by John Muir
CHAPTER 45
SUNRISE
APUAO GRANDE
With sunrise the advantages of night vision glasses were gone. Wreckage and bodies from the P.C.F. were floating closer to the shore with the incoming tide. Any overflying aircraft on a routine search would easily spot the debris. Heidi did not want any further investigations this early in the day. It could already be too late. The P.C.F., or the soldiers if they had a radio, might already have reported problems on Apuao Grande.
The only positive was that Helmut was at least mobile and more conscious than he had been, though his mental perceptions had obviously changed. Heidi did not know what tasks he was capable of, or how much she could rely on him without his reverting to his catalepsy. For the time being she would just make sure he was always nearby.
She picked up her w/t as she watched through the window as the last banca of irregulars pulled away from the southern end of the beach. Domingo approached to help.
He passed on Heidi's instructions for the Group Leaders to ensure they gathered their civilian clothing to carry with them. After that they were to begin sending their NPA regulars to the beach in readiness to depart. The only exceptions were those protecting the spit. That would be a last minute substitution where Boy or Dandan, clothes changed, could fire the occasional shot from hidden positions.
Heidi knew she must retain firepower at the spit in case the officer of the AFP forces had an outbreak of bravery and tried to charge. She had no idea of the numbers in his force.
An untimely assault over the spit would throw the withdrawal into chaos. Just one or two M203 grenade launchers and a dozen grenades would have discouraged any immediate charge, but there were none in the weapons supplied. Heidi thought that perhaps firing the remaining Stingers, and the three RPG’s at the AFP positions might serve the same purpose. Whether they would fly accurately she did not know, and she did not have contact detonators for the missiles, so they might not explode anyway. But even one exploding in their close proximity could discourage any imminent charge. That would allow time enough for the substitutions.
She would take her group to check out hilltop positions for firing at the spit. Once that was set up, the last of the regulars must be ready to go at a moment's notice.
----------
LITTLE APUAO
Captain de Mesa sat with and watched the young soldier with the stomach wound die. The soldier was not in any pain being so doped up on morphine. All through his dying, apart from the dilation of his pupils, the soldier's eyes reflected happiness.
Now that sunlight was here, de Mesa made a fuller inspection of the spit from heavy cover. Though it was only about 100 metres in length he could not see where the opposition was dug in or defending from. His perception of the source of fire before sun-up was different now with full light.
Without a radio he could not call for assistance. He had sent a soldier off to the barrio to acquire a banca and go back to Mercedes to report what had happened. Two other soldiers were left with the two wounded at the barrio to double as carers and ensure the villagers did not interfere. He did not know where their loyalties lay. Two more were waiting at the rocky strip where they had disembarked before dawn to guide any reinforcements when they arrived.
His remaining 20 soldiers were kept back 10 metres in the forest while he considered how to gauge the opposition he faced.
----------
APUAO GRANDE
"Pater, you have a knack for getting caught."
"Yeah. It's this bloody problem with my ears. It seems like I can hear things but then they sometimes filter out sounds I can normally hear."
"I've never really known what it is you work at."
"I'll tell you over a beer one day, just you and me."
"But what about your ears?"
"Oh, they don't drink, but I'll bring them with me."
"Nah, you know what I mean."
"Yeah. As I said, it was as a result of being too close to an explosion. The doctors aren't sure how long before they'll be fully right. Let's go see if we can see anything on the spit, maybe swim over to Little Apuao. I know you can swim."
T.A. let Pater lead off.
"Remember, keep looking over your shoulder, and keep checking that you can't see over the ridge because if you can, they'll be damn sure able to see you. And when we get to the view of the spit don't look over top of the cover, look through it."
"Gotcha," responded T.A.
"What? Are you going to tell me that old joke about deafness now?"
"You know it too?"
"Yeah. Right, now shut up and let's start sneaking."
----------
LITTLE APUAO
De Mesa's 20 soldiers had spread as wide as they could along the edge of the rain forest, but still under cover. Every fifth soldier began single-shot probing fire into the low scrub and scattered trees of Apuao Grande, south of the sand spit.
He waited for the return fire to estimate the numbers of the opposition and try to spot their defensive positions. Despite two minutes of regular fire there was no response.
One of his Daet veterans was at his side.
"What do you reckon? Have they gone?" said de Mesa.
"Cagey. Good discipline too," replied the soldier, who had been promoted to sergeant after the Daet raid.
