The Young Fighters

CHAPTER 25

The roads were becoming a problem for Philips to the point where he was ready to hesitate and just tell everyone to cross on over towards the town and unleash Hell. He started to wonder how Lance's side was going. For now he might have to reconsider a regular attack from the west side and move a little bit north and attack through the woods and into the town. Philips got on his radio and called in Lance to check up on him. His battle was over with horrible results.

"Don't worry, I'll avenge them." Philips replied. Quickly he informed them of his situation and spoke of his ideas. Lance on the other side sent off a message that was to be given directly to Joel; informing him of the battle. Minutes later Lance got word that Joel was deeply angered by the outcome of the attack. He'd later ask if he needed any more soldiers sent out. Lance declined for now and told him to wait for now.

As Philips traveled up the road north he looked down at the satellite map and requested they halt and dismount from their vehicles. To his right side was a forested creek area with a river slicing through it. He looked around and saw it as an opportunity to travel up the stream and into an unblocked region. The printed map didn't lie; but judging by the mapping it might have been deep enough to conceal a whole group of them moving up and around and into a break from the walls.

"Do you think she's okay?" Jackson asked Connor,

"I'm sure she's fine."

"Are you positive?" Jackson was almost to the point of having a panic attack. "The shooting stopped. How do we know if the battle stopped?"

"If anything bad was going on then we'd hear about it over the radio." Connor knew Jackson well, now with the fact that he and Mila were interested in each other, he couldn't blame his buddy for being nervous.

"Where's the radio chart? I'm going to call her!" Shortly after training was finished, a list of names and numbers were given out by the Guerrillas as a way of notifying each platoon. Snake did warn then though: When talking on the line, be careful because someone from the enemy side could be listening in on our conversations. Right now it was an emergency. Jackson grabbed the chart and dialed in the number.

"My feet are wet."

"Shut up," Phillips retorted without care, "and keep moving." Everyone's feet were wet and soggy at the very second they jumped into the marshlands. Mosquitoes were biting at them on their bare flesh. They'd swat at them and curse them with every step.

It took them some time as they zig and zagged around wetlands until they found the first spot on the map. A bridge with a large tunnel underneath it; perfect for all of them to cross under and follow the creek. Phillips felt happy to know they were going in the right direction after all.

"How deep do you think this water is?" A soldier from behind Phillips asked another. To them it looked as if it was only belly deep. The bottom of the creek couldn't even be seen because of the murkiness of the water. "I'm going jump in." A few steps in lead to a lot of splashing that caught the attention of Phillips. He turned around to see a teenage solider carrying a heavy load on his back one moment and then slipping down into a watery grave the next. Some bubble made it up to the surface.

"Thanks for showing us how deep the water is." Phillips said without care. "Everyone, stay away from the water." He paused in thoughts for a moment. "And watch out for quicksand."

All was going according to plan; to his interest there weren't any problems with guards or patrols in the lower creek areas.

With minutes passing as what felt like an half hour, Philips looked at the map to assume that he was in the perfect section to attack the north. His judgment of the land gave him the feeling they were now in the perfect spot for to launch the strike. Philips called everyone to follow him and align themselves up along the narrow edge of the creek and climb up a steep edge of muddy land. Everyone latched onto roots and tree limbs as a means of pulling themselves up. They'd get up their faster if it wasn't for some of them carrying too much supplies. Some of them were even forced to hold tight to one's hands and pull them forward if need be.