by Leo Nix
Martene nodded understanding exactly what he meant. She then recognised that both Riley and Bongo were firing single shot. “You boys low on ammo?”
“Yep, I've got two magazines left,” he replied ducking down as a burst of machine gun fire hit the wall beside him. He slipped the empty magazine from his weapon and pushed his second last magazine in to replace it.
Martene reached into her ammunition pouch and threw him one of hers. “Here, now we're even. Three magazines each, make each bullet count.”
Dog was happily tucked up between the trough and Roo's body. It made Roo feel safe knowing his best mate was with him. He held his Ruger taken from one of the Wilson boys during that horrific Arkaroola wilderness trip. He ran his hand lovingly over the carved stock. There was a male kangaroo standing tall, watching over three female kangaroos eating grass beside a water hole. It made him feel he was back in the solitude of the bush.
He pulled his AK47 from under his body and cocked it. Smiling he recalled how he and Bongo had escaped Mrs. Sow and her seven piglets, so long ago now on their trek back to Marree. He traced his fingers over the AK's wooden stock where he'd carved Mrs. Sow and her babies running into the desert that night. He planned to carve a camel train on his Ruger one day. The drumming of bullets against the water trough snapped him back to reality.
He glanced across to his right flank and saw several Ravens Claws taking up position to fire on him. With practised agility he raised his AK and fired before they had time to do more than stare. Three singe shots and he scored one hit. The other two Ravens Claws moved out of his line of sight. He listened as the one he hit choked his life away. Roo grimaced at his poor marksmanship and promised to himself not to goof-off under fire again.
The sound of single shots coming from the homestead made him aware that everyone inside were low on ammunition. Stuck out in the open he had to cover both his flanks and that made him an easy target if the terrorists coordinated their assault. He considered what he might do if the fighters inside ran out of ammunition, it was grim.
A bullet zipped past his ear flicking the skin. He flinched and turned to his left flank to see four terrorists firing at him. Switching his fire mechanism to semi automatic he emptied his magazine into them. He scored several hits before they too pulled back out of his field of view. His weapon clicked empty so he reached for his Ruger. Roo then felt a sting in his foot. Swinging around he saw three enemy firing from the right flank again. The one's he'd missed previously must have brought a friend to join in the fun, he thought.
Roo was an experienced kangaroo shooter. Not only did he shoot kangaroos for a living he also shot wild pigs, rabbits, camels, horses and anything he was paid to kill. Automatically he sighted along the barrel instead of the awkward scope and fired. On reflex he killed the terrorist furthest from him so the other two wouldn't see it and be scared off like wild kangaroos.
He now saw the front terrorist lean across in front of his mate to get a better view of his target. Shifting his aim a fraction, Roo fired a second time. It went through the first man's throat and into the skull of the man behind. Roo knew he needn't waste another bullet.
Denise leaned against the wall next to Bongo, they each had but a few bullets left in their rifles. The drumming of the Ravens Claw bullets against the stone wall vibrated through their backs and into their chests.
“Denise, I think this might be it,” croaked Bongo. He was bleeding from a cut to his cheek and Denise's laboured breathing suggested the blood coming from her chest was more than just a broken rib.
'Yeah," she wheezed, “I'm tired of this game… time to finish I think.” She sighed and put one hand on the floor as she tried to get back up, she couldn't.
“If we get out of this alive…” Bongo paused as he tried to think of how to say this, “will you be my girlfriend?” he blurted out.
More machine gun fire beat against the wall and Denise slid further down towards the floor. She chuckled softly which ended in a wet cough, it wasn't a nice sound. Bongo turned to look at her pleasant face again. What he saw made him feel as though a blade had just stabbed him in the chest, his heart stopped beating for a moment. Her face was ashen, blood seeped from the corners of her lips. “Sure lover boy… I'd like that… a lot…”
Bongo had tears in his eyes when he stood up to fire his last few rounds at a group of advancing Ravens Claws, he could barely see them. “You bastards!” he heard himself screaming. His weapon clicked empty so he reached down for Denise's which now lay loosely in her lap.
