“You saw Dr. Girard the day of the massacre?” Handsome’s eyes went wide.
“I was there. My father had been gored by a Cape buffalo, but he was already gone by the time the plane arrived. I ran with the others into the bush. I am ashamed I ran away after I saw John come running toward the camp.”
“Tell me. What did you see?” Handsome lowered his voice in a comforting tone.
“I saw John, the camp guide, carrying a bundle. He looked frightened, pleading with the doctor who had visited our village several times during his safari trip. I hid behind some bushes. Gunfire hit all around. John shoved the bundle into the doctor’s arms then ran back toward the village. I didn’t stay. Later I found out almost everyone there had died. Some escaped. I believed the doctor was one of the camp guests who died.”
“Thank you for telling me this. Dr. Girard told me that story many times. I am sorry for your loss.”
“I’m glad my father did not see what we became, and suffer the end of what we held dear.” The old man shook his head in sadness.
“Are you okay with this?” Chase asked Handsome.
“Yes. Let him have his moment. Dage is tied. Leave him in the sun. That will take some of the fight out of him.”
“I am not the enemy here,” Dage snapped.
Tessa nudged Chase’s arm as she stared ahead. “Handsome?” He stepped up next to her. “I think someone has come to welcome you home.”
Keeya stood at the end of the path leading to the burned-out clinic. The delta breeze caught her plain brown skirt and moved it playfully to the side. She had placed some red flowers in her gray hair. The warm sun shining on her face gave her skin a radiant glow. Even from where Chase and Tessa stood, they could see tears of joy glistening on her cheeks.
Handsome stared at the woman. He appeared frozen in place, his face contorting with emotion. Chase tried to imagine what it must feel like to see your mother for the first time. He remembered his own mother and wished he had a second chance to see her, if only for a moment.
Keeya cocked her head to the side, and her lips twisted into a narrow smile. With confidence, Keeya raised her open arms toward her son. He ran toward her and scooped her up in his bear-like embrace before burying his face in her neck.
“My boy. My boy,” she wept.
Chapter Thirty
“That guy is a little scary,” Zoric mumbled into Vernon’s ear after stealing a glance toward the president. He loaded their equipment onto the truck then decided to watch Baboloki’s movements.
The others stood to the side sipping on cold drinks and munching sandwiches. The Nigerian dragged the dead hyena out into the bush while the others chuckled at his efforts.
“Coming from you, Zoric, that says a lot.” Vernon stole a glance toward the others to try and see the president. He seemed to be in conversation with one of the guards. It included some light-hearted laughter. “Look at them. Everyone is cool as a cucumber.”
The president took a phone call on his cell. His jovial mood evaporated, and he switched from English to Tswana.
“Someone isn’t happy,” Zoric whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
The president clicked off and shouted orders to his men.
“Something wrong, Mr. President?” Vernon asked as he dropped his soda can into a trash bag offered by their guide who kept a fearful eye on the soldiers and the president.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he snapped then jumped into the cab of the truck. He threw the phone in the cab of the truck. “Reception out here is unacceptable.”
Zoric pulled the guide aside. “What’s going on?”
The guide looked down at his feet then over his shoulder toward the others. “Something about his man Dage. He is nowhere to be found.” He leaned in closer. “I think I did not understand all the words. He said the doctor escaped. What doctor? Do you think they were talking about Dr. Girard? Didn’t he die in the fire at the clinic?”
The two Enigma agents locked eyes momentarily before Zoric offered an answer.
“No idea. Didn’t Dage accompany someone who went for supplies?”
The man shrugged. “Handsome gives out the work schedules each morning. The supply truck left early. The president thinks something has gone wrong—or it seems so, from what I could understand. I should go. They are waiting for me. Be sure you stay seated in the back. The road is bumpy ahead.”
