77. The teeming forest

Twelve mercenaries stop in front of the lovely, deep pool through which Hannes Haasbroek’s group had swum.

Recce led them up to here and is now looking at Joss right behind him. “Their tracks showed they were on their way down before the rain washed it away. When we reached the stream, the rain stopped but we found no tracks. They followed the stream and went through this pool in between the cliffs.”

Joss frowns frustrated. “And what the fuck we do now Recce? We are not geared to negotiate water with this shit Savior metal scales and all our weaponry. We will have to leave them. The fuckers got a lucky break. Let’s go back …” He turns around.

Recce urgently whispers to Joss. “You can go, I’ll stay here.”

Joss stops. “What Recce? Are you mad?”

“I will sniff them out quickly.”

“How the fuck are you going to do it?”

“From the top of the ridge up there?”

“Fuck, you must be mad. It’s a vertical rock face. Are you going to climb up there without a rope like the bloody Spiderman?”

Recce turns and points with his hand. “No, look at the right side of the pool. See, there is an opening that I quite easily can climb and from there up the incline to the top of the cliff. And then I move all along the top until I find them.”

Joss shakes his head. “It won’t work. There surely must be many branches and different gorges and it is going to take you a hell of a long time, not so Recce?”

“I shall follow you later on. You return in the meantime. I’m telling you, they simply had to go into the first hollow they could find above flood level to doctor the injured fucker. The tracks told me it is probably the pilot. They cannot be too deep into the gorge. The two soldiers will have to come out early in the morning to their sentry positions probably on both sides of the hideout. I just have to get into a position on top looking down the first gorge and wait for the sentry to show. If not, I simply move to the next one until I find their hideout.”

Joss’s face shows his sarcasm. “Recce, I know what is at hand. You operate on adrenaline and it is the competition between you and the two soldiers. It is this that inflames you.”

Recce frowns and shows his impatience. “Joss, I will surprise them and overpower them and then I shall torture them to get all the information about what is going on at the Eastwood Estate and what Colonel Morrison’s plans are.”

Joss’s face shows even more sarcasm. “Recce, I know that passion consuming you, I miss the fighting cage like you, buddy. That is why I understand you, my friend. I crave that challenge just like you crave this type of challenge. We are fucking adrenaline junkies, let’s face it, my pal, but our booty now comes first. I need you. You are my most important man. There isn’t time for this shit now. Just leave it now and help us to get the booty safely through that obstacle …”

Recce gestures Joss must be quiet and then Joss also hears the shots from afar coming from the direction of their camp. Joss’s eyes widen alarmed. “It is coming from our camp. Our people are in trouble. We must go back into radio range so that I can speak to Tania. You see, Recce. We need you. This sounds serious. Shots are fired repeatedly.”

Recce speculates. “I hear no retaliatory fire, Joss.”

Joss frowns. “It’s true, yes. What does it mean do you think?”

Spyker and Leo in the meantime have come closer to find out why the conversation between the two takes so long and Spyker answers for Recce’s part. “No retaliation tells me it is probably monsters who attack them and judging by the frequent firing, it sounds quite serious. There must be a lot of them or else Tania and the men would have used their swords. They know gunshots will attract even more monsters. So, they are desperate, Joss.”

Recce nods. “You are on the same wavelength as I, Spyker. That squatter camp is not far off and I think there can be many groups of monsters roaming the woods. Maybe they are hunting one another. I think one of these groups came across our camp and I am afraid you are right. The firing is going to attract more monsters and I think it is happening now. Therefore Tania and the men desperately just have to keep on firing. We must move our asses and get there!”

~*~*~

Kadin is sitting with her back against a wall, shoulder to shoulder with Billy to her right, and Jack to her left. Five of them are sitting with their backs against the wall that divides the wooden shack into two rooms. Five are on the other side of the wall in the next room. Three mercenaries armed to the teeth sit against the opposite wall and watch them closely while sergeant Tania marches from one room to the other. One soldier as sentry watches through the window. The terrifying leader they only call Joss, ordered Tania early this morning to guard them while he and eleven of his best men departed to search for the passengers of the helicopter that was shot down.

Kadin heard the helicopter coming nearer and it sounded as if it was hanging right in front of this shack. Suddenly Joss shouted in the adjacent room calling for a guy named Recce and after a short while she jerked when two shots were fired from the room next door. It sounded as if the helicopter was hit. She could hear how the pilot struggled to get out of trouble and eventually she heard the helicopter crashed not far from them. She was sure that all the occupants must be dead or seriously injured. So, they all imagined the twelve men won’t be away for a long time. Tania had walkie-talkie contact but Kadin heard someone said it covers only five kilometres depending on the terrain.

Tania looks like a nervous wreck because they don’t answer her calls and they have been gone for hours already. They are all wondering what is going on. Yesterday their procession suddenly came to a halt and Kadin could hear how Joss discussed a situation with his men. Then they made a three-point turn and drove back the way they had come before they turned into a bush path and went into the woods. They turned off again into a rough, bumpy bush path and stopped in front of this shack where they were forced in after the soldiers made sure it was safe. They were then forced to sit against one wall.

Kadin’s mouth hung open when their leader with the coarse voice came in and stood in front of them. Never had she seen a more muscled giant in her life. He looked like Batista of the MMA. He stood there with the same gear of metal scales but his must have been made especially to fit those tree-trunk arms and legs and for the bulging chest over which the scales fit extremely tight. His haircut is a number one. The other men behind him were comfortable in his presence and she could see a special bond between the four of them. She also noticed that although he is the leader, he strangely has no rank like captain or major. They simply call him Joss.

He stood there in front of them and enlightened them.

“Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, for the rough encounter and the temporary discomfort you have to endure but we are mercenaries that must bring you safely to a camp where you can complete your mission in safety for the Saviours while we protect you. Why did we turn around? There was a blockage in the road and we decided to come and stay over here for the night. Tomorrow we will have to pass that stumbling block because a detour is going to be a long way and there could be obstructions as well. We had to navigate the same obstruction when we went to fetch you but the barricade is now even worse and we will have to plan nicely to pass it in safety. We want to get you safely to our destination but we were attacked by the monsters when we went in. I assure you it is for your own good to work with us because it is very dangerous outside. The woods are dense and dark and I won’t be surprised if groups of monsters roam the woods looking for human flesh. Please be obedient and allow us to look after your safety. Unluckily we will all have to sleep here in this building but hopefully, by tomorrow afternoon we would have you safely at our destination where we will care for you.”

They were divided into two groups with five on each side of the inner wall. Emilie, Billy, Kadin, Jack, and Rene on this side and Johan, Martie, Nico, Francois, and Michael on the other side.

Kadin and Billy wondered whenever the prophet would show himself to them and it happened last night. The prophet came and fetched them in a dream. Kadin suddenly fled down a steep decline accompanied by three men with someone on her back. She realized she was a soldier in her dream and her name was Donovan. They went through deep pools of water and the last she could remember was when she stood with her back against a rock wall and a half-naked young man approaching her hostilely with a spear and knife in his hands and she wondered whether that was the last moment of her life. She then awoke startled together with Billy. Once again they have dreamt the same dream and that means it is an important message from Vipracitti.

But what on earth does it mean?