by Navi' Robins
“Some of the villagers said that they saw a Jeep carrying a man driving further west into the city. They believe they were friendlies, and the doctor was alive. They estimate the doctor’s rescuers took him about two clicks west in a remote part of the city.”
“That’s great news, right?” Meagan responded, smiling.
“That he’s alive, yes. Where he is, no,” Edwards sighed. “That part of the city isn’t too friendly to UN forces, and there has been fighting between supporters of two opposing political parties. So, if we—”
“If?” Ayana interrupted, staring at the sergeant as if he were insane.
“Sorry, I mean when. When we move into that area, we will more than likely be going in hot.”
“Going in hot? What are you saying, Sergeant? That we will go in there guns blazing? How do we expect to get the doctor out of there, if we go in there shooting people? Does that make sense to you?”
“Ma’am, what do you suggest? We waltz in there with our UN patches on our uniforms, smiling and singing songs? If I can prevent anyone here from dying on this mission, I will do what I must.”
“And we have to do what we must as well. We are the UN, not the marines or Secret Service. We are supposed to be here to solve the violence, not add to it.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Let Ayana and me go in.”
“No! No way! Not gonna happen!”
“Listen, trust me. I don’t want to go in there, but two women will go over a lot better than a group of armed Europeans.”
“In what world?” Edwards snapped back. “They would rather rape and kidnap you than listen to one word you say.”
“We have to have more faith in my people,” interjected Ayana, rolling her eyes. “The fact they kept Danny alive means they aren’t as bad as you think. So Meagan’s plan could work.”
“That’s a very weak ‘could,’” Edwards responded angrily. Nevertheless, after carefully calculating her chances of success against his own, he concluded that although a big gamble, her plan was the most feasible if they wanted to reduce the collateral damage to the Sudanese and UN soldiers. Grinding his teeth, he nodded in agreement with Meagan’s plan.
Meagan swallowed hard as she looked at Ayana and then down at the weapon she was gripping tightly in her hands. Ayana understood immediately what her friend was saying without uttering a sound. She wanted to make sure Ayana was willing and able to use the weapon if things went south, and she nodded back at her with a determined look in her eyes. Ayana was willing to do whatever was needed to ensure that they rescued her love and that none of them lost their lives while attempting the impossible. Satisfied with Ayana’s response, Meagan tapped Edwards on the shoulder, and they began to move swiftly toward the last location the doctor was seen alive . . .
* * *
The searing burn of the fires seemed to cook Meagan and Ayana’s faces as they walked past several burning homes and structures. There were countless bodies sprawled on the scorched earth, burnt and mutilated in the most grotesque way. The heat was almost unbearable, and it seemed to cook the tears that fell down Ayana’s face as she looked around at the devastation and death.
“What happened here?”
“Satu happened here,” a voice from behind them responded while he removed his weapon’s safety, and the clicking sound echoed through the air.
Both women immediately turned around to face a wounded and angry villager pointing his rifle at them. There was an angry and heartbreaking look in his eyes as it became clear he wasn’t a soldier, but a survivor from this latest massacre by Kronte’s second-in-command.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“We are here looking for the American doctor. We are his friends.”
The man leaned forward, staring at Ayana; then he let out a long and relieved sigh before lowering his weapon.
“Ms. Burundi, it’s you. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you in the dark. The doctor isn’t here any longer. The village chief and doctor left right before Satu and his men attacked us.”
“Do you know where they went?” Ayana asked with urgency.
“Yes. They are heading toward the city center.”
Meagan’s eyes widened as she realized exactly where they were taking the doctor.
They are taking him to the courthouse.
“Ayana, we have to get out of here now!”
Ayana just stood there in a daze infected by the disease of death around her. She was frozen and lost within her own memories of the days when scenes like this were commonplace in her life as a teenager. Meagan, anxious to leave before the angry villager decided to kill both of them, shook Ayana violently, trying to wake her out of her nightmare. Ayana suddenly swung her AK-47 in front of her chest, and in one swift motion, used it to push Meagan back. The forceful reaction almost knocked Meagan to the ground, but she found her balance before she lost complete control.
