And The Struggle Continues.
Author Chick's Notes: Disclaimers are in chapter 1.
Blah Denotes spoken Arabic.
{Blah} Denotes spoken Spanish.
And The Struggle Continues.
They had just crossed the river into Mexico as dawn began to break. On the horizon they could see a fierce storm ravaging the countryside and heading north of their position. The look outs would head to the cache site first, followed by the other's when they gave the signal to move in.
Torpedo, who had slept most of the trip down, drove the smaller truck carrying himself, Stalker, Imani, Low Light and Sci-Fi. Sci-fi rode shotgun so he could provide Torpedo with the exact coordinates of the cache. "Okay, we're about a mile out now. The stash is in that direction, and according to the computers it's underground. So we should be able to spot if Edgewood and his cronies have show up yet." Sci-Fi stated as Torpedo pulled to a stop.
"This is your stop Stalker. Make your way towards the bunker, but keep an eye out!" Sci-Fi ordered as the Ranger left the vehicle. Low Light was the next to be dropped off, followed by Sci-Fi. Torpedo and Imani would part ways at the next stop so she could watch the horizon for any signs of invasion and Torpedo could make his way to the cache.
The sun had risen over the high desert as Torpedo stopped the truck and he and Imani got out. Imani was setting up her surveillance equipment when something caught her eye. "So beautiful." She gasped.
Torpedo looked to where the storm was and saw what had entranced Imani. "I told you dey were a sight for behold." Torpedo smiled at the petite woman. "Vivid and beautiful and occasionally associated wit danger if dey are seen in a bad storm."
Imani watched the light dance around the colourful rainbow for a few more moments before returning to the task at hand. "That's what your nickname for me means?" She asked as she watched Torpedo get ready to hike for the cache.
"Dat's it little anuinui." Torpedo said, tousling her bangs before taking off.
"Go safely." Imani muttered as she watched him leave. I hate when he does that. She cursed in Arabic. Reaching a hand up to straighten her hair out, she peered through her scope. Where are you jackal? She muttered as she scanned the horizon.
Imani listened in as Stalker, Low Light and Torpedo called in their findings to Sci-Fi. "Okay cool. Stalker, you should be within a half mile of the thing. If you don't see a big hole in the hillside there, odds are they haven't reached it yet." Sci-Fi replied.
"Either that, or they're waiting for us to show up." Low Light added.
"Or that. Thank you Mr. The glass is half empty." Stalker retorted.
Imani ignored the banter as she watched the horizon. She saw a flash of brilliant light and blinked. Focusing her gaze on the spot where she saw the flash, she willed for it to reappear. It did. "I see something about three miles out." She said. "Coordinates one seven three, mark five." She added, reading the gauge on the scope.
Sci-Fi turned his scope in the direction Imani had just repeated and tried to spot what she had seen. "Got it!" He replied when he too saw a flash of light. "Looks like a solo vehicle." He stated. Sci-Fi looked behind him to where the sun still rose and figured he'd be able to make it out before Imani could see it clearly from her position. "It's still to far out though to be sure."
Imani watched the spot where the flash had occurred when it suddenly darkened around her. Looking up she saw clouds move in front of the sun. "Move!" she ordered them. As if they had heard her, the clouds dispersed. Imani had already trained her scope on the spot the flash was coming from. The clouds moved out of the way completely and the flash returned, only much larger and brighter this time.
"Oh shit." Sci-Fi uttered. "We have us a party folks! Duke move in, there's several dozen vehicals heading this way. Low Light, Stalker, Torpedo? Find cover and fast until the rest of the gang shows up!" Sci-Fi ordered as he monitored the horizon.
"They aren't travelling in a single line, why?" Imani asked.
"Hang on a sec there, Honey." Sci-Fi replied as the first vehicle came into clearer view. "What the fu…?" Sci-Fi mumbled when he got a better look at the approaching horde.
"What is it Sci-Fi?" Duke asked as the main force moved in.
"They ain't COBRA. At least they don't look like it."
"How many are there?" The Baroness asked as her group took its position on a nearby hill.
"It's hard to make out with the sunlight reflecting off their windshields, but I'd say three dozen at least." Sci-Fi replied.
"It could be a ruse." Duke suggested over the net.
"Or Cinco de Mayo." Sci-Fi laughed. "They're most definitely not Edgewood and his thugs." He added as he got a clear view of passengers in the lead truck.
"Explain." Duke ordered.
"I can make out the insignia of the Coahuila guerrillas on the side of the head vehicle now." Sci-Fi replied.
"You sure it's the Coahuila?" Tunnel Rat asked over the net.
"Positive. I'd recognize it anywhere. We got them supplies a few times." Sci-Fi explained.
Tunnel Rat grinned and approached Duke. "Wanna give me five minutes with them?"
"Why?"
"Who do you think taught them?" Tunnel Rat asked. "I hooked up with them not long after the take over."
Duke thought the idea over for a moment before conceding to Tunnel Rat's request. "You have five minutes. If anything goes wrong we move in full tilt, got it?"
"Yeah." Tunnel Rat chirped as he took off down the hill towards the incoming horde.
