Amie in Africa Box Set 1

by Lucinda E Clarke

  “How far away is this camp?”

  “It could be seven days’ walking,” answered Ben.

  “Hmmm, that’s probably about 200 kilometres give or take a bit,” Jonathon muttered. “And in what direction?”

  Ben indicated inland, towards the north-west. “I don’t think it is too far from the border with Relawi. Perhaps they think if they run there, they will be safe.”

  “That can work two ways,” Jonathon observed. “They can launch an attack in either country from such a good vantage point. I suspect relations are not good between the new government here and Relawi?”

  “I have not heard, but they say many countries will not recognize the new regime.”

  “That’s true. Most are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how things go.”

  “But for two years!” Amie was still worried about the length of time. Angelina couldn’t have been in captivity that long surely?

  “International affairs don’t move that quickly,” her husband reminded her. Jonathon sat in silence for a long time, then said, “Well I think a look-see would be the best. See what’s going on.”

  Amie’s heart jumped. She hoped and prayed Angelina would be there, she could rescue her and save her from all the abuse she must be suffering. Her imagination flashed into the future. She would need to be very patient with the child; it would be like the traumatic stress disorder Amie had suffered herself. But time and patience would help the healing process. She was so lost in her thoughts she missed what Jonathon said next. He was planning to go and check out the camp with Ben and Charles.

  “When are we leaving?” she asked.

  “You’re not leaving at all,” replied Jonathon. “You’ll be staying here safely in camp.”

  Amie wasn’t quite sure whether it was the arrogant tone in Jonathon’s voice, or the words he used, but she was incensed.

  “Oh yes, I am coming.”

  “It would be foolish of you, and downright irresponsible of me, to drag you on a two week trek through the bush.” Jonathon snapped. “It’ll be difficult enough as it is without you slowing us down. So, no more arguing Amie, no pleading, the answer is ‘no’ and that’s final.”

  Amie seethed. It took all her self-control not to get up and walk away before she said or did something stupid. How dare he, she raged. How dare he tell her what she could or couldn’t do. He was the one who’d forced her to come to Africa in the first place and she’d coped, way beyond what most people were asked to cope with, and she’d survived. Now he was acting as if she was a foot soldier in his army. She was damned if she was going to ‘do as she was told’.

  To work off her anger, she attacked a nearby fig tree, but most of the fruit was not yet ripe and her efforts wore her out after she managed to knock only a few mottled, yellow specimens to the ground. She picked one up and bit into the thick skin, nibbling on the soft seeds. She was determined to go and look at the insurgents’ camp one way or another.

  Once Jonathon had made a decision about anything, he organized what needed to be done with total efficiency. He and Charles made up lists of equipment and planned the route as far as Ben could advise them. They discussed if it was a good idea to take the Land Rover and drive part of the way there, but decided against it. Leaving it abandoned in the bush was asking for trouble and they would be lucky if it wasn’t stolen or vandalized. Although they had the two vehicles at camp it would be stupid to take the risk of losing one of them.

  Over the next couple of days Amie tried every possible way to get Jonathon to change his mind. She tried pleading with him, getting angry and sulking. She called him all the names under the sun, argued she would be a valuable asset, boasted about how capable she was and burst into tears a couple of times, but all to no avail. He stuck firm to his refusal to allow her to go with them.

  Ben was going, of course, and Charles and Dirk asked Jefri if he would like to go as well. That made four, all men of course Amie fumed. There had to be a way to be invited along, if only she could find it.

  While Amie was desperate to go, she was also very afraid. She might have experienced a heroic journey before, but at the time she’d had no choice. If she ventured out this time, it would be from choice, her own conscious decision. Was she being wise in begging to be included in the party? Would it not be easier to stay here with Dirk and Helen and sit patiently waiting for Jonathon’s return?

  But then, she asked herself, why was Jonathon so keen to go and check out the camp? Not out of pure curiosity. No, she guessed it would have something to do with his work for the British government; he was going on a spying mission. So, he wouldn’t be too bothered about Angelina, and as far as Amie was concerned, that was the only reason for going, to rescue her child.

  For the next two nights she tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, weighing up her determination against her common sense, and against her anger at being treated like a child. There was only one answer; she would wait for them to leave, and an hour later, she would follow them and once she caught up with them, they wouldn’t be able to send her back. Yes, she decided in a fit of desperation, she would go, in such a way they would be stuck with her.

  She felt quite smug about her decision. She had taken control of her life, and if Jonathon noticed she’d stopped nagging him, he didn’t say a word.

  Helen gave her a few thoughtful looks, almost as if she could hear Amie’s thoughts, but as always, she kept her opinions to herself.

  Amie watched as the men packed up the essentials they would need. The small primus with a couple of mini gas canisters, warm clothing, a hat, groundsheet, mug and plate each, tins of corned meat, a compass and GPS, lighters, water bottles, several energy bars from the camp supply, first aid kit, lightweight raincoats, a torch each with spare batteries, safe water tablets, extra socks, a couple of tea lights, serrated knives, sewing kit, small axe, dry tinder for a fire, a spade, duct tape and plastic bags and of course they each carried a gun.

