The military base facility was on lockdown and there were more than 200 military soldiers on the ground. They were on standby mode in response to an enemy invasion that was expected to be launched on the main operating base. Each soldier was armed with a submachine gun and a couple of hand grenades. They were divided into army units and the field marshall inspected their strength preparing them for the battle.

“Hold the line!” shouted the Commander Ngcobo.

Before they knew it, a helicopter emerged in the air as the frontline troops began to prepare for combat. I started firing missile explosive bombs towards the main operating base. The army unit began to utilise their defence forces.

“Load the weapons!” screamed Commander Ngcobo. “Fire!” Commander Ngcobo continued.

“Grenade!” shouted one of the soldiers as the enemies were now closing in on the military base out of nowhere. More than fifty enemy military vehicles appeared with machine gun tanks flanked by military trucks. Four more helicopters flew above, dropping missile bombs on the military base. One of the bombs exploded onto the main operating base and machine guns blazed through the battlefield.

“Cover me, soldier!” shouted Commander Ngcobo and he continued, “Attack! Don’t cease fire!” Commander Ngcobo instructed holding a bazooka with both his hands. A bazooka fired a bomb bringing down one of the enemy helicopters.

The soldiers continued shooting at one another as the battle intensified.

“Aaaah! I think I broke my leg” shouted one of the soldiers, Sizwe.

“Man down! I repeat man down!” shouted Commander Ngcobo , standing above Sizwe.

More than half of the army soldiers had been guttered to the ground at this point.

“Retreat!” Commander Ngcobo instructed, “We need to pull back soldiers, we are outnumbered!” he continued.

“Tell us about your government secrets agency or you die!” commanded the senior general.
Sizwe pulled a smug face as the soldiers continued to torture and electrocute him.
“Do what you got to do, I’ve got nothing to say to you,” Sizwe said, unfazed. He was the only surviving soldier abducted after his fellow soldiers were wiped out by opponents. For a man facing death penalty if he refused to give information, Sizwe didn’t look afraid. He was loyal to his country of birth and this was something to be admired, even by those who held him captive. The senior general began to lose his patience with him and stormed out of the command centre.

“You will give us what we want! One way or another you will talk,” shouted the senior general, banging the door behind him.

“The foreign soldier doesn’t want to cooperate,” said Senior General Sibanda. The sergeant looked at the senior general with a grim face and shook his head twice before entering the command centre to squeeze answers off Sizwe one more time.

“Your loyalty to your country tells us that you are a brave man” sergeant said, staring at Sizwe’s bloody face, “But only a stupid man would sacrifice his own life just to protect the secrets of his government,” the sergeant continued.

“Like I told you, I’ve got nothing to say to you,” Sizwe said. He was alone in enemy territory ready to die for his country. They beat him with handle of a pistol and blood raced down his forehead. But Sizwe kept his lips sealed. He kept closing his eyes and screamed in pain but he held his head high and chin up. His body couldn’t move, and the injured leg was twisted backwards with blood even drying up now.

“Your leg is getting worse, I can get you a doctor if you start talking,” said Sergeant Nengomasha.

“I’d rather die than sell my country out to you,” Sizwe said, spitting blood on the sergeant’s face. Sergeant Nengomasha threw a fist on Sizwe’s already swollen face and lashed out, “I will kill you if you continue like this!”

Sizwe just pulled a daring face as he took out his tongue and licked the blood on his upper lip.

“Untie him,” commanded Sergeant Nengomasha.

“Uhm, are you sure about this, sir?” asked one of the junior troops.

“Are you questioning my authority, soldier? I said cut him loose now!” the sergeant pushed the soldier towards Sizwe. Sizwe just fell down like water from a bucket, and hit his face on the ground.

Sergeant Nengomasha took out a semi-automatic pistol and shot, leaving the troops placing their hands on the head with eyes wide open.

“We are done here, get rid of the body, now!” said the sergeant, taking out a cigarette and moving away from Sizwe’s lifeless body.

Tell us: What do you think of Sizwe’s story?