LEOPARD: THE ENEMY WITHIN

Operation beyond the border.

Flash called us. He was busy on his laptop. Forty people were in that compound. We were to grab her, walk the two kilometres to the plane and out. Easy.

It was time. We were going down on parachute. I hated it. Spider called me, asked if I needed to go down with him. I nodded. We all got ready to jump, Spider fastening me onto himself.

We were last to jump, Flash insisted. It was barely 8 PM but it was a stormy night. Dark, really dark. I could see flashes of lightning in the horizon as we went down.

Spider whispered, asked me to take it easy. He pulled out the parachute then I could breathe as we drifted down. From my ear piece, I could hear the rest.

Flash had landed. Pea had landed. Five more had landed. Sly landed. Spider and I added.       

By the time we folded the parachute, ten people were dead already. Flash knew her location so Spider and I stood guard with Pea, Flash and China.

Flash was busy hacking into the lady’s computer. Peace was to grab her while the others would cover the exit.

Everything was quiet. The majority of those remaining in the compound were women and children. I heard Flash curse. Peace was in our ears. The lady didn’t want to leave. We heard her urge her. Nothing.

Lwanda got tired of it, knocked out the lady and carried her. They were out soon enough. We moved fast, Lwanda carrying the lady across his shoulders like she was light. Flash still typed away as we walked.        

We got to the plane to find the pilots dead. China went in first and dashed back out. That was an ambush. Flash went in to bring the beast to life while Lwanda followed in with the lady.

I looked around and found a spot. Flash let us know there was movement. Pea went to the entrance, elevated herself and held her rifle. Twenty men were coming. We were surrounded.

We waited. I hadn’t shot anyone that night and I was trigger hungry. I saw three approach in my direction. Flash knew. He gave the word. I shot the three then the lady, who had gained consciousness, was attacking Pea at that door.

I saw her figure run into the dark. I followed her fast and tackled her to the ground. She bit my hand like a wild dog. I picked her up and ran back into the plane. Lwanda took her.

Out of nowhere, she grabbed the gun from his holster and shot him three times on the chest.

“Flash, I am putting this bitch down,” I shouted as the plane came to life.

“She is converted and has been recruiting others,” Flash said as the rest came in.

“Then to hell with her,” Pea said, turned and shot her on the chest three times. China tossed her body off the plane and we were in the air soon enough. So much for interrupting our honeymoon.

Sly, the doctor in the team, was tending to Lwanda. He had a vest on but the close range impact had him have trouble breathing. Pea looked down as Sly worked while I went to check on Flash.

I shut the door to the cockpit and held Flash from behind. He held my hand and kissed it while I looked at the a thousand buttons I could press. I watched him effortlessly pilot. Then he turned and asked me to sit next to him.

“I love you, Cristal,” he said, held my hand.

“I know. I love you too, madly,” I said, kissed his hand.

“We will have two children. Once we celebrate our first anniversary, we can start trying. The moment you get pregnant, we will pull out of here. We have enough money to take a year or so off while we find a risk free job. Is that okay with you?” he asked squeezed my hand.

“It is. But if I get pregnant and you are not with me every single day and night, this story will end badly. I was raised in an orphanage. Pregnancy is a trigger,” I said, wiped a tear.

“I will hold your hand. I vow to you, I will hold your hand every day and hold you every night. I will be by your side when you bring our baby to this world. Cristal, I love you,” his eyes were teary.     

I wiped my tears, wiped his and kissed his cheek. I left to go join the rest and tone down on my clothing. People were talking.

The two corpses were covered in white. Lwanda was sitting up, eating. If he was eating, he was fine. I sat next to him and asked how he was feeling. He cursed. He couldn’t believe a lady with no training had shot him. Neither could I. But to be fair, he was a big guy. The bigger you are, the larger the area that can be shot.      

Sly invited us all to his birthday the following evening or any free evening after that. He wanted us to go partying, drinks on him. It seemed odd to discuss partying in front of dead bodies but this was our life. We never knew when we would exit.

Sly urged me to be there. Pea laughed, said she was sure I would only attend with Flash in tow. That was true. Flash wasn’t the boyfriend I could leave behind, he was a whole husband. Flash wouldn’t want us to go but I felt I needed it. I would drag him there and have a good time.