THE DONGOLA MISO
[Raska Mukasa Ongwen]
(10/23/2005)
The jungle night sang with the songs of its diverse ecosystem. The monkeys serenaded the moon as a light breeze seemed to shake the leaves. Men and children could be heard by their campfires, sharpening machetes, clicking gun chambers, and fi xing their different weaponry. Raska lay on his hard cot staring at the moths flittering in and out of his tent. The sweat ran down his bald head and he clenched his beaded necklaces as he closed his eyes. A light clicking could be heard in the distance as the fires continued to crackle. If the monkeys didn’t keep you up the bats and insects would. Raska’s arms ran across his face as his leather and rope bracelets scratched him in the process.
The clicking sound began to grow louder as the wind began to pick up. Raska’s eyes opened in terror now realizing what he was hearing. He knew that sound, and he had heard it once before. The clicking grew louder as he heard his fellow soldiers beginning to shout in a panic. Guns began to click as chambers were being loaded. There was electricity in the air, a storm was coming. Large spotlights could be seen as loud machine gun fire began to rain over the once sleepy camp. Raska leapt from his bed almost stepping on several syringes in the process. His many beaded necklaces and bracelets rattled as his hand reached for his AK sloppily painted in the colors of their paramilitary army, red, black, and blue. He grabbed a sliver cross with an additional pacifier on it and slid it over his head, “God be with me in my time of battle.” Just before leaving his hut, Raska noticed the table of Brown-Brown, a burnt spoon, lighter, and another smaller pile of heroin. Screaming could be heard outside as Raska gave a quick growl and leaned forward taking two big inhales from the Brown-Brown. Brown-Brown contained only two ingredients, cocaine and gunpowder.
Opening his curtains of grass, he saw his soldiers retreating for the safety of the jungle and machine gun fire came from the helicopters flying above. Ordering his soldiers to fire, he lifted his gun and began to open fire upon the closest enemy. “There aren’t that many you cowards!” A rocket was shot from another helicopter which took off with a screech. It made a hut on the far end of his camp explode into billions of pieces. “You mother…” Raska screamed as his gun didn‘t seem to empty fast enough. His bullets ricochet off the windows merely denting the tough armor of the black helicopter.
The spotlight shone down upon him. His magazine clicked empty as he pulled out another one as quickly as humanly possible. The whir of the helicopter’s mini-guns rained bullets upon Raska’s youngest recruits, who fired their weapons uselessly at them. Another shriek of a missile and another hut exploded into dust. “You cowards,” yelled Raska as he watched many of his young fighters retreat into the jungle. He had never seen their little legs move so fast. He turned his weapon on the running child soldiers. “Desertion,” he yelled as his finger inched on the trigger. The boys had almost made the tree line when light began to appear in the forest. The white lights of machine guns fired forming like dots in the dark tree line. Raska watched the line and could trace it around half the perimeter. The children fell to the ground some still gripping their own triggers firing blindly into the ground or air. Shots sunk into the earth sending dirt to spread across one boy. The boy called out for help before his twitching finger released from the weapon.
Raska pulled back the chamber and heard his weapon load. He ran to a sand bag pit and joined several other children. They huddled on the ground firing wildly at a hovering helicopter. Two of the children reached over and threw a grenade up at the helicopter. It left their fingers as the mini-gun sang its death song. It seemed nowhere was safe as the children were fi lled with bullets until they collapsed back on the ground. One grenade flew off course and tumbled backwards before landing into an ammunition dump destroying the last drivable vehicle in the camp.
A soldier no older then ten sat crying into his muddy machine gun as Raska grabbed his arm, “fight you coward!” A loud explosion could be heard as the other grenade had blown out the front windows of the cock pit. The helicopter whirred dangerously as it pulled off to the side. Raising up from the hole another helicopter charged forward and chopped his personal hut down. The fire that had once kept him warm was soon smothered by the collapsing roof. He began to fire again screaming loudly into the night. He heard another loud explosion, which sent a group of his soldiers flying through a mountain of flames and falling to the cold earth. Limbs littered the ground as Raska saw to his horror soldiers emerging from the jungle. Their guns were raised as they shot the survivors and killed the children who wept in the remaining huts. They moved in closer as Raska watched one child reach his bloody hand up to the oncoming enemy. His voice was near death as he whispered “please don’t shoot.”
