Tensions ran high while anyone capable moved firewood, barrels of natural oil and grease, furniture, books, and even all the clothes they could spare to the treeline surrounding the village while the newly arrived Ant army reinforced the units just outside shooting distance.
Baru came down from the pole and hurried towards Martan and Vil who were spreading out oil across a layer of broken furniture. 'It looks like they're done deploying! They're all around us now!'
Martan frowned and looked up at the late afternoon sky. 'It won't be long now then. They'll attack before dark.'
Vil wiped the sweat from his forehead. 'Good. I hate pointless waiting.'
Martan gave Baru a nod. 'All right. Tell everyone to light up the barrier and get as many people as they can into the truck. It'll need to drive away at a moment's notice.'
Baru looked at Vil. 'I hope this plan of yours will work.'
Vil grinned slightly. 'I'm pretty sure it will, but if it fails I won't have to regret it for long.'
Baru ran off and Martan put his paw on Vil's shoulder. 'You gave us a better chance to survive this so there's no need to regret it even if it fails.' he said and lighted a torch. 'I just want this thing to be over with soon.'
Fires lit up all around the village and within moments it was surrounded by a ring of fire apart from the main road leading in. Martan and Vil moved behind barricades of logs with other armed felines joining them. Leam sat down next to Vil and switched the safety off his gun. 'Don't die on us, human.'
Vil grinned. 'I wasn't allowed to die when I was prepared to, so it seems I'm supposed to live for a while longer yet.'
Martan checked left and right and aimed his gun at the Ant post down the road. 'Fire!'
Bullets riddled the post and struck down Ants that hadn't taken cover. The others took up positions and fired back at the felines. Vil watched more Ants move towards the post, then crawl forward. 'They're moving towards us!' he shouted at Martan over the gunshots.
Martan gave him a look in acknowledgement. 'Slow them down as much as you can!'
The felines shot at any Ant coming out from the tree cover but they still advanced slowly by their sheer numbers. Their firepower caused a rain of splinters upon Vil and the felines from the logs they hid behind. Everyone tried to keep their head down but they had to keep firing. Vil heard cries of pain when someone was hit by a bullet and one feline not far from him fell back with a fatal head wound. He wished he had one of the special force units here. They would have been able to put up a better fight despite the number of felines present here being greater.
Leam growled as he shot at the Ants right in front of him and Vil noticed blood on his cheek as he glanced at him. He was impressed the feline hadn't cried out when he was hit but his eyes flashed with a hatred that would have numbed any pain.
Baru crawled towards Martan when he came back from his position on the pole. 'Their whole force is congregating here! We won't last long!'
'Tell the truck to go!' shouted Martan and signalled the order to Vil who nodded back.
Baru crawled back and ran towards the back of the village where the truck was waiting with the sick, elderly, and the ones too young to fight. 'Go!' he shouted at the driver. 'Get out of here!'
Simmini called out to the few felines who waited near the fire with her. 'Pull it away!'
Ropes with hooks were thrown at a stack of burning slender logs tied loosely together with steel wire and they pulled it aside to create an opening in the fire. The truck drove through it and went down the wide path leading to a main road further away. Baru followed the truck outside the ring and waved at Simmini when it was clear and hurried with her and the others towards the front of the village.
Vil was glad to see Simmini give the okay sign and he shouted at Martan. 'The truck is gone!'
Martan looked up. 'Good! We can't stay here much longer! Help the wounded and fall back!'
The ones who couldn't retreat on their own went back into the village first with the help of others before the last group moved low and backwards as quick as possible while firing upon the encroaching Ants.
Without cover they were an easier target for the wave of Ants pouring through the opening at the road and bullets flew close around their ears. One feline woman fell down at the hit in her leg. Leam went to her at once, pulled her up and they retreated together and Vil waited while covering them.
Another feline went down and Martan rushed over to see him stare up at the sky and exhale his last breath. Vil heard him curse and saw him pull back again. 'That was the only grandson one of our women had,' Martan said when he joined Vil. 'and now I have to tell her she's alone because she already lost her daughter two years ago in an accident.'
They kept themselves in front while the rest entered the village and followed as fast as they could. Soon they and the felines still capable of fighting were backing down the streets running from corner to corner keeping the Ants merely one street length away.
Martan looked back at the felines near the open path at the burning barrier when they had reached the back of the village. 'Everyone here!?'
'All here!' shouted Baru. 'The Ants are all over the village!
Martan nodded at Vil and they ignited several oil spills behind the houses they used for cover. Within moments trails of fire went around the village and into each house. Vil and the felines backed away while keeping the trapped Ants at bay with gunfire. The few who fled through the fire were shot and died as burning corpses.
Baru sighed. 'This trap will hold them back but there go our homes.'
'We can always build a new village as long as we're alive.' Martan said.
Simmini took Vil's hand and he saw a tear running down her cheek as she gazed at the fire. 'But it's never the same home.' he said and she nodded slightly.
The felines took advantage of the compact trucks the Ants had left behind at the posts behind the back of the village and drove them down the same path as the first one had went. Simmini drove with Vil at the back and who got the hang of driving one quickly. He had to admit he liked how nimble the light truck was thanks to steering on the first and last axle of the three. 'Any sign of Ants following us?' he asked.
She stuck her upper body through the roof hatch, looked back at the path, and sat back down. 'Nothing, but they never seem to give chase as long as they gain territory. I doubt they would anyway with the losses they suffered today.'
'Yeah, seems they don't take anything personally.' he said. 'Which works to our advantage.'

***

Martan led the convoy through the night to arrive at a lake where the first truck stood waiting. Vil watched as parents united with their family and smiled softly at the emotional scenes. When he watched Martan talk to a woman and she collapsed forward against him, crying and hitting his chest while he held her up, he understood she was the grandmother he mentioned and memories of too many similar events squeezed his chest.
A couple of other females took care of the grandmother and Martan walked up to Vil. 'Thank you. You saved a lot of our lives.'
'I saved my own as well, you just happened to be lucky I was in the neighbourhood.'
Martan chuckled. 'We're going to drive all day to a village where a cousin of mine lives. They've been safe so far and we can rest for a while there.'
'Good. I can definitely use some rest after stumbling from one battle into the next.'
The village lay in a forest covered hill landscape and welcomed the survivors with food and shelter and people were relieved enough to hold a little party to celebrate the stranger who helped them in their greatest need. Toasts were given and soon Vil felt hot from the food and the wines and spirits they served him. As soon as Martan began his tale of the great escape once more and attention was drawn to the storyteller he slipped away.
He took a short walk and ended up in a flower garden rich with smooth and sweet scents. Looking up at the myriad of stars he took deep breaths to inhale the invigorating air deep into his lungs and listen to the soothing sounds of the few insects buzzing around.
A rustle sounded and he watched Simmini coming up next to him. She smiled softly at him. 'The hero is missing from the party.'
He chuckled. 'I think they can celebrate just fine without the hero for a while. Especially when he kills more Ants and saves more people each time Martan tells the tale again.'
She laughed. 'Yes, true.'
He liked her laugh and smiled. She grinned a little. 'I need to express my thanks to the hero as well though, if I may.'
He chuckled. 'Sure.'
She moved in front of him and kissed him.