“Why did they want the Maasai dead?”
“I told you, I do not know. He brought money. We only did the job.”
The Maasai had lived around Mwanza for centuries, moving here and there to follow the game. The government wouldn’t want them gone. They were revenue generators. Tourists balanced budgets and paid those government salaries.
“What about my compound?” he asked, more urgently now. It was clear that Nelson wasn’t long for this world. “They attacked my home and tried to kill me after I helped the Maasai. Were you part of it?”
“No.” Nelson’s eyes fluttered closed as his head sagged back and forth. He leaned heavily on Reed with each step, his breaths growing ragged.
“But you know them.”
“Yes. Other men went. Not me. They did not pay enough.”
“To kill me?”
Nelson gave him a grimace. “To kill animals is easy. Maasai not hard to kill. They have no guns. But you are not so easy.”
The way he said it. Reed’s grip tightened. “You know who I am.”
“The ones who go, they are stupid. You are a hunter.”
“You didn’t warn them.”
Nelson’s breath was growing shallow. “More money for me next time if they die.”
“Why did they want to kill me?” He was losing this guy.
“She did not say.”
Reed grabbed Nelson by the shirt, shaking him until his eyes opened. “What do you mean, she?”
“She said to kill you.”
With that, his eyes closed. He coughed, and his head fell heavily against Reed’s chest, now literally dead weight. Damn.
He pulled Nelson’s body far from the light and leaned him, seated, against a wall. No one was in sight, not even a rat, as Reed retraced his steps down the street. He jogged back to where most of the streetlights worked, passing occasional cars along the way before he rounded a corner and nearly ran headlong into Paul.
“Where did he go?” Paul’s arm sported a bloody strip of cloth wrapped over his wound. Sweat poured down his face.
“Turn around.” Reed grabbed Paul’s uninjured arm and led him down the street. “We don’t want to go that way. He didn’t escape.” He briefly recounted the motorcycle accident which had put the unfortunate Nelson’s knife in his own chest. “His body will be found soon enough.”
“Did he say anything before he died?”
Reed nodded. “Someone hired men to kill the lions, Maasai, and us. Different people for each target. Nelson killed the lions.”
“Who hired them?” Paul’s face tightened in a scowl. “Why?”
“According to Nelson, the military is involved.” Paul’s eyes went wide. “I don’t think he was lying.”
He fell silent as they passed the bar where Nelson had first taken off, and then the other bar where he had been drinking just minutes earlier.
“The army does not kill animals and people like us.” Paul snapped his fingers. “It could be they are bad soldiers. Criminals.”
Reed nodded. “One other thing. Nelson told me the boss came around once. She gave the orders to attack us.”
“A military woman?”
“Yes. For some reason this one wants to kill me.” A rusty hatchback rattled by. “And now our only lead is in the alley back there.”
They made their way along the sidewalks, heads down, until Reed spotted his Land Rover where they’d parked it earlier. Paul didn’t complain, though his clenched jaw and occasional grunt belied the pain from his wound.
“We need to get that stitched up.”
Paul didn’t argue when Reed opened the door for him. “Drop me at the hospital. I will say it was an accident.”
“We’re going to the hospital, but I’m not leaving you.” He reached out to slap Paul’s arm, stopping himself just in time. “I’ll watch your back while the doc fixes your arm.”
Reed’s cell phone vibrated as he accelerated into the nighttime traffic. “Hello?”
“Reed?”
A woman’s voice. He could barely hear her. “Yes. Who is this?”
“They’re all dead, Reed.”
That got his attention. “I can hardly hear you. Who’s dead?”
The words grew louder, fighting against wailing sirens in the background. “It’s Sarah. The entire research team is dead.”
The street signs rushing by, the nearly invisible yellow line bisecting the road, Paul’s bloody arm – all faded as Reed pressed the phone against his head. “Where are you?”
“I’m a few blocks from the restaurant where it happened. I don’t think anyone saw me – oh, shit.”
Tires squealed as Reed slammed on the brakes. “Sarah? Are you there?”
Silence.
Chapter 13
Zurich, Switzerland
May 22nd
A car slowed down and then stopped beside Sarah. She darted off the sidewalk, ducking beneath low branches and around the wide trunk of a tree. Her back pressed against rough bark as a car door clicked open not ten feet away. The scent of scorched hair carried on the night air – hers, singed when the restaurant exploded. Blood dribbled from cuts along her arms and face where glass shards had cut her. If she’d been any closer it would have knocked Sarah off her feet.
“Thanks for the lift.” A man’s voice.
Sarah heard the car door click shut before the engine revved briefly and the sound faded into the night traffic. She listened as his unsteady footsteps approached, and then a young man appeared not three feet from Sarah’s hiding spot. He was swaying slightly, and a phone lit the night inches from his face as he muttered something inaudible before disappearing through the door of the apartment building. She gave him a second to find his own front door before she walked out of the yard as though she belonged there. Once on the sidewalk she turned left, heading farther away from chaos of the burning restaurant. Emergency vehicles were descending from all corners, flashing lights and the undulating wail of sirens tearing through the air. An orange glow emanated from ground zero, where the flames must be huge by now.