The solider pulled the trigger as the rest of the advancing hoard moved closer towards him. A helicopter now whirred high above him as the bright spot light fell on him again. He fired his AK-103 wildly up at the helicopter until it clicked empty again. He turned around as his army lay broken and defeated. He stood alone as more soldiers exited the jungle and encircled Raska in a circle of death. He watched as the soldiers moved through the huts uninterested in the pleas of the wounded.
A voice came over a loudspeaker on the helicopter, “surrender Raska!” Raska raised his head towards the helicopter. His empty machine gun still clenched tightly in his hands. “Lord’s Resistance never surrenders,” Raska threw his machine gun down and drew a pistol from his belt. He leapt over the sandbags and back into the hole. “Your company has been annihilated, surrender,” a still crying child soldier clenched his gun tightly as his face seemed wet after a rainstorm. “You’re a spineless coward,” the child sobbed harder into his gun, “you don’t deserve to be in this army…you’re unworthy to be in my company. The 23rd Company is the best and we don’t die cowering like dogs!” Raska gritted his teeth as he grabbed the crying soldier. His arm wrapped around his throat as he pointed the pistol at the child’s head. The army encircled the foxhole as all guns were raised at him. “Let me go, I want to go home! I want my mom!” The child whispered to Raska as the helicopter flew to a more grassy location and began its descent. Raska dug the pistol into the child’s temple. Grabbing the child he spun around yelling “Let me go or the child gets it!” The soldiers did not look concerned as the child whimpered into Raska’s arm.
“Raska most of your company is and has always consisted of children. What is one more life lost today?” He focused his eyes on the oldest gentleman, the gentleman with the most medals. The man who had lowered his weapon slowly advancing towards him, “the overall majority of your entire guerilla militia is in fact children.” “We are not a militia… we are an army…a movement!” The man had no fear in his eyes as he said, “some would dare even call you a cult.” Raska gripped the child tighter a slight panic began to press on him. Any man that did not fear him was a man that needed to be calculated. “They are fools…mindless fools who believe my father is the devil. God will forgive me for the blood I spill, so I can live with it…can you?” “I have been fighting you and your father for many years Raska…now, drop him!” Raska gave one last grip of his child soldier. Slightly disgusted with him, and the fact that he held a corporal rank in his company. His finger inched on the trigger as he knew his father would have discarded him like a paper cup.
The mystery man took a step forward, “please Raska, let the child go! He needs to go back to the family you stole him from.” Raska growled, “You automatically assume that I kidnap my children? They join willingly to fi ght…to fight for a cause, a purpose!” The man took another step forward and over his right breast pocket was stitched a name, Sgt. Monka Nsibabmi. Monka’s hand now rested close to the pistol held snuggly in his holster. “He only joined because you killed his family…where was he supposed to go?” Raska took a step back and he heard the surrounding machine guns click with tension. “Anywhere…he could have gone anywhere, but he CHOSE to come with us! They ALL chose to come with us. You UPDF’s are all the same, we are not terrorists…we wish only peace and unity for all of Uganda.” The night had grown silent as the helicopters rested on the other side of the camp. “It was foolish of you to return to Uganda Raska. You should have known that you would eventually be caught again.” Monka fell silent as another man approached the group. This man was dressed in a fine black suit and had white hair that mimicked the color of silver. He had a silver mustache under his nose, and stood with such a high demeanor that he might have just stepped into a dirty bathroom.
The silver fox gazed around at all the sweating soldiers that surrounded Raska before his eyes landed on him. He looked unimpressed and almost disappointed, “oh Raska how you have changed. I’d expected you to have grown a little more since our last encounter.” “You are senile old man now let me go!” “Oh, I am terribly sorry Raska, but I must look different without a vehicle on top of me! I still sometimes sit back and can’t believe this…this man before me is the man that has been hitting my diamond mines. The so called boogeyman that snatches children in the dead of night. This is the man that killed your brother Monka isn’t it? Haven’t you been given the job of tracking his father down for Uganda too?” “I know you! I know you Monka you look different in the pictures I have of you. Now, be a good little soldier and let me go,” yelled Raska adding “Or I swear the child gets it! I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I am not going to be captured by the foreign United... Nations!” He said the last part with a thick sarcasm. The man stared down at the crying child. “Oh please,” he said “we are going to be here all night.” The suited man unbuttoned his jacket to remove a silver pistol, a gleaming white handle could be seen, “Ivory,” snarled Raska.
