For days the patrol lasted. Still, there was no sign of any of the missing soldiers. In the forest, there lies a lake where all the patrolmen gather to exchange reports. At the lakeside, they camped. More and more from the bases soldier arrive each day, reinforcements as they seem, the kids see no immediate danger to be wary of. Perhaps, amongst the leaders, there was an exchange of Intel regarding an attack. Lieutenant Margeary sends them the awaited reinforcements only to discover that they were sent kids to work with. Most adults were appalled for what these kids, small, weak, and inexperienced, could do but hinder progress?
Ace watched the camp with keen and stern interest. Being the best of the best amongst his age, he can't help but sympathize with the adult soldiers, for he shares their belief in the children's feebleness before them. Even though Meow's former achievement had circulated over the camp, awesome as it may sound, will not make much of an assurance that the rest of the children will be of help.
The lieutenant, though, in his eyes, did her best to send the soldiers most of the best kids in the camp and several soldiers enough to escort them.
Morto, his self-proclaimed confidant, approached him as soon as he saw him, watching the current events perched up a nearby tree. Their group had just arrived.
"Ace," he called. Ace jumped and landed lightly on the ground.
"What's going on at the base?" he asked. Morto looked troubled for a second, then it was gone.
"A rebel snuck in," he said, and as he observed Ace's interest, he explained further. "Although the lieutenant tried her best to subdue the idea as regards to a traitor or spy inside. The soldiers and children around weren't so foolish as to think otherwise. Even you would agree about a traitor in the vicinity."
Ace thought about it. There'll be no doubt; the base itself is one impenetrable fortress. And passage can only be granted from the inside. Ace nodded and smiled grimly. "It must be awful in there."
"You have no idea," he said. "The lieutenant sent children for… well. You know why."
The best soldiers are to defend the base. Else, they'd be preparing for any more attack.
"I better go," Ace said and walked away. Morto would've followed him, but he's with another troop. Ace, thinking about the days to come, searched for his colleagues. He found them huddled up before Private Bones.
---
"Meow," Private Bones called, and she stepped forward. "You are being transferred to the Commando team tasked to search further into the forest."
I cleared my throat at the thought of being transferred to another group. And the Commando team? Hell, of all the team, why does that one have a name? I have no idea.
What's a Commando team?
"I don't like it, but I have no choice," Bones continued. "They think you'd be able to make their travel swifter into the forest. They comprise extremely experienced soldiers. Most have the same keen tracking ability as you."
"Just her?" it was Ace, who, just arrived, spoke. "I'd like to go too."
"They wanted to take you as well, but that I cannot allow," Bones sighed. "I can't tolerate any more manpower deficiency."
Private Bones has announced the latest occurrences, left, and went to look for another captain.
I bit my lip, knowing Minnie wouldn't be happy with this. I turned and saw Barrel sneering victoriously. I bet he's going to put everyone in trouble in his own way.
"Thanks to me," Barrel spoke. "You were transferred to the elite team, Meow. I was the one who encouraged them to take you and utilize your ability further. You are, after all, what everyone thinks a wonder child."
I really don't know if he means good or bad, but looking at that hideous grin, he means poorly.
"Too bad to our prodigy here, we're running low with people, you'd be going alone," Barrel grinned at Ace.
"You are not helping, coward," Minnie spoke.
"Says who?" asked Barrel. "Minnie Mouse, you?"
Minnie just sneered like the guy isn't worth a dime. Barrel saw how she acted and growled, insulted. I was summoned to join the other party and bid them goodbye.
When I got there, they talked about locating the enemy base, which drained all the color from my face.
For the love of Yolly, didn't anyone get the memo? I nearly died, you know?
---
Days passed, and the newly assigned party hiked the jungle with swift yet scrupulous search. Miles, they'd gone, but still, there was no sign of even a single hut or even a single rebel sentry. The night is drawing near, so the Commando leader, Oliver, asked us to settle for the night. The adults went for a hunt and left me with three other soldiers in the clearing.
All of them have keen senses. Never in the duration of our expedition did I help them with anything. The least I could do is not slow them down. I emptied my bottle of water and knelt down on the grass. The other three soldiers ignored me as they delved into their conversation.
I'm like their shadow, existing, yet no one pays attention to it.
The hunting party arrived, and we ate the meat of a deer and went to sleep. I woke up with the sound of Oliver's nagging. My eyes flung open without any sign of drowsiness in them.
"Rebels," he said. "Hurry."
"Do we fight?" I asked, but he shook his head.
"There are probably a hundred of them approaching," he answered. "And there are only twenty of us."
"We're going to disperse, kid," another soldier informed me. "We need to lead them to a different direction. If you get back to the camp…."
He trailed off, and I took it as an omen of death and failure, which is probably what they want badly to impart.
"Tell them not to dispatch a search party," Oliver said. "We will get back to the base in our own ways. And tell them to trust us all. It's either we survive and get back or die trying. That's all. Go."
I nodded. And quickly dashed back to where we came from. It took me two whole days of dodging and fleeing from the beasts of the forest until I came upon a little black cat being chased by a wolf. I was so busy avoiding the panther, exploring yards away, when I suddenly found myself before a wolf and a black cat, growling and snarling. I tensed on my toes, watching them while intimidating each other. Clearly, the cat is just a little bigger than a domestic cat, which isn't promising so well. So the huge dog, tired of the stubbornness of the little black cat, leaped, and they rolled on the meadow.
The little cat was thrown against a tree and then fell, shaking, trying to get up. The next thing I knew, I had approached closer and had shot the wolf's skull. I watched it shudder once, and then, it was no more. It will surely go after me next anyway.
I quickly went to the little cat. I knelt down and examined it for a while.
Slash wounds and a broken leg.
It's still alive, though. Should I kill it now to save it from any more pain? I stared at it and sighed. There's something in its eyes that's still fighting for life. Instead of pointing a weapon at its head, I searched for my first aid kit like the good kid I am. I drenched the wounds with water from my bottle and patched them up with my bandages. Finally, I gave it a pill of aspirin, powdered and diluted with water.
Luckily, no beasts approached during the duration of mending this cat's grave wounds. My only problem now is how can I possibly take care of the cat while traveling back to the base? I can't just leave it here after I bothered healing its wounds.
Running out of options, I slid the thing inside my backpack, zipping it just midway to allow air to pass through. I started to trek back to the camp again. I followed our own spoor back to the campsite.
I found a stream, stopped to fetch sufficient water, and then rechecked the cat. It's breathing, albeit heavily. I continued trekking and picking up fruits on the way. Thrice I happened to hear an approaching panther and twice wolves. Suppose I couldn't listen to them long before they noticed my presence, silent even to the other beasts of the forest. In that case, I could've been dead the sooner I trekked back to the main camp alone. I think there's merit in everything, after all, even my uncle's murder attempts on me growing up. And yeah, there's Yolly too, my grade school roommate.
I'm getting nearer and nearer to the lake where the rest are camping. Grinning, I ran toward them, waving like a loon. Who wouldn't be? Even with the situation at hand, I just managed to finish my very first mission.