"There! Get her!" With a patrol in hot pursuit she dares not look behind.
(Panting) Kamala ran confused by the turn of events.
One minute she was left to grief the departure of her friend, the next, a coup had engulfed Banapur. The orchestrator was Sabal, with the aid of his American friends he bulldozed his way through the opposing faction camps indiscriminately killing them all. Kamala was too shock to react to the purge and then it became her turn. A lieutenant of Sabal came to her inquiring about Soren's location, she didn't have a clue where he would be. Then the lieutenant disclosed the shocking news to her, Soren had taken Bhadra, the young Tarun Matara out of Banapur to escape from Sabal's grasp. When they couldn't find them they turned to her because she was his Commanding officer, but she was just as clueless as them. They didn't believe she didn't know and began to interrogate and beat her, but she still wouldn't know where they were.
So she ran, and when she did they chased her.
She ran in the only place she could sought refuge for a fugitive such as herself, the Northern side of Pacchim Valley. Where there was still a significant Royal Army presence to discourage her pursuers from chasing.
Kamala stopped in her tracks, kicking the dirt and rubble under her feet as she skid. A granite wall prevented her continued running, by the time she turned around the head back where she came they were already upon her.
"Hehe!... Girl, you've made us chase you for quite some time. We'll make you pay for that!"
"… In your body that is!"
Her pursuers' wore dirty smiles as they cornered and cut off her escape route. Converging on her slowly, Kamala pulls out her knife.
"Oh? You wanna play, ok!"
She holds it towards her neck to their astonishment. Almost getting raped before was bad enough and Kamala refused to have her disgraced this time.
"Oi! Oi! Oi! Do you really wanna die? Perhaps the lads and me can promise to be gentle if that's what you're as-(BABABABAAM)"
The man barely had the chance to finish his sentence when automatic fire ripped through the four of them at once. The men still wore expressions of disbelief as they died, Kamala dropped to her knees as shadows came out from the tree line. Were they the fabled Royal Guard Hunters she had heard rumors about, if so wouldn't she be dead too?
"Are you okay, sister?"
The light casted on the figures revealed them to be her Golden Path brethren but at the same time not. They killed loyalists of Sabal, there was only one explanation. The splinter group under Amita, the Golden Path separatist faction.
"Must have been a rough day for you sister, come! We'll take you to see Amita and settle things there!" The leader of the patrol told her. "Uh- Yeah!" Kamala hesitantly agreed.
The patrol brought her to a camp not far from the Royal Army controlled airport. This group had taken an outpost and turned it into a make shift forward base and triage centre for Amita's consolidated forces that were rescued from the sudden betrayal.
Inside a workshop that acted as the command centre, Amita briefed her field commanders on the preparations.
"Amita-" The patrol leader called out.
"Not now!"
"We found someone!"
"Then send them to the triage or arms cache to resupply, not to me!"
"It's commander Malla!" The leader called out in a joyous tone.
Amita who didn't even bother to turn her head was incline to do so now with the appearance of such a high profile member of the Golden Path in their midst.
"I'll leave the rest to you, ladies and gentlemen. Come!" Amita beckoned Kamala to follow her to a quiet spot at the hill near to them. Stronghold Baghadur could be seen in the distance.
"So where is he?"
"Not you too!" Kamala exhaled tired of hearing the same thing from Amita's side.
"Weren't you his superior? How could you not know what he did?"
"That's what I keep telling everyone! I don't know where he or Bhadra went! On that day itself he told me he was leaving the Golden Path!"
"What?!"
"It's a long story!"
Amita grasped her shoulders. "Tell me, tell me everything!"
Kamala was forced to spill her side of the story to Amita, hoping they would at least provide some kind of protection from Sabal's men if she did so.
When Kamala finished telling her saga, Amita slumped against the tree that was providing them shade from the sun.
"Did you know?"
"How would I know he was gonna grab Bhadra!" Kamala pleaded her case again.
Amita sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"Alright, I believe you. But I think it's better this way, Soren has involuntarily taken the heat off us for the time being by pulling Sabal's focus towards recovering Bhadra. This'll give us some time to fortify and assume a foothold to balance our fragmented power."
