21 Final preparations

Koos stepped out of the hangar door, two soldiers were waiting.

"Are they dealt with general?"

"Yes, call the men into the hangar quick, I need to speak to all of you"

Not long and all the soldiers of the base stood in front of him "What im about to tell you boys, are strictly confidential! you all, here in this hangar, should keep this secret! even to the rest of your superiors, think of it as national security, am i understood!?"

"Sir yes sir" the group replied.

"These two men were the enemy, they are from a terrorist organization known as the Anubis, the way you identify them is with their dark hair and blue eyes, their surnames are also all Anubis, its like a little cult family group. So if you ever meet someone fiting that description, think of him or her as the enemy! am i clear!?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good, only talk to me, Captain Frits, or Lieutenant Piet about this! No one else this is strictly classified!"

Koos approached another soldier "Name troep?"

"Ben sir!"

"You in charge here right?"

"Yes sir"

Koos gave him a piece of paper "This is a number on a satellite phone we will have, if anything comes up you let me know, That goes for all of you, if you notice something out of line in that sentence, you report to Ben, and he'll report to me"

"Copy"

"Now, Piet, go get our Ratel twenty on a truck, then the rest of you load ammo on that second truck for the Rooivalk"

The men dispersed leaving Koos, Ben and Frits behind "Open the hangars, lets take this baby out for some fresh air"

"Thought you'd never say that" Frits said heading over to the helicopter.

As Koos and Ben drew the large hangar doors open, Frits got a accustomed to the flight controls, it looked very familiar to him, he flicked the switches and the engine started winding up, the noise also familiar.

"Ready to go Fritsie?" Koos called over the engine noise.

"Yes! but doesn't this noise sound familiar!?"

"It uses the same engine as a Super Puma Captain! Thats the noise you're hearing!" Ben called.

"Super Puma!?" Frits yelled; It was in fact a large heavy lift hellicopter that could carry around twenty troops. it could even happily carry a Land Cruizer pickup with it even after it has a full load of men. Frits could assume one thing now, thanks to a high powered engine like that, the Rooivalk, being a light bodied aircraft, will have astounding agility. The rotor blades were at full rpm, Frits tilted the blades and slowly the helicopter crawled forward out of the hangar.

"Remember Frits, follow the two trucks at a nice altitude, i want to reach Piet's farm before sunrise so were going to travel as fast as the weight allows us!" Koos yelled over the noise.

"Copy that!" Frits replied and closed the cockpit hatch.

Now with open sky above him, Frits was anxious to see what this 'Attack helicopter' could do, he drew the lift handle and the Rooivalk almost jumped from the tarmac, Frits gave a giggle "Fokot!"

Rising higher he came over the hangar and saw the two trucks each with a Ratel on its trailer leaving the base, Frits followed, but still conducted his tests. He pushed the foot pedals to make it turn sideways, then tilted the direction joystic right, the helicopter easily flew sideways, he kept going, and eventually flew one hundred kilometres per hour that way, he swiveled back forward then drew up, the Rooivalk responded magnificently, raising its altitude so quickly after the correction that Frits felt himself sinking into the seat "Blikseem!"

"What's wrong Frits!?" Koos called him over the two way.

"This thing is out of this world! not even the small Alouette could manoeuvre like this!"

"Glad youre getting used to it, because tomorrow we head back to Angola with it to aid Quintin"

"That sounds great! this thing is so agile, i bet you it could make a full back flip" Frits yelled like a kid with a new toy.

"Bullshit no helicopter can do that, the blades will tug it back to earth" Koos said.

"No seriously! when we go that side, ill show you"

Koos swallowed "Dont get any ideas! stick with the plan, gain altitude and remain high until we reach the farm"

"Sir yes sss-Yeeehaaaa!!" Koos looked up, the helicopter went nose up, over backwards then came forward again

"You crazy bliksem!" Koos scolded. Frits was overwhelmed with laughter.

"This must be what Heaven feels like boys!"

