by Leo Nix
“Get on your bikes, let's go, now!” called Nulla from his four wheel drive just as two terrorist heads came around the side of the motel.
Arty was sitting on his bike when he saw them. He swung his Steyr around but they were just as fast and fired exactly at the same moment Arty fired. One of the terrorists swung back behind cover, the other fell to the ground.
“Go! Go!” cried Nulla and the two cars drove forward while Simon and Luke sped ahead on their bikes to lead the way. None of them saw Arty lean forward and collapse beside his bike.
Phil was the last in line, as he looked in his rear-vision mirror he saw Arty lying on the ground.
“Oh no!” he cried loudly into his CB forgetting their safety protocols, “Arty's been hit and he's on the ground!” He stopped just outside the motel exit on the side road. Heidi was riding as guard in the sunroof and when she heard Phil she looked back.
“Stop! Stop the car! Arty's wounded!” she yelled and immediately opened the door to sprint towards her partner. She heard a shattering roar as two assault rifles opened up forcing her to leap behind a brick wall. She looked around to see Lucy running towards her, rifle in hand firing from the hip. Behind Lucy she could see Luke and Simon race their bikes back to the motel. They all leaped behind cover to join her as she fired at the terrorists now trying to see them from behind the motel entrance.
“Squelch click, squelch click,” came through their headphones - 'danger escape' - but none of the teenagers obeyed. Their mate was down and they wouldn't leave him. Luke signalled back that they were staying to fight it out.
Luke nodded for Simon to get behind the terrorists and he opened fire with Heidi to keep their enemy distracted. Lucy saw what Simon was doing, so she ran to join him. The combined fire of Luke and Heidi forced the enemy to retire behind the cover of the building.
Simon and Lucy ran around the side of the motel complex to come up behind their enemy. They saw the feet of one terrorist lying on the ground, but now there were two others standing, looking back towards their armed outpost. Simon could see three more terrorists sprinting towards the motel.
“Damn!” he breathed deeply then set himself for a fight to the death. He and Lucy were the best positioned to take the enemy out, but only if they stayed still.
Nulla had ensured the boys were well versed in Sun Tsu's philosophy on the art of warfare. One thing that stuck in Simon's mind was, 'when you make a decision to fight, it is always to the death'. Every contact should be approached with this in mind, reiterated Nulla, time and again.
This was one of those moments when he clearly heard Nulla talking: 'When you decide to fight you give it everything you have. If you're conviction is less than your enemy's, they will win. If your conviction is equal to theirs, you might win; but if your conviction is greater than your enemy's, you will win. Just make sure you cover your arse. Be strategic in your approach, be patient and strike the decisive blow.'
Simon looked at Lucy and whispered for her to wait for him to fire first. Tight lipped she nodded. Simon held up three fingers and mouthed, 'Three round bursts.' Lucy nodded again, checking her AK to see if it was set correctly.
'OK, this is time for the 'decisive blow,' he whispered to himself as the three terrorists now joined the two already firing. He could hear his mate, Luke, and Heidi's fire answer the terrorist's increased fire-power. The terrorists now had a leader, she was tall, solid and acted as a professional, placing her squad strategically into position. Just as they made to move, Simon pulled the trigger of his Steyr.
Of the entire group Nulla was the best marksman followed by Simon close behind. Simon had a talent for patience and he always fired cleanly. Luke, on the other hand, usually became excited and frightened the enemy more than doing them harm. Lucy joined in and together their bullets hit the squad just as they were preparing to take up their positions. Simon made sure he hit the leader first and then raked the others.
The large woman flew backwards from the force of his initial burst. Simon continued to fire until his magazine was empty then brought himself back from where he'd sent his mind. All was quiet except for the squealing of one of the wounded. He reloaded with a fresh magazine.
Lucy looked at Simon and nodded, her face white and beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Then they heard Heidi screaming.
Simon called out loudly, “All clear! Cease firing!” Just as Nulla had done the day they took out the scavengers at the shopping mall carpark.
