Slide

9

He led them down from the hills into a small, flat plain where the modest village stood. He jogged straight down the deserted main street, heading straight to his uncle’s place. The man was shocked to see him arrive with so many others but welcomed them inside immediately.

“You don’t call, you don’t write, you just show up at ungodly hours to wake me with a party of ten?” the old man joked. Slide gave the man a brief hug, slapping him on the shoulder affectionately.

“You know I’ve always been a party animal, Sol,” he teased. His uncle laughed.

“Let us settle your friends, shall we? All of you look thirsty and tired. The bathroom is down the hall here. I'm afraid I only have one bed, but there are plenty of blankets and a few couches in the living area there.”

“Thank you,” Ember said, shaking his hand. “We appreciate your hospitality.”

“No problem,” Sol replied, gesturing up the hall. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

Slide watched Ember lead the pregnant woman up the hall as the others began to organize blankets and water. Sol gestured to his workroom out in the back, and Slide followed him.

“I thought you’d want something stronger than water,” Sol said, handing him a flask. Slide took it gratefully, but he only took a small sip.

“Cheers, Uncle. And thank you for taking us in at this time of night.”

“What sort of trouble are you in now, boy?”

Slide shook his head. “None, Uncle. I’m working. These people were held as hostages by Amadou. I’ve freed them, and I’m taking them to a rendezvous point for extraction.”

Slide took another, slow sip.

“Then I’m going back for Amadou,” he hissed.

Sol nodded, taking back the flask for a sip. “I knew you had nothing to do with the deaths of your parents. There was nothing any of us could do, though. We’d risk his wrath coming down on us.”

“I know,” Slide said, his voice cold. “That’s why I’m coming back to kill the son of a bitch.”

“There are plenty of people around now that want to take him out,” Sol said. “They are just scattered and without discipline. You could be the one to bring them together.”

Slide nodded. “That’s good to know.”

It was good to know that there was a potential force to back him up, but Slide didn’t want innocent farmers getting slaughtered in a battle they weren’t ready for.

I’ll deliver the hostages first, then I’ll decide what I’m going to do with Amadou.

“We’ll have to leave early,” Slide said. “First light, or sooner.”

Sol nodded. “I’ll put together a little food and water for you. Are you going to get any rest?”

Slide smiled in spite of himself. Sol reminded him so much of his father at that moment.

“Yes, sir,” he said. “Any space that’s free on the floor will do me just fine.”

“Typical soldier,” his uncle muttered. “What are you going to do? Sleep across the front doorway?”

“Well …” Slide answered. They both laughed, even though they both knew that Slide was being completely honest.

They shared another sip of the moonshine, then headed back into the main house. Slide saw that the pregnant lady had been settled in the only bed, and the others had found spots on the floor in the bedroom or living room.

He noticed Ember on the floor right next to the pregnant woman. His admiration for her rose another notch.

He gathered a few blankets and moved quietly to the front of the house. He lay down right across the doorway and closed his eyes, letting his body relax. At first, he focused on his breath and his heartbeat, then he extended his senses to feel what was happening in the world around him.

It was a still and peaceful night. Insects chirped and scurried around, undisturbed by any human activity. The village was quiet, only the odd person moving around.

Satisfied that they were safe, Slide allowed himself to relax. He fell into a light doze, a state of half-sleep that allowed his body to rest while he kept his senses tuned to the world around them.

I just need to finish this mission, then Amadou is mine.

He couldn’t fully let go of his anxiety, even after encouraging his muscles to relax. He didn’t know if the tension was caused by having his revenge so close and not being able to seize it …. Or if it was because the woman he had come here to save was already more important to him than almost anything else in the world.

EMBER

Ember was surprised to find that she had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. As she awoke, she saw the sun peeking through the window shades, and for a few seconds, she had forgotten everything that had happened up until that point.

The reality dawned on her just as the kind woman whose house she was sleeping in lightly knocked on the door. She opened it as Ember sat up, initially feeling like she was in a quaint bed and breakfast.

“Good morning, miss,” the woman said.

She had a broad smile that was very inviting. As the woman opened the curtains, Ember watched her, rubbing her eyes like a tired little child.

“Good morning,” Ember whispered.

“We have breakfast waiting for you,” she said. “Slide is adamant about getting going soon, just so you are aware.”

Ember knew that Slide was right in his intentions despite her sense of annoyance. They couldn’t hide in the village forever. They would also be putting the people in the village at risk. Ember would never allow such things.

Ember got up and got dressed quickly. She could smell the delicious traditional food as she approached the bedroom door. She had grown accustomed to it after living there for some time, but it had never smelled more delicious than at that moment.

Ember ate at a reasonable pace, not wanting to put the host out any longer. The woman offered her multiple servings, and Ember tried to eat as much as her body could physically take. No one knew how long it would take them to get to safety, and hence, how long it would be between sufficient meals.

She mainly worried about Layla and Dean keeping up at the pace required of them. The women assured her that everyone had been fed generously.