"I can't risk a charge over the spit, but I can't just sit here. If we try to land somewhere else in a banca, well, you saw what happened to the PCF."
"Why can't we wait? The brass are hoping we get killed. We're just waiting for reinforcements, right?"
"Right! Maybe they won't send anyone, then what?"
----------
APUAO GRANDE, SAN MIGUEL BAY
Heidi had R/T'd Boy and Dandan to report to her and reminded the other Group Leaders to make sure they had their civilian clothing with them. All the Group Leaders were told to begin sending their NPA regulars to the resort in readiness to depart. The only exceptions were those protecting the spit, and the last minute substitution of Boy and Dandan.
Boy and Dandan entered in response to Heidi's call.
"I want the next group to be ready to leave in about an hour. I'd like them all to go, but the problem at the spit has ruined that."
"What about the last group?" said Boy.
"Get the resort boat ready. The one they use for water skiing. And the motorised surf skis just in case."
"Where to?"
"Just south of the over-hanging tree. Leave your regulars to guard them. You two pick up your gear ready for the quick change back to holiday clothes. Take the others their gear and then just patrol around ready for trouble. Stay together. Maybe check for signs of the missing four."
Heidi looked at Domingo.
"I might need you for a little longer, but your friend can go to guard the boats."
Domingo grinned.
"What are you going to do?" asked Boy.
"Helmut, Domingo and I are going to see if we can transfer some of our spit defence to a high point on the north. Somewhere overlooking the spit."
----------
Mohammed watched from his rain forest cover as the bodies and wounded were loaded into the bancas before they departed. Most of the occupants lay down and covered themselves with fishing nets. To unknowing observers there only looked to be two fishermen leaving for a late start.
He turned to Ali.
"The bitch must still be in the house. Let's get the others."
----------
Pater and T.A. looked through the scrub and down on the spit about 250 metres away. T.A. instinctively lowered his head each time the soldiers fired from Little Apuao, even though their aim was at targets 200 metres away.
"I can't see who they're shooting at," said T.A.
"Just probing," replied Pater.
"Maybe there's no-one there."
"Oh yes there is. Several."
"Where? I can't see anything."
"Look for what's different from when you were last there. What's out of place? S
ee that flat lump behind the stunted bush, this side of the broken banca?"
"Yeah."
"That's one."
Still unsure, T.A. nodded a yes, though he did not see anything out of the ordinary.
"There's no safe or easy way down to the shore from here. We'll go back to the hide-a-way. Besides, the soldiers might be a little trigger-happy. They might ping us by mistake."
T.A. watched Pater push himself backward from the bush before getting on to his knees and crawling backwards even further. He then did the same.
----------
Heidi listened to the gabble as Domingo gave the orders on the walkie-talkie. Then watched as he briefly talked with, then, shook the hands of the only other remaining member of Heidi's group. With the hood off the young soldier barely looked to be a teenager.
She felt uncomfortable at what she might be expected to do as he left, there was no time for, nor was it her character to give anyone a sign of her disappointment at a parting. She was still thinking this as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then before she realised it she was also giving him a hug.
"Danka, danka."
She repeated her kiss and hug with this young soldier and on releasing him realised she had felt comfortable with all these people.
The young man looked in the direction of Helmut who stood gazing out the window. Then he cast a long glance back at Heidi and nodded as if knowing something about Helmut's problem. Pointing to her dirty pink Reeboks he smiled, put on his mask, gave a thumbs-up, and left.
Heidi released the breath she had been holding and raised her eyebrows. She tied hers and Helmut's quick change gear to her belt, picked up her M16, put on her mask and moved toward the door.
"Come on Domingo, we've got work to do."
Domingo nodded, moved toward the door, and stood back as Helmut moved wordlessly to follow Heidi.
A few other masked regulars were already making their way to the beach, their part in this mission already over.
----------
"How long before someone's gonna come and sort this out?" asked T.A.
"Dunno. But I sense something's not right."
"Jeez, you don't need to be Einstein to figure that out. None of this is right."
Pater screwed up his face slightly as though trying to locate some thought deep within his mind.
"No. I can't explain it."
T.A. watched Pater's eyes flick through the upper branches of the trees.
"You've been into this sort of thing before haven't you?" asked T.A.
"Like I said, I'll tell you over a quiet beer one day. Right now I need your good ears. Don't think me rude, but shut up and listen. Not just for changes in sound but for sound that doesn't belong."
