The Ika tribesmen stopped their attack and the battlefield quieted; there were no gunshots. Dayetia braced herself and climbed upwards. Ahead was Xia Lei, with his god-like gunmanship, and behind her were the wolves and tigers of the Ika Tribe. She was stuck in the middle with no way out.
But she did not regret her choice. She did not believe that Xia Lei would fire at her and kill her because she still had hostages in the White Hun Tribe.
‘Xia Lei won’t dare to kill me so I just have to hold Szlamy off. I just need to persuade Szlamy to surrender, and Xia won’t be able to hold on by himself. He’ll surrender sooner or later. When he does, I’ll kill Szlamy and hand Xia over to the Americans. I have not failed. I’ve just run into some complications…’ thought Dayetia. Her conviction grew stronger the longer Xia Lei held back from shooting at her. She sped up after a bit and even stopped looking for cover. She stood with her head high, climbing upwards in plain sight.
Dayetia had been moving about in Xia Lei’s line of sight from the start and he could have killed her long ago if he wanted to; it was just a matter of squeezing the trigger for him. However, he did not do so. He had promised Szlamy that he would leave Dayetia to her.
“She sure has guts. Does she think that we won’t dare to shoot her?” Szlamy was afire. She shot at the nearing Dayetia.
Szzt, szzt, szzt. Bullets came zipping over, hitting the rock next to Dayetia and sending up sparks.
Dayetia bent her waist in a crouch but soon stood again. She shouted, “Szlamy! What are you doing? Why did you flee?”
Szlamy stood too. She spat on the ground. “You want to kill me and Xia. Was I going to just stand there and wait for you to kill me?”
“Who told you I wanted to kill you? Xia?” Dayetia raised her voice. “He is lying to you. Why would I kill you? You are our tribe’s marks-woman. I value you highly and treat you like my own little sister. Do not listen to his nonsense. I’d never kill you.”
Szlamy was going to say how she knew Dayetia wanted to kill her but Xia Lei shot her a look and she shut up. She was in adulation of Xia Lei and she would do whatever he said.
Dayetia, on the other hand, thought that her words had been effective on Szlamy. She said as she walked, “Szlamy, put down your weapons now. I will not hold you responsible for anything. We will be like before. Good sisters.” After a pause, she added, “Xia, you’ve misunderstood me. I don’t know why you ran away. Tell you what - you surrender now and I will not hold you responsible either. The agreements we’ve made will still be valid. Don’t you want to rescue your friends? Put down your weapon. I will explain everything to the Ika Tribe. They won’t harm you.”
Xia Lei let out a scoffing laugh on the mountain. “I’ve misjudged her indeed. Your chieftain is such a shameless woman. It’s got to this point and she’s still unrepentant. She wants to lure us out and kill us.”
“Let me kill her!” Szlamy couldn’t stand it any longer. She grew more disgusted with every word which Dayetia spoke. Poor Dayetia had no idea that Xia Lei had planted a listening device on her, and that Szlamy knew of her secret dealings with Abutulu.
“Xia Lei!” Dayetia came to a stop about 20 metres from them. She placed the AK47 slowly on the ground by her feet and raised her voice. “Let’s talk!”
Xia Lei stood and said coldly. “What is there to talk about?”
Dayetia was straightforward. “Don’t you want to save your friend and those Chinese people? Give the sword back and I’ll contact the people in my tribe right away to have them released.”
Xia Lei laughed. “The White Hun Tribe doesn’t even have a mobile phone. How are you going to contact the people there? It’s already come to this, and you’re still lying. I am ashamed for you. Tell me - why did you do it?”
“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill all the hostages when I get back?” Dayetia did not explain herself and her words took on a tough edge.
“There’s no saving you. You’re not fit to be chieftain of the White Hun Tribe,” said Xia Lei.
Szlamy threw aside the gun in her hands and a sharp dagger appeared instead. She walked towards Dayetia. “Chieftain. This is my last time calling you ‘Chieftain’. Let’s duel.”
Dayetia immediately realised what was going on. She scoffed, “Duel? You think you have the right to have a duel with me? Let’s talk when we get back to the tribe. I’m ordering you now to take Xia down!”
Szlamy’s answer was to spit on the ground.
Dayetia suddenly grabbed for her gun.
Bang! A bullet came flying and the AK47 Dayetia had placed on the ground was hit, pushed away.
“Try to get your gun again and the next bullet will bury itself in your head.” Xia Lei’s voice was cold.
Dayetia dared not make any false moves. She did not doubt that Xia Lei would shoot her. She had witnessed him kill tens if not hundreds of people, and he had not even blinked when killing them.
