Urban Guerrilla

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Book excerpt

Chapter One

Sundown - Flinders Ranges

Even though the weather had cooled a little it was still hard going across the desert sand. Roo pulled up on top of a towering sand dune and peered into the distance. Bongo pulled up beside him. He lowered his handkerchief and spoke. "Roo, how much further to the homestead? I'm pretty sure my fuel is almost done."

Pulling out his binoculars Bongo looked in the direction his silent friend pointed. Sure enough there was a tiny set of buildings a few kilometres away. "I can see some buildings. I hope my bike makes it. I'm running on fumes right now. How are you for fuel?"

Roo bent and looked at his fuel gauge and nodded 'all good'.

"I'll lead just in case I run out. Let's go." Bongo kicked his bike forward in the red sand and slid sideways down the face of the sand dune.

The landscape in this region was sparsely dotted with spinifex and salt bush. Here and there patches of green grass began to show more frequently as they approached the foothills of the towering Flinders Ranges. They rode up to the first shed before stopping.

As they kicked their bike stands down three cattle dogs raced from behind the house barking and growling viciously. Roo whistled loudly and the dogs suddenly stopped, looked at him curiously then gathered around the olive skinned kangaroo shooter to sniff his extended hand. Finally satisfied he was safe they began wagging their tails. Next the dogs checked Bongo's scent before jumping all over them both. Just then a young man appeared from around the side of the shed, his shotgun pointed directly at them. Roo carefully removed his helmet for the man to see who it was.

"Roo! For shit-sake, I nearly shot you! What the blazes are you doing out here?" the man shouted and walked across to shake the newcomer’s hands.

"I'm Bongo, we've come down from Birdsville. We're pretty buggered, it's been a long trip and we need some fuel and a feed," he said as the they walked their bikes into the shed and dismounted their gear. Roo busied himself cleaning grass stalks and seeds from his bike engine. Bongo followed suit while the young man chatted to them catching up with the news.

The farmer introduced himself as Riley, he informed Roo and Bongo of the local situation. "Those terrorists have been shooting up the homesteaders and taking some of them away. Jarl Horsely, said they've got a prison farm or something in Hawker and they’re working them as slaves. Strange eh? His missus said the terrorists were religious folks she knew before all this happened and now they've turned crazy. Fancy killing people for nothing? There's no army, no police, nobody can stop them." He pulled his felt hat off and scratched at his head as he wandered off to fill their empty fuel cans. The two men from Sundown’s Commando could clearly see a stack of forty-four gallon drums of fuel in his tractor shed.

Riley finished filling the fuel cans then called his family to come out of hiding. Riley’s two small children smiled shyly as they stood staring at the two men as though they had never seen a stranger before.

"Have you had any contact with the terrorists?" asked Bongo curious to know what was happening closer to civilisation.

"Not us, we're too far out for them to bother, I reckon. We've holed up here trying to keep our heads down. Sometimes we'll drive around to get some supplies from Jarl, but otherwise we stay away from everyone. They've been to just about every other station though, and collected people, killed some too. They tried to take all the cattle and sheep but they'd no idea what they're doing, so they gave up and left the area, gone back to Hawker we reckon.

“Most of them ain't from around here, they're mostly city folk and don't know anything about the bush or farming. That's why they've taken people from their farms, to work for them. Those they don't put into their prison farms they tax, they take a percentage of their food, cattle or sheep or crops. They call it ‘tithing’, something to do with the Bible, Jarl said." Katie looked at the two dusty riders as she picked up their youngest, Harry, and balanced him on her hip. The dogs continued to race about sniffing the interesting smells from the boys and their bikes.

Bongo filled them in on their battles with the terrorists and about their commando in Birdsville. He asked where the best place would be to settle in the Flinders Ranges. Bongo explained that they were sent to find a safe haven for their people. The farmer and his wife nodded, shifting their feet a little nervously.

