The Devil of Nkwalini

[steamthunk]

For a blood monger your story is lacking in blood!

BTW, I would would say that 22 responses is pretty good for this place. I think if I totalled all the responses for my posts I don't think I'd end up at 22. Oh well.

[unscratchedfoot]

Zulu scouts run to a village to warn of an approaching patrol. English patrols practically turned villages upside down looking for weapons and evidence of rebels.

1155 hours

Thandi turned her head towards the terrified english recruit and said something in swahili. The soldier repeated it and then again and again.

Chris tried to understand the language but it was beyond anything he had ever heard before. It must be an ancient dialect preserved in the scripts, he thought.

The soldier went on repeating it and walked to the side of the cage closest to everyone watching. Then a crazed, psychotic look came upon him. Seething like a wounded snake, the viens in his neck looked like they would burst and gnarled, clawlike hands extended from the cage desperate to tear apart his fellow soldiers.

Chris took a deep breath and observed the others in the audience. Kann's eyes were frozen wide with terror and his mouth hung open as if he were waiting to be fed. General McMann still towered over them but the arrogance radiating from him just before had been replaced with horror. One of the MPs was fiddling with the gun rack case hoping against all odds that it was actually unlocked.

The hypnotised soldier looked back at Thandi and stopped seething for a moment. One of the intelligence agents yelled, "Pull him out of it! Now!"

Thandi didn't comply. Damien realized his coworker's mistake and then said in a calmer voice, "Thandi, you can stop him now. We've seen enough. You'll be free to leave here."

Thandi said something again in swahili and the crazed soldier reacted as if a demon had just left him. He collapsed exhausted to the floor.

"There you are everyone. I hope you enjoyed the show. This demonstrates exactly what's been killing our platoons." Damien anounced with a smile.

"Kann, gather together a dozen military police and form a firing squad out behind the repair depot. It's got nice thick cement walls to stop bullets. Damien, put Thandi and the kid back in the truck and head them over to the repair depot." Rogers growled out orders. General McMann was strangely silent during this.

Damien replied, "Colonel, as you know, intelligence reports directly back to national security in London and our orders concerning the handling of prisoners supercede any orders given by army field commanders. You may collect your arms and leave now. Thanks for your cooperation."

"Bloody hell Damien! You mean you're just gonna send her back out there to continue the butchery of our men?" Rogers was looking almost as crazed as the hypnotised recruit just before.

"Not exactly. You know the 3 english soldiers being held captive at the village in St. Lucia Wetlands? Well, we've already arranged to have a prisoner exchange."

"One truckload of prisoners for each soldier? That's a lot of skinnies for just 3 men! Especially considering who we got here!"

"An englishman is worth at least a truckload of Zulus in our opinion if not yours. And it might make you feel more at ease to know that we are attaching a unremovable tracking device around Thandi's neck. It's a titanium band and can only be removed without killing her using laser surgery, obviously something the people here don't have. You'll be given full access to information regarding her whereabouts. In addition, our soldiers will be given shoot-to-kill orders if they see her anywhere other than in the wetlands." Damien concluded his explanation.

The argument ended shortly after this and Rogers stormed out of the interrogation dugout looking like he wanted to kill someone fast.


1500 hours

Kann huddled the dozen hand-picked soldiers together in the vehicle service bay inside the repair depot. "Gentlemen, everything I tell you is top secret and known only by myself, Colonel Rogers and General McMann. Next to us here are two armoured personnel carriers. Each APC contains a duffle bag. Inside the duffel bags are french-made assault rifles and grenade launchers which we picked-up at Mengeni last week from the dead rebels. Your job is to ambush those three truckloads of prisoners everyone knows about."

"What the --- !" exclaimed one soldier.

"Listen! I will give the drivers maps of the ambush site. It's on a steep moutain pass of 70% grade overlooking a windy road above the river. The trucks will be going slow at this point and will be sitting ducks. Your job is to --"

Another man burst out, "Have you bloody-well lost your mind? Some of our men are riding as guards in those trucks and you want us to kill them too?"

"Shut-up! The next interruption will be answered by my 45. A few more of our boys will die in the shoot-out but it's a small price to pay to take out the devil. As I was saying, you will use the weapons in the duffle bags to simulate a rebel attack on the trucks. Intelligence may bring out a forensics team to investigate the debris. After that you will detonate two grenades in each truck to make sure. From the sloppy remains, I need you to recover a titanium band which is a tracking device being worn by the devil around her neck. Once you have the device, place plastique explosives under and in the back of each truck, blow them, and use the APC's to push them into the river. You may also have some casualties from the guards firing back. Try not to leave any blood evidence. They can find out its you using DNA records."

