“Dad, this is Wendy… Brad… Joe… and Sam. Samantha Ward is our manager; she also recruited us at the U of O,” Ethan explained as he introduced his friends. They were huddled together under the shade of a large acacia tree.
“This is my Dad and his friends, Mr. Steed and Mr. Porter.”
“Please, call me Peter,” he said as they shook hands.
They all looked very tired, faces uniformly smudged with dirt and dried sweat stains. Both Wendy and Sam had shoulder-length hair that was matted and stringy. Bruises were evident on everyone’s face, especially Wendy and Brad. Brad seemed to fair the worst—he sported a swollen right cheek as well.
“How can we ever thank you? You saved our lives. I overheard the Janjaweed discussing our fate yesterday,” Sam said, her voice drifted softer, the thought clearly very disturbing.
Gary broke in. “You don’t need to go into it—Ethan explained. It’s all over; you’re safe now. We can go home.”
Those few words energized Sam and the others. The effect was almost instantaneous as they realized they were no longer captives. Each looked up with relief and new-found hope.
Wendy, a brunette who reminded Peter of his daughter, was nodding her head, smiling and crying at the same time. “Thank you… thank you.” With the back of her hand she wiped away the tears before continuing. “Does my mother know that you’re here?”
Peter was confused. “No. Who is your mother?”
“She’s a Congresswoman from California—San Diego. I thought maybe she helped you organize this rescue team.”
“No, these men are my friends. They came because I asked for their help.”
Wendy nodded understanding, but Peter wasn’t convinced and suspected she was in shock. “Look, Wendy, I’ve never met your mother. But I’m sure she will be relieved and very happy to know you’re safe. As soon as we get back to Hamaad’s camp we can use the radio—I’m sure we can get word to your mother.”
Then Joe stepped forward, extending his hand again to Gary, Todd, and Peter. “If you hadn’t come along when you did… well, I don’t know what would have happened. We—Sam, Ethan, and me—we were trying to escape. We had a plan, and—”
“They almost shot me,” Ethan interrupted. “It didn’t work. We all would have been killed.”
Joe averted his eyes to the ground, rubbing his shoe in the dirt. He knew Ethan was right.
“Come with me,” said Peter. “I want to introduce all of you to a friend of mine, and a friend of yours.”
Peter led the group the short distance to Hamaad. He was talking to his second-in-command when they walked up. Feeling Peter’s presence, he completed his conversation and turned.
Hamaad was surprisingly cheerful. Seeing that Peter was accompanied by his compatriots and the American hostages, he said, “I just ordered my second-in-command to drive the trucks up to the acacia grove.”
Peter nodded in response.
“I see you have found our lost children!” Hamaad smiled broadly.
“Hamaad, I’d like you to meet my son, Ethan.” They shook hands.
“And this is Wendy… Joe… Sam… and Brad.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate; he knew he owed much to Hamaad. Looking the SLM commander squarely in the eyes, he said, “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I can never thank you enough for what you and your men have done to free me… and my friends.”
Hamaad’s face lost its shine as Ethan finished. He glanced over his shoulder at the bodies of his comrades lying on the dusty, parched earth.
“We hate the Janjaweed. It was the right thing to do. No thanks are necessary.”
Ethan, Joe, and Sam all looked beyond Hamaad toward the dead and wounded SLM soldiers. The deceased had been laid side by side. A few of the bodies were covered in dirty linens; others had a shirt or jacket draped over their faces. The wounded soldiers were sitting quietly in the shade.
“Hamaad, I can never repay the debt I owe you,” said Peter.
“But you already have. We have defeated these Janjaweed. That is payment enough.” Hamaad spoke very philosophically. His family gone, the only reason the former teacher had to live was to fight and to kill his enemy. This singular need filled the void in his life. It wasn’t much, but it was sufficient.
“Your father is a good leader, Ethan. You and your friends should be very proud of him; never forget this day.”
That pushed Ethan over the emotional edge and as he nodded in agreement, tears streamed from his eyes. Even Joe’s macho veneer cracked as his eyes moistened and he wiped away a tear.
“We’re very sorry at the loss of your men,” replied Peter.
Hamaad shrugged his shoulders ever so slightly. “We are used to suffering and dying. It is what Allah wants us to do—it is our destiny. We do not know why… but we do it well.”
Peter remained silent. Yes, Hamaad’s people had been subjected to a life that was intensely cruel and harsh. But what could he do—what could anyone do?
He brought his mind back to the present. The wounded still needed care, and he desperately wanted to get Ethan away from the camp, to get him started on the journey back home.
“Hamaad, are there any other Janjaweed patrols nearby?” Peter asked.
“You are worried of a counter attack?”
“Yes, I am. The sound of the battle will have carried far. We need to get out of here and retreat back to your camp. I don’t feel secure here, and we need to get your wounded evacuated.”
“This was a rogue group. They were not functioning within the structure of the main battalion commanded by the demon Korlos. But you’re right; we should be moving on.”
Peter scanned the southern horizon, searching for any sign of danger, but no threat was visible. He couldn’t explain it, but a feeling of foreboding had suddenly come over him.
“I’ll feel better the sooner we get out of here.” Peter agreed. “We can load your dead and wounded in the trucks. We leave the rest, unless you want to bury them.”
Hamaad spat on the ground. “Those animals are not Muslim and they are not Christian. They are pigs and do not deserve burial. Let their bodies rot in the sun.” Hamaad turned and swiftly walked away to issue new orders to his men.
“Well. He was certainly clear on that topic,” Gary said.
“Yes, I guess he was,” said Todd with a smile on his face. “Can’t say I cared much for those Janjaweed fellas either.”
Todd had no sooner finished his quip when the first RPG round exploded against a tree just to their left. Instinctively, everyone ducked and looked in different directions, not knowing where the round had come from. Almost immediately, the sound of automatic rifle fire filled the air and bullets kicked up clouds of dirt and sand, but luckily no one was hit. Another RPG round exploded close to the first one.
The counter attack that Peter had feared had just begun.