"Keep it together Frits! no more back flips!"

"Ok ok! lifting high now, im telling you Koos" Frits said as Koos saw him rise up into the darkness "This thing just leapt forward five or six years into the future"

***

"Ok Quintin, the helicopter is on its way" Ezbar said as they headed outdoors.

"When you reach that side go and find a person named Nina, she's a brown hyena, and she'll inform you further, tell her i sent you" Naledi said.

"Aren't you comming with me!?"

"Fuck no! I saw that cat only peeking at me and i was never so scared in my life! You think i want to be there when you let that thing loose? Fuck you pussycat!"

"Pff, whos the lilly liver now?"

"Whatever, listen, you know how the Anubis looks, anyone else without those long pointy ears are not Anubis and you should try not to kill them, if they see you focus your attack on the Anubis, they'll aid you"

Quintin nodded and looked up as the military Puma came in to touch down.

"Here" Naledi said handing him a gps "I already rigged the coordinates on there, it wil take you roughly to Nina's camp, good luck"

***

Bertus was woken by the sound of trucks passing the side of his house, he got his shotgun out and headed to the kitchen door, not long and a helicopter came in and landed in the courtyard, he was dumbstruck "De fok!? what the fok is going on out here!!" He yelled stepping out thinking no farm attackers will use a bleemin helicopter. In the faint light the three men approached him in military uniform, one he recognized "Piet!?"

"Hello pa" Piet said giving his old man a hug.

"Is there a problem!?"

"No dad, we just came to hide out here at the farm for a wile"

"So the war is over?"

"No"

"And the war isnt here in SA now?"

"No"

"Which means you Awoled! you little prick! and you brought military equipment with you!"

Koos came forward and saluted the older man "Good day sir, my name is..." Koos recognized him "Fucksakes is that you Corpral Croné!?"

"De La Rey!? de fok they made you a general for!?" He looked at Frits "Loots! you too? what you two married or what? to be together all this fokkin time!?" Bertus yelled making the men laugh.

"You know each other?" Piet asked.

"He was our corpral for 1 SAI" Koos said turning back to Bertus "We might have awoled slightly sir, but we have a good reason, were on a Recce mission" Koos said.

"Recce? so you three made it hey?"

"Sorry dad, not me, they said i was too ill minded" Piet said and Bertus laughed looking at Koos "He got that from me! he just uses the landmine to better his excuse, Piet was a crazy fokker even before that mine nearly killed him"

"That true Piet?" Koos asked.

"I passed everything the recce training had to offer, but when the mentality tests came up, i failed, that was before the mine yes" Piet said and Koos gave him a slap "And you kept this quiet!? you technically passed the recce test physical, that makes you one in my eyes!" Koos bellowed.

"You must excuse him Koos, he wasn't the one who bragged about his accomplishments, his younger brothet Phillip also passed recce training full colours, the asshole couldn't keep his wad shut for days, come in boys, i have some cold beers in the fridge" Bertus said leading them in.

"So what you been up to pops?" Piet asked as the gathered in the kitchen.

"Well, i might be going on a little expedition to Alaska to study the wolves and mountain lions there, just as i studied the lions and hyenas here" Bertus explained, giving the three men shrills.

"Just be careful ok pa?" Piet said.

"Of course, i always am, so? whats this mission your on?" Bertus asked

"Confidential sir" Koos said, making Bertus laugh.

"i know asshole! just testing. Im going to bed, Piet you know where the rooms are, help your comrades out" Bertus said and left, almost instantly Koos opened his bag and took out the plans for the Ratel.

"Ok, tomorrow morning me and Frits will be heading to Angola, Piet, i want you to start working on the upgrades for the Ratel"

"Copy"

"Watch closely Piet, take our old Ratel and start grinding a hole for that second turret, thanks to the schematics i was able to mark here where and how you must cut"

"Understood"

"Good, tomorrow early we take off after pre flight checks, so lets go to bed early"