He stood up and looked at the work they'd done. He felt no emotion, rather, he felt revulsion and disgust. Taking each step as though he was walking on egg shells, he walked to the pile of dead and dying.
A particularly young terrorist looked up and called to Lucy, sobbing loudly, “Mum, help me. I can't feel my legs,” he cried. “I can't feel my feet mum. Something's wrong… please mum, help me.” He sobbed uncontrollably. His condition was partially caused by alcohol, the dope and the shocking impact of the bullets.
Lucy looked at Simon, then walked over to the young man lying on the ground. She stopped and stared at him for a long moment before leaning over so he had to look at her.
“Why don't you just die? I tried to kill you, but you're still alive. That's not good is it?” She nonchalantly checked her AK and cocked it, like she had done a dozen times now. Lucy was as calm as Simon had ever seen anyone, he stood mesmerised as she aimed and fired.
“Darn it, Lucy, I don't know if we're supposed to do that. You know, kill the wounded,” Simon said in shocked bewilderment.
“They killed my husband, so I kill them,” replied Lucy. With a look at the other bodies to make sure they were dead she left the scene of violence.
Simon kicked the weapons out of reach of the dead, as he was taught, then called to Luke, “Luke, come and help me collect the weapons and ammo!”
Luke heard him and ran forward. He didn't stop to check on Arty, Heidi was already dragging him towards Phil's four wheel drive. Together the two boys collected as much as they could carry in their arms and ran back to the vehicles.
Nulla was only now running towards them with Charlene, her pistol in her good hand. Nulla looked at his warriors and nodded.
“Good work everyone, good work. Righto, get back to the motel entrance and watch for reinforcements, there's more terrorists at the road block. Luke, help Heidi get Arthur into the car. We leave in sixty seconds.”
The aboriginal cavalry sergeant didn't move, he stood there breathing deeply. The fact was he'd miscalculated the danger they were in, as their leader he had failed them. Now one of their group was badly injured.
“Nulla? Nulla?” called Charlene who was leaning over Arthur in the back seat. Nulla came back from his reverie and walked briskly towards her.
“Arty's bleeding. He's got a bullet wound to his arm. Heidi's fixing it but we need to get moving.” She looked at his far-away eyes and almost yelled at him. “Come on, lead us!”
With a look of surprise Nulla turned to reassure her. “I'm OK, Charlene. Honest, I'm OK. I just wasn't prepared for this.” Nulla then called out loudly, “Righto let's get moving, times up.”
He waited for Simon to get back on his bike. They all moved out of the motel and headed quickly out of the town using the back streets. The adventurous nature of the road trip had turned sour and already one of their group had paid the price of their indulgence.
There was no terrorist activity behind or in front, so Nulla steered back onto the main road. He put on speed to get as far from the terrorist stockade as possible. A few hours later he pulled over and walked around to Phil and the boys on their bikes. It was now just on dusk and he reminded everyone to put on their night vision goggles. All around them were stunted, low bushes and patches of desert sand and scrub, it was flat desert country. Nulla peered through his binoculars in both directions.
“We'll be pulling off the main road in a few minutes. We should be quite safe then and I'll slow down once we hit the dirt.” He then climbed back into his
vehicle and accelerated on the bitumen road wanting to get to the turn off as quick as possible.
He hadn't spoken since the ambush, but now, turning to Glenda, Nulla said, “That rooster is going into the pot tonight. I don't care what anyone says, his name is now 'dinner'!” he fumed.
Realising he was losing it Nulla stopped his mind. He breathed in slowly as he rebuilt his mental palace of calm. He placed the visual image of the road map back in place, then structured his mind to stay focused. His task now was to get his group safely along the back roads to Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges.
They didn't eat the rooster that night. Fatima put her foot down and said it was her's and she needed it for her hens. If they wanted eggs then they just had to let the cock live. Arthur said he liked the rooster and he'd be upset if Nulla killed it. So they ate Fatima and Heidi's spiced lentil soup with flat bread and a chilli sauce.
