Bali Bule Hunter

by Michael Powers

  Only Liana felt Greg’s remark deserved a chuckle.

  Glancing around, Greg spotted Rial wearing two shirts. “Rial, can I borrow one of your shirts for Liana’s ankle? You’re barely sweating. I don’t know how you can stand wearing two shirts in this humidity!”

  Rial grinned, dutifully removing the soldier’s shirt. Ripping it into smaller pieces, then knotting them together, Greg wandered west to find the stream. Soaking several strands of cloth in the stream, he used one to wipe his face clean, then tied it round his forehead. After a quick drink to quench his thirst, he returned to Liana. As Greg wrapped the bandage around her ankle, Donny handed him a hairpin to fasten it in place.

  “Feels better already!” Liana declared. “I see a whole new career in medicine for you, Doctor Greg!”

  “I would not make a very good doctor,” Greg mumbled as he searched for something to fashion a splint for Liana. “Can’t stand golf and my handwriting is much too neat. Liana, if we get our hands on a phone, who do we call for help?”

  “With any luck, they’re already on the way,” Liana replied. “I can tell them our exact location, and brief them on what to expect when they get here.”

  “I assume you won’t be calling the local police,” Greg guessed.

  Inspecting her ankle, Liana murmured, “Correct. Now, you wanna tell me why you had Aji send that e-mail to Jaya?”

  “The password I gave Jaya is a duress code,” Greg explained. “It’ll trigger an alert at the bank, which they’re supposed to pass along to Homeland Security. It also canceled the money transfer, but made it appear as if it went through. By now, Jaya should be spilling his guts to government agents. Aji will be very angry when he learns the money transfer was never sent. That’s why we had to make a run for it.”

  Budi spotted Kersen jogging back from Sukadada. “Look, he’s waving a phone!”

  When Kersen was only ten meters away, a single rifle crackled and his chest exploded as a bullet passed through him. Kersen glanced down, desperately clutching the gaping wound, then crumpled into a heap.

  “Dammit!” Greg cursed, banging his fist on a rock.

  Donny darted out to Kersen. Keeping low, he grabbed the phone with bullets zipping past him. He sprinted back behind the rocks before the soldiers could get a bead on him.

  Greg patted Donny’s shoulders as he handed Liana the phone. “Good work! That took a lot of courage.”

  “You could got kill!” Rial scolded Donny. “Sometime you so stupid!”

  “There’s a fine line between stupid and brave,” Budi explained to Rial. “This time, Donny was on the brave side of the line.”

  Still panting, Donny grinned at the group while Liana placed a call. She spoke feverishly in Bahasa, waving her arms wildly. When she snapped the phone shut, Greg waited for an explanation.

  “More trouble,” Budi alerted the group. “There’s movement on three sides, and I’ll bet Aji sent some guys around the back to completely encircle us. Do we run, fight, or surrender?”

  Greg shook his head. “Can’t run. Can’t surrender. We fight, but not here. I saw a cave down by the stream. They can only attack from one direction there. How long before help arrives, Liana?”

  “Helicopters are still twenty minutes away,” she apologized.

  “We need to buy some time,” Greg scowled, wiping sweat from his face. “We’ll split into two groups. Better chance of survival, and it may confuse them. Liana and I will take the cave. You boys follow the stream toward the ocean, okay?”

  “No way!” Budi sputtered defiantly. “I’m not leaving either of you behind. What kind of man do you think I am?”

  Rial and Donny had a heated exchange in Bahasa. “No split,” Donny announced firmly.

  Grasping Greg’s arm, Budi glared up at Greg. “Please don’t send me away! I need to be with you. Splitting up may be the smart thing to do, but we’re stronger together than we are alone.”

  Sensing further discussion was pointless, Greg nodded grimly. “New plan. We all head for the cave.”

  Aji’s soldiers were still several hundred meters away as the group melted into the jungle. Greg and Budi helped Liana limp into the cave. While Greg made Liana comfortable, the other three explored the cave, searching for something to use as a barricade.

  “Budi really cares for you,” Liana remarked softly.

  Greg smiled and nodded.

  “He cares for you as more than a friend,” she continued. “Have you given him reason to believe you feel the same way?”

  “Yes,” Greg replied without explanation.

