“We can’t capture any truck by force,” James said. “I have a plan. One of us can get inside the last truck in the line and knock the driver senseless, wear the driver’s clothes and get inside the Brentinute, unsuspected. Bingo!”
There was silence for a while. Then all started cheering and thumping James’s back.
“We did it!” Daniel cried.
“Not yet, we didn’t,” Lynx said, ending the celebration quickly. “We still need to decide what to do inside the Brentinute.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” The Scavenger rubbed his hands. “First tell me, Lynx. Do you have the details of the Brentinute? I mean, all the things inside it, every minute detail?”
Lynx nodded. “Obviously. I have scrolls and books having everything you need. Even information and details about the remotest and hidden areas.”
The Scavenger smiled. “Well, then, gentlemen, not to worry. I think I have a plan.”
“You have a plan?” James asked. He looked around. “Okay, I think we should start worrying.”
15
The Scavenger hung from the tree branch at the boundary of the town where the Brentinute was, swinging from it slowly. He was dressed in light armour. He needed to be light if he needed to run. He gripped the branch tighter as the sound of rumbling approached his ears. The trucks were nearing.
He went over the hastily made plan again, then prepared himself for what he was about to do.
The first of the trucks approached him. The Scavenger watched as the trucks passed over one by one.
The Scavenger started swinging himself as he noticed the last of the trucks in the distance. He gained momentum faster and faster. The last of the trucks approached nearer. The Scavenger had to get the timing right. He swung faster. Faster.
The truck got nearer. Nearer.
The Scavenger let go.
He flew through the air towards the truck’s side. For a split second, he thought he had miscalculated the distance. Fear overwhelmed him, but a second later, his feet struck the driver’s window and he smashed through into the truck.
Glass rained down inside and the driver glanced around in surprise. The Scavenger didn’t attack immediately. He had to wait for the driver to say something. The Scavenger needed to learn how the driver’s voice sounded.
“What the -” The guard couldn’t complete his sentence. The Scavenger’s punch rendered him unconscious in his seat.
The Scavenger quickly threw the driver to the seat on the side, and took control of the wheel. Then he waited for the right moment. There came a sharp right turn, and the entire convoy of trucks slowly started turning right. The Scavenger slowed his truck and waited for the truck in front to turn right.
As soon as it did, the Scavenger halted his truck. In a jiffy, he put on the driver’s clothes. The driver was completely unconscious.
The Scavenger threw the driver out of the left side window into the thick bushes and started the truck. As the Scavenger turned his truck right, his breath froze. The truck ahead of him had stopped. Its driver had come out and was waving for the Scavenger to stop. The Scavenger had no other option than to stop his truck.
The driver called out to the Scavenger. “You all right, Bones? Why did you stop at the turn? What happened?”
The Scavenger covered his face with a scarf and tried to remember the voice of the driver he had hit – Bones – and mimicked his voice perfectly. “I am okay. Don’t worry. The window glass cracked suddenly. I think it was an animal or something.”
“Yeah, well, take care. You sure you’re fine?”
“Sure as the sky,” the Scavenger said, trying to reassure the driver. “Let’s continue.”
The driver went back to his truck and recommenced his journey.
The Scavenger sighed in relief as he started his truck. The entrance to the Brentinute was very near, and the convoy had slowed down.
The Scavenger waited for things to proceed father.
The chief guard, Elvir, was relaxed at the sight of the last truck. The dreary work was almost over.
His men, who were all around, scurried to the truck and the driver jumped out. Bones. Elvir hated Bones. He didn’t know why, but everything about Bones seemed hateful. Bones was rude, careless and lazy.
“Hello, Bones,” Elvir called.
Bones turned towards him and approached him. He somehow looked different and seemed gentler.
“Hello, Chief.” Bones saluted him.
Elvir’s brows furrowed. In a typical day, Bones would refer to him as just ‘Elvir’ and would snap at him.
“How’s it going?” Elvir asked him. “Your scarf is impressive. Your ugly face looks better with it.” Elvir laughed sarcastically.
Bones shrugged. “Thanks for the compliments, Chief.”
“Oh.” Elvir was becoming suspicious. Bones’ manner had changed completely. He was usually snappy and irritated, but now he was gentle and seemed happy.
“Have you had any medication, Bones?” Elvir asked.
“No, not at all,” Bones said. “What makes you think so?”
Meanwhile, the guards signalled green after checking the truck and finding nothing suspicious.
“Just get the hell out of here,” Elvir rebuked Bones as he signalled his men to allow the truck to pass through the gates.
The Scavenger felt like screaming with joy, but he held on to his emotions. He slowly drove the truck inside the Brentinute as the gates closed behind him.
The Scavenger sighed with relief as he pulled over his truck to the side, where other trucks were getting unloaded. A few people approached his truck and started unloading.
Thoughts were running fast in his mind. The first stage of his plan was complete. Now for the second stage – to disable the traps and the security cameras from the control room.
He looked to his right and saw a paved cemented path leading to a wall that took up the whole area horizontally. There were a lot of doors built into it.
The Scavenger had minutely planned the details with Lynx. He counted the third door
