First Strike

“Actually, the big question is whether we can make Yoshi understand what we’re asking,” Jade decided.

The boy was standing beside them outside the little house. For once, he wasn’t smiling. He pointed at Jade, then he pointed at Rich, and then he pointed at himself.

“Us, all of us, yes?” said Jade.

Yoshi pointed to them all again, then he pointed down the road in the direction his father and Chance had gone. He mimed walking on the spot.

“All of us, follow them,” Rich interpreted. “Looks like language isn’t a barrier after all.” He bent down to talk to the boy. “We need to tell your aunt that we’re going out. And any chance of something to eat first? I’m starving.”

Yoshi shrugged and shook his head. He obviously had no idea what Rich was asking.

They got through the main gates with no problem. If the guard wondered how the two official inspectors from Army HQ had got to the base on foot, he knew better than to ask.

Mr Chang did the talking, while Chance kept his head down—literally, so his face could not be seen under his uniform cap. He also tried to hunch up and appear shorter than he really was. The guard opened the barrier and let them walk into the base.

As well as several outbuildings and workshops, there was an administration block and a large hangar. Chance set off for the hangar. In the dying light of the evening he could see grass growing through the concrete slabs that made up the roadway. The whole place looked run down and dilapidated. Some of the admin block windows were boarded up, and the doors to the hangar looked like they were rusted open.

“I don’t think our passes will allow us into the main silos and more secure areas,” said Mr Chang.

“There’s hardly anyone here,” Chance pointed out. “The place has been all but abandoned. With luck we can be in and out again before anyone even notices. Or if they do, no one will miss them for a few hours.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Mr Chang agreed. “And the guard at the gate is obviously not expecting any trouble. He says most of the troops were moved out a few weeks ago, and he thinks the rest of them have been forgotten and left to rot.”

“He may well be right. I doubt anyone else ever comes here.”

They reached the hangar and went inside. There was a guard standing beside a large, metal door with a locking wheel.

“Looks like that’s where we want to go,” said Chance.

The guard was walking towards them, gesturing angrily and shouting. Mr Chang shouted back, but the guard didn’t seem impressed. He advanced on them, rifle at the ready.

“He says this is a restricted area and only the base commander and duty guard are allowed in here,” said Mr Chang, quietly.

“Don’t worry,” Chance told him. “Let me explain.”

As soon as the guard was within reach, Chance grabbed the end of the man’s rifle, ripped it from his grip, swung it round and slammed it into the guard’s head. The man dropped silently to the floor.

“I think he got the message,” said Chance. He checked the soldier’s pulse, and then slung the assault rifle over his shoulder. “Sorry about that,” he murmured.

It took both of them to heave open the heavy metal door. On the other side, a metal stairway led down into blackness. Mr Chang handed Chance a torch, and produced another one for himself from his jacket pocket.

“Thank you, Mr Chang. You think of everything. Now, let’s see what’s downstairs.”

Up above ground, more unexpected visitors were arriving at the base.

The first visitors were three children. They crouched in the darkness just off the main road, watching the guard at the gate.

“We’ll never get past him,” said Jade.

“The place looks pretty run-down, but the security fence looks intact,” said Rich.

“Think Dad’s in there?”

Rich nodded. “Oh yeah.”

“Think he needs help?”

“Doubt it.”

From behind them came the sound of approaching vehicles. Rich, Jade and Yoshi drew back from the roadside as lights cut through the darkness. Two massive army trucks were rumbling towards the base.

The guard was standing in the middle of the road, in front of the wooden barrier. In the glare of the headlights, Rich could see that he looked confused, worried and surprised.

Then he dived to one side as the front truck picked up speed—heading straight for the gate. The truck crashed through, the second truck close behind it. The first truck kept going, towards the distant hangar and admin block. The second turned in a wide arc and stopped.

Uniformed figures leaped from the back of the second truck. The guard from the gate was running towards them, shouting, his rifle levelled.

He was still shouting when the newcomers opened fire. The guard was thrown back by the impacting bullets.

The other side of the gate, in the near-darkness, Yoshi tugged at Rich’s sleeve. His face was pale with fear. He said something, a single word. Rich could guess what it meant.

“Rebels,” said Jade.

Rich nodded. “Now Dad needs help.”

4 (#ulink_f204af55-0391-515c-98a2-e711a32167e7)

Huge arc lights flickered on. They illuminated the whole area in a harsh, white glow. Dark figures emerged from the admin block and barracks at the far side of the base. The two trucks had stopped not far from them, and the newcomers returned fire.

“Let’s hope he’s not caught in the middle of that,” said Rich.

“He’ll be in the hangar,” Jade replied. She had to shout over the sound of gunfire. “He’s looking for missiles, remember.”

Yoshi was talking rapidly and urgently. But Rich had no idea what he was saying.

“You’d better get home,” he told the boy. He pointed back up the road, the way they had come. “Go! Stay safe. Me and Jade will try to help, OK?” He pointed to himself and Jade, then into the base as he spoke.

Yoshi said something else, nodding the whole time. He grabbed Rich’s hand and shook it. He stood on tiptoe and kissed Jade on the cheek. Then he turned and ran, disappearing into the darkness.

“Think he understood?” Jade asked.

“I think he likes you.”

Jade ignored him. “Let’s get to that hangar and find Dad.”

Fortunately the fighting was well away from the hangar. The rebels were sheltering behind their trucks, firing on the troops from the base. But taken by surprise, the base soldiers were at a disadvantage.

A streak of fire shot out from beside one of the trucks, then slammed into the brick-built admin block. The whole building seemed to light up as the rocket exploded. Windows were blown out and bodies went flying.