Hunting The Snark: An Alice in Deadland Adventure (Alice, No. 4) by Mainak Dhar Page B
Authors: Mainak Dhar
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of him. He had
been discovered. He had not succeeded in his mission, but Aaron Campbell would
not go down without a fight.
He steadied himself as the shadow came closer. Light glinted
as a large hunting knife swung up towards him. Aaron stumbled back and fell to
the ground. Then came a low growl.
‘Come to the Jabberwock.’
***
Two days after he had killed Aaron, Jabber Ali Hasan rode
his Harley down the highway, followed by ten of his handpicked men. Each man
had an RPG launcher and an AK-47 slung across their backs. Jabber himself had
an AK, but he always preferred to do his work up close, with his knife.
As he passed the ruins of some American city, he spat at it.
How the infidels had fallen! Jabber knew that his own homeland in Saudi Arabia
was nothing more than radioactive ruins, but all that sacrifice and loss was
surely worth it to see the Americans reduced to this. And in the middle of all
this devastation, Jabber and his men had seeded what he knew would one day
destroy Sam King and the others who thought they were using Jabber, and achieve
the dream that Jabber’s mentors in Al Qaeda had once seen.
Before The Rising, Jabber had been a young warrior who had
been blooded in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Then came the
betrayal by a local informant and capture by the Americans. He had spent two
years at Guantánamo, where the Americans broke his body, but never his spirit.
He and a dozen others had been brought to New York to stand trial in a military
tribunal when The Rising took place.
The world that emerged after The Rising afforded unique
opportunities for someone of Jabber’s talents. He and his men had killed and
looted at will, laying waste to the infidels around them, and within a few
years, Jabber had an army of several hundred and a large swathe of land. With
their air power, Zeus could destroy him, but with his expertise in guerrilla
warfare, he could make them pay dearly. As the resistance emerged under Konrath,
Sam King had reached out to him to make an accommodation. Jabber would be left
unmolested, but in return he and his men would occasionally be called upon to
do special missions for Sam. Missions like this one.
Resistance or Zeus, Jabber took equal pleasure in killing
them all, and his power and reputation would grow once he killed this Biter
witch held in such awe by the Americans. Trust the weak infidels to raise a
freak girl to such a pedestal. Then would come the day when Jabber would make
his move. He had watched Zeus and the resistance fight it out, weakening
themselves, and his men had also procured anti-aircraft missiles from arms
smugglers who seemed to thrive in any conflict. Soon, very soon, Jabber Ali
Hasan would raise the black flag of Al Qaeda in the heart of the enemy.
He spat again as he recalled the name that Sam King had
given him.
Jabberwock.
He would make sure Sam regretted mocking his name, right
before he cut off his head. Jabber tried to put those pleasant thoughts out of
his mind. He needed to focus on the coming battle. Thanks to one of the
faithful whom his men had reached out to, they would have the advantage of
surprise. Jabber would make the most of that, and then this witch called Alice
would get closely acquainted with Jabber’s blade.
***
Larry had lived, but only barely, and was still unconscious
when Alice and the others set out. Vince had radioed ahead to confirm that
their helicopter was fueled and ready at a resistance airstrip near Oklahoma
City. They were now in two Jeeps speeding towards the airstrip. The first Jeep
had four resistance fighters and a driver, Jamal, a local used as a messenger
by the resistance who had promised them a short cut. The second Jeep was driven
by Josh, with Alice and Bunny Ears sitting in the front with him. In the back
were packed Vince, Satish, Cynthia, John and Tom, along with three large duffel
bags containing extra ammunition and supplies.
Alice had told them that she did not want
been discovered. He had not succeeded in his mission, but Aaron Campbell would
not go down without a fight.
He steadied himself as the shadow came closer. Light glinted
as a large hunting knife swung up towards him. Aaron stumbled back and fell to
the ground. Then came a low growl.
‘Come to the Jabberwock.’
***
Two days after he had killed Aaron, Jabber Ali Hasan rode
his Harley down the highway, followed by ten of his handpicked men. Each man
had an RPG launcher and an AK-47 slung across their backs. Jabber himself had
an AK, but he always preferred to do his work up close, with his knife.
As he passed the ruins of some American city, he spat at it.
How the infidels had fallen! Jabber knew that his own homeland in Saudi Arabia
was nothing more than radioactive ruins, but all that sacrifice and loss was
surely worth it to see the Americans reduced to this. And in the middle of all
this devastation, Jabber and his men had seeded what he knew would one day
destroy Sam King and the others who thought they were using Jabber, and achieve
the dream that Jabber’s mentors in Al Qaeda had once seen.
Before The Rising, Jabber had been a young warrior who had
been blooded in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Then came the
betrayal by a local informant and capture by the Americans. He had spent two
years at Guantánamo, where the Americans broke his body, but never his spirit.
He and a dozen others had been brought to New York to stand trial in a military
tribunal when The Rising took place.
The world that emerged after The Rising afforded unique
opportunities for someone of Jabber’s talents. He and his men had killed and
looted at will, laying waste to the infidels around them, and within a few
years, Jabber had an army of several hundred and a large swathe of land. With
their air power, Zeus could destroy him, but with his expertise in guerrilla
warfare, he could make them pay dearly. As the resistance emerged under Konrath,
Sam King had reached out to him to make an accommodation. Jabber would be left
unmolested, but in return he and his men would occasionally be called upon to
do special missions for Sam. Missions like this one.
Resistance or Zeus, Jabber took equal pleasure in killing
them all, and his power and reputation would grow once he killed this Biter
witch held in such awe by the Americans. Trust the weak infidels to raise a
freak girl to such a pedestal. Then would come the day when Jabber would make
his move. He had watched Zeus and the resistance fight it out, weakening
themselves, and his men had also procured anti-aircraft missiles from arms
smugglers who seemed to thrive in any conflict. Soon, very soon, Jabber Ali
Hasan would raise the black flag of Al Qaeda in the heart of the enemy.
He spat again as he recalled the name that Sam King had
given him.
Jabberwock.
He would make sure Sam regretted mocking his name, right
before he cut off his head. Jabber tried to put those pleasant thoughts out of
his mind. He needed to focus on the coming battle. Thanks to one of the
faithful whom his men had reached out to, they would have the advantage of
surprise. Jabber would make the most of that, and then this witch called Alice
would get closely acquainted with Jabber’s blade.
***
Larry had lived, but only barely, and was still unconscious
when Alice and the others set out. Vince had radioed ahead to confirm that
their helicopter was fueled and ready at a resistance airstrip near Oklahoma
City. They were now in two Jeeps speeding towards the airstrip. The first Jeep
had four resistance fighters and a driver, Jamal, a local used as a messenger
by the resistance who had promised them a short cut. The second Jeep was driven
by Josh, with Alice and Bunny Ears sitting in the front with him. In the back
were packed Vince, Satish, Cynthia, John and Tom, along with three large duffel
bags containing extra ammunition and supplies.
Alice had told them that she did not want
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