Nuraghe

- Argh, - Mia groaned as her calf got caught by a prickly branch extending onto the dirt path. - How long, dad? These stupid thorns are killing me. And the heat… It’s unbearable... There’s no reception…

Matthias turned around and looked at his daughter. He and Felix were ahead on their way up the hill. Mia’s mother was trailing last.

- Oh, that’s a serious problem, - Matthias said with a half smile. - But I am sure your phone will safely store your pictures until you reach civilization and are able to post them. - He stood on top of a stone at the edge of the path, hands resting on his waist. - Look, your little brother is doing a great job up the path.

Felix stood next to their father, like a little copy of the man. Only the little brat was not able to hide his emotions as well. In place of his father’s discrete smile, Felix had a full-blown mocking grin from ear to ear.

- Can you all please stop? - Michaela said, catching up to Mia from behind. - You all make me wish we were home in München. Felix, stop teasing your sister. - she paused, taking a long gulp from her water bottle, then locking eyes on her daughter. - Can you just give your father this couple of hours at the Narugo? Then we can be on our way back to the hotel and we’ll go to the beach.

- Nuraghe, - Matthias said.

- What?

- It’s called “Nuraghe”, not “Narugu”, - Matthias said to his wife, still perched on that stone. - They are megalithic structures built by the prehistoric people of Sardinia. Some 3500 years ago. No one knows exactly what they were used for. But they are scattered all over the island…

- Oh, for Christ’s sake, - Michaela muttered quietly, only audible to Mia who stood next to her. - Let’s just go. - She hurried up the hill, skidding slightly in the dirt and accidentally kicking up a cloud of dust towards the blazing sun.

- Mum! - Mia protested, flailing her hands in the air in a futile attempt to stop the dust from sticking to her sweaty skin.

They reached the small plateau around lunchtime. The air was still and hot, distorting the view in the distance. Mia could see the Mediterranean coast shimmering in the distance. Heaps of mountains covered in dry trees and shrubs surrounded them.

The Nuraghe looked like a sloppy pile of rocks. It was circular in shape, made of big stones stacked without mortar. Matthias and Felix had run towards the old structure and spoke animatedly in the distance, her father raising his hands in front of her brother, surely telling him one of his stupid history lessons. “I don’t know… Could have been fortresses, could have been shepherd huts…”, she could hear him ramble on.

Michaela had dropped her rucksack in the dirt and stared at her phone, her free hand on her sweaty forehead, shading it from the blinding sun. No use checking, Mia knew. No reception in this wasteland.

Mia walked to the edge of the plateau and looked down. Their rental SUV was visible in the distance below, parked on a dirt lay-by at the edge of the narrow, decrepit road they had driven on. A rough rocky path led up the steep hill towards the Nuraghe.

She took out her phone. The thing was almost useless without internet, so Mia resorted to the camera. She snapped a few selfies with the mountains and the sea  and the Nuraghe behind her. At least she would have something to post later… #ForcedFamilyFun #WhyAreWeHere #SendHelp #ThanksDad…

- Michaela, something’s off here, - Matthias croaked from inside the Nuraghe. - There are some wooden crates here. Lots of them. I don’t think they belong here.

Michaela sighed and rolled her eyes and went. Mia watched her mother approach the ancient heap of stones. The circle it made had a diameter of maybe four or five meters. There was no roof. In front of her was the entrance. A simple hole in the wall with a long stone supporting the masonry over the opening. Crude steps led down inside, where the floor of the Nuraghe was lower than the surrounding terrain.

Mia watched her mother disappear into the circular structure, then turned back and looked down at their SUV parked below. She longed for the air con of the car. She raised her arms slightly, hoping for a cooling breeze under her armpits. None came. The air was still and hot and it smelled like dust.

Still looking down, Mia heard a distant engine noise. A small car appeared next to their SUV and stopped. She strained her eyes. The vehicle was small and white, old and battered. Maybe one of these ancient Fiat Panda 4x4 she had seen in town?

A guy slipped out of the passenger’s door. She couldn’t make out much about him from the distance. Only that he knelt by their rental car’s tire. Then he went to another tire. Then another.

- What the fuck, - Mia muttered quietly, knowing her parents couldn’t hear her. - Are they deflating our tires? - She turned back towards the Nuraghe, then down again towards the lay-by. The guy had jumped back into the little car and the funny vehicle was moving fast uphill on the rocky path, engine revving high, cloud of dust rising behind it.

- What the… - Mia felt her pulse accelerate. - Dad, - she called, quietly at first. - Dad! Someone is coming. - She turned and staggered towards the Nuraghe.

She burst inside the circle. Her family stood in front of a hole dug under the old structure’s perimeter wall. It had a rough timber hatch that stood open. Wooden crates lay inside the hole, most of their bulk underneath the level of the Nuraghe’s floor.