The soldiers swung up into the truck and extended a hand for Zoric and Vernon. They were all solemn again and stared out across the savanna with a seriousness missing a moment earlier. The two Enigma agents grabbed hold of the bars surrounding the cargo area when the truck roared to life and shifted into gear. A belch of exhaust sounded like a gunshot as the truck bounced onto the dusty road.
Zoric elbowed Vernon and nodded toward the open space in front of the shed where the hyena demonstration had taken place. The Nigerian stood statue still, glaring at the truck.
“Somebody isn’t happy about losing his pet hyena.”
“Hey!” Vernon shouted at the driver, then banged a fist on the roof of the cab. “Forgot somebody.”
The truck’s brakes squealed to a jolting halt, creating a dust cloud to drift over them. The Nigerian ran to catch up, with his baboon in tow on a leash, and climbed on board. He met Vernon’s gaze and nodded thanks. Vernon extended his hand in friendship. The Nigerian stared at it a couple of seconds, eyes full of surprise, until he grasped his hand and shook.
“Tough break on the hyena. Sorry.” Vernon frowned and pointed toward the bush where he’d seen the Nigerian drag the animal.
Vernon wasn’t sure the man could understand English, but his gaze went to the bush then to the bed of the truck. Zoric switched to the language the whole Enigma team were required to learn, Russian. “We can use this guy.”
~ ~ ~
Tessa choked up watching the tearful reunion. She put an arm around Chase’s back. He responded by pulling her closer, touched by the moment as well. The wave of emotion gave him pause long enough to drop his arm around her shoulders and rest his chin on the top of her head.
“That is a beautiful thing, Chase.” Tessa pressed her fingertips gently against his chest as her hand moved upward. He continued to stare at Handsome and his mother with an attempted stoic reserve, but his mind drifted to other possible pleasures. The woman had no inkling what chaos she stirred up inside him with her innocent touch.
He dropped his arm and stepped away from her to move forward. She didn’t acknowledge his discomfort, just fell in step with him. There was a moment when her fingertips brushed against him. He pulled away and checked his weapon inside his safari vest.
“Something wrong?” she asked, surveying the area around them.
“Stop touching me, Tess. It’s a distraction I can’t afford today,” he snipped then leveled a frown at her.
Her eyelashes batted nervously, indicating she was either about to tell a lie or just got her feelings hurt. A wave of guilt washed over him, and he stopped short, only to have her plow into him.
She stepped back at her mistake. “What?” she growled. “I didn’t know you were stopping. Sorry I invaded your space.”
“If you want to invade my space then do it when we’re alone and half-dressed.”
Tessa sucked in her breath, her eyes turning to violet as they did when she’d lost her temper. “Not in a million years, you overgrown baboon.”
He welcomed the confrontation. “And there she is, the insulting, unafraid Grass Valley commando who steps on my self-respect at every turn.” He imagined steam coming out of her ears. Even though she resisted, he grabbed her arm and jerked her closer. “I cannot think straight when you touch me.”
“Guess that is a holdover from your Neanderthal years.”
This time, he chuckled wolfishly. “It most certainly is, Tessa Scott, and you’d best be remembering that part of me because one of these times you get all sentimental and touchy-feely, I’m going to eat you alive. You got that?”
He released her so fast, Tessa staggered a step away.
“Got it,” she huffed and doubled her fists at her side. “And you can go straight to hell.”
“That’s a given, I’m afraid. Let’s break up this happy reunion before trouble arrives.”
Chase regretted his rebuff instantly but knew it was the right thing to do. Their relationship needed something to cool them down. Earlier that morning, he’d become aware of her watching him while he shaved. Maybe he’d imagined it, but she displayed a curiosity and longing he’d not seen before. Her resistance to him had eroded enough that she touched him frequently and failed to withdraw from him even when no one was watching. Even in the king-size bed, the pillows she piled to separate them became fewer and fewer. This morning, most of them had been on the floor, and she’d curled up against his backside. If he hadn’t slipped out and taken a cold shower… He didn’t want to think about “what-ifs.”