"What exactly are you planning here, Amita?"
"I'm not entitled to say unless you're in on this, although I know you certainly didn't kill Sugun back then the troops don't know it! You'll be a great addition to the cause in building up our morale, what do you say?"
Kamala's mind was in anarchy, the purge had scattered many allegiances to the Golden Path so suddenly it was difficult to discern who was friend from foe. Kamala breathed in to calm herself and thought about what was the best situation for her.
"Alright, I'll join you on this. It's the only choice I've got now that Sabal's men are probably looking for me as we speak."
"Great, go to the command centre to get brief and be detailed a group of warriors. Get equipped before dusk, we'll be launching an offensive tonight." Amita told her as she was on her way to walking down the hill.
"Offensive? Tonight? Uh- Who are we attacking?!"
"We need a place where we can hold out in future as well as have a strong foothold on the territory we own. Tonight we'll be attacking that!"
Amita points in the direction of Stronghold Baghadur.
The next morning, Bhadra was yet again at the kitchen cooking breakfast for them. It seemed to be part of her daily routine when living with Amita so she was used to it, now the kitchen had become her sacred grounds that no one else could enter without her permission. Not even Ajay.
Saras was the first to the table followed by Ajay, Maya was suffering a hangover and was left alone. Today, Ajay was heading to the Arsenal in her stead. He planned to assess the situation and advance in their production capabilities.
"So for your routine…. number one. Capture or kill rare honey badger that's disturbing the Nadī village. Hmmm… aren't those the fellas that made trouble for you during the recruitment period?" Saras read from his to do list which he handed over for her to look at.
"I don't dwell on the past as much as you think, so long as they don't do it again."
"Mmm… fair enough! Let's see, number two is to meet with Samar to expand production to new firearms, quick review of the Arsenals progress. Number three, pick up Bhadra from orphanage for weapon familiarizations….. I wanna join! I hope you could correct my... posture!"
"Are you even handling 3rd Company properly?" With her carefree attitude, he was concerned she was not performing in her job as a soldier or as a vital member in Arjun's faction.
"They're all big boys so I have nothing to worry about, knowing what happens when they don't do as they're told…. But that rarely happens!" Saras had unleashed a dangerous aura for a split-second which Ajay caught and understood that she did manage her men fairly well.
"Fair enough, it's your Company after all."
"MmmHmm! Number Four, return for night lessons with Mistress Saras-." He didn't have a fourth one, it was merely made up by Saras. Also didn't like the sound of her assuming the dominant role in the bedroom.
"Cancel my last appointment." He said like a manager to his secretary.
"That one is inevitable I'm afraid!" She told him with a grin.
"I'll just not be there for it then." Ajay smiled back.
"We'll see!" Saras chuckled before returning to filling her stomach with Bhadra's decent breakfast.
Ever since he returned from the South, Saras was being rather intrusive in his life. If it were any other person, they'd instantly say he was a deuce for overlooking this beauty that was flinging herself onto him. But Ajay felt he couldn't give her the affection she truly deserved, not as Badala and not as Ajay Ghale either. He was a jerk and a mass murdering psychopath, he knew it in his heart. Not matter how much he yearned to have a normal life or family, it was something he'll never have. He had been in a relationship before in the states, but that was a long time ago. He wished she had found someone that would look after her.
-I wonder how she is right now?- Ajay stowed his thoughts to the start of the day.
"Right, Bhadra let's get you to the Khati household! I hear you're getting together to raise funds for the buildings repair costs today."
Bhadra nodded as she washed her hands after cleaning up the kitchen.
"Arita told me we'll be working in the bazaar to advertise wares for the shops!"
The main reason he hooked her up with the Orphanage was to get her involved with them and the townsfolk on their small time jobs to keep the Khati household in shape. That way, she wasn't just sitting around at home all day or under guard. She was at least under supervision by the old caretaker and monitored or with friends who kept a close eye on her. Speaking of the Elder, Bibek had apparently stashed the money Elina gave him for safe keeping. He intended to give a portion to each of the children when they came of age, so they at least had capital to start a life on their own. It seemed Elina inherited that trait from him. Bhadra had made a few friends on her own these two days, she acquired their cell number and was communicating with them till eleven in the night. Ajay had to tell her to go to sleep, it wasn't good for a young girl to sleep late at night and he wasn't going to allow her to do that.
