crazo:
Oga dioxidane
U no update since all dz years I been forgive u for dah one
U come back u no apologize I been forgive u for dah one sef
U come kill honorable mustapha join ontop all ur sins..baba no forgiveness for dah one..bros u don fvck up..
Tho u lost concentration at a time,I think the wait was worth it..big kudos

Bros no vex abeg, I go repent...

donkross1:
Okay we are on FP . Make I go carve my beards before girls go begin fall in.

Dioxidane Oya goan prepare your speech.

Carve your beards fast, we dey wait...

Chirolechick:
Bros you didn't mention anything about the secretary that was leaking information na

Yeah, that's true... Al-Zawari was not caught either, plus other connections... They'll all be addressed in the sequel. Thanks for reading.

Afz9095:
na only donkroos1 u wish happy new year.if u no wish me,i wish u o. HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sageez:
ehya! Rip to mustapha. Happy new year donkross1

Afz9095:
HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS,MORE BLESSING

Ann2612:
Wao! dat was great. Thanks 4 sharing wt Nairalanders

nimat158:
thank u 4 finishing dis story dis year,nd apy new year in advance Dioxidane

muyex1:
Thanks for completing the story this year.

ysadiq:
That a mindblowing story

muyex1:
Thanks for completing the story this year.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate... Wishing y'all a happy and blissful new year...

**Grabs mic... Clears throat... Clears throat again...**

Firstly, let me use this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who found this story worthy of their comments. There were times when I just wanted to give it all up, but your comments, shares, likes, calls, chats, mails were a big motivation. Y'all are super-awesome!

It's the end of another year in our lives. For some it was good, for some it was just there, while for some it was rough. However the year was for you, one thing we should be grateful to God for is the gift of life. Some started the year but are not here to experience another year. God has been faithful. My prayer is that as we experience another year in our lives, fresh blessings, fresh favors, fresh everything come our way.

Now back to Damien. What became of him? Did he and Funmi later end up together? What became of them?

Watch out for the sequel to ACCIDENTAL VICTIM, coming soon...

Thank y'all, and God bless...

Dioxidane

Contd.

Funmi screamed as she heard the sound of the gun and watched as the guard slumped on the floor beside her. She ran and threw herself into Damien's arms. Damien threw his arms around her, holding her tightly as emotions washed through him.

"Thank you", she whispered into his ears as tears dripped down her eyes.

Damien looked over Funmi's shoulder and saw the guard he shot lying on the ground, with blood dripping from his forehead. Then he remembered Mustapha.

"Dude! We did it!", he said as he broke the embrace with Funmi and turned towards Mustapha who was standing beside him. But Mustapha was not standing beside him.

"Shiit!", Damien screamed as he ran towards Mustapha who was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood.

"Dude!!", he screamed as he crouched and raised Mustapha's head and shook him, but he wasn't responding. He tore of his camouflage fatigue shirt and exposed his bare chest which was without a bulletproof vest. Then he saw it. The bullet the guard had shot was lodged directly on Mustapha's chest.

Mustapha was dead. Damien held on to Mustapha head and sobbed. Funmi held him and cried too, trying to console him. But he couldn't be consoled. He felt Mustapha didn't deserve to die the way he did, not after all they've been through together.

After what seem like several minutes, Damien got up and carried Mustapha outside. As they got out he heard the sound of helicopters whining in the distance and he saw several armored tanks driving through the camp.

Two soldiers ran towards them with a stretcher and he placed Mustapha on it, after which they took him away.

Funmi was stunned as she saw Col. Coker walking towards them in company of two soldiers. She ran towards them and threw herself at him, sobbing profusely.

Col. Coker was relieved as he saw her. He hugged her tightly for several seconds and he reminisced on all that had happened the last few days.

The primary mission was finally accomplished, but not without casualties. Col. Coker broke away from Funmi's embrace and walked towards Damien who stood a distance away from them thinking about his dead friend.

He stretched his hand towards Damien and they shook hands firmly.

"I'm sorry about your friend", Col. Coker said to Damien. Damien nodded. "You would both be taken back to Base while we finish here, Col. Coker continued saying as he held on to Damien's hand.
"There you would be debriefed and taken care of till I return. We have been able to retrieve some files from Al-Zawari's office and we've found out where their points of attack would be. Agents are on their way to pick them up as we speak. Thank you very much for your service to the nation. And thank you for the role you played in rescuing my niece."

Damien nodded as another soldier walked towards Col. Coker and whispered into his ears.

"I've just been informed that all those in the vans that left here have been arrested", Col. Coker said to Damien.

"And Al-Zawari?", Damien asked.

"Nothing yet, but they are still looking", Col. Coker replied.

"Lead them both to the chopper and take them to the Base immediately", Col. Coker said to the soldier standing beside him. "Yes sir", the soldier replied.

"I'll see you soon", Col. Coker said to Damien as he walked away.

Inside the chopper, the pilot instructed Damien and Funmi to fasten their seat belts as the propellers began whirring. They fastened their belts and Funmi placed her head on Damien's shoulder and he placed his arms around her waist.

The propellers increased it's velocity and the chopper lifted off from the ground, gradually increasing it's altitude as it went.

Damien looked out the window and saw the entire forest in full view as soldiers milled around gathering evidence and securing the area. He remembered the first day they were brought into the forest and all the things he had to do for them to survive.

Then he remembered Mustapha. He remembered all the times he saved him and all he did for him. Then he felt his pocket. He remembered what Mustapha gave him earlier that day. He brought it out and unwrapped it. It was a golden star. He wondered what it meant, but he felt it didn't matter. Mustapha wanted his father to have and that was what he was going to do. He determined right there to find Mustapha's father and give him what his son wanted him to have. He wondered how he was going to find his father, but decided to worry about that when it was all over.

"Damien", he heard a soft voice call him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Ya", he said, looking at Funmi as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"I owe you my life", she said softly to him.

"No you don't", he said slightly shaking his head.

She ignored his response, moving closer to his face and gave him a kiss on his lips. So many nerve endings were immediately activated on Damien's skin and goose pimples appeared visibly. He responded by taking her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

"You guys should get a room", they heard the pilot say over the speakers and he laughed heartily. They broke their kiss and laughed. Funmi later placed her head on Damien's chest and he placed his arms around her throughout the ride back to base...

THE END?

Contd.

She mustered up courage and stood up, gently massaging her knees to allow the free flow of blood. She still continued hearing her voice, then she heard the sound of the door open and the guard walking in, with his gun pointed at her.

"Funmi!! Funmi!!", she heard the voice call her name again. This time she heard the voice clearly. 'Damien? The voice sounds like his. Could it be him?', she wondered.

The guard had come behind where she stood, placing his gun directly on her head. She couldn't utter a sound. She just prayed he didn't pull the trigger as she stood there shivering.

