pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled a number.
“Hi… it’s me…are you up? Excellent…can you meet us at the
hangar…we’re going to Durban.” Said Tom putting his mobile back in his pocket.
“You’re joking right?” said Zach.
“Not at all, I was wondering what we were going to do today, a
trip to Durban sounds like the perfect solution, we’ll be there in…” Tom pulled
a small palm pc from its belt holder and punched in the details, “…about 90
minutes. Let’s go, Kisho will meet us at the plane.” He put away the palm pc
with its GeoviewX X software which could calculate the distance and flight time
between any two points in the world. Tom loved it.
Breakfast was forgotten, they had a plane to catch. Zach, with
a renewed vigour, led the way back down the stairs, taking two steps at a time.
Lela and Tom struggled to keep up, eventually catching up with him in the foyer
where he had come to a complete stop.
“What’s wrong?” asked Tom but Zach did not need to answer. In
front of their block stood Yuri and his gang. They’re keen, thought Tom, it was
only 7.30 a.m.
“Hi guys,” said Tom. “We’d love to stay and chat but I’m
afraid we’ve got a plane to catch.”
The cordial approach was worth a try although the look on
Yuri’s face suggested not. The humiliation of the previous day had been too
much for Yuri. He was not going to be happy with anything less than a fight.
Zach was big for his age and a similar build to his father,
tall, broad and very fit. He was an army child and more than capable of looking
after himself. He manoeuvred Lela behind him, shielding her from the gang. Zach
had not witnessed Lela’s skills first hand and although he had heard rumours
about them, he assumed they were greatly exaggerated.
“Come on guys, whatever’s wrong, I’m sure we can just talk
about it like adults,” said Zach
As he tried to reason with them, Chen, Ahmad, Oleg and Tristan
came bounding down the stairs. Tristan had seen the gang arrive and had tried to warn Tom and Lela.
Finding their rooms empty, he had woken up the others.
“Ah, my little brother Oleg, I’ve missed you, you know. I had
to go and buy a punch bag but it’s just not the same,” laughed Yuri, ignoring
Zach.
“I’m not your brother any more, thank God,” replied Oleg
shaking. He had not seen Yuri since the previous year.
“Guys, Chen and I can handle these guys if you want to get
going,” whispered Lela to her friends.
“Where are we going?” asked Ahmad.
“What do you mean where are we going, we’re staying right
here,” replied Zach adamantly. “We can’t leave Chen and Lela to these guys,” he
reasoned
“You’re right. Chen, do you want to come with us?” said Tom.
“No thanks, I think this’ll be more fun but thanks for the
offer,” replied Chen who was very excited. Lela had mentioned that they might
get some decent practice in soon.
“Are you guys mad? There are 14 of them, 7-1 are not good odds,”
said Zach exasperated. He could not understand why his friends were not sharing
his concern.
“I know,” replied Tom. “They should have brought a lot more!”
Yuri’s gang consisted of 14 boys, 8 Russian, 3 Japanese, 1
Korean and 2 Indonesian, aged between 16-18. The Russians were all older and
larger than their Asian counterparts but the Asian boys stepped forward first,
all assuming martial art stances. From these, Lela could identify their
specialisms. Two of the Japanese took a Karate stance, while the other assumed
an Aikido stance. The Korean took the classic Taekwondo stance while the
Indonesians assumed the Kuntao stance, a method Lela was very familiar with.
Many islanders near Penaraja practised it.
“Not so smart now, are you?” said Yuri, smiling at Lela.
Lela smiled while Tom grabbed Zach and pulled him back towards
the door of their block, leaving Lela and Chen exposed to the gang. Zach
protested but Ahmad, Oleg and Tristan helped Tom pull him
“Hi… it’s me…are you up? Excellent…can you meet us at the
hangar…we’re going to Durban.” Said Tom putting his mobile back in his pocket.
“You’re joking right?” said Zach.
“Not at all, I was wondering what we were going to do today, a
trip to Durban sounds like the perfect solution, we’ll be there in…” Tom pulled
a small palm pc from its belt holder and punched in the details, “…about 90
minutes. Let’s go, Kisho will meet us at the plane.” He put away the palm pc
with its GeoviewX X software which could calculate the distance and flight time
between any two points in the world. Tom loved it.
Breakfast was forgotten, they had a plane to catch. Zach, with
a renewed vigour, led the way back down the stairs, taking two steps at a time.
Lela and Tom struggled to keep up, eventually catching up with him in the foyer
where he had come to a complete stop.
“What’s wrong?” asked Tom but Zach did not need to answer. In
front of their block stood Yuri and his gang. They’re keen, thought Tom, it was
only 7.30 a.m.
“Hi guys,” said Tom. “We’d love to stay and chat but I’m
afraid we’ve got a plane to catch.”
The cordial approach was worth a try although the look on
Yuri’s face suggested not. The humiliation of the previous day had been too
much for Yuri. He was not going to be happy with anything less than a fight.
Zach was big for his age and a similar build to his father,
tall, broad and very fit. He was an army child and more than capable of looking
after himself. He manoeuvred Lela behind him, shielding her from the gang. Zach
had not witnessed Lela’s skills first hand and although he had heard rumours
about them, he assumed they were greatly exaggerated.
“Come on guys, whatever’s wrong, I’m sure we can just talk
about it like adults,” said Zach
As he tried to reason with them, Chen, Ahmad, Oleg and Tristan
came bounding down the stairs. Tristan had seen the gang arrive and had tried to warn Tom and Lela.
Finding their rooms empty, he had woken up the others.
“Ah, my little brother Oleg, I’ve missed you, you know. I had
to go and buy a punch bag but it’s just not the same,” laughed Yuri, ignoring
Zach.
“I’m not your brother any more, thank God,” replied Oleg
shaking. He had not seen Yuri since the previous year.
“Guys, Chen and I can handle these guys if you want to get
going,” whispered Lela to her friends.
“Where are we going?” asked Ahmad.
“What do you mean where are we going, we’re staying right
here,” replied Zach adamantly. “We can’t leave Chen and Lela to these guys,” he
reasoned
“You’re right. Chen, do you want to come with us?” said Tom.
“No thanks, I think this’ll be more fun but thanks for the
offer,” replied Chen who was very excited. Lela had mentioned that they might
get some decent practice in soon.
“Are you guys mad? There are 14 of them, 7-1 are not good odds,”
said Zach exasperated. He could not understand why his friends were not sharing
his concern.
“I know,” replied Tom. “They should have brought a lot more!”
Yuri’s gang consisted of 14 boys, 8 Russian, 3 Japanese, 1
Korean and 2 Indonesian, aged between 16-18. The Russians were all older and
larger than their Asian counterparts but the Asian boys stepped forward first,
all assuming martial art stances. From these, Lela could identify their
specialisms. Two of the Japanese took a Karate stance, while the other assumed
an Aikido stance. The Korean took the classic Taekwondo stance while the
Indonesians assumed the Kuntao stance, a method Lela was very familiar with.
Many islanders near Penaraja practised it.
“Not so smart now, are you?” said Yuri, smiling at Lela.
Lela smiled while Tom grabbed Zach and pulled him back towards
the door of their block, leaving Lela and Chen exposed to the gang. Zach
protested but Ahmad, Oleg and Tristan helped Tom pull him
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