Mardian's Drone Spots an Intruder
Giono: "Wait here. Hide behind that big tree."
Ngatmo, Karsiyah, Rani, and Rina exchanged glances. The tension in Giono's voice was obvious.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes! I'm not afraid, No!"
Giono glared at Karsiyah, who was eager to attack Broto. He didn't know the reconnaissance drone was armed.
Giono: "Ladalah! Hey, Karsiyah! This is no ordinary spy drone. It's a combat drone. It can shoot, just like my rifle."
Karsiyah froze, eyes wide. She felt the bag of marbles in her pocket.
Karsiyah: "I'll smash that drone with my marbles."
Giono scowled at the impatient woman.
Giono: "Do you think your marbles can stop bullets?"
Karsiyah forced a wry smile, withdrew her hand, and left the marbles in their pouch.
Ngatmo: "Let's just follow Giono's orders, Karsiyah."
The twins chimed in.
Rani: "Uncle Giono is a former soldier."
Rina: "He knows the terrain and the danger."
Karsiyah fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
Karsiyah: "Alright, I'll follow your lead, Giono."
Ngatmo: "Giono has experience in combat everywhere."
Rani: "Uncle fought at sea."
Rina: "And also in the forest."
Karsiyah glared at her nieces, annoyed that they were outshining her.
Karsiyah: "How do you know my uncle fought at sea and in the forest?"
Ngatmo: "Giono is Kopassus."
Rani: "Special Forces Commando."
Rina: "Of course he was assigned special missions. Right, uncle?"
Giono chuckled at the twins, while Karsiyah remained pouty.
Giono: "Enough! Stay here. I'll take down the drone."
Finally, the four of them held their breath, hiding behind dense foliage beneath an ancient tree.
Giono: "I'll advance slowly to bring down the drone. No one follows."
Giono began crawling forward, inching ahead, pausing, then moving again. Through his sniper scope, the drone came into view, approaching. He waited for the perfect shot.
Meanwhile, at Mariana's base—
Mardian focused on the laptop screen connected to the drone, while Broto relaxed with coffee and a clove cigarette.
Suddenly…
Mardian's eyes widened at the screen. A red dot was moving closer.
Mardian: "Boss! There's an intruder!"
Broto sprang up, moving closer to the screen. His face tense.
Broto: "Isn't this place supposed to be secret?"
Mardian: "Yes, Boss!"
Broto: "Then how did they find us?"
Mardian didn't answer, just pointed at the laptop screen.
Mardian: "See that red dot?"
Broto's eyes widened, his cigarette trembled between his fingers. Anxiety etched across his face.
Broto: "That dot is getting closer."
Mardian: "Correct, Boss. That red dot is the intruder!"
Broto stared sharply at the laptop screen.
Mardian: "This is a thermal image from the drone. All human body heat shows up here."
Broto patted Mardian on the shoulder, his voice shaking.
Broto: "Can it be eliminated?"
Mardian smiled confidently at Broto.
Mardian: "Of course! I've done missions eliminating targets with this drone many times."
He aimed the drone at the red dot, finger ready on the trigger.
Mardian: "Boss, the target is ready to be eliminated."
Mardian's drone was ready to fire.
Meanwhile, Giono kept crawling. Through his sniper scope, the drone was clearly visible, approaching him. His finger hovered over the trigger.
The sniper's barrel aligned perfectly. The drone entered SPR3 range.
Without hesitation, Giono squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet shot swiftly, striking the drone in midair.
Through the scope, he watched the drone spin and fall to the ground.
Giono signaled Karsiyah, Ngatmo, Rani, and Rina to follow him.
Karsiyah: "Finally, we're moving!"
***
Mardian's Drone Shot Down
As Mardian aimed the drone closer to the red dot, his fingers ready to fire, suddenly…
Blesz!
The drone monitor went black.
Mardian jumped in shock, pulling his hands off the controller.
Broto: "What's wrong, Mardian?"
Mardian: "Boss, we're under fire!"
Broto froze, tense, trembling as he puffed on his cigarette.
Broto: "What do you mean?"
Mardian: "Our drone was shot down!"
Broto stared at the dead laptop screen in disbelief. Smoke from his cigarette curled chaotically. He sipped his coffee hastily.
Broto: "Maybe it's a mistake! Check the battery or Wi-Fi."
Mardian looked at Broto, distraught. His body felt weak.
Mardian: "No, Boss! I didn't make a mistake! It was shot!"
Broto stood up, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray.
Broto: "This is serious!"
To be continued