"Funmi!! Funmi!!", she heard the voice call again, getting closer to the room where she was. Then she saw him.

"Funmi!". Damien gasped as he saw her. "Damien", Funmi mouthed. She looked at him from head to toe with love and admiration. He was looking so different from the young man she met several days ago. He was looking so rugged and his muscles were bulging out of the camouflage fatigues he wore. She saw relieve on his face as he saw her. 'So he came back for me?', she wondered.

Damien walked into the room pointing his gun directly at the guard.

"Stop there!", the guard screamed at him. "Stop there or I'll shoot her!", the guard screamed again, pressing the nozzle of his gun harder into Funmi's head. Damien stopped in his tracks, while still pointing his gun at the guard.

"Drop your gun!", the guard screamed again.

Damien was silent, but still pointed his gun at the guard, with his eyes trained on his forehead. Numbers were running through his head. Velocity of his bullet, accuracy of the guard holding Funmi and the likes. The numbers were not in his favor.

Mustapha then walked in. The guard was shocked, or was it confusion? Damien was less concerned about his mood at that moment. He was more concerned about getting them all out of the situation alive, except of course the guard.

Both Damien and Mustapha pointed their guns to the guard, then Mustapha spoke up. "It doesn't have to end like this", he said to the guard. "Let the girl go, then we can work something out."

"Shut up!", the guard shouted.

"Let the girl go", Mustapha repeated, "the others would soon be here and there would be nothing we can do to help you. Let her go, let's work something out."

The guard was slightly distracted, listening to Mustapha and thinking of how he could negotiate himself out of that situation.

Damien took advantage. He slightly nodded at Funmi, and she mouthed 'OK', indicating that she understood.

"You are deceiving me!", the guard angrily screamed at Mustapha as he drew Funmi closer to himself and pressed his gun harder into her head.

"I'll shoot!", he shouted again as he ducked behind Funmi.

'This is it. It's now or never!', Funmi thought as adrenaline pumped through her system. She mustered up as much strength as she could, and in one swift motion, she jabbed the guard hard in his abdomen with one hand and grabbed the hand holding the gun pressed to her head, moving it away from her head.

The guard was shocked and in pains as he felt the jab on his abdomen. But he quickly recovered and he tried shooting, but Funmi was displaying unbelievable strength, struggling with him as the gun waved towards different directions.

Damien and Mustapha both wanted to take a shot at the guard, but it was not possible without putting Funmi at risk. Then the opening they all sort for came. Damien had a clear shot. In that split second, two gunshots were heard. Damien pulled the trigger of his gun. The guard pulled the trigger of his gun too... Then blood...

One word: Impressive!

Contd.

Standing before them were groups of women and young girls in their numbers, some of them with babies on their backs while others held little kids in their hands. They all just stood staring at the soldiers. The soldiers were confused.

"Sir! You may want to see this", one of the soldiers called out.

Col. Coker and the others came out from behind the wall and walked into the camp. If he was surprised at the scene before him, he didn't show it.

"Damien! Mustapha! Quick, go and get Funmilayo! Andrew! Call it in! Get backup here immediately! Secure the hostages! Be careful, we might still have some hostiles around!", Col. Coker barked commands at his men.

The men peeled away immediately, carrying out the tasks they were assigned.

Damien and Mustapha walked towards the cell where Funmi was kept, taking precautionary measures as they went. They didn't encounter any hostiles as they got there but the cell was empty. Funmi was not there.

"Fvck!!", Damien shrieked. "They must have gone with her!", he screamed.

"Calm down", Mustapha said, "we can't be sure about that. Maybe she was moved."

"To where! And why would they move her! I'll personally kill that son of a biitch!", Damien shouted.

"Dude! Relax", Mustapha said, "don't jump into conclusions. Let's go."

They walked back to where Col. Coker and the others stood. Damien looked so distraught and his countenance was like that of one who lost someone. Col. Coker noticed their expressions when he saw them and he feared that the worst may have happened to Funmi.

"Where is she? Where is Funmi?", he asked them. Damien stood before him without saying anything. Mustapha walked to where he stood and whispered in his ears that they didn't find her where she was supposed to be.

"They can't have taken her out", Col. Coker said, "She should be around here somewhere. Ask these women if they've seen her around."

Mustapha turned around and began asking the women if they've seen anyone like Funmi. The women didn't understand English, so he had to ask them in Hausa. One of the women he asked was dumb. She couldn't speak, and she was partially deaf. He had to practically scream into her ears before she could hear what he asked. She nodded and pointed into the distance towards the living quarters of the terrorists.

"It appears she was later moved into their quarters", Mustapha said to Col. Coker. Damien's face brightened as he heard it. There was hope. He didn't wait to be asked as he immediately began walking quickly towards the living quarters of the terrorists.

"Dude! Wait up!", Mustapha called out to him. Damien didn't wait, so he ran up to meet him.

"You have to be careful, we are still in a hotzone", Mustapha said to Damien as he caught up with him. "There might still be some of them lurking around."

"Then I'll kill every last one of them!", Damien shot back.

"Just calm down", Mustapha replied. But Damien wouldn't listen. "Funmi! Funmi!!", he called out as they approached the living quarters.


Some hours earlier, Al-Zawari had been speaking with Funmi concerning what led to the formation of the Taliban sect. One of his lieutenants had interrupted the discussion, and he promised to continue the discussion with Funmi. When he left the room, he placed two sentries outside the room instructing them not to allow her leave the room on no account.

Funmi had waited in the room for several minutes, hoping Al-Zawari would come back. She wondered what would become of her, but she was grateful that she was still alive and she was no more hungry. She thought about the reasons Al-Zawari gave for the formation of the sect and felt it was ridiculous, to say the least.

She had heard the lieutenant say to Al-Zawari, 'They are ready', and saw Al-Zawari's countenance change, with him discontinuing the discussion immediately. She wondered what the lieutenant meant when he said, 'they are ready'. She thought it was just a normal meeting with his other lieutenants, but when she heard the entire camp thrown into a frenzy, with the voices of men moving around, she thought otherwise. Her suspicions were confirmed when she tried leaving the room but found two guards outside the door. She tried passing by them, but they instructed her to go back on Al-Zawari's orders.

Funmi went back into the room and lay down back on the bed, with her thoughts running wildly, thinking about all that had happened with hopes that she would eventually get back home. With those thoughts, she gradually drifted into sleep.

She didn't know how long she had slept, but a sound that she was gradually getting accustomed to woke her up. As she woke up, she sat up on the bed as she listened to the sound of gunshots banging off in the distance. She shivered, with no idea what was happening. She quietly got down from the bed and curled herself behind the bed she earlier laid down.

