Missions of the Retrieval Team - Land of the Kilts

[davedove]

Scene 26

Jungle Outpost in the Guyana Highlands

We tracked the patrol that had captured Ms. Hawk back to the clearing. I ordered the others to stay out of sight while Ms. Crane and I crept forward to examine the small settlement there.

The compound consisted of seven barrack-sized buildings arranged in a semi-circle surrounding an open space next to the mountainside. A few guards were patrolling the perimeter outside the buildings. Because the buildings were blocking our view, we couldn’t see the clearing inside the semi-circle well, but we did see guards stationed there as well. A small open structure was set against the side of the mountain, covering an opening into the mountainside.

As we watched, a man came out of the opening carrying a heavy basket on his back. As we watched the man carried the basket out of sight. After a few minutes, the man returned to the opening with the basket now empty and walked inside. The man was watched at all times by another guard.

“A mining operation?” Ms. Crane quietly asked me.

“That’s what it looks like,” I answered. “And that man didn’t look like he was working willingly.”

“Slaves?”

“That goes with what the soldier described. It seems we’ve found their operation. Let’s circle around and see if we can get a better view.”

We moved until we could get another view between the buildings into the clearing. Sitting near the opening into the mountain was a small wagon, filled with stones.

“I wonder what they’re mining?” I mused.

Ms. Crane got my attention and pointed up the side of the mountain. When I looked where she was pointing, I noticed a trail leading partway up the side to an overhang. Sitting on the overhang was a small building. Two guards were stationed at its door.

As we watched, a small group of four soldiers walked up the trail to the building. After a short conversation with the guards, the soldiers entered the building. After a few moments, the soldiers came out of the building with two women and led them down the trail.

As they came down the trail, it was obvious the women were weak. They occasionally stumbled and leaned on one another.

They reached the ground and started across the clearing. I took the opportunity to examine the women better.

The first was a blonde teenage girl, probably fourteen or fifteen. The other was someone much more familiar.

The second woman was Ms. Stork.

[Weasel Mender]

Settle down Wompet, or do we have to muzzle you and put you on a short leash?

WM streches out on the couch with soda and popcorn in hand to watch the attempt

Weasel

[Wompet]

Settle down Wompet, or do we have to muzzle you and put you on a short leash?

[davedove]

Scene 27

Jungle Outpost in the Guyana Highlands

The soldiers led the two women towards the central building.

“We have to stop them now!” demanded Ms. Crane. “We can’t let them take the women into that building!”

“Why not?” I asked tentatively, already knowing the answer.

“Because this is a slave camp and because they are women. You know what they do to women to terrorize them and make them cooperate!”

I did know and I agreed; we couldn’t let it happen.

“I’ll take left,” I said and began to move. Ms. Crane followed me towards the central building. We had no time to coordinate with the others of our team and could only hope they responded.

Our objective was to get the two women away from the soldiers as quickly as possible. When we reached the building, I moved to circle it from the left while Ms. Crane moved to the right.

We had to move quickly and precisely; the lives of the two women depended on it. I glanced around the corner of the building quickly to place my target. I readied my pistol and took a slow breath to steady myself.

I spun around the corner of the building, quickly aimed and fired. The guard to the left of the women fell over and the other guards turned my direction. A second later a shot rang out from the other side of the building and the guard on the right fell from Ms. Crane’s shot.

The girl began to scream in terror, frozen in place from fear. Ms. Stork grabbed her and dropped to the ground with her to avoid the gunfire. Before the guards could raise their weapons to return fire, Ms. Crane and I dropped them both.

Unfortunately, the other guards in the compound were reacting quickly. They raced across the clearing with their rifles firing.

Ms. Crane and I dashed to the two women and helped them to their feet.

“Get them out of here!” I ordered.

Ms. Crane grabbed the women and pulled them away as I raised the rifle I had taken from the patrol. I began to return fire to cover their retreat.

The women cleared the building and ran towards the jungle. I turned to run after them when I felt the bullet hit my left arm, spinning me around and causing me to fall, knocking the rifle away from me.

I reached for the pistol but stopped when a guard pointed his rifle at me.

The guard held me at gunpoint and waited. Moments later, another soldier came walking around the corner of the building. This one was dressed a little better and wore a Lieutenant’s marks on his shoulder.

“You!” he said with distaste as he looked down on me. “I was hoping we would meet again.” He then nodded to the guard.

As I looked up into the face of Lieutenant Secuaz, the guard brought his rifle butt down on me and I slipped into unconsciousness.

[Arlen]

Oh No!!!!!!! How will you get out of this one!?
And how will the native show you he is part of the tribe?

[Livingston]

Great, it looks like Ms Crane, Ms Stork and I are going to have to figure out how to get you out of there.