It took four more nights of driving, taking every dirt track on the map to avoid farm houses and possible detection. Nulla was experienced using compass and map, orienteering was his strong point. The two boys rode up front, stopping for wash outs, dips and cutaways, showing Nulla and Phil where to drive.
By dawn they had covered the final leg and entered Arkaroola village. It appeared deserted as they pulled up at the caravan park, behind the hotel.
Heidi leaped out to show them where they should park their vehicles and which cabins were the best ones. She arranged for Arthur to be taken to the main lounge in the hotel and told Nulla to organise the guard duty roster. Heidi appeared to have successfully wrestled control away from everyone.
Nulla realised he might have to claw back control if he wanted to remain in charge. But he was too tired and simply couldn't be bothered playing games, so he let Heidi have her day at the top. It was, after all, her special place, so why not let her enjoy herself for a while, he thought.
“Arty, are you OK sitting there?” asked Heidi as she fussed over her boyfriend. Everyone was tired, grumpy and the aches and pains of sitting and standing in the cars for such an arduous trek, plus the night vision, had taken it's toll.
She sat Arthur at one of the tables then set about moving food from the vehicles to cook up a warm meal. She quickly lit the fireplace and set about cooking everyone some hot food with the help of a very tired Fatima. Action Heidi was in full swing.
“Simon, before you relieve Nulla on duty, can you help Fatima and Phil settle in, they're exhausted and might just want to go straight to sleep, thanks sweetie.” She smiled up at him and, of course, he did as he was bidden.
The boys, even though only a year younger than Heidi, adored both her and Charlene. They loved the attention and acceptance they got from any of the females, but especially the two youngest. Even if they were in a bad mood, they would always leap up and do whatever was asked. Glenda told Nulla that the boys were smitten with the two girls.
“Smitten?” grinned Nulla. “Bullshit, that's what we call 'blue balls'.”
The next morning they sat around the fireplace and decided it was safer to set up their cooking and eating quarters in the caravan park. Nulla's reasoning was that it would attract less attention, and anyone visiting wouldn't bother with the caravan park, instead they'd go straight to the hotel. The van park was partially out of sight, and they could easily hide their vehicles behind the vans and cabins.
“Nulla, I've found a deserted stone building, it's huge. We could hide out there if we need to,” said Luke, handing a burning branch to Annie, who was enjoying the freedom of the caravan park - and the play equipment.
Charlene looked up excitedly and called across the fireplace, “Luke, do you and Simon want to take us there for target practice? It'd be good, no one would hear us.”
Nulla nodded affirmative so Luke went to find Simon.
“Sounds like a great place for target practice,” said Simon, when he heard about the stone building.
Arthur was sitting outside his cabin and waved to Luke as he walked past. Luke stopped and went up to his new friend.
Arthur had overheard the conversation. “Luke, I want to get some more target practice in too.”
Luke laughed, “You don't need more practice, Arty, you knocked down one of them terrorists without even aiming, you're a hero, a legend.”
“That's crap, Luke,” replied Arthur, but his face brightened. “I'm sure I pulled the trigger accidentally when I slipped off the safety. If anything, I'm an accidental hero.”
“How's the arm going, Arty?” Simon heard them talking so wandered over with his Steyr in his hands.
Arthur lifted his arm and unwrapped the bandage to reveal a long scar down his left forearm. “Yeah, it's OK, burns a bit though. That castor oil Nulla had must have helped, it looks pretty good doesn't it. Charlene said the burning feeling is just the nerves settling in. My elbow's sorer though. I must have banged it when I hit the ground. Look at the bruise.”
The boys mouthed words of adulation and wonder as Arty showed his war wounds. “It's worse than the bullet wound you know. That's the second time the bastards have had a go at killing me, I think it's time they picked on someone else.”
“You sure are lucky, Arty, that bullet could have gone in anywhere and come out anywhere,” said Simon, as he touched the growing scab running from Arthur's wrist to his elbow.
