The Red Nights

" Alright, it's settled. Tomorrow we will go for the outlaws and will proceed as we have decided " Jamal said at the end of the meeting while he already started to collect the map and the other materials they were using, he walked toward a shelf and stocked them there , he carried on by ordering them " however, for the time being before we go in the mission , I will ask you to go find your beds and have some rest. So hurry up and go to sleep " .

Everyone agreed and the noisy crowd started slowly leaving the room , some of them were discussing about the mission, explaining and commenting about some steps of the plan while the others were rather sharing some stories of their previous missions to the members of Palet's group, they were cheering them on as some of them were worried. [ What is completely normal. Tomorrow will be their first real battle ] Jamal said to himself while he was gazing at them on their way.

" It also valuable for you " he said to the four people remaining, " we have no more thing to discuss about so go take some rest " . The three of them put a step forward but then stopped when they saw that Volga didn't move and was staring at him , they stared at them while trying to understand what was going on between both. " What is the problem? " Jamal asked her.

" Nothing " she shrugged while playing the innocent " you have said to let go sleep, so I'm just waiting for you to go up together ".

He looked at her, confused " it's not like we're husband and wife and we sleep in the same bed , since when so do we have to go together? "

" Since you have decided all by yourself to sacrifice your time of sleep to guard this house . So whether you come to sleep like all of us or I will stay along with you to play the knights protecting the castle all this night " she replied while she crossed her arms on her b.r.e.a.s.ts like if she was challenging him .

He glanced at the three other people beside her and it seemed like they didn't understand the actual situation so they couldn't stand on her side, but it didn't make any difference since Volga, only by herself, was as stubborn as the women who were part of his life . [ I wonder how it would be when the three of them met ] he thought for a moment before he focused back on the actual matter.

" It may be true that no one will dare to attack us on the middle of the night but... you already know that I'm a over cautious guy... " he started to explain knowing that such argument would never work against her .

" So in that case I will come with you to watch over our army. It also my duty, as their chief, to protect them. " she immediately replied without letting him the time to prepare a support argument.

" Yeah... but you have to regain energy to be fully operational for tomorrow mission, so it necessary for you ... for all of you to get plenty time to sleep. " he responded difficultly.

" And it is also valuable for you, don't forget that you are our main weapon, we can't afford to lose you " she countered.

" Yeah but it's not the same, for me , I'm well trained to spend even two weeks without sleeping on night and to have full control of my body and my mind without any signs of tiredness. So don't worry, it will go well for me, just go " he said with a smile thinking that he finally win the arguing with this strong statement. But he underestimated the woman before him too much. She walked toward him, grabbed tightly his arm and without letting him the time to escape she pulled him toward the door. " I have enough of this comedy, the debate is over, there's no more discussion, you come to sleep like all of us and that's all. " she told him while they were leaving the room to go take the stairs. The other three didn't react immediately, they firstly glanced at each other to be sure they were all at the same state of confusion and then they left to go follow the two friends.

As Jamal stopped resisting she let go of his hand and they went up the stairs calmly. At a moment he glanced at her, he thought about something and a smile appeared on his face. " What's wrong ? " she asked him a little bit suspicious and so she got closer to prevent him to escape. " No thing wrong, I'm just looking forward to introduce you to my frie... no I mean my family. I'm sure you will like each other, three stubborn women like you. " he replied while staring forward him and imagining the scene of when they would meet. Volga turned her sight to look forward her too and sighed happily " I'm looking forward it too " .

Then they reached their room and everyone walked toward the beds and they jumped on them and started to plunge slowly into a deep sleep.

Many hours later Jamal opened his eyes after catching the smell of the dawn , he sat up on the bed and glanced aside at the window. He could see the first sunlight coming in through the window, passing between the little spaces the curtain couldn't cover. He sighed at the thought that once again he woke up at the exact moment the sun was rising " I guess I just can't miss it . Well, here we go again " he repeated .

He was already wearing his uniform when his comrades started to wake up. He saluted them and then left the room while telling them " I'm going ahead to wake up our soldiers, I'll be waiting for you at the parking " . He passed by all the rooms already and was about to go for the last one when Glenn caught him on the way while he was coming from his bedroom. " You are going around to wake people up, right? " he asked Jamal, while glancing back times to times at his door .

" Exactly, I was even about coming for you but I notice that you didn't need me after all " he replied with a smile, Glenn looked back again and Jamal said " it seems like she doesn't want me to see her, that's why she refuses to come out, I suppose ".