Kann continued with the plan. "With the device in hand, drive to the wetlands and throw it into the deepest part of the lake which is indicated on the maps. Intelligence will think she was taken by the rebels to the wetlands. The map also shows a safe return route which will look like a normal patrol. The prisoner trucks are set to leave tomorrow morning at 0600 hours and you will already be in position at that time. Also indicated on the map is a place to hide the APC's where they cannot be observed from the road. Good luck gentlemen."

[ChrisiusMaximus]

More twists than a curly wurly, Good Job Scratch!!

[vovan]

I couldn't agree more with Chrisius. Very intriguing plot. I wouldn't even dare try to predcit what's going to happen next. It seems so obvious at first and then bam, something totally out of the order happens. You follow your own advice pretty well, I see, Scratchy. Do continue.

[History Guy]

Great stuff!

[unscratchedfoot]

The sun sets over Babanango Military Base, as seen by the troopers of the Kann's ambush group from the APC's as they departed from the base.


1910 hours Babanango Base

Kann's ambush team was packed into the two APC's and was riding out to the hills to do their deed. They shared their worries and fears with each other and discussed their odds of surviving the upcoming engagement with the infamous 'devil'.

"Maybe we should all tape our mouths closed with duct tape to keep from repeating her chant." said one soldier.

"Yeah right Bruce. For being so dumb, you're the first one I'm gonna blow away if we all go nuts." responded another.

"Hey check out the sunset. I wonder if we'll ever see it again?" Bruce said, referring to the brilliant orange sunset which made them all think of what a beautiful place this country could be if the Zulus and English could somehow peacefully coexist.


In the Red Sea

The woman was clad only in a swimsuit and cowered in the corner next to the radio. A Zulu man with a missing front tooth was holding a .44 magnum handgun up to her and said, "French or English?"

The woman looked up from between her hands which were over her face and said in a small voice, "Uh....french. Please...I don't know what's going on here. Those guys just invited me along for the ride."

"Alright then. Let's hear you beg for mercy in french. If you're good enough we might just let you come along with us to provide some entertainment."

"Salut. Bonjour, common ce vois? Vivre le france..."

"That's about all the french I know too. I guess we'll have to find our entertainment elsewhere." said the Zulu with an evil grin.


Back in the command tent, tension was rising. "Sir, we just got word from intel that another undercover supply boat got taken out by Zulu raiders." Kann said to Rogers. "The boat was a luxury yacht carrying four young women and 2 guys and was heading for Zululand with a cargo of captured french weapons hidden in the hull. They just barely got off the distress call on time. The raiders apparently raked the boat with heavy machinegun fire, boarded it, and it's presumed they transferred the cargo out and sank the boat using demolitions."

For months, England had tried to ship weapons it had taken from the battlefield in Europe to Zululand to arm the civilian English colonists for home defence. The navy was already fully committed to other theatres so they had to rely on civilian vessels to haul the goods. Needless to say, using unarmed supply boats in a war zone was risky business.

"We're gonna have a full-scale army to confront if they keep stealing our weapons. Maybe after we take out that rebel camp tomorrow things'll settle down a little." said Rogers.

The sun had set a little lower over the British empire.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Im so pleased you decided to continue this scratch, its brilliant. Keep up the good work

[vovan]

Quite interesting, as usual. Keep the goods coming.

On a side note: How come you always beat me to commenting on scratch's posts, Chrisius? I am usually able to respond to your stories within half an hour of them being posted. But you always, always beat me to it for scratch's stories.

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Its the kind of guy I am vovan, quicker than a gazelle, strong as an ox, smart as a chimpanzee well almost and as smelly as a oops! time for a bath. See yow all later

[TheGuitarist]

Dang that was a lot of readin'. Well it was worth it. This is really getting good, scratch, continue ASAP.

[Easthaven I]

Outstanding! I'm very pulled in to this story. Keep going. Entertaining, indeed...!

[ChrisiusMaximus]

Hey c'mon Scratchy never mind beating them fish all day! we want more please

[vovan]

So, when's the next shipment of goods due to arrive, scratchy? Are you enjoying your new wooden leg, or are you still trying to come up with a way to put a vovan character in your story and kill him off in the most sadistic way possible?

[unscratchedfoot]

The goods are still being sorted out. I have too many goods to put in and am considering which boxes to leave out. Vovan, keep on the lookout.