T.A. knew he didn't have to respond, but felt his body jump involuntarily at another of the irregular probing shots. Their hide-out might be invisible to eyes but ricocheting bullets change direction and pass through leaves.
----------
Mohammed raised his arm to stop Ali following as they approached the main track to the hill. He estimated that he was close to the side path where he had left the other two. Though the bush was thick where he was standing, the area beneath his feet showed flattened areas of cogon grass.
He pointed at it and Ali nodded in acknowledgment as he looked around. Someone else had also stopped here. It might have been his colleagues, though it should not be. They had been told to stay on the other side of the path.
Mohammed drew his knife with his right hand; his M16 was in his left. Ali did not have a knife so checked the M16 magazine was securely locked.
Mohammed held his knife hand up for a few seconds, tapped his ear, and held the hand up again. They would wait for a little while and listen.
----------
As Heidi's trio passed the tennis court she noticed the only two guards were standing at diametrically opposite corners of the court. Each could see one hundred percent of the court. She knew they were her management crew because they had their quick change kit strapped to their waists. The NPA regulars had gone to the beach.
The detainees barely glanced at Heidi's group passing them. She was a little in wonder at how quickly they had become docile and resigned to their capture.
She also wondered what they would do when the last of the guards disappeared from outside the court. Would some try to smash the padlock and chain on the gate? She grinned at that thought. It was solid. Perhaps someone might dig a hole under the fence as Pater had done. Probably. Then she guessed that it would probably be some of the young Japanese who would quickly scale the fence.
Maybe, after changing, she might watch from cover to see if her guesses were right.
She noticed Doug Maddigan and his Filipina girlfriend Alona sitting by themselves in one corner. Each was trying to console the other over their loss. Heidi knew they would never learn what really happened. Believing they had lost a daughter by drowning was shock enough to handle. The truth was too horrible for anyone.
Her thoughts suddenly flashed to the escapees, Pater and T.A. Maybe one or both were still on the island. As they reached the start of the track up to the water pump she stopped and turned to Domingo.
"Be extra careful that they aren't spotted changing kit or burying weapons. Remind everyone that there are two escapees on the island, possibly watching everything they're doing."
While she waited for Domingo to relay this message to everyone, she thought about Pater. He was not a society drop-out living on a beach. His physical movement was smooth and effortless and his body carried no surplus fat. It was hardened, like Helmut's, though Pater was older than Helmut by quite a few years. Pater was fit. Heidi knew that because she had twice watched him at dawn run two laps of the island using the hill path. He had done the strenuous run with ease. She had watched him too from a distance on the archery range. His skills there were those honed from hours of practice. She had also been surprised at the skills of T.A. at the same time.
T.A. she should be able to handle. Physically not too badly built, but not battle-hard like Pater. Yes, that was it. Pater had a military bearing and fitness. Not like those who have retired. More like those still active. Was he a military Physical Education instructor? He was obviously resourceful. Who or what was he? Yes, Pater could be a real problem. Between her and Helmut they would cope with Pater.
The thought that Pater and T.A. might be together crossed her mind. If that was the case, even T.A. would be a different proposition.
A sudden fast movement past her legs snapped her mind back. She looked down to see the bushy little dog that hung around the restaurant. Perhaps she felt a little kinship with the dog. He belonged to nobody. At least she had Helmut, in a loose sort of a way.
The little dog eyed them all briefly, then turned and loped up the gentle slope of the pump-house path. Within seconds he was out of sight around the slight bend in the path. Domingo coughed politely to attract her attention. He had finished his calls. She nodded, turned and began the ten-minute walk to the trail near the pump-house. That was a good place to overlook the spit.
----------
Mohammed decided they had waited long enough. He checked the path to his left, then his right, before carefully edging out. They would only be a few seconds on the main path. He could see the partially hidden start of the small track where he had told his countrymen to wait.
He quickly made the cover of the entry to the side track, turned and waited for Ali. Within seconds Ali had joined him.
Mohammed was a little surprised Moamar and Mahmood 2 were not just inside the path. It was 80-100 metres in length. Maybe they had decided to move back and hide to the side.
He flashed five fingers at Ali twice, then, pushed his palm backward twice. Ali nodded.
Mohammed removed his mask and moved slowly forward. His right hand gripped the knife tightly while his eyes scanned the ground to his front, then left and right of the path. Ali removed his mask and followed ten metres behind.
&nbs
p;