by Leo Nix
“Get into the water, Arthur, that's our only chance.” Heidi pushed him and went straight in after him. The sound of trucks pulling up filled her ears as she dragged herself and then Arthur under the mess of branches and leaves.
“Captain McCarthy,” called one of his NCO's, “one of my men saw something moving over there towards the river. Should I take my troop and investigate, sir?” asked the newly promoted Sergeant Warren.
Prudently he had sent another of his troop to sound the alarm and alert his captain. This meant another opportunity for McCarthy's chance of promotion. The more violence the more chance of moving up towards his goal, the top position as head of Army C. He'd lost twelve from his company, proof of the ferocity of the enemy he had to face.
With an impulsive flick of his hand he promoted his corporal on the spot for killing their first house-rat in months, and for raising his popularity with the soldiers. McCarthy was already revered as a hero for taking out the Armoured Cavalry in Adelaide; then for leading the fight against an imagined enemy commando in the science laboratory at the university. Now this was another opportunity, McCarthy was in a great mood.
“Nah, they're in those houses, man, take the platoon and start your house to house search protocols. Don't forget, whoever kills the next rat gets my other bottle of scotch,” wheezed the captain. His face was a mass of burn welts and he had no hair on his head. Some of his fingers had fused together.
`You look like a damn sea monster,' thought Sergeant Warren, trying not to stare at his captain's molten face.
“Yes, sir!” he snapped into a perfect salute. He ran off roaring at his platoon to form and sorted them into squads to search the houses along the river bank.
Captain McCarthy coughed into his silk handkerchief. He saw blood spots there but ignored them. This had happened ever since the explosion. He'd just spent several weeks in the terrorist hospital, along with many of his platoon. They took every spare bed and were worshiped as heroes by the rest of the terrorist army, no one spoke of the lie.
McCarthy told his superiors of a vicious running battle with a platoon of enemy commandos, of how they'd been caught in the explosion which exterminated their enemy.
He'd hoped for a promotion to major but the general of Army C refused to promote a man with a melted penis. The three star general had quoted a verse from the Bible: `No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.' That was that, McCarthy was told he would never be promoted again.
Captain McCarthy had plans for his superiors though. `It won't be long before I'll be running Army Charlie. I'll lead a coup and take it from you. Laugh while you can general, laugh while you can.' He formed an image of the general and a small dog, in his mind's eye. Then he watched in fascination as the image devolved into the kind of torture he would like to inflict on his beloved leader. He became excited thinking about it and called huskily for his driver.
Unbeknown to the swarming terrorists, a pile of floating trash and bushes passed by, and two pairs of frightened eyes stared up at the captain.
Arthur and Heidi spent days sitting around debriefing with Phil in the half way house. They were both exhausted and severely traumatised, afraid to tell Lucy the bad news. The pair felt guilty that they had lived at the cost of their dear friend's life. Phil finally convinced them to go home and break the sad news to everyone.
“If you want me to, I'll tell Lucy. I'll call a meeting and break the news, but the moment they see just the two of you they'll all know. In fact by your absence right now they'll probably fear you're all dead. Let's not make things any worse than they are. Just get it over with. I'll be there to support you. Tony is a hero and you both did no wrong, remember that.”
That night Heidi rode one of the bikes they'd put in the safe house while Phil and Arthur walked as best they could. It was slow but Heidi kept watch over the two invalids checking every street crossing well before the two got there. She kept riding back to hover by their side like a guardian angel.
As they approached their sprawling new home Heidi felt dread clutching at her heart. She had a moment of panic as she put her travelling gear into the shed next to Arthur's. With Phil in the lead they gave their arrival signal and walked in through the back door.
It wasn't easy, but Phil, true to his word, said what had to be said. He mentioned that Tony had sacrificed his own life for Arthur and Heidi, for all of them. Although they had no idea how many terrorists he'd killed, they were certain, given the amount of gunfire and screams, he had killed quite a few to save his friend's lives.
Lucy was a mess but tried to be brave. She had Annie to care for and tried to busy her grief away. She smothered Annie in love and wouldn't let her out of her sight. Charlene felt it badly, in some ways she believed it was her fault for agreeing that Tony should go with Heidi. There was a battle inside her head that went on and on, it made her feel miserable and useless. Every time she tried to talk to Lucy or Heidi they would make excuses and leave her sitting by herself. This made her feel even worse.
Arthur wanted to talk though, and when she wasn't sitting with Phil or Fatima, Charlene found herself talking with him.
They were all affected by the loss of Tony. Not only was he a good friend, father and husband he was also an invaluable worker. It now placed the burden of the heavy work on Arthur and the girls. Arthur was still very malnourished and as weak as a kitten, convalescing, just like Phil.
A few evenings later Heidi went out on her own. She was mindful of patrols in case the terrorists were searching in their quarter. They'd run out of soap and toothpaste and this was just a simple house raid. One of the nearby houses must have belonged to a hoarder because bathroom supplies of all kinds littered the house. Shelves, cupboards and even the floors were covered in boxes of shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and anything to do with cleanliness. The dwellers always went there for their toiletries.
