Zmiana sposobu prezentacji
“We have escaped! We are free! We are flying away,” Maria cheers and at that moment the radio crackles in the earphones and the control tower tries to make contact with the helicopter. For a moment Ryno considers switching off the radio-set but decides against it.
Moments later they hear the control tower making contact, with the control tower at Serpa Pinto and how fighter jets are being called for action. Ryno realizes that their biggest enemy now is radar and that they have got to fly in the ground clutter not to be seen.
They fly without any rotating and aircraft lights and Ryno forces the pilot to fly very low.
“With those Migs that they are trying to vector on us, I want us to get out of Angolan airspace as quickly as is possible. I do not know if we have got enough fuel to reach South West Africa (Namibia).”
“Is it not very dangerous to fly so low in this weather,” Maria wants to know. After a while the cloud cover and fog restricts their vision and the pilot also starts to complain. Ryno’s knife at his throat forces him to fly further without saying another word. Ryno notices from Maria’s voice that she is strained, tired and worried.
“We cannot take the chance of being picked up by one of the Angolan radar stations or the radar of the Mig fighters. We either fly low or take the risk of being shot down in flames, when one of the Migs reaches us. They will (...)
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When the group comes back to the place where they had camped, the rain has stopped. Some of the Unita-soldiers dig a small hole and after a while they light a small fire with wet wood.
They celebrate and a brandy bottle is given from on to the other, while they are shivering around the small fire. “Let us go and find a sleeping place in the bushes where we can be private,” Ryno suggests to Maria.
“We are not easily going to find a dry place,” she protests but there is something in the way that Ryno is looking at her that silences any further protests.
“We will be alright,” he says and there is a naughty look in his eyes. She blushes and smiles agreeing and not one of the soldiers finds it strange, when they sneak away with their possessions like so many other nights.
When they are out of hearing distance of the Unita-soldiers Maria gasps at the sight of the RPG-7 rocket launcher that Ryno had brought along, which is loaded with a rocket grenade. Ryno removes his waterproof sleeping bag from the top of his backpack and zips her sleeping bag onto his.
“What are you going to do with that thing,” she wants to know sharply. “Hush!” He hisses at her and indicates with his eyes that someone is watching and listening to them.
His lips burns on hers and her lips are wet, hot and soft beneath his. When their lips break away form each other’s, he draws her stiffly (...)
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Early the next morning they walk the last few kilometres to Cuito Canavale, where they set up a position in a wooded aria near to the enemy air field.
Maria accompanies them when Ryno and one of the soldiers move nearer to enemy airport to do some scouting.
The three of them sneaks from bush to bush and they come upon a small stream that meanders in the direction of the enemy camp and notices the water drain that runs into it.
There are walls of earth right around the base and they can only see the guards that are patrolling between the two fences with their dogs and can see nothing of what is going on inside the base.
There is no hillock nearby as a higher place to scout from and the aria around the camp is stripped from any trees. It does however not make a big difference, as they know layout of the enemy camp thoroughly.
When thunder clouds is drawing the sky close during the late afternoon, the three hurry back to the Unita-soldiers, where Ryno once more draws the layout of the camp in the sand.
A while later they check there weapons and other equipment, they activate the bombs and set the timing devices on them and the bombs are ceiled in small plastic bags.
It is a miserable night and the rain sieves down in a fine curtain, on to the group outside the enemy camp. A fresh wind is rising and it sprays the rain into their faces, but it is an ideal evening for what (...)
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Early the next morning they walk the last few kilometres to Cuito Canavale, where they set up a position in a wooded aria near to the enemy air field.
Maria accompanies them when Ryno and one of the soldiers move nearer to enemy airport to do some scouting.
The three of them sneaks from bush to bush and they come upon a small stream that meanders in the direction of the enemy camp and notices the water drain that runs into it.
There are walls of earth right around the base and they can only see the guards that are patrolling between the two fences with their dogs and can see nothing of what is going on inside the base.
There is no hillock nearby as a higher place to scout from and the aria around the camp is stripped from any trees. It does however not make a big difference, as they know layout of the enemy camp thoroughly.
When thunder clouds is drawing the sky close during the late afternoon, the three hurry back to the Unita-soldiers, where Ryno once more draws the layout of the camp in the sand.