"That's great! Meanwhile, I'll be hunting out hunting one of the nastiest buggers in Kyrat today." Bhadra giggled at his complaint.
"Stay safe!" Saras waved to them as they departed.
"Thanks! Same to you. And make sure Maya knows you've left."
"I will, bye!"
Bhadra sat in the jeep patiently waiting for Ajay to return from the underground cellar where he kept all his weapons and ammo.
Ajay returned in his combat harness and weapons. He threw a shotgun and a ARP-1 rifle in the back of the jeep and a duffel containing the protruding barrel of an anti-material rifle.
Bhadra raised an eyebrow at the kind of firepower he was bringing to hunt the small honey badger.
"You sure you're hunting just a honey badger or an army?"
"Trust me, honey badgers aren't as easy to kill as everyone thinks. Especially this one!"
Bhadra shrugged her shoulders, if Ajay said it was then it would be alright then.
As Ajay was getting into the jeep, he stopped and turned to the forest.
"Something wrong?" Bhadra asked curious to his sudden halt in action.
Ajay hopped back into the seat and turned the key to start the jeep.
"…No. Nothing, probably just a wrong feeling."
Not far from their location in the very forest Ajay was looking towards, Captain Goh and his sergeant observed via binoculars.
"That's some freakish instinct he has there." Perkins exclaimed.
"That looked like the kid they were looking for too."
"You thinking of nabbing the kid too?"
David thought carefully, they weren't exactly running on unlimited resources. Killing Badala a.k.a Soren and striking the factory. Going for two targets was already pulling the cord to its very limits and to go for the kid was just plain greedy. And greed had consequences, how were they gonna bring her back with them across the same way they came with forces in pursuit to avenge Badala?
"No. The Golden Path doesn't need us to do their job for them, they'll eventually find her."
"Seems to me that girl wasn't taken against her will or anything!" Perkins was actually monitoring their expressions and behavior and he found no foul play in their activities.
"Sabal reports Soren was spending most of his time with her while on patrols."
David also received the combat report, he killed over two hundred members of the Royal Guard who attacked Banapur by himself and was suspected of killing the Royal Guard Captain that was involved in the raid.
-Spring cleaning perhaps?-
Either way, it wasn't good news. If they didn't plan this carefully, they'd only add to his kill count.
"So what did the fryface do when the asshole told him about Soren being his arch-nemesis in disguise?" Perkins enjoyed seeing Sabal fail most of the time, him actually failing to acquire the Tarun Matara was hilarious enough on its own.
"You certain like to imagine Sabal wearing an ugly face don't you."
"What can I say, him and Willis are total dicks! What am I gonna write to Derek's wife when we get back? That we helped a warlord who shot her husband because he laughed at his scars?"
David sighed, he didn't want to admit it but he wanted to kill Sabal just as much. But he had a job to protect the rest of his men and he could afford to put them into any further harm's way.
"Woah, hot damn! Well would you look at that!" David looked through the binoculars at the house to see what Perkins was so bothered about.
At the door of the house was a woman with voluptuous proportions and long wavey auburn hair. Buttoning her jacket as she walked towards her staff car.
"Man that is a fine piece of ass!"
"She's wearing a uniform of the Royal Army. So she's an officer?"
"This guy isn't just demonic he's also goddamn player! He's so damn lucky!" Perkins couldn't stop talking about the woman. It seemed it was his one weakness in the missions he attended in. He was always looking at the exotic woman from different countries and sizing them up and staring at them.
"No for long."
"..."
"Are the preparations complete?"
"Only Stew and Grilles haven't returned from their scouting trip and intel gathering yet."
"Ok. We'll move out at midnight then, in the meantime have all the men rest. It's gonna be a long night!"
