THE LAST INSURGENT

Sixteen

"Iceman, right?" Aisha whispered.
Leena smiled and nodded.
They went out of the hall and followed Mufty while Jalla and his friend followed from behind.
They arrived the bank of the river. There were only five canoes. Mufty had come with one while Bamba and his boys had three while Bamba and nuhu had one. The girls were one hundred and one in number.

"The canoes are not enough." Jalla said, eyeing Leena from the corner of his eyes. "I suggest you people should leave. I will send for a canoe to carry me , my wife and Hudu."
My wife? Leena frowned. What was he talking about? What had Mufty done.

"We have to go with them. we have to pick her twin sister, remember?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Some of the girls screamed as they heard the sudden gunshot sound.
Jalla was first to drop on the ground, before Nuhu followed.
Mufty did not care how any of them felt about him. He did not try to explain, All he did what was he felt was imperative.

He was stalking and peeking when he ran into Jalla and Nuhu.
Nuhu, who was obsessed with Leena had invited his friend to come help him kidnap Leena.
When they saw Mufty, they recognised him .He told them he had come for his wife. Jalla also said he came for his wife. He described Leena and Mufty knew she was the one.
Jalla went on to tell him how he had thrown he into the river. So Mufty saw this as an opportunity to use them. He told them that Jalla could have her and Nuhu could have her twin sister . When he told them that they were identical twins, Nuhu was hyper.
Now he knew he had to kill them. Anyone who saw him must die. They must not talk.
He had decided that every insurgent deserved death and that included him.
"Okay, we have to leave here fast." He said aloud. "I have disenabled the service provider but we can't take a risk. The canoes are only six and we must all leave. Not everyone may survive. It all depends on desytiny. I don't know if you know how to row a canoe but you must do it to survive."
"some of do." A girl said. " A lot of us come from riverine areas."
"Good for you."

They packed themselves in the canoes like sardines in a can.
It was not about comfort. It was about survival. The voyage began. Mufty had two Ak 47 rifles close to him. Leena was with him while Aisha and Mufty rowed the canoe they were in.
The journey which was dangerous ended one hour later. It was very cold and late.

When the alighted, he wondered how he was going to transport all of these girls. He was surprised they did not ask him where he was taking them to. Why did they trust him?

*************
" I can't reach Bamba." Jahl said. "I have not heard from Mufty since he left. What is going on?"
"I am not comfortable with this." Sule Mungunu said. "I think we should tell him."
"No!" Jahl said. "That would be a failure on my part."
"If we can't reach Bamba on phone, or any of his boys, then we need to tell him so some boys should go there."

"I have boys." Jahl said. " We are going to Harabal Kusum now. I how Mufty and the boys are dead or safe but not arrested."
"Mufty will never allow himself get arrested. He would rather die."

"Hmmm.....I am worried. Get three trucks and thirty boys. Call the canoe boys to wait for us by the river. Open the arsenal. Let the boys be armed to teeth."
Mungunu greened. He loved such orders.
"Yes, Sir."
"Hurry. I just feel there is something wrong."

************

They kept walking until they got the point where Mufty hid the truck. He was confused. He had just a truck and one hundred and one girls. Hoe were they going to do this.
"Okay ladies, we have got no time. I think they should be on their way now. They keep check constantly and whne they get no response, they try to find out why. Now we have just one truck. Who wants to stay behind?"
Not a single made a sound. There was absolute silence.

"Okay, it is going to be worse this time. I am going to pack you in like goods. I hope you can bear it?"
"We can."
He began to arrange them into the truck. He put Leena in the front seat, then another girl sat on her lap, then Aisha sat next to Leena, with another girl on her lap before a fifth girl was laid on the girls.
Ninety-six to go.