“Get out — woman! There’s no place for you here!” the captain snapped at the young soldier, never knowing who stood before him.
The barracks reeked of damp, sweat and old smoke. Dust carpeted the floor, rusty bunks groaned, and the men hunched in the corners like shadows. Their uniforms were in tatters, boots barely held together, and their faces showed only fatigue and resignation.
From the moment Anna stepped inside, a hot anger rose in her. She had predicted to find proud defenders of the nation — instead she found people worn down by poverty and hopelessness.
She marched up to the captain without hesitation.
“How can you let your men live like this?” she requested. “Where are their uniforms, proper rations? Why does this place look like a pigsty?”
The captain’s brow tightened, then, mistaking her for an ordinary, helpless girl, he smiled.
“And who are you to question me? Don’t you worry about your job?”
“I’m not scared,” Anna said, steady. “I’m shamefaced. I won’t stand to wear torn boots or eat food fit only for animals. We came to serve, not to survive.”
He lunged forward, grabbed her collar and barked again, “Get out! There’s no room in my company for the likes of you!”
What he didn’t know was that she wasn’t ordinary.
Anna met his gaze and said coolly, “You’re mistaken. I came for you.”
The captain blinked, thrown off. “What—who do you think you are, speaking to an officer like that?”
She produced an ID and shoved it under his nose.
“Lieutenant of Internal Affairs. There are multiple complaints against you. Your men are starving and in rags because the funds meant for this unit end up in your pocket. You’re a thief and a traitor.”
“You’ve got no proof,” the captain snarled, voice wavering.
“Actually, I do,” Anna replied, icy. “Documents, witness statements, transfer records. You’re finished.”
She ripped the shoulder boards from his uniform. At that moment two military police officers stepped in. The captain struggled, but they subdued him and slipped the cuffs on.
The soldiers, who had sat listless for so long, suddenly straightened — a flicker of hope in their eyes.
Anna turned to them and declared, “From now on this unit will have a new life. This place won’t belong to traitors any longer.”