Episode 13 : Vulnerable

Zawaq sped away swiftly. His two legs were like lightning. In an instant, Zawaq was in front of the Israeli soldier. The Israeli soldier dodged Zawaq's powerful punch and then stabbed Zawaq in the neck.

Zawaq managed to dodge. His neck was grazed, almost hitting the jugular vein. Zawaq stepped back several times. He touched his left neck with his right hand and then examined his right palm. Wet. Blood.

Zawaq looked back at the Israeli soldier. The Israeli soldier remained in a ready combat stance, holding two sharp knives to defend himself.

Zawaq was incredulous. Ordinary knives could injure him. Once again, Zawaq's eyes glowed red like rubies. He lunged forward, this time aiming his kick at the Israeli soldier. The Israeli soldier easily injured Zawaq's leg with a knife.The soldier stabbed Zawaq's calf with one knife, then used the karambit to cut the muscles behind Zawaq's left knee. Zawaq screamed in pain.

The knife blade was pulled out, then the left side of Zawaq's waist was stabbed. The wind blew on Zawaq's neck. His left hand protected his neck. The karambit was pulled out sharply. Zawaq leaped forward, then rolled briefly before kneeling on the ground.

Zawaq's left hand was almost severed. Half of Zawaq's left hand had been severed. Zawaq groaned in pain. The Israeli soldier, with two knives, slowly approached Zawaq as Zawaq gasped, trying to distance himself from the opponent.

Zawaq held tightly to his bleeding left hand, staining the ground red. His shirt was removed, then his left hand was wrapped with torn fabric. Zawaq's left hand was fully wrapped with the torn fabric.

His two eyes remained fixed on the opponent. A feeling of trembling and fear began to rise within him. For the first time, Zawaq felt fear towards the enemy and encountered sharp weapons that managed to injure him.

Bullets couldn't harm him ever since Zawaq became an extraordinary being like his enemies. Moreover, this time his opponent was no joke.

Zawaq dashed away from the Israeli soldier. The Israeli soldier sighed disappointedly as he watched Zawaq run away. He sheathed his two knives back into their respective scabbards.

"I suspected so. He's just an ordinary person. No military training whatsoever. What can be expected from a doctor," the Israeli soldier shook his head.

Suddenly, the Israeli soldier was hit by two rockets and exploded. Zawaq knelt on the roof where the rocket launchers were positioned on his shoulders.

Quickly, Zawaq loaded rockets into the launchers then placed them back on his shoulders.

Zawaq pulled the trigger and fired two more rockets towards the target, blowing up the Israeli soldier again. Zawaq remained kneeling on the nearby rooftop, watching thick smoke dissipate in the cool night breeze.

The Israeli soldier lay on the ground. His clothes torn and burnt. Zawaq quickly jumped down from the building.

Zawaq checked the body of the Israeli soldier. Zawaq took two sharp knives from the enemy along with their sheaths. The two sheathed knives were attached to Zawaq's belt. Zawaq walked away from the Israeli soldier's body lying like a statue on the ground.

Zawaq walked towards the operations building he had entered before. The maps on the table were checked, then folded and kept as Zawaq slowly transformed back into a human.A small notebook was taken, and a pen was picked up by Zawaq. The information around him was neatly written down as a warning note in the small notebook. Zawaq picked up usable weapons.

MAT-49. Lightweight. Easy to carry. Magazine foldable. Zawaq picked up an empty magazine then went to find a storage place for the Arab soldiers' weapons. A spacious empty room was found in a nearby building. Zawaq opened the metal container and loaded fresh bullets into the empty magazine.

The available magazines full of bullets were also taken by Zawaq and put into the soldiers' backpack.

Several canteens of water were drunk, then refilled with clean boiled water. Five canteens were hung on the side of the backpack. Zawaq began his journey, leaving the deserted Arab soldier operation area due to the death of all Arab soldiers killed by the super Israeli soldiers.

Zawaq passed by an armored car and stopped, staring directly at the vehicle as if it caught his attention with the beauty of its armor. Zawaq opened the door and checked the interior of the armored vehicle.

There was a vehicle key left at the keyhole to start the engine. The key was turned. Vehicle lights turned on. Zawaq put weapons and food into the back seat of the armored car.

