Free Home by Robert Muchamore

a bit crazy up at the base and
    shot someone in the hospital.’ Desi shook his head, ‘Too much banana beer, I expect.’ The guard thumped the side of the cab, ‘Probably… Drive safe now.’ ‘Thanks,’ Desi said. ‘Have a good night.’ The hydraulic brakes hissed and we pulled off down the road.

10. ADRENALIN
Desi drove fast and kept the headlights off. Christ knows how he saw where we were going. I kept thinking we were about to crash. Sami was looking back in the mirror all the time, but once we were away from the base we were just another army truck without markings or number plates. Even if we got stopped, we could pass ourselves off as government troops.
    You can’t believe the buzz. I shouted my head off with pure relief. Sami wrapped her arms around me. Desi was grinning. People chuck themselves off cliffs, go white water rafting and ride roller coasters to get a bit of excitement in their lives. But this was the real stuff, no safety line, no life jacket. I’d done something that would get me twenty years in maximum security prison if I did it in Britain.
    ‘You should have seen him, Desi,’ Sami beamed. ‘Drops down, cool as ice. Wastes the guy shooting at him, then flips over and shoots the guy behind him. I mean, one guy was paralytic and the other one was asleep, but it was still classy.’ ‘Nice one,’ Desi said. ‘Why did you kill the second patient?’ Sami asked. I shrugged, ‘He looked dangerous.’ ‘He was asleep .’ I shrugged, ‘I don’t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do.’ ‘Even Sami doesn’t kill people when they’re asleep,’ Desi said. ‘Mind you,’ Sami said. ‘That’s only because I like to see the look on their faces when they wake up with
    a gun in their face.’ Desi floored the brake. The tyres squealed. I flew forward and hit my head on the dashboard. It killed
    my head, but I just burst out laughing. ‘Sorry,’ Desi said. ‘Didn’t see that corner.’ He dunked the accelerator again. ‘You’re not traitor anymore,’ Sami said. ‘I’ve got you a new name.’ I grinned, ‘What am I?’ ‘Killer.’ ‘I want to go back,’ I said. ‘Get the biggest gun. Sneak up the watch tower with it and blast everyone in
    their tents.’ Desi laughed, ‘One raid and you’re a certified psycho. Wait until you get pinned down with a few
    Army shooting at you, then we’ll see what you’re made of.’ ‘Titanium,’ I said. ‘I can take it. I’m so hard, they’ll take one look at me and shit their pants.’ ‘Killing machine,’ Sami shouted. ‘Kill,’ I shouted back, right in her ear. She slapped my face. ‘You dare slap my face?’ I giggled. ‘I’ll mash you up.’ ‘I’ll kill you,’ Sami snorted. I wrapped my arm around her head and pinched her nose. She went straight for my nipple. It was still
    sore from earlier. ‘Jesus… Let go of my nipple.’ ‘Not until you let go of my nose.’ ‘I’ll kill you.’ ‘I’ll kill , dog breath.’ Sami bundled me off the seat onto the floor of the cab and pinned me down with her boots. ‘Will you two stop acting like idiots,’ Desi shouted. ‘It’s hard enough driving without all that going on.’ ‘Let us up Sami.’ I wriggled. Sami smiled down at me.
    ‘Come on.’ ‘No,’ Sami said. ‘You’re a naughty boy. You’re staying down there until we arrive.’ It was a three hour walk on the way out. The drive back took about 25 minutes. Desi pulled into the clearing. Me and Sami moved the stuff camouflaging the road into camp. The truck was too wide to go up the hill and it wasn’t four wheel drive, so it probably wouldn’t have made it anyway. We were too knackered to unload, we just grabbed our packs and weapons and stuffed our pockets with bottles of banana beer.
    We started drinking as we struggled up the hill to camp. It was thick and slightly bitter tasting. You wouldn’t have known it was made out of bananas unless someone told you. I was thirsty; the first bottle