Continuation II

22nd of April 2010, Griya Caraka Housing complex, Bandung

Karina Larasati, a 14 years old girl student of Mutiara Bunda was awakened from her nap by her cell phone ringing.
She picked it up.

“Hello, who’s this?” she asked groggily.

“Hello Karin, sorry if I woke you up… This is Ahmad, I need you to tell Fia that I am very sorry that I would missed her birthday party, tell her not to worry about her cousins. We’re going to jump tonight, I can’t tell you where… but know that I’ll miss you guys, especially our time together in the basketball team. I got to go, bye” the line went off.

Karin sat there; shocked by the news she just received. That’s why she couldn’t find Ifa anywhere; she was staying with the troopers at the refreshing camp before the jump.
She wipes the tears that sprung up to her eyes furiously, her seniors and friends are fighting for their country, she would pray for them, but she will not weep.
‘Ka’ Ahmad once told me that I was strong, I will show him when he returns that I am strong and worthy of his compliments’ she thought, recalling the scene from few months back when Ahmad and his friends congratulate her for making the core female team.

Meanwhile, at Hussein Airbase

“2nd Platoon, good luck, I’ll see you at the Drop Zone” Lieutenant Fatahillah told his boys and girls from 2nd platoon.
They instantly saluted him before boarding the C-130 transport that would take them over their destination.

Ahmad sit down next to Malika, the later is nervously playing with her flashlight.
The young sergeant smiled and put an arm around his cousin’s shoulders.
Lika gazed into his eyes and smiled too before placing her head on his shoulder and close her eyes.

Ahmad noticed the snickering Abisha before him and glared.
“You’d do the same if it is Biya instead of Lika” he whispered.
Abisha nod his head, “true, anyway, d’you reckon how long this war would take us?” he asked.

“Don’t know, ranging from two up to five years I think” Ahmad answered.

Abisha nod his head again.
“Any girls catch your interest back home? You never were open about the matter of heart since Azka rejected you” he asked suddenly.

Ahmad looks up to the plane’s ceiling and sigh.
“I don’t really know… Karin held a special place in my heart, but I’m not sure” he said.

Both young men spend the fifty minutes flying time talking about their everyday problems in life, about Abi’s girl, Ifa, who is one of their best friends. They talk about home, foods, musical concert for the soldiers and all until the red light went on.

Staff Sergeant Moren stood backing the jump bay.
“Stand up and do equipments check!” he ordered, shouting against the sound of the engines and the wind.

Ahmad check up on all of his equipments before sounding his confirmation that all is okay, followed by the others.
Then there’s explosion s everywhere, the sky is lit with enemy flak fire trying to shoot down the plane of the 7th and 14th PIR as they fly over their objective.

The light turns green and Staff Sergeant Moren turn to face the door.
He nods his head to the jumpmaster before taking a running leap, followed by his men.

………………………………..

The night sky over Cilacap was lit up by Brazilian flak firing away at the C-130.
Paratroopers parachute fill the sky like some flying mushrooms dropped from the planes. Some of them were killed as they float down when a flak round explode nearby or when the enemy firing away at the floating canopy, sending the troopers down to the ground.

Sergeant Ahmad’s feet hit the ground and his knees buckled. He immediately takes off the parachute harness and loosens the clip that held his rifle close to his body.
He looks around and notices no one from his chalk or any other chalks land nearby; he cursed under his breath and starts to walk toward the gathering point, some two kilometers from their main objective, the Cilacap airfield.

Not too far from there, closer to the main road, another paratrooper landed.

“Damn! I lost my aid kit!” the trooper cursed as she scrambled up from her landing place.
She was about to enters the underbrush when she was greeted by a voice.

“Beloved” the voice hissed.

The trooper jump in fright before turning to face the direction from where the voice came from.
“M-motherland” she stuttered back.

“Ifa is that you?” another trooper appeared from the bushes.

Ifa smiled, “Abi, you’re almost giving me a heart attack!” she whispered back

Abi puts an arm around her shoulders, calming her down, “have you seen others?” he asked.

She shakes her head, “no, but I bet they’re nearby… Ahmad jumps before me so I think he’s over there somewhere” she said, moving her head towards the general direction of the small stream.

Abi nods his head, “come on Ifa, let’s find the others” he said.

………………………………..

Not too far from there Ahmad is lying in a ditch, his eyes monitoring the small guard post with five Brazilian Marines guarding it, two of them are playing chess, and the other two are drinking coffee while the last one is guarding the road.
It was around 7:00 pm and one or two cars still passed through the road to the airfield.

Ahmad was contemplating of going around the area when he sees two crouching figures walking down the road. He immediately gets himself out from the ditch and cocks his rifle.

“Beloved” he asked softly.

“Motherland!” two voices hushed back at him.

“Abi, Ifa, I’m glad you two have made it safely” he said as he embraces both of them.

Abisha peered toward the guard post, “what do we have here Sarge? A Brazilian post?” he whispered.

Ahmad crouched back, “no, it’s a post full of Inuit hunters, of course it is a Brazilian post you dolt!” he whispered back.

Ifa counted the enemies and creep back.
“So what’s the plan?” she asks, her SS-2 rifle held close to her body.

Ahmad was about to tell them his plan when he heard footsteps coming from behind them.
He brings his rifle up and aimed.

“Beloved!” he called.

“Motherland” several voices answer him.

He lowered his rifle and went back to the ditch, behind him several other troopers appeared.

“Orran, who else is with you?” Ahmad asks his squad member.

“I landed across Alix, then met Corporal Kafi and Diky on the way here… I thought I heard gunshot from the area near 3rd Platoon LZ” he reported.

Ahmad nods his head, “now, your arrival just makes this perfect… you see those lollygagging Brazilians? Abi, you take the alert one, Ifa, the first one from the right, Kafi, the first from the left, Alix, second from the left, Orran, destroy the radio… on my mark” he said as he creep forward and aim his rifle.

Ahmad fired off a three rounds burst from his rifle, hitting the man playing chess on the head.
Around him, his companions also fired their weapons, killing the Brazilian on the spot before they could fire back.

Ahmad close his eyes and sigh, “come on, the Airfield is just up ahead” he whispered.