- Dad, someone is coming, - Mia said with a trembling voice. - They’re coming up the hill in one of those funny little cars, - her voice bordered on a shriek. - They fumbled around our car. I…

- Really? - Matthias glanced at his daughter and frowned. - I wonder who would have any business here…

He walked past Mia and climbed the couple of steps out onto the plateau. Just as he emerged into the sunshine, the small Fiat came over the ledge with a high pitched rev, plowing through the dust and rock with a loud crunch. Two men climbed out of the little thing and walked briskly towards Matthias. They were both tanned and skinny and with wide shoulders. One seemed to be in his thirties, black hair and short beard. The other was older and balding, white stubby beard covered his face.

- Matthias, I don’t think you should… - Michaela began.

- Uh… Ciao...  Do you speak English? - Matthias called out, raising his hand in a greeting as he walked towards the two men.

The older guy quickened his pace coming up to Matthias. He lowered his right hand to his left hip. His whole body twisted as the man made a wide swing with his arm, landing the back of his hand square on Matthias’s jaw.

The slap echoed in the air as Matthias’s head lashed to the side. He fell to his knees, instinctively extending his hand to his mouth. Blood oozed out of his torn lip.

- Dad, - Mia cried, rushing out into the open.

- Mia, nein, - her mother shouted.

The younger guy quickly stepped in the girl’s way. He grabbed Mia by the wrists, pivoted and threw her to the ground. She groaned and coughed up dust.

Minutes later, the whole family were on the ground, zip-tied and shaded by the Nuraghe’s wall.

The two men paced around the wood crates, talking in a language Mia couldn’t identify. Was this Sardinian?

- Do you think it’s drugs?- Michaela whispered, her breathing fast and uneven. - What are they going to do with us?

- Quiet, Michaela, - Matthias hissed. His lip was swollen and his jaw was bruised and blue. Eyes narrowed, he observed the men in the far end of the Nuraghe.

- I don’t think they understand German anyway, - Michaela said, getting closer to Felix and letting the crying boy lean against her arm. She was not able to hug him with her zip-tied hands.

The older man rummaged through a battered old rucksack. From it, he produced a big mobile with a long antenna, likely a satellite phone. He muttered something to the youngster and walked out onto the plateau.

The younger man took a few steps towards the family and dropped a bottle of water in the dust in front of them. He crouched down, his eyes leveling with Mia’s.

Mia was on her knees, her feet dug into the dirt. Her heart pounded in her chest. She saw the guy’s stare move down to her chest, then her shorts and bare legs. He licked his lips and looked back into her eyes. His hand began to rise.

She didn’t wait. Channeling all her strength into her legs, Mia shot forward. Driving through her heels, she headbutted the man in the chest as hard as she could.

The guy gasped, but no sound came out of his mouth. Mia had knocked the wind out of him. Still with zip ties on her wrists, she stormed out of the Nuraghe. She staggered past the older guy who was still on the phone and past the small car. The guy hissed something in his unintelligible language and darted after her.

Mia’s fight-or-flight hormones had been kicked into action. Fight had already been used. Now, it was time for flight…

The teenage girl ran over the edge of the plateau and, without stopping she tumbled down the hill. Through prickly shrubs and cacti and dirt and rugged rocks. Her world exploded in pain. The skin of her legs and arms was cut, bruised and hit. Blood trickled from the wounds. Mia shrieked, but kept going. She breathed in dust and coughed, but kept going.

She found a small niche in the rock and curled up in its shade. She sat on the ground, her back pressed against the mountain. Her hands were wrapped around her knees, still held together by the zip tie. Mia was panting and wheezing.

She didn’t know how long she had been sitting in that niche. The light had changed and the air got cooler. The sound of stones tumbling downhill startled her and her pulse shot up again. Mia gasped and pressed her back tight against the rock.

It was a goat. The animal stepped into Mia’s hiding place, looked at her in the eyes and bleated. It disappeared as soon as it had come. Mia let out a nervous laugh. She got on her feet and with her head lowered, stepped towards the mouth of the niche.

A woman suddenly appeared in front of her, her contours silhouetted by the fading light behind her. Mia shrieked and scrambled back, clumsily falling on her bottom. Her eyes widened as she tried to make out the woman’s features.

The newcomer leaned over and placed her bony hands on Mia’s. The woman wrapped her bony fingers around the zip tie and twisted. There was a quiet popping sound and Mia’s hands were free. She stepped back as far as she could, rubbing her bruised wrists.

The woman stood quietly at the mouth of the niche. She wore some kind of a shapeless garment. Her arms were not covered by the raggedy piece of clothing. They were tanned and wiry and muscled. Her blue eyes were set deep inside her wrinkly face, weathered by many years in the elements, yet retaining beauty and femininity. She had long hair, matted into thick rasta- like locks. Propped against the vertical cliff, stood a shepherd’s crook.