The sound of the gunshots was not abating, as it went on for several minutes. She then heard the voices of the guards standing outside her door. They were arguing among themselves in a language she didn't understand. After a few minutes, she heard the footsteps of one of them leave.

She tried covering her ears with her palms to prevent the sound of the gunshots coming through but it was to no avail. The sound got louder and louder, then silence. It stopped all of a sudden. 'What may have happened? Who may have attacked? What was the outcome?', she wondered.

Her legs were so numb out of fright as she tried getting up, so she resigned to cowering beneath the bed. She tried listening for sounds outside, but she heard nothing.

After what seemed to her like several minutes, she heard a faint voice from a distance calling her name. 'Could I be dreaming?', she wondered. When she heard the voice a second and third time, she knew it wasn't a mirage. It was real. The voice was real! They had come for her! Someone had finally come for her!

"I'm here! I'm here...", she tried saying, but she realized her voice was gruffly. She cleared her voice and tried shouting, "I'm here!! I'm here!!!". But she realized the person calling her name didn't hear her.

She mustered up courage and stood up, gently massaging her knees to allow the free flow of blood. She still continued hearing her voice, then she heard the sound of the door open and the guard walking in, with his gun pointed at her....

T.B.C...

Chapter Nineteen

"Guns!!!", Damien screamed as he sighted one of the terrorists taking an aim at him and screaming.

They had earlier waited for the vans to leave and when they left, they began carefully finding their way to the camp while trying to keep away from the direct line of sight of the terrorists at the entrance of the camp.

After tactically eluding the sentries for several minutes, they got very close to the entrance. But their luck ran out as one of the terrorists spotted them.

Damien was the first to notice as the terrorist caught sight of them and screamed, raising his rifle and taking an aim at him. Before he could complete the process, Damien screamed, alerting the others and squeezing the trigger to the rifle in his already outstretched arms. In a split second, one of the bullets he fired found it's mark in the chest of the terrorist and he slumped before he could pull his own trigger.

Things happened swiftly from then on. The sound from Damien's gun and the scream from the dead terrorist alerted the others around him. The other terrorists began shooting sporadically, but the men had already taken cover behind trees.

"Conserve your ammunitions! Make your shots count!", Col. Coker screamed at his men as he gave them commands and hand signals.

The sound of gunshots and bullets hitting the barks of trees and whizzing past rented in the air. Col. Coker and his men had not fired any shot. They still ducked behind the trees. But suddenly, the sound gradually receded and Col. Coker took a peep. There he saw his first mark, and he shot. The others took a cue from that and began taking well timed and precise shots. The bullets found real targets as they struck. The terrorists who had not fallen resumed their sporadic shooting once more, not minding where the bullets went.

Col. Coker gave a signal and two of the soldiers broke away from where the group ducked, circumventing the approach of the terrorists from each side of the divide. They began gradually cutting down their ranks from left and the right simultaneously. The terrorists noticing that their flanks had been compromised and thinking that the firefight was coming from the sides concentrated their shots on their wings. This gave Col. Coker and the others the opportunity to take full charge on them.

"Attack!", Col. Coker commanded and the remaining soldiers together with Damien and Mustapha came out, each finding a target and bringing them down.

Confusion broke out among the terrorists as they were being attacked on all fronts. They fell in their numbers and those who couldn't stand the fight fled into the forest.

After several minutes, none of the terrorists were shooting anymore. Those who were present at the entrance of the camp were only those who had fallen, some of them on the ground with intestines dropping out their stomachs.

Col. Coker and his men advanced towards the entrance of the camp, taking precautions to avoid any sudden attack from within the camp.

As they got to the entrance of the camp, each of them took positions behind the walls preparing for an incursion. Col. Coker gave them hand signals indicating how they were to proceed, and they nodded in understanding.

Col. Coker took a peep through the walls, but he didn't find anything. He signaled two of his men to move in. They did, but as they moved into the camp, what they saw shocked them...

Previously on ACCIDENTAL VICTIM

"Should I go back and come when you are done?", Al-Zawari asked.

"What do you want?", Funmi asked him.

"To talk", he replied.

"About what?", she asked again.

"Just talk...", he replied.

"Look, after the misery you've caused me, I have nothing to say to you, at least nothing good, so please, just go."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all these, it was all for the cause", Al-Zawari said.

"What cause?!", Funmi flared, "What does kidnapping me have to do with any of this?? You kill and maim people, innocent people, including women and children, because you believe in a preposterous cause??"

Al-Zawari laughed. "A preposterous cause you say? That's a first", he said, "you obviously have no idea what we are fighting against."

"Oh, you mean I don't know you are fighting against the propagation of western education, that you kidnap people, bomb people, innocent people, who do not believe or share your ideologies? Excuse me, but I have a fair idea of what you are fighting against", Funmi said as she crossed her hands on her chest.

"You see, now we are talking", Al-Zawari said and smiled, "now the obvious question should be what is our cause? Why are we fighting? What are we fighting for? Am I correct?"

"Wrong! My questions would be: First. Why do you kill innocent people, including women and children, helpless people who have no business with your cause". Funmi made the quote sign in the air by curving the index finger and middle finger of both hands and raising them when she said the word "CAUSE". "My second question is: Why do you target your own people? People you profess the same religion with, people you share the same geographical location with, people you speak the same language with? It baffles me", Funmi said shaking her head.

Al-Zawari scoffed and sat on the bench in the room.

"Like I said, you have no idea what we are fighting against. For the record, our group didn't begin the opposition of westernization and western education. Other prominent politicians and academicians have done so in the past, but perhaps they were not vocal enough that's why the trend continued. The British colonial masters brought upon us a system which has taken a position against Allah and made materialism and hedonism the ultimate in life and this has subverted our traditional Islamic values and replaced morality, that sense of right and wrong which only consciousness of Allah confers, with materialism which they are mostly concerned about. This has become totally unacceptable to us and we just had to fight against it."

Funmi stared at him as he spoke with so much passion and conviction.

"You seem to be a very intelligent lady. Of course, why wouldn't you, since your father is very rich and he can afford to send you to school. What of the thousands of children who have no rich parents to send them to school and whose government, who is supposed to provide and protect them, refused to do anything to provide succor for them? What happens to those ones?"

"What has that go to do with the killing and maiming people?", Funmi asked with a frown on her face.

"Let's just deviate a little. I'm trying to give you insight as to how all these started. So answer my question.", Al-Zawari said.

"I still don't understand what this has got to do with what you are doing?"

"Just answer the question. What happens to those children who have poor parents and whose government don't provide for?"

"The last time I checked, since the beginning of time, there have always been rich and poor people, so I don't see why people should use being poor as an excuse not to make use of good opportunities that abound around them. Besides, especially here in the north, the government have tried really hard in providing good infrastructures, some of which you've destroyed, in ensuring that people get free education."

