by Navi' Robins
When he had her at eye level, he pulled his head back, intending on head-butting her and breaking her nose. Before his strike could land, Ayana quickly placed her forearm in the path of his head and simultaneously landed an elbow strike on the side of his large neck. Her strike caused the nerves in his neck to send an unwanted message to his arms, and he unwillingly released his grip on her, causing her to fall to the ground. Ayana quickly got to her feet and backed away, creating a semisafe distance from Satu’s assaults.
“I forgot my commander trained you in unarmed combat,” Satu growled while rolling his neck and shoulders, attempting to regain control over his limbs. “Too bad your friend over there dying with my blade still in his side wasn’t trained as well,” he continued to taunt. “Come. Let’s finish this, you ungrateful bitch,” he snarled, before rushing toward her.
Ayana decided to stand her ground and wait for Satu to make the first strike. When he was within striking distance, he threw punch after punch, which she carefully dodged and sidestepped. She was attentive not to try to strike back, for fear of one of his attacks getting through and knocking her unconscious. She needed to be smart about facing down this monstrously strong assailant. Although Ayana knew she was more skilled at hand-to-hand combat than Satu, she wasn’t as strong, and one hit from him could end this confrontation immediately.
Then Ayana found an opening, and Satu paid with a hard kick to his injured leg. The pain caused the giant to stumble and fall to one knee. She quickly took advantage of his position and struck him across the jaw with her forearm, knocking out a tooth in the process. The feeling of her ripping his tooth from his gums sent shocking pain throughout his head, and Satu yelled out in anger and pain. Backing away quickly, Ayana moved to her right, waiting for the angry Satu to stand and continue his assault. But to her surprise, he remained on his knees, breathing heavily and staring at her like a violent predator.
Why doesn’t he attack?
She stood there, puzzled by a man she knew prided himself on being a great combatant, a warrior, and who always looked down on women like they were worthless. So, to see him accept defeat at the hands of a woman was a strange thing to witness. She momentarily lost concentration, and that’s when Satu lunged forward suddenly, knocking her off her feet. Her back hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of her, and before she could regain her composure, he began pounding her with both fists like an enraged gorilla. Her body jerked and bounced on the ground from his vicious attack. Suddenly, blood began to pour out of her mouth, and her eyes fluttered uncontrollably as she began to lose consciousness and her grip on life.
Smiling with pride while he watched Ayana convulse and choke on her blood, he raised both arms in the air, readying himself for the final blow that would smash her windpipe. However, he suddenly felt a heavy body slam into him, knocking him from on top of his victim. He rolled over and looked up to see Dr. Daniel Bennett standing over him, his chest heaving heavily with a rage in his eyes that frightened Satu, and before he could respond, Daniel lifted his foot and sent it crashing down on Satu’s face, breaking his nose and smashing four more teeth out of his mouth.
Falling backward from the force of the doctor’s kick, Satu tried to brace himself, but the doctor wasn’t done, and he sent a sweeping kick across his jaw. Satu’s fall changed trajectory, and he fell on his side, coughing out his teeth and a mouthful of blood.
“You piece of shit! Look what you did to her,” Daniel screamed before everything seemed to turn red, and he began to attack Satu with a rage that made him appear he’d gone completely insane.
The UN soldier, having seen the horrors of war himself, was shocked by the viciousness of Daniel’s assault. He ran over to stop him. But when he got within range, Daniel quickly snatched the soldier’s rifle from his hands, turned, and opened fire on Satu, filling his body with every bullet in the rifle’s clip. Satu’s body trembled as if it were jolted with several thousand watts of electricity as the bullets riddled his body like a rag doll. After the rifle stopped firing, Daniel, still in a daze, continued to squeeze the trigger, not satisfied with the violent death he’d just sentenced and carried out against Satu.
The soldier, now beside himself with anger and shock, took the doctor down with a sweeping leg kick. He then jumped on top of the doctor, prying his weapon from his hands before pushing his face down toward the dirt and returning to his feet.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Doctor? Do you know I could’ve killed you?” he yelled, shaking his head at the doctor who was now on the ground, seemingly in a trance. “Do you hear me?”
Within seconds, the rest of the UN soldiers surrounded the entire area. They were drawn to the sudden gunfire. Meagan stepped from behind a group of soldiers, crying uncontrollably at the sight of her friend dying on the ground.
“Medic,” Edwards yelled behind him as he rushed over to Ayana’s side.
Daniel snapped out of it and crawled over to Ayana, his eyes filled with tears as he held her hand in his, kissing it repeatedly while pleading with her to hold on and stay with him . . .
Chapter 27
The Final Bell
Six months later. Manhattan, New York
Meagan glanced outside the large window behind the UN ambassador’s desk and took in the luminous sunlight and clear skies, smiling.
“Are you listening to me, Ms. Quinn?” the ambassador asked, annoyed by her wandering eyes and smile. This wasn’t a smiling matter, and her lack of seriousness was beginning to anger him.
