They moved quietly through the bush. Years of being in the bush conflict had taught them very well, and besides … they had survived that brutal onslaught. Breaking down their temporary “bivvy” (bivouac) had taken but minutes. Sean was alarmed and very agitated. Aaron moved at the same pace as Sean, but was once again surprised at how fast this white man could get his head into action mode. He knew that that was one of the things that had first impressed him about Sean; that single minded determinism that swept all else out of the way.
They came to a stop about 600 meters outside of the outskirts of the village. They had been moving through the bush all night.
“About 30 minutes before first light, hey?” Sean asked, but Aaron knew that Sean knew better than anyone he had ever met what the time of day was without needing to consult a watch. His dark face broke out into a huge smile showing perfectly formed white teeth, standing out starkly in the predawn blackness. Sean froze. Aaron looked around alertly, and sure enough there was one of the Hyena’s men, lurking in the, even darker, shadows under a Soetdoring tree. Sean silently motioned for Aaron to go around the left, and come up behind the lookout. Aaron quietly melted away into the darkness. Sean waited motionless. Finally he saw Aaron show up a few feet behind the lookout.
He straightened up and made himself seem like a clumsy tourist stumbling through the bush toward the lookout, stopped short and said:
“Bliksem! What are you doing here? Actually, never mind! Am I glad to see you!” by this time he was within about 6 feet of the lookout, and stopped short, pretending alarm at seeing the AK47 slung over the lookout’s shoulder. The lookout jumped back a foot, and swung the AK upward while still slung over his shoulder. At this point the weapon was now upside down, barrel pointed at Sean, but the magazine was pointed skyward.
“Stop!” barked the lookout. His eyes wide with surprise, and the half smoked cigarette that was dangling out the side of his mouth pointed upward at about 45 degrees. Then he draw on the smoke and a wicked grin crossed his scarred face. The smoke slowly pointed downward as his wicked smile grew, he took a step sideways and at that point the barrel was not on Sean. Aaron materialized out of the darkness, his arm snaked around the lookout’s neck. Swiftly he locked his thick arms around the lookout’s throat, twisted his body, jerking the man’s head back, cutting off his air flow. Aaron twisted his body around, and then yanked hard on the man’s neck. There was a sharp snap, and the man’s legs came up off the ground, then kicked straight. Sean knew the man’s neck had broken like a twig. Aaron slowly straightened up, and let the man’s corpse slide to the ground.
Sean stepped up smartly and relieved the corpse of it’s weapon before it could make that characteristic clatter when it hit the ground. They both held their breath and listened intently. The silence seemed to grow in intensity, threatening to drown out the sissing of their blood through their veins. Just then night jar made a warbling sound off to their left and they both turned as one. The predawn air was very fresh against their damp skin, but all seemed quite undisturbed. Sean checked himself out, and realized that he was pumped up, alert, and ready for anything. He looked over at Aaron.
Aaron’s demeanour had changed; he was now like a big cat on the prowl, ready to pounce on anything. Sean recognised this in Aaron, but there was something else there too. Sean had the idea that Aaron was now twice as deadly as before, since this had become a personal thing. His little sister …
Sean touched Aaron’s arm, and again made the circling signal, and the two parted ways in opposite directions. Quietly, wordlessly, determined. They met on the opposite side of the village and were both satisfied that there were no other unwanted persons about. Aaron moved stealthily into the village and Sean was right in his slipstream; two shadows moving soundlessly between buildings. They came upon a traditional African house that was bigger than any of the others, and Aaron moved to one of the side windows. He whistled very quietly, the same whistle him and Sean had used their whole time together. The family knew this whistle. The window covering moved and a woman looked out right into the face of Aaron. Her wide terrified eyes changed to pools of joy reflecting the dusky first light of dawn. Her arms snaked around Aaron’s neck and she hugged him hard, pressing him against the building wall.
“Where is Sean?” she quietly demanded of Aaron.
“He is sleeping like a woman, Mama?” Aaron whispered and smiled like the prankster he was. Then pointed over his shoulder. Sean grinned like a school boy and the big black woman motioned for him to come closer. She snaked her arms around his neck too and hugged him hard. He chuckled quietly, and then said:
“When I got the news I had to go to the women’s kraal and wake his lazy arse up, Mama.”
“Seanie, you must be kind to your brother, he loves you.” Then her face hardened. “Come in”
They went around to the front of the house, and slipped in through the door like two ghosts in the night. The older woman quietly chased up the remaining members of the household. Not a word was spoken, as the younger girls moved about the house getting all the regular morning jobs taken care of, slowly becoming more alert. Finally one of them realized that Aaron and Sean where there and immediately brightened up. She squealed and leapt onto Aaron’s lap, skinny arms wrapped tightly around his neck, hugging him hard to her. Then she started crying and quietly babbling about the events that was the source of Aaron and Sean current visit. Aaron listened closely and even though his face showed kindness, his eyes glowed like burning embers.
Soon the house was bustling with excited youngsters, and a meal was prepared. They sat around eating and then getting the events understood. It turned out that The Hyena and his men had changed tactics and had determined that the best way to get a steady supply from this village was to hold those three girls captive. The sad part is that it seemed to have gotten the villagers into a kind of apathy about their lives, while being really focussd on collecting supplies like crazy. Sean felt an old oily hatred writhe around in the pit of his stomach. He could taste the bile of it in the back of his throat. Once the meal was consumed, Miriam said:
“Bring back our children!” Her brown eyes looked at Sean and then Aaron and back, imploring them. With that Sean and Aaron slipped out of the house, and as they swung out of the village the sun broke the horizon, washing the bush with a golden glow. They were careful not to let anyone else see them as they vanished into the bush.