Chapter 15 - Sundown's Sacrifice
It was mid morning when the sounds of gunfire could be heard coming from the homestead. At first it was a single weapon but within seconds it grew to a dull roar.
“Sundown! Sundown!” cried Shadow, who was out practicing her camel commands.
The commando leader looked up from his cup of tea with Pinkie and Sue-Ellen. They saw Shadow hurrying her camel towards them. Her face reflected her fear of both the racing camel and the sounds of gunfire. Not the most experienced camel rider she clumsily dismounted and handed her rope to Kris. He'd started running as soon as he saw her racing her camel through the camp.
Sundown's hand was over his eyes against the sun to see if the danger was approaching their camp site. Other members of the commando were doing the same. The four elite Pine Gap special operations boys were already grabbing their weapons and ammunition. They raced over to Sundown and Sue-Ellen.
“Sundown!” panted Shadow, racing over to the small group just ahead of the special ops. “It's Roo and Bongo's patrol! They must be in big trouble.” She pointed towards an approaching camel, its legs splayed like a spider as it ran to join its mates. It was Bongo's camel, Star.
Sundown snapped alert recalling his dream with Shamus and called his commando to form into their teams ready for action. The first thing he did was call for Kris and Shrek to move the animals as far back behind them as possible.
“Obi-Wan, it's coming from that homestead we spoke about last night. Take your boys up as far as you can and see what you can do. I'll send support as soon as I can. You'd better just hoof it, the camels are spooked and won't be of much use to us. Run and hold, wait for us to support you, got it?”
“Got it Sundown. We'll hold a defensive position and see if we can influence what's happening with Roo's patrol. You'd better hurry though, that's a lot of rounds in the air out there,” said Staff Sergeant Ben Kennedy, Obi-Wan, the leader of the special ops men.
Sundown now allowed himself to relax a little knowing these specialists were on his side. If anyone could influence a fire-fight as wild as what he was hearing, it would be these four.
“Good luck. Don't take chances. I want you boys alive when this is over.” Then he turned to his commando. “Nulla, I need a sniper up on that sand dune over there. It must overlook the homestead Roo's patrol are probably holed up in.”
“Sundown, what about me, I'm not useless. You'll need me too.” Pedro was by his side, his tin legs in a pile beside his modified wheel chair. He began strapping his legs on while slipping the strap of his M21 sniper rifle over his arm.
“Pedro, that's almost a kilometre away! How the hell will you get there in time?” Sundown's exasperation showed right at the wrong moment.
Pedro's eyes showed a red rim where tears were forming in the corners. “Don't do this to me, matie. Please don't tell me I'm worthless.”
Sue-Ellen watched as she held Black Dog by his collar. She saw what was happening and quickly spoke up. “Sundown, I'll get Jaina and Blondie to help Pedro. I heard these girls couldn't hit the side of a barn so they might as well support someone who can.” She looked at the two women and handed Black Dog over to Pinkie.
“Come on girls, if the three of us pull together we can do it.” The commander saw they were each armed with pistols and considered that was good enough. She instructed the women to support Pedro in a fireman's lift and they set off walking as fast as they could behind Nulla.
> “Shit!” said Sundown. “Lulu, you and Danni better go with them and provide as much support as you can. Quickly!” He knew the girls were excellent shots and seeing them race after Pedro and the three women made him feel a little less anxious. Those two girls were everyone's favourite and he knew they would die for Pedro if they had to.
'What have I just done?' he thought to himself, 'I hope I haven't made the wrong decision sending those two kids into battle.'
“Harry, I know you can fire a rifle better than most but I need you here. Can you take command of the camp defences for me?”
“Yes, Sundown. I can do that just don't ask me to run.” He had his kangaroo rifle in his hands, a World War II Lee-Enfield, scoped and obviously an old favourite.
“Donna can you and Beamy stay here and guard the camp with Harry. I need you as back up in case it goes wrong and I fear it might. Take the girls and hide up in the rocks. Just sit tight.”
Turning to Kris he said, “If we lose those camels we're dead, even if we win the battle. I need you to just do your best.” The infantryman turned cameleer nodded and returned to the task of securing the nervous animals.