Ajay had deposited Bhadra with the orphans at the entrance of the town and went on his way. The Nadī village was not far from the Arsenal and was a short drive back through the town which still had no name to the village in question.
As he parked his jeep at the entrance of the village and drew his weapons, he could hear wailing. Walking up closer to the centre of the village it was clear what had happened, crowd gathered around four dead bodies laid in a row.
"Elder Aadinath, we meet again."
"My lord! We were not expecting you to come!"
"What happened?"
The elder wore a grim expression.
"It's that damnable honey badger! We sent four of our men with the hunters we contracted and it killed all of them. Look at this!"
By some fortune they were able to bring back the bodies, what's left of them that is. They were like jigsaw pieces of the corpses brought back.
"What type of firepower did they bring?" He had to gauge how much the badger could take.
"They didn't have any weapons, it is forbidden by the crown to carry arms without the proper hunting license and papers."
Pagan being paranoid as ever, prevented the proliferation of arms to the common people, that was what the Royal army was there for and much less the former Royal Guard.
"I see, I'll do my best to get rid of this problem."
"The appropriate compensation for you service-."
"I don't need compensation for something that involves my domain, in fact I should be compensating you and the families for the losses incurred today. I didn't dispatch any forces to watch the villages."
"No! No, my lord! It is not your fault!"
"Here." Ajay passed his assault rifle and ammo pouches to the elder.
"I'll get the Arsenal to send over more weapons and ammo. You'll probably need an instructor to learn the manual of arms, so please be patient."
The crowd them had bulging eyes, the elder stood in shock as he was passed a weapon.
"But, my lord. The restrictions!"
"So long as you don't carry it out of my territory it should be fine, I'll tell the King and Army High Command it'll be my territorial law. So you won't have problems with the Army patrols in future. Right, I have a honey badger to catch!"
Ajay went on his way like he knew exactly where the honey badger was already. It wasn't hard to find because of the smoke trail in the forest and the lines of blood from where the villagers dragged the bodies back from. The elder and villages were left in stupor to his changes to the law that they forgot to warn him about the dangers of that particular Honey Badger.
Ajay arrived to a convoy of wrecked cars, blood trails led out of the seats indicating the Honey Badger named Gulo had dragged the corpses or live bodies out of the vehicles.
-Honey Badger don't care, Honey Badger don't give a shit.-
He unslung the anti-material rifle from his shoulders and assembled it. Today he brought serious firepower so as not to get up close to the Honey Badger which it was the most dangerous. The tracks and paw prints indicated it was up in a structure chiseled out of rock, and old temple no doubt. Ajay lay a chunk of meat on open ground and went into hiding on top of a boulder. He lay the Gepard Lynx rifle on the rock surface and waited for his prey.
Not long later the sound of grunting and growling could be heard and out from the old temple came a white torpedo too quick for the eye to track. Guro had come out from hiding, the honey badger circled the meat suspiciously for traps before gorging into the fresh meat that was laid there.
Ajay aligned the crosshairs with the honey badger and prepared to take the shot.
"SSSSsssssssSSS!"
Then in the most unexpected twist of events, a viper appeared from the crevices of the boulder just next to Ajay's right hand. He fumbled and hit the trigger sending a round hitting the dirt near the honey badger, alerting it of his presence and the little bugger came running furiously towards him.
"Shit!" His heart beat rapidly as it closed in, but Ajay had more important things to handle at the moment. The snake had taken to attacking him as well so he stepped on the viper and chopped it's head off with the kukri. The body danced around on top of the boulder and fell to the floor where the Honey Badger now was. But that's not the only thing that fell, Ajay's rifle had fallen when he was startled by the venomous snake.
The Honey Badger had reached the boulder he was on top of but the steepness of the boulder prevented it from climbing up to get to Ajay. He thanked his preparation in position that saved him from those nasty claws and teeth. If this was a Tiger or Leopard he'd even go at them with a knife, but it wasn't. It was a Honey Badger, he'd seen on the National Geographic how the fended off Lion prides on their own and gave them scars to remember it by. Mumu Chiffon had sent him last time to turn this freak of nature into another of his accessories, back then he came with an RPG. When he recovered the body, the fur was surprisingly still intact. The force of the explosives had made it's organs into mush though. So that was why, Ajay came with the appropriate gear to deal with it, unfortunately the only tool to handle it was next to the white terror.
