Black Mamba

by Tierney James

  “Some of the villagers have planned a surprise I hope you’ll enjoy.” Dr. Girard raised his voice so everyone could hear his announcement.

  The doctor led them to a white cinder block building in a clearing where the ground had been stomped down so little vegetation grew. A few chickens searched for food and scattered when a couple of near-naked little boys chased them. The smell of smoke and meat cooking over an open fire drew them to a pergola-like structure covered in vines and thatch where a long table had been prepared with cans of Coca Cola, plastic cutlery, disposable plates still in their cellophane bags, and centerpieces created from tin cans filled with nature’s adornments like twigs and flowers from nearby bushes. The simplicity of it all drew praise from Tessa as some ladies stood nearby waiting to begin serving the meal of boiled potatoes, okra, and onions, along with barbecued beef steaks and something that looked like chicken.

  “Hmm. Smells wonderful, Dr. Girard.” Tessa swung a leg over one of the benches as several little girls rushed up and pointed to her hair. She laughed and untied the ponytail that had begun to come loose then shook her head, and the mass of curls fell like gold ringlets over her face and ears. The girls giggled and covered their mouths as one attempted to touch her hair but jerked her hand back when a woman admonished her. Tessa took the little girl’s hand and placed it on her curls. The others eased up and did the same while the women laughed at the effort Tessa attempted toward friendship.

  Dr. Girard clapped his hands, and the girls scattered. “You have made them very happy. They say your hair feels like the cotton in my clinic.” He motioned for the three ladies to begin their tasks. “You have won their hearts. Thank you. Not many of our guests put up with the children.”

  Chase straddled the bench next to Tessa, wanting to draw her close. “Tessa used to be a teacher. She’s great with kids.”

  “Yes. So, I understand.” Dr. Girard popped open a Coke.

  “And how did you hear that?” Chase’s radar went up.

  “When your State Department inquired about a visit, the UN provided me with some background on you.” He lifted his chin toward Sam who sat across from Tessa. “Dr. Cordova is an economist, interested in the geo-political movement of goods and services in Africa and has been a frequent advisor to the UN in Nairobi and Bangkok. Dr. Johnson, former astronaut, has been studying the effects of global warming and the ozone layer on the increased desertification of Africa.”

  Carter nodded with a finger salute.

  “And me, Dr. Girard?” Chase took one of the Cokes and popped it open, irritated there was no fizz or sound of freshness.

  “It is my understanding that in addition to being a literature professor and doing research into the folklore of desert tribes, your former military training has put you in the unique position of offering protection to Mrs. Scott—sorry, I mean Tessa—especially since she is a representative of your State Department. The UN suggested we have someone who could handle a situation if one arose.”

  As a plate of food was placed in front of each guest, the doctor hurried away to attend to an emergency. The team ate in silence as the heat of the day begin to press upon them. A slight breeze stirred up an occasional wall of dust.

  “Delicious. Good as Baboloki’s feast.” Tessa licked the sauce from her fingers and managed to get a drop on her shirt.

  “You really are a hillbilly, Tessa,” snorted Sam who had managed to be perfect.

  “And proud of it,” she cooed, swinging her legs over the bench. The ladies pointed out a washroom inside the clinic once Tessa displayed her messy hands to her new friends. “I’ll be right back and bring some wet towels for the rest of you hillbillies.”

  Good-natured laughter filled the air as Tessa disappeared inside the building. Chase wanted to follow but decided he’d give her some space since she only meant to wash up.

  ~ ~ ~

  Tessa splashedss cold water on her face after running some water over her hands. Having read up on the geography element of the area for months, she read this water was the purest in Africa because it came straight out of the Okavango and most likely safe. She ran wet fingers through her hair since a single stained towel hung lopsided on a hook next to a toilet. As she walked out the door, she tied her hair up to cool her neck.

  “I didn’t know how long it would be before you found me, Tessa.” A large figure emerged from the shadows.