“Ayana, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Meagan screamed at her friend, who seemed like a totally different person.
“Don’t touch me like that. Here is not the place to be forceful with me, Meagan,” she responded, appearing unmoved by the pleading look in Meagan’s eyes, begging for her old friend back. “You’re right. We must leave this place now and go find the doctor before Satu and his men do. I’ll push ahead, while you go back to inform the sergeant.”
“Ayana, you shouldn’t go after them alone.”
“I won’t be alone,” Ayana responded while looking over at the villager that had now moved by her side. “We both have a vendetta to settle.”
“He’s no soldier. He’s just an angry villager without any real training. No offense,” she yelled back.
“None taken. You are correct, but I will join Ms. Burundi, nonetheless,” he responded with a slight smirk on his face. Throwing her hands in the air and almost spinning around in a full circle, Meagan screamed while pulling her hair that now smelled like smoke and burnt flesh. Pointing at both of them, she bit down hard on her bottom lip and spun around, storming in the opposite direction toward the awaiting UN soldiers. Ayana watched Meagan until she was out of sight, then turned to her new companion, nodding before the two of them began running in the direction of their targets . . .
* * *
Daniel felt like he was losing consciousness the more that he moved. The chief was helping him brace some of his weight on his wounded leg, but it seemed it wasn’t doing much to speed up their escape. He could hear the frantic and purposeful movement of his pursuers not far behind them as they weaved and cut in between the buildings in the city. Every so often, Satu’s men would fire shots in their direction, sending bullets whistling past their heads, causing them to duck or stumble, which was taking a harder toll on his wounded body. The doctor’s body was overworked from trying to dodge people, bullets, and buildings. His heavy breathing made it clear to the chief and the village doctor that they needed to find a place to hide. Otherwise, the doctor might not survive the trip.
“Here, come here,” a whispering voice commanded from their right. Turning, they saw a woman sticking her head out of the window of a makeshift storefront that was so torn down that it appeared it would fall to pieces from just a slight gust of wind. The chief swallowed hard. The structure’s flimsy appearance made him nervous, but they didn’t have any other choice. They moved inside the store, closing the door behind them and ducking down away from the windows. They could hear the loud banging sounds of the soldiers going door-to-door, forcing their way into people’s homes and businesses, searching for the doctor and his helpers. Daniel felt cold and weak, covered in a feverish sweat as he lay on the dirt floor, listening to the chaos unfold outside. The woman stared at the doctor attentively, appearing oblivious to the sounds of terror and violence riding the winds of this hot and humid night.
She seemed unnaturally intrigued by him, and her gaze began to make Daniel’s skin feel like it was covered in squirming maggots. H
e wanted to look away, but she was situated in front of the front door and window of the shop, and he didn’t dare look away for fear of not seeing his pursuers walking by or peering into the window. Daniel glanced at the chief and village doctor to see if they noticed her staring, but they both seemed uninterested in her. He wanted to ask her, “What is your problem?” but he didn’t want to make a sound, fearing his big mouth would give away their location. So, he decided to stare her down just as hard as she was staring at him. The stare down lasted for so long that Daniel felt like she was hypnotizing him, and although she was a much older and homely woman, she suddenly began to look like Ayana, then Victoria, and then Ayana again. The morphing started to make the room spin like a merry-go-round until he could barely keep his head steady or his eyes open.
“His wound has reopened,” whispered the village doctor when he looked down at Daniel’s side, noticing the steady stream of blood moving across the dirt floor.
So, she wasn’t just staring at me. She was staring at me, bleeding out.
“Can you stop the bleeding?”
“I think so, but I’m afraid he’s lost too much blood, and if we don’t get him to a hospital, he will die. I can use a few things in my knapsack, but afterward, we are going to have to leave immediately and head to a hospital instead of the courthouse.”
The chief sucked his teeth and looked up at the window, appearing to be in deep thought before agreeing with the doctor’s suggestion.