Mia simply stared at the woman, who stood like a vision in front of her in the surreal light. Was she a shepherdess? Was there even such a thing?

The woman locked her eyes on Mia and offered her hand. The teenage girl hesitated, but slowly placed her hand on her palm.

The shepherdess helped her to her feet and they both stood at the mouth of the niche. It was still bright, but the sun had gone over the mountains, turning them into blurred silhouettes.

The woman started climbing up the hill, skilfully navigating through cacti, shrubs and rocks. Her movements were fast and light and deliberate. Mia followed, finding it much easier than she had imagined.

They reached the edge of the clearing where the Nuraghe stood, majestic in the fading light. Its massive stones caught the evening sunlight, appearing almost golden and glowing.

Mia crouched behind a bush and watched the plateau. The older thug spoke into his satellite phone, his hands flailing in the air. The other guy paced around the perimeter of the clearing with a torch in hand. He leaned over the shrubs, searching for something. Probably Mia.

The shepherdess placed her hand on Mia’s shoulder, prompting her to turn towards her and meet her gaze. Her lips remained sealed, but her surreal blue eyes stared deep into the girls’. Mia could see her own reflection in them.

Without a word, the woman stood, leaving Mia  behind the bush. She stepped over the edge and walked towards the men. Not fast, not slow. Just walked.

The young guy spotted her first. He shouted in his unintelligible language and turned his torch around, ready to use it as a baton. He darted towards the shepherdess, the earth crunching under his feet.

She moved faster than a demon. The young man swung, but the woman crouched and pivoted, suddenly appearing behind him. Her shapeless garment whipped in all directions following her movements, making her almost indiscernible. She kicked the young guy in the back. He tumbled over, thumping in the dirt, his torch flashing towards the darkening sky.

The guy grunted and sprang back up. He lurched towards the shepherdess. The older thug had noticed the commotion and approached from the far end of the plateau.

The young man swung his fist. The shepherdess ducked under the assailant’s arm, quicker than a shadow. The man’s fist flew pointlessly in the air. The shepherdess pivoted around her axis, propelling her crook. It whooshed through the air and struck the young man square in his face, smashing his nose instantly. The power of the blow lifted him off and sent him  crashing to the ground.

As the young guy landed in the dust, his older colleague rushed towards the shepherdess. He wielded a knife. He poked, he jabbed, he swung. Missed every time, as the almost fluid shape of the shepherdess danced around him. The guy ran out of breath, wheezing and panting. He took one last desperate swing with the knife.

Mia gasped as the edge of the knife whizzed across the shepherdess’ face. It caught her cheek. Small drops of blood flew in the air. She simply raised her hand and grabbed the man’s wrist. The guy shrieked as she squeezed, his eyes filling with tears. She loomed over him, her grip tightening. The guy fell to his knees, whimpering like a puppy. The shepherdess raised her other hand in the air and dropped it down on his head like a hammer, knocking him out cold.

Mia didn’t waste any time. She jumped over the shrubs and sprinted across the plateau. She ducked down to pick up the thug’s dropped knife and rushed towards the Nuraghe.

- Mum… Dad, - she called as she flew inside, almost crashing into them.

They were all there- her parents and little brother. Huddled together in a heap with Mathias in the front, all nestled in a small dent within the wall of the Nuraghe.

- Mia, here, - her mother called.

The teenage girl dropped on her knees, using the thug’s knife to cut their zip ties. Kisses and hugs were hastily exchanged. They all sprang up as soon as they were free, eyes dancing all around, numb limbs tingling.

- The men, - Matthias croaked. - Where are the men? - He stepped towards the doorway. He did it carefully, having learned his lesson the hard way.

- It’s okay, dad, - Mia said. - She took care of them. The shepherdess.

- What are you talking about? - her dad said, pacing out onto the plateau surrounding the old structure. - There’s no shepherdess here. What happened, Mia?

The older thug was strewn on the ground, out cold. The young guy was moaning, crawling in the dirt. He raised his hand towards Mathias. Instead of help, he got a kick in the face and lost consciousness.

Mathias stood in the middle of the clearing, hands on his hips, looking around. Mia caught up with him.

 - Dad, - she called.

- Oh, my God, are you okay? - her father exclaimed when he turned towards her. - I didn’t see that… What happened to your face?- he rushed over, placing his hands on either side of Mia’s head, his gaze flickering between her eyes and down to her cheek.

- What… Nothing, dad… - Mia stammered.

She raised her hand to her face, touching her cheek with her index and middle finger. It suddenly stung. She looked at her hand. There was fresh blood on her fingers. That’s when she realized she had a gash across her cheek.