The Winter Sniper

In the chaos of the Tsarist Russia’s collapse during World War I, a small nation stood up and declared their independence from the Russian Empire, Finland. Recognized by Lenin as an independent nation, the two countries maintained tense relations for the next twenty years. Emboldened by Hitler’s success in Poland, and with a treaty in hand stating it was his right to invade, Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, orders an invasion of their small neighbor.

On November 30th, 1939 over four hundred thousand Soviet soldiers pour across Finland’s border. Finland’s tiny army, outnumber four to one, by an enemy equipped with all of the modern weapons Russia’s industrial juggernaut can provide is doomed. Or is it? As Finland, scrambles to erect a defensive line in the Karelian Isthmus, General Mannerheim charges a small group of snipers with holding back the Soviet horde to buy them precious time.

Hale grew up farming, and hunting with his grandfather and father. He helped his family to make their living with his skills to hunt and kill animals for their valuable pelts. When his nation called for volunteers to help stem the Soviet tide, he answered the call. Now alone in Finland’s vast southern forest, he hunts prey of a different kind.