Wooded Area West Of Fort Muxima

Wooded area west of Fort Muxima

Max v Shakira

Lat = 9 degrees, 34.0 minutes South

Long = 13 degrees, 54.0 minutes East

Max had been about twenty yards behind Shakira as he entered the wooded area and was now kneeling down just inside the tree line listening, the gunfire behind him had seized a few moments ago and it was now silent, Max had heard Roy’s call but had chosen to ignore it, so as not to give his position away.

The half-moon was affording reasonable vision in the thinly wooded area; he drew a grenade from his pouch and pulled the pin, and aimed the grenade at the direction he had last seen Shakira; the grenade exploded and was immediately followed by a burst of wildly aimed fire.

Max caught site of Shakira’s silhouetted figure, twenty yards ahead and to his right, Max resisted the temptation to fire, which would give away his position.

Instead, he moved quietly forward keeping Shakira on his right.

Shakira let loose another burst of gunfire that raked the position Max had just been in.

Twenty seconds later Max was now within ten yards of Shakira’s position directly ahead of him, but was unable to acquire a good shot due to the trees, just at that moment his peripheral vision caught site of a figure moving fast to his left, the figure collided with him like a freight train knocking him over, Max quickly came to his feet and Shakira was standing there unarmed.

Shakira’s last bust of fire had emptied his weapon and he was now unarmed, he had caught site of Max and rounded to his right coming in fast with a shoulder charge.

Max was now levelling his weapon at Shakira; Shakira looked at him recognising this man from their last encounter at his base in Zimbabwe.

He spoke, “have you the guts to do this man on man infidel?”

Max lowered his weapon, “now that’s an offer I can’t refuse, let’s finish this.”

Just then, Roy and team three arrived.

Max put the palm of his right hand up at them, “stand too, he is mine.”

Max handed his weapons to Roy, and removed his body armour and helmet.

Shakira was around five inches shorter than Max, but built like a bulldog, thick set and in good physical shape.

Shakira made the first move, he moved forward fast squatted down and made a single leg sweep at Max’s legs, Max instinctively jumped avoiding the leg sweep.

Shakira moved quickly back to a standing position, Max moved in reaching with his right arm over and behind Shakira’s head, pulling viciously down to the ground causing Shakira to roll over.

For Roy and the team three, this was probably a once in a lifetime experience, watching two men fighting unarmed hand-to-hand combat to the death.

Shakira was back on his feet, both men moved in and exchanged palm and heel strikes at each other, the viciousness quickly caused bruising to their arms that they used to block the incoming blows; Shakira was a worthy opponent for Max.

Max went for a punch to Shakira’s chest, Shakira sidestepped to his left and seized Max’s extended right wrist at the same time pulling Max forward; he extended his right leg causing Max to topple over and roll out of the fall.

Shakira followed up quickly grabbing Max from behind, Max rotated his body to the right unbalancing Shakira, and both men fell to the ground moving quickly back onto their feet.

They were now both breathing heavily from their exertions.

Shakira came immediately at Max with a right hand head strike; Max deflected the blow with his lower left arm at the same time pushing it outwards, he stepped inside of Shakira with a mighty punch to Shakira’s exposed face.

Shakira dropped to his knees; Max moved quickly to the back of Shakira’s knelt body, he grabbed Shakira’s head with both hands and with a violent twisting movement the cartilage and bone made a cracking sound as Shakira’s neck broke.

Shakira’s lifeless body fell head forward into the earth.

Max looked down at his opponent’s lifeless form, and then over at Roy and team three, the endorphin rush that had kicked in at the onset of the clash was now quickly subsiding.

Roy and team three moved forward looking down at Shakira’s body, Roy spoke, “okay men I think we have seen enough, this piece of shit can rot here, we have a plane to catch, move it.”

Max had never killed another human being in hand-to-hand combat; he was feeling nothing, which he thought, was odd.

Roy brought him out of his thoughts, handing him his weapons and equipment, “are you okay Max?”

“You know what Roy; all that training they give you really comes down to this, two unarmed men fighting to the death.”

“My money was always on you Max,” he put his arm around Max’s shoulder, “come on lets go home.”

When they arrived back at the fort, five of Shakira’s men were bound and kneeling on the ground.

“Did we take any casualties Roy?”

“No sir; all present and correct.”

“That’s good Roy; put the prisoners in one of the buildings keep them bound, someone will find them in the morning.”

Ten minutes later Max and the teams were crossing the bridge on their way back to the R.V.