Chapter 14
It had taken them three days to cross the open grass plains, avoiding the local wildlife had been a hassle during the journey subtly reminding Ken of the time Joe competed in the race across Africa. Only the wildlife had been Galactor mecha trying to disrupt the race, he remembered how Joe isolated himself for weeks after the death of Lucy. Jun eventually managed to drag him out of his state of depression because he couldn't save Lucy.
Jafaru offered him some stale bread, Ken took it because it was the only food they had in truck besides some crackers and cheese. Fortune for them they had a good supply of water.
Ken looked at the fuel gauge. "We're almost out, with one reserve." He indicated.
"According to this map, we're almost there." Jafaru's accent had changed over the past day Ken noted with a raised eyebrow.
Jafaru didn't miss his quizzical brow.
"The accent just made me fit in more with the rebels- I was educated at Oxford University…England. I came home to Chad to try and make a difference, helping the environment, finding ways with the ISO to grow crops with very little water." His face dropped, "I met Aziza my wife in a small village… she had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, she was washing clothes in bucket…I felt draw to her like a magnet, and she spoke to me in perfect English…I was thrown out by it and she laughed…smart woman." He sighed at a memory, and then looked back at his map. "Do you have a family Ken?" He asked.
"We have to capture Count Blue. I want to find out about his operation." Ken said avoiding the question and stopping the truck at the bottom of a small hill. He jumped out and took out the binoculars he found in the glove box.
Crawling up to the crest of the grassy hill with Jafaru beside him he looked through the binoculars. The plains ended not far from the other side of the hill. From his magnified view he could see activity further out in the red desert in front of him. The towering hills looked like and after thought on the flat plain surrounding them.
"It looks like that's the meeting point." Ken observed. "I see three trucks, with the canvas pulled back." Swinging the binoculars around he spotted someone that stood out among the crowd of military men.
A crop of shoulder length white hair was all he could see, and a long dark cape with colours washed through it.
"Turn around…" Ken scolded the man through his binoculars. Instead he walked away from him with his long cape kicking up dust and surrounded by guards towards the hill close by and into what looked like a cave.
"We can't drive in closer, they'll not only hear us, but see us as well." Ken told Jafaru.
"Figures, this whole area is hostile like you wouldn't believe. The plains make this ideal for a weapons exchange, no place to hide extra troops." Jafaru indicated with a wave of his hand.
"Lets go, we can sneak in closer and get a look at this guy, I bet he has more trucks and troops on the other side of that hill." Ken said taking one last look before they began to make their way in closer on foot using the odd tree and large rocks for cover. The main enemy Ken figured was the burning sun above them. He adjusted the camouflage cap on his head. The only real protection he had from the burning sun.
Drawing closer he heard some of the conversation between the troops on watch. The rebels were late and Count Blue didn't appear happy about it, from what he understood of their conversation.
They were just about to knock out the guards and steal the uniforms when Ken heard an explosion close to the hill. Cursing he pulled Jafaru behind him and they took cover next to one of the trucks.
Ken gritted his teeth in seething anger when he spotted the man dressed in black on the hill aiming a hand held rocket at the cave entrance Count Blue walked into.
"Not this time damn it." He snarled spotting the hand held rocket launcher in the back of the truck. Count Blue looked prepared at least for any hostiles he might encounter Ken thought as he grabbed it and quickly loaded it with a rocket aimed it at the man dressed in black on the hill.
"I want Count Blue alive and this is for pissing me off…" Ken mentally shouted at his shadow while he pulled the trigger and the rocket left for its target. The force of the rocket launching threw him onto his back.
Ken watched it explode not far from the familiar man, sending him sprawling down the hillside. Ken thought for a moment he might have killed him since he disappeared in a cloud of dust and debris. Joe would have acted that way Ken thought. It did feel good just to pull the trigger and not think about, but wasn't a habit Ken wanted to develop.
"Whoever that guy was, he's one trigger happy bastard did you get my message?" Ken swore shaking his head and letting out a long breath, this manic and Joe had a lot in common he thought of the irony of it, and for once he almost smiled at Joe's memory and the male brotherly bonding times they had even in the mist of war.
Jafaru began pulling on his sleeve and pointing out further into the desert plain. "Yeah I bet that guy just shit himself seeing that rocket coming straight for him. Looks like they have company…" Jafaru casually said.
Ken watched the chaos breakout around them. He looked over plains past Jafaru's pointing finger to see a contingent of army vehicles heading straight for the temporary camp.
"They're not the rebels with the weapons for Count Blue, that's the opposition." Jafaru informed him. "Looks like they decided to crash the party."
"Shit," Ken swore under his breath, he couldn't see Count Blue anywhere. The soldiers didn't seem to notice them as they ran towards the trucks.
Ken's lips drew into a smirk. "They think those other rebel's shot at the hill…Good it works to our advantage."
Taking advantage of the chaos around them Ken and Jafaru began to make their way towards the cave.
The sudden gush of gusting wind and dust made him stop in his tracks as three helicopters lifted off the ground from just behind the hill. The smaller one had a man with white hair Count Blue. The men left piled onto the trucks, Ken and Jafaru took cover close to the hill.
Two of the larger choppers with soldiers hanging out the sides headed towards the approaching army. Ken could tell what Count Blue must have ordered. He was giving the men on the ground a chance to escape.
"Lets go." Ken ordered Jafaru. "Count Blue just flew off into the sunset."
Ken never felt so angry- he wanted to find that moron who had been following him and punch him hard in the mouth for his interference. No one had infuriated him like that since the day he had tried to get Joe to tell him why he missed several easy targets and they ended up in fight over it.
Waiting for the first opportunity they could get they bolted towards the truck they had left. Ken would find a way of picking up Count Blues trail again…
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Jun looked up the stairwell that led to the loft it looked like such a long hike. The weeks seemed to be getting longer, and she couldn't wait to get her body back to normal.
She could feel the aching in her back and legs, she had no choice but to walk up the stairs, and the stairs always made it worse. Taking a deep breath she began to climb them slowly, she put a hand on her huge stomach, the baby had been kicking her hard for almost and hour. After what seemed like a lifetime she reached the top of the stairs.
A mild pain went through her abdomen. That had happened about half an hour before Jun noted. I could mean anything she figured. Stopping to catch her breath she looked at the walking machine.
"I'm over doing it…" She muttered. "I have to close the Snack J for a while."
Jun had put it off for as long as she could, but the inevitable was approaching and she knew she couldn't keep pushing like she had been for the past few months.
Waddling to her bedroom Jun almost jumped in without taking off her clothes, it just looked so inviting and she felt so tired and sore. Heart burn had plagued her at night since she became so big in the last month, and the baby liked to kick her at all times of the night waking her at odd hours.
"Can you let me get some sleep tonight?" She pleaded looking down at her abdomen.
Her answer was just a subtle kick.
Struggling into her maternity nightdress Jun finally climbed into bed, hugging the long pillow she used to support her abdomen and fidgeted to get comfortable. Jun tried not to let herself become to attached to this baby. She often tried to think of it as a growing foetus. Closing her eyes tight she ignored the little kicks that had become softer.
Sleep…she needed to get some sleep.