“I see.” She didn’t say anything else, just looked at him, watching him watch her.
Reed coughed into his hand. “Good.” He headed for the door. “I need to see how Paul’s arm is and then pack. We’ll be taking some serious firepower along.”
Still she didn’t stop watching him. “How will you know if the documentation Braswig gives you is genuine?”
He stopped with his hand on the screen door. “I’ve seen the insides of enough wolves to know what should and shouldn’t be there. Same with their behavior and capabilities.” He offered what he hoped was a reassuring grin. “I grew up in Montana. We had lots of wolves.”
“No genetically altered ones.”
She had a point. “No, none of those.”
“Scientific knowledge would be useful. Is Paul a scientist?”
Reed frowned. “No. He’s an outdoorsman.”
Her lips curved slightly. “A mix of both would be better.”
“I suppose,” he said with caution.
“Glad we agree. That’s why I’m coming with you.”
What? Was she crazy?
“I’m a research scientist and a veterinarian,” she said. “Exactly what your team needs. I’ll offer my services as a thank-you for getting me out of Zurich,” she added quickly.
“For a smart person, you have some really bad ideas.” She didn’t like that. “Think about it,” he said before she could respond. “Have you ever been to Africa?”
“I studied gorillas in Rwanda and the Congo.”
“For how long?”
Her defiant tone dropped a tad. “A week.”
“You think that week makes you ready for a real field experience? Not a field trip with a professor holding your hand. A hunting expedition where animals can kill you.”
“That’s why you’re here.”
He pointed at her. “I’m not a babysitter. If you die, it’s on me. I can’t track and keep you safe at the same time.”
“I can handle myself,” she said. “I’ll stay near the facility. It must be well protected. Anything related to the genetics or lab work, I can take care of it.”
He hesitated, and it cost him.
“You know it makes sense,” she said in earnest. “How are you going to know if John Braswig and his team are bullshitting you? No offense, but you’re not a trained scientist. If you’re serious about catching these wolves, you need more than just muscle and guns. You need me.”
The way she leaned in when she said it caught his eye. He took a deep breath and patted Doc’s head. The Belgian Shepherd growled softly, just enough to let Reed know he was there and ready for action. “Sarah, listen to me. You came here to hide. Going into the wild is asking for trouble.”
“Trouble found me,” she said. “The whole research team is dead. Blown to bits. Right now the only thing I know is killer wolves showed up and not long afterward a restaurant blew up. Are they related? I don’t know. This is the only thing I have to go on right now. I have to do this.”
She couldn’t have been more serious and there was no avoiding the obvious reason.
“You want revenge.”
“They have to pay for what happened. I’m the only one left to make them.”
“That’s what the authorities are for.”
The wooden floorboards creaked as she walked over and rested a hand on his arm. “Reed, please listen to me. You can use my knowledge. I won’t get in the way.”
Reed worried the inside of his lower lip, a sure sign he was considering this when he shouldn’t be. “What if you’re recognized? If Soter is involved with the wolves in Zurich, going up there could tell them you’re still alive.” A weak argument, and she knew it.
“I can change my appearance. Color my hair, wear glasses and keep quiet. No need to give them my real name. Say I’m your veterinarian and leave it at that.” She stepped back, her hand coming off his arm and waving around as she spoke. “Soter must have more data; I may be able to review that, figure out what you’re up against.”
Reed had gotten this far by working hard, but more importantly, by working smart. Turning away a highly qualified person like Sarah would not be a smart move.
“You realize this is serious? As in you could get killed serious? Regular wolves can kill seasoned hunters. If you come, you do exactly as I say.” She nodded. “Let me sleep on it. I still don’t like the idea.”
He didn’t have a chance to breathe before she was in his face. “This may be your place, but you’re not my boss. If you don’t want me to go, there better be a damn good reason, and you better tell me what it is right now.” A fleck of spittle flew from her lips. “Don’t tell me it’s not safe. I make my own decisions.” He backed up a step as she leaned in even closer. “You’re a fool if you don’t take me. A man like you doesn’t strike me as a fool. Am I wrong?”
