Read Jungle Kill for Free Online

agreed Nelson. ‘Which gives me two votes. So, it’s five to two on us going in.’ He grinned. ‘I
really
don’t like that gold headband he’s wearing.’
    The leader had now raised the machete above his head and was waving it around threateningly. The man kneeling on the ground closed his eyes and tried to push his head into his shoulders, as if it would stop him being attacked.
    ‘If we’re going to move, we’d better move fast,’ said Gaz. ‘Before he chops that guy’s head off.’
    ‘He’s not going to chop his head off,’ said Mitch. ‘If he does that, the village packs up and moves on, which means no more stealing from them in the future.’
    ‘So it’s going to be OK,’ said Tug. ‘He’s not going to kill him. Just threaten him.’
    Mitch shook his head. ‘No. He’ll cut one of theman’s hands off, as an example to the others. Then he’ll start on the others. Cut a hand off one of the women or one or two of the kids.’
    ‘When?’ asked Benny.
    ‘Any second now,’ said Mitch.
    As they watched, the leader let go of the kneeling man’s hair, grabbed the man’s left hand and pulled it out from his side. The women began to scream as the machete was swung back.
    Bang! In one movement Nelson had brought his rifle up to his shoulder, switched it to single shot, and fired. The bullet took the leader right through the head, and he fell sideways, eyes wide in surprise.
    The two men sitting on the jeep gaped, stunned at the sight of their leader’s body tumbling heavily to the ground. Then they sprang into action, rifles leaping into their hands. But the unit was already moving.
    A spray of automatic fire from Two Moons and Gaz took out the other two men near the jeep.
    ‘Save the hostages!’ shouted Nelson.
    Mitch, Benny and Tug were already running towards the village men standing with their hands on their heads, now looking terrified. The two armed bandits by them hesitated, still shocked by what had happened to their leader.
    Benny let fly a hail of bullets and one of the bandits crumpled to the ground. The other bandit turned and began to run.
    Bang!
    A burst of fire from Tug took the fleeing bandit’s legs from under him and he crashed to the ground, screaming with pain.
    ‘We’ve got one prisoner at least,’ grunted Tug.
    ‘I wouldn’t count on it,’ murmured Mitch.
    As the unit watched, they realised the women had broken away from their previous position and were running towards the wounded bandit. As they ran, they gathered up their farming tools: axes, picks, shovels and rakes. They were still shouting and wailing, but these were now screamsof triumph and revenge, not of fear.
    ‘They’re going to kill him?’ asked Gaz.
    ‘That’s the general idea,’ said Mitch.
    ‘We have to stop them!’ said Tug, and he fired a burst of gunfire into the air.
    The running women stopped, hesitated, then carried on.
    ‘Do something!’ snapped Tug. ‘You know the language, Mitch. Shout at them! Tell them to stop!’
    ‘Why?’ Mitch shrugged. ‘These bandits will have been living off the people of this village like parasites for ages. Looting, torturing, murdering.’
    As he spoke, the women had reached the fallen bandit and had begun striking him with their farm implements. The bandit’s screams ceased.
    ‘You stupid idiot!’ Tug raged angrily at Mitch. ‘We could have got some intel from that prisoner! Information about the rebels. Now he’s dead we won’t find out anything!’
    ‘Yes, we will,’ said Mitch calmly. ‘And a lot quicker and more truthfully.’ He gestured at thevillagers, who were now approaching them, slowly and warily, but with their hands held out in a gesture of peace and with smiles of gratitude on their faces. ‘We’ve just made ourselves some new and very useful friends.’

8
     
    While the men of the village and the rest of the unit disposed of the bandits’ bodies, Mitch and Nelson sat down to talk to the leader of the village. His name, he told