“I hope he makes it because what Satu did to our village must be avenged. They must pay, no matter the cost.”
“Then let’s get him to safety and let the UN do the rest,” responded the village doctor before he began to scrounge around the shop, looking for things that could help him close up Daniel’s bullet wound. By the time he returned to Daniel’s side, he had passed out again, which was a good thing for the village doctor. He didn’t need Daniel screaming out in pain while he worked on his wound.
The darkness seemed to possess a hidden malice that froze the blood of the three men as they carefully stepped out into the night. Everything was still. Even the gentle breeze of the night was absent, afraid to be anywhere near these three that were being viciously hunted by evil men hell-bent on taking their lives. The streets were clear and completely dark, and for a city as large and lively as Juba, it was a chilling revelation that even while behind bars, Kronte’s influence was still palpable.
Daniel, although experiencing an extreme amount of pain, was walking on his own with the village doctor and chief on either side of him. As soon as they cleared the shop’s door, the woman immediately shut it behind them, leaving them out in the open and feeling naked to the night’s watchful eyes.
“Let’s move quickly,” the chief whispered. His voice seemed to travel louder and much farther than any of them wanted.
“Let’s not,” a voice responded out of the darkness, right before a blinding light engulfed the entire area. The three men tried to back away inside the store, but their backs were met with a closed door and a woman on the other side refusing to reopen it. In front of them stood Satu, a host of men, and three military Jeeps equipped with giant strobe searchlights atop the roofs’ bars. Satu’s giant frame was much more intimidating in this blinding light, and the evil smile plastered on his face made Daniel shiver.
“Doctor Bennett, I must say, for a man who’s been shot more than Tupac and Biggie combined during your lifetime and still standing, it’s very impressive, very impressive indeed. But this is the end of the line for you and your two friends. This time, I will make sure you are dead so that you can’t testify against my commander for raping and killing Ayana Burundi’s little bitch. She was an embarrassment to Kronte, and as long as she drew breath, it tainted his legacy as a powerful leader in Sudan. Maybe next time, Ayana will keep her whorish legs closed and stay faithful to the man who owns her.”
“She was a little girl,” yelled Daniel with all the strength and rage his damaged body could muster. “She was innocent!”
“No, Doctor, no one is innocent—not even that little girl. No one escapes, not even an American with a conscience. Everyone dies. That day was her day, and today is yours. Enough talking. Shoot these cockroaches now,” Satu ordered loudly while pointing at the three men. Immediately following his order, the loud, bloodcurdling sounds of multiple guns firing filled the air. Daniel and his two companions closed their eyes, bracing themselves to feel the flesh-piercing pain of the oncoming bullets . . . but no pain came. No feeling of death or screams bellowing out of the mouths of the man standing next to them sounded. The only sounds they heard were a continuous flow of gunfire, the sounds of multiple bodies dropping, and the familiar voices of the UN soldiers screaming orders of surrender.
When Daniel opened his eyes, many of Satu’s men were lying on the ground dead or dying, and the remaining ones were on their knees with their hands above their heads, surrounded by a team of determined UN soldiers. Daniel exhaled deeply and slid down to the ground, exhausted by fear and pain. As he watched the UN soldiers conclude their victory over Satu’s men, Daniel’s gut began to tremble, and suddenly, he felt something was off . . . A major piece to this puzzle was missing—the biggest piece—and that piece was Satu. He wasn’t one of the captured or dead. Daniel’s anger suddenly energized his adrenaline, and he jumped to his feet, yelling for one of the UN soldiers to come to him.
“Yes, Dr. Bennett, medical personnel is on their way. Just hang tight.”
“No no no . . . listen. Where is Satu Massamou?”
“Who?”
“Satu Massamou, Kronte’s second-in-command, and the one leading this party of rebels you just captured,” he responded, frantically looking past the soldier, desperately searching for any signs of the dangerous man that could continue Kronte’s work if Kronte is convicted.
“Where’s your commanding officer?”
“He’s still out there searching for Ms. Burundi and some other villager she teamed up with to find you!”