"As compared to what?", Al.Zawari asked.

"I don't understand."

"Do you know how much the government makes in revenue annually? Do you know how much is lost annually due to embezzlements and siphoning of government funds?"

"So some individuals in the government siphon funds meant for the populace, how does that relate to western education?", Funmi asked.

"Don't you see", Al-Zawari continued, "if not from educational institutions, where then is this decay and corruption coming from? It is the western educational system that has gradually and subtly eroded our values and this has initiated us into a virulent materialism which has weakened our social fabric and crippled our socio-economic and political progress. This has resulted in the concentration of the wealth of the country among members of the political elite, mainly the Christian south of the country. The only way we as a people can escape from this culture of corruption and decay is to remove every form of westernization among our people, thereby restoring our core values and culture buried in our abandoned and forgotten history."

"In order words, you establish an Islamic State", Funmi chipped in.

"Exactly!", Al-Zawari said in excitement, as he felt she was finally understanding him.

"But you still haven't answered my question. Must you kill innocent people to make your point?", Funmi quipped.

"You must understand", Al-Zawari continued, "that we didn't start out as a violent group. Our former leader established a group that took care of the poor ones, the homeless ones, people who the government were supposed to be taking care of but who were not. He spoke against the corruption eating deep into the system. And what did they do to him? They killed him! Like he was an animal! Because he didn't understand the language of the government. Force! And that is what we are changing!"

"By killing innocent people?!", Funmi shot back.

"You say they are innocent", Al-Zawari continued, "but they are not. Anyone who abandons the prescription of Allah as stated in the Sharia law is not fit to live."

"Even children?", Funmi asked.

Al-Zawari was about speaking when one of his lieutenants walked in. "They are ready", the lieutenant said to him. Al-Zawari nodded and stood up from the bench he was sitting.

"Hold that thought", he said to Funmi, shaking his index finger at her direction, "we would continue this discussion."

Funmi nodded and lay back on the bed as he walked out of the room...

Contd

Mustapha and Damien led the pile with Col. Coker and the other soldiers trailing behind them.

"If I don't survive this", Mustapha began saying, "Dude just stop it!", Damien cut in, "we've gone through a lot, and we are still alive. We are definitely going to survive this."

"But if I don't", Mustapha said again, "please find my father", and he passed something into Damien's hands. Damien glanced briefly at it and shove it into his pocket as they walked along.

Suddenly Mustapha stopped and held up his hand in a fist. Damien followed suit, as well as the other soldiers.

"What is it?", Col. Coker whispered.

"I heard something", Mustapha said, "it might be nothing."

"Nothing is nothing here. Are you sure you heard something?", Col. Coker asked.

"I'm not", Mustapha said, relaxing his hand and they continued walking.

"How far away are we?", Col. Coker asked.

"Take cover!!", Damien called out as he sighted some men in the distance and the grouped quickly ducked behind trees.

Damien peeped at the men and he analyzed the situation. There were three menacing looking men with rifles at the ready, but they didn't notice them else they would have fired at them. Damien tried looking into the distance if there was any other person lurking behind them, but he couldn't find anyone.

"What's the plan, genius?", Mustapha who ducked behind him asked.

"I'm working on it", Damien replied. Then he asked Mustapha, "Would these guys recognize you? Would they know you've deserted them?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?", Mustapha shot back, "I hope you are not planning on doing what I'm thinking."

"That's the only viable option right now", Damien replied, "since we can't risk a fire fight and we don't know if they are alone or they have backup close by. We would just have to get close to them, and then we can take them on."

"Hmm, that could work", Mustapha said.

Damien signaled to Col. Coker and communicated their plans. He nodded, giving them a go-ahead.

"Are you ready?", Damien said to Mustapha as he dropped his rifle and his kit and brought out a small pistol. He hid his gun behind him as he crossed both arms above his head. Without warning, Mustapha shove him forward, with the nozzle of his gun against Damien's back and they both walked towards the men.

"Hold it there!", one of the men screamed at them.

"I have a prisoner here!", Mustapha screamed back at them. The men looked at each other and communicated in whispers as Damien and Mustapha walked slowly towards them. Immediately they got within range, Damien rung out his gun from behind him and took the first shot at the one who he felt was the leader. A double tap direct to the man's forehead. Very precise. As if on cue, Mustapha took an aim and fired at another. Seconds later, the three men were down.

Damien signaled for the others to come out and they did, watching the horizon for other terrorists who may have heard the shots and come for backup. No one came.

"Good job guys, that was terrific", Col. Coker said to Damien and Mustapha as the other soldiers took defensive positions in the area.

"Would you be able to locate the main camp from here?", Col. Coker later asked, this time directing his question to Mustapha.

"Yes sir", Mustapha replied as he looked around observing the scenery, "I remember this place now. The main camp should be roughly four clicks from here. We should be there in no time."

"That's good to know", Col. Coker said.

"But I should add", Mustapha continued, "that we have to be on the lookout till we get there. Some sentries hide in trees, and they would be practically invincible to us. And the camp would be crawling with terrorists in their numbers now that they would most likely know we are here. We have to be very careful."

"Ain't we all..." Damien chided.

Col. Coker nodded. "We have to be careful", he said.


The sun was gradually setting when they sighted the camp in the distance. Mustapha was the first to see it. He gave the signal and they all halted and took positions, but what they saw shocked them.

Three vans were already loaded and ready to leave. They saw many terrorists milling around with their rifles ready to shoot.

"What could be happening?", Mustapha wondered. He brought out his scope and tried scanning the faces of the people he saw, but he couldn't recognize anyone.

"Have you been able to sight Al-Zawari?", Damien asked him. Mustapha shook his head. "What about Funmi?", he asked again. Mustapha shook his head again and continued looking, then he spoke up. "But it looks like they are preparing for an attack. And it appears it's going to be a big one."

"Then we stop them immediately!", one of the soldiers blurted out.

"Yes! We have to take them on now!", another said.

"Relax", Col. Coker who had been watching the whole scene in silence said, "the mission comes first. We came here for Funmi, and that's what who we are going after. If we attack now, we might be outnumbered, and we would definitely fail. We have to wait till they go."

"But sir, what if they take her along?", another soldier asked.

"They wouldn't", Mustapha said, "or would I say, they usually don't."

"What if they change their mind this time around?", the soldier asked again. Mustapha shrugged.

"The mission comes first. We can't afford to blow this. We are obviously outnumbered and we have a short supply of ammunition. We can't afford to risk a firefight, at least not yet. When it's time to attack, we would know", Col. Coker said.

He was still talking when the first of the vans began moving. The second followed, and the third. Within a few minutes the vans were out of their sight. Damien continued watching the camp and saw some terrorists still milling around.