Zawaq checked the compass. Zawaq started driving the armored car towards the compass direction as the location of the Arab soldier operation site written in his notebook. In the dark and cold night, the silence was broken by the sound of the engine and the armored car tires cutting through the darkness towards the destination.

The armored car was stopped when Zawaq saw a bright place ahead. His vision was limited. The door was opened, and Zawaq stepped out of the armored car onto the ground.

Men, women, and children were surprised to see the armored vehicle in front of them. They began to distance themselves from Zawaq and immerse themselves in the darkness of the night, also keeping away from the fire.

"I'm not an Israeli soldier," said Zawaq.They looked at each other, shielding their children and non-children with their bodies.

"I'm on my way to the Arab soldier operation site. Come with me," Zawaq said to them.

The adults discussed whether to trust Zawaq's words. A boy ran towards Zawaq.The mother of the boy quickly ran to her son. The boy looked thin. His eyes were dry. His hair was dry and tangled, full of sand dust. His clothes were torn and dirty. He wore wooden shoes tied with tree leaves.

"Uncle, do you have food? I'm hungry. My parents are hungry too. My friends are hungry. One friend is very hungry and hasn't woken up for a month because he's so hungry," the boy poured out to Zawaq.

The mother was afraid to approach Zawaq to protect her son from Zawaq. The mother gathered courage and hugged her son, turning her back to Zawaq. Zawaq turned his eyes from the boy to the others.

Zawaq went to the back seat of the armored car and lifted out a backpack. Zawaq placed the backpack near the bonfire and then took out food one by one. Cans of chicken. Food containers filled with white rice. The food was arranged near the backpack and the bonfire. The backpack was emptied, and six canteens were taken down from hanging on the backpack and placed next to the abundant food.

"This is all I have. Please eat," said Zawaq, then stood up from kneeling halfway near the bonfire, slowly moving away from the arranged food.

The adults immediately took the food and opened it. The abundant food was given to the children first. Zawaq could only watch them, feeling a mix of joy and sympathy. The adults thanked Zawaq after they fed the children.

They began to eat the remaining food. Zawaq was surprised to see the adults prioritizing the children over themselves. Zawaq checked the back seat of the Humber Mk III Reconnaissance armored car again to ensure he had given all the food he had. None left.

Only weapons and bullets remained. Zawaq looked back at them. They all stood up and looked at Zawaq as if waiting for instructions and decisions from Zawaq. As if finding it hard to believe, but they all waited for Zawaq's decision. Zawaq was determined.

"Follow me for your safety," said Zawaq.

Zawaq drove the car slowly. The adults held weapons and bullets as they walked. The children inside the armored car were fast asleep. Arriving at the gates with barbed wire fences. Zawaq stopped the car. The other adults placed their weapons and ammunition on the floor.

Zawaq directed them to kneel and put their hands behind their heads. Zawaq did the same after getting out of the car except for the sleeping children inside the car.

Surveillance lights were focused on the armored car with Zawaq and the others. Arab soldiers began to approach them, pointing their guns as a precaution. Some Arab soldiers checked inside the armored car and took weapons and bullets away from Zawaq and the others.

"What's your business here?" asked an Arab soldier when he stood in front of Zawaq as Zawaq knelt.

"I'm bringing Palestinian refugees here. They're being hunted by Israeli soldiers. Please take them into Arab territory. Let them cross the border," Zawaq pleaded with the Arab soldier spokesperson.

The Arab soldier spokesperson asked other Arab soldiers to check the armored vehicle with the sleeping children inside. Three Arab soldiers checked the armored vehicle and signaled it was safe. The Arab soldier spokesperson nodded.

"Tie them all up. Take them in for interrogation and body check," said the Arab soldier spokesperson.

Zawaq and the other Palestinian adults were tied up, their hands bound together, and taken deeper into the secret operation area of the Arab soldiers. Zawaq was separated as soon as the Palestinian adults were put into cages and locked up.

Zawaq's eyes were blindfolded, then the rope tied to his hands was pulled roughly as he followed them towards an unknown destination. Arriving at a place, Zawaq was forced to sit on the floor while kneeling.

"Who are you?" asked a firm voice.

"Zawaq. A doctor from Palestine," said Zawaq.