The man actually smiled, “why…my, my, my” exclaimed the man, “Mr. Raska Ongwen, you surprise me! And after what you did and have been doing I didn’t think that was possible.” Raska’s arm tightened around the kid’s neck, “let me go or else...” The man raised his gun so quickly, “enough with the child!” The gun was raised high and then a loud CRACK ! Raska felt the child go limp as he began to gasp for air. Raska saw his last line of defense gone, and all the guns raised at him “don’t be foolish Raska!” Monka gave an arrogant, “no Mr. Rosenberg Raska is not a foolish man, he’s smarter than he appears.” Mr. Rosenberg smiled wildly and gave a delighted, “good, this is just the man I need then.” Mr. Rosenberg waved his pistol, “bring him inside, I need to have a word with him.” “And what if I refuse…I don’t break bread with the likes of any of you.” Mr. Rosenberg stopped and said “you certainly enjoy the company of my diamonds though Raska. Now, why don’t you sit down with the man behind them? I daresay few can say they have.”
The dead child fell to the ground. Monka’s eyes fell upon the pistol still clenched in Raska’s hands. “Drop the weapon first,” “and what if I don’t” Raska snapped back. “You’re not foolish…don’t make me out to be a liar in front of Mr. Rosenberg now.” Raska gazed down at the useless pistol and then back up at Monka’s sweating face and dropped the pistol. “There you go,” exclaimed Monka and waved him to follow. Raska was brought to the large hut that his men had been using for dining. The only building left somewhat standing. Monka shoved Raska into a chair as he stared down at him, “take a seat, you’re going to be here awhile.” Gritting his teeth, “you’re lucky your men are here!” Raska waved towards the armed men who lined the wooded bullet riddled walls of the hut.
Monka pulled up a sagging chair, “and why is that Mr. Ongwen?” Raska leaned forward onto the table and heard all the guns raise in defense. But Raska whispered, “Because I would cut off your hands and feed your tongue to the dogs.” Mr. Rosenberg walked through the open door, “ah ha,” snarled Raska. “Here comes the master now,” Mr. Rosenberg straightened his suit jacket and took a seat in the remaining seat. “You are a very surprising man Mr. Raska, as we were heading over here I thought about our last encounter. In fact, I often find it unbelievable that this...this is the man that is leading this little company,” “LITTLE COMPANY, we’re part of the Lord’s Resistance ARMY you sniveling little shit! The Lord’s Army can never be stopped! My father is Joseph Kony and when he finds out!” Mr. Rosenberg laughed at Raska’s comment, “Monka hear tells me that your father barely knows of your existence, do you know how many kids he has? Your father gave you the 23rd Company out of mere pity and nothing more…look at it… look at what I did with it! I was able to completely wipe out your little army,” he waved his hand to silence Raska’s protest, “alright, I apologize your…company” he sneered. He continued, “Look at how fast it was annihilated, the disorganization melts the mind! However, I do find one piece of your background very interesting… the illegitimate son of Olapa, huh? Must be nice to not only be the son of Joseph Kony, but to be the illegitimate son of the Goddess of the moon to some people…must give you a real power fi x, huh? That’s why you do this isn’t it? That’s why you jumped our convoy that day?”
“Apparently my disorganized troops were able to slaughter your convoy. It seems I have made an impression.” “Now, now Mr. Ongwen let’s not get carried away! You only made away with seven million of my diamonds…where was that again Monka?” “Burundi,” he said with a sneer of hatred. “And how many men was it? This old memory can’t remember what happened six months ago let alone a couple years ago!” Mr. Rosenberg turned to Monka who stood glaring at Raska, “Approximately 32 of my soldiers were killed…including my brother! We got you on at least twelve of them.” “Am I supposed to remember him or something…” sneered Raska, who leaned back in his chair with an arrogant smile. “You killed my brother, you arrogant shit!” Raska leaned in “There was only one diamond job that I pulled in Burundi and if your brother was there… yeah, yeah big guy…he smoked cheap cigars right? Yeah, I technically never laid a finger on him.” Monka began to grit his teeth, “No but YOUR THROWING CLUBS DID!” Sarcastically wiping Monka’s flicks of spit from his face Raska’s murderous gaze never waivered. Mr. Rosenberg was staring at Raska’s silver cross with baby pacifier. “I believe that is your calling card is it not?” “Spare me…I spent your diamonds to help our cause. So…why haven’t you killed me, or are you just a coward like your brother?” Monka slammed his fist on the table, “my brother was no coward! I’ll kill you!” Raska didn’t flinch as Monka launched himself across the table. Mr. Rosenberg was able to grab his shoulder, “easy Monka…easy, you were at least thrown from the car. I had it fall on top of me!” Turning towards Raska Mr. Rosenberg smiled “As you can see Monka here is out for blood, and if it wasn’t for a certain situation I would put a bullet in your head now! It would not be just for what you did, and all that you have taken, but for the good of all mankind.” “So would I” added Monka who sat fuming next to Mr. Rosenberg.