She stood there, breathing hard through her nose, a reddish heat blooming on her cheeks. He should have been pissed. Instead, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Damn, Sarah.” His hands went up in mock surrender. “I give up.”
She held his gaze for a second and then stepped back, reached up and smoothed her hair. “I’m glad we agree.”
“You follow my orders. Understood?” She nodded. “The savanna kills people, good or bad, smart or dumb – it doesn’t matter. Listen to me and you might not get hurt.”
“I will.”
“Good.” Reed took a deep breath. That hadn’t gone as planned. “You better get started on the necropsy. We leave tomorrow, and there’s a lot to do before then.”
She swooped in so fast he couldn’t avoid it. “Thank you.” Both her hands clasped around one of his, squeezing tightly. “If Soter is involved with all this, we’ll prove it. And they’ll pay.”
She followed him outside, heading for where the wolf’s corpse was stored. “We have enough knives and tools in there to get you started.”
“If it used to be a butcher’s room, it’ll be fine.”
A thought occurred to him, one that could change the entire shape of their mission. “Wait a second.” Sarah turned. “One last thing. You know how to use a gun?”
“Of course. Point one end at the target and pull the trigger. It’s not hard.”
He couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. Now her arms crossed. “I’ve used tranquilizer guns many times.”
Better than nothing. “It’s a start. You need to know how to use a pistol. Target practice tonight at sundown. Be at the range.”
Chapter 17
Northwestern Tanzania
May 24th
Hunting Africa’s poachers had fine-tuned Reed’s ability to read nature’s roadmap, and as a hot, dry sun dawned over Tanzania while Reed drove toward Soter’s facility, he decided to take a shortcut. Sarah let out a yelp when he veered off the paved road toward a shorter route that sent their vehicle bouncing over rutted dirt paths.
“Don’t worry, Reed said. “I know where I’m going, and you may get to see an African treasure.”
“What if the car breaks down?” Sarah asked.
“That’s happened before. Good thing both Paul and I are handy with a wrench.” Paul gave her a thumbs-up from the rear seat. “Don’t worry – the Land Rover is in tip-top shape, and if it does break down, odds are we can fix whatever’s wrong.”
“You’re sure this is a shortcut?”
“The highway loops around a migration area.” He dodged a fallen tree as the sunlight flashed off his dark glasses. “Nearly two million wildebeest alone migrate through Tanzania, many of them over these plains. It’s amazing.”
“They must stretch to the horizon,” Sarah said as her finger traced a line down the window. She turned to face him. “What did Chief Ereng say about this trip? You never told me.”
“He’s aware I’ll be out of town consulting with Soter Corporation.”
“Do not worry,” Paul said. “If we do not return, Chief Ereng will know where to look.”
“
Let’s tell the Soter people that Nixon knows where to find us,” Sarah said. “It’s not much protection, but it’s better than nothing.”
Reed wanted to reassure her, but the other part of his conversation with Nixon Ereng came to mind. “Nixon told me about several recent incidents near the border with Rwanda and Uganda,” Reed said. “He wanted us to be aware of them.” Sarah frowned. “Multiple attacks on natives by animals. Several people killed.”
“What kind of animals?” Sarah asked. Reed noticed Paul perk up in the rear seat.
“No one’s sure. There haven’t been any witnesses. The injuries are massive lacerations or broken necks. Must be big animals, like lions, maybe leopards.”
“What about cape buffalo?” Sarah asked. “They’re big and mean if provoked. Any deaths near water could also mean hippos or crocodiles.”
“A few bodies were found near rivers, but not all of them. It’s hard to narrow down what could be doing this. There could be more than one type of animal attacking people, meaning the deaths are unrelated.”
