THE LAST INSURGENT

Sixteen

"Peace be upon you, Mufty." Bamba said, "Who has not heard about you in our great family? It is an honour to meet you."
"Get up and cover your piggish body!" Mufty said with a stern face. Leena had never seen him smile but there was a fierce note in his eyes that radiated danger which she had never seen.
"Mufty, I am Bamba of Harabul kusum. Why are you doing this? What os going on here?"
"I am taking her with me."

"They are from Al-bait. Jahl sent them and they are headed for......"
"Get up Leena." Mufty said. "We are leaving."
She sprang up with alacrity, wiped off her face and felt as if she was just given the chance to go back home. Being with Mufty was better than being with any insurgent.
"Mufty, we are brothers."
"Why are you keeping her here? Was she sent to you?"

"No. I saw a vision and god told me that she is mine."
Mufty had expected what Bamba tried to do. He wanted to raise an alarm. Mufty sent a powerful kick and the crashed his Timberland onto his neck. That was a professional move. Bamba could not shout. He whimpered in pain. Held his neck and wriggled on the floor.
"Close your eyes Leena." Mufty said.

"No, please, mufty. Don't do it. I will let her go. I am a muslim brother. Muslims don't kill muslims."
"Tell me where it is written that muslims should kill non-muslims. Tell me that you select when you detonate bombs. We are deserve death. You, me and all the enemies of God and Islam that call themselves jihadists in this act of brutality."
"Are you really Mufty?"
"You will find out in your grave."

Mufty put the barrel of the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Leena was terrified at the sound. She was witnessing the second murder in two days. First it was Bamba who killed a girl. Now he was killed too but she his death as a justifiable homicide.
She opened her eyes and saw Bamba's big shapeless body lying in a pool of blood.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.

"Thank you." She said.
He did not reply her. He just wore that stern expression he always had.
"We leave now."

"Okay...."
He studied her.
"What is wrong?"
"I was nearly killed. I was thrown into the river and a girl saved me. I wish she could be saved. She
has a child...."

"Enough. Come with me."
She followed him. It was ten she saw three dead bodies on the ground.
She did not know that Mufty who was an insider and had information about the place had being there since in the afternoon.

After Jahl asked him to go look for the men who were missing, and he killed the man who was with him, he began to pursue the bus.
He knew he would not meet up with them but he knew exactly where they were going.
"Come with me." He said.
They walked briskly to the hall where the girls were kept captive.
Leena screamed as she saw a man with a gun. She had cringed and began to shiver. It was the man who had thrown her into the river.

"It is okay." Mufty said. "He is with me."
"He is the man who tried to kill me." she said.
"I know. There is a misconception." He said and to the man, "Jalla, open the door."
"Yes, sir."
He fired two shots and the door was opened. Beside the building were the bodies of the gunmen.

Mufty had taken down six of them; Jalla shot and killed four while Hudu, Jalla's friend watched.
Leena could not understand how Jalla came into the picture. But what did she understand about these people.
The only person she trusted was Mufty.

Mufty went inside after wearing a mask and saw the ashen-faced girls wore.
"Who are the so-called wives of Bamba?"
Two young girls stood up. Mufty felt his heart breaking as he looked at them.
"He is dead. I just killed him. Will you like to observe iddah?"
"No!" They said in unison. Jalla chuckled.

"Okay, come with us."
The girls did not hesitate or wonder who he was. They just felt anything was better than staying here.
Leena saw Aisha and hugged.