  “Why are they packing so many plastic bags?” Amie asked Helen, she was damned if she was going to ask Jonathon or any of the soon-to-depart-party, who all seemed in the highest of spirits.

  “To keep things dry,” Helen stated the obvious. “Most plastic bags don’t seal that well, so you secure them with the duct tape, which can be useful if it rains or if you have to cross a river. Wet equipment is one of your worst nightmares.”

  “Of course,” murmured Amie. Now why didn’t I realize that, she thought as she made a note of everything the guys were stuffing into their rucksacks. She would have to duplicate some of this stuff when she packed, as she wanted to be independent and no one would be forced to share with her. This time, she reasoned, I’m going to be really well prepared.

  There were some extra things wrapped in black plastic that Jonathon stuffed to the bottom of the bag, but he didn’t explain what they were, and Amie was not going to ask him.

  Jonathon announced they would be departing the following day and that night, as they sat round the cooling oven, chatting quietly, he was extra attentive to Amie. She had no illusion he would change his mind, but he seemed to be saying sorry to her, except she was not yet ready to forgive him. I thought marriage was supposed to be a partnership, she reasoned to herself, not the one half having all the adventures and the little wife sitting at home. No way, not for Amie.

  During the afternoon she had gathered together a copycat list of things she planned to take. She wouldn’t have the primus of course, nor the GPS, but she was sure once she caught up with the men, she could share the spade and the axe. She was also happy for them to be in full charge of the guns as well. She paused when she considered packing the burqa. It would be a great disguise, but would she really need it? It was thick and heavy and wouldn’t fit into her backpack. Reluctantly she decided to leave it behind. All she was going to do was catch up with her husband, and once they were all together again she would be safe.

  As they settled down into their sleeping bags that night, Amie had mixed
feelings. She was terrified about what she was going to do, but reassured herself she would only be on her own for a couple of hours. That wouldn’t be too difficult. She was not relishing Jonathon’s wrath when she joined them, but she’d cope with that when it happened. She was prepared.

  5 AMIE SETS OUT

  Amie didn’t sleep well, drifting in and out of unconsciousness, waking at the slightest sound. However, it wasn’t until the pre-dawn light shone over the eastern hills that she sat up and realised, to her horror that Jonathon had already left.

  Frantically she pulled on her clothes: long trousers which tied around the ankle, several layers of light tops, and a warm parka for the nights. She jammed a jersey and some spare underwear into her backpack and began to stuff in the supplies that she’d hidden in the corners of the tent, checking each item off her mental list. Damn, she only had one can of meat; she’d been meaning to grab another couple after the men had left. Now she’d have to creep round to the kitchen area where Helen put all the clean dishes, and grab her mug and plate as well. She’d need to be quick and very quiet.

  She had no idea who was keeping watch at the moment; another danger to avoid, she reminded herself as she grabbed her hat. She felt like a thief as she sneaked into the food storage area and grabbed another couple of cans of meat, several energy bars, together with chunks of biltong, and stuffed them with her plate and mug into her backpack. Ah, let’s take a knife, fork and spoon as well, she decided, might as well be civilized. Leaving the note she had written the day before for Helen and Dirk to find, she slipped out of the camp.

  It wasn’t difficult to see Kaluhah. He was standing under an acacia tree. If he stops me, I’ll simply explain I’m going for a walk, she decided. He’s hardly likely to try and prevent me from taking a very early morning stroll, even if he thinks it is a little suspicious, because I’m dressed for travelling and carrying a backpack. But the moment she ducked out from behind the cover of one of the Land Rovers, he turned and walked towards the other side of the camp, and Amie was able to slip away unnoticed.

  She knew the general direction the men had taken, so her plan was to head out for a few hundred yards and scout around for their tracks. Her tracking skills were nowhere as good as Dirk’s guys, but she’d paid close attention when they’d shown her the evidence left behind by a wide number of species. She wasn’t able to tell the difference between all the big cats, but she could guess the size of the animal, and the dung left behind was also a good indicator of which animals had been around recently.

  She walked briskly with the sun rising behind her, confident she was heading in the right direction. This early in the morning there was less guesswork, and the previous day she’d practiced with the compass and noted the exact bearings in relation to the layout of the tents and the vehicles.

  A couple of times she thought she saw signs of their progress, very shallow indentations on the hard ground, a few twigs broken by a boot, and blades of flattened grass. When she came to a dry river bed, she was delighted to see evidence of footprints in the sand. She recognized the distinctive pattern from one of Charles’ boots and wondered how far ahead they might be. She was confident she would catch up with them very soon. She would stalk them for a while, possibly half a day and, by then, they would’ve gone too far to turn back to escort her to camp. She felt pleased with her plan. It was going to work.

