12 hours past the start
0000hr
"Father Seab, the kid will live but not on your bus. I will keep him here and he will be safe. So be gone now. " The priest and myself got up to walked out but she stopped us. "They are news of the other rebels faction; the yellow cape in the city and there is a contract for a mercenary named named Kingfisher. The later is more dangerous as all the factions are gunning for him. So be careful out there. "
So we been trapped by the enemies with our possible allies against us. I am now in need of more miracles.
"Priest, I am the Kingfisher. You can leave me and find another to continue your journey. Traveling with me would be more dangerous." I looked at the man who just asked me six hours to take the children to safety. Now I asking him to leave me.
"No, my son. I am traveling with you as I had put my trust in you. I know who you are when you rescued me. You may not know me well, but I do of you. In my previous profession, I heard of your name and I know Henry even though he does not recognise me now. We can both do each other a favor; you rescue the children and I do with you."
We agreed to the arrangement.
Father Seab asked me to drive to a nearby school and rest there till morning. It was only two hundred yards away and the gate was partially opened. I drove in and parked by the main yard near to the entrance of the school. The school consist of three blocks of three levels unit in an inverted U-shaped arrangement. The main unit which is the administrative block is one in the middle. The yard in between the units is where I parked the bus far to the right of the block facing out towards the gate. I then took up my sniper rifle and took guard over them at the upper balcony on the right block at the tangent point to the middle block. From this angle, I can see the main gate and also the bus.
Father Seab was to join me next and he was carrying a M16A1 in his hands with two spare clips in the webbings on his chest.
"Miguel was a good boy. He fought for the rebels as he is like his father. He recognised me and I did for him. He tried to tell the Sargeant we are of no danger." The old Priest took his seat next to me and holding the rifle like a soldier.
"Father, Miguel threw the grenade into the vehicle. He killed his own team. How can you protect him?"
"Miguel was my sheep and he did joined the army but his heart is with the rebels. But I forgive you for shooting him as to you once you are on the side whom you pledged to serve, you do it loyally. But this is a dirty war and there are no good or bad sides; only sides which you can work with. I know the Sargeant wants to hold us there till morning when he would contacted the slavers to come and collect the children. He is not doing it out duty but for profit. He would then had the 'wounded men' court martial for desertion. Its his approach to gain promotion. Face it, Kingfisher. Not all us are in it for the money but the cause. You shot Miguel because you thought he betrayed the cause but he did not. He fought for it."
"Father Seab, Miguel pulled the cable so we cannot start the bus. I fixed it in time. Perhaps Miguel is not as innocent as you claimed."
"You are mistaken, Kingfisher. Miguel repaired the bus many times. The cable was disconnected to let the fluids out. It was the fluids which caused the engine to stall. Miguel knows that. You did not, and you thought it was him. But forget it. So rest now while I stand watch. You can take the last two hours before we leave."
I wondered if there was not real truth to which is the correct sides here. But the next hour went without disturbance.
0300hr
I must had fallen asleep as I can hear running steps on the corridor of the building. The unit I am in is at the tangent point of the middle unit, and the balcony is a small one to the window over looking the yard. Its six feet across and four feet deep with a waist high wall. I kicked the priest who was also sleeping with my left feet. He woke up in a start and reached for his M16A1. I motioned to him to keep quiet and we both got our feet and stood with our back to the building wall. I was on the right and the priest took the left while holding his rifle ready to shoot.
At that moment, two men wearing army uniforms came in to the balcony carrying a 50 Browning and spare ammo belt. They were laying down the gun and belt when we clubbed the them in the back of the neck. We pulled the body to the side and relived them of their weapons. The priest took the dagger from one of the soldier and used that to cut off strips of clothes from his frock to be used as a rope on the unconscious men. On completing the bindings, I peeked over the yard to assess my situation. I counted two trucks and two jeeps parked at the left hand side of the yard which opposite of the bus location. I can see the men are unloading from the trucks while there is a gunner on the jeeps holding guard with their machine gun. I saw a machine gun nest being setup at the middle building entrance. There is another machine gun nest on the balcony of the first level above the main doorway. More men were carting metal crates into the middle building. I would presumed they are using this as a forward base.
Suddenly from the gate, another jeep was crashing in with pursuers on their rear. The incoming jeep braked to a stop at the main building entrance and an officer alighted to run into the main doorway of the center block. His orders can be heard to get ready to repel invaders. The jeep he was on drove to the left and its gunner readied the Browning.
"Take your position! They are coming in!" The two more men from the jeep alighted and ran into the building. I can see more men running around for cover and getting their weapon ready.
"The bus." I whispered to the priest and grabbed the machine gun. The Priest in turned grabbed the two ammo belt cases and followed me into the corridor. There is no one there but we ran to the far end of the building where there is a staircase that will lead us downstairs to the where the bus is parked. We did not run into soldiers until we reached the ground unit. I stopped the priest at the turning from the stairs towards the corridor. At about fifty paces along the corridor, there is one soldier leaning against the wall facing the gate.