Twirling his mustache, “I am afraid that Monka does not feel so strongly about this next offer.” “Offer,” Raska asked trying to hide his curiousness, “well you have three options and you can choose.” “There should only be one option,” “easy Monka” repeated Mr. Rosenberg trying to hurry. “You can be shot right here and now leaving you to be discovered by a nomadic herder or something.” “Ok,” Raska responded staring at Monka. “Two, we can turn you into the United Nations and they could kill you for your crimes against humanity. Three, you could take the mystery box.” “Mystery box, what the hell…” BAM! Jumping in his seat Raska saw Monka seething fist clenched on the table. “I want to know how my brother died in Burundi first! Forget your stupid options Rosenberg, I want answers! I am going to get them whether he wants to give them to me or not!”
(Mr. Rosenberg, 06/10/1997)
“Mr. Rosenberg the convoy is leaving in five.” I smiled greedily wanting to take a selfish look at the diamonds later, before I sold them off to the public. A public that would never understand true beauty. A beauty that came with an ultimate curse and at the ultimate price. “Thank you Bob, I can take the month’s harvest to the plane myself, save you the trouble of sending it out.” Bob, his General Field Diamond Excavator of Burundi shook his head, “it’s against your own policy sir.” “I make the policy Bob, oh dear if I could promote you any higher I assure you I would.” He laughed, “Yeah I guess so boss, very well. I will see that they are in your jeep when you leave. Will you come by for the next supply?” Shaking my head, “no, I’m just doing a check up that’s all. I won’t be back for a year. If anything changes let my secretary know.”
We had barely made it a mile down the dirt road, before my curiosity got the best of me. “I’ve just got to see this month’s quota Monka. I almost dropped my drink when Bob said that they had exceeded expectations. Oops, there I went and almost did it again!” My drink jiggled in my hand, “Mac can you please slow down you’re going to spill my cognac!” The military jeep rattled, “Sorry sir it’s the bumpy road.” “Very well, very well, I sat down my cognac and began to open the attaché case.” “You shouldn’t sir, not out here!” I smiled gazing at Monka in his bright green uniform, “I know I hired you for security Monka but you should loosen up! We have a convoy of soldiers at our disposal and we’re still near the mining area. Besides your brother is running this convoy isn’t he…” ”Well…” “Isn’t he,” I repeated as Monka finally nodded his head. “Yes, he is the best in Burundi.” “You see,” I took the attaché and I opened the lid with a snap! In the case were some of the most rugged diamonds I had ever come across. “They will need to be shaven,” “I know Monka, but look at the potential...truly breathtaking.”
The jeep came to a screeching halt as the diamonds rustled in the large security attaché case. “What’s going on, what’s the meaning of this? Mac we are in the middle of the jungle!” “Sir the truck in front of us has come to a complete stop.” The water truck in front of our jeep began to creep slowly forward and then stop again. Hopping on his walkie-talkie Mac gave a boisterous, “Unit 1 what’s the hold up?” Monka began to reach under his seat and pull out a small sub-machine gun. “Sir, I am going to need you to put those down under the seat.” “Unit 3, unit 3, I got a unidentified masked figure standing five yards up the road please advise.” Mac held the walkie-talkie tight in his hands as Monka’s brother Deo’s voice came on, “Dispatching soldiers to your location…” “Weapon is visible and hot!” I gazed around the water truck to see a turbaned up masked fi gure making the sign of the cross. Underneath his robes emerged a large AK and he opened fi re upon the water truck. “Get down, sir!” Monka was pushing me down in the seat as the soldiers from directly behind us began to surround our position. “Establish a perimeter and alpha group engage hostel,” Deo seemed to know his ambushes. As three soldiers began to make their way to the front of the water truck, gunshots continued to rattle into the dense forest.