Snapped back from her daydream by her boss’s question, she nodded and returned her attention to him. Satisfied, he continued, “Juba was a complete and utter clusterfuck!
“Yes, sir, I do apologize about how everything got out of control, but we weren’t left with any other choice.”
“I understand, and although you broke almost every UN protocol, I am proud of you and your leadership in such a hostile situation. Many powerful people will feel their pockets lightened, and they won’t be too happy about it.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t know that was a concern of the UN.”
“No, it isn’t,” the ambassador chuckled, shaking his head at Meagan’s sarcasm.
“Were we able to convince the International Courts on a change of venue?”
“Yes, sir. After the events on that night, they didn’t want anything to do with Kronte’s trial, so they agreed to a change of venue.”
“Where will Kronte’s trial be held now?”
“London, sir.”
“That’s a semineutral location,” he responded, frowning slightly.
“Not as neutral as Juba, perhaps, but it will do, sir.”
“Touché,” he responded, smiling.
“And what of Doctor Bennett?”
“His health has improved, and he’ll be ready to testify when the trial starts. We also have video footage of Satu confessing his commander’s direct involvement in the massacre that claimed the doctor and Ayana’s daughter, Victoria. The old woman that sheltered them recorded him from inside her old store, so with the doctor’s testimony, the video footage, and DNA evidence, our case against the warlord is the strongest it’s ever been.”
“And how are you dealing with—”
“I’m taking it day by day, sir. But I’m confident Ayana will awaken from her coma before the baby arrives.”
“When is the baby due?”
“In three months, sir.”
“Do we kno—”
“No, sir,” Meagan responded.
The ambassador stood up and began to pace back and forth, unnerved by the details of one of his most valued UN representatives.
“Ms. Burundi has always been a strong woman, and she possesses a soul that just won’t quit. We must make sure she’s getting the best care. Period. And pray that she and the baby will be healthy.”
“I agree, sir. I’ve never met anyone quite like her,” Meagan agreed, clearing her throat while attempting to fight back her emotions. “Is t
here anything else, sir?”
Looking over at Meagan, trying to remain professional and strong in front of him, the ambassador smiled and shook his head. Meagan quickly stood up and made her way out of his office closing the door behind her . . .
After several months of waiting religiously by her bedside, Daniel nervously waited for the doctors to emerge from the operating room with news of his new baby and Ayana. He continuously rocked back and forth, holding his hands in front of his mouth as if he were suffering from frostbite. There were concerns that Ayana may awaken from her coma during the procedure, and that could pose a serious risk for her. Daniel wanted to be present, but the doctors advised it was best for him not to be in the operating room until they were done. His mother and father sat on either side of him, watching him with concern. Every seat in the waiting room was filled with people that cared about the couple, and the stress of uncertainty filled the air, making it hard to relax or breathe easily.
“Everything is going to be fine, son. Just believe that God is watching over Ayana and your baby,” Mrs. Bennett said, rubbing her son’s back as he leaned forward as if he had a stomachache. She hated to see her son suffer as much as he has since he went to Sudan, and sometimes, she wondered why God allowed him to suffer so much. What was the message or point? Daniel’s father kept a stern and concentrated look on his face, trying his best to appear unmoved by the emotional energy in the room, but he was, just like everyone here, filled with anxiety. He prayed repeatedly for a positive outcome for everyone involved.
Timothy paced back and forth with a cup of coffee in his hand that he constantly kept refilling. He’d had so much coffee that the caffeine started to make his vision blurry, but he refused to have a seat. The last thing he wanted for his friend was another tragedy, and he hoped that life didn’t deal him another devastating blow, because if it did, it would be completely unfair in Timothy’s book. After everything he’d endured, Timothy believed Danny deserved an extended vacation from bad luck.
Suddenly, the waiting room door opened, and the doctor walked in, gesturing for Daniel to join him out in the hallway. Everyone watched as Daniel rushed out of the room with desperate anticipation.
A couple of hours later, Daniel walked into the waiting room smiling brightly, holding his son in his arms. His face was drenched in tears as his son quietly slept, wrapped tightly in white hospital blankets. Everyone rushed over to him, filled with relief and excitement, anxious to see the new addition to the Bennett family. What they beheld was the angelic face of a child of two nations, possessing the striking beauty of his mother and the skin tone and strong male features of his father. The sight of the baby immediately brought everyone to tears, seeing the pain and love of both his parents in the newborn.
“How is Ayana?” Daniel’s father asked through his tears.
“She’s still in a coma, but the doctor says she’s stable. They are hoping that now that she’s given birth, it will be easier for her to wake up. But it’s a long shot. I was hoping she would be awake before I leave for the trial.”
“Yeah,” his father responded, looking down at the floor. “There’s still time, son. You’re not gone yet. Have you spoken to her?”
“To whom?”
“Ayana.”
“Dad, she’s in a com—”
“Hear me out, son,” his father interrupted, raising his hand. “Just because she’s asleep doesn’t mean she can’t hear you, son. Sometimes, you have to give people a reason to wake up. You have to understand just how much she’s been through. Her spirit is weary, son. Just like yours, but I can see your son has given you strength, and maybe talking to her about your child may do the same for her. By the way . . . What’s my grandson’s name?”
