"They don't realize we're not pirates," flashes through my mind and in a second, the entire pit of my stomach fills with dread. If they fire those weapons, we'll all be dead in less than ten seconds and the only thing left for outsiders to identify will be the bloody streaks our bodies will leave in the sand once they're vaporized.
Khalid's men don't realize what's about to happen and continue to shout and cheer as I suddenly start wildly pushing my way through them and back toward the two-story building.
"They're friendlies on the ground!" I shout shouting madly at the top of my lungs. "Friendlies on the ground!" I know the pilots would never hear my frantic and desperate pleas, but I can't help it. I reach the doorway, charge inside, and up the stairs.
On my body armor, I always wear smoke grenades, flares, infrared strobe lights, at least half a dozen separate ways to signal a hovercraft from the ground. Now, I have nothing, except a single desperate attempt to show the attackers that we're not a threat. I leap past the dead body of the Militia Leader, climb up onto the railing, and start flailing my arms back and forth toward the sea.
"WAVE OFF!" I scream as loudly as I can. "WAVE OFF!"
The hovercraft are now less than a mile out and any second their cannons and rockets will blaze to life, turning this entire place into ash. I stare out at the two attack ships, flying perfectly straight and level, their courses remaining hopelessly unchanged.
" ! WAVE OFF!" I keep screaming as I still wave my arms like a psychotic person. Half a mile out now. They're in prime weapons range and still show no signs of disengaging. I hold my arms above my head, close my eyes and wait for death. I could try to hide inside the building, but these thin mud brick walls would stop the armor piercing shells about effectively as tissue paper, and besides, Khalid's men are in the open. If I'm one of their tribe now, I'll die with them. I just wish the authorities back in the UDP won't have to revise their previous announcement to Clint and Aurora and tell them that I was a victim of senseless friendly fire.
"I'm sorry Clint. Take care of Rori. And baby, just know that Mommy will always love you…" I say under my breath. Tears manage to find their way out through my clenched eyelids even though they're sealed shut. The rounds are hypersonic, and I'll be a pile of goo before I even hear the blast…but nothing comes. I finally get the courage to open my eyes just as the first of the two hovercraft shoot straight over me, low enough for me to read the registration number on the bottom of the hull.
"Haha!" I actually laugh out loud for joy as the second hovercraft screams over the top of me. The wind knocks me backwards off the railing, but I catch myself on my feet and lean out from the balcony just in time to see the pair make a sharp turn through the air and circle around to get a better look. "That's right!" I shout back up at them over the deafening roar of their engines. "I'm here you beautiful bastards!" I don't think I've ever been so happy to see the Seal of Panem staring back at me in my life. They pass by low and slow and I see the face of the pilot, shielded behind the black visor of his helmet get a good look and then say something into his headset. I'm smiling so wide now he must see it because he immediately offers a sharp salute to me through the cockpit glass which I cannot help but return. Khalid's men stare up at the two flying machines as if they were some kind of miraculous angels sent from heaven…which in a way…they are.
"That's my tribe!" I shout down to them, giddy as young schoolgirl. They can't help but to keep laughing and cheering as they see my excitement build and build.
The two attack hovercraft instantly begin to circle around the entire pirate base, pulling security for what comes next.
Six troop hovercraft rapidly approach in from the west and join the attack hovercraft circling low around the pirate base. I instantly choke up as I recognize the distinctive markings on their hulls because I supervised their loading onto the transports back in District 2 myself: "Screaming Mockingjay," "Dirty District 11," "Reaping Day…" they're all there and ready to fight.
"GET SOME GUNSLINGERS!" I shout up at the sky as I gaze up at them. The gunners manning the machine guns in the side hatches of the hovercraft start to wave furiously as they recognize me standing at the balcony. Then, all the training I made the soldiers suffer through pays off as the hovercraft land in a perfectly spaced circle around the compound. They kick up huge clouds of blinding brown dust, drop their ramps, and a hundred Gunslingers in full combat gear come streaming out onto the sands of Tripolitania. The hovercraft that lands nearest the docks gets my particular attention. I spot the large frame of the first soldier to hit the ground…it's Bixby…and somewhere in the last few days, he's found his command presence.
He directs the movements of the men perfectly, directing them into positions of overwatch and security like a true professional.
"I guess I can take a break, Sir," I think with a grin. "Looks like you've got this."
I slowly make my way back down the stairs and back out onto the sand. By that time, Bixby and his security detail have made their way up to the ragged and bewildered band of Khalid's men. I start laughing out loud again when I recognize the private standing next to him. It's Sparx, the soldier who I chewed out in my office for falling out of the battalion run that Bixby later accused of being "dead weight." No one can deny the kid looks like a professional now. He's perfectly decked out in his black body armor, helmet, and carrying his weapon like he's had it all his life.
Bixby's faces instantly changes as he sees my figure emerge out of the smoking flames of the compound. In fact, his face turns so white, it looks like he's seen a ghost…a blood-spattered, exhausted ghost, who has a native headscarf wrapped around her neck, dark circles under her eyes, and who's hair looks like she just escaped from a wind tunnel.
"You see, Sir," I say with a giant smile as I hold up my crimson hatchet. "I told you I used this all the time," I laugh once more as I return it to my belt. Bixby is totally speechless for a good half a minute as he attempts to process what he's seeing. It's just long enough for me to pull the dead guard's cigarettes out of my pocket, light one up, and take a deep drag. "Oh God," I say as the familiar feeling hits my veins. "That's good…"
"You did all this?" he gasps at me.
"Well, I had a little help from the locals," I say pointing at the tribesmen around me. "They're very accommodating once you get to know them."
"But you're supposed to be dead…" Bixby manages to get out through his shocked expression.
"It's ok, Sir," I say walking up to him and patting him on the shoulder. "We all make mistakes." He is still speechless as I introduce him to the rest of Khalid's men, briefly describe what happened to me since the downing of the transport, and our actions here before his stunning, if not timely, arrival. When we're done, I insist we give Khalid's men a ride back to their encampment. It's not right that they be forced to march another day through the searing desert. Bixby, still barely able to string together a coherent sentence, agrees. When I finish making sure all the tribesmen are safely aboard the hovercraft and inform the pilots where to make a quick stop to pick up the camels at the oasis, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see my battalion commander and he's smiling wider and more sincerely than I ever thought possible for him.
"Olivia," he says not letting go of me. "You're more incredible than even the stories they tell about you." Normally, I would just sigh sarcastically and shrug off a moment like this, but I don't detect any insincerity or malice in his words. He is genuinely grateful his Command Sergeant Major has come back to him and I actually blush at the compliment.
"Thank you, Sir," I say gently removing his hand. "But it was my mission."
"No, no…it was so much more than your mission. I'm going to put you in for the Cross of Valor for this one." I just shake my head and muffle a final laugh.
"No thank you, Sir," I say shaking my head appreciatively. "I've already got one."