Libertad

3 - Guerrillas

The Latina woman loomed above us, barrel of her gun aimed right at Jacob's chest.

'Easy there Mexico, you don't know who you're talking to.' Jacob growled. His blade glinted in the patchy sunlight that shone past her frame.

'I'm fucking Yaran you Yanqui prick.' Venom laced her words as she lined up her shot.

'Wait please!' I darted out from behind Jacob and her line of fire shifted to my torso. She seemed to eye up my tattered uniform and glared.

'You a soldado or what?'

'A soldado? No?! Our boat crashed in the storm, we're stranded here!' I exclaimed, gesturing to our surroundings. The Latina narrowed her eyes at me which triggered Jacob to pull me close behind him again.

'You're ex-military.' He stated calmly, blue eyes never leaving the young woman's hostile gaze. 'I can tell by the way you handle that rifle.'

'You don't know shit about me.' She hissed but seemed to falter in confidence ever so slightly at Jacob's observation. His lip quirked into a smirk as he slowly lowered the machete from its defensive position.

'So what happened? Did you drop out or what?' Jacob suddenly seemed to have the upper hand and his intense stare appeared to be making her feel uncomfortable.

'I punched my superior in the face. You'll be next if you're not careful.' Her threat was met with a hearty laugh from the red-haired soldier.

'Oh you youngsters think you have it so hard.' His eyes darkened into the familiar wolf-like glare that had so often been directed at me back in Holland Valley. 'Try cannibalising your only comrade.'

'W-what?!' Seemingly startled, the guerrilla faltered long enough for Jacob to act. Without hesitation he launched the machete towards her and she became flustered. It sailed past her shoulder as the gun tumbled from her grasp and fell down the shoot straight into Jacob's arms. He tilted the barrel upward towards her, his finger hovering over the trigger.

'Run rabbit.' His eyebrows creased down and I saw the twitch in his digits.

'Jacob don't!' I reached around and pushed his arms, wavering the gun off balance and causing all of the bullets to spray into the metal roof above us. Jacob jammed on the trigger but the gun produced nothing, just a loose clicking sound. 'Enough killing, she could help us!' I exclaimed. The soldier whirled on me as thought he was about to rip my throat out with his bare hands. Luckily, the ringing of a mobile made everyone stop in their tracks. The girl snatched it from her pocket and quickly answered.

'Juan I need back-up now!'

'Woah Dani calm down, we found this Yanqui in a box on the West beach. Maybe he knows something about Castillo. Get your ass here.' A thick Yaran accent bled through the speaker until the line went dead and Dani narrowed her eyes at me and Jacob. With one movement, she jumped down through the hole and landed in front of us both.

'Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with you two would it?' She asked, daring to come closer.

'I don't know what the fuck a Castillo is okay? Our boat crashed here, his brother is stuck in that box. Please Dani, help us and we will get out of your way.' I pleaded with her much to Jacob's disgust. Dani looked past me to the tall soldier and then surveyed the boat.

'What's with the prisoner jumpsuit? And a military grade boat? Who is this motherfucker?' She tilted her chin towards Jacob who was about to speak when I overtook him.

'It was a military exercise! Jacob here is a fellow special units officer like myself. We were doing a drill for transporting dangerous prisoners to Guantanamo Bay but the storm got bad and we stranded. I've lost the majority of my team but managed to find Jacob and-'