"What's the play, boss?", Damien asked Col. Coker.

"Now we move", he said.

T.B.C

Chapter Eighteen

"Are you guys ok?", Col. Coker asked with his rifle on his shoulder as he came out from within the bushes. Damien and Mustapha were stunned. "Are you guys ok?", he asked again as he went around kicking the corpses of the terrorists to ascertain if they were really dead. "We are fine", Damien replied slowly as he regained himself and picked up his rifle from one the dead terrorists. Mustapha did same.

"Sir, are you here alone?", Damien asked as he heard rustles coming from within the bushes, and he immediately pointed his gun towards that direction, ready to shoot. "Lower your rifle", Col. Coker said, "they are friendlies." Damien lowered his rifle as the soldiers came out from within the bushes one at a time. Six of them in all, fully kited in camouflage uniforms, not easily detected in the forest.

Damien looked at the soldiers as they went around the dead terrorists picking up their guns and checking their ammunitions.

"I wasn't expecting to see you back here", Col. Coker said to Damien as he looked deeply at Damien. "Neither was I sir", Damien replied, "I thought you went back to base."

"I was supposed to', Col. Coker replied, "but I couldn't. I couldn't possibly leave my niece here. What would I tell her father?"

"How long have you been out here?", Damien asked him again.

"Some hours...", Col. Coker replied.

"So you saw what happened to the soldiers who came in?"

"Not exactly, but I suspected something like that would happen. It was a fvcking ambush! It was like they knew where they were going to be at that particular time."

"Like a mole was feeding the terrorists information?", Damien asked again.

"That wouldn't be far from the truth", Col. Coker replied.

"Did you try alerting the General before the invasion?"

"I tried, but he wouldn't listen. Now I can't reach him anymore."

"Could it be that the Talibans are monitoring comms in the area?"

"I wouldn't know", Col. Coker replied again.

"Musty", Damien called out to Mustapha who was with one of the soldiers. "Yeah", he replied as he walked towards them.

"You have any idea if the Talibans have a device to monitor comms around?", Damien asked Mustapha.

"With the way these guys are going, I wouldn't be surprised if they did", Mustapha replied.

"Sir, have you been communicating with anyone since you got here?", Damien asked Col. Coker.

"Yeah. The office has been providing tech support", he replied.

"It would have to be minimized for now", Damien told him.

"Why?"

"Going by what Mustapha said, these guys may be monitoring communications in and out of here, and if that's the case they might already know what has happened and they would be able to locate us before we do."

"You have a point there. So, restricted comms it is."

"So what's the plan now?", Damien asked.

"Let's come together", Col. Coker said to no one in particular. The other soldiers heard and came to where he stood and they all squatted, forming a small circle.

Col. Coker looked around the men, pausing for few seconds to look at their faces, then he began speaking.

"This is it guys! It's just us against them. We can't retreat now. We just have to end this, right here, right now. You saw what these guys are capable of doing. But we have an advantage over them. They are not trained. We are better trained than they are. Let's stop this menace. Let's stop this horror on our country."

Col. Coker looked at Damien and asked, "You still have the map of the area?"

Damien looked at Mustapha who nodded slowly before bringing out the map from the kit, then he spoke up. "Sir, I don't know how this map would be helpful now. We need to know our present location before we relate it to the coordinates on the map."

"Don't worry about that", Col. Coker said as he nodded at one of the soldiers who brought out a GPS device from his kit.

A few minutes later, they knew exactly where they were. They knew the route to take to the main camp which was their destination.

"Huddle up guys!", Col. Coker called out to the men. They all stood in formation in front him - nine of them in all, including Damien and Mustapha.

"The objective primary objective of this mission remains the same", Col. Coker spoke as the men watched him, "we rescue Funmilayo Coker. The secondary objective is obliterating the Taliban camp. It can be done! It shall be done! You are to shoot to kill. No exceptions. Mustapha, you are to stay ahead to lead us there. Are you up for it?"

"Yes sir!' Mustapha replied.

"Damien, you know where she would be held up. Immediately we get there, both of you go for her while we provide backup. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" Damien replied.

"Andrew, immediately we get to the location, you call it in. We have 900seconds to achieve our mission objectives. Do you understand?"

"Sir, won't they still be monitoring the comms?", one of the soldiers asked.

"Fvck them! Call in it! We are all going home after this! Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!!!", they all chanted.

Previously on ACCIDENTAL VICTIM...

'Please don't tell me you have thanatophobia', Damien whispered to Mustapha as he saw him looking as scared as hell. 'No talk!', the man behind Damien said as he nudged his rifle into his back. Damien grunted and continued walking.

They were both walking with their hands tied in front of them and two Taliban terrorists walking behind them, pointing their guns at them.

"You have no inkling as to what they would do to us, don't you?", Mustapha whispered to Damien as they continued walking.

Damien was silent, with his face straight, numbers running through his head.

"Ok, let me give you an idea of what they would probably to us", Mustapha continued in whispers. "They would probably kill you swiftly, I'm thinking maybe by beheading or two shots directly to your skull. It would be quick and painless, trust me, so you wouldn't have to worry. But me, I'm in a shiit load of problems. I would be treated like a traitor, and I would eventually be killed, but not before they make me divulge information which I may or may not have. I've seen them do this to some persons and the sight was gory. So excuse me for being a little scared right now. Hell, not a little scared. Very scared! It would be better if I could just lay my hands on a cyanide pill right now!"

Mustapha continued ranting in whispers, then he stopped when he noticed that Damien was not responding.

"Did you even hear a word I said?", he whispered again.

Damien nodded. He was listening, but he wasn't listening to Mustapha. He was listening to the sound coming from the Taliban terrorists behind them.

They were now far away from the ambush site and there were just four Taliban terrorists escorting them back to the camp.

Damien ran the numbers in his head. They were still deep in the forest and far away from the camp. If they were to make any move, it had to be here, else they were gone for. But the guys were still pointing their rifles at them, and any wrong move from them could activate the triggers of their rifles. The one walking behind Damien looked like he was looking for a reason to shoot them.

'I'm not going to give you a reason to shoot, dumbass, at least not now', Damien thought.

Mustapha was still rambling. Damien had never seen him this scared. Perhaps he was reliving what he went through during his time undercover in the Taliban camp. He was most likely scared of what they would do to him.

But Damien was not concerned about that. He knew he wouldn't let it get to that. 'It's either we escape, or we die trying', he said to himself.

"Would you just shut the hell up? I'm thinking here!", Damien muttered as they walked along.

Damien's head ran wildly now, different scenarios popping up. He just had to execute this perfectly else his life and that of Mustapha be ended.

They were now beneath a tree. The three men were still behind them, but they were closer now.

"It's now or never", Damien said to himself.

