The sun rose, bursting out across the Congolese skies. Rosedale and Cooper lay on the top of the hill, looking down on the Lemon water treatment plant. The men who Father O’Malley had gathered from the refugee camp, one hundred and twelve in total, also lay hidden and armed, scattered over various vantage points around the plant.
The priest had confided in Cooper that the men had at one time or another been soldiers. Some child soldiers. Some forced into rebel groups to protect their land from other militia, or from the Congolese army. But the one thing they did have in common – no matter what their history – they all wanted the same thing: to claim back their lives and homes from Bemba.
All the men had readily agreed to join them, and in the early hours of the morning, directed by Father O’Malley, Rosedale, Levi and Cooper had gone to buy arms from one of the many dealers who flourished in the robust illegal arms trade, stealing, buying and selling from and to governments, armies and militia groups. With supply easy, due to a lack of government intervention and porous borders, and demand high due to the ongoing conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa, guns, grenades and rocket launchers brought in from neighboring countries were sold like apple pies in a bakery store.
AK-47s, AT4 shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles, SPG-9 Kopye 73-millimetre recoilless gun, , M72 light anti-armor weapons, along with a number of M249 Squad Automatic Weapons and a M240 Series medium machine gun, all paid for by Father O’Malley’s church funds.
*
Cooper passed the binoculars back to Rosedale. ‘So we know what the plan is, right?’
‘Yeah, I’ll take half of the men round to the south and west side, covering the whole of that area. We’ve got the stronghold, blocking road access to the area further down, and Levi is on his way to take the remainder of the men to cover the north and east side, both on the ground and the higher level. The good thing is, we won’t have to worry about encountering any militia because of the fear they’ve got about the land. So it’s just Bemba’s men and us. Us against them. You sure you’ll be alright?’
Not moving his gaze away from the water plant, Cooper said, ‘Yeah, I think it’s best this way. I’ll take the river which runs along the side of the plant. We’ve got our watches synced so in twenty minutes exactly, you cause the distraction. Unleash everything we’ve got. Pound them with the fires from hell. They’ll come out of the water plant, and when they do, I go in.’
‘Okay, Thomas, if you’re sure you’ll be alright.’
‘Oh I’m sure, alright. Maybe never been surer in my whole life. And I’ll be fine, it’s them who won’t. I’m going to take those sons of bitches out.’
‘Okay, you got it… And Lieutenant, good luck. Make sure you bring her back safe.’