“Jenny, can you and Jeda help Kris and Shrek with the camels please?” He trusted the aboriginal women who'd lived all their lives with the animals of the desert. “Right! Pellino, Shadow, Lucy and Heidi, you're with me! We'll be going in as support to the special ops. Grab your gear, some water and let's go. Our cameleers need us.” He gave them a moment to grab extra water bottles, kissed his wife then they began the eight hundred metre jog towards the sounds of battle.
It wasn't until they were half way there that Sundown heard a wheezing sound. He turned and saw Beamy only a few metres behind him. He waved for him to catch up.
“Damn it, Beamy, you're still recovering. You should have stayed behind.” He knew he was sounding like a proper bastard but he didn't want a single unnecessary death on his conscience.
“Sundown, if you leave me behind I swear I'll kick your arse all the way to Birdsville. I'm a Sundown Commando, I'm an original and I've got the scars to prove I'm staunch. I'm coming with you, like it or not.” Sundown looked at him. His breathing sounded like he was having an asthma attack.
Between his own laboured breaths Sundown croaked. “Listen to your damn breathing, Beamy. Lorraine said you shouldn't be running. She'll kill me for letting you come with us.”
“I'll kill you first if you don't.” Was his firm reply. So they continued jogging towards the sounds of gunfire together.
Sundown was pleased to see Sue-Ellen with Blondie, Jaina and the two aboriginal teenagers helping Pedro. His squad passed them as he swung his small band along the trough of a sand dune on the left flank and behind the homestead. He was impressed at how fast the girls reacted and how not one of his commando had panicked. A plan was forming in his mind on how best to approach a flank attack - just as his party ran into the enemy squad.
Lucy was the first to react as a squad of Ravens Claws suddenly leaped over the top of the sand dune and among them. They were just as surprised as the Commando. Lucy's first burst took the leader in the chest and he fell on top of Shadow. Her instinctive reaction was to chop his throat with her free hand and to fire her pistol into his chest as he fell.
Heidi went down, tangled under two terrorists who fought to get back to their feet as fast as possible. One of them fired at Lucy but Beamy knocked him back down, on top of Heidi. Shadow ducked under a second Ravens Claw with his rifle butt raised trying to crush her skull.
It was a wild melee of arms, legs, rifles and fists. Beamy's automatic jammed so he grabbed it by the barrel and swung it wildly back and forth. He managed to keep the enemy from Shadow and Heidi for those vital few seconds of madness.
A fist collected Shadow's cheek and she spun twice before digging her feet into the soft sand. The Diamantina plains then heard a scream of defiance and rage it had never heard before - Shadow went ballistic.
With a snap kick she knocked down a terrorist taking aim at Beamy from a crouched position. His head flew back and there was a sickening sound as something snapped in his neck. She ducked beneath a fist then pulled her stomach in as a bayonet lunged at her. With the athleticism of a gymnast she leaped above a second bayonet thrust at her thighs.
With her pistol in one hand she fired point-blank into her assailant's head. While still in the air her free hand drew her Deaths Head knife. As she came down she sprang forward stabbing a third enemy in the throat as he was strangling Heidi lying semi-conscious on the ground.
Sundown had gone down in the first few seconds of the fight. One of the Ravens Claws had king hit him from behind and knocked him out. His demon didn't have a chance to even make an appearance. Seeing stars and feeling a rising nausea from his concussion he could only watch, he was useless.
While Sundown was lost to the world of humanity, Lucy checked to ensure all enemy were accounted for then quickly placed herself on guard at the top of the dune. With trained precision, she fired at three stragglers who were coming up behind the first squad.
Pellino was still jogging a hundred metres behind. His sixty six years of life on planet earth had slowed him somewhat. He arrived to see Shadow and Beamy dispatch the last two terrorists so he helped Heidi get up from where she was lying on the ground.
“Did I miss anything?” he remarked as he held the young girl in his arms letting her cry the fright from her system.