"Fight me back", Damien whispered to Mustapha. He didn't wait to confirm if Mustapha understood or not. He immediately shove him on his chest. Mustapha staggered back.

"You crazy?!", Mustapha screamed at him as he got up and tackled Damien. Damien fought back.

The men stood watching them, confused.

"You're mad!", Damien shouted back at him as both of them exchanged words while fighting.

They continued squabbling as the men watched. They acted so seriously. Mustapha had no idea what Damien's game plan was but he was sure that whatever the outcome was, it was definitely better than the torture that was sure to be meted out to him if they got to the camp.

"Break it up!", the leader of the pack screamed at them.

They didn't hear, or if they heard, they didn't act like they did. The leader nodded at two of his men and both of them walked towards Damien and Mustapha to separate the fight.

"Now!", Damien screamed at Mustapha as one of the men put his hand on his shoulder trying to pull him away from Mustapha.

Immediately, Damien grabbed one of the men while Mustapha grabbed the other. Both of them held the men on their necks while ducking behind them. The other two men were confused. They pointed their rifles at them, but they couldn't get a clear shot. This went on for some seconds as Damien and Mustapha held on strongly while not giving away their positions.

One of the men struggled wildly and tilted Mustapha towards the direction of the rifle, but it didn't last long. Mustapha gained back his position immediately. The fighting between the four men became fierce. The two other had no other choice but watch, and wait. They had the impression that whatever the outcome was, the man with the gun always won. And both of them were with guns.

Both of them were shocked when suddenly, Damien snapped the neck of the man he was fighting and the man sprawled on the floor. There was no more cover for him.

Both men watched him with their mouths agape. Mustapha and the other terrorist stopped fighting. Damien knew the die was cast. It was finally over. He raised his hands and closed his eyes.

'At least, I went down fighting', he thought.

Some seconds later, the leader regained his composure and pointed his rifle at Damien. Mustapha cursed under his breathe.

At that very moment when the leader was about to pull the trigger, the sound of a gunshot ripped through the trees. And another. And another. Three shots in all. Perfectly timed and accurately found their marks.

Damien heard the shots, expecting that they were directed at him. He was expecting pain, and maybe loss of consciousness. Or was it immediate loss of consciousness? He didn't know because he had never been shot.

Some seconds later, he was still conscious. Everywhere around him was quiet. 'Am I in heaven? Or is it hell?', he thought.

'If I'm in heaven, how come I can't see anything. Or do people here walk blind?', he wondered. Then he remembered his eyes were still closed.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Mustapha staring at him. He looked around and saw the four Taliban terrorists who were escorting them lying on the floor, dead. Very dead.

He was surprised. He looked at Mustapha realized that he was still shocked. He was about asking Mustapha what happened exactly when they both heard a sound coming from behind them. They looked back and saw someone with a rifle coming out from within the bushes...

primquin:
Why is it that whenever stories are written here, it can't be completed yet likes, comments, praises are been showered daily. It's no more funny. Then at the end of the year, you would want to be voted as the best writer of the year.

Na wa o...

labaski:
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmwmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Fourthed.

'Fifthed!'

You guys should be patient with me abeg. I'm trying to complete this first series and drop it all at once, most likely before the end of the year... I appreciate y'all...

Guys, ladies... Make una never vex for me abeg... I bin dey too busy this week, so no time to type... I go update this week insha Allah... Wishing y'all a fulfilled week ahead...

unitysheart:
The plot is concrete. Words, nicely constructed. Thought provoking. Captivating.
Thanks dioxi baba.

Sirneij:
I can't hold it back anylonger! I must confess, this write up wows me always: the way the characters act; the content of their speech and lots more are jaw dropping! Bro,please,come and update and teach me how you have come up with this superb story!

cherrybrown:
You are still the best

Melancholy:
The last update gives us a stanchion stance which our dear funmi displayed against the terrorist, and every sane individual must admit that she argued convincingly. The alqha and omega of this characters Dioxidane, I throway salute o.

I popped in now and read these comments and others... Guys... **Holding my head** Una don burst my head finish o... Really, thanks guys... I Really appreciate... #Thumbsup

Contd.

'Where am I? Who are these people?', Funmi wondered as she gradually opened her eyes. She saw the blurry outlines of a wooden ceiling and then what looked to her like two women in abayas came hovering over her.

"She's awake now", she heard one of them say.

"She's awake?", she thought, "what happened to me??"

She blinked her eyes a few more times and the picture became clearer. She remembered it all. She remembered that she was still in the Taliban camp and that she must have fainted.

"How are you feeling now?", she heard the older of the two women ask her.

Funmi looked towards the direction of the women standing beside her and noticed that the one talking to her was a doctor, or she looked like one. She tried opening her mouth to respond, but she realized her throat was so dry.

"Wa-te-r", she managed to utter.

A bottle of water was brought and the woman who looked like a doctor opened it and brought it to her mouth. She raised her up a little bit to allow free flow of the water to her system.

"Take it slowly", the woman said to her.

Funmi drank the water slowly. It was cold and refreshing.

"What happened?", Funmi managed to ask as she regained her composure.

"Are you hungry?", the woman asked as she ignored Funmi's question.

Funmi thought about it, then she nodded. The woman signaled the other woman and she went out and came back in almost immediately with a tray in her hand.

The tray was set before Funmi and on it was a plate containing rice and meat, some slices of water melon and a bottle of water.

"Please eat", the woman said to her.

"Where am I? What happened?", Funmi asked her again. The woman ignored her once again, standing up from the bed and leaving her alone in the room, as the second woman had earlier left.

Funmi looked around the room, trying to take it all in. The room was plain, with just a bench at the side and the bed she was lying on. The floor was made with cement, but there were already cracks and holes on the ground. The ceiling was wooden, but there were several patches of water-soaked parts, obviously from rain. The door was shut, but she was sure there were guards standing outside.

Funmi was hungry. Very hungry. She couldn't remember the last time she ate, and as she felt her wrists, they looked so frail and tiny. She decided to eat. 'At least if they wanted to kill me, they should have done that since, and definitely not with food poisoning', she thought.

As she took the first spoon, chewed and realized that the food was tasty. She took the second spoon, and the third. She realized she was rushing the food and then she slowed down. She had since lost her sense of taste, but she was gradually getting it back.

As she finished eating, she began munching on the slices of water melon when she heard the sound of someone walk in. She looked up and realized it was Al-Zawari, and her heart skipped. She immediately stopped eating.

"Please continue", she heard him say. But she couldn't continue eating, she continued staring at him.

"Should I go back and come when you are done?", Al-Zawari asked.

"What do you want?", Funmi asked him.

"To talk", he replied.

"About what?", she asked again.

"Just talk...", he replied.

"Look, after the misery you've caused me, I have nothing to say to you, at least nothing good, so please, just go."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all these, it was all for the cause", Al-Zawari said.