The man startled a little bit and stared at him worried as if he unmasked him and discovered a big secret he was hiding for many years. He pointed Jamal with his forefinger and muttered " You... how...? " . The latter quickly raised his hand to stop him " oh sorry I didn't want to embarrass you , well as you can see I'm a pretty sharp observant man, but don't worry if you want I can keep it secret. Anyway finish your business and hurry up to come downstairs, I know you won't fight but you have to give a speech to your men before we go. Motivation is very important in a battle. See you " then he turned back and quickly disappeared from Glenn's sight, however he had still left him in a embarrassed state.

Minutes later everyone was gathered in the parking, they were all facing the little stage where the chiefs of each army would stand to give their words and to motivate their troops. The mayor of Palet was the first one to go up on the stage. He gave them a wonderful and a passionate discourse which had moved everyone, he talked about all the pain they went through during the last 2 years, how many scars both the red night and the war left in their hearts and finished by telling them that in the battlefield when they would face a desperate like situation they should remember that, not giving up and move forward.

However despite all those emotions he made them feel and the hand claps he received when he was was leaving the stage, Jamal was thinking that it was not a suitable speech before a battle, instead of a lot of emotions the army needed something which might give them the fight spirit, some energy. That's why he was happier when he saw Nelson going up to give his , as he knew that it would be more dynamic .

" Keep your tears for after the battle! " he firstly thought " we are about to go kill people, it is not a role play, you have to borrow only your determination and your furor. The first priority is to exterminate those bastards but you have to think about your lives, don't take useless risks, don't try to play heroes. Today is a glory day because we will end this war so we all have to come back alive to celebrate it " he raised his right arm high in the air and tight his fist " raised your fists and screamed loudly to express the rage hidden within your hearts , today is a day victory! ", they all screamed in a same voice so loud that Jamal was wondering if the outlaws heard it . As expected Nelson successfully motivated them in the good way , [ they are ready to fight ] Jamal thought .

" His speech was so inspiring that it seems like I don't even need to talk " Volga told him, " Yeah I think too , but that's great for you , you don't like to speak to people anyway " he replied. She smiled " you're right, I didn't even know what I would be going to say " .

Jamal looked at Nelson who was gazing at him back, he nodded to him and he directly understood what to do. He turned to the crowd and said " well, time has come so everyone, get in your vehicles and let's go finish this! " , they screamed one last time before they ran toward their cars. Glenn approached Jamal to wish him a good luck, he was smiling at him but Jamal could see his uneasiness behind , " we will come back soon " he told him , but it was not enough to shut his fear , he was holding himself to not look at a certain person and Jamal got it too , he laid a hand on his shoulder " you don't have to worry, I swear I will bring her to you alive " . Glenn suddenly raised his head to look at his eyes , and within his gratitude only could be seen " thank you very much " he simply said .

The huge number of cars started to come out from the residence and slowly entered into the road . Once they reached a certain point they divided into four groups, three big groups lead by Nelson, Volga and Sania and a small one lead by Jamal . When they were plotting they had suggested that each group should be commended by three captains of each city's army however it didn't work because Palet's army didn't have any captain as they had never engaged a real battle against the outlaws. So Nelson proposed Sania to take this role as she seemed to be the most qualified from the rest of the soldiers, and even though it was a bit weird for him for him to suggest her instead of one of his men no one opposed the idea .

Each group headed to its assigned position. In fact, thanks to his knowledge of the city and his townspeople, Glenn indicated them the exact location of the five groups of criminals and he even gave them some informations concerning the guys who were leading them . He also told them which one was supposed to attack the HQ that day so that they could intercept them.

The last night, Jamal explained to them the short plan Lina had imagined to deal with the case of Palet , it was not complete though as its situation was complicated and furthermore they didn't have much informations about . " We will have to complete it ourselves with the informations you will give us " he had said to Glenn. And so they managed to elaborate one .

The first group, Nelson's team , well arrived at the location where as they had been thinking their fight against the first group of outlaws would be. Lina had the hunch that a surprise raid into their quarter as they did in Short-river would not work and Glenn confirmed it, " their chief, Finn an ex policeman, is too well informed, he has eyes everywhere and once we penetrate his territory, he will immediately know it " he revealed to them.

" Moreover there an other problem. This case if his has placed men here and there, we will risk to be attacked at any time, we will be too vulnerable in their territories " Nelson reminded, what unconsciously lowered the moral of his troop.

