Team of Seven Heroes Short Tales 4 Chapter 11

11.

Junior

“Mother, the train left.” Abraham stormed into the room they had shared the night before. Hasnah was packing their bags and was surprised at the outburst. She leaned out the window and saw the train chugging at the distance. He turned back to room and saw Abraham outside leaning on the railings.

“Mother, there are the men downstairs with guns.” It was a concern to Hasnah then. She called her son in and then closed the door.

“Pick up your weapons. We are going to find out what is happening?” Hasnah had then put on the belt with the scimitar and grabbed the bow with the quiver. She rushed to the window once more and looked out. The street was empty of people and the shutters on the windows were all closed. She saw then the dark figures with rifles running along the shops.

“Mother, I am ready.” Hasnah looked towards her son and saw the familiar hook on the left greaves, and the belt of wooden stakes. She wondered if that was enough for her son. It was years then when those weapons worked. She then rushed over to the bag on the bed, and withdrew the pair of Webley guns.

“Use this. It will protect you better.” Hasnah told Abraham. The later nodded when he was handed the gun. He knows how to use it from his Father. He held the gun and checked the ammo. It was fully loaded.

“Let us go down.” Hasnah told her son. She also picked up the lynx in the cage. “Be silent, Didi.”

The lobby downstairs was a hive of activity with the people barricading the windows stacking furniture there. The lobby had consisted of a long reception bar facing the main doorway.

They were greeted by chaps from RAT who had lugged in their bags. Two of them was then setting up the Vickers Machine Gun facing the doorway while the other two was loading the Enfield rifles. The Vickers was a new design and somehow the English had hold of it.

“Barry, get Vicky up. We ain’t got all day.” Major Chips slapped in the clip into the rifle. He was with Malcom, the Sergeant Major.

“It ain’t exactly a Sunday walk, Major. And whose ideas was it to travel at night? We were running into circles.” Peter the Artillery Lieutenant replied while attaching the cooling tube to the barrel. “And my bloody guns are less complicated.”

“Clam it, Lieutenant.” Major Chips hit back. “My sextant was also faulty.”

“Trust the Army to say that when they ran up the wrong alley.” Barry replied before he pulled the lever to arm the Vickers. “Trust me and Vicky to do the task now.”

It was then they saw the mother and child marching down the stairs.

“And who are you blokes?” The Major asked. “Do you not know that we are to be attacked? And where is the Manager?”

“Who are you, Sir?” Abraham asked and looked past the shoulder to look at the Vickers. “What is that…”

“Long tale but for now, we have a situation.” The Legion Sergeant reported back. “We saw the dark robes on our trial and then we have to regroup here.”

From the rear of the lobby, there were three figures storming in carting bags on their shoulders. It was two ladies and one elderly man. The later stepped forth and held a long sword at the Major. He was dressed in the yellow and red motifs robe with the wooden sandals on his feet.

“Stay your hand, Taro-san. They are friends.” The lady known as the Dining car Manager took over the helm on the sword wielding figure. The lady was armed with the Mauser at the gun belt at the waist and across her chest was the bandolier with the pellet loaded bullets. She held the double-barrelled shotgun cradled on the left arm. She was dressed ion the white blouse and balloon pants tucked into the knee-high boots. There was the bayonet tucked into the right boot.

“Major Chips, Madame Deauville in person to you.”

“Madame, I have heard of your name. Your reputation precedes your name. I heard you went into retirement or demise.”

“The Devil will not take me in just yet. We have an arrangement. I will only over after I sent the others over first.” Madame Deauville smiled. “I think the last time we met was in Shanghai.”

“A memorable event I recalled. The Warlord had you in the corner and I came to the rescue.” Major Chips replied. “It was our heydays. And who are your guests?”

“Taro-san, formerly the Emperor’s Courtier, and his …. Princess Yukio.” The lady introduced the other two. “May we join you gallant knights?”

“Major! I counted twenty out there. They have the street covered.” Malcolm replied. “Should we roll out the carpet?”