-Think, Ajay! Channel Crocodile hunter!-
He had watched a documentary of it during his highschool days, the thing had a diet of smaller animals, rodents and snakes alike. It could even digest the poison of the snake venom and still tumble to the side like it had a stomach ache and get up a few minutes later.
-That's it!-
Thankfully the snake head was still under his heel, Ajay took out a throwing knife and pressed it against the venom glands of the viper until it had lubricated the entire blade. Gulo was still grunting and scratching against the rock towards him, but it had stayed in place for long enough.
Ajay positioned his throw at the Honey Badger, he'll only get one shot.
The throwing knife whizzed in the air and stuck itself into the badger's fur, the little white terror growled and tried to ply the knife from its fur, it then went back to trying to reach for Ajay. But as time went by its movement became lethargic and it dropped to the side.
"Yeah!" Ajay did a victory pump. He slid down the slope and picked up his anti-material rifle and slung it.
He took out a cloth bag and threw the little devil into the bag and tied it from its tail end so it couldn't upright itself when it woke.
When he returned to the village, the elder and his followers yet again was left in disbelieve. He came back without so much as a scratch on his body and with Gulo in his bag.
"How the-…..!"
"Elder Aadinath, I'll be sending some Royal Army instructors to teach you and your village how to operate the weapons, so for now I'd advise on bringing that out in the open." Ajay threw the badger roughly into his jeep along with his rifle.
"My lord!- I-…. On behalf of our village I thank you for your generosity!" The elder lowered his head and the villagers followed in suit.
"Don't fret it. Come by some time to visit the town, ok?" Ajay boarded his jeep and left the village onto the next task at hand.
Ajay was just arrived at the gate to the compound of the Arsenal, getting his credentials checked by the new security guards. The Honey Badger woke up and growled inside of the metal meshed cloth bag Ajay put over it as a double precaution. On the route to the Arsenal, Ajay was deciding what to do with the little white terror. Should he throw it into the river and hope an alligator or demon fish eats it? Should he just run over it with a car? He didn't kill it cleanly with a bullet while it was sleeping, Ajay wondered if he was getting soft or something.
-Ha! Soft for a honey Badger!- Ajay chuckled.
But then another idea popped up into his mind, what if he threw this from a parachute into Banapur. The thought of Guro wreaking havoc in Sabal's new base was quite pleasant, for the time being he'd hold on to it.
"Um, your lordship? What is that?" One of the security personnel asked.
"Here, hang on to it until I return. Careful not to open it though, or it might tear you up!" Ajay handed the jumping and growling bag which the guard reluctantly received.
Ajay made his way to the cabin where the Condotierri were resting, he didn't have a chance to meet them when he returned and thought now was a good opportunity to do so.
"Boss!" Ricardo was the first to notice him as he opened the door.
"How were things in the South?" Samson asked.
"Tricky, I still didn't manage to meet Willis or Solomon. They seem to be doing something at Stronghold Varshakot and De Pleur's territories although it's weird they haven't taken it with the strength they had, also Sabal took full control over the Golden Path." Ajay indulged them on the most recent news.
"Whatever you have in store for us we're ready!" Stella affirmed the groups intentions, to which the rest nodded.
"Does that include taking on SOCOM marines?"
The Condotierri wore concerned expressions.
"Don't tell me, Willis actually brought help?"
Ajay tapped his smartphone to show them the image he received from that one Golden Path gossiper.
"Oh boy!-…."
"I need a smoke!"
"Count me in!"
Luca, Luigi and Alberto left for the backyard to have a cig to calm their nerves.
"Where are they?"
"They could be anywhere by now, even over here. I've been getting the feeling since this morning that I've been watched from afar." Ajay told them his thoughts as there was no need to hide them, he wished the feeling that morning was just a fluke but knowing how paranoid Willis was, they were likely here for him. The biggest thorn in Sabal and Willis's plans.