A while later they check there weapons and other equipment, they activate the bombs and set the timing devices on them and the bombs are ceiled in small plastic bags.
It is a miserable night and the rain sieves down in a fine curtain, on to the group outside the enemy camp. A fresh wind is rising and it sprays the rain into their faces, but it is an ideal evening for what (...)
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Early the next morning Ryno is testing the six Unita-soldiers that have been given as a team to him. Equipped with their firearms they jog a few kilometres into the field, where he put up some beer bottles as targets to test the shooting abilities of the men.
There AK-47 sub-machineguns are in prime condition and each of the soldiers is not only veterans, but their shooting is accurate and they are reasonably fit.
Later back at the camp each one is examined by Maria and they confirm that they have been trained in the handling of hand grenades, knifes and strangling cords.
Maria studies the sketch plan with Ryno and builds them a model of the Cuito Canavale air base, from cardboard and Ryno discusses the plan of the raid with the six Unita-soldiers.
“All of us will be armed with AK-47’s, hand grenades, knives and strangle cords. The hand grenades and rifles are only to be used if we have no other choice. It is important that we set the explosives and escape without being noticed, before the explosions take place, than to become tangled in a fire fight with a much bigger enemy force,” Ryno explains.
He later takes the men on training sessions to exercise the raid through the small town, where they run into empty houses and ruins and practise at setting up the explosive devices.
A variety of explosives are available in the camp, to make the bombs with. They can use fertilizer, (...)
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A lot later they feel that they are being watched and when they look up, it is into the faces of Roberto and his officers. “Thank you for the good work that you are doing here,” Roberto remarks.
“Everything has got a price with you. I wonder how you are going to pay us, for this. Roberto, you owe us. You owe me your life and how do you pay me?”
It is clear that Roberto is embarrassed. “Come with me Mister Burger, there’s a few things that we have got to discuss,” Roberto orders and nods to a few of his guards to stay with Maria.
Roberto gives some more commands and some of the officers and soldiers disappear into the town. “It is for her own safety,” Roberto remarks when he notices the Ryno’s glance. “Like we are kept here for our own safety,” Ryno wants to know sarcastically.
In silence they walk further to Roberto’s office, where he asks Ryno to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs and he fetches cold beer for them both from the refrigerator.
”What do you want from me and Maria,” Ryno wants to know directly. “I have got something that you both want. Let us call it your freedom and you can help us with something that we want,” Robert remarks.
Ryno drinks his beer in silence while he is watching Roberto Chipenda, where he is looking out of the window at Mavinga. “If it wasn’t for those damned aircraft,” Roberto says and (...)
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Ryno can hardly keep himself from assaulting Roberto Chipenda, where he sits in that man’s office. Two soldiers are however at both sides of the chair in which Ryno is sitting and their rifles are pointing to him.
It is clear that the building where they are had been a school at a time, as there is a black board against the one wall. Against another wall there are charts of the whole of Angola and the place looks to Ryno like a geography class room.
The illusion is broken by the Unita flag with the crowing cock right next to the portrait of Jonas Savimbi against another wall and the radio equipment in one of the corners of the room.
Somewhere some power generators are roaring on the outside and through the open window, Ryno can see the blue sky above them. It is unusual that there is not a bird in the sky.
It is clear to him that the town had known better days. Outside some of the buildings are ruins, from the many battles that have been fought here. Other buildings have got only scars and pock marks that have been left by bullets.
The windows and tin roofs of Mavinga glitters in the early morning light. The stench of rotting food and human faeces is strong in Ryno’s nose when the light breeze changes its direction.
Ryno forces himself to stay calm. “What does all of this mean? Where did you take Maria,” he wants to know from Roberto. There are traces of (...)
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Ryno takes the Heckler and Koch 417 attaches a new magazine to it and cocks the weapon, before he puts the safety catch on.
“Can’t we do anything to help the animals,” Maria wants to know and her eyes burns worried in his. To both of them the killing of the animals is pure madness
”I can fire at their soldiers on the riverbank, but it will bring them and the horde that is chasing the elephant’s right to us,” Ryno explains. “But... we have got to do something. We cannot let them mow those animals down, without doing anything,” Maria says heatedly.