"Arkaroola village is nice, you could probably settle there for a while. Anywhere towards Wilpena Pound would be a good enough place too, but Wilpena's occupied by the Wilson family, they're strange people. Don't go west or south of the ranges because that's where the terrorists have set up some of their outposts and prison farms. They'll capture you and make you work for them. We can help show you some places if you don't mind waiting a day or so. You could help me shift some cattle and sheep around? If you don't mind, I’d really appreciate some help."

He looked at his wife and put his hand on her shoulder, only then did he notice how thin she was. "Poor Katie's exhausted trying to look after the kids and be my rouseabout at the same time. But come inside first and get some tucker into you, then we can look at the map and make some plans."

Riley was one of Roo's cousins on his father's side, his brothers once had properties all over the Flinders Ranges. He was the only one who stayed behind to farm, the rest sold out to live in the city.

"Yeah, Earl lives in Adelaide and Mitchell lives down near Mount Gambier. They hardly ever bothered to visit. Katie and I love the bush, we've survived droughts, floods and bushfires but now we're really struggling. We have to hide whenever we hear a sound, and it's getting on our nerves a bit. We'd sure welcome some neighbours who knew how to fight them Revelationist terrorists. We'd sure appreciate some help with the animals and harvest too. We put in some barley and wheat with the help of a few of the survivors hereabouts. I'm too afraid to start up the harvester in case the terrorists see the dust cloud and come to investigate." Riley was talking while Roo and Bongo hungrily ate his wife's home-made bread with piles of butter, cold meat and pickles.

Through his hot tea and a mouth full of sandwich Bongo asked them about Wilpena Pound and the Wilson's.

"I’m not sure exactly what’s going on in there, Bongo. We haven't gone out there since this started, we’re too afraid to. There are others like us who escaped the terrorists and didn't get captured, but we stay away from them too just in case they put us in. If they don't know we exist then they can't point the finger at us."

That evening they relaxed, talking and playing with Riley's kids. Bongo was in his element rolling on their kangaroo and cattle skin covered dirt floor wrestling and laughing with little Harry and his older sister, Elle. Katie spent most of her time smiling as she watched her children having a wonderful time playing with someone else for a change. Riley was usually too tired to do much with his kids of an evening and she was flat out helping him and keeping the family fed. Neither had much energy left for their children, she thought, and her eyes reflected her sadness.

The children were put to bed in one of the double beds beside the fireplace and were soon asleep.

Roo indicated he wanted to head off for bed too. Neither of the adventurers could keep from nodding their heads, they were exhausted. Riley told them to throw their swags in the shed, it was the best place to sleep with the nights now getting cooler. Their one bedroom shack was already overflowing and there was simply no room for visitors.

Outside, the moon shone brightly. Roo walked Bongo over to the fences while the dogs walked beside them. "Roo, what say we do some work around the place tomorrow before we do our recon of the Flinders Ranges?" suggested Bongo.

Roo fingered the wire and pointed to the many places that needed mending. "Yeah, I can see it needs a lot of repair work. You want to hang around and repair Riley's fences and do some odd jobs?" Bongo asked, Roo nodded. "OK, why not do a good job of it and spend the week here, shoot a few kangaroos and emu's for them and then go exploring, what do ya reckon?" Again the silent kangaroo shooter nodded this time with a smile on his tired face.

Over the next six days the three of them worked from sun-up to sun-down doing everything from repairing the shed roof to fixing fences and chasing cattle and sheep from one paddock to another. Roo shot four large kangaroos and two emu's and they ate like kings. What they didn't eat they cut into strips, salted down and hung them out to dry for jerky.

On the seventh day Riley said they should go out to Wilpena Pound to meet the Wilson family and have a yarn with them. He warned them not to take their weapons, or to say anything about Birdsville, or their intentions to move here. He said he didn't like the Wilson's much and didn't trust them, no one did.

They left early in the morning riding their bikes along the back tracks. When they finally hit the main bitumen road they were blocked by a large herd of cattle. Two friendly stockmen rode up and invited them to their camp site for lunch.