"So guard duty then?" Ricardo asked if that was their purpose.
"Guard duty it is, but you'll be watching the Arsenal not me." Samson looked worried.
"Are you sure? They would likely go for you!"
"I know, but the Arsenal is just as important. Knowing American initiative when they arrive they'd likely hit it to help the Golden Path."
They were all quietly thinking of the possibility that the American Marines were coming here.
"Um. What will it take to come all the way here?" Emilio asked.
"The airport is ours so they're stuck with the foot option and King's bridge is a no go so they'll likely cross the mountains, and after recceing and assassinating Badala they'd have to cross the way they came. This sounds like a suicide mission, are you sure they'd be so gungho?" Stella asked.
"Hopefully not, it would make more sense to help the Golden Path reclaim the South than go after the boss's head!" Samson gave his feedback.
"I think I'm worrying all of you over a feeling, sorry! But I still want you on standby in the compound until I sort out expanding the facilities operations. Is that alright?"
"Sure boss!"
"An employer that asks us to stay at home and still be paid, this is the dream life! Ouch!" Ricardo couldn't shut his mouth as Stella kicked him.
"Maybe we should send you on a scouting detail instead." The Condotierri laughed to Ricardo's embarrassment.
Ajay left the cabin after giving them access and clearance to the Arsenal's match shop in the refurbishment center for special weapons and ammo loads.
Ajay met Samar in his workshop while the man was teaching some apprentices the trade of gunsmithing. He shared his plan with Samar who seemed to have expected his response.
"Expanding the weapon variety and ammunition types, eh? Longinus has yet to return although he was scheduled to return tonight, perhaps a flight delay or something."
"Either way it'll take time to install the new machinery and calibrate them to the right adjustments."
"True, so what will it be? Shotguns, handguns and light machine guns."
For the shotgun, Ajay chose the pump-action MP-133 that was already in service. For the handgun, the trusty 1911 and for the LMG he chose the Ultimax 100 which he had a pleasant shooting experience with.
Ajay indicated the changes that he would like to have with the weapons they were going to make, using more modern furniture for the shotgun and redesigning the magazine well of the Ultimax to fit the AR-type magazines.
Things were going slowly but steadily, without trouble yet.
Pyres burned from the inside compound of Baghadur Stronghold, Amita's faction forces had successfully taken the fortress and begun fortifying the surroundings. The cost was heavy, but without this foothold the cost would have been heavier.
Kamala helped shift the bodies for the Royal Army garrison troops from inside the fortress and outside to the pyres. When they assaulted the fortress, they garrison sent a distress signal calling for reinforcements in the form of an armed convoy.
Luckily thanks to Amita and her field commanders' leadership they were able to keep the situation under control. Now they had a place for the supporters of Amita to rally to.
Amita was busy directing the supply trucks to unload their cargo into the inner parts of the hollowed out mountain.
Kamala walked into the inner sanctum of the fortress, it comprised of a villa like design. Everything ornately beautiful and esthetically pleasing to the eye, was this something Noore did for her own fortress? It have the touches of a palace carved from the mountains. There were many rooms on two levels that allowed them to shelter people and equipment. Baghadur was the perfect hideout for Amita's faction.
"I was not expecting this but if we're to live here I wouldn't mind staying here indefinitely." Amita came around to meet with Kamala. Amita felt that this place suited them nicely as well.
"You did well, Kamala."
"Um- Thanks, I guess…." Amita could see she was brooding over something despite the good start.
"Are you worried about, Soren?"
"Mn!"
"I'm sure he's taking good care of himself and of Bhadra too. Perhaps they might hear news that we've established ourselves here and come seeking refuge. Then we should do our best to welcome them."
"Is it because you seek Soren's power?"
"I won't lie, I do! We all do if we're to survive against both Sabal's forces and the Royal Army. We're fighting on two frontiers with limited resources and manpower as we speak."
"…."