  “From a distance, I’ve watched my little brother become handsome and successful. He’s a good man, Greg. Please don’t hurt him.”

  “Have I given you reason to think I will?” Greg replied as he adjusted the damp cloths around her ankle.

  “No,” Liana replied softly. “I’ve probably hurt him more than you ever will.”

  “Well, the good news,” Greg smiled as he tugged Liana’s splint firmly, “is that Budi is a very understanding guy. I’m sure if you apologize for any previously ill-chosen remarks and accept him just as he is, you two can start enjoying Sunday brunch together again.”

  Scraping sounds drew their attention. Peering at the back of the cave, they saw Budi and Donny dragging a heavy box toward them.

  “Look what we found!” Budi shouted. Using a cigarette lighter he found in his borrowed soldier pants, Budi illuminated the print on the box for Greg to read: M-16 Machine Guns. Property of U.S. Government.

  “What the hell is this doing here?” Greg mumbled as he flipped open the crate.

  “The back of the cave is piled high with crates like this one,” Budi explained eagerly. “We can hold off a small army with this stuff.”

  “Are there ammo clips, too?” Greg asked excitedly.

  Donny held up a small crate of clips for Greg to see. “Many more like these,” he smiled.

  Greg’s eyes twinkled as he clasped his hands together. “Truly our lucky day!” Then his face clouded for a moment. “Has anyone here ever fired an M-16?”

  Liana, Budi, Donny, and Rial all shook their heads.

  “That’s all right. It’s one of the easiest weapons in the world to load and fire. Gather round,” he motioned to them, “and I’ll show you how to use these things.”

  As Greg handed each of them an M-16 and a clip, Budi asked, “How do you know about guns?”

  “I spent four years in the Army National Guard. Every summer our training included firing the M-16. Never thought I’d be using my training so far from home.”

  “Man of many surprises,” Liana teased Greg. “I thought only poor kids and super patriots enlisted in the American military these days.”

  “Guess I’m somewhere in between,” Greg acknowledged as he examined his rifle. “Mom and I were comfortable and I had a rich uncle, but I liked playing soldier when I was a kid.” Glancing around, Greg said, “Ready? Step one. Always point the gun away from you and everyone else, unless you intend to shoot them. Step two, check the little lever down by the trigger to see how it’s set. You can either fire one at a time, in short bursts or all at once. Point the gun in the air, and check to make sure your lever is set to semi-automatic. Each clip has thirty bullets. If you depress and hold the trigger, you’ll get a short burst. Hold the trigger for a couple seconds each time and you’ll get five or six bursts from each clip. You don’t have to be real accurate. Just aim at the cave entrance. Everyone understand?”

  Everyone nodded, then Greg showed them individually how to load and unload a clip. When he was satisfied that each of them understood how to use their weapon, he asked the boys to retrieve more rifles and cartridges.

  “Who the hell would store all these weapons in a cave?” Greg asked Liana.

  “Aji?” she guessed.

  Greg grinned as an idea took shape. “We should let Mr. Aji know we discovered his toys so he’ll think twice about charging in here.” Greg gathered the boys by the cave e
ntrance, then instructed them to empty their clips in turn. “Now he knows where we are and that we’ve got more than two M-16s and a couple bullets to defend ourselves. While he’s considering his options, maybe the cavalry will arrive.”

  Rial was puzzled. Having learned most of his English watching American films, he asked, “Why you want horse soldier come?”

  “Just an expression,” Greg grinned. “Now let’s move some of those oil drums and gun crates up here. Something we can hide behind if soldiers make it past the entrance.”

  While Greg and Budi positioned the crates and drums to form a barricade, Rial and Donny loaded more M-16s, propping them against the crates so they wouldn’t need to fool around with re-loading. Greg stressed the importance of safety so they wouldn’t shoot each other. Then he sent them back to see if they could find anything else useful.

  Rial saluted smartly, then headed to the back of the cave. Liana and Greg exchanged grins, then Greg made a stool of an empty crate. He positioned himself about twenty meters inside the cave, at a forty-five degree angle to the entrance, so Aji’s soldiers would have to enter the cave to shoot at him. Facing the entrance, he was ready if soldiers suddenly appeared.