The other villagers milled around, watching Keeya and Handsome, some with tears in their eyes, but everyone smiling.
Keeya extended her arms out to Tessa then tilted her head toward Chase to come closer. She wrapped her arms around both of them, drawing the two agents to end up chest to chest.
“My heart is full, and you two had much to do with this moment. Thank you.” She beamed releasing them to lay her hand on her heart. She looked up at Handsome. “Such a big strong man. I am so proud.”
“Keeya, you are not safe here.” Chase scanned the area, squinting. He slipped his sunglasses on to cut the glare.
“Please.” She stared up at her son. “Just a few more minutes. I have waited so long for this day. If President Baboloki finds me, I may never have another chance.”
“That is the whole point,” Handsome chimed in. “Keeya, you must listen to the captain. He can protect you. I cannot.”
“I won’t be forced from my home again.” Keeya pulled back her shoulders and raised her chin. “These are my people, and they will protect me.”
Tessa stroked the woman’s arm. “You put their lives at risk, Keeya. We aren’t asking you to run away. Let us help you stay safe.”
Keeya took a deep breath. “Give me a few minutes to gather the few things I brought.
“I’ll go with you—” Tessa insisted, but the woman raised her hand.
“Please. I need to be alone so that I can pretend everything is normal and I am free.” She patted Chase then her son. “My only request is I want to be free for a little longer.”
Handsome frowned and let Keeya hug him before nodding at Chase and Tessa. “At least let some of these ladies from the village follow you at a distance.”
Keeya waved them to follow, and they seemed to understand it was to be at a distance. They hung back, some walking arm in arm, whispering excitement at being a part of something special.
“Thank you,” Handsome said watching his mother disappear around one of the still- standing supply sheds. He turned to Tessa and Chase. “We need to find my father. He is hurt and probably needs medical attention. How long before Carter and Sam check in?”
“Hard to say. It could take a while. They’re dependent on satellite surveillance and the very few clues Dage provided.”
“Maybe if you’d left me alone with him, he’d have been more willing to talk.”
“Provided he can still talk,” Chase added. “He doesn’t trust us and fears Baboloki. If he really has hidden Dr. Girard, he’s bought us some time. It won’t take long for the word to get out that the doctor disappeared from wherever he was taken yesterday. I can’t imagine there being many places suitable for him to use.”
“What do we really know about him?” Tessa pushed some curls out of her face when the wind picked up.
“Not much. He’s been with the president about ten years, loyal, protective, and acts like he may have some kind of interest in you becoming president. Does that surprise you?” Chase expected his voice might sound suspicious but cared little about Handsome’s feelings in spite of the tender scene that had played out before them.
“Yes. I’ve been here ever since I landed several months ago.”
“Except for the detour to Zimbabwe and South Africa you took when you left the States. What? Did you think we wouldn’t be tracking your movements? Check out any of the diamond mines while you were there?”
“I see Enigma has been spying on innocent tourists again.”
“We never spy on innocent tourists, only the ones who like to fabricate lies, steal, instigate coups, and use blackmail to further their own agenda. Any of those fit your description?” Chase winked at Tessa then glowered at Handsome. “Oh, wait. All of them.”
“I am a changed man,” Handsome declared in a holier-than-thou voice. “I want to make a difference. That’s all.”
“Yeah. That’s what worries me,” Chase snapped. “You have no skills to run a country.”
“I have been preparing for this my whole life,” Handsome snarled.
“So, shooting up a hotel in Tunisia several years ago prepared you how?” Before Handsome could answer, Chase poked him in the gut with his finger. “How about throwing in with diamond smugglers in the States or that woman who nearly killed us at Lake Tahoe. Let’s not forget it was her people who did murder a couple of US Marshalls. You left us to dig out of an avalanche.”
An anxious expression clouded Tessa’s face. She was about to jump into the fight with some kind of excuse for Handsome. It’s what she always did.
