PRIMAL Vengeance

Chapter 16



20km North of Juba, South Sudan



In South Sudan another team was preparing to join the war. Mirza had driven across the border from Ethiopia two days earlier. He had rented a small house in Juba, paying a full month's rent in cash before scoping the situation in town. Mirza was not one for tourism but he visited the bars, restaurants and markets to get a feel for what was happening. In cargo pants, a khaki shirt and combat boots, with his heavy beard he looked like any of the mining, oil, security or NGO contractors floating around Africa. His Asiatic features could have come from a dozen different regions though his passport claimed he was a British national.

Within forty-eight hours of arriving in Juba, Mirza was ready to meet the next member of the PRIMAL team. He had driven his four-wheel drive to the RV location just after sunrise. Ten kilometers out from Juba he had followed an overgrown track off the main road. Parked in a dry riverbed amongst dense vegetation, he waited patiently to make contact with the incoming aircraft.

Mirza grabbed his iPRIMAL from the dashboard and checked the combat interface. Dragonfly's icon showed it was a little over fifty kilometers out: just under ten minutes flying time. He tapped the screen and opened a line of communication.

"Dragonfly, this is Wildcat. LZ is secure. Awaiting delivery of the package."

Mitch, the pilot, responded immediately. "Wildcat, I read you loud and clear. Got you on scope. We're approx seven mikes out."

"Roger."

"You better have a martini ready when I get there," said another voice.

"A bottle of cold H2O if you're lucky, Aden," broadcast Mirza.

"Wow sounds great. Good thing I'm bringing my own. See you on the ground in five," replied Bishop from inside the aircraft.

Mirza got out of his vehicle and used the last few minutes of the aircraft's approach to give the area around the wadi a quick scan. Apart from a family of warthogs hunting for grubs, it was all clear.

He slid the iPRIMAL from the pocket of his cargo pants and held it up in front of his face. On the screen he could see the flat ground to his front digitally overlaid with the landing zone he had marked. The same image would appear in Mitch's heads-up display, showing him the exact location and dimensions.

In the distance he could hear the faint drone of Dragonfly. It grew louder as the speck on the horizon rapidly increased in size. The warthog family bolted into a thicket of swamp grass as the aircraft cycled through its landing process, the two giant blades pitching skyward as it moved into a hover. The aircraft dropped towards the LZ, slowing as the powerful blades bit into the air. A wall of dust slammed into the wadi, stinging Mirza's skin, forcing him to close his eyes.

Mitch brought the craft in with skill and it touched down gently in the middle of the LZ. The side door was already open and a number of bundles dropped to the ground. Finally a figure jumped out and dropped to a knee as the Dragonfly powered away, driving even more sand into the air.

In a pair of faded blue jeans and a lightweight khaki shirt, the PRIMAL operative had an old blue 'New York Yankees' cap on his head, tufts of hair sticking out under it. Instead of boots he wore heavy-duty trail running shoes, something that irked Mirza. Running shoes provided no ankle protection when moving through rough terrain.

Mirza waited for the dust to settle before he walked over to help with the gear.

"Welcome to Africa, Aden."

"Good to be back, mate." Bishop took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. "It's been far too long," he said as he hugged his long-time friend. Sporting the start of a beard, it gave him a scruffy look that, together with his dark eyes and crooked nose, gave him the appearance of a troublemaker.

He grabbed the bags and followed Mirza into the wadi where the four-wheel drive was parked.

"A Bowler!" Bishop exclaimed. "Where the hell did you get a Bowler Wildcat?"

Mirza grinned, the tan colored four-wheel drive looked like a fairly standard Land Rover soft top but closer observation revealed a few key giveaways to the true nature of the truck. On either side of the bonnet were a pair of air intakes that allowed the supercharged 4.0 liter V8 to suck in all the oxygen it needed. The roll cage had also been modified; hidden by a canvas sun shade was a machine gun ring mount. The Wildcat was basically a rally car with teeth.

Mirza patted the bonnet. "In Ethiopia I asked Mitch for a fast truck and this is what he gave me."

Bishop laughed as he unzipped one of his bags, pulling out his AK104 assault rifle and a chest rig. He dumped the bags in the back of the Bowler, and with his weapon and ammunition climbed into the passenger seat.

"Didn't you see one of these on 'Top Gear'?" asked Bishop. It was well known that Mirza was a fan of the show. "You must have mentioned it to Mitch." PRIMAL's resident technician, top gun pilot and all round Mr Fix-It was renowned for his ability to get the team anything they wanted.

Mirza turned over the engine and the Bowler started with a throaty rumble. "Now that's what I'm talking about," said Bishop. "How far is it back to Juba?"

"About twenty kilometers."

Bishop checked the digital map on his iPRIMAL. "Terrain's pretty tough but I reckon you can get this beast to the safehouse in under fifteen minutes."

He caught a glimpse of a smile through the smaller man's beard as Mirza pushed the accelerator to the floor. Bishop was thrown back in his seat. The Bowler roared like an enraged rhino and accelerated out of the riverbed.

"I read your report," yelled Bishop while Mirza rallied the Bowler down the dirt track, the engine howling through the quiet morning air. "The girl, Jess, she's a long way from home. Pretty little thing out here in the sticks. Have you had a chance to meet her?"

Mirza shook his head. "No, I thought that would be better left to you. You always have better luck with the ladies."

Bishop laughed. "That's very charitable of you, Mirza. From what it sounds like she's already taken."

"Yes, one of the NGOs said she was seeing the American freedom fighter."

"This guy Garang?"

"That's the one. According to our sources in Juba, he's trying to raise an army to fight the Janjaweed. There are rumors he launched a raid into Sudan to hit the Chinese refinery."

"Well, credit where credits due. At least he's doing something. I wish the same could be said for the rest of the SPLA," Bishop said referring to Southern Sudan's official defense force. "So, when are we meeting her?"

"Tomorrow. That gives us a bit of time to check things out around Juba and follow up on a few leads."

"Sounds good, but first things first; let's sort out some breakfast."