At the stockmen’s campsite was a truck, caravan, and a cook busy making the midday meal. One by one, the cattlemen came in for their lunch. Riley knew some of them and they came over to shake hands and introduce themselves.

"Hi Riley, how have you been mate, not seen you for a while. I thought the Revelationists might have got to you too. How's the missus and the kids?" asked Laurie, a lean sunburned man in his thirties.

"We’re doing well, Laurie, how's your family? They safe?" The group yarned for a while catching up on the news and then the conversation turned to current events and the terrorists.

Laurie spoke up first. "They've got control of the entire country, mate. They tithe ten percent of everyone's cattle and sheep too. They like us here but only because Jack's a Wilson, and they don't touch the Wilson's. They've got a prison farm on the other side of the ranges, and have taken most of the farmers in the region to work there. You’d better watch yourself, Riley, because they'll take you and Katie too if they find you.

“Our Jack's not as bad as his old man but try to avoid him if you can. He doesn't come around much but he's here today, just keep your head down and be polite. You never know what he'll do. He's got four arseholes who run the property for him - psycho's they are, avoid them if you can. They've got connections with the Revelationists and do their dirty work for them. They act a bit like those Nazi Gestapo."

Riley looked at Laurie and the small gathering around the camp fire. A few of the heads nodded in agreement with Laurie. Cookie came over and added, "If Jack finds out yer here with these two strangers there might be trouble, Riley. They're after more cow hands so just finish yer meals, and leave, boys. Don't make a fuss of it, just jump yer bikes and head back where yer came from."

Again those same heads nodded.

The meal was almost over and the stockmen began preparing to move back to their cattle just as Jack arrived in his four wheel drive. He got out and walked over to the three trail bikes, then wandered over to the camp-fire with his four henchmen and sat down.

"Riley, nice to see you, mate, it's been a while. Brought some friends with you?" Jack called across the fire.

"G'day, Jack. You might remember my cousins Roo and Bongo, on my father's side. They're up from Yalpara ways, been working the cattle stations and harvesting wheat. They dropped in to give me a hand with me cattle and repair some fences. How's things with you, Jack?" asked Riley, amicably, but his eye's watched Jack's carefully.

"We're busy, as you can see. We could do with some extra hands though. You boys ride a horse and muster cattle, eh?" he called to Roo and Bongo. The boys both nodded.

"If you've finished working on Riley's property, I'll take you all on. We're light handed right now and could use you today…" The large man thought for a moment his eyes shifting from one of the newcomers to the other. "How about I send some of my boys over to help you, Riley, they could speed things up a bit with your repairs? The sooner we get some extra hands with the muster the better."

No one spoke for a half minute. The uncomfortable silence was broken when Bongo spoke. "That's nice of you Jack, thanks for the offer but we're only here for the week and today was our last day. Riley wanted to show off the beautiful Flinders before we headed back." He watched the man opposite, waiting for his reaction.

"No sweat, boys," Jack said but he didn't sound pleased, "If you want full-time work just let me know, good workers are hard to come by. Things have changed in the world, boys, so bring your families if you want, we can put them up as well. We're a family friendly company and you'd all be welcome." His eyes had gone dark and he looked away from the three as he stood up. "Right lads, back to work. Riley, nice to meet you again, take care now, boys."

Within seconds the gathering dispersed and the only ones left were the three from Arkaroola and the cook. Bongo could hear Jack speaking with his four henchmen beside their bikes. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"Boys," said the cook softly as he collected the cups and plates, a smoke hanging from the side of his mouth, "I suggest you take him up on the offer. He's got a nasty streak and no one gets away with saying no to him."

"Why? What could he do?" asked Bongo, curious.

"What could he do?" The cook laughed. "He'll kill you."

Riley looked at the cook then at Roo and Bongo. "We'd better get back to Katie, I don't like this." He stood up to leave.