It was just after midnight when Heidi headed back home to their new house. The dwellers no longer had separate houses. They now cherished companionship which outweighed their need for privacy and personal space.
Ever mindful of being followed, Heidi kept to the shadows. Even when the moon was behind a cloud she would huddle into the bushes and behind fences. Stealth had become a way of life and her reading taught her useful techniques that she incorporated into her nightly trips.
When she was only three houses away from home she stopped and glanced backwards. Her accelerated sixth sense worked overtime on these outings, this time she was sure she was being followed. The feeling was so strong it was tapping her on the shoulder. The last thing Heidi wanted was a stranger turning their world upside down. After what happened with Arthur and Tony, she wouldn't let it happen again.
She closed the back door softly and slipped into the firelight with her pack of supplies. When she spoke everyone stopped what they were doing to stare open mouthed at her.
“I'm not sure, but it's possible I was followed. It could be a dweller from another area looking for food, or it could be a Crusader. Arthur, grab the baseball bat, we need to prepare for a house invasion.” Heidi tried to remain calm but her voice betrayed her fears.
Phil and Lucy were talking with Annie while Fatima was in the kitchen with Charlene. It was their usual pre-dawn cook-up and breakfast. They dropped what they were doing and stalled, they stood in shock, not knowing what to do. The tension escalated to fever pitch in a split second.
There was a rustle in the bushes beside the house and Charlene screamed. It tried to grow from silence into a high pitched shriek. The dwellers knew to keep quiet, it was how they survived, and Charlene struggled with all her might to silence herself. Pitched into a blind panic she grabbed her jumper and stuffed it into her mouth to stifle the sound. Her other hand became a clutching claw, opening and closing with each silent scream.
Lucy grabbed Annie and ran with her to their bedroom and hid her in the cupboard. “You stay there and no matter what you hea
r, don't come out. Got that? Don't come out!” Annie began crying and bit into her knuckles so she wouldn't make a sound.
Heidi found a stick she thought would knock a rifle from someone's hands. Phil ushered Fatima towards Annie in the cupboard.
The dwellers shivered at the squeak of the opening screen door. The fear was palpable, triggering an already unstable Lucy to completely crack. Her face screwed into a hideous mask, she had the presence of mind to grab a cushion and screamed into it, over and over. The veins on her temples popped as she wrestled with her close companions of grief, torment and fear. No one moved to stop her, they were preoccupied with their own struggle for self-control.
The back screen squeaked again and Arthur shook as he held the bat above his head by the door. He swayed back and forth wiping his sweaty hands on his shirt front several times. His facial muscles worked as he struggled with an inner battle. The rank smell of fear permeated the room.
The sound of bushes swishing against the side of the house came to their ears again. Heidi motioned for Arthur to stay at the back door. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife then tip-toed to the front door with the knife raised. They stayed still and silent for what seemed hours. Arthur finally collapsed to the floor, exhausted. Heidi was pitched into a state of utter turmoil, she was torn between staying on guard or going to her partner.
Frozen, not knowing what to do, she whispered to herself, `God, just give us a frigging break! I am sick of running!' Her head dropped to her chest as the tension drove hot tears to drip onto the floor. She stood like that for a full minute, then looked up.
Action Heidi jammed the knife under the front door to prevent it being opened and walked into the back room. Leaving Arthur unconscious on the floor she took up his baseball bat. She glanced at Charlene, curled into a fetal position on the floor; and Lucy, holding the pillow to her face on the lounge.
Hefting the bat above her shoulder, Action Heidi turned to Phil, her only comrade still standing and said, “We fight to the death, Phil. We aren't running any more.”
Chapter 17 - Nulla - Glenda's Battle
It was a stinking hot night, after the rains the mosquitoes buzzed and annoyed everyone. Luke moaned and said he hoped the terrorists were suffering too. The bikes were hooked up and their night vision goggles perched on their foreheads, their Steyrs loaded and ready.
Glenda couldn't make herself comfortable. Her trailer perched on a single wheel and she held on white-knuckled to keep it stable. Simon reached into his jacket and pulled out his .38 pistol.
“Glenda, take this and put your assault rifle down the side otherwise you might make the wheelbarrow tip over. The safety's simple. because there is none, just squeeze the trigger and it'll fire. Don't squeeze unless you want to shoot someone.”
It was always in his possession now, well cared for and a work of beauty, his precious treasure. For Simon to loan his `special' was a big deal, and Glenda was fully aware of his sacrifice. He showed her how to hold it, then spun the chamber to show its bullets.
“Thanks Simon, that's going to make a huge difference. Now I've a chance of getting home without falling out of this contraption. I'm sure Luke wants to see me tip out so he can laugh at me,” she said, half in jest.
They had stripped their gear down to a minimum for speed and safety. If they ran into trouble they stood a better chance of fighting their way out. Nulla inspected each trooper and tucked the AK47 down snugly beside Glenda along with a belt of ammunition.
He checked everyone's night vision goggles and weapons. Luke insisted he take responsibility for towing Glenda, Simon said he would ride up front as lead scout.
