PRIMAL Vengeance (3) (16 page)

       He turned to the SFF fighter acting as his signaller. "Bring the vehicles forward!" The man relayed his order over the VHF radio.

       In the wadi three kilometers to the south, the small convoy started up, leaving the concealment of the trees to rumble across the plain.

       Back on the hill, Bishop and Mirza continued to scamper between the groups of fighters, offering words of encouragement and advice.

       "Shorten your bursts."

       "Lift your point of aim."

       "Increase your rate whilst they reload."

       "Fire another rocket."

       For every passing minute their ammunition dwindled while the return fire from the village increased. In an effort to take cover the SFF fighters started to slide back over the crest of the hill, reducing their visibility and the effectiveness of their fire.

       Down in the village the Janjaweed fighters had formed a skirmish line. Using what they could for cover, they returned fire and started to bound forward. The sun was rising now and their shots became more accurate as the sky became light.

       The SFF convoy stopped at the other side of the hill; The Wildcat, two four-wheel drives and the UNIMOG truck. Jess was driving the PRIMAL vehicle. As the first men descended the hill she swung out of the cab.

       "Is anyone wounded?" the doctor yelled over the continuing gunfire from the cover group still on the hill.

       Men piled into the first vehicle, shaking their heads. "No, miss. Everything fine."

       She repeated the process as Garang and the main body of troops jogged down the hill and climbed into the UNIMOG.

       "Everyone is fine, woman," Garang yelled. "Get in the truck." He pushed her into the back of his Hilux as his driver started the engine.

       Mirza, Jonjo and Bishop were the last to withdraw. The two PRIMAL operatives sprinted across the hill just behind the ridge, placing book-sized objects into the ground as they ran. Jonjo covered them, laying close to the ground, firing at the advancing Janjaweed. Almost every shot missed as he snatched at the trigger, but it slowed the enemy's advance.

       "Jonjo, let's go." Mirza tapped the young fighter on the boot.

       They scrambled down the hill and leapt into the Wildcat. Garang and the rest of the men had already left and were a few hundred meters in front of them. Mirza swung the .50 cal machine gun to the rear of the ring mount, covering the hill behind them. Jonjo sat on the bench seats at the rear, the SA-18 placed on the other seat, his AK held at the ready.

       Bishop gunned the Wildcat and it churned the sand, bashing a path through the dry grass and shrubs as he followed the tracks of the rest of the convoy.

       In the turret Mirza pulled his iPRIMAL out of his vest and activated the detonator app. Four devices were active; he selected them all and touched the red fire button.

       The ridgeline disappeared in a cloud of dust as the custom directional mines exploded, thousands of pellets blasting into the advancing Janjaweed. The first line of raiders fell to the ground and the dust cloud covered the SFF withdrawal.

       In the Hilux, Garang sat in the tray beside Jess and other SFF soldiers. He grinned as the hill detonated. "Victory!" He pumped his fist in the air as the other men in the truck joined the chant. "Victory!"

       Jess sat in silence, the wind whipping at her long brown hair.

       Without warning, sounds like the beating of massive drums filled the air and gouts of dust intercepted the lead vehicle. Heavy caliber rounds smashed into it, tearing men apart and shredding the tray where they sat. The truck skidded to a halt as the rear axle detached from the chassis. A rocket streaked across the sky and exploded in the cabin, flipping the wreck and killing those who had survived the burst of machine gun fire.

       The helicopter gunship roared over the destroyed vehicle and swung around in a wide arc. Garang's driver swerved to miss the burning pickup and slammed into an ant nest hidden by the long grass. The mound of compact earth stopped the UNIMOG dead, sending the passengers flying.

       The panicked SFF pushed and shoved as they leapt out and scattered into the grass.

       Bishop took evasive action and skidded the Wildcat 180 degrees. Mirza opened up with the heavy .50 cal but the chopper was moving way too fast. It raced around in an arc, maintaining speed for the next pass.

       Jonjo jumped out, the SA-18 in his arms, running through the pre-firing drill that Mirza had taught him. He shouldered the long tube and activated the missile's seeker.

       The chopper had almost finished its turn, and the SA-18's heat-seeking warhead had a clear line direct to the hot engines. It picked up the thermal signature, announcing a lock with a high-pitched squeal.

       Jonjo took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened!

        The chopper was coming straight for him. He could see flashes as pod-mounted machine guns fired.

       He pumped the trigger franticly. Nothing happened.

       A hand reached over his shoulder and flicked off the safety bail.

       Explosions of dust tracked towards him as he squeezed the trigger. The rocket leapt skyward just before a body slammed into him, pitching him into the ground as heavy rounds cut through the air where he was standing.

       The pilot of the helicopter reacted on impulse, pushing the stick sideways as the missile streaked towards him. It flew directly under the helicopter at almost two thousand kilometers an hour. The proximity fuse registered the airframe and detonated a split second later. Fragmentation was thrown forward and out missing the helicopter. The blast damaged the tail rotor, sending the helicopter spinning sideways.

       Alarms wailed as the pilot fought to keep the aircraft in the air. Yang cooly adjusted the straps of his safety harness and gripped the sides of his seat, ready for the inevitable.

       To the pilot's credit, he managed to push the helicopter another two kilometers before he put it down. They slammed into the ground with a crunch forcing the control stick up and through the pilot's chest. Yang's seat collapsed, as it was designed to do, taking some of the force out of the impact. Despite the searing pain in his back, he managed to extract himself from the wreckage. As he made to abandon the ruined aircraft, the pilot lifted his head. Blood oozed from his mouth as he tried to talk.

