The Drone Wars

Finale

Mitch led the column with Pig behind her and Azikiwe picking up the tail. Pig was jubilant. Clairvaux had promised more service medals and ribbons than he could remember, though it seemed a bit reasonable to think he'd be getting a purple heart for a cut to his hand.

It had been a long day's march by the time they arrived at the clearing where they had killed the boar and roasted it on a spit. They were almost back to the river. Back to radio reception, vehicles, and civilization.

"Rest break," declared Clairvaux.

"A good time," agreed Azikiwe from behind, "yes, it is."

Pig looked around and found a nice log to sit on, the same one where he'd last talked to his best friend, Patrick. His heart felt a stab of pain.

He was suddenly distracted from his grief when a gunshot rang out. Clairvaux collapsed onto the ground. "Put your guns down," ordered Azikiwe who stepped forward, motioning with his gun to the ground in front of Pig. Mitch was right next to him.

"What are you doing?" cried Mitch, looking horrified by the body of Clairvaux lying motionless behind Azikiwe.

"Getting revenge," he replied. "You were with the Lieutenant," he said, practically spitting, "when he killed my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. You killed all the people in my town, you burned my home."

Mitch said nothing.

"Do you deny it?!" yelled Azikiwe.

"Yeah, I deny it," yelled Pig. "I didn't do nothing like that."

"Not you, Mister Pig," replied Azikiwe, "her." He pointed at Mitch. "She was with the Lieutenant that night. I recognized his voice and I recognized her footsteps."

Pig looked over at her incredulously, waiting for her to deny it. The denial didn't come.

"At first," Azikiwe continued, "I was in favor of the Americans. Much better for Nigeria than the Chinese, I thought. But that night, things changed. I was on leave visiting my family you came. When I barely got my little niece out of the back of the house alive and into the, I realized it wasn't so. You are just all here in Africa to strip the place bare, not to make our lives better. Not to help us, to rob us. Nobody has ever treated Africa with respect. At the best, at the very best, you treat us like children. One day America will get what it has coming to it. So will China, England, Russia, and France."

Mitch began to cry.

"You are a murderer," he said to Mitch, "and you are a looter," he pointed to Pig. "And there is only one way to bring justice."

Just then a flock of parrots were suddenly startled out of a nearby tree, they flapped nosily into the air distracting Azikiwe.

Pig took the opportunity. It was a long shot, likely Azikiwe's gun would be aimed and ready to fire before he could be disarmed. Especially since Pig had a badly wounded hand.

Azikiwe was four paces from Pig. In the time it took Pig to move two paces, Azikiwe had already aimed his gun again. Pig instinctively tensed up, as if tensing would slow a bullet down. Another shot rang out.

Azikiwe's eyes opened wide and he fell lifeless to the ground. Pig felt of himself he was unharmed. He looked down at some movement a couple of steps back. Clairvaux was alive. And he'd shot Azikiwe.

"Are you ok, sir," Pig said, racing over to the officer.

"Stupid, American," Clairvaux coughed out. Blood came with the words. "I will be dead in five minutes."

"Not if I can help it, sir," said Mitch who had also rushed over.

It only took a few seconds for Clairvaux to lose consciousness and that was it. He was dead.

Pig turned to Mitch, "Is it true? Did you and Clairvaux murder those people the way he said."

"Paris," Mitch said grabbing his hand tenderly, "thank you for saving me. I'd like it very much if we could spend some time together when we get out of the service."

"You didn't answer the question, Mitch. Did you and Clairvaux really kill those people."

"Clairvaux killed them. I let Azikiwe and the little girl escape. I only saw Azikiwe from behind. I didn't know who it was. I never killed anyone"

Pig pushed her delicate, warm hand out of his own. "I believe you, Mitch. I like you an awful lot. And since everyone else who was there is dead, I won't report you, But I don't think I'm ready for a relationship with someone who would participate in a thing like that."

"When you get back to Los Angeles, I'll be there. When you're ready."

Just then it started to rain.