Final Challenge (30 page)

- Yes, Howard, the mechanic and electronics expert man. The most logical would be that at this time he was in the lab because he has clear instructions of Clerigan to check all equipment before dinner. Now ... - Klein was thoughtful, gesturing with his head in doubt
–

- What happen? Are you
missing something? We are in a rush
, tell me, what is the problem? - Hanson intervened as he observed his doubts -

- Well ... it's ... not the first time that takes advantage of any circumstance to venture into the jungle with a native. He maintains a relationship with her.

- Pregnant, right?

- Yeah
, like most. But it is not ... say ... too scrupulous.

- I'll have to congratulate Clerigan for choosing his men so well.

- Not underestimate them, I can assure you they are very dangerous people.

- No doubt. Anyway I am particularly concerned Pete and Howard.

He took one of the two pistols on his belt and handed it to
Klein - Take it, I think you're going to
need it.

 
When Hanson and his companions reached the hatch, there was no one to greet them. The two gunmen, whom the sentry at the entrance had joined, had been arranged in the garden trying to repel the onslaught, firing against the Indians who came out by the door uttering piercing screams. Most were killed, a few managed to reach the jungle.

  
Hanson reached upstairs and watched the scene. The last indigenous were still coming out the door. Only a few managed to reach the garden, the three gunmen  of Clerigan had found the invaluable help of a fourth, Pete, who was shooting them from the first floor, so that his three companions were advancing rapidly towards the door.
Hanson was placed in a window and started shooting. The surprise factor allowed him to shoot d
own one of them, the other two,
stunned, were forced to lay flat on the ground and withdrew until find a place behind some nearby trees. Hanson closed the door and told Klein that covered another window, and indicated to Susan and President to take cover.

- Agent Hanson, give me now a gun. - Harold said with resolution - 

Hanson stopped for a few seconds the gunfire and turned his head toward him.

- But, President, you're very weak and I don't consider it
suitable
... 

- We are going to fight for something more than our country, we're going to fight for the dignity of human beings.
It’s an order, agent!

Hanson gave him
one of the pistols in his belt and some ammunition. He
also gave them some instructions.

- President, Klein, cover the windows! Susan, head down, lie down!

The gunmen of Clerigan had surpassed their initial stage of confusion and, creeping stealthily along the ground, slowly advanced toward the house.

  
Hanson had not forgotten to Pete. He knew he was inside the house and he could appear at any time, but unfortunately he hadn't too much time to think. Klein was much more awkward with the weapons than with test tubes and the President made enough because of his state shooting from time to time.
His attention was diverted to a third man who had joined the group of garden and a fourth that came running. Hanson identified him as the man who had been walking with Susan.
He was, without doubt, Clerigan.
The situation was getting too complicated, he couldn't see appear to Marvin and Souza. He thought they would need time, the distance from the village still would delay them a few minutes, so they had to resist and keep them at bay in the meantime.

 
Lost in thought, he didn't realize that Peter was coming down the stairs with a rifle in his hand, pointing him. It was Susan who saw him and sounded the alarm.

- Hans! At your back!  

Hanson turned quickly and fired point-blank at the gunman, who, mortally wounded, fell down the stairs. All of them set their gaze for a moment on the stairs, trying to make sure there was not one else.
Their surprise was huge as they heard some shouts
from upstairs. Then they could
observe the face
of fear of a girl who Hanson quickly
identified. She was the same that had entere
d with Sena in the corridor as
he and Klein were trying to reach the basement stairs. They also could see other four terrified children accompanied by Sena. Hanson continued firing at the gunmen in the garden, while the President, who had turned instinctively his head, was watching the scene on the top floor. Suddenly his face grew pale to spot the gaze of one of those children, Tommy, the same who had come to the lab while Clerigan and Kelly were talking.

- Is something wrong, Mr. President? - Susan intervined to see his reaction -

- It is ... impossible! No! ... no way! - They were the only words that came from the lips of Harold that was preoccupied staring at Tommy -

Hanson noticed the scene and also intervened.

- Is it familiar to you?

- That child ... this child ... is ... am ... am ... it's myself when I was ten years old!
No way!

- Yes, President, it's possible. Then I'll explain you.
Watch out!

Hanson's warning came too late. Harold, in his attempt to ensure the accuracy of what he was seeing, had sat up enough to leave part of his torso bare, so that a bullet grazed his shoulder. Hanson made as if to approach, but to observe the wound Susan reassured him.

- Do not worry, it's nothing serious.
I'll look after him.

Susan tore one of the sleeves of Harold and improvised a tourniquet.

Recent events had distracted attention from Hanson, he couldn't keep an eye on all fronts. He fixed the positions of men advancing from the outside and concluded that he only could count three men, was mi
ssing a fourth
.
He had no time to think, heard a scream from upstairs and instantly turned. He could see Tommy, screaming, and next to him to one of the gunmen of Clerigan with a rifle in his hand, pointing toward the President. Hanson's reflexes had always been the envy of his classmates in the FBI.
It was a split second that marked the border between life and death. The intruder, the fourth man that Hanson could not locate, was surprised by the reaction of the child. This fact gave the agent the right time to make two shots that killed him.