"(Sigh) Why did it have to come to this? To think he actually did the most treacherous thing and even bring foreign intervention. That bastard is trying to ruin Kyrat!" Amita knew they were at odds but the choices he made weren't one of rational thought any longer. He was power hungry with an insatiable thirst at that.
Amita hoped that the two monsters, the Golden Path Rakshasa and the Northern Demon would clash till they were both gone from this earth.
"We're back!"
Ajay came home with Bhadra in the evening.
After sorting out with the Arsenal and meeting with the Condotierri he went over to pick up Bhadra for some time at the range. Strangely enough, she seemed rather good at handling a gun. Amita never let her hold one so she didn't know if she could use it to great effect, apparently Bhadra proved them wrong.
Ajay hung the wriggling bag that held Gulo the entire day on the porch, he had thrown in a chuck of meat to feed it while it was still captive and the bugger burped with satisfaction. It still struggled though.
"We're brought food back! Saras, Maya?"
Saras had yet to return from her job, in the first place she was never supposed to return to the house when the day was over. A note she left on the table confirmed that. At least she was doing her job, Ajay thought.
"Can I leave you to prep the dishes while I go check on Maya?" Bhadra nodded her head and went to work with the reheating of the food and setting the dishes.
(Knock) (Knock)
"Maya, you in?"
There was no reply so he knocked again.
"Maya, you awake?"
This time there was a soft moan in pain, which made Ajay extremely anxious.
"I'm coming in, alright?"
He opened the door to her room and found the place to be in a mess, but she was still inside and lying in the bed.
"Maya, you alright?"
She was breathing heavily while her eyes were close from having a terrible nightmare. Ajay had a suspicion so he reached his hand out and touched her forehead.
His hand burned to the touch, it was as he suspected.
"Bhadra, looks like it'll just be us eating. Maya has a fever."
"Oh- ok!"
Ajay went to retrieve ingredients from the pantry and begun making something for her.
"Ouch!" Ajay received a kick from Bhadra to the shin.
"Did you forget the one golden rule? My kitchen, my rules! You're making porridge, right? I'll do it, make sure she's hydrated and cool." Bhadra took total control over the situation, she seemed to have experience in the matter, probably with Amita.
"Yes, ma'am." Ajay responded and went to do just that.
He returned to Maya's room with a bucket of cold water and a towel.
"Maya, I'm gonna give you a cold wipe down."
"…Mmmm…." She gave a weak response but acknowledge nonetheless. Ajay positioned her to sit up right on the bed and took off her shirt and pants, stripping her down to her underwear and began wiping the sweat from her body with care.
"…Fssss…..cold….." She shivered from the sudden cold touch on her skin. She was surprisingly more sensitive than he thought.
"Just bear with it for a while, I'll make it quick." He did his best to finish the job and used a dry towel to remove the moisture from her washed skin. Throwing a towel over her shoulders to keep her warm as he went to her wardrobe to look for a pair of comfortable dry clothes. While he did that, he also pulled out new bedsheets and pillow cases to change out with her current dampened ones. He worked quickly to allow her to lie back down and by the time he did, she was in comfortable clothing and a dry bed.
Ajay made her drink warm water from a jug he brought to hydrate her for the night. Was she like this the entire day, how could he have missed this? She was suffering in an internal prison all this time while they were all out working.
Ajay got up from her side and walked out of her room.
"I'm sorry…."
Ajay walked along the corridor to the kitchen to see if there were any herbs he could pound into a quick remedy.
"I'll be almost done, whatcha doing?" Bhadra inquired his search through the pantry.
"Making an old recipe I learnt a while ago."
"Hmmm….." She seem to let him do his thing as she had the porridge to attend to and she couldn't let it burn while she didn't watch over it.
In his time in Kyrat, Ajay had learnt all sorts of herbal concoctions from herbalists, Sherpas and witch doctors. Everything using the natural flora and fauna found in the land itself, he also knew a few formulas for combat. One to increase his hunting perception, stamina, endurance to pain and many more. But he also learnt important medicinal remedies in the event he caught a fever like Maya presently or anti-bodies against neuro-toxin from the many venomous creatures and plants of Kyrat.