She took her phone back out of her pocket. “Are you still there?”
“What the hell happened?” Reed asked.
“A car drove by, but it’s gone.”
“Sarah, tell me what’s going on. You said the researchers are dead. What are you talking about?”
“I’m still in Zurich working with the group of scientists. We were just out to dinner tonight and there was an explosion. All of them are dead.”
“You’re not. Why?”
She recounted walking out to get a picture of the city under moonlight, including what she had seen seconds before the explosion.
“Geoff is probably dead,” Reed said. “Sounds to me like he was one of the bad guys.”
“None of it makes sense. Geoff worked for the laboratory. Those soldiers whacked him on the head and tossed him inside like he was nothing.”
“Sounds like they betrayed him. Or maybe he was forced to do it. All that matters is you’re safe. You need to get out of Zurich.”
“I need to talk with the police.” Bright city lights reached for the dark sky several blocks to her right, and Sarah turned that way, moving further from the burning restaurant and the chaos surrounding it. “I’m going to call them and—”
“No you’re not.” Reed cut her off. “How do you know you can trust anyone? You just told me soldiers killed the research team and their staff. Right now I’d doubt everyone, police included. And you’re sure as hell not calling anyone else on your personal phone.”
She hadn’t thought of that. “What should I do?” Fear clenched her chest, clouding her head. She stopped and took a deep breath. Every shadow seemed darker, every empty building posed a threat. Think. Make a plan.
“Can you think who may have been involved in setting up the explosion?” Reed asked. “This wasn’t an accident, was it?”
Another deep breath as she replayed the blast in her head. “No. Not with the way
they dragged Geoff back inside before the explosion.”
“Were any of the soldiers female?”
“Yes. She had a uniform on like the other two, but I think she was in charge.” As Sarah walked the main street traffic opened in front of her, vehicles had slowed to a crawl if they were heading toward the explosion. She hurried to a nearby corner and spotted a taxi with its for-hire sign lit heading the opposite direction. She waved like a madwoman and it cut toward her. It had barely stopped when Sarah yanked open the rear door and threw herself in. The driver looked quizzically at her in the rearview mirror and she suddenly realized she had no idea of where to go.
“Take me downtown.” At least there were crowds of people there. People who hadn’t tried to kill her. “Reed, are you there? I’m in a cab.”
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” As she settled back into the seat, the cold, hollow feeling returned. She was in a city where she didn’t know anyone, and someone wanted her dead.
A shudder crawled up her back.
“Is there anything you saw or heard that gives you an idea about who to trust?” Reed asked.
She wracked her brain. “I didn’t know anyone here. A Scottish scientist named Bonnie is the only person I’d say I trusted, but she was in the restaurant.” Her voice caught. She had liked Bonnie. Sarah rubbed her eyes, and a memory pushed through all the confusion, demanding her attention. “Wait. Bonnie did have something that could help.”
“Go on.”
Sarah recounted the power outage and loss of data access from earlier that day. “I talked with her after it happened. She struck me as someone who didn’t take orders easily. We weren’t supposed to store any test data on our personal devices, but Bonnie didn’t listen. She had all the material on a separate hard drive.”
“You think that information is useful?”
“Yes. Whoever blew up the restaurant thinks they’re in control. They think all of us are dead.” She covered her phone and leaned toward the driver. “I’ve changed my mind – new destination.” She rattled off the laboratory address. “It’s the only thing I can think of,” she said to Reed. “We both found unusual data. It could be nothing, but I need to review it.”
“This data is still at the lab?” She confirmed it was. “Then that’s a no go. That lab is the last place you want to be now.”
“Do you really think I can’t trust anyone?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Reed said. “The police are probably honest. You could call if you get a new phone, or you can go straight to the U.S. embassy. Other than that there are no guarantees right now.”
“I need to get those files.”
“First you need to get somewhere safe, like out of the country.”
“What if you’re right about trusting no one? My passport could be flagged. They’ll know if I try to leave the country. These are capable killers.”
“Which means you shouldn’t go back to the lab.”
“Do you know anyone in Zurich?”
That threw him for a second. “Do I? Yes, a few people. I’ll call them.”
“I don’t want to go to anyone’s house and put them in danger,” she said. “And I need time to figure out what happened.”
Reed grunted. “You’re serious about this.”
“I am.”
“Remember I warned you this was a bad idea.”
“Duly noted.”
Reed muttered something, too low for her to make out. “I know a guy who runs relief supplies out of Zurich. If you can get to the airport, I can get you an unofficial ride out of the city.”
“That’s perfect.”
“Don’t get too excited. I didn’t say where you’ll be going.”
“Anywhere other than here.” For the first time since the explosion, Sarah paused, feeling the adrenaline drain out of her. “Exactly where would I be going?”
“Tanzania.”
She opened her mouth. Then she closed it. “You want me to come to you?”
“My compound is a perfect place to lie low. You can call the police and your employer when you’re ready. We can keep you safe, and you can do your work here.”
For the first time in her life an arsenal of weapons seemed like a good idea. “How do I get there?”