As he did a voice called from beside the bikes, "Hey, nice bikes you got there boys. I tell you what, you do a days work with me and I'll let you have them back." It was Jack's voice and beside him stood his four bully-boys. They each had side-arms strapped to their leather belts.

"No sweat, Jack." Bongo called back politely, "Roo and I can hang around for a few days and can give you a hand if you need us that badly, sure. But you’d better let Riley get back to his missus and kids, they'll be frightened something's happened to us."

"We don't want to keep Riley from his kids," replied Jack. He looked at Riley and said, "Piss off, Riley, we'll probably drop in some time and invite you back here." Then he turned to the two Birdsville lads. "Grab yourselves a horse and join us. If it's adventures in the Flinders you want, we've got plenty. Leave your gear here, it's safe, I guarantee it. Cookie will make sure no one touches anything."

Bongo thought just how fortunate it was that they'd left their rifles in Riley's shed.

The two worked with a will which impressed Jack and his bully-boys. Roo was an expert horseman having learned to ride horses, camels and donkeys since before he could walk. Bongo was still a bit of a rookie but he did a good-enough job. By nightfall they had joined the muster gang for dinner and sat around the camp-fire chatting and drinking the Wilson's beer.

Bongo was watching the four bully-boys like a hawk. He knew that at any moment one of the them would challenge either Roo or himself, he'd seen their likes before. They were drinking like cattlemen did after a hard day in the saddle. He noticed how the four enjoyed their positions of power, openly bullying the others when it pleased them.

"Hey, boy! Rooster, or whatever you call yourself. How'd ya learn to ride like that?" called the tallest, Brad.

Roo looked at him but didn't speak. Bongo felt the heat rise inside him when Brad's mate, Joey called Roo a 'dumb prick'. Bongo felt his outrage rise and knew that the four were looking for a fight.

Joey called out across the camp fire, "I didn't know the special school taught retards to ride." The four of them laughed, no one else did. Jack sat in his directors chair silently watching, his cigar smoke drifted lazily into the night air.

There was dead silence, the only movement came from ten pairs of eyes switching between Joey, Roo and Bongo. All that could be heard was the crackle of flames from the camp fire.

Thinking quickly so that he could protect his silent mate, Bongo stood up and called out in the growing silence, "Why don't you just go fuck yourself, Joey, you arsehole."

Bongo smiled knowing he'd taken the heat off Roo. He had a soft spot for his quiet mate and there was no way he would let anyone bully a mate of his. The younger man knew that if he started the fight before the boys were truly drunk, there was a chance someone would step in before it got out of hand and someone was killed.

"You prick!" Joey's face flushed bright red in the firelight. He threw his beer can at Bongo who easily ducked. The bigger man walked stiff legged around the camp-fire and with a big wind-up took a wild swing at the new boy.

Bongo rocked back on his heels and then cracked his right fist into Joey's chin sending him flat on his back. Joey shook his head and groaned as he tried to stand. He wobbled on his hands and knees then vomited. He collapsed to the ground, curled into a ball and began rocking back and forth holding his broken jaw.

The cattlemen stared in shock, they couldn't believe it. Bully-boy Joey, flattened with a single punch by the new guy. Jack Wilson smiled quietly, he was enjoying this. The three bully-boys looked at each other and as one came around the fire and threw themselves at Bongo. He didn't stand a chance against all three.

Roo stood when he saw them charge Bongo and kicked the legs out from under the closest. As he stepped in to protect his young friend, Brad flattened him with a swinging king hit from behind. Roo didn't get up, the punch laid him flat on the ground beside Joey.

Laurie stood up and cried out, "Why don't you lot fucking grow up? Every time we get a new boy you have to beat the shit out of him!" But he didn't step in to help, no one did.

Two of the bully-boys held Bongo by the arms while Brad started punching. "Hold him still, Ferrie. Greg, grab his arms, tighter!" He smashed a fist into Bongo's face opening a cut along his cheek, blood sprayed with each blow.