He addressed her before she could begin. “Didn’t he persuade you to go with him to unknown parts and nearly cause you to drown because of his carelessness?” As she gaped at him, he refocused on Handsome. “Oh, you’d make a stellar leader. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone would notice the difference.”
Handsome had pulled back his fist when the old man came wobbling up the path from the boat dock. Blood trickled down his forehead onto his white shirt. Handsome ran to him and caught him in his arms as he collapsed.
“I’m sorry. I failed.”
Chase kneeled down and examined the cut on his forehead. Swelling had already formed a knot the size of a Ping-Pong ball on the back of his head. “I’ll get the first aid kit out of the boat.”
“The boat is gone,” the old man declared. “That man managed to slip out of his ties and jumped me then knocked me unconscious.”
With all the commotion over Keeya and Handsome, no one had noticed the sound of a motor turning over. The heated words had drowned out any idea of him escaping.
“We need to get him checked out.” Handsome lifted him in his arms and carried him to a picnic table where he laid him down.
Screaming women came running around the distant shed with their children in tow. The few men left in the village appeared from the trees.
“Keeya!” Handsome breathed. Before he could run toward them, his young admirer raced to him.
She burst into tears. “That man in the boat. He had a gun pointed at us. He appeared out of nowhere.”
Chase jerked her around to face him. “Where is Keeya, girl?”
“Gone. That man took her.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“There’s a narrow canal around the back side of this area,” Handsome huffed as he ran to where his mother had disappeared. “It sticks out like a peninsula. He could easily steer the boat there.”
Quicker on his feet, Chase ran past him, leaving Tessa to bring up the rear. Several of the other villagers stayed with the wounded man. He spotted Keeya and Dage ahead, stepping into the boat.
Dage jumped down first and extended his hand to Keeya, who took it. She looked over her shoulder and spotted them but failed to call out to be rescued. A look of regret covered her face. She turned back to Dage and let him pull her into the boat. The boat sputtered to life and pulled out into deeper water.
Keeya found a seat and watched them approach. She kissed her fingers and offered them up toward Handsome. When Chase pulled his weapon and aimed at Dage, she stood up and blocked a clear
shot.
“What the hell?” Chase fumed as he lowered his Glock. “What’s she doing?”
“She’s protecting Dage,” Tessa panted, running up alongside the two men.
“Why would she do that?” Handsome whispered in disbelief.
Tessa shook her head. “Maybe she’s leaving to protect you.”
“Do I look like I need protection?” Handsome blustered.
She ran her hand down his arm. “To a mother, you do. Now what, Chase?”
Watching them disappear soured Chase’s already-irritated frame of mind. “Is there a way back to camp from here, Handsome?”
“Not unless you cut across the savanna. The good roads lead to other small villages and on to Maun. It can be done, just slow going. Herds of Cape buffalo, impalas, and even the lions will find shade in an hour or so and will make it easier to travel. It isn’t safe to walk until then unless we find another way out.”
“Are there any other vehicles here?” Chase replaced his weapon and moved back toward the medical clinic area. “Surely the people who work have some means of transportation.”
“A form of carpooling. Old vans, trucks, etc. There is one truck my father kept for emergencies.” He pointed toward a lean-to with a tin roof peeled partially away. “In here. It’s been a while since it has been out.”
“Ya think?” Chase eyed the shed and another layer of pessimism flowed over him.
“A 1957 Chevrolet pickup,” Tessa cooed. “My granddaddy had one of these.”
He liked a woman who knew her vintage cars and trucks. “Help me get this stuff off that’s stacked on it. Looks like the shed roof let some water blow in and rusted some places out. Hopefully the engine is in good shape.”
Handsome and Tessa helped Chase until some of the village men arrived and took over. “I’m going to try and contact camp to see if they have another boat, Chase. Tessa, see if you can help the ladies get some food and water for us. I’ll check on our injured guy.” Handsome backed away from her as he talked. “Looks like your boss has fallen in love.”
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