Hunters moon

9: Contact

"Camo nets huh?" General Koos De La Rey asked looking at the photo Frits took from his Impala.

"No doubt" Frits replied.

"That's very far east, what de fok are they doing there?"

"Fok knows Koos, but we can't let it slide"

"I know, remind me to properly slap those Bosbok scout pilots for missing this, any suggestions?"

"They're only ten k's from the border, I recon an artillery strike will sort it out" Frits said and lit a cigarette "No need to call in air support for something that close"

"Agreed, but an artillery strike of that distance requires perfect coordinates"

Koos said also lighting up.

"Leave that to me, lets go out around fourteen hundred hours, well reach that line of the border at sixteen hundred hours, that will give me about four hours to reach that spot, by that time, night would give me sufficient cover"

"You sure?"

"No need to sacrifice any more man power Koos I can do this alone, the biggest threat out on that side of Angola are lions and hyenas, but I'll have my R1 ready for them"

"Very well, we move out at fourteen hundred"

16h00

The convoy came to a halt at a tall tower reservoir, it was roughly in line where Frits saw the camo nets. Koos ordered the four G5 towed howitzers and the four Batteleur multiple rocket launchers to head on another kilometer, then set up to fire north. Frits tied two soles of sheep wool to his boots, and jumped out of the Cruizer.

"Remember Frits, I'll keep an eye out on top this reservoir, but after a kilo your out of range for sniper cover"

"Understood, just keep me informed if you see any predators out there"

"Will do"

Frits threw his R1 rifle over his shoulder and jogged over the cutline into Angola, Koos climbed the reservoir and set up his rifle and infrared spot scope. The sun was getting low, and the lower it went, the better Koos could use the scope. No predators thus far, it was reassuring, but still strange.

Koos could see far and wide from his vantage point, but the only heat signature he got was Frits' where are all the lions? And hyenas? There weren't even black backed jackals running around, fuckol, not even herbivores... Maybe a blessing in disguise for now.

Frits went to one knee, there was total silence around him, a good thing, means he can hear s**t coming if he needs to. He took a sip of water and wiped his lips.

What a calm moment, Frits was used to the gunfire, aerial dog fights, cannon fire, explosions, this calmness was definitely new when it came to Angola. His radio crackled, it being as soft as possible he brought it to his ear.

"General?" He answered.

"Captain, you are about half a click away, it lies north east of your position"

"Copy"

"Another thing, I see the moon rising, your cover of darkness will start getting limited, hurry and get those coordinates"

"Copy that" Frits said turning the radio dead silent again, he paced as quick as he could, the sheep skin soles he tied to his boots allowed him to tread without sound, until finally he got to the camo nets, his worst fears became a reality.

"Koos!" He called again.

"I'm listening"

"T55's all of them!" He whispered loudly.

"You're fokkin joking!?" Koos bellowed

"Coordinates! 17°50'12" South by 21°10'35" East!"

"Copy!"

Koos grabbed the other radio "Ok boys! Load these coordinates! 17°50'12" South by 21°10'35"East! I want Batteleur one and two to empty out, and G5's four rounds from each cannon!"

"Fok General! That's a shitload of ordinance!?" The battery called back.

"Your targets are multiple T55 tanks soldier! So shut your fokkin trap and start making some noise with those guns!"

"Sir yes sir!"

Like a lead pipe beating the hood of a car four times in rapid succession, this was the silence shattering sound Koos heard as the four one hundred and fifty five millimeter guns fired in the distance, that soon followed by the continuous fire of ordinance from the Batteleur multiple rocket launchers, Koos looked through his scope again "Get ready Fritsie, here comes the rain"

Frits knew he had incoming, so he slowly backed away, the moon was fully out now so he counted on the artillery strike to cover his retreat, but from under the camo nets something came out, Frits readied his rifle and froze, when it stepped into the moonlight he felt a sickening knot in his gut...

'A... A fokkin hyena?' He thought, but it was huge! Massive! It stood as high as the tanks! On it's hind legs!? A shrill went through Frits' bones, fear? Or uncertainty? Could he really be seeing this?

The hyena gave a deep dethining 'WHOOHOOP' That made his ears ring slightly, it then looked straight at him. Frits knew he had sufficient cover, or was he revealed by the moon now? f**k!

But the hyena suddenly twitched it ears and looked up, Frits only plugged his own ears, he wasn't close enough to be in danger, but knew he couldn't run now, this explosion could really make him lose his hearing, and will most certainly knock the wind out of him.