Beamy was crouched over and vomited up his breakfast. He couldn't breathe and Pellino had to leave Heidi and tend to him. Sundown was holding his head in his hands rocking back and forth. He was the second to lose his breakfast. Lucy turned back to see what was happening and quickly assessed the situation. It didn't look good so she took control.
“Pellino, leave them. Get up here next to me and stand to. Heidi, pick up your weapon and go to that bush there and cover our left flank, it's exposed.” The two didn't argue, they automatically followed her orders.
“Shadow.” No answer. “SHADOW!” she yelled at the still figure now standing between worlds.
Shadow came back from wherever she was and answered, “yes?”
“I need you to come back to us, darling. Load your pistol and go with Heidi over there and cover that flank. We're vulnerable on that side. Do you understand?” she asked gently.
In a soft voice Shadow replied, “Yes, I'm OK.” She walked over to Heidi, touched her on the arm and automatically reloaded her pistol magazine with the bullets in her cartridge belt.
Lucy slid down the sand dune and leaned over Beamy's crouched form. She gently rubbed his shoulder. “Are you OK, buddy? I need you up on top for me, can you do that?”
Beamy turned and Lucy noticed his face was white, there was a blue tinge to his lips. “I've got you covered, Lucy,” he gasped tightly. “Just give me a second to get my breath back.” He looked at Sundown who was now pouring some of his precious water onto his face. “And don't tell Sundown I spewed up my breakfast.”
The young fighter stood up with sheer will power and determination. He staggered to the bottom of the sand dune, it looked as though it were a mile high. Then he began the colossal task of putting one foot in front of the other. Lucy listened to the sounds of his wheezing as he struggled not to pass out at each step.
She now quickly leaped over to Sundown and crouched over him. “Sundown? Are you OK?”
He looked at her and she saw the pain in his face and noticed how his eyes couldn't focus on hers. Sundown grimaced as he spoke, “What's happening now Lucy? I need to know if we're safe.”
“I've got the left flank covered. The front is covered by the homestead and the right flank is covered by the special ops fellas.” she reported.
“Is everyone OK? Did any of us get hurt?” he asked, his eyes now shut tight against the light.
“We're all good to go. Beamy has a breathing problem but no worse than you or Pellino,” she said.
Sundown looked around, his eyes were mere slits. Th
ere were five dead Ravens Claws strewn around the sandy ground in front of him. One had his dead hand on Sundown's shoe, he unconsciously pushed it away. Then he saw Heidi and Shadow on the flank and Pellino and Beamy at the top of the sand dune. He nodded painfully in approval. As he nodded he brought up a stream of yellow bile almost fainting in the process.
Turning back to Lucy he struggled to speak. “Nice work, Ninety Nine, now I know why Nulla picked you.” His breathing was rapid and he felt like shit. “Thanks, you saved us, Lucy.” Lucy just nodded and stared at him knowing he was out of the fight. “Now help me get up.” But instead of standing he collapsed onto his hands and knees and vomited again.
As he fell there came a 'brrrip' 'brrrip' from Beamy and Pellino's position. He knew they were still in the fight but his enthusiasm wasn't there any more. Sundown's head throbbed like he'd been kicked by a horse and he had no choice but to hand leadership of this patrol to Lucy.
“Lucy, I feel like shit warmed up. Grab my ammo and take command.” He felt a wave of nausea but fought it down. “I'll stay here, I'm bloody useless right now.” As he spoke he leaned forward on the sandy slope and brought up more yellow bile then collapsed onto his side closing his eyes as the world spun around him.
Lucy stroked his forehead as she wondered if she could do it. “Sure Sundown, I'll look after them for you, don't you worry.”
Sundown couldn't have cared less. He vomited again and then again, nothing but bile came up. Lucy handed him her water bottle and with a kiss on his forehead, she left him to take command.
The Pine Gap specialists had managed to force their way to the rear and right flank of the homestead. With bursts of fire from Soldier of Fortune's aged M-60 their assault was so vicious that the terrorists were forced to retreat to the front and left flank of the building. But they wouldn't give up, not while their traditional foe, the Longreach Crusaders, were within their grasp.
