By Ron Pickett

ADVANTAGE INTRUDER The sun edges over the cluttered horizon. The cell towers, eucalyptus and large water tank are comforting. The sun slowly fills the dark. Life is safe and warm and good – for now. The sun slides below the western horizon in Kyiv and darkness returns. The dark brings its special unseen terrors. The rumble and rattle of distant rockets and bombs. The roar of jets and the throb of helicopters. Flashes of light fill the night sky but there are no storms in the distance. The earth trembles: the people quiver. Daylight is ten long hours away, we who have been there remember, and shudder. There are patches of dirty snow on the ground On trees and shrubs and the Peoples Friendship Arch And under the rubble of bombed buildings. The snow is marked by the black stains of explosions and the red stains. The snow will melt with the coming of spring, but the stains will remain. The stains are physical and psychological and deep. Dark is the province of the predator. Dark is a comforting cover for the aggressor. Dark is the source of fear and anguish for the weak. This predator is man who can see in the dark. To see at night is a huge advantage. Advantage intruder.
Ron Pickett is a retired naval aviator with over 250 combat missions and 500 carrier landings. His 90-plus articles have appeared in numerous publications. He enjoys writing fiction and has published five books: Perfect Crimes – I Got Away with It, Discovering Roots, Getting Published, EMPATHS, and Sixty Odd Short Stories.
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