“Not yet…” The Major reply was cut short by the shot that broke the window glass and hit the lobby counter.

“I’ll be darned.” Major Chips stepped to the door and opened it. “You don’t fire on her Majesty’s best and get to talk about it. Say hello to Vicky.”

The Major stepped aside for the Vickers to be brought up and the gunner behind the machine gun pulled the trigger. The bullets tore out at a rate of over four hundred rounds from the load of a two thousand bullets per box. The gunner did a sweep from left to right laying waste to the shops and those who were hugging the cover there. The initial sweeps took down five of the dark robed figures.

“Fools! Take cover.” Akbar called out while he took cover behind the shop side. He had seen the warrior in-front of him had taken the hail of bullets. He looked to the others and saw four more dead with three wounded. It was not what he had expected. Just like on the train, all that he had planned was going awry. He had expected resistance but not a killer gun. He eyed the building where the enemies are located. It was a three-level building with wide balcony over looking the front part of the building. The building was by itself with the side fronted by the narrow alleys. He counted three windows on the upper levels with the ground level held two windows and the double doorway. There was the small flower bed in the front with a low fence.

“Ikram, take ten of your warriors flanked them. Badrul and myself will take the front.” Akbar deployed his warriors. “Scale the walls and take to high ground, Salleh.”

Salleh led his snipers to the roof and then took position. Meanwhile in the building, Madame Deauville looked outside the window. She then motioned to the elderly guest and spoke in the native language.

“Taro-san, we will cover the rear. Its unguarded now.”

“I will join you.” Yukio called out. “I can fight too.”

“Stay close to me.” Taro-san replied. He then looked at the French lady and spoke in the native language. “Take care of her if I…”

“Speak no more, Taro-san. I am still…” The French lady saw the young one looking at her. She then smiled. “I learned your language when I was in …. Kyoto.”

“I am honoured.” Yukio bowed to the lady. It was then Taro-san took from the bag the set of swords that he tucked into his waist belt. He took out another set and passed it to Yukio. It held the shorter blade of two feet on the katana and shorter blade was only eight inches named the wakizashi. The younger lady took the set of swords and then tucked the shorter one into the waist sash and held the katana in her right hand. She was a left handed sword mistress.

“I counted ten of them flanking us.” Madame Deauville leaned on the window to look outside. There were two room at the rear; the kitchen and the store. The later room was sealed shut on the window facing the rear. The rear also held the doorway to the small garden there where the owner had planted vegetable plants. She was to tell the others of her plan when the elderly man stepped out with the long sword drawn.

“戦い!” The elderly man called out before standing there with the sword raised to his chest level and the body figure sideways. It was the fighting pose of the family fighting style. 

“The fool!” Madame Deauville rushed to the opened doorway and watched for the reaction of the others. Three of the robed attackers stepped out after handling their rifles to the others. They drew out their scimitars and faced the elderly man. 

“3対1高貴ではないが、私はその確率を好む” (Three against one. Not noble but I prefer that odds). The elderly man dug his feet firmly into the ground. The first to attack was the middle one who rushed at the elderly man. Instead of waiting for the attack, Taro-san moved two strides ahead with his legs and then the arms swung out in an arc with the double grip on the hilt. The sword was blocked by the scimitar but with a turn of his arms, Taro-san had the sword of his on a downward swing at the legs. 

“Hai!” Taro-san called out when the blade cut into the right thigh towards the left knee causing the attacker to fall back. Taro-san took on another stride and did a belly cut with the long sword. The attacker stared momentarily at the sliced open belly where the blood was spurting out. The attacker dropped the scimitar to hold the wound, and it was then the final cut across the left shoulder to the heart ended the fight.

The other two attacker moved in together with intent to avenge their dead friend, but Tara-san had stepped back and took on a different stance. He stood there with his arms spread out and the sword was on his left hand, extending his reach to the left. He reached with his right hand and withdrew the shorter sword before holding it out wide. 

“私の怒りの力を感じる” (Feel the force of my wrath.) The elderly man rushed at the three warriors facing him.