The first G5 round struck the hyena dead on, Frits couldn't believe that luck shot, but now as the ordinance flooded in like an dam break, the shockwaves sent him from his feet, he tumbled once then was up running as fast as he could back towards Namibia.

He final four thuds from the G5's made Koos feel the reservoir tower vibrate under him, silence fell again, In the distance a troop of baboons were making an uprising, clearly heard from their 'ahoo' and 'wahee' alarm calls along with the sound of breaking branches, signifying they were beating a hasty retreat after the artillery bombardment.

Koos chuckled and looked through his scope again, he just caught the final rounds of ordinance hitting, which sent tank parts flying in all directions, but Frits on the other hand was running, like hell was chasing him.

Koos looked back at the blast sight, out of the smoke something came after him, it was big... A, buffalo? No, it had no horns, then another, and another, three of these things, no! Four!

"Fok! G5's tell me you're loaded!"

"Ready to rock General!"

"Half a click down fire!"

Frits heard the crashing of twigs and brush behind him, instinct told him to run from the beginning! Hyenas move in clans! And if there is one! Always assume there are more! It's wise words his father gave him back in the Kruger national park when he was a kid.

He knew he had to get within Koos's rifle range, that tumble he took from the shockwaves earlier got dust on his R1, and now being dirty it would most definitely fire only once then jam like the stubborn b***h it is, the one fatal flaw it has, more powerful than an AK-47 yes, but damn unreliable if you don't keep it clean and oiled! The cracks of brush came closer, he heard the huffs and grunts gaining on him "Oh! Fuu...!"

Suddenly the sound of incoming caught him by surprise, the four G5 rounds landed in line behind him, taking out what ever was there, Frits lifted his legs so high he almost kicked his own arse, insuring he won't trip now, or otherwise he'll be blown to compost by friendly fire.

Koos saw more movement "Batteleur's three and four! Attention! Three! one click left, one and a half click down. Four! Half a click right, one and a half clicks down!"

The battery adjusted "Ready to rock!"

"Three! climb the steps north east! Four climb the steps north west! Fire!"

Climbing the steps was a tactic Koos taught his battery, it meant they were giving line of sight artillery cover fire, the first rocket will fire, then the rocket pod would move left or right, the second rocket will then fire then move up, after the third rocket the rocket pod will again twitch left or right and fire, after that up again... climbing the steps. Koos saw the rockets land well in front of frits, and move in towards him, somewhere it will cross behind him at some point to form an X.

Frist knew Koos was climbing the steps when he saw the rockets fall left and right, he grunted and sped up as much as he could, he didn't want to be there where the lines of the cross meet, the huffs and phants were still heard behind him, but never in his life was he this glad friendly ordinance was falling this close to him, Koos was doing a f*****g good job so far.

"Don't trip now Frits, fok!" He grabbed the radio "G5's half a click down! Fire!" In his spot scope Koos saw those things close in on Frits, but he made it just in time as the x closed behind him, in the infrared the confirmation clear as the bodies got blown to pieces, orange splatter sprayed into the air, not a second later the final four G5 Rounds landed, blowing what was left of the bodies to nothing.

Koos scanned for movement, but whatever there was was clearly not living anymore, he grabbed a radio "Someone get in a Land cruiser and go get the captain!"

"On it!" He got a reply. He saw the pickup race out into the direction of Frits, it met up with him and brought him back, only when the vehicle reached the cutline did Koos blow out a sigh of relief.

The battery of artillery was quickly packed up and rejoined Koos and Frits, the men gathered around congratulating Frits for his good effort.

"What the fok were those things!?" Koos bellowed, drawing hard on a cigarette.

"Huh!?" Frits yelled, his ears still singing.

"I said! What were those things!?" Koos yelled back.

"Hyenas, believe it or not!" Frits yelled again.

Koos chuckled "Hyenas? How de fok do I explain that to the Sergeant Major?"

Frits shrugged "No matter what you say, I'm f*****g grateful boet" He said shaking Koos's hand, then looked at the men around them.

"s**t boys! That! Is the s**t I'm talking about!" He yelled and they all exchanged fists cheering.

"Come on, I need at least a case of beer after this" Koos said heading to the Land cruiser.

In the far rear Batteleur truck the soldier climbed in, took out his satellite phone and dialled a number.

"Yes doctor Ezbar, you said to phone you if I heard strange reports about hyenas?"

"Yes! Did you find any?"

"Blew a few of them sky high a few minutes ago with artillery"

"Are there survivors?"

"Nothing could have survived what we just unleashed doctor, trust me"

"Ok good job son, I'll probably send someone to come examine the bodies"

"As you wish"