Soon Bongo was unconscious and had to be held upright as Brad exhausted himself. Brad stepped aside to allow his cousin Greg to use Bongo as a punching bag. Greg had a reputation as a fighter and relished every opportunity he got to use his fists.

"You smart-arsed prick." he said kicking Bongo's prostate body as it lay on the ground. "You Yalpara boys think you're better than us, eh? Next time you want a fight just call us Wilson boys, we'll show you how we fight in the Flinders." Greg turned and smiled at the frightened faces of the other cattlemen looking on in horror. He wiped some of Bongo's blood off his knuckles and reached for his beer.

"Anyone else want a flogging? Anyone here think you're better than us? Come on, stand up!" When no one stood he raised his voice and laughed, "You gutless bastards, you're all just pieces of shit that God has placed for us Crusaders to use to glorify our Lord, the God of the Revelations. Amen!"

The cattlemen sitting around the camp fire squirmed uncomfortably. Some turned away, others just stared into the fire. Laurie put his face in his hands and shook his head.

"Don't any of you bastards here think you can challenge us. Try it and you'll end up like these two." Brad nodded to his mates and they resumed their drinking. Jack smiled smugly having had a ring-side seat to the excitement. None of them bothered tending to Joey who was still rocking and sobbing on the ground.

After a few minutes Cookie saw that it was now safe to step in. He dragged Bongo across to his trailer and washed the blood off his face. Then he carefully applied ointment to his cuts and bruises.

"Leave him, Cookie," called Jack. "He started it, let him wallow in his own blood. It'll teach him that it doesn't pay to upset the Wilson's." But Cookie ignored him and continued to administer to Bongo. He then brought in Roo who was now beginning to stir. Cookie looked at Joey sobbing quietly on the sand with his broken jaw, and left him there.

The next morning they were kicked awake by Brad and Joey. "Get up you yokels, time to pay for your meal." Joey's face was well wrapped in a bandage and his eyes were black. He was in a foul mood unable to eat or talk. The bully-boys were about to kick Bongo but suddenly stopped when they saw the violent look on Roo's face.

"What the hell did we get ourselves into, Roo?" said Bongo trying to stand up. Bongo had a livid cut on his swollen cheek. It was red and inflamed and the combination of swelling, lumps and bruises clearly showed that he'd been in a fight and lost badly.

Neither did anywhere near as well as they were expected that day. They stoically bore the brunt of the Wilson boy’s bullying and jokes. By late afternoon Bongo realised that Greg had disappeared with three others of their pack. He was sure they were on their way to Riley's place.

"Strewth, Roo. I hope Riley gets his family away in time. I know what them bastards are going to do if they catch them." Bongo began to shake in rage and fear. He adored kids and had fallen in love with Riley and Katie's two children, he felt he would die if anything happened to them.

An hour before dusk Roo and Bongo found themselves alone on the very edge of the gap which was the only way out of the compound. Roo looked around then whistled to Bongo, lifted his chin and galloped his horse towards a break in the rocks, Bongo took off after him. They were free and no one noticed. Neither of them knew the Flinders Ranges well enough to make their way to Arkaroola. They knew it was best not to return by the route they took coming in though.

After an hour of hard riding they came across a detailed map on the tourist road leading into the ranges. They studied it for a few minutes. Finally Roo looked at Bongo and nodded. Bongo knew Roo had a photographic memory and trusted his mate's keen sense of direction. Roo pointed out the route they would take on the map and Bongo nodded. Mindful of their injuries they climbed back on their horses and headed towards Arkaroola.

It was a hard ride through the rugged ranges. They had to detour via some of the deserted farms to gather water and food for themselves and their horses, and that added another day to their trip. The two pushed hard only stopping for short rests so the horses could catch their wind and ease their backs. Bongo kept hoping against hope that his new-found friends were safe. At times he found himself crying – he wasn’t sure if it was from pain, fear or exhaustion.