  Tessa gasped then stole a glance out the door to see if she could spot her friends. “H-Handsome,” she stuttered.

  “You don’t have to worry. I mean you no harm.”

  Dr. Girard walked briskly into the hall and stopped so fast Handsome had to grasp his arm to keep him from colliding into him. “Oh. I didn’t see you, Son.” The doctor patted Handsome on the back.

  “Son?” Tessa whispered.

  Chapter Seven

  “Yes.” Dr. Girard turned to Handsome and patted his much-larger arm. “Louis is my son.” His eyes held questions as he glanced between the two. “Didn’t he tell you?”

  “I may have left that part out.” Handsome slipped an arm around the doctor and hugged the man. “No worries. Please do not be telling people that. We’ve talked about this.”

  “Oh. Right. Sorry.” The doctor patted his son on the cheek. “It’s, well, here all seems right with the world, like we’ve come home. And I believe your Tessa Scott has your confidence.” He offered Tessa a rather sheepish look. “You do understand the importance of keeping this quiet?”

  Did her eyes reveal the shock she felt, even though she had suspected the truth all along? “I’m beginning to, Dr. Girard. This is a very dangerous situation.”

  “Yes.” The doctor hung his head. “I’m very aware. It has been a long time coming. My son trusts you, and so do I.”

  “With all due respect, Dr. Girard. We’ve just met.”

  The doctor suddenly frowned at his son.

  “Don’t worry, Father. I’ll take care of this. Why don’t you go back to see to our guests and have something to eat? Soon you’ll need to get back to your patients.”

  He offered a weak smile then nodded toward Tessa before exiting, leaving a heavy silence to well up between the two.

  “The Kifaru?” Handsome’s voice turned cold, void of the warm emotion shown to Dr. Girard. “Where is it?”

  “Safe.” Tessa rubbed her hands down the sides of her khaki shorts until Handsome let his focus drop to her nervous motion. “I mean”— She lowered her voice; someone might be listening—“I don’t think we should be talking about this here.”

  Handsome raised his chin and peered down his wide nose at her. Perspiration trickled down one side of his brow until it dripped off his jaw. “Perhaps you’re right.” He looked behind him then to each side. “I am glad you’re here.”

  “I’ll bet you are.” Chase stepped out of a shadowy hall with his Glock leveled at Handsome’s chest. “I have a bone to pick with you.” He nodded to Tessa. “Frisk him.”

  “But—”

  “Do it,” he growled without taking his glare from Handsome.

  Tessa huffed her protest then stepped closer to Handsome. “Sorry,” she sighed.

  Chase stopped her from reaching out by holding up his free hand. “Assume the position, Handsome, or whoever you are.”

  With a chuckle, he faced a wall and leaned in obediently.

  “Go ahead,” Chase ordered Tessa.

  This was her first time to perform a search on anyone besides one of her kids hiding a frog, cricket, or princess ring supposedly found on the sidewalk in front of the Old Fashion Mercantile in downtown Grass Valley. Something about running her hands up and down the inside of Handsome’s legs didn’t make her feel like Jethro Gibbs on NCIS like she’d imagined.

  “He’s good.” She took a step back so he could turn around.

  “Thank you, Tessa, for giving me something to think about when you’re gone.” Handsome cooed as his eyes became hooded and his lips pooched out before shifting his contempt toward Cha
se.

  Chase squinted as if the sun blinded him then holstered his weapon under his loose tee shirt and safari vest.

  “Where’s my diamond?” Handsome asked for the second time then pushed past the two agents.

  “We agreed to not talk here,” Tessa gasped as she hurried to catch up with him.

  He stopped and turned around so suddenly she crashed into his chest and bounced off into Chase who caught her in his arms. He quickly stepped in front of her. “You’re dealing with me, not Tessa.”

  A smirk toyed with his thick lips. “I don’t suppose I have a choice, since you hold my future.”