Xia Lei suddenly shouted down the mountain, “Listen up, Ika Tribe! I’ll double the 200,000 Dayetia promised you. A compensation. This money will be paid to you by Szlamy, the new chieftain of the White Hun Tribe!”
Szlamy stared blankly for a bit, then said hurriedly, “I don’t have the money! 400,000 US dollars? You won’t get so much even if you sold me off!”
Xia Lei shrugged, wordless. He felt that Szlamy’s mind was sometimes very sharp and sometimes her breasts jiggled faster than her brain. It was still fine - she had not spoken very loudly and the people down the mountain did not hear her.
A response cam quickly from down below, and it was Abutulu’s voice. “What are you going to pay with?”
Xia Lei spoke quietly to Szlamy, “Tell them you’re going to pay via bank transfer. You can pay them any time if they have the equipment.”
“But I don’t have it.”
“I’m giving you the money! You…” Xia Lei did not say the word ‘idiot’.
Szlamy grew confident after hearing that Xia Lei was going to fund her. She shouted loudly, “I’ll pay you with a bank transfer! I can pay any time if you have the equipment!”
“You’re Chieftain Szlamy! We’re friends! Wait, I’ll send someone to get the equipment!” came Abutulu’s voice. This was equivalent to him acknowledging Szlamy’s status.
Blood had drained from Dayetia’s face. Her eyes were ice-cold.
Szlamy walked over to Dayetia, and her demeanour had changed entirely. The baby-faced H-cup girl was like a she-wolf fighting for the alpha wolf position. She did not bare her fangs but her aura was no less imposing than Dayetia’s.
Xia Lei quietly palmed a throwing knife, ready to let it fly at any moment. He had agreed to let Szlamy handle Dayetia but he would not hesitate to attack if Szlamy’s life was threatened. Szlamy wanted it to be a fair fight because of her White Hun traditions but he didn’t need to play fair. He just needed Szlamy to be in the position of chieftain of the White Hun Tribe.
Szlamy walked to Dayetia and stopped. She looked coldly at her. “Take out your blade and fight!”
Dayetia hesitated, and took the dagger from her belt. She moved slowly, as if she were fairly hesitant to do so, but she suddenly stabbed at Szlamy as soon as the blade was in her hand. She was so quick it was almost impossible to dodge!
Szlamy hurriedly turned aside to avoid it but the dagger still cut her chest, drawing blood. Her breasts were too big and were a burden to her sometimes.
Xia Lei was surprised too and the throwing knife almost left his hand.
Dayetia pressed her attack, not giving Szlamy a chance to fight back. Her attacks were fierce and the dagger in her hand flashed at Szlamy’s heart. Szlamy avoided that attack, but Dayetia turned her hand and slashed at her neck. Every attack she made was with the intent to kill!
Szlamy bent to dodge the dagger in Dayetia’s hand, and her own dagger slashed at Dayetia’s left knee as Dayetia’s attack missed. Fabric and ligaments were cut, and blood came from Dayetia’s left leg.
Dayetia withdrew quickly but Szlamy rolled, going to her right. As she passed her, Szlamy’s dagger flashed, ripping the ligaments of Dayetia’s right leg.
The fight was not over yet but Xia Lei was quite relieved. He could tell that Szlamy’s combat abilities were far superior compared to Dayetia and the wound she had received in the beginning was only due to a sneak attack.
The two women fought hand-to-hand on the mountain. Dayetia’s legs were injured and her mobility decreased sharply. Several wounds were added to her body in the blink of an eye. Blood wet her clothes and her expression grew more and more malevolent.
“Kill me and you will be executed!” The dishevelled Dayetia seemed mad. “I am Chieftain! Not you!”
“I’m Chieftain if I kill you!” Szlamy darted forward and the dagger in her hand was like a venomous snake, flashing erratically left, right. Every move drew blood, adding yet another wound to Dayetia’s body.
Dayetia fell to her knees under the assault and her dagger-wielding right hand dropped to the ground.
Szlamy spun to Dayetia’s back and the dagger in her hand pressed against Dayetia’s neck.
“Szlamy, no… I was wrong. I admit my loss.” Dayetia lifted her right hand sneakily as she spoke, and the blade of her dagger drew closer to Szlamy.
Xia Lei was about to call out a warning when Szlamy's hand wrenched violently. Blood fountained from Dayetia’s neck.
Szlamy kicked Dayetia’s corpse aside and spat on it. “You can only use that trick once on me. Told you I was smart but you always ignored this! You bitch!”
Xia Lei was speechless.