"What cause?!", Funmi flared, "What does kidnapping me have to do with any of this?? You kill and maim people, innocent people, including women and children, because you believe in a preposterous cause??"

Al-Zawari laughed. "A preposterous cause you say? That's a first", he said, "you obviously have no idea what we are fighting against."

"Oh, you mean I don't know you are fighting against the propagation of western education, that you kidnap people, bomb people, innocent people, who do not believe or share your ideologies? Excuse me, but I believe I have a fair idea of what you are fighting against", Funmi said as she crossed her hands on her chest.

"You see, now we are talking", Al-Zawari said and smiled, "now the obvious question should be what is our cause? Why are we fighting? What are we fighting for? Am I correct?"

"Wrong! My questions would be: First. Why do you kill innocent people, including women and children, helpless people who have no business with your cause". Funmi made the quote sign in the air by curving the index finger and middle finger of both hands and raising them, when she said the word "CAUSE". "My second question is: Why do you target your own people?l People you profess the same religion with, people you share the same geographical location with, people you speak the same language with? It baffles me", Funmi said, shaking her head.

Al-Zawari scoffed and sat on the bench in the room.

"Like I said, you have no idea what we are fighting against. For the record, our group didn't begin the opposition of westernization and western education. Other prominent politicians and academicians have done so in the past, but perhaps they were not vocal enough that's why the trend continued. The British colonial masters brought upon us a system which has taken a position against Allah and made materialism and hedonism the ultimate in life and this has subverted our traditional Islamic values and replaced morality, that sense of right and wrong which only consciousness of Allah confers, with materialism which they are mostly concerned about. This has become totally unacceptable to us and we just had to fight against it."

Funmi stared at him as he spoke with so much passion and conviction.

"You seem to be a very intelligent lady. Of course, why wouldn't you, since your father is very rich and he can afford to send you to school. What of the thousands of children who have no rich parents to send them to school and whose government, who is supposed to provide and protect them, refused to do anything to provide succor for them? What happens to those ones?"

"What has that go to do with the killing and maiming people?", Funmi asked with a frown on her face.

"Let's just deviate a little. I'm trying to give you insight as to how all these started. So answer my question.", Al-Zawari said.

"I still don't understand what this has got to do with what you are doing?"

"Just answer the question. What happens to those children who have poor parents and whose government don't provide for?"

"The last time I checked, since the beginning of time, there have always been rich and poor people, so I don't see why people should use being poor as an excuse not to make use of good opportunities that abound around them. Besides, especially here in the north, the government have tried really hard in providing good infrastructures, some of which you've destroyed, in ensuring that people get free education."

"As compared to what?", Al.Zawari asked.

"I don't understand."

"Do you know how much the government makes in revenue annually? Do you know how much is lost annually due to embezzlements and siphoning of government funds?"

"So some individuals in the government siphon funds meant for the populace, how does that relate to western education?", Funmi asked.

"Don't you see", Al-Zawari continued, "if not from educational institutions, where then is this decay and corruption coming from? It is the western educational system that has gradually and subtly eroded our values and this has initiated us into a virulent materialism which has weakened our social fabric and crippled our socio-economic and political progress. This has resulted in the concentration of the wealth of the country among members of the political elite, mainly the Christian south of the country. The only way we as a people can escape from this culture of corruption and decay is to remove every form of westernization among our people, thereby restoring our core values and culture buried in our abandoned and forgotten history."

"In order words, you establish an Islamic State", Funmi chipped in.

"Exactly!", Al-Zawari said in excitement, as he felt she was finally understanding him.

"But you still haven't answered my question. Must you kill innocent people to make your point?", Funmi quipped.

"You must understand", Al-Zawari continued, "that we didn't start out as a violent group. Our former leader established a group that took care of the poor ones, the homeless ones, people who the government were supposed to be taking care of but who were not. He spoke against the corruption eating deep into the system. And what did they do to him? They killed him! Like he was an animal! Because he didn't understand the language of the government. Force! And that is what we are changing!"

"By killing innocent people?!", Funmi shot back.

"You say they are innocent", Al-Zawari continued, "but they are not. Anyone who abandons the prescription of Allah as stated in the Sharia law is not fit to live."

"Even children?", Funmi asked.

Al-Zawari was about speaking when one of his lieutenants walked in. "They are ready", the lieutenant said to him. Al-Zawari nodded and stood up from the bench he was sitting.

"Hold that thought", he said to Funmi, shaking his index finger at her direction, "we would continue this discussion."

Funmi nodded and lay back on the bed as he walked out of the room...

T.B.C...

As usual guys, you know the drill. Your 'comments', 'like', 'shares' are very much appreciated... Have a lovely and blessed week ahead of you.

Contd.

Funmi woke up that day feeling something she had not felt in a long while. Hope. It was strange, yet so comforting. She had previously stopped eating, having lost appetite days ago and she was looking so weak and fragile.

She wondered how Damien fared. She had overheard the guards talking about him escaping and now they tripled the number of persons keeping watch over her. So many thoughts ran through her head.

"Did Damien successfully escape?"

"Is he still alive?"

"Why didn't he come to rescue me?"

"Perhaps it was too dangerous to do so..."

"Would I ever see him again?"

"Would I even come out of this alive?"

"Mummy... I miss you so much. I wonder how you'll be coping with my absence..."

"Daddy, what are you doing to get me out of this place??"

Tears began dropping down her eyes as the thoughts continued pouring in. She was still weeping when she heard the sound of keys dangling in the keyhole of her cell.

She didn't raise her head as she thought it was the person who usually brought her food. The one they brought previously was still untouched, and she expected them to replace it with something new like they always did whenever she didn't eat.

Her head was still down between her knees but she felt the presence of someone standing and looking down at her. She expected the person to drop whatever they wanted to drop and go, but when that didn't happen, she slowly raised up her head to see who was in her cell.

She was shocked.

Standing before her was Al-Zawari. The Taliban leader himself. One of his lieutenants stood behind him. She continued looking at him, not believing her eyes. This was the man who had caused so much misery to her and many other innocent persons in the country. If looks could kill, Funmi's look would have killed Al-Zawari a thousand times over.

'I hear you've not been eating', Al-Zawari said. 'You should eat. Food is good for your health. Or is it that you don't like the food? I can make arrangements for a better one."

Funmi was silent.

"Get up", Al-Zawari said to her as he noticed she wasn't responding. She still continued staring deeply at him. Her looks would have killed him a million times over by now.

"Get up", he said to her again, this time giving a signal to his lieutenant to raise her up.

The lieutenant swiftly went from behind him and went behind where she sat. He placed his palms beneath her arms and tried raising her up. Funmi didn't put up a fight, she was too weak to do so, she didn't lend support to him either, so the man had difficulty making her stand.