The pantry had a few flower buds and seeds which his took, his bag also had some of the more critical plants which he always collected for contingency and there so happened to be one right now.
"All done!" Bhadra declared as she lifted the claypot onto a tray, Ajay came over to her as she was on the way to Maya's room.
"I'll take it, I don't want the possibility of you catching the fever."
"Mmmm, not being able to go out with Arita and the girls would be bad, ok!" She passed the tray of food willingly.
"Good choice. You should grab a bit before the food gets cold."
"Oh yeah!" Ajay had reminded her they had yet to eat, she went to reheat the food once more.
Ajay returned to the room with the plain porridge and a remedy stirred into some hot water for her to drink after her meal.
"Maya, get up and eat." Maya was still in the weaken state that he found her in, for some reason it pained for him to see her unwell.
"I'll feed you, so let's get you seated upright shall we?" Ajay reached out and pulled the pillows from the side to put behind her back to raise her from incline. He gently blew on a spoonful and fed her one mouthful at a time, he did it patiently as she took a considerable time to swallow her food but swallow nonetheless.
Somehow the feeling reminded him of the time he fed his mother as she lay in the bed weakly after chemo-therapy. The feeling brought painful emotions back from the recesses of his memories. It was one of the few times he actually spent time with her when he grew older, he had to admit he was a real jerk back then. A rebellious little twat who was oblivious to those he hurt around him, his mother, his ex-girlfriend who stayed with him for so long until she finally gave him up and left for Southern California. Then there was Pagan, Yuma was right about what he did, Pagan's love for his mother allowed Ajay to do as he pleased in Kyrat. And so Ajay destroyed Kyrat and got what he deserved from Sabal. No. Death was still a luxury he couldn't afford, fate gave him a second chance to save Kyrat and all the innocent lives at stake. Ajay would gladly do it even if it meant trading his life for their happiness.
"…..Ajay…"
Maya's weak call broke him from his line of thought.
"Uh- Yes?" Ajay promptly responded to her request.
But instead of saying anything she reached her hand out and touched his face.
Wiping a tear from his eyes. "Huh?- I'm sorry, was I just showing you something you didn't need to see from me?" Ajay quickly wiped his eyes as he laughed.
"Thank you….. Ajay….. You don't know….. how much pain….. I was in….. just now." She smiles weakly, Ajay held her hand with both of his.
-No. Thank you, Maya. For giving my pathetic life meaning.-
David adjusted his radio to the frequency that was linked to Perkins group which was gathered at the outskirts of the town.
"Hunter-Actual testing, how copy?"
*Roger, Hunter-Actual. Hunter-One reads you loud and clear! Over.* Sergeant Perkins responds on the other side.
David had divided the team into two groups, ten went with Perkins to strike the factory while the remaining nine followed him in assassinating Badala.
They donned their black face masks and night-vision goggles. Cocking their rifles and rechecking their additional magazines. They were ready.
"Hunter-Actual to Hunter-One, what's your current position? Over."
*Hunter-Actual, we've reached the hundred-yard mark from the compound, security in sight. Awaiting orders. Over.*
David's plan was simple, when Perkins hit the Arsenal he'd alert the guards and QRF to the Arsenal while they'd take the opportunity from the Royal Army focusing on the attack on the Arsenal to kill Badala while he was probably sleeping. As for the Tarun Matara, he decided against bringing her. He refused to risk the safety for his men just for the convenience of Sabal and Willis, if they question him why then so be it. The girl could take care of herself or there would be people here that would see to it, it was up to the Golden Path to see how they could recover her.
Perkins was just waiting for his go ahead to move onto the Arsenal.
"Hunter-One, you have the greenlight. Go get'em!"
Author's notes:
The use of the word "Stronghold" as opposed to "Fortress" like it says in the game. Around Chp 4 i forgot, that the four fortresses were called fortress and not stronghold. But as time went by with more fortresses mentioned it sounded nicer with the name to call it Stronghold.
I.e. Fortress Ratu Gadhi to Ratu Gadhi Stronghold
Fortress Baghadur to Baghadur Stronghold
If you don't agree please, comment so I may change it.
