Salamina Soldiers: The story of a stare

From there, taking refuge in a hole, he heard dogs’ bark and shots and voices from the soldiers that came looking for him, knowing they didn’t have much time left, because Franco’s Army was on to them. Then my father heard some branches on his back and so he turned around to face a militia man staring right back.
He heard a scream ‘Is he there?’ My father told how the militia man stared at him for a few seconds and then without looking away screamed back ‘No one is here’, turned around and left.”

From Salamina Soldiers by Javier Cercas