[unscratchedfoot]

Zulus lived in thatched stone walled huts like the one in this picture.


1000 hours, the next day, Babanango Base


Chris Maxim drove his jeep up to the east gate and saluted the guards. "Since the last of the trucks have left I better get out there myself before the fun begins."

"Second Lieutenant Maxim, we just got word from the colonel that he wants you to stay back and help man the south gate. It seems they're short on officers back here at the base with everyone gone to Mfule Valley. But since you've already received orders to join in the assault, he's leaving the choice up to you." the guard said.

"There's no place I'd rather be than supporting our boys in this fight. They're nervous with all the rumors and what not." answered Chris. He knew there was a risk of becoming a casualty if he went but staying back in a deserted base with Jolly Rogers and his sidekick Kann made him even more uncomfortable.

"Very well then sir. I wish you good luck." said the guard. Chris saluted again and drove off. The guard watched him disappear in the distance, leaving a billowing cloud of dust to mark his route.

1200 hours

The Mfule River Valley is a place of towering cliffs, heavy foilage and a winding river. The people living in this region built small villages among the forest which can only be accessed by donkey, horse or ox-cart. The English had to build their own roads to be able to move trucks and APC's to hotspots.

Chris parked his jeep in a secluded area hidden by thick bushes away from the main staging area of the assault. He wanted insurance in the small chance that the other vehicles were destroyed by the rebels while everyone was attending the attack.

After parking he quickly ran to where the troops were assembled and starting to move into the rebel-held territory. Since the rebels seldom used mortars, the men were packed together in their units. The soldiers engaged in small talk to try ease their nerves, in particular they avoided talking about "what if the Zulu witch is here?".

Chris overheard one conversation while he tried to calm his own nerves. A soldier said, "Hey did you hear about that guy everyone calls gooberboob over in Alpha company?"

"Nah, what happened?" said another.

"Well, the company was having a party last saturday out on the flats with plenty of beer and wild game. Gooberboob was entertaining himself by going around pouring genuine lion piss into people's beers when they weren't looking."

"Oh man, what a dumbass. So what happened?"

"After about 8 people had partook in the cocktail, they finally caught him in the act and took him for a ride through the bush."

"Uh, that doesn't sound so bad."

"It is when you're tied onto the front of the jeep and its going through thick brush."

The conversation came to a close with the chatter of machineguns in the forest ahead. The lead elements of the English had made contact with rebel outlooks.

Chris took a deep breath and swallowed his fear. He could already feel the adrenaline start to pump through his arteries. He had a quick look-around at his now silent men and called out, "This is what we're trained for boys. Let's move in and flush out them rebs."


1220 hours


Kann was a nervous man. He resisted the urge to go to intelligence to inquire about the location of the tracer because he knew it would be a dead giveaway. As far as he knew, intell was not aware that an ambush had been ordered. He was also feeling pretty giddy about his recent promotion to Sergeant. Rogers had submitted the request and McMann had approved it before he flew back to Zimbabwe. If the ambush was successful, he was sure that he would soon be promoted again.

Then came what he was waiting for. His radio cackled to life, "Charlie 85, this is Oscar 311, we need to talk to you urgently."

Urgently? If the tracer showed up in the lake as planned intell would not have said this. Something must have gone wrong. Kann's heartbeat pounded so hard he thought it would rupture. He sprinted to the intelligence dug-out and got momentarily stuck between a door and its doorjam in his panic.

Once Kann was inside the dug-out breathing hard and looking rather worried, Damien eyed him suspiciously. "Have a look at this monitor."

Kann craned his head over the jumble of electronic hardware to see a map of Zululand on a flatscreen monitor. "Ah, is that bright green dot the tracer?"

"Sure is. The fact that the tracer is now in Mfule Valley, exactly where the assault is just beginning, means the rebels must have ambushed the prisoner trucks and moved Thandi to the assault area. You better go inform Colonel Rogers right away. He'll be upset, but make sure he's aware that the army was responsible for the security of those trucks. Intell just arranged the transfer and we are not responsible beyond that."


At this time, 2 APC's approached the north gate and stopped. "So what can I help you with?" asked the guard.

"Give me the UZI 9mm, the 12-gauge autoloading and the 45 longslide with laser sighting." answered the driver.

The guard nodded and said, "So where are you coming from?"

"Impala. We've got casualties, two wounded."

"Make your way on over to the field hospital, drop off your casualties and then proceed for debriefing at the command tent." finished the guard.