Scene 27

Jungle Outpost in the Guyana Highlands

The soldiers led the two women towards the central building.

“We have to stop them now!” demanded Ms. Crane. “We can’t let them take the women into that building!”

“Why not?” I asked tentatively, already knowing the answer.

“Because this is a slave camp and because they are women. You know what they do to women to terrorize them and make them cooperate!”

I did know and I agreed; we couldn’t let it happen.

“I’ll take left,” I said and began to move. Ms. Crane followed me towards the central building. We had no time to coordinate with the others of our team and could only hope they responded.

Our objective was to get the two women away from the soldiers as quickly as possible. When we reached the building, I moved to circle it from the left while Ms. Crane moved to the right.

We had to move quickly and precisely; the lives of the two women depended on it. I glanced around the corner of the building quickly to place my target. I readied my pistol and took a slow breath to steady myself.

I spun around the corner of the building, quickly aimed and fired. The guard to the left of the women fell over and the other guards turned my direction. A second later a shot rang out from the other side of the building and the guard on the right fell from Ms. Crane’s shot.

The girl began to scream in terror, frozen in place from fear. Ms. Stork grabbed her and dropped to the ground with her to avoid the gunfire. Before the guards could raise their weapons to return fire, Ms. Crane and I dropped them both.

Unfortunately, the other guards in the compound were reacting quickly. They raced across the clearing with their rifles firing.

Ms. Crane and I dashed to the two women and helped them to their feet.

“Get them out of here!” I ordered.

Ms. Crane grabbed the women and pulled them away as I raised the rifle I had taken from the patrol. I began to return fire to cover their retreat.

The women cleared the building and ran towards the jungle. I turned to run after them when I felt the bullet hit my left arm, spinning me around and causing me to fall, knocking the rifle away from me.

I reached for the pistol but stopped when a guard pointed his rifle at me.

The guard held me at gunpoint and waited. Moments later, another soldier came walking around the corner of the building. This one was dressed a little better and wore a Lieutenant’s marks on his shoulder.

“You!” he said with distaste as he looked down on me. “I was hoping we would meet again.” He then nodded to the guard.

As I looked up into the face of Lieutenant Secuaz, the guard brought his rifle butt down on me and I slipped into unconsciousness.