  “Your future?” Chase chuckled. “Guess you have let the expectation of power go to your head. Oh, wait. You think you’re going to unseat the most respected man in Southern Africa and change everything because of a glorified rock that used to be a lump of carbon,” he laughed.

  “He is a thug who walks on the backs of these people.”

  “Ahh. And you’re such a good guy.” Chase took a threatening step closer, his body becoming rigid. “I know this because you left us stranded in the Sierra Mountains.”

  “Looks like you did okay.”

  “No thanks to you. It might surprise you to know an avalanche knocked the cabin off its foundation and nearly killed us.”

  Handsome looked at Tessa.

  She nodded to confirm the truth.

  “Yet you survived as always. This poses the question: how many lives does an Enigma agent have?” His frown deepened. “And the diamond?”

  “Handsome!” Tessa pushed forward and between the two men. “Please. Not here.” Her voice dropped to a loud whisper. “You have nothing to worry about.” She touched his arm. “But you’re going to have to fill us in so we can help you.”

  “Help him?” Chase snapped. “Why don’t we swim with crocodiles while we’re at it?”

  Tessa rammed her elbow back into her boss’s midsection. “I’m on your side, Handsome. You’ve got to trust someone. It might as well be us.”

  His mouth widened, revealing good teeth, unlike the people she’d seen outside; an obvious sign of overall health in the Western world. “Go finish your meal. Some of the people from the village have prepared entertainment for you. Then my father will show you around the clinic and the work we’ve accomplished.” He lifted his eyes over her head to stare at Chase. “I will take you by boat to your camp. We can talk safely along the way.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Although they’d left sunny California at the beginning of the summer season, here in the Okavango it was winter. Most people believed Africa a hot dry place, picturing the Sahara Desert or dense jungles where tribal people danced around naked with a bone in their nose.

  Chase could not understand how the most powerful country in the world could be so ignorant of all aspects of geography. Schools in the US chose to focus on reading and math for better test scores. In taking that path, American students became more focused on their own self-importance than ever before.

  Even those who served in the halls of government in Washington remained clueless as to the domino effect their decisions had on the world. Ask a soldier about geography. Their world view would be far different than what you got on the evening news.

  Their boat cut through the calm waters of the Okavango Delta with Handsome at the rear guiding them into a postcard sunset. The eight seats available, thankfully, had failed to fill. Chase wasn’t sure if Handsome orchestrated their solitude, or if any other guests had already arrived at Camp Kubu. The women sat next to each other, covered in a blanket, their cheeks rosy from the dropping temperatures and wind coming off the water.

  The purr of the motor sounded almost soothing until it suddenly died and the boat rocked gently.

  Carter, next to him, turned to inspect his surroundings, but Chase slipped his hand into his vest to touch his weapon, keeping his focus on Handsome.

  Their guide flashed him a condescending glare. “We always stop not far from camp to let our guests drink in the beauty of the sunset on the Okavango.” He lifted a Thermos and poured steaming liquid into four small porcelain cups of various colors and condition. “Temperatures drop quickly this time of day, so I brought you some tea.” He served it to Carter and the women from a weathered tin tray that back home would be sold in a hobby store. Chase, declining a cup, remembered seeing a similar one in Tessa’s apartment.

  “Thank you, Handsome. Delicious.” Sam beamed up at him then winked. “I needed this.”

  “Me, too,” Tessa chuckled. “I was getting a little cold. This is incredible.” She turned to watch the sunset. “So beautiful. How often do you come home?”

  The man set the tray on a vacant seat and settled next to the women. “Not enough. After my mother died, my father tried to bring me at least once a year. As I got older, we stayed longer. He was instrumental in building the medical clinic. At first, I didn’t appreciate the work he did, but, fortunately, he let me find my own way.”

  “What changed?” Carter asked Handsome.

  Chase remained frozen and tight-lipped.

  “I was around fifteen when some of Baboloki’s men came to the clinic to make sure we weren’t treating some suspected poachers who had been spotted by the parks department during an aerial sweep. Back then, poaching the last of the black rhinos was a serious problem.”