They sat and watched Riley's homestead for an hour before Roo nodded that it was safe to ride down. They saw no dust clouds and no sign of vehicles or horses since they had escaped. Of course Jack would know where they were headed. But on horseback, in desert country, he wasn't bothered too much. Jack knew he could pick them up whenever he wanted.

As they entered the yard, Roo stopped his horse and jumped down, wrapped the reins on the timber fence and scanned the ground. He pointed out fresh truck tracks and foot prints.

"Four men's foot prints going into the house and only one coming back. There's multiple drag marks and these patches look like blood. What do you reckon, Roo?" said Bongo beginning to hyperventilate. He then let out a keening moan when he saw more blood on the ground as they approached the front door.

Roo swung the door open and the two entered. Bongo gasped deeply and pointed to the wall where a shotgun blast had plastered blood and what looked like an eyebrow on the whitewashed stone wall. There were bullet holes in the walls and empty cartridge shells on the floor.

"Riley must have ambushed them when they walked inside." Bongo continued his dialogue, "It looks like he took out one at the front door… one inside just here with his shotgun and that's his face, or what's left of it, on the wall there." He pointed to the eyebrow and Roo nodded. "Then they opened fire with their automatics. Oh hell, Roo. Riley, Katie and the kids might be dead outside the back door." He started to sob when he saw more blood and a shotgun blast-sized hole in the open back door.

Roo put his hand out to stop his friend. He then stepped out carefully looking at the ground and reading the tracks. He crooked a finger at Bongo and grunted. Bongo stopped dead in his tracks and looked squarely at his normally silent mate. That grunt was the first sound he had heard coming from Roo in all their time together. Roo then held up his hand for Bongo to stop and observe.

A master tracker, Roo bent down to read the signs on the ground using the sunlight to highlight each footprint. He pointed to the bent grasses and prints which spoke to the initiated of the story of the fire-fight

Bongo began talking again to calm his nerves. "So…" he began, "Riley then ambushed the next one as he pushed the back door open. That’s the blood there and it looks like he then ran across to his truck in the carport." Bongo stopped and Roo pointed out the small tracks made by a pair of bare feet.

"That's Katie's tracks," said Bongo. "OK, she must have got out first with the kids. But where's the children's tracks, I can't see any." His voice went up an octave as he started to fret again.

Roo pointed to the roll and variations in depth in Katie's tracks. "So that means she was carrying one on each hip?" asked Bongo, Roo nodded.

He then pointed to Riley's footprint covering part of Katie's. "OK, got it, he followed her. I can't see any of the bully-boys footprints though, does that mean they didn't follow?" Again Roo nodded and pointed back to the door and the drag marks.

"Yep, I can see it now. The last Wilson was too afraid to come out. So that means Riley and his family got away? And one of those Wilson boys escaped, taking his three dead mates back to Jack. That means he'll want revenge."

Roo grunted a second time and stood up, they walked to the carport. Again he bent to study the tracks and pointed to the back cattle grill. Together they walked over to the fence line and the cattle grating separating the enormous paddock from the house block.

"They got away, thank God, they got away!" Bongo smiled and then hugged Roo. Roo smiled and even returned the hug, briefly.

"Roo, we've got to find them and help them. We're not going back to Birdsville until we make sure they're safe."

Roo smiled, a tiny grunt escaped his lips one more time and he nodded - it was exactly what he was thinking too. They ran back to the shed and recovered their weapons, collected what gear they could pack onto the now exhausted horses, and began to track Riley's truck into the Arkaroola wilderness.

"Roo," called Bongo walking his tired horse, "did I really hear you talking to me just now?" He was smiling, in fact he realised that he was feeling darn joyful.

Roo looked at him, looked away, then back again and nodded. It was late afternoon and he wanted to put some distance between them and Riley's homestead before dark. He looked back at Bongo and grunted. It was a soft, lighthearted sound, then he smiled broadly. He too had been afraid for his cousins and was overjoyed they had escaped.