       "Thank you for keeping me alive," said Yang in Mandarin. He drew his pistol and shot the mortally wounded pilot in the head. He limped from the wreck, making for the smoke of the burning village and the safety of Sagrib's forces.

       Back at the convoy, Mirza had lifted Jonjo from the ground and dusted him off. The young warrior had come away unscathed.

       Bishop picked them up in the Wildcat and drove up the track to the SFF vehicles.

       Jess was standing in shock, staring at the destroyed pickup, watching it burn. The air was filled with the stench of burning flesh, bodies cooking in the intensity of the fire. Fat dripped from exposed bones.

       "For fuck sake!" exclaimed Bishop. He grabbed her by the shoulders and bundled her into the back of the Wildcat. "Jonjo, talk to her. Now where the hell is Garang?"

       Bishop found him next to the Hilux. He was sitting in the grass, his fists clenched on his knees. He looked up as the PRIMAL operative approached.

       "Another seven men dead," Garang muttered. "The oil companies better come good on this, Aden."

       "There aren't going to be any oil companies if you don't get your men together. That helicopter isn't going to be here alone, Garang. More Janjaweed are on the way."

       The SFF leader said nothing. He dusted himself off and issued orders to his remaining fighters. The men, who had scattered into the grass, reappeared and piled back into the remaining vehicles. It was a far more subdued group of men that drove south.

Chapter 25

PETROCON Refinery, Kordofan District, Sudan

       "Sir, I have some unfortunate news. Someone is providing covert support to the rebels." Yang stood in the vehicle park of the refinery using his satellite phone.

       "Yes, continue," replied Zhu.

       "The Dinka have been armed with modern weaponry. Today they attacked the Janjaweed camp and destroyed most of their vehicles. They also shot down the helicopter."

       There was a pause as Zhu contemplated the information. "I should have anticipated this. It is possible that the CIA or MI6 have become aware of our activities and are attempting to balance the conflict. Do you think it is possible that this 'support' is coming from the same group involved in the destruction of the 'Tian Hai'?" The Chinese businessman's tone was flat, devoid of emotion.

       "It is possible."

       There was another pause. "Hmmm. Tell me, Yang, do you think that this venture is still economically viable? Can we still force the rebels south and secure the oil fields?"

       "The only thing stopping us is the Dinka rebels and we easily outmatch them. Even if the CIA is involved they can do little to stop us short of sending in the Marines."

       "There is no chance of that. In Africa the Americans are timid. They would not move without UN endorsement and our position on the UN Security Council precludes that."

        "If we can locate the Dinka base, we can crush them and guarantee success. The Americans would be powerless. Omar has many more men and equipment is cheap. We will quickly replace his losses. Our objectives can be achieved."

       "Excellent. Our intelligence has already located what they believe to be the rebel stronghold. As for manpower, I will speak to Omar and arrange for more of the Janjaweed to be sent south. Additional weapons and vehicles will also be made available. Is there anything else you will need?"

       "No Sir. I am confident that with this information we cannot fail. Sagrib is motivated towards the destruction of the Dinka, especially the one they call Garang."

       "Yes, Garang..." Zhu contemplated, "the American Dinka certainly leads me to believe that the CIA is involved. We cannot let them defeat us, Yang. Much is at stake. China needs oil to grow. Without it our great nation will wither like a plant without water."

       The call ended and Yang limped back to the accommodation. His back spasmed with pain as he walked. This mission had taken a harsh toll on his body; first the knife wound to his leg on the 'Tian Hai' and now his injuries from the helicopter crash.

       Yang clenched his jaw and his fists as he stiffly ascended the steps. He would make the men responsible pay, of that he was sure. This morning's convoy had already brought five of the new fast attack vehicles, shipped in from China, bristling with machine guns. With the other four-wheel drives and trucks Omar would send, the Janjaweed would regain their mobility. The SFF raid would have achieved nothing. Re-armed with vehicles, weapons and intelligence, Yang was sure Sagrib and his band of cutthroats would make short work of the Dinka.

Chapter 26

Chinese Fast Attack Vehicle

SFF Village, Abyei District

       It had taken two days for the beaten-up convoy to make its way back to the village. They had looped south making sure they crossed back over their own tracks to confuse anyone following them. Overnight they had hidden their vehicles on a thickly vegetated riverbank, half the men sleeping while half watched for the Janjaweed. At daybreak they had followed the river north, passed through the gap in the basin and driven into their home base.

       The men were exhausted by the time they arrived but Garang would not let them rest. They cleaned weapons and reloaded magazines as others pulled guard duty. Jess tended to the wounded and Garang disappeared into one of the huts. Sitting on his stretcher, he opened his notebook, adding the names of the men killed to his growing list.

       "No one tells you about this part," said Bishop from the doorway.

       Garang dropped the notebook on the stretcher. "We are losing more men than are arriving. Soon I will run out of fighters, and long before we defeat the Janjaweed."

       "More men will come; when word spreads of your victory then more of them will arrive."

       "Will it be enough? The Janjaweed are fanatics; they love to fight. My men are farmers and boys. They have had enough of war. I have had enough of war."

       "As long as the Janjaweed do not fear you, then you will have war. They will come and they will rape, murder and burn until you flee. Then they will chase you and take more. It will only end when we have defeated them."

       "We can't defeat them, Aden. There are too many. Up north where they live, there are thousands."

       "That's crap, Garang. Today you gave them a bloody nose. You smashed their trucks and shot down their gunship! Word of this will spread. Your army will grow and we will support you. The Janjaweed are bullies; hit them hard enough and often enough and they will break."