THE HIT BACK SERIES (Order From Chaos)

Chapter seventeen

Chapter seventeen   

The day had started real quick, just after the first crack of dawn within the compound. And everything had fallen right into place just like every other day. But what was different about today was, Yakeen had led the herds for the aerobics and other stamina tests and had later retired to his apartment before the gyming session.

His henchman and the new addition in the ranks were by his side through it all. And had given nothing away about last night. Not a word of it had been spoken nor the slightest of reaction made.

Yakeen had wanted it to play out to the end before he struck where it hurts the most. Moreso, he had intended to beat the mole at his own game. And end this the best way he can. For good.

At the gym, however, the mole himself had stolen out of the hall in the middle of a workout session, with nobody knowing, or perhaps, those who did gave no hang either.
          {‘Uthman’s P.O.V}

The day had started for me well before it began. I’ve had to report the latest development—the acquisition of those Hellfire missiles to my handler at our designated cycle and do some more digging on those three new faces. And as it was rite in the compound, I had joined in with others for the aerobics and stamina tests. The gyming session—my most favored reeled in fast but was truncated before it even began. I’d only hefted the dumbbell a couple of times before the megaton bomb dropped and every damn thing shifted.

I can’t still figure how or why. But within a nanosecond, I caught a sight from the corner of my eyes. It was something I still wished was a dream, but hell, who am I kidding though?

Within those slow-moed seconds, one of the mercenaries went out his way and eyemorsed me. The message was slight yet understandable. In a concise way, he had managed to tell me I’ve been ‘burned’. And that was all I ever needed to get a move right on.

The shooting test would’ve to wait till another day. And besides, last time I checked I wasn’t very much invested in the shooting practice crap, for reasons known only to me.

In a furtive show, I prowled out of the gyming hall and out of eyeshot. To reach my room, I had to switch between a run and a jog. Only after the door was shut behind me do I get the chance to calm my palpitating heart, and think of the next course of action.

Right there and then, I found there’re thousand possible options on the compromise.  And fearing for the effects of such causes, I knew I must act. Pretty fast at that.

Having flagged all my means of communications to the outside—digital or analog as a possible compromise, I was left with only a card on my deck.

Needing less thinking and more action, I punched in some short commands into my ‘Timex Beepwear Pro watch’—an LCD-screened wristwatch, featuring two-way alphanumeric paging capabilities, hoping for my good that things work out just fine.  

*****
The dawn of the day Yakeen tagged ‘Operation Cleanhouse’ broke in as burglars would. It had earned its so-called name because it was meant to be a day of days. A day when it all ends.

Seating at the backseat of the time-worn sedan, Yakeen was trying hard to conceal the moiling hate he felt toward the man seating across from him on the car’s death seat, but couldn’t help marveling at the ingenuity of his plans. He would be using a stone to kill two birds at a go. And yeah, it’s been a long time coming.

To begin with, the first stone would strike where it hurts the most. He’d be aiming for the heart when he strikes at the goddamn Black sites where his comrades had been holed in all this while.  And to cap it off, the second stone was meant for this mole right here, who has been sent by the CIA to infiltrate his ranks and had seen to it that some of his men were captured. It would be a warning shot for anyone who dares walk down this path among his men, and show them what stuff he was made off.