Tom was dazed. They were all in shock. He looked across at Lela who seemed to be in a similar daze. Chen seemed OK but Mia did not look good. He looked around and saw the soldiers for the first time. They had obviously come over to check they were OK but why were they pointing their guns at them?
Lela looked up. This was not good. These guys did not look in the least concerned about them. In fact, they looked animalistic, as if they were hungry and the four of them were on the menu.
Lela and Tom were not sure who fired first but as they heard gunfire, Chen screamed.
“DOWN, GET DOWN NOW!!”
Three of the soldiers were firing at two shadows behind them in the compound and before anybody knew what was happening, bullets were flying everywhere. They ricocheted off of the cart and Tom pulled Mia to safety behind the cart. She was still unconscious and Lela checked whether she was still breathing, she was.
“What the hell’s this?” asked Tom, more to himself than to anyone else.
“Just keep your heads down!” said Chen.
The twins had watched in horror as the cart careered towards the gates. They followed the cart through the gates and in a fraction of a second, understood what was happening. Their mission orders were clear. This new situation called for change. The surveillance phase was over and the shoot-to-kill policy was now in force. The twins moved against their targets.
Schmidt was dumbfounded at what had happened. Everything had been going perfectly when all of sudden, gunfire started. He had not realised that his men were firing at shadows. In any event, they had missed and he now stood alone facing the two men who had just massacred nine of his colleagues.
The twins’ targets were in danger and new rules applied. This was no longer a surveillance exercise but a protection mission with extreme prejudice.
Schmidt raised his gun to shoot the two intruders but before he had the chance to pull the trigger, he fell to the ground, dead before he hit the rubble.
Chen was the most alert of the three.
“Who the hell are you guys?”
“The cavalry,” responded one of the twins as they both laughed. “OK, let’s go,” they commanded.
Before anybody had a chance to think, the twins ushered the three conscious children into the waiting helicopter. They were on their way within a minute and were a mile out to sea before the back-up team had arrived at the base.
With one twin flying the helicopter, the other checked on the children.
“Are you guys OK?”
“Yes thanks but what are you doing and where are you taking us?” asked Tom who had come to his senses.
“We’re getting you the hell out of dodge.”
“What?”
Lela was staring at the twin.
“Wait a minute, I know you.”
“She recognises us,” the twin shouted to his brother.
Tom looked at Lela strangely.
“Are you mad? Their faces are covered in camouflage, their own mothers wouldn’t recognise them.”
“That would be the same woman whose curry you would sell your granny for,” said Lela.
“What are you talking about? What’s your Aunt got to do with this?”
“Yep, Mum makes a mean curry,” responded one of the twins.
Lela hugged her cousin. She had not seen the twins since she was six. They had left to join the army and due to their extended duty had not yet returned. Kano and Kisho had always looked out for Lela and Tom on their holidays and it appeared that they still were. Tom took a closer look at Kano and recognised him under the camouflage.
“But what are you doing here?” Tom asked.
“Quite simple really. Saki did not want you two out of his sight. So, as he couldn’t come here himself, he arranged for his two favourite nephews to do the job for him. We had orders to ensure nothing happened to you. Should anyone make any attempt to harm you, we were ordered to intervene with whatever force was necessary. And just as well, huh?”
“God yes, thank-you so much! But how did he arrange it, I mean with the school and stuff?”
“He told us that it was a ‘condition’. That’s all he said.”
“Of course! His condition with Mr Mitcham,” replied Tom.
“I can’t believe what you did back there,” Chen interrupted.
“Just a few little tricks we learnt along the way,” said Kano.
“But you had them shooting each other, the speed at which you moved and the way you used your weapons. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What, you see lots of guys with weapons, do you?” asked Kano.
“No, of course not, I mean on TV,” said Chen.
“What about Mia? What happened? And why were you two screaming at each other?” asked Lela.
“I can’t remember what she was saying. I just remember trying to get her to turn or slow down and she seemed determined to get into the base,” said Chen.
“She must have been working with them,” said Kano. “It was all a set up. All the guards who are now on duty fell mysteriously sick before the crisis at the schools. We only got sick because we blagged a canteen off one of the bad guys. Mind you, it saved us from being sent to Paris.”
“Oh my God, it’s all connected! Kisho, where are you taking us?” asked Tom anxiously.
“I was going to go to the Airbase on the next island but quite frankly, I’ve got no idea who we can trust anymore. This bird is full to the brim and has all its auxiliary tanks so we’re heading for South Africa and getting the hell out of this area.”
“Good call. I need to call my dad, where’s my phone?”
Chapter 46
Ling had sent the signal just before the cart crashed to let Reaper know she had started.
Reaper contacted his team members. Everyone was in position and ready to go. He looked across at his communications man who gave him the thumbs up. He looked across at Leo who was on the phone, he signalled thumbs up. Donald was home and his helicopter had left.
Mr Sakamoto, Weadle and Ms Anderson arrived at the crash scene just as the helicopter was taking off. They looked on aghast at the devastation. Ten dead soldiers lay around the gate area. Other soldiers seemed to be running towards the boats and another two helicopters. Mr Sakamoto screamed across to a soldier as he ran by but the soldier ignored him and continued on his way to one of the waiting helicopters.
It was Mr Sakamoto who noticed the injured Mia first. Ms Anderson, previously a nurse, jumped into action. Mr Sakamoto sent Weadle to find someone who knew what was going on. As Ms Anderson tended to Mia, she began to regain consciousness.
“Mia, are you OK? What happened?” asked Mr Sakamoto.
“Mr Sakamoto, please give her a minute,” said Ms Anderson sternly.
“No, it’s OK,” said Mia weakly. “I’m not really sure, we were playing a game with Zach, Ahmad, Mingmei and
