Alpha 1

Mark looked over his shoulder as the SUV rolled out. The deal had been set and the money had been paid.


Mark felt an excitement mixed with the undesirable trait of fear. he did not not like the trait but its presence was undeniable.

Mark turned back to Salvado who was driving, his eyes looking straight ahead. the setting sun shone a bright orange light on his aged face. His weary cheeks, wrinkled with wells of years of abuse carried bright eyes that were alive and filled with purpose. Mark sat back, a little reassured. Atleast someone knew what was going on. That's a good thing.

The car drove on for nearly five hours hour. Mark leaned over and turned on the radio. It quickly abrupted the long silence that was in the car.

Mark could hear the men in the back shift. Salvado had changed seats with the driver, he now sat in the back. The radio crackled them a voice came through

"This evening at around 10.30pm a high level army generals were brutally slain by an unknown group of assassins. The attack came during a heroes day party helpd at General Zving's residence. The president described the assassinations a brazen acts savagery and swore to brings those responsible to a swift justice. The Minister of defense has castigated the assignations as an attempt to undermine the nations defenses but those behind this plan will not succeed."

The voice posed and every man in the car seemed to hold their breathe.

"news just in, a group of militia has just attacked the Chirin border post. The guards at the border cannot be contacted but the Minister of defense assures the public that the militia will soon be dealt with as right now elite commandos have been sent to quell the insurgence...More details at the twelve o' clock news. Now in other news..."


Salvado made a deep sigh and he raised his arms and put his hands on the back of his head and sank back into the seat. Mark looked outside the SUV. He saw the yellow lines rush past him. his mind wondered and he though of how the tide of time was carrying him, hurtling at the speed of light in an endless river. Change. Motion. fear. Mark pushed a button and the window slowly whirred up. He gripped the steering wheal and the car sped on on the highway , the red taillights disappearing into the darkness.

..................................................................................................................................................

Ngozi's feet carried him swiftly across wet grassy undergrowth. His feet splattered lightly as he moved past the shasow sof the trees.

He could ditinctly hear his heart beating above the muffling rain. slow and steady. As it should be. He had trained all his life to be able to do this.

from the corner of his eyes he could see the figures of the two soldiers running behind him. they were a full ten paces behind, clutching thier rifles close. they were not chasing him , they werer following him.

Ngozi saw the shade of darness shange straight ahead. The darkness got deeper and he knew he was fast aproaching the edge of the dry river bank. He passed a stump and two fingers popped up and waved in a circle.

They were there

One. two. three and ngozi sprung off the edge of the bank. In mid air he brought hi katan close to his chost and with his right hand gripped the hilt. Time seemed frozen for a moment. As if slowly, he drew the katana from it's sheath and raised it high above is head.

Ngozi looked down into the dry river bed. twelve men were dotted along the sands. The one directly below him raised his head when he saw Ngozi's shadow. He raised it enough to see a glint in the murky rain. too late.

The katan came bearing down on his skull, shattereing it as Ngozi's feet landed in the soft wet sand. he pushed the sword sideways and freed the katana. In a flash he had moved from the scene running along the dark adges of the bank. T

The other men turned and saw a their man fall and a disappearing shadow. their captain signalled for everyone to put on their night vision goggles.

Mistake number one.

Theybegan to move cautiously towards the dark edge. their eyes roving the emptiness.
One of the men tunrned his head. he saw a moving figure. before he could do anything a bright flash flared infront of him and that was the last thing he saw.
The men turned and opened automatic fire in the direction. But the bright flash had made their eyes numb.

The capatined spoke on the radio

'Lie low, we got a predator here. carefuls shots only'. The group went down on one knee. rifles at the ready.

The captain looked to his side and saw the cammando next to him. Their eyes met and they had the same thought.

The captain signalled for a circle formation and the commando' slowly moved into position guns radiating outward.

The captain looked around him and saw that not two but four of his menn had been cut down. he had only counted two. He could hear his own teath grit and he gripped the rifle even harder. Ready.

Ngozi, stood in the shadow. The advantage of the goggles was gone. He could see the commando's faces again. Steady searching looks. pangs to kill carved on their faces.

Ngozi waited in the darkness.

Suddenly the capatin turned and he could hear a whirr in the air. he knew that whirr. Of coarse. That was the whole point. To draw thhem from the shadows right into the centre of the river bed. right where even a child could make a direct hit.

the captain jolted to his feet and yelled

"Incoming!"

The commando's started to get up and run for the edge but for some of them it was too ltae. The grenade hit. The flash. The noise. The yells. The silent murky night was set abrio by the flaring flames as if a mad artist had rushed across painting the night canvas..

Ngozi sprang into action. He hacked and sliced the fleeing men as they ran towards the edge. In the confusion and noise it was a mad blood bath.

The capatin raised his head from the ground and looked around him. the heat of the blaze scortched his skin. He saw as four of his men were cut down as they made for the eastern border. he aimed his rifle and emptied his rifle in that direction.

he didn't know if he had hit anything. he was too disorianted. he knew that if he and his men stayed in that river bed any longer they would be all killed.

he crawled to a fallen body and grabbed a rifle and started running towards the western bank.
as they ran two of his men fell.

"A sniper" he thought to himself. within ten steps he made it to the river bank and they quickly scurried up and dashed into the undergrowth.

The capatin knew that the danger was not over yet. The unit was now scattered over a hundred square metres over thick foilage. This was bad.

He turned as he saw a shadow move past. He raised his rifle and pressed the trigger. Click.
When he looked up again the shaodw had merged with the darkness.

The capatin signalled the three men that were near him to spread out a few feet and sit still and not to open fire.

The captain crept under the failage and lay still.

In the distance he could hear the short scuffles and load groans and the unmistakable sound of swinging metal.

"It was perfect ambush," he thought to himself."Only a nerve of steal could survive this kind of attack."

He looked round at the faces around him. The coldest faces. the coolest heads. Yes. what he thought was right. Only the cool headed lived.

He signaled and the commando's dug in under the foliage forming an arc behind small clearing.

Ngozi stealthily walked against the trees in the thick jungle. Listening for the slightest movement. He hunted the commando's down like animals.

"All it took was just that one second you lost your cool and just that one second separated you by over twenty metres." this thought played in Ngozi's mind as he crept on his prey.

Ngozi then turned up and talked into the microphone.

'I have got all the lone runners. it's done for tonight.'

"What do you mean its done for tonight. How many did you eliminate?"

" Nine."

"plus eight from the RPG, man thas only 17, intel said they were 21 in the unit."

Ngozi said in a cold calm voice, almost a whisper before turning off the line

"If you hunt the last four you will die tonight."