“If they happened in an area small enough to get Chief Ereng’s attention, you have to consider that it’s one species or even a single animal.” Sarah ran a hand through her hair. “Tearing wounds don’t always tell what caused them. It could be from teeth, claws, or both. Without seeing the injuries it’s hard to say.” She glanced back at Paul. “Wolves could cause those injuries.”
“It’s a reminder to stay alert. We may be heading directly into trouble without a clear idea of what to expect.”
“I still can’t get used to this.” Her fingers again went to her newly shorn hair, tugging at black-tinted strands that just yesterday had glowed a fiery red.
“Keep that hat on while we’re around other people,” Reed reminded her. “If anyone at this facility is involved with the altered wolves, the last thing we need is for them to recognize you. Whoever coordinated the attacks at the zoo and the restaurant might not know you’re still alive.”
Sarah nodded. “A blast that size would make identifying remains difficult,” she continued. “It could take days to realize I wasn’t in there.”
“Unless the custodian who saw you at the lab says something.”
Sarah just shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it. Let’s just hope the army doesn’t come to this facility and blow us up too. Civilian scientists we can handle. I’m not so sure about soldiers.”
Which brought up a sticky topic. Reed had never told Sarah about his conversation with the unlucky Nelson Sisulu. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
He gave her a condensed version of the encounter, and to her credit, Sarah didn’t get mad, didn’t berate him for not telling her sooner. Instead, she sat back and considered the information. “You don’t think this man was entirely trustworthy.”
“Not really,” Reed said. “Then again, why lie to me? The guy wanted to get to a hospital, wanted to live. Even if he was honest, I’m not sure what it means now. Why would the military come to a private research facility?”
“Other than some funding, I’ve never seen or heard of military involvement with research laboratories.” Sarah lifted her palms to the sky. “If they do show up, what can we do? You’re talking about an army. We have three people. If the military wants to mess with this mission, they will, and we can’t do much about it.” With that, she sat back in her seat.
Reed did not have a single thing to offer. “I’m with you on that one. We’ll worry about these escaped wolves. If the army wants to help, great.”
“Let us hope they do not want to interfere,” Paul said.
That bit of worry sank in as they drove in silence for a time, the quiet broken only by the movement of a herd of zebra alongside the road. Hundreds of the striped mammals grazed in the green grass, the creatures scarcely stirring as Reed zoomed past. Sarah pointed over their heads, into the far distance. “Are those giraffes?”
Slender shadows like sticks waved near the horizon, bobbing among tall trees at the edge of their vision. “I think so,” he said. “A stream runs out there and keeps the trees and grasslands healthy. Nothing more appetizing to giraffes than fresh grass.”
“Did you ever shoot a giraffe?”
The question caught him like an unseen punch. His jaw clenched and his hands tightened around the wheel. After a moment, he spoke. “Yes.”
“Along with other animals.”
Reed bit his tongue. It wasn’t her job to ask him only comfortable questions. “I was a big-game hunting guide,” he reminded her. “I’ve hunted pretty much everything.”
“Elephants and lions?”
“Along with buffalo, leopards, and rhinoceros.”
Her head shook. “How are people still allowed to hunt rhinos and elephants? They’re endangered.”
“Depends on the species you’re talking about,” Reed said. “And it varies by country. Assuming, of course, you play by the rules.” She listened quietly as he spoke. “Rhinos are in serious trouble. To the point that certain species are protected by armed guards around the clock, like the northern white rhinoceros. He has a team of men with automatic weapons with him twenty-four hours a day, year-round.”
“What do you mean, he?” Sarah asked. “Are all of them male?”
“He’s the last male on earth.”
Sarah lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t know that.”
It never failed to get a reaction. “There is exactly one male northern white rhinoceros. That’s it. Along with a half-dozen females, they’re all that’s left. And rhinos have been around for fifty million years.”
“They will be around for fifty million more,” Paul said from behind them. “We will make this so.”
