93. The Joker is played
Rene jumps as she awakes and sharply pulls in her breath. Hunter puts his hand in front of her mouth to prevent her from screaming. He whispers: “It is me, Hunter, Rene. I’m here to free you.”
Amazed she grabs his hand and nods. The moment he loosens his grip, she grabs him and hugs him tightly.
“Thank you! Thanks, I can’t believe it. What is the time? What about the sentry in front?”
“I bound him up. You must go now and awake the rest silently and get them together and ready. I don’t want to frighten them when they see me. It’s better that you do it? How many are you? I’ve only got one vehicle here. We’ll all have to depart in it.”
“We are only four.”
Hunter frowns. He would very much want to know why but there is little time.
“Come quickly, before someone awakes at the wrong time and our plans come to naught. Go and get them ready while I wait here. Don’t put on any lights.”
She shakes her head and then hesitates. “What is it now, Rene, what’s wrong? Why do you look uncertain?”
“Many things go through my head right now, Hunter. I’ve suddenly realized something else.”
Hunter frowns. “We don’t have the time now, Rene. We must be quick. Someone might come along at the wrong time. Then we are entrapped. Come now! We can look at the complications later on.”
Rene shakes her head: “It is important. I must first take it up with you. These people abducted us under the order of the occult. The occult wants these people to protect us here while we search for an antidote against the virus. They are going to make contact with us here. So, I am not sure professor Johan will be happy with your plans to help us escape from here because if we find someone with immunity against the virus, how will the occult find us? That’s the one thing. But there is another thing very important to me and Emilie. Kadin and Billy got lost. Jack, Michael, Francois, and Nico are looking for them accompanied by four soldiers. If they find the children, they will be brought back here. Hunter, I am sorry. We should rather stay here.”
“Rene, I have a super plan. Get everyone together quickly and call me. Then we can discuss the plan. If you don’t agree, I simply will go away or else you come with me. Be quick, please!”
Rene nods and barefooted slips out of her room to get the others ready. Patiently Hunter waits. He hears them whispering as she awakes one after the other. Eventually, she appears and gestures he must follow her to the dining room where they all gathered in their pyjamas in the dark.
It is just as Rene predicted. Johan and Emilie are dead against the plan. They are all afraid to death of these people but they are also worried about other things. Hunter explains his plan in detail and after some quibbling and minor changes to include Billy and Kadin in the plan, they all agree.
Eventually, Hunter can get them into action. “Just pack the most needed things in your carry bags. Bring your fighting gear with. It might be very useful in the future. Put on comfortable clothes and shoes. Something like tekkies or boots because we are going to walk through bushes up to our vehicle. Be quick! We’ve lost too much time already.”
The professor enquires: “What about the watchtowers and the guard in front?”
“My people took over the watchtowers and will …” he shines his torch at his radio “… warn us if they see anything. Now, make haste! Up to now, all are sleeping. We must move before things change. Please, hurry up!”
As quickly and speedily as possible they get their belongings together in the dark. Hunter ascertains through his men all are still quite outside. He unlocks the door. Quietly they slip past him. He locks the door and puts the key in his pocket. They jog stealthily over the yard to under the water tank. Now they are as good as gone. Hunter leads them to the opening in the fence. He slips through. One by one they hand their carry bags through the opening before sneaking through themselves.
Along a rather long bush path, they proceed up to the cab. The soldiers are still in radio reach so that Hunter can call them.
The professor wants to know: “Where are your men? Why are you waiting so long before you call them to join us?”
Hunter smiles at him. “I want to make sure you are safe in my cab before I call them. It is Morrison’s guys, so if they slip up now, I will just leave them here and we disappear. But it will be better if we don’t leave them behind because the mercenaries then won’t know what is going on.”
Hunter takes off his earplug and puts the radio on speaker so that they all can follow: “Watchtowers, come in. Over.”
They answer one by one and he continues: “Come, guys! We are ready. You mustn’t slip up now or else we are going to leave you behind. Assemble outside the fence and report so that we can know everything is fine. Over.”
One by one they confirm that they are on their way.
Hunter gets a notebook and a pencil from the holder in the door, writes down a note and Johan smiles: “Your message to Colonel Morrison ..?”
Hunter nods.
Anxiously they wait while they further discuss Hunter’s plan. Eventually, William talks over the radio: “Major, we are on our way. Over.”
“Move your asses if you don’t want to be left behind.”
William answers: “We are coming, Major. We are on our way! Over and out.”
Hunter looks at the people with him. “Lock your doors. I’m going to let them climb into the canopy at the back. It’s essential for our plan.”
They nod and lock the doors.
The three young soldiers arrive. Hunter talks to them through his open window. “Excellent work, guys. Get in at the back. We must now move our asses to the Eastwood Estate. Keep your radios switched on so that I can talk to you when necessary.”
Hunter switches off his radio and tosses it aside: “Here we go, ladies and gentleman!”
Eventually, they drive along the Eastwood Estate’s farm road and stops in front of the main gate. The sharp searchlights blind them through the front window so that Hunter and the professor in front have to take down their sun shields. Hunter takes his radio.
“William, come in. Over!”
“I’m listening, Major, over.”
“Leave your weapons in the cab, climb out and walk towards the guards at the gate with your hands up in the air! They will be very suspicious. I want them to see you all clearly. Convince them everything is all right and that they can let us through. William, get up to my window. I want to give you something that will help you to convince them. Over.”
“Okay, Major. Over and out!”
The three of them climb out. At the window, Hunter hands over the folded note to William.
“This is for Colonel Morrison. Give it in his hands.”
William frowns. “I don’t understand, Major?”
Hunter puts the cab in reverse and shoots backward and turns the cab around. Quickly he engages first gear and then races away along the road.
Flabbergasted the three soldiers stand and stare at how Hunter speeds away.