" Not specially " Jamal said bringing a glow of hope, everyone looked at him while he was developing his argument " if he has put so much efforts into their security while Glenn never tried to attack means that whether he is over cautious guy or maybe he is in conflict with another clan" then he turned to Glenn to seek answers, he thought a little bit and then said " I think it's both, he is in fact a very cautious man especially when he's battling with someone and I recall that he has always been in bad terms with Brett, the chief of the other clan, he's a gangster and they both have a long old story in common . Anyway if he is actually fighting someone else it must be Brett " he finished by pointing his location in the map.

" Sania, this guy will be your target " Jamal decided. " It will be impossible for your group to win a direct confrontation, so I want you to make them come out from their bas.e.m.e.nt and to lead them into Finn's territory. You will then join Nelson's team and you'll take advantage of their fight to exterminate them "

" How am I suppose to do that? " she complained " it's almost impossible, they are not rats, I cannot bring them along to another zone with just a piece of cheese ".

" You can and you will " Nelson said to make her stop complaining " try to think about a way to do it from now " . She didn't add any comment and stay quiet, maybe she was working on a plan as Nelson advised her.

Jamal carried on by telling him " you must decide for a place where you will stay to fight Finn once they would engage the combat against you while at the same time you will wait for her to arrive, noting that those watchmen must be only one or two by location, they won't take the risk to attack when you will be on your way, instead their chief will call them back to join forces and fight you so don't worry about them. " Nelson nodded and leaned to gaze well at the map , he took a few moments before he chose. He put his forefinger in the map and declared " this place here it will be fine. Jamal stared at it and said " OK, perfect choice ".

As a result, Nelson and his men were now at the place he had chosen facing the Finn's army. The fight was hard but they had been fighting like that for many months now, they were used to fight like that. " Come on ! Come on ! Come on! Kill them all ! Show them we're not some mere weaklings " he shouted to his men to motivate them as his habit. They had been there for quite a moment when he received a call from Sania , one of his men brought to him the walkie-talkie and told him that it was her .

" Yeah it's me how is the situation there ? Didn't you find any idea yet ? " he asked.

" hum... to say the truth we are already in our way, Brett and his men are chasing us, that's why I called you ", her voice was coming out from the walkie-talkie but he found difficulties to hear her well as the sound of the wind was beating behind her, what meant that she was in her car and they were rolling very fast.

" What ? So quickly? How did you do that? " he started to ask as he was very surprised. " hum... it's a long story but it seems like those guys can resist to a beautiful n.a.k.e.d woman sitting on the roof of a pickup on what was written ' my master Finn wish to you a good morning ' , they all went down at once to take their vehicles and they are now following us like a group of butterflies after a torch and Brett is with them "

" Wait ! What?! You're n.a.k.e.d on the roof of your pickup?! " he shouted more shocked than before. " What did you all expect with a such mission, I'm not a genius , running fast and using my body to attract men are the only things I can do well . But don't worry I'm not completely n.a.k.e.d I'm still wearing my u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. I'll be there within 20 minutes so prepare the area to welcome me , see you. " Then she hung up. " That woman is helpless " Nelson sighed.

He turned to his men and shouted " Sania's team will be there in few minutes, prepare yourselves to execute the evasion plan " . They were fighting against Finn in the middle of the street hidden behind the barricades they had made and surrounded by shops and buildings . Two men walked toward the right side of the street , they pushed the barricades they had placed before to block the way and made a sign to Nelson to tell that's it's OK. " Alright guys , time to get out from here " they slowly fled then to the two other men and left the battlefield.

Finn army didn't understand why the gunshots suddenly ceased , they investigated and found out that the enemies fled by using a shortcut. They pursued them and ran into Brett clan in the other street, they didn't try to understand what was going on and directly started to shoot on each other. They were uncovered by any barricades so the fight was quick but bloody , they killed each other until they remained only a dozen of them. That was when Nelson and Sania's teams came out to finish them off .

" Good job " Nelson came from behind her to congratulate her , he covered her n.a.k.e.d body by wrapping her with his long black cloak . " Thank you " she responded still not understanding his sudden kindness toward her " can I ask you why are you so good with me all of sudden? " .

" Later. We have to know first how the other groups are doing well, whether they need help or not. Let's go " he simply said without responding to her . " I have my own car " she replied while pointing to the other direction.

" No you're coming with me, hurry up " he commended, he walked toward his car without looking behind him, Sania could simply ignore him and walk away but instead she chose to follow him.