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“Ms. Burundi . . . She’s out here too. She separated from the team and went rogue, trying to find you. I wouldn’t worry much, sir. She’s armed, and from Edwards’s description of her, she’s more than capable of defending herself.”
That may be true for a foot soldier, but against a fleeing Satu, she may not be skilled enough, Daniel thought to himself.
“Which way?”
“Sir, we have orders to secur—”
“Which fucking way, Soldier? If you want to secure me, I’d suggest you accompany or shoot me, but I’m going out there. She has no idea how dangerous Satu is. So, what’s it gonna be, Soldier?”
“Sir, you are gravely wounded.”
Daniel stared blankly at the soldier without saying a word. Understanding his silent response, the soldier replied, “Very well, sir. Stay behind me.”
* * *
Satu was running toward the swamps at the foot of the Juba Bridge, hoping the tall grass and water would hide his escape route across the river. The anger he felt was indescribable, and he vowed to himself that if his commander is convicted and executed, he will dedicate his life to making those responsible pay the ultimate price. Although being in command of the rebels came with unbridled power and wealth, Satu felt insecure about stepping into such big shoes. He knew he didn’t have the “smarts” or charisma to deal with the intricacies of running the rebels and all the resources they possessed, while constantly appeasing their international sponsors. He knew he was too blunt and cold to keep so many relationships mutually beneficial and peaceful, and because of that self-realization, he fought with everything he had to make sure Kronte was freed and allowed to run things.
Now, it appeared all his hard work would be in vain.
What was that?
Something startled him, and he stopped in his tracks, tuning his ears to listen closely. Sniffing the air, Satu caught the sweet smell of women’s perfume and the musty stench of a c
ommon villager. Both smells invaded his nostrils at the same time. Not too strong, just a whisper of a smell, letting the giant know that a woman and possibly a man were pursuing him. They were about ten seconds behind him, coming from the west, and they were closing in fast.
There is only one woman stupid enough to pursue me. Well, if I can’t get the doctor, I might as well kill his bitch.
Satu quickly stepped to his right and ducked behind a pile of boxes and wooden crates. He moved one of the boxes slightly so that he could see his pursuers before they could see him. He then reached down to his side and pulled out an eight-inch blade, looking it over fondly as its blade reflected the moonlight on this deadly night.
Satu could hear their footsteps quicken as they believed they were gaining on him. He smiled as he prepared to ambush them. He momentarily relished the pleasurable thought of plunging his blade deep into Ayana’s flesh repeatedly and watching the horror and pain explode across her face as the life left her eyes. Inhaling deeply and timing his attack perfectly, he quickly pounced from behind his hiding place, throwing wooden crates and boxes in every direction while growling like a great beast. Without even thinking, he lunged forward, extending his massive arm and burying his blade in the body of his unsuspecting victim.
His blade, sharp as a scalpel, penetrated flesh with sickening ease as he felt its entire length invade the body of Ayana’s companion. The villager screamed in agony as the blade violated his body and essential organs. The force of Satu’s attack pushed the villager into Ayana, forcefully throwing her to the ground, but the force wasn’t strong enough to loosen her grip on her AK-47. As her body slid on the hard earth, she cocked her weapon, twisted her body, and aimed toward her attacker, pulling the trigger. Her sudden movement on the ground affected her aim, and she initially missed her mark: Satu’s chest. However, the hail of bullets in his direction caused him to pause for a split second, and that gave her time to fire again, landing twice in his right leg.
The bullets tearing into Satu’s leg caused him to roar in pain, pushing his massive frame back several feet. Looking at the damage Ayana did to his leg enraged Satu. He ignored the mind-numbing pain and stormed forward toward her. His movement and speed surprised Ayana, and she paused in awe, watching this violent giant stomp toward her. Her pause gave Satu enough time to reach her. Before she could pull the trigger again, a powerful kick from his left leg ripped the rifle from her hand and sent it flying off into the darkness. Her eyes opened in horror as she watched him reach down for her and lift her into the air effortlessly as if she were made of toilet paper.