“Timothy Barry Bennett.”
Timothy was playing with the baby’s fingers when he heard the baby’s name. He quickly turned to Daniel with eyes filled with tears. He was searching his friend’s eyes for answers. He couldn’t quite understand why he would name his first son after him, and Daniel smiled, seeing his friend’s confusion.
“It was because of you, I survived that night you broke down my door, and that led to Ayana and me falling in love. I owe you everything, and it would be an honor for my son to carry your name.”
Timothy broke down, reached over, and embraced his best friend.
“Okay, although I’m salty that you didn’t name him after his grandfather, I’m confused about the middle name. Barry?” Daniel’s father teased.
“One of the men that pulled me out of that vehicle in Sudan. He risked his life to get me to safety. His name was Barry, or so he told me. I don’t think his real name was Barry, but that’s the name he gave me, so I’m giving it to little Timothy. My son is the product of the most beautiful and traumatic times of my life, and every day I see him, I want to remember God’s grace and mercy that allowed me to survive it all.”
“Amen,” his father and mother responded in unison.
“Thank you, brother, for naming your son after me. One thing, though. I wouldn’t advise telling him when he’s older where he was conceived. Telling your boy he was conceived in a nightclub’s bathroom to the cheers of a listening crowd might not go over too well.”
“Knucklehead.” Daniel’s father chuckled while playfully popping Timothy upside the head. Everyone began to laugh and continued to woo over baby Timothy Barry Bennett.
After everyone left the hospital, Daniel remained at Ayana’s side, holding their baby in his arms. The room was quiet besides the sound of the life-monitoring machines connected to Ayana. It was also mostly dark, besides the small overhead light from the headboard of her hospital bed. Daniel sat there holding his son, watching him sleeping as he pondered the words of his father. He felt silly even considering what he advised. Yes, many people claim to hear and feel while they are in a coma, but there wasn’t much scientific proof behind those claims, and as a doctor, he couldn’t afford to place stock in hocus-pocus and tall tales. After his most recent ordeal in Southern Sudan, however, Daniel began to understand and believe that sometimes, things can’t be explained, like love and his faith that Ayana would one day awaken, still in love with him and still the same woman. He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and despite how silly he felt, began to talk to her.
“Ayana, I’ve never been the type of man to rely on anyone. Even before going to Sudan, I’ve always done things on my own. I didn’t want to rely on anyone. That’s always been who I was.
“Now, things are different for me, and I’m irreparably broken without you, Ayana. I smile, but it isn’t real. I live, but it isn’t life. Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes sense without you. Looking at our son sleeping in my arms just makes this day even more tragic for me, because you’ve given me everything, including your own life, because you loved me so fiercely, and it’s unfair that now I’m unable to return the love you’ve so selflessly given to me. Even when I was horrible to you, you still found a reason to have faith in the man that I could become. The man you knew I should be.
“I know without thinking twice, I don’t deserve you, but I still want you anyway, and I hope one day that I can change your life as much as you’ve changed mine. I love you, Ayana, and I pray to God that you come back to our baby boy and me. We need you.”
After he was done talking, the only response he got was the hissing sound of the ventilator and the constant beeping of her life-monitoring system. He raised his head, looked at her with a torturous yearning, and a tremendous need for her to respond. She remained inanimate and asleep, seemingly oblivious to his pleading for her to wake up. Daniel immediately became upset with himself for being taken for a ride on his father’s religious roller coaster.
Have faith, my ass, he thought, leaning back in the chair, still holding li’l Timothy while he slept as quietly as his mother did. Sighing loudly, he closed his eyes and allowed his exhaustion to take over so that he could sleep . . .
Scheveningen: The Hague, Netherlands
Tw
o weeks before the trial date . . .
A man in his midthirties calmly strolled up to the check-in desk at the ICTY UN Detention Facility. A bright yet out-of-place smile plastered itself on his strikingly attractive face. The guard’s facial muscles immediately tensed at the sight of his smile in a place as dark and gloomy as this special tribunal detention center. The man leaned forward while running his hand through his midlength dark brown hair as if he were in a photo shoot for a top modeling agency. This infuriated the guard further, and when he got a closer look at the teal, tailored suit that covered his athletic frame, he mumbled an obscenity under his breath. The well-dressed man’s eyes looked up at the guard immediately after he was done insulting him and smiled even brighter.
“That wasn’t very professional, now, was it?” the man teased in a prominent Scottish accent that seemed to add another level of attractiveness to someone who could’ve been a world-class model. The guard impressed and annoyed by the man’s ability to hear that well, rolled his eyes, forcefully pushing the sign-in sheet toward the stranger.
“Who are you here to see?”
“Kronte.”
“Kronte who?”
The stranger blankly stared at the guard, which immediately caused a feeling of stupidity to engulf him. He quickly turned away as if there were something else more important on the far wall of his windowed post.
“Your relation to the prisoner?”