Interrupted Journey

Chapter 6 - The Fist

As soon as the caravan was out of range, Laura posted another flag - yellow - 'I wish to be relieved at once'.

Twenty minutes later, we were back at the guard cottage with Mike and Laura. "What's up?" Mike asked.

"I'd like to request a couple of days leave of absence," Laura replied.

"Laura, you can't clean up all the garbage in the world," Mike told her.

"Just the bits that are thrown in my face," she answered grimly.

"I don't like you going out there on your own, and we can't spare one of the squad to go with you," Mike said.

Susan was still tidying away the emergency operating theatre she had set up at the first sound of alarm and I briefly met her eye. She gave me a nod of permission.

"I'll go with her," I said.

"What will Susan say about that?"

"Susan doesn't like it but she supports her husband," Susan said. "Evil like that must not be allowed to stand."

"And what will you do with the people you free?"

"We'll divide up the loot and send them on their way. If any want to come here, well... hopefully there share will be enough to buy their ticket in."

So, two hours later we were jogging down the valley in pursuit of the gang with nothing but murder on our minds. Laura had even borrowed Jimbo's best friend, the SA-80 L86A2 LSW.

We caught up with the group about dusk. They had reached the now-deserted village of Grasswell and had turned right onto the New Road towards Amberford. They were not difficult to find as they had lit a campfire in the middle of the road.

As night started to fall, we reconnoitered their camp. They had four sentries, two fixed and two roaming, and each team seemed to consist of one of the trusted 'bodyguards' and one spearholder.

The girls seemed to be doing most of the camp chores and then were bedded down together under the immediate supervision of the leader.

After inspecting the site, we backed silently away and set up our own, fireless, camp for the night.

The next morning was clear and cold - lovely weather for a massacre - and we worked our way into position before dawn. Laura had selected two separate firing positions. I was not happy about being on my own but she had decided we needed the crossfire. I waited for the signal that she was ready and then I took my first shot - aiming at one of the bodyguards with an AK.

Laura allowed me to do most of the shooting and I don't think many of them even realised she was there. She simply eliminated any of the defenders who managed to find effective cover with respect to my position.

At one stage there was a half-hearted charge by a mixed group of bodyguards and spear holders but as soon as we killed the bodyguards, the spear holders turned and fled. One of them, I noticed, was shot by their leader as he did so.

It was all over within about three minutes and we cautiously advanced, removing firearms from those who had them and, in Laura's case, casually breaking the necks of the wounded. In the centre of the camp, one of the slaves, a tall girl, was ineffectually kicking and thumping the body of the caravan leader who was already in significant trouble with a sucking chest wound.

"Hang on a minute," Laura said and removed the pistol that was still in the man's hand. When she had done that, she handed one of the spears to the girl. "Try this," she said and the girl started jabbing at the dying man with evident satisfaction.