he put down the machine gun and grabbed a few jerry cans from the roof of the Mercedes.

“Oh and find a gun for Sofia.” Przemek yelled out

Sofia grabbed a bottle of white alcohol from the cupboard and sat down next to it. Her father laid to rest she had no idea what to do. As she filled her glass, she realized the gunfire had stopped. She drank the shot as the tried to figure out what to do now. She looked at the bottle as she figured out what would happen now. The rain hit the window as she tried to look outside through the rain drops on the glass. She filled her glass up again and took it all in. She put down the glass as Przemek walked in with Jonathan right behind him. He leaned his backpack with newfound loot against the wall as he and Sofia looked at each other. He switched his stare between her and the bottle of vodka. “Grab a glass from the cupboard” she said. He grabbed a glass and placed it on the table as he sat down.

“Thank you” Przemek said as he ran his hand through his wet hair. “You took care of the guys near at the gas station” Sofia asked as she filled his glass. “Yes and we left a present if more of them arrive. Na zdrowie” he said before swallowing his shot of vodka. They exchanged a stare before Przemek looked at his backpack. “We’re not going to stay long.” Przemek said. Sofia didn’t answer. “Do you know what you plan on doing?” Przemek added after Sofia didn’t respond. The only sound being the rain hitting the windows and Jonathan in the other room sorting his backpack out. “I don’t suggest you stay here.” Przemek exclaimed. “Why so?” Sofia asked.

“Those things, I suppose Malmo and the surrounding cities fell to them maybe what, 2 weeks ago?”

Sofia nodded in response.

“They don’t stay long. They’re not going to rot in their corner there while we wait it out. In a few days, weeks they’ll move out of the cities looking for ‘greener pastures. You don’t want to be in their way.”

“How do you know this?” Sofia asked. “I saw it happen. Sure you Scandinavians were safer a bit longer for some reason. But down south we had the brunt of their attack for months now. I saw this a while back in Germany. They were just done with Leipzig before allot of them pushed out towards the refugee camp I was in maybe 20km away.”

“A slaughter huh?” Sofia answer. “No better way to describe it, its cliché to say it but there more of them than we had bullets, and I swear I saw some of them shoot at us as well. When the ammo ran out the soldiers and everyone who could stand went at them in hand-to-hand combat. They don’t skip a beat; they don’t stop until they’re dead.” Przemek rambled on as he stared into nothing. It made a profound impression on Sofia. Whether Przemek was exaggerating or not or even if he had some ulterior motive, she could see he was a scarred man from what he had survived.

“Then where should we go?” Sofia asked as she filled both glasses. Przemek snapped back to reality. He hit her glass with his and drank all the liquor. “Can’t stop them, best thing right now is stay out of their way. Me and Jonathan were planning on just finding some place in the woods up north. Far from them and anyone else. Right now I tried everything else.”

“You don’t think they’ll find you there?” Sofia asked. Przemek didn’t answer and just looked outside the window. “No plan is safe. Right now best we can do is to avoid them as best we can.” Sofia added. “We?” Przemek asked. Sofia was taken a back. “Well I just thought….” Przemek interrupted her “I’m just messing with you. I was about to ask you if you wanted to join us you seem more reliable than that Dane.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly. For a short while, Przemek and Sofia had been discussing the submachine gun they had found for her—a Swedish m/45. Simple, reliable, and deadly in the right hands, it was a design built for functionality rather than flair. Przemek walked her through the basics, showing her how to use it, reload, and fill the magazines. With four magazines and a few hundred spare rounds, it was enough to hold her own for now. Sofia listened intently, her nerves visibly settling under Przemek’s calm and instructive demeanor. He, in turn, was reassured by her composure.

Jonathan entered the kitchen, fully geared up. He was wearing his cleaned and dry uniform. His vest had a crisp, almost refreshed look, though it didn’t match the scuffed exhaustion in his eyes.

“Well, don’t you look ready,” Przemek jabbed with a smirk.

Jonathan gave a slight shrug. “Most of this was in my backpack. Not sure why I wasn’t carrying half of it before, but let’s just say I learned my lesson.”

“You check the map?” Przemek asked, his tone sharp.

“Yeah, I did,” Jonathan replied, his voice clipped. “It’s going to be a long walk, though. I’m leaving the MAG behind.”

“Why? You could always take more stimulants.” The sarcasm in Przemek’s voice was razor-sharp.

Jonathan shot him a long, pointed glare.

“I have to pack.” Sofia uttered as she quickly stood, sensing the tension. “The backpack on the sofa is for you. We grabbed it earlier,” Przemek said, waving her toward it. She nodded and left the room, heading to her bedroom to prepare.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Przemek turned back to Jonathan, his expression hardening. “Why did you think that was a good idea?”

Jonathan sat down heavily, his jaw tightening. “What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Przemek pressed. “How long have you been using?”

Jonathan hesitated, then answered reluctantly. “A year or two. Maybe.”

“And what, you couldn’t remember to pack extra batteries, but you made sure to bring coke?” Przemek’s tone was cutting, almost incredulous.

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t see why you care.”

“I care because I need to know I can trust you.” Przemek leaned forward, his voice lowering but losing none of its intensity. “Imagine you’re high, jumpy, and accidentally shoot me—or her. And don’t forget, when you run out, I have no idea how you’re going to handle that.”

A tense silence filled the room, the weight of unspoken arguments pressing on both of them. Finally, Jonathan stood, breaking eye contact. “I appreciate your concern,” he said, his voice flat. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to study the route we’re taking tonight. You and Sofia should get ready for the long haul.”

Przemek didn’t reply. He simply watched Jonathan walk away, his jaw clenched. Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned his attention to his own gear. His backpack sat heavy on the floor—a weight he couldn’t ignore. The MAG was partly disassembled and strapped inside, alongside his equipment and extra ammunition, making it nearly unbearable. And that didn’t account for his other essentials: spare clothes, water, and food.

“Sofia,” Przemek called out, “can you come here? Bring your pack.”

She appeared a moment later, carrying her bag. Przemek hefted Jonathan’s pack, frowning at its weight. It was heavier than his, though he doubted it was packed any more efficiently. He didn’t feel like talking to Jonathan, let alone asking him about it.

“I’m going to need to offload some of my gear into yours,” Przemek said.

Sofia smirked slightly. “Where did you learn english” she teased, clearly amused by his phrasing.

Przemek replied with a light laugh, “I have room to spare. So, don’t hold back if you need the space.” Sofia answered back

The moment was interrupted by a deafening bang that reverberated through the house. All three froze, the sound rolling through their bodies like a physical force.

“Stay here,” Przemek said sharply, grabbing his rifle and heading for the door. Sofia and Jonathan weren’t far behind, their instincts propelling them outside.

Over the rooftops and the hill beyond, a fireball lit the sky where the gas station had stood. Thick, black smoke billowed upward, the flames licking hungrily at the sunset sky. They could feel the heat even from this distance.

“Shit,” Sofia muttered, her voice barely audible over the crackling inferno.

“We have to move,” Przemek barked, snapping them out of their shock. “Grab your shit we’re leaving in five minutes.”

“I’ll grab the car keys,” Sofia said quickly, already turning toward the door.

“No,” Jonathan cut in, his voice firm. “We’re not driving. We’ll never make it out of this region alive if we do.”

The weight of his words hung in the air for a moment before they sprang into action, gathering their things with a sense of urgency. There was no time to argue, no time for hesitation. The fire on the horizon was more than a warning—it was a signal that the fragile calm around them was about to shatter.

And none of them planned to stick around to see what came next.