  Tessa spoke in Swahili. “Kifaru.”

  “Yes. Every few years, rhinos would be introduced and then they would disappear. You have to understand the money obtained from taking the horn of a rhino can help a poor family survive for months in Africa.”

  “Still, it is tragic to lose such a magnificent animal,” Sam interjected before taking another sip of tea.

  “The villages couldn’t understand why this kept happening. They respected the black rhino for its strength and promise to our people. Then came the day when soldiers came into the clinic and accused my father of harboring poachers.”

  “What happened?” Chase decided to take the last cup of tea.

  Handsome squinted at the sunset before speaking. “They beat my father. He had treated a man with a wound consistent of someone who had been gored. It wasn’t life-threatening and, trust me, if a rhino gores you or even steps on you, it is life-threatening. Several from a Doctors Without Borders group who’d arrived the day before, intervened and convinced them it was a mistake.”

  Tessa covered her mouth in shock. “Oh, Handsome. And you witnessed this?”

  “Yes. Several of the villagers who volunteered at the clinic would not let me go to him or call him Father. I didn’t understand they were protecting me. My father was a kind and gentle man who loved these people and had always taught me how important it was to help them. He used to say some day I would be able to make life better for them.”

  “No one knew you were the doctor’s son?” Chase asked.

  Handsome shook his head. “No. I was just someone he brought with him each time to assist. I resented it because I believed he was ashamed of me. But, that day, everything changed.”

  Tessa laid her hand gently on the man’s arm, and he in turn patted her hand and sighed then smiled. She had a way of soothing the fiercest beast. Her techniques had worked on him in dark times. The sincerity in her touch and trust in her eyes once again activated the ache in his chest. Somehow, people always spilled their guts to her, rewarded with sympathy and understanding. Sometimes he questioned if she was human or an angel.

  “Please, Handsome. Tell us,” Tessa whispered.

  “I ran outside and climbed a tree as the soldiers went through the clinic and stole things. They took all the drugs we had, so lifesaving surgeries had to be postponed. Several of the men met up under the tree where I hid to watch the mayhem unfold. Several of the young women who worked there joined me because they were afraid that…” He swallowed hard.

  Chase nodded. “We get the picture. Go on.”

  “Anyway, my Tswana wasn’t all that great, but good enough to understand there wa
sn’t any poaching that day. And the rhinos’ disappearance was the soldiers’ doing, not the locals. Apparently, Baboloki wanted the people of the bush to understand there would never be a black rhino to ever rescue them from his leadership. The people finally stopped believing in the Kifaru. My father finally told me the story of how my birth father sacrificed everything to save me. My life really did have meaning.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell us that back in the States?” Chase felt an ounce of guilt for giving the man such a hard time in the past.

  “Baboloki heard rumors over the years that the heir of the Kifaru had survived the attack on my village. He was obsessed with finding the truth. I have skirted his henchmen a number of times. I’m used to hiding in plain sight.”

  “How does Reeva Kaplan play into all of this?” Tessa frowned.

  The Enigma team had caught the South African woman in a San Francisco hotel room with Tessa’s husband, Robert. His story continued to be he’d planned to purchase some high-grade diamonds for pennies on the dollar. He’d managed to secure a deal for his law firm to represent her client’s interest.

  Chase’s team had been sent to kidnap Kaplan in order to track down her business partners and possible ties to the funding of terrorist groups. Out of loyalty to Tessa, they’d removed the half-dressed Robert from the scene before Reeva could do him any more harm.

  When the FBI got involved, things went sideways. Two experienced US Marshals ended up dead. Out of thin air, Kaplan showed up to help Handsome escape his hideout in the mountains near Lake Tahoe and avoid further interrogation as to why he had gotten involved in conflict diamonds.

  “Reeva Kaplan is an opportunist.” Handsome shifted his gaze from Chase to Carter. “Much like Enigma and the financial dogs that fund your operations.”