[davedove]

Scene 28

Jungle Outpost in the Guyana Highlands

The pain shooting through my left arm shocked me awake. I discovered that I was being strung between two poles, my arms and legs spread wide. The stretching of my wounded arm was causing the pain.

“Well, Mr. Dove, I see you are awake again,” Secuaz said to me with a sneer. “I must say I was very surprised to see you here. You do get around.”

I did my best to maintain my composure. “I like to travel,” I said to him.

“Meddle is more like it!” he shot back. “Because of you I was relieved from my position in the Mexican Army.** I was forced to leave in disgrace and become a mercenary. Now I’m stuck out here in this miserable jungle watching slaves.”

“Couldn’t be helped,” I said. “I didn’t care for your accommodations.”

“Oh, I suppose you think you’re funny. Because of your escape, General Ricos stripped me of my rank and threw me out of the Army. He had to blame someone, and I was the victim. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“So, are you going to kill me now?”

“Oh, yes, Mr. Dove, I am; but first I am going to make an example out of you. Two of my slaves escaped because of you, but they will be found. That young one will bring me a lot of money on the market. After my men ‘train’ her, of course.”

I knew what kind of ‘training’ took place in these operations. Hopefully, Ms. Crane would get the girl far away.

“You see,” Secuaz continued, “I can’t have people like you disrupting my operations. It gives the slaves hope and I can’t have that. I’m first going to leave you strung up here as an example to the slaves and then you will be executed right in front of them.”

“Try to enjoy the next few hours,” he said sarcastically. “They will be your last hours alive.”

He turned to the two guards with him. “Guard him,” he said in Spanish. “He has allies in the jungle and they will try to rescue him.”

** Lieutenant Secuaz was first encountered in my third story, Kilts in a Cage.

[Livingston]

We're working on it Dave, really, we are. Now where did that native go?

[davedove]

Scene 29

Jungle Outpost in the Guyana Highlands

I examined the parts of the camp that I could see from my position. I was strung up in the middle of the clearing between the mine entrance and the main building. As I watched, a man would regularly come out of the mine and empty a basket into the wagon.

I noticed that there were no women in sight. I could only assume that they were all being held in the building on the side of the mountain.

The two men guarding me stood nearby. I would be unable to get to my bonds while they were there.

I noticed a bit of movement to the side and turned my head to look, but I couldn’t see anything.

Were the members of my team coming to help?

As I waited, I noticed two more men had gone up the side of the mountain and were bringing down another woman. This one was darker skinned but not a native. She was probably from one of the cities in the area. The woman struggled against the guards, obviously knowing what awaited her, but one of the guards struck her with his rifle, causing her to fall to the ground. The guards again pulled her to her feet and drug her towards the building.

As they watched the two men pull the woman towards the building, my guards laughed at her situation.

I felt anger growing inside me at the brutality of these men, but what could I do; I was bound securely.

My answer came at that very moment. One of my guards suddenly fell forward, an arrow sticking out of his back.

The other guard yelled out and spun around, just in time to receive another arrow in his chest. His hands flew to the arrow as he fell over backwards.

“Manna Konnal, Aye eppu,” I heard from behind me as the rope holding my right hand was cut.

As my bonds were being cut, the guards with the woman had noticed their companions had fallen. One held the woman tightly as the other started towards me.

As my last bond was cut, I dove for my fallen guards rifle. Even though my left arm was nearly useless, I was able to brace the rifle on the fallen man’s body and fire. The guard running towards me fell back.

The other man shoved the woman away and I saw her slam into the building. As she fell to the ground, the man raised his rifle and aimed at me. I quickly shifted my aim towards him and pulled the trigger.

The rifle jammed, leaving me defenseless. I glanced back at who had freed me. The hunter cringed from the gunfire.

He grabbed my shirt and tugged. “Manna Konnal,” he pleaded, “cum inna junga!”

I started to follow him when the bullet hit the ground near us and we both hit the ground. I did my best to keep my rescuer’s body behind my own, shielding him from the gunfire.

As we lay on the ground, unable to get away. I again turned to look at the guard.

The man was adjusting his aim for a better shot when the woman plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. Amazingly, she struck the guard again and again, not allowing him to recover his weapon. He did the best he could to block her blows, but she continued to strike him furiously. After only a few moments, he lay still but she continued to strike him.

I rushed over to her to pull her away and she spun towards me. There was fury in her eyes as she pulled back to hit me, stopping at the last moment.

“Let’s go!” I said to her.

She nodded and followed me.

We ran towards the native who had rescued me. He was gesturing wildly for us to follow him.

Together, the three of us fled into the jungle.

[Livingston]

Ahhhhhh....that's where he is. He sure beat us to it, didn't he.