The President was ecstatic, looking once again to Tommy. He thought it should be more than coincidence that had been just him, his clone, who would have saved his life.

XXXIX

 
When Marvin and Souza heard the first shots, were puzzled, looking at each other. That wasn't the signal agreed with Hanson. It had sounded not three consecutive shots, but many more, without a defined interval between them. The Indians were even more puzzled, some of them pointed to the palisade and then addressed their gaze to Clerigan's sentry, looking for an answer, hoping to take a decision which would show them the way forward.

Souza realized they had no time to lose. He had an idea that had no opportunity to share with Marvin. Stealthily he pressed the gun a
gainst the chest of the sentry
leaving him clear what his intentions were.

- Get up and tell them that they must calm down and stay here
, that you, accompanied by us,
are going to see what's happening.

- Pete will kill me if he sees me as a your hostage  - the gunman said in a tone that was more like a plea than a firm decision -

- He's not going to do it if I do before. It's your choice - Souza said in a threatening tone by pressing the gun a little more on his chest
–

The sentry did not think twice. He stood brandishing his unloaded gun in his hand and conveyed the message to the Indians. They willingly accepted his orders and went about their daily routine, while Marvin, Souza and the sentry ventured into the jungle.

 
When they were halfway, Souza forced the mercenary
to sit next to a tree, and put
him the handcuffs that he carried in his shirt poc
ket. As Marvin was aiming him,
Souza got a thick and long vine that he found among the ferns and conveniently tied him to the trunk.

 
They had no trouble getting into the fortress, because the access gate was unguarded. They
hit the
ground. The night was casting over, and visibility was poor, but soon took charge of the situation. Three men were besieging the house, strategically arranged so they were complicating the defense of those who had taken refuge in the interior because they had to divide the objectives of their fire.
It was not difficult for them to draw conclusions: Hanson should be probably the only one that fired fr
om the inner because it seemed
to be the only focus that repelled the attack. But then they could see that from other points of the house a few shots were fired sporadically. The situation of the besieged was critical, the attackers were refugees between the trees and protected by the
growing darkness, so they were
already a few meters from the house, and the final assault was imminent.

 
Marvin gave a nod to Souza. They should take advantage of the fact that no one knew about their presence to approach Clerigan's men as much as possible.  As they were about to sit up to move faster, they could see the figure of a woman half hidden behind a nearby tree trying to get their attention. Marvin recognized it instantly. It was Kelly, who had run after Clerigan as they heard the shots but she
had
had to hide and attending as a privileged witness to the siege without a chance to intervene in the absence of a weapon.

 
- Drop down! for heaven's sake, get down! - Marvin whispered as low as he could to Kelly -  Kelly reacted instantly, crawling up to meet them. 

- They need help, give me a gun! - she said as greeting - 

- Put to my back immediately! - Marvin desperately said to her, pointing to a tree -

- Okay, but give me a gun! - Kelly said -

Souza pulled a gun and gave it to Kelly, then asked:

- Do you know if any of the three attackers is Clerigan?

- Yes - Kelly confirmed by pointing to one who seemed to have the lead and direct the maneuvers of the other two -

- Thank you, and now, is an order, remember that this is my jurisdiction, take cover there behind. 

Kelly retired to hide behind the tree that was right behind her.  Souza and Marvin, crouching, drew near as they could to the mansion. When they were at a distance that could be discovered, they lay flat on the ground again. They had Clerigan and one of his henchmen to shot, and almost to the third.

- If we use the surprise factor are ours. They are between two fires - Souza whispered to Marvin' -

- Sorry - Marvin replied with resignation -

- What do you pretend to say? What?..

- Forgive me what I'm going to do, but it is my duty.
Cover me.

  Marvin made
a move to get up that Souza understood immediately.

  
- Don't you think that you're going to take your sense of duty to the limit? It can cost l
ives. They do not deserve it -
Souza replied trying to convince. He soon realized he had not succeeded, seei
ng as Marvin ended up getting up while he gave his view -

- But this is one of the many differences between theirs and us, dear Souza. I hope you forgive me, but I have my own method.

Marvin pointed to Clerigan, drew strength from where he hadn't, swallowed some saliva and addressed him, screaming.  

- Clerigan, stand up!  Leave the rifle on the ground and ordered your men to leave their weapons on ground, you're surrounded!

Clerigan threw his rifle, stood up very slowly, once up, he gave his back for a few seconds. He calculated the approximate position of where that voice had come from, slyly pulled a pistol from his belt, then he turned quickly and fired two shots, one of which hit Marvin.
Immediately afterwards he threw on ground again and kept firing in the same direction because he was in doubt that the man who had challenged him was not alone.