But our waiting was soon over as the yard was invaded by a convoy of jeeps and trucks with men firing from it. I counted three trucks and three jeeps as they sped in and spread out at the yard. The vehicles were fired upon by the soldiers from the building while the occupants of the invading force alight and took position to return fire. The lone soldier did not see me in time before I clubbed him in the face. I went back to the staircase and helped the priest with the Browning. We set it up to face the yard.
"Priest, you shoot and I will feed you the belt."
The priest nodded and point the machine gun to the soldiers at the center block. He pressed the trigger and sprayed the corridor there. It added more firepower to the rebels who was still busy shooting away without realizing the extra gun there. I saw one of the rebels in the yard running for the bus and I took aimed with the Remington. I took him down just before he reached the bus.
Soon the rebels were storming the building, and we ditched the machine gun. We ran for the bus and boarded it. I came to face with Dion holding the AK47 in my face. She lowered the rifle on seeing me, and I got into the driver seat. I start up the bus engine and drove out from the yard behind the rebel convoy. I can hear the shouting from the rebels at us but they are soon occupied on the soldiers holed up in the building.
I was on the road again at 0413hr and its deserted except for the sound of gunfire. I drove for about a mile and then turned off into an open carpark filled with some trucks and cars. I packed among the vehicles and shut off the engine.
"Is everyone alright?" There was no replies so I assumed all is well.
Now we wait for dawn as its too dangerous to drive in the early hours and no knowing who we will meet.
"Priest, please do some praying as we been in one too many scrapes and I am not paranoia but are we beacon for these bastards?" I huddled up in my seat and looked out to the road which we just turned in.
"No, son. You are just in the wrong place and time. All will be well as we are all alive."
0600hr
I saw them first at the break of dawn. The tanks and armored vehicles. Bearing the insignia of the 2nd Battalion. So the General Diego has come back from the border. The tide of the war is about to turn and we need to get out fast. I counted twenty five tanks and twenty armored personnel vehicles with mounted guns among the seventy vehicles passing the open carpark.
"There is an interchange five miles up, and once on there, we are three miles to the old trunk road that will lead us to the border too." I heard Henry's direction and I drove out.
We made it to the trunk road by 0642hr and it looked deserted.
But we picked up a tail of three vehicles; two sedan and motorbike. They are catching up fast.
"Henry!"
"I am on it. The bike is coming up fast. Two riders and the pillion is holding a gun." But they overtook us and ignored us. Then the sedans came and did the same. The sedan's seemed to be chasing the super bike and not us. I slowed down and let those trio moved on.
"Kingfisher, there is a small factory half a mile ahead. Pull into there and wait for my instruction." I followed Father Seab instruction as the factory came into view. The gates was opened so I just slowed down and drove in. He asked me reversed park at the side of the factory hand side wall so its hidden from the entrance view, while he alighted from the bus to walked towards the gate. He took hold of the gate and pulled it shut partially. He then stood at the side of the gate and watched the road. I got off my seat and joined the priest.
"Trouble?"
"Yes, major one. I suspect the sedans that overtook us are the cartel. They could be looking for you. We will know soon enough." The priest was looking out at the road.
"How did you know?"
"I was part of a similar hit squad with the Cartel. Hush, they are here now." We ran to the deserted guard house next to the gate. The sedan's are here, and they just stopped outside the gate. Six men got out of it and they are all armed with AK47.
"Manuel, take your brother and cover the gate here. We will go in and check the building. Any shooting, you come in, okay?" The man who spoke is tall man dressed in t-shirt and jeans, but he is also armed with a shouldered gun and AK47. He and three others walked to the main building. I looked at the factory building and saw Henry at the window on the right hand side. He is watching the four men and then disappear behind the window. That mean's he is getting into position. I crept along the guard house and came out from the side near to the gate. I can see the two men standing just before the gate and in front of me. I got up slowly and withdrew my SIG 226 in my hand. I walked up to the first man who is named Manuel, and point the barrel at his back of the neck.
"Manuel, don't do anything rash. Lower your gun and we will be fine." His brother on seeing me having the drop on Manuel spun around with the AK47, but the priest was faster with a iron pipe to know the guy unconscious.
"He will live but he will have a bad headache." The Priest is pulling the unconscious man into the deserted guardhouse. I punched Manuel in the kidney and when he crouched over, I clubbed him with the SIG 226. I also half dragged him into the guardhouse. The priest got out to the gate and opened it. He got into the sedan and drove it in. I did the same with the other sedan. We parked the sedans' next to the guardhouse. Then we heard the gunfire in the factory and there was silence.
Henry came out and waved at us. So they cleared up the four men. We can continue our trip soon. But as I was starting the engine, I caught a view of a convoy of pickups' loaded with armed men. The convoy sped on ahead and the Priest asked me to hold up first.
"This road is not safe. They got it covered. We need to find alternative route. There is one more. Follow my instruction. " I was asked to go the opposite direction. I want to protest but i followed his direction. We drove for five minutes and he asked me to turned off the road to a side road. I was asked to drive on for a mile before we reached another junction. He gave me directions driving over untarred path until we came to a settlement. There are about ten houses there with a old warehouse unit and they all looked empty.
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