Hunted

Chapter Ten - Papua New Guinea

Chapter Ten

Papua New Guinea

I was asleep in a matter of minutes after the jet had reached a safe altitude. The journey here had drained the little energy I'd built up during the day and in the comfort and safety of the jet, sleep was easy.

I only awoke when the jet landed on the rough tarmac of what I assumed to be New Guinea. The tarmac certainly wasn't as smooth as the brand new one that was lying in ruins at the Merrill Airfield, but it reminded me once again that we had escaped that awful place.

Bailey, Trent and Dylan walked casually from the cockpit, heading over to where we were all sitting. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that most of the others had slept through the landing, which made me realise just how much they had needed the sleep and how little they'd had over the past couple of days.

I unclicked my seatbelt and went to stand, falling immediately back into my seat. Bailey rushed to my side and helped me to my feet, looking at me with worry.

"I'm going to get you straight to a doctor, okay," he told me.

"It's just bruising Bailey," I answered. "It's not as though I have no feeling in my legs or anything, they just hurt to walk on."

"Well I'm going to be Mum for once," Bailey smirked. "You'll hate me for it, but I'd rather you be safe than find out you've got something wrong with you because you're dead. Alright?"

"Whatever," I sighed.

Trent and Dylan had woken the rest of the group up and they were all getting to their feet and stretching out their bodies by that point. Jen and Nigel came to my aid straight away and took me from Bailey. It was nice to see how relaxed they were.

The three soldiers led us from the jet, onto what I assumed to be the base Bailey had told us about. As soon as we were on the tarmac, an important looking man in a pristine uniform came striding over to us.

"General Parker," Bailey greeted, saluting him with Trent and Dylan.

"Sergeants," he said in response.

General Parker was a well-built man, who looked as though he was in his forties. He had thin, sandy hair that was combed back over his head and he had sad, hollow eyes. He had probably seen terrible things in this war, just as we all had.

"Welcome soldiers," General Parker spoke to us.

"With all due respect Sir, we're not soldiers," Jen said.

"You might have not had the same training as those of us in uniform, but you have sacrificed and achieved just as much," General Parker said. "I'm incredibly proud about what you have done, which is why I didn't have a second thought about evacuating the lot of you. You've all done an incredible service to your country and once this war is over, the world will know of your service."

I saw a few looks of surprise exchanged around me as the others took in what the General had told us. None of us had ever given a second thought to what we were doing, only that we were earning our freedom and trying to take back our homes. Now it seemed that we had done a great deal more.

"Now, who would you say were the leaders amongst your group?" asked the General.

There were a few murmurs around me and then all eyes were in my direction. Jen stepped backwards, leaving me in Nigel's care and I realised that the others had all done the same. We were standing alone.

"What are your names?" questioned General Parker.

"Nigel Fender," Nigel answered immediately. "And this is Esther Sampson."