How long could he last? Already, Yossi could see that he was lagging behind. The mass of those fleeing were pulling away from him, leaving him a sitting duck.
Fear was setting in, making him anxious and paranoid. Before, he had been acting on adrenaline and instinct. No thinking, just moving. But now he couldn’t get out of his mind what it would feel like when the first bullet hit him. Would it be in his back or in his leg? Would it be a gut shot? He had always heard those were the worst. Or would it be to his head? A split second of pain, then you’re no more. A little more than a month ago, he and Adira had watched a movie about people who hunted other humans for sport. As they snuggled close to each other with a large bowl of popcorn, they joked together about what it would be like to be human prey. Now, that’s exactly what they were.
The chatter of gunfire sounded somewhere behind him—a long burst of automatic weapon fire. His insides clenched as he waited to be hit. Please don’t let it be a gut shot. I don’t want to bleed out while I try to keep my intestines in my body.
Although Yossi wasn’t a praying man, he found himself muttering, “If they catch us, please let her die right away. Keep her from their torture and abuse. Then bring your vengeance down on them! Make them pay for their sins.”
The roar of motorcycles and staccato of small arms came at him again. But this time it was from his left. A fresh wave of screams carried across the landscape and reached his ears. He cut to the right.
“Nir, you there?”
Adira, who had been passed out in his arms, stirred at the sound of Yossi’s voice and opened her eyes.
“That’s okay, motek, go back to sleep,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. Looking down at her caused him to stumble, but he managed to keep his feet.
Nir answered in his earbud. “I’m here, brother. How’re you holding up?”
Ignoring the question, Yossi answered, “Listen, up until now the gunfire has been behind us. But I just heard bikes and guns to my left. Like to the north. And not just back and to the left, but directly to my left.” His voice dropped to a forced whisper. “I cut right because, with carrying Adira, I’m falling behind the main group. I’m getting left alone in the open.”
“Nova is to the right? I mean, the way you just turned?”
“It is. But that’s maybe two or three kilometers back. Maybe a little less.”
You idiot! Why didn’t you think of Nova being this way instead of just reacting? You’re going to get both yourself and Adira killed.
“I don’t know, Nir. Maybe it was stupid—”
“No, you did good. You’ve got to get away from the threat you know so you have time to address the threat you don’t know. It’s just…” Nir trailed off.
Yossi had heard that sound in Nir’s voice before. He got it whenever a thought suddenly occurred to him, and it usually wasn’t good. “It’s just what? What are you thinking?”
“Achi, I’m concerned about a pincer. The fact that they are parallel with you in the north makes me think that they’re going to get ahead of the herd and push you all back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re somewhere right ahead of you to the south also. Once they get you surrounded, it’ll be a slaughter.”
Yossi slowed, then stopped. All around him he heard the sounds of gunshots and engines and screams.
“Then what do I do, man?”
He could feel the panic welling up inside. He was already breathing hard, and now he was starting to have a difficult time getting a full breath.
It’s hopeless. We’re dead already.
He dropped to his knees and laid Adira down on the rocky ground. He had an overwhelming desire to lay down next to her and wait for the moment when the bullets stole their lives. Closing his eyes, he began to mutter a prayer that he had learned back when he was a kid.
But something was keeping him from focusing on the prayer. A sound buzzing in his ear. Shaking his head, he snapped out of his panic and realized that the noise was Nir’s voice.
“Yossi! Yossi!” In the background, he could hear others in CARL calling out his name too.
“I’m here, achi.” As he spoke, he slid his arms underneath Adira once again. He stood, groaning as he did so. “Sorry. I think I bugged out there for a minute.”
“Understandable, brother. Listen, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to find the best hiding place you can in the scrub. You need to get down in there, as deep and as hidden as you can. Then cover yourselves up and wait for the IDF to come.”
Yossi started moving, scanning his surroundings for someplace where the brush and the grasses and the trees all met. “What about you guys? Am I going to get a special Kidon operation? Operation Adossi or Yossira or something?”
He meant it as a joke, but when he said it, he knew he sounded desperate. Still, he would have given all he had to hear, “You bet. We’re already on our way.”
Instead, he heard Liora’s strained voice. “Maybe Operation Adira. You’d just be along for the ride.” She choked on the last couple words, barely able to get them out.
“Elef ahuz,” he said, trying to get the courage back into his tone. “Like you told me, Nir, I’ve got one job, right?”
“Right, brother. Bring that girl back home. Now find yourself cover. They’ll be looking for easy targets, so their eyes will be on the vertical. Get yourself horizontal and you’ll be below their sight line.”
“On it, ha’mefaked.” Up ahead in the distance, Yossi heard engines.
The southern half of the pincer. Please, God, help me to find cover and find it now!