“Boss, let me take Glenda, I'm faster than you and if we hit trouble I'll make sure she's safe. You concentrate on providing fire-power with Simon,” said Luke gruffly.
They were all feeling nervous. Although they'd heard no chatter on their CB later than about ten pm, running into a night patrol was still possible. The trip went through enemy territory, and even with their night vision advantage, they all feared a contact could easily take them out.
Things started out well, Luke made sure to ride carefully for fear of tipping Glenda out on to the footpath. Trialing a wheelbarrow contraption with a teenage boy with superb coordination was fine, but with a wounded young lady, with an uncertain sense of balance, it was completely different.
The evening felt a little too warm and bugs lit up in their night vision screens annoying them. They silently rode the side streets with their bikes hugged up against the bushes as much as possible. As they entered their home-base street they began to relax a little.
Simon was out front, he stopped to wait for everyone to catch up before crossing the street. He looked to the left, nothing. But as he swung his gaze to the right he was struck by the sight of a patrol of twelve terrorists merely metres away. He threw down his bike and prepared his Steyr for the fire-fight, slipping it to semi-automatic.
Luke was so focused on keeping the bike upright he didn't notice a thing. His limited peripheral night vision goggles caused him to ride right in among the enemy patrol.
There came a shout and a scuffle as he knocked two terrorists over with his bike. A third grappled with him and they fell in a death-locked struggle. Luke was strong but his assailant stronger. With his hands around the teenager's throat the heavily built terrorist began to strangle the life from him.
Nulla was a little slow to respond but when he heard the crash and grunted shouts he skidded his mountain bike to the ground. Swinging his Steyr to his shoulder he clicked his safety off and engaged full automatic.
It was Glenda who fired first though. As she slid from the barrow to the ground she had the .38 in her hand and pointed at the enemy. It kicked once, twice, three times and three terrorists went down. She then saw Luke on the ground locked in a death struggle with a terrorist twice his size. The brute had his hands around Luke's throat completely shutting off his airway. Luke's legs kicked uselessly as he slowly gasped his life away.
Her forth and fifth bullets hit the terrorist in the back and he slammed forward his hands flying away from her brave guardian's neck. Luke lay gasping for breath in a state of shock, completely overwhelmed by the unexpected violence of the assault.
A split second after Glenda's first shot Simon began firing as he stood over his bike in the dark. The flames from his Steyr blinded him with his night vision goggles, so he flicked his head to make them fall down onto his chest. He took out most of the enemy in those important next few seconds. His rapid short bursts combined with Nulla's single burst of full automatic fire cut the entire patrol to the ground.
A single terrorist made the mistake of standing up, trying to get his AK47 to his shoulder. Glenda fired her last round and he spun to fall on top of his comrades.
It was all over almost before it had begun, the group stood in shock for several seconds. Nulla shook his head and spun into action. He quickly scanned the scene through his night vision goggles.
“Righto, boys, help Glenda into the black Mitsubishi and load it up with supplies as fast as you can. We've about two minutes before the terrorists realise where the firing came from and they investigate. We've no choice but to move to safe house number three. We are leaving this location. I'll stay back and drag these bodies into the yard, that should confuse them when they drive past. Go!” Luke and Simon spun into action and raced Glenda to the safe house just down the street.
As he raced his bike towards the safe house an image of Mr Thornton's weathered face flashed in Simon's mind and he heard his reedy voice, “A 38 is deadly at close range and might save your lives one day.” He shivered and wondered if the old pirate was still alive, he sincerely hoped he was.
Nulla grabbed the first body by the ankles and dragged it into the nearest yard. As he bent to grab the next pair of legs it kicked at him. The boot caught him just under the chin and he went over backwards. His rifle and night vision goggles flew into the air and he was momentarily blin
ded. Without his Steyr, Nulla felt fear for a split second.
Reaching instinctively down to his shin he pulled his knife from its leg pouch and drove his shoulder into the black weaving shape in front of him. Locking his leg behind his assailant's knee they spun and fell but it was he who was pinned to the ground.
Shaking with shock and fear he managed to free his right hand and stabbed upwards. He heard his enemy grunt as the knife plunged under its ribs. As he wrestled himself from under the body he felt a pair of large, firm breasts rub against him.
His mind went spinning, `A girl? I've killed a young girl? God curse all Revelationists!' he silently whispered in horror.
A blazing rage exploded inside and he silently cursed the terrorists for all the evil they had done to him and this beautiful world.
In a rising panic he felt about on the lawn for his weapon and goggles. He found his Steyr but left the bodies and his goggles where they lay. Time had run out to do any more.
Luke and Simon opened the garage door and helped Glenda into the front cabin of the patrol. She started the engine as soon as she got her legs into position then slid over to the passenger seat.
Luke emerged from the house with his arms full of ammunition and dumped them in the back. Simon followed with the CB radio, batteries and cables. They raced back and forth filling the back of the Mitsubishi Pajero.
Nulla screamed into the garage on his mountain bike and leaped in next to Glenda. As he drove forward Simon closed the garage doors leaving the bikes inside. Hopefully the terrorists wouldn't think to search the houses - but he knew that was just plain stupid of him to think they wouldn't make a thorough house to house search.