”It will probably be more merciful to let them kill the elephants. Those men are too unruffled. There is probably a big landmine field between them and the animals, into which they are being chased.”
The bizarre scene that unfolds before them on the open piece of veldt next to the river is for Ryno and Maria like a nightmare, where they hopelessly watch the animals being mowed down.
The helicopter gunships come much nearer and hang just above the bushes, behind the storming animals and the cannons in the noses of the aircraft start firing.
The elephants run forward in a solid stream into the landmine field. The few that comes wounded through the landmine field are shot down by the soldiers with the machineguns and there are wounded animals moaning inside the landmine field where they have been shot to pieces.
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Although the old dilapidated lorry bumps along while chickens are cackling and goats are bleating on the back of it and the sun is scorching Ryno and Maria, Maria is happy that they do not have to walk like the previous day.
Her feet is not completely healed and the walking of the previous day, did not help to let the wounds feel any better.
***
They drove with the Mercedes back to Luanda and from there took a road into the interior of the country. They were travelling well, but had almost driven into a FAPLA roadblock.
Luckily they were able to get off the road before being spotted and had hidden the Mercedes in a thorny acacia as the fuel had also been used up; perforce they had to start walking.
At places Ryno had carried her on his back, until they reached a farmer with a lorry whom Maria had known from her childhood days.
***
Ryno’s hair is being blowing in the wind, where next to her he is standing and looking at the road in front of them. He looks at Maria where she is sitting close to him and her smile hits deep into his heart and he smiles back to her.
He can almost not believe that they are together again and that they are free. He watches a few eagles that hang in the air to the west and it feels as if he can fly away along with them.
From under the camouflage cap on her head, she looks much younger and her (...)
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“What do you want from me,” Petrofski wants to know from Ryno while he buttons his pants with shaking fingers. “Do not move, Petrofski,” Ryno remarks before he removes the makrof pistol from the holster on Petrofski’s belt.
There is shock on Petrofski’s face, when he notices that it’s a white man that is pointing the rifle at him. “Are you a mercenary that is working with the UNITA-rebels,” Petrofski asks while he is shaking his head, as if Ryno’s presence with the Heckler and Koch 417 that is peeping at him is unexplainable to him.
Suddenly Ryno’s reference to Cassinga comes to his consciousness. “So the South Africans have sent you once more, to rescue Maria Ramos, or is it Joanna Lerdo?” “No Petrofski. It is destiny and this time I am here for personal reasons,” Ryno answers the Russian and it’s as if he is looking into death itself. “From where do you know the bitch?” He wants to know astonished.
The Heckler and Koch 417 coughs suddenly barely audible past Petrofski’s shoulder and the three black men tumble down jerking and Petrofski is now very anxious when Ryno’s slap makes him taste blood.
“Talk about Maria like that again and it will be my pleasure to teach you some manners,” Ryno threatens. “For what you have done to Maria, I feel like carving you up bit by tiny bit with the survival knife. It will however be much too good for you.”
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It is night again when she is brought to the office where Petrof Petrofski, Carlos and the three black men are waiting on her. “I see you are doing better,” Carlos remarks smiling friendly and she gives him a look that sends him straight to hell.
“Maria, we have let you come to travel a small distance with us,” Petrofski remarks somewhat friendly, but she does not trust the peace.
”To where do you want to take me in the dark night,” she wants to know worried. “If you work along with us it will be a pleasure trip,” Carlos remarks in a begging voice.
”Of whose pleasure do you talk?” She asks mocking. “Ah, I see you really understand what is going to happen if you stay obstinate,” Petrofski remarks and starts laughing roughly.
Maria set her eyes on a dot on the wall and ignores the five men, as if they are not right there. After a few minutes Petrofski looses his patience and he pulls her arms roughly behind her back, before he cuffs them together.
In silence they walk to the ancient lift and take it down to the basement of the building. “If you start talking right now, this trip will not be necessary,” Carlos begs for the last time when the doors of a new Mercedes are opened.
She ignores him as if he doesn’t exist and is pushed into the back of the car, where she is forced to sit between two of the black men and hears a door slamming when the (...)
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