When she finally stood, Al-Zawari signaled his lieutenant to take off the ropes on her wrists. The lieutenant gave Al-Zawari a questioning look, and he nodded.

Funmi rubbed her wrists with both palms for the first time in a long time when the ropes were taken off. She noticed her wrists were tinier than she remembered. She didn't have time to deliberate much on the negative changes in her body because before she knew it, Al-Zawari held her arm and led her outside.

It was a bright sunny day outside the cell. Funmi didn't know what day it was, but she looked at the sun and guessed the time to be around past 3pm.

'Of all the things I should be worried about... The time?', she wondered.

She was so frail as she walked because it's been a while since she walked around. She had always been confined to her cell. As they passed by what looked like a communal kitchen to her, she saw some women and children with their faces popping out of their hijabs, looking at her scornfully. Or was it pitifully? She had no idea. It all looked the same to her. She on the other hand pitied them because they looked like they were not there of their own volition. Some armed men were standing guard at the entrance.

They finally got to where looked like the residential quarters of the top officials of the Taliban group. Funmi wandered why she was brought here.

'I hope this beast is not planning on doing what I think he wants to do', she thought.

As they walked in, she suddenly began to feel nauseated and dizzy. Or was it pangs of hunger? She wasn't sure. She held her stomach as she felt a sharp pain. Then she fainted...



'Please don't tell me you have thanatophobia', Damien whispered to Mustapha as he saw him looking as scared as hell. 'No talk!', the man behind Damien said as he nudged his rifle into his back. Damien grunted and continued walking.

They were both walking with their hands tied in front of them and two Taliban terrorists walking behind them, pointing their guns at them.

"You have no inkling as to what they would do to us, don't you?", Mustapha whispered to Damien as they continued walking.

Damien was silent, with his face straight, numbers running through his head.

"Ok, let me give you an idea of what they would probably to us", Mustapha continued in whispers. "They would probably kill you swiftly, I'm thinking maybe by beheading or two shots directly to your skull. It would be quick and painless, trust me, so you wouldn't have to worry. But me, I'm in a shiit load of problems. I would be treated like a traitor, and I would eventually be killed, but not before they make me divulge information which I may or may not have. I've seen them do this to some persons and the sight was gory. So excuse me for being a little scared right now. Hell, not a little scared. Very scared! It would be better if I could just lay my hands on a cyanide pill right now!"

Mustapha continued ranting in whispers, then he stopped when he noticed that Damien was not responding.

"Did you even hear a word I said?", he whispered again.

Damien nodded. He was listening, but he wasn't listening to Mustapha. He was listening to the sound coming from the Taliban terrorists behind them.

They were now far away from the ambush site and there were just four Taliban terrorists escorting them back to the camp.

Damien ran the numbers in his head. They were still deep in the forest and far away from the camp. If they were to make any move, it had to be here, else they were gone for. But the guys were still pointing their rifles at them, and any wrong move from them could activate the triggers of their rifles. The one walking behind Damien looked like he was looking for a reason to shoot them.

'I'm not going to give you a reason to shoot, dumbass, at least not now', Damien thought.

Mustapha was still rambling. Damien had never seen him this scared. Perhaps he was reliving what he went through during his time undercover in the Taliban camp. He was most likely scared of what they would do to him.

But Damien was not concerned about that. He knew he wouldn't let it get to that. 'It's either we escape, or we die trying', he said to himself.

"Would you just shut the hell up? I'm thinking here!", Damien muttered as they walked along.

Damien's head ran wildly now, different scenarios popping up. He just had to execute this perfectly else his life and that of Mustapha be ended.

They were now beneath a tree. The three men were still behind them, but they were closer now.

"It's now or never", Damien said to himself.

"Fight me back", Damien whispered to Mustapha. He didn't wait to confirm if Mustapha understood or not. He immediately shove him on his chest. Mustapha staggered back.

"You crazy?!", Mustapha screamed at him as he got up and tackled Damien. Damien fought back.

The men stood watching them, confused.

"You're mad!", Damien shouted back at him as both of them exchanged words while fighting.

They continued squabbling as the men watched. They acted so seriously. Mustapha had no idea what Damien's game plan was but he was sure that whatever the outcome was, it was definitely better than the torture that was sure to be meted out to him if they got to the camp.

"Break it up!", the leader of the pack screamed at them.

They didn't hear, or if they heard, they didn't act like they did. The leader nodded at two of his men and both of them walked towards Damien and Mustapha to separate the fight.

"Now!", Damien screamed at Mustapha as one of the men put his hand on his shoulder trying to pull him away from Mustapha.

Immediately, Damien grabbed one of the men while Mustapha grabbed the other. Both of them held the men on their necks while ducking behind them. The other two men were confused. They pointed their rifles at them, but they couldn't get a clear shot. This went on for some seconds as Damien and Mustapha held on strongly while not giving away their positions.

One of the men struggled wildly and tilted Mustapha towards the direction of the rifle, but it didn't last long. Mustapha gained back his position immediately. The fighting between the four men became fierce. The two other had no other choice but watch, and wait. They had the impression that whatever the outcome was, the man with the gun always won. And both of them were with guns.

Both of them were shocked when suddenly, Damien snapped the neck of the man he was fighting and the man sprawled on the floor. There was no more cover for him.

Both men watched him with their mouths agape. Mustapha and the other terrorist stopped fighting. Damien knew the die was cast. It was finally over. He raised his hands and closed his eyes.

'At least, I went down fighting', he thought.

Some seconds later, the leader regained his composure and pointed his rifle at Damien. Mustapha cursed under his breathe.

At that very moment when the leader was about to pull the trigger, the sound of a gunshot ripped through the trees. And another. And another. Three shots in all. Perfectly timed and accurately found their marks.

Damien heard the shots, expecting that they were directed at him. He was expecting pain, and maybe loss of consciousness. Or was it immediate loss of consciousness? He didn't know because he had never been shot.

Some seconds later, he was still conscious. Everywhere around him was quiet. 'Am I in heaven? Or is it hell?', he thought.

'If I'm in heaven, how come I can't see anything. Or do people here walk blind?', he wondered. Then he remembered his eyes were still closed.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Mustapha staring at him. He looked around and saw the four Taliban terrorists who were escorting them lying on the floor, dead. Very dead.

He was surprised. He looked at Mustapha realized that he was still shocked. He was about asking Mustapha what happened exactly when they both heard a sound coming from behind them. They looked back and saw someone with a rifle coming out from within the bushes...

T.B.C

Quick question: Who came out from within the bushes?

Hi guys, ladies, lemme know what you think. Meanwhile, don't forget to 'like', 'share' or drop a 'comment'... They are highly appreciated...

Thumbs up bro... #Following