Shell casings began to rain over me as Monka began to fire blindly into the forest. Mac was reaching under the seat when the glass from his jeep window shattered under the amount of bullets. Mac took several bullets as glass flew over his body. “We’re surrounded!” Deo was screaming over the walkie-talkie. I gazed up over the door and saw children waving machine guns at us firing every bullet at every vehicle wildly. “Grenade,” yelled a soldier as a loud explosion sent dirt to rain from the very sky. It sounded like an action movie as more grenades fell and exploded around me. They were sloppily thrown and people were screaming in pain. “Get us out of here Monka! We have to get the diamonds out of here!” Monka pushed a dead Mac out his door fi ring blindly into the forest. “Hold on Mr. Rosenberg,” turning the wheel he made his way around the water truck. The jeep scrapped the entire side sending sparks to fly over the door. “HURRY MONKA,” I felt a panic beginning to rise inside me as Monka fl oored the jeep. We didn’t get far until I saw a child standing underneath a large leafed bush holding a gun that seemed to weigh him down. He held a RPG that he seemed unable to hold. I knew I would have nightmares on the smile I saw, before the rocket launcher screeched clouding the area around him. I hadn’t even warned Monka as the side of the jeep seemed to have been hit by a charging hippo.
The jeep flipped onto two wheels and then flipped completely over. I gripped the side of it and held on as tightly as he could. It skidded over the dirt several feet. Everything seemed to have grown dark as I awoke with the jeep door being ripped open. The light was cloudy as I saw a dark figure reaching into the jeep. “I saw it in there, get it quickly now!” “Mon…Mon…” My voice was weak as my eyes tried to gaze towards the front seat. I saw Monka lying in the dirt. He seemed unconscious but apparently breathing. I felt a large object unhinge from underneath the crushed seat and realized that it was the attaché case. “My…diamonds,” I whispered as the man yelled, “no now they are mine or the LRA’s I should say!”
My vision began to clear as the man become more distinguishable. It was the black turbaned man that had started the onslaught. I couldn’t tell if anyone was still alive or not. But I tried desperately to reach for the attaché case as the man snatched it away, “get off, get off it! You have enough money!” The turbaned man removed his cover and yelled, “you enslave my people here, and now their efforts will help to free there enslavement!” I stared up at him as he moved out the crushed jeep door. “Gather the men and let’s get out of here.” “Who are you,” he turned to my upside down figure. The seatbelt now seemingly cutting through the lower half of my body, “23rd Company…LRA! You should know us by now Mr. Rosenberg…see you soon and have a good day!” The man laughed manically as he moved away from the jeep with the attaché case clenched in his hand. I saw tiny pairs of legs move past the jeep and soon the crunching of bushes. The once loud area was now as silent as the grave. I thought my mortality was a sure thing. I laid there for hours feeling my body growing colder and weaker. I wasn’t sure when the security group would come from the mine, but I hoped it would be soon. As I laid underneath the jeep I knew I would never forget that man until my dying day. The one thing about me is that I never forgot and never forgive a thief.
(Raska, 06/10/1997)
The jungle surrounded me as a man was thrown at my feet smoke curled thickly from my cigarette. I instantly knew who it was, “well if it isn’t Deo Nsibabmi…thought you were with the Ministry of Defense? I didn’t expect to find you in Burundi…and escorting a 7 million dollar diamond transfer.” The man was sweaty as his green uniform seemed to cling to his underfed body. His nose lay flat as he his face displayed the many bruises and cuts from the stocks of my soldier’s automatic weapons. The children circled around Deo as he sat cowering under the many stares of my army. “Raska,” he said his eyes trying to take in the full effect of the situation. “The one and only baby,” “why have you done this…why have you captured me? If my brother finds out he is going to send an entire army to find you.” “I told my soldiers to bring me somebody for a little fun and apparently during the raid my men have stumbled upon you.” Deo wiped his forehead as he gazed around at the children who struggled to hold their heavy automatic weapons. “Men,” he exclaimed trying to hide a smile, “these are your soldiers? These children drag me into the forest and bring me to their commander...a man who hasn’t even reached manhood himself!”
“I am 20 years old Deo…it’s interesting for a man in your current position. You sure do have a lot of balls!” “Well since you brought me out here I can assume that you have a purpose. If you wanted to kill me your ‘men’ should have done it during your poorly executed ambush. My brother warned me of you.” “Ah, so you must be the brother of Monka, yes that makes sense doesn’t it?” “I am and he speaks very highly of you stealing over 200 million in diamonds.” I withdrew my cigarette, “I can assure you that all of those were made by my faith in god…only he helped those diamonds fund our cause.” “So all your intelligence has been just a stroke of luck,” I flung the lit cigarette at Deo and withdrew a black army knife.
