murmured directions. My assignment was to take out the two watchtowers on the outskirts of the camp and the floodlights.
Lights first. I scanned the area and recognized the various buildings. We’d studied the satellite images until all of us had the layout memorized. The Baiga huts were arranged in a semicircle closer to the edge of the jungle. They were behind the military bunkers and an assortment of M-ATVs. Mr. Kadam had said the M stood for MRAP, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, which meant that they were awfully difficult to take out.
The Baiga huts were made of woven grasses and were big enough for only one or possibly two families to live in. I didn’t want to hit those. They’d go up in a ball of fire easily.
The command center had four compartments, each about the length of a semitrailer but twice as tall. They were attached in pairs and were made of some type of alloy. They looked sturdy. Two watchtowers stood, one on each side of the camp. Three guards watched the area from the top of each tower, while two men stood guard below. Next to the southern tower, I saw a tall post with a large satellite dish at the top. I counted four floodlights, not including the two spotlights attached to the watchtowers.
I was supposed to find the generator, but I didn’t see it. Maybe it is hidden in one of the Baiga huts? I decided I’d just have to take out the lights one by one. I held up my hand and aimed. Warmth flooded down my arm until my hand glowed red in the dark. Energy shot out in a long white burst. First one and then the other three floodlights popped and exploded when my lightning power hit.
Someone got into one of the vehicles and turned on the lights. The ATV sputtered and choked. The gas had probably all been absorbed by the sponge cake I’d used the Fruit to fill the tanks with. The electricity still worked, though, and powerful headlights and spotlights scanned the trees for me. I turned my lightning power on the vehicle full blast because I knew it would be hard to destroy, sending an extra-thick pulse of energy through my palm.
My lightning hit the car with a thunderous boom that shot the ATV thirty feet into the air. It exploded in a fiery ball and slammed down on top of another one, landing with a screeching of twisted metal. I shot another one with a blast; this time, the vehicle rolled. It flipped over three times and landed on its side against a huge tree. It only took me a few seconds to extinguish the other spotlights.
Next, I needed to take out the two towers. The towers were simply made compared to the other buildings. Four wooden supports, one level taller than the command post, were topped with a boxy structure and armed with three men and a spotlight. The only way up was a simple wooden ladder, probably created by the Baiga.
By now, soldiers had located my position. Flashlights were bobbing in my direction, seeking me out. I let loose a few golden arrows and heard a grunt and a thud as a body hit the ground. I had to move. I heard a ping as darts flew through the bushes I was hiding in. They must have instructions to take us alive.
I ran in the darkness. Fanindra’s eyes glowed softly, giving me just enough light to reach my next location. Crouching behind a bush, I summoned my lightning power again and took out the closest tower. It exploded in a giant, fiery bomb that lit up the area. Frightened people ran in every direction.
I made my way to the other tower, running openly amidst the crowd. I hid between two buildings as a group of soldiers ran past and took out a couple of them from behind. Mr. Kadam was shouting at the people, rallying them, and asking for their aid in the battle. His theatrics made me smile briefly. I planted the gada where he would find it and moved on.
Back to business. I slunk around the shadowed part of a building and scoped out the other tower. I needed to destroy the satellite too. I nocked an arrow, infused it with lighting power, and let it fly. It thunked into the satellite and fizzed and crackled with electricity before it exploded. By this time, the soldiers in the second tower had