  “What are you thinking?” Liana asked.

  Greg hesitated, searching for the right words. Sweat dripping from his face formed a small pool at his feet. His hands trembled slightly. He mopped his blond hair back, then faced Liana, concealing his fear as best he could. “I’ve asked myself a hundred times how I got into this mess. When I began the search for Uncle Ted, I never thought I’d end up holding an M-16, waiting for soldiers to charge the cave where I....we are making our last stand. I knew this trip might be dangerous, but not until this very minute did I actually believe it might be fatal. I’m sorry for dragging all of you into this.”

  “We’ll be all right, Greg,” Liana assured him. “Each of us volunteered to be here, for different reasons. We know we’re safer with you than without you.”

  Greg lowered his head. “I’ve lost my mom, my uncle, and someone I thought was my best friend. Right now, you four are the closest thing I have to a family. I feel responsible for this mess, so I owe it to you.....all of you.....to do my best to keep us alive.”

  “We’ll get through this, Greg,” Liana whispered. “Help is on the way, and I have faith in you.”

  Since it was still quiet outside the cave, Greg switched topics. “You secretly work for your government?”

  Liana nodded, but offered nothing further.

  “Local or national?” Greg asked.

  “Does it matter?” she smiled slightly.

  “Guess not,” Greg shrugged. “Just curious about all the secrecy.”

  “My husband was robbed and murdered,” Liana explained. “I saw the men who did it. They belonged to a terrorist group and bought weapons with our money. Later, they were caught in an undercover operation. Since then, I’ve wanted to do something to stop terrorism in my country. When an opportunity presented itself, I took it. Poverty is a breeding ground for terrorists, but not all poor people steal, or kill, or prey on innocents. I do what I can to help reduce poverty in Indonesia. The rest of my time I secretly wage war on terrorists.”

  Greg found Liana even more remarkable. “How’s that war going?”

  “Not very well,” Liana admitted. “Uncovering Aji’s operation could be the break we need.”

  “You’re a rare breed, Liana. A public servant who cares, and doesn’t need to steal. Any chance I can clone you for distribution in my country?”

  Rial returned with an open crate of M-16 clips, laid them at Greg’s feet, then offered Greg and Liana water bottles and candy bars.

  “What else is back there?” Greg asked, gratefully accepting the refreshments. “Got anything in a size twelve shoe? Or maybe a big screen TV?”

  Rial laughed at Greg’s joke. “You so funny! Make me feeling safe.”

  Greg flashed Rial a reassuring smile, grateful he could make the teen feel a bit better.

  Budi laid a crate by Greg. “Lotta stuff back there, Greg. Lanterns, clothes, food, petrol, even grenades. Want some grenades?”

  Greg scowled. “Probably not a good idea to use grenades in here. We might blow ourselves up, or cause a cave-in. Let’s stick with the M-16s.”

  They heard voices outside the cave as Aji and his soldiers gathered.

  “Won’t be long now,” Greg whispered, nervously fingering the M-16 trigger guard.

  Chapter 17

  Aji motioned his soldiers to gather around. Dressed in a variety of uniforms and headgear, all forty soldiers were experienced, loyal to Aji, and prepared to die for Allah. “They’re in the cave!” Aji shouted in perfect Bahasa. “They discovered our weapons. The gunfire you heard was probably an accident. Maybe they’ll save us the trouble and kill each other!”

  The soldiers howled, pitying their prey.

  Aji signaled for quiet. “We’re dealing with a woman, a school teacher, a hairdresser, and two teen boys. They don’t have the courage to fire a weapon at an armed soldier. They can ruin our plans, so they must die! Who will lead the charge for Allah?”

  Every hand shot up, followed by yells and cheers.

  Aji held up his right hand for silence. “There are explosives and other supplies in the cave. We’ll need them soon, so we must be careful not to damage them! Put away your automatic weapons. Use pistols and knives only. Death to the bule, and those who serve him!”

  Hearing the blood-curdling screams grow nearer, Greg uttered a quick prayer. “May Allah have mercy because I won’t!”

