The Swarm

ARC 4 - Part 18: Shoot to kill

ARC 4: ESCAPING SANDTON

PART 18

Shoot to kill

Zola tightened his grip on his gun and pulled it out, as the soldier got closer. His slow and cautious footsteps were no match for the racing heart in Zola's chest. 

He looked at Neo and Yuri with his gun out, and Neo widened his eyes in horror when he saw it. Neo quickly shook his head, telling Zola not to shoot the soldier. Zola furrowed his eyebrows at him and slumped his shoulders in defeat. 

If he doesn't fight back, he will die, along with everyone else around him; the poor man who left his family in Japan, who are still longing for his return; the woman whose children are worried sick in Cape Town, longing for her return. 

The poor children, University students whose parents probably didn't sleep the previous night, waiting for their return. Puleng, her mother cried her eyes out, she couldn't wait for her daughter's return, and it's probably the same for Neo.

"Squad six, do you copy?", The soldier said.

"Yes, we copy, Mageba, what's your status?", A voice from the radio said.

"There's possible life around this area. Spread out and search for any living thing, and shoot to kill; I repeat, search for any living thing and shoot to kill."

"Copy that.", A loud static sound echoed throughout the alley, and the soldier walked closer.

Zola decided that he had no choice but to fight fire with fire. There was no way this soldier was going to show any mercy, he was going to shoot to kill. 

He peeked out and noticed that he had a giant, Nanochip powered machine gun drawn out. This was the kind that blows up a person completely, leaving them as nothing but blood and chunks of innards. 

This was the gun they shot Dingaan with, a young University student who wasn't even a threat, left as a puddle of blood and innards painting the road.

Zola swallowed past the lump in his throat and closed his eyes shut. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing everyone around him explode; a loving father and husband explode, a mother explode, and children explode. 

All whose families had put their trust on the SANDF to bring them back home safely. But that SANDF was about to greatly let them down and become the reason why they are let down.

Zola knew he can't just jump in front of the soldier and shoot him, he would be blown up in seconds. Even if he didn't jump out and shoot while hidden, he would need to properly aim at him, and that could give away their hiding spot and get everyone killed.

He turned to look at Yuri and Neo again. Yuri was gesturing for him to calm down and put the gun away. Zola raised an eyebrow at him, as he slowly put his gun back. Yuri gave him a thumbs up and winked at him, smiling. 

That's when Zola realised that Yuri had a plan. He gestured for Zola to stay hidden, and he prepared to jump on the soldier, who was a few feet away from them.

A loud, metallic clang echoed throughout the alley, making everyone jump. A small, empty Sprite cold drink can rolled forward towards the soldier. 

It bumped against the front of his boot, before stopping completely after slowly rolling to the opposite direction. Surprised, the soldier lowered his gaze towards it. That was the moment Yuri jumped out of the corner he was hidden in. 

Before the soldier could lift his gaze, Yuri jumped on top of the trash container and flipped over his slightly hunched over figure and he landed right behind him. Before the soldier could react, Yuri had one hand over his mouth and him arm wrapped around his neck.