“Let me make those calls. Don’t go back to the lab. Stay around crowds, blend in, and wait for my call.”
A good plan. Sarah had a better one but saw no need to share it with Reed. “I’m going to get a new cell phone. If the government is involved, my phone could be tracked. I’ll send you my new number. Until I hear from you, I’ll be around Zurich.”
“Whatever you do, keep moving.”
She promised she would before ending the call. She needed to find a cell phone kiosk to buy a pre-paid phone. But before that, another task: getting in and out of the research laboratory unnoticed.
“Here we are, miss.” The cabbie slowed the car and prepared to pull up in front of the laboratory’s main doors. The harsh glow of white interior lights spilled from the building’s glass façade. Through the main entrance doors, Sarah could see two guards seated behind the desk inside.
“No – drop me in the visitors’ parking lot. By the black car over there.” She gestured, and the cabbie continued on, then stopped next to a large tree with overhanging branches that blocked any surveillance cameras from spotting her. She paid in cash and hopped out, pretending to fiddle through her pockets until the taxi pulled back into traffic.
Following the shadows as she moved along the wall, Sarah headed for a side entrance door halfway down the building. She opened her bag and removed her keycard. It shook slightly in her hand as she approached the door. She took a deep breath and pressed the card to the electronic reader, where a red light held steady in one corner.
A beep, and the red light turned green. The lock clicked open.
She darted in and looked both ways, finding the hallway empty. Her shoulder brushed the wall like a guide rope as she walked to her room, moving on her toes to avoid any telltale squeaks on the polished floor. At this late hour most of the staff would be gone, although security guards were a concern.
She reached a hall intersection and peered around the corner. Her door waited ten steps ahead. All clear. She hurried to her door and a wave of relief passed over her as she slipped inside. She opened the room safe and took out her passport, identification, and the rest of her cash. Everything else she left behind.
Slipping back into the hallway, she walked quietly to Bonnie’s room, the fear in her gut ebbing with each step. She put Bonnie’s hard drive into her bag, opened the door and looked up and down the hall before stepping back into the hallway, headed for the street and another cab ride. The door closed behind her without a sound, and she turned toward the nearest exit.
“Excuse me, ma’am.”
Sarah froze. The floor seemed to drop beneath her feet. A custodian stood behind her.
“I don’t want you to fall.” He pointed to the yellow bucket he carried from which a long mop handle extended. “This hallway is slippery.”
“My apologies,” Sarah said. “I’ll watch where I’m going.”
His response was lost as she turned and booked it for the exit.
A few minutes later, she sank gratefully into the back seat of a cab and told the driver to head for a shopping center downtown.
She pulled out her phone and punched in Reed’s number. He answered her call on the second ring. “Sarah?”
She lowered her voice. “When does my flight leave?”
“I told you not to use your cell phone.” He sighed. “We can’t talk long. How soon can you get to the airport? My guy can head out this morning. Medical supplies are on the tarmac for delivery, and he’s ready to take a plane to Africa with you on it.”
“To Tanzania?”
“That’s right.”
“I can be there in thirty minutes.” She leaned forward and gave the driver her new destination. �
��How do I find him?”
Reed detailed the man’s description and the specific hangar. “There’s one thing I have to ask before you get on board.”
Her head jerked to one side. “What’s that?”
“How are you with tight spaces?”
Chapter 14
Mwanza, Tanzania
May 23rd
The morning sun had scarcely started climbing in the sky. Reed stood on his front porch and squinted towards the horizon, studying the plains through the steam rising from his coffee. The campground looked pristine, ready for safari guests next week. With the recent anti-poaching activity, he’d left this week open to deal with those efforts, but now he had a visitor coming to fill the time, an old acquaintance who seemed to stay just one step ahead of an early death.
A furry ball of energy whizzed past, chasing something only he could see. Rico bumped Reed’s knee on the way, sending a lava flow of hot coffee down Reed’s arm.
“Dammit!” He shook his arm, hopping to one side to avoid splashing his pants. Rico skidded in the dirt and turned around, tongue lolling as he panted. “Dog, you are pushing your luck.”
Rico barked once, spun in a circle, then squatted majestically and left Reed a smelly present on the dirt.
“Very funny.” Reed couldn’t help but laugh. His morning business concluded, the brindle mutt came over and sat in front of his master, eager to be petted. “You guys are more interesting than most people, you know that?” Cinder and Doc trotted over now, though as usual Doc maintained a quiet dignity in sharp contrast with his two shameless brothers.
Paul walked out of the employee residences and headed their way. “Did you remember to feed them?” he asked Reed.
“Do you think they’d let me forget? They got breakfast, but you know these guys. Always hungry.”
“I have treats.” The dogs instantly abandoned Reed in favor of their new best friend, who doled out goodies for all with his good arm. “I can take them for a run if you would like.” Biscuits shaped like tiny bones disappeared at an alarming rate from Paul’s free hand while his wounded arm remained immobilized in a tight sling. The stitches would come out in a few days. Until then, Paul had orders to rest and recuperate. The knife blade had come unnervingly close to an artery in his upper arm, and for once Paul had been taking it easy. Or at least his version of it.
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