  When the first wave of Aji’s soldiers hit the cave entrance, Greg pressed the M-16 trigger in three second bursts. Each burst spit six bullets, mowing down a soldier. A minute after the assault began, a dozen bodies were piled knee-high in the cave entrance. The ground around the bodies oozed a thick dark liquid. Sweat poured from Greg. He emptied five clips, while Budi, Rial, and Donny each used two, spraying more than three hundred bullets at the cave entrance.

  When the attack stopped, Greg told everyone to reload. His ears were ringing from the gunfire, so he shouted to Budi, “Hear anything outside? What are they saying?”

  “Someone yelled Kevlar. Who’s that?”

  “They’ll be wearing bulletproof vests next time,” Greg guessed. “They didn’t think we’d actually shoot the first time. Now they know better.”

  Realizing they would need to fire differently, Greg instructed Rial and Donny to aim low, while he and Budi aimed high. As the second wave of soldiers hit the cave wearing black vests and helmets, Greg pressed the M-16 trigger continuously, sweeping the barrel back and forth at eye level. The vests allowed the attacking soldiers to get closer, but the spray of M-16 bullets was too intense for them to withstand. Two dropped, then four, then six, then eight soldiers before the rest retreated.

  When Greg stood to replace a spent clip, one of the retreating soldiers turned and charged straight at him, pistol raised. Seeing Greg wasn’t able to return fire, Budi stepped in front of him, aimed his M-16 and fired at the charging soldier, but his rifle jammed. The soldier fired his pistol, lodging a round in Budi’s shoulder. Budi staggered backward into Greg’s arms. As the soldier hovered over them, he removed his helmet. Yanto’s crooked smile revealed two ugly rows of tobacco-stained teeth. Poised for the kill, he sneered at his prey. “Boy die first! Then bule!”

  Rial and Donny stood frozen behind Greg, too terrified to move. Neither had a clear shot at Yanto. Just as Yanto was about to pull the trigger, Liana hobbled out from the shadows. Yanto glanced over at her as she switched the firing mode on her M-16 to automatic, then emptied an entire clip at him. Half the bullets found their mark, ripping Yanto’s head apart like a ripe watermelon.

  Liana swapped cartridges, prepared to mow down anyone else charging into the cave, but there were new sounds outside. Engine and propeller sounds, followed by massive gunfire.

  “I think the cavalry’s here!” Liana cried hopefully as she hobbl
ed to her brother.

  Laying Budi gently on his back, Greg approached the cave entrance carefully, stepping gingerly over blood-drenched bodies. He poked his head outside, then ducked back into the cave. “I see about a dozen choppers with the letters BIN,” Greg yelled to Liana. “Friends of yours?”

  Liana nodded gratefully, then knelt by Budi. As she busied herself with his wound, tears streamed down her face. Greg knelt on Budi’s other side. Holding Budi’s hand between his own, Greg tried to smile at the man who had taken a bullet meant for him. “Thanks, Budi,” he whispered. “Hang in there, buddy. Help is on the way.”

  A squad of Badan Intelijen Negara (aka BIN) agents had a brief firefight with Aji’s soldiers. As they pursued the fleeing terrorists, a small group of agents headed for the cave.

  Addressing Liana, the first BIN agent to enter the cave asked, “Are you all right, Madam Director?”

  She nodded grimly. “I’m fine, Ahmad, but my brother was shot. Have you secured the area?”

  “Yes, boss. Shoot ten. Ten more go jungle with Mr. Aji Hassim Mohammed. You hurt, boss?”

  “I sprained my ankle, but my brother has a bullet in his shoulder. Is there a medic with you?”

  Ahmad signaled a man with a black medical bag to attend Budi while two other agents fetched a stretcher.

  “Ahmad, what took so long?” Liana asked.

  “Too much mouth war!” Ahmad scowled. “Must consult too many American. Bali General Consul. Homeland Security Secretary. Agent in San Diego. Military advisor in Jakarta. Too much talk. Can’t decide who rescue. No more wait. I come without orders.” Ahmad glared at Greg, who was crouching next to Budi. “Less talk, maybe here one hour more early.”

  Liana smiled at her trusted subordinate. “And without this American, I may have been dead when you arrived.”

  Ahmad bowed slightly toward Greg. “We owe you too much, sir.” Turning to Liana again, Ahmad said, “U.S. informant help. We know you have trouble, but not know where til GPS signal.”