“I hope you’re right,” Sarah said.
Paul coughed. “Sarah, may I ask you a question?”
“Sure thing.”
“I have been thinking about what happened in Zurich. Your research team, all of those very smart people. Who would benefit from their deaths?”
“I really don’t know,” Sarah said. “All of us were involved with advanced research, which could eventually be worth a lot of money.”
“What about your new CRISPR technique?” Paul asked. “This could be valuable, yes?”
“Immensely. But I don’t know who would want to kill us for it,” Sarah said.
“My concern is whoever did this thinks you’re dead,” Reed said. “That will buy us time. The number of people who know what you are doing and who could continue the work can’t be very high. You know most of them. Anybody come to mind?”
“Not off-hand.” Again Sarah reached for her hair and seemed surprised to find half of it gone. “There aren’t many people in my line of research. None has an axe to grind, or if they do, it’s not enough to kill over.” She let out a sigh, seeming to shrink back into her seat.
Silence filled the car as Reed rumbled over the dirt roads. After a few minutes, he rounded a curve and spoke softly. “Look over there. Tell me that isn’t one of the most beautiful sights on earth.”
Sarah turned and gasped. “A pride of lions.” Her breath fogged the window as Reed braked gently. “They’re massive.”
He slowed as they drove past the pride of five magnificent animals stretched out on the rocks, soaking in the blazing sun. As Reed rolled to a stop, the male lion raised his head, mane floating on the breeze. He studied the vehicle with unblinking eyes until his mouth opened wide in a fur-shaking yawn. A pink tongue as long as Reed’s arm lolled out, and then the fearsome predator dropped his head to the rock, eyes closed.
“He looks like a big housecat,” Sarah said.
“He is,” Reed said. “One with claws that can rip your head off, and he can run fifty miles per hour. Not bad for a four-hundred-pound housecat.”
“They’re all magnificent.”
The dirt beneath their tires turned back to pavement and they drove in silence. When a road sign marking a route intersection came into view, Reed spoke softly. “We’re g
etting close.”
Chapter 18
Northwestern Tanzania
May 24th
Soter’s research facility had been carved out of the dusty plains and thick trees dominating rural Tanzania west of Lake Victoria. A runway capable of handling private jets stretched far beyond either end of the facility, with a metal link fence encircling the grounds. Barbed wire topped the sturdy steel links, its tips flashing like chips of ice in the moonlight.
An armed guard waved them through the front gate. Tension strummed along Reed’s shoulders as he drove through. Why did it seem as though the fence had been designed as much to keep people in as to keep danger out? Anyone trying to get away from here had a long way to run for cover.
Reed wouldn’t miss a shot like that. He doubted Soter’s security force would either.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said to himself as their Land Rover came to a halt.
“What?” Sarah asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Nothing. Remember, you’re my assistant, and you’re very good at being quiet. I’ll make sure these guys leave us alone to do our job,” Reed said as he stepped out into the warm night air. “And don’t take your hat off.”
A man stood outside. Golden skin, sun-drenched hair, and a grin that came too easily. Reed knew this type of man, had seen them a thousand times.
“Hello, Mr. Kimble. I’m Ray Dorcy.”
“Call me Reed. These are my associates, Samantha and Paul.”
They’d agreed Sarah would go by an alias during their visit, one close enough to her real name that she might actually remember to answer when called.
Dorcy nodded to each of them, then turned to Reed. “Did someone from Soter contact you today?”
“On the drive over,” Reed said. “Told me you’ll be coordinating things from Soter’s side.”
“Correct.” Dorcy stood with his hands clasped behind his back. “Have you been updated on our situation?”
Reed nodded. “Escaped hybrid animals and attacks on area tribesmen. I’ll need details.”
“Walk with me.” Ray led them through the glass entranceway, and the rush of cold air bursting from inside sent a shiver down Reed’s spine.
The Turn Series Box Set Page 26