Arthur smiled then pulled down his trousers to reveal his bare backside. ”Look!” he said, splitting his buttocks apart. “This is the hole the bullet made on it's way out!” he giggled and the three almost busted their insides laughing.
“I wish I'd seen you take them out though, Simon.” Arthur continued a little more seriously, “I missed that part. I heard the firing, lots of it, then it stopped. When I looked up I saw Luke running towards you and then Heidi screaming. My leg was sore from the fall too. Poor Heidi, I think she thought I was dead.” The two boys nodded sagely, listening to the older boy.
“Luke's firing must have stopped them shooting at me again. Those terrorists enjoy killing. They would have used me for target practice you know. I've seen them do it.”
“Arty, even though Luke and I have been with Nulla, had some fire-fights and learned all these things about warfare, you've been a hero longer than us.” Simon was thinking of Arthur's story about the terrorist ambush at the university. “You've been blown up, burnt alive, shot twice and now a little bruise on your elbow puts you out of action.”
Simon jabbed Arty in the ribs, “Come on, come with us and we'll go check out that stone building Luke found.” With that the three boys walked off to collect the girls and head-out to this special stone building of Luke's.
Chapter 4 - Sundown - Wilson's War - Arkaroola
In the Wilson's camp there were only enough men left to look after the cattle mustered inside the compound itself. As elders of the Revelationist Church the Wilson's were obliged to send the church one tenth, a tithe, to fight or work whenever they were called upon. General Himmler needed horsemen for his cattle stations yet the Wilson's had taken nearly every man in the Flinders Ranges and beyond, to work on their own properties.
“Damn it, Kelvin! You've got every bloody horseman in the whole damn country. If you don't share them I'm going to have your properties impounded and absorbed into the churches estates!” Himmler slammed his fist on the table. “I've let you get away with bloody murder! I've given you preferential treatment year in and year out. I've made you a millionaire. They call you the 'Cattle King of the Flinders' because of me and this is how you treat me?” His face was flushed with rage and his fists punched again at the table top.
Kelvin Wilson, the patriarch of the Flinders Ranges cattle industry, was just as irate. “And I've damn well pandered to your whims for too many years, Russell! Who the hell would have allowed you to fire weapons all over their properties like I've done for you? I've had to pay off politicians, police, wildlife rangers, neighbours, you name it I damn-well paid for it! Without me you'd be a nobody with no-one and in no shape to run this stupid
war! You're here because of me and my boys! You owe me, brother!” stormed Wilson, standing what looked like an entire metre higher than the Revelationist Army Alpha general.
Colonel Rommel, the mastermind of the Revelationist Alpha Army, and the single most experienced soldier in their entire military, knocked on the door and walked in.
'Bloody idiots think they're stupid Nazis, jokers is what they are,' Kelvin would sneer behind their backs to anyone who'd listen.
“What the hell is going on in here? Do you want the troops to hear you arguing?” he said pushing the door firmly shut behind him.
Himmler deliberately stood still and closed his eyes. He began counting backwards from ten to zero, he began to feel himself calm down. Old man Wilson continued to fume though.
“That bastard wants me to send more of my men to man your properties. He probably wants to send them to fight those bastards at Birdsville too. As if I want my men killed by you incompetent morons!” spat the fire-brand Wilson patriarch.
“Those 'incompetent morons' made you rich Kelvin. They handed the entire Flinders region to you on a platter, you ungracious prick. Without us you'd be dead, or working on one of our farms, so get over it.”
Rommel stared venomously at the shrewd cattleman with the beady red eyes and blotched face. “I've just about had it with you anyway, Kelvin. My men have been itching to teach your bully boys a lesson for years. Pity you've lost some of them already to those simple farmers in Arkaroola. If you can't handle a few dirt farmers then don't come whining to us. You have your duty to your church, now do it and stop your snivelling and whining.”
He continued to stare down the fiery old man who eventually turned his eyes to blaze his own fury at General Himmler.
“I don't take orders from your lackey, Russell, call your dog off.” He knew he wasn't in a position to bargain with Rommel, but he knew he could bully the general easily enough.