“Our crusade is more then militaristic, we have a religious purpose… we are the chosen people.” “I could yell right now and have my entire squad of PROFESSIONAL soldiers come over the hills and slaughter all of you like the children you are!” He smiled up at me, “oh I am sorry I forgot who I was dealing with.” I gritted my teeth and grabbed the front of Deo’s shirt, “just like your brother, never knew when to shut your wise ass mouth!” “Well go on,” he stared down at the tip of the blade “cut me!” I almost couldn’t help but smile. “You really have a mouth on you don’t you Deo,” wagging the knife underneath his chin “if I didn’t need you.” “What do you need me for,” “well, I am glad to see that you are listening.” I tapped the blade against his cheek, “I need you to get EVERY diamond that we missed and put them in that little old field over the next hill there.” I pointed towards a large hill containing a large patch of trees. “Place them there and walk away…that’s all.”
“Over there,” Deo pointed, “and if I refuse?” Sticking the blade lighting into his cheek Deo gave off no fear as he said, “very well I see your point.” He laid there as if he was thinking on the matter. “You know that is a really long walk, I have a better idea.” “What position do you think you are in to even make me an offer Deo?” “I don’t know Raska the fact that you’re all talk when you want something. My brother told me about you Raska, greed…greed is your downfall.” “All talk…all talk, today’s actions don’t speak for themselves? Deo, Deo, Deo, you can never have enough money! Now do it or die!” “You’re not going to kill me just like that! You know that I am not bringing you all the diamonds that I was put in charge of protecting.” I smirked “Deo just think of me as the African version of Peter Pan.” The knife went straight through his shoulder, and he squealed like a pig clenching at my bloody hand. “You will bring the rest of the diamonds Deo,” “I’ll see you in hell!” Spitting quickly in my face, I couldn’t help but smile. “I am not afraid of death Raska my men will come and…” “Then I guess I better cut you quickly!” Sliding the knife across his chest Deo let out a scream of pain as I reached down and cut both his Achilles tendons too. “Squeal for me piggy,” my eyes were wide with pleasure as I motioned for my soldiers to retreat into the jungle.
Lowering their weapons they scattered into the surrounding trees and I smiled “well I guess you’re going to live after all.” Leaving Deo howling holding his useless ankles he yelled out, “I’m going to find you and hunt you down!” “Well when you’re able to stand again come find me I’ll be,” I pointed my knife at our surroundings. “Around,” I smirked and retreated into the jungle too.
[Deo]
The marching of feet ceased as Deo lay curled among the dirt bleeding over the vegetation. “HELP,” he screamed loudly as he clenched his ankles. “HELP ME,” his voice screamed as voices could be heard in the far distance. “I am over here,” he yelled. He was almost glad that it would take his soldiers a minute to get here. The pain was unbearable, but the pain was something that kept him alive. Trying to block it out was another story, but why would a ruthless killer like Raska allow him to live? The voices continued to approach as his mind began to race. Raska didn’t put much time or effort into convincing him to help as his brutality was world known. Except for another man rumored to exist in Kenya, a man named Mwai Njenga. He was in the Mungiki, also known as the Kenyan Mafia. To be known for your brutality in Africa was definitely saying something.
‘Deo can you hear me,” came the voice from his youngest lieutenant, “over here!” Deo yelled as he heard the lieutenant give a loud, “he’s over here!” The bushes separated as hands fall on him. “Oh Deo who did this to you,” my lieutenant asked. “Raska,” I whispered through gritted teeth. “Where did he go maybe we can still catch him? He might still be close by!” “Close by,” I said but Deo’s brain began to wrap around those words. “Close by,” he repeated to himself as he felt somebody examining his wounds. “Close by, yes Raska would be close by,” he said. A little thump could be heard softly hitting the grass. “RASKA IS CLOSE BY,” Deo shouted. He pushed away the lieutenant “get out of here it’s a trap!”
“Grenade,” yelled one of the men as a large explosion sent several of Deo’s soldiers flying in the air. Machine gun fire erupted from the trees laying down the encircled troops. The troops fired blindly, but the crouching children were able to put five bullets in each soldier. The soldiers couldn’t lower their weapons in time to adjust their shots to the appropriate height. All Deo’s soldiers fell dead as the gunfire came to an abrupt halt. Soon Raska was standing over all the corpses. He motioned over the bodies “check for money or anything of value.” Running footsteps could be heard in the distance, “more are coming so grab what you can!” The children ransacked the bodies withdrawing money and anything of value. “We need to get a hold of the rest of the diamonds,” said one of the child soldiers. “I know don’t worry we’ll get them some other time!” Raska led his children out of the pile of bodies and withdrew from his pocket a large silver