He watched as the lead vehicle came within range. He grinned when he spotted the driver as the leader of the resistance group he'd joined up with after COBRA had taken over the world several years prior. {How's it going man?} Tunnel Rat greeted as the truck stopped and the leader got out.
{What are you doing out here all by yourself?} The gnarled man asked as he swept Tunnel Rat up in a bear hug.
{I ain't alone.} Tunnel Rat grinned, jerking a thumb behind him to where the rest of the force was waiting. {We came to find a supposed stash from the empire days in the area.} He explained.
{The medical supplies?} The guerrilla leader asked.
{You know of them?}
{Of course. The rumours are rampant down here!} The leader replied. {We came to see if we could get them and first and get them to Mexico City.}
{For a profit.} Tunnel Rat laughed.
{No profit, you know that.} The leader replied gravely. {No one has the money to afford anything now.}
Just out of site of Tunnel Rat and the guerrillas, Zap listened in on the conversation and translated it for Duke. "Tell him to ask if they've seen Edgewood." Duke told Zap. Zap relayed the request to Tunnel Rat's earpiece and waited.
Tunnel Rat cocked his head for a second before turning to the leader. {I don't know if you know this or not, but there are cells of COBRA resistance in the area, have you seen them?} He asked.
The leader leaned back on the hood of his old truck and howled in laughter. {We've seen them. That's why we came here to find their objective first.}
{Where?}
{We spotted them in Durango. They scattered like rats but we managed to get a few of them and make them talk.} The leader explained.
Tunnel Rat smirked. {Define, 'scattered', and 'a few'.}
{Scattered. As in they will take days to regroup, what's left of them. And a few as in thirty-eight.} The leader replied sarcastically.
{How many of those thirty-eight are still breathing?} Tunnel Rat asked.
{None of them. Why share the air we breath with them?} Tunnel Rat laughed at his friend's response.
Tunnel Rat listened in again as another request came over his earpiece. {Uh, 'El Gringo' says to say hi?} He repeated to the leader.
The leader stood upright from his leaning position and scanned the horizon. {El Gringo? He's here?}
{Yeah.}
The leader laughed. {That maniac is still alive! I figured COBRA would have caught him for all the stuff he stole from them!} The leader scanned the surrounding hills for any sign of the force he knew to be there. {Tell him to come down here so we can thank him properly for his weapons!}
Tunnel Rat rolled his eyes as 'El Gringo' made another request over the net. {Does it involve tequila?}
{Tequila? HA! We're talking a grand fiesta!}
Duke had heard enough to figure it was safe enough to expose his team. "Tunnel Rat? Tell them we're coming out now." Tunnel Rat relayed the information and the leader waved his hand.
"No problem." The leader spoke in English. "My men welcome fellow freedom fighters." He added before bellowing to the others gathered behind them that they were about to have a lot of company. {No weapons or fighting! They're friends!}
One of the men near the back jumped when the first of the group's new 'friends' appeared right next to him from the bushes. Stalker held his hands out to show he meant no harm to them. "Tunnel Rat? Where'd you learn to speak Spanish?" He asked his teammate as he walked over to him.
"Ah all my old girlfriends back in New York were Puerto Ricans. You pick it up real fast." Tunnel Rat waved off before introducing Stalker to the leader.
As the Joes joined the guerrillas on the flats, the leader scanned the crowd, trying to size them up and figure them out. He watched as three men came forward. The one dressed in black and silver stepped forward and held out his hand. "Hola. We're 'El Gringo'." Sci-Fi greeted the leader.
"Muchas gracias Señor!" The leader greeted. He began babbling away in Spanish before Sci-Fi held his hands up.
"Whoa! I know a handful of Spanish at best. And I don't have my translation program with me right now." Sci-Fi explained.
The leader laughed. "No problem amigo. I am Juan, these are my men who you helped supply. Thank you so much for helping us farmers fight for our lands." Juan repeated in English.
"I'm Sea, this is Tor and Chaz." Sci-Fi said, pointing to Tripwire and Chaz. "Together we make up 'El Gringo'. Or should it be El Gringos?" Sci-Fi laughed. "It's good to finally meet face to face." He added.
"It is." Juan agreed. "Now come. We came for the same thing." He stated.
Duke stepped forward then. "Hello Juan, I'm Duke. The leader of this operation." Juan nodded at Duke and waited for him to continue. "We came for the supplies hidden in the area to distribute to the rest of the world."
"As did we." Juan said. "We wanted to get to them first before the COBRA's and get them to Mexico City. The new council there would then decide what to do with them."
"So we have the same goal then?" Duke asked.
Juan narrowed his gaze at the much taller man. "We are farmers fighting for the right to live. Not mercenaries looking for profit." Juan's eyes bulged when the Baroness stepped forward to greet him. "You are the one! The lady who fought from within?"
"Yes." The Baroness replied. "And I would welcome your help in our current mission." She warmly extended. Juan accepted her hand as she held it out and kissed the back of it.
"We would be glad to help, Señora." He replied.
Later that evening the two groups had blended into one large force. They had set up camp near the cave the cache was stored in. The following morning they would begin breaking into it to get to the supplies hidden there and start dispersing them worldwide. Juan and his guerrillas had made good on their promise of a fiesta and they celebrated long into the night.
TBC…