  On the far side of the river, the grasslands gave way to more bushy shrubs and there was more ground cover, which helped to conceal any evidence of travellers. Amie was beginning to get a little worried and feel a little panicky. She couldn’t lose their tracks now, not now! She took a couple of minutes’ break. The sun was getting hotter and, up to this point, she had been walking briskly. She realised the men would be able to make better time than she could, so she only allowed herself a short rest to catch her breath before setting off again.

  There was a path of sorts through the areas that were more overgrown, and she guessed it would make sense to follow it. She also wondered what animal had fashioned this pathway; it was unlikely to be one used by man. She frequently glanced behind her, in case the owner of this rural freeway was using it at the same time.

  She was making better progress now, and she didn’t stop while she rubbed insect repellent over her face and neck, it might keep some of the small, biting flies at bay. The trees grew closer together and she was aware she was less likely to spot any dangerous animals. She reminded herself not only to look at the ground in case she stepped on a slumbering snake, but also up into the trees, excellent hiding places for leopards, and the occasional lion or cheetah could also be found in the lower branches.

  Amie plodded on despite the rising heat; the distant landscape shimmering gently in undulating waves. She thought she must be keeping pace with the men, but she would have to walk even faster to close the distance between them. She got into her stride, the sweat running down her face, trickling past her collar and welding her shirt to her back. The occasional breeze helped to cool her a little as she walked.

  She paused when she came to a log and looked over it to see what was on the other side. A large puff adder lay in the path and Amie paused, there was no way she was going to step over it. She looked to see which way it was facing. Left, I’ll go left, she decided, noticing its head was on her right, but to make sure, I’ll give it a very wide berth. She was relieved to see part way down the snake’s body it was hugely distended, indicating it had eaten recently, but even if one of Africa’s laziest snakes had recently dined, she wasn’t going to take the risk of being bitten. While most snakes disappeared fast when they sensed waves from approaching footfalls, the puff adder rarely moved to get out of the way.

  Amie was not too comfortable stepping off the pathway, but she didn’t have a choice. Cautiously and carefully, looking closely where she put her feet, she walked in a wide circle around the reptile and breathed a sigh of relief when she got back onto the path. The trees offered a little shade, but soon they thinned out again and the open savannah lay before her with no signs of other humans.

  Amie glanced at the sun, she was sure she was still going north-west, but she started to have her doubts. This was insane. What did she think she could possibly accomplish by following Jonathon? She must’ve been totally stupid to leave the safety of the camp. This time she only had herself to blame for her brainless actions.

  She saw a lone baobab tree in the distance and decided when she reached it, if she saw no further evidence she was going in the right direction, she would turn back. She was fairly confident she could retrace her steps, as she’d taken note of several landmarks along the way.

  Then, on a wide sandy patch she saw another clear imprint made by Charles’ boot. Yes, I’m right! Now all I have to do is speed up, she told herself and took longer strides making good progress across the low-lying grass. Here the vegetation was low, so unlikely to hide even a party of sleeping lions, so feeling more confident, and full of energy she pressed on.

  There was a shriek to her left and she watched in awe as a young impala, its coat a glossy red-brown, bounded past her closely followed by a cheetah that raced out from the shade of the trees. They were moving so fast they were a blur as they passed Amie. The big cat kept its eyes focused on its victim as it twisted to the side to outflank the antelope. The sheer strength and beauty of the animal and the rawness of the hunt kept Amie rooted to the spot. All thoughts of danger to herself flew out of her head as she watched the action.

  The impala was running for its life, or rather racing in leaps and bounds, using its back legs to push upwards and onwards. But while it might have stamina, the animal was no match for the cheetah, whose speed allowed it to overtake. With one last bound the cat leapt on its victim and almost fell on top of it, curling its two front legs around the struggling impala before dispatching it with its teeth. The unfortunate creature kicked wildly, making several attempts to escape, and for one brief moment Amie thought the small antelope was going to make i
t, as it bounded forwards a few steps before collapsing on the ground.

  Amie realised she’d been holding her breath during the action and it dawned on her she might be in considerable danger. She reached into her backpack and got out the large knife she’d taken from the kitchen. It was all she had to defend herself, but on this occasion, it seemed the cheetah, after one slow look around, was content to start feeding ferociously, allowing Amie to walk swiftly past while keeping a close eye on it. The fast chase had taken them some distance away, and Amie prayed the big cat wouldn’t need to kill again. She thought it unlikely, as Dirk had explained many times, most animals would only expend their energy to hunt to eat. Unlike humans who murder for gain or revenge, animals kept to a higher, more ethical, code of behaviour.

  The terrain now was sandier and Amie was able to follow the spoor left by the men. Although she was both hungry and tired, she kept on walking, pausing only to grab an energy bar from her backpack. In one hand she carried her water bottle, and after seeing the cheetah in action, she kept hold of the knife in her other.

  The straps from the backpack were beginning to cut into her shoulders making them ache, but she put up with the pain, as the majority of the weight she was carrying was from the water bottles. That was a lesson she would never forget; water was essential. Neither was she going to discard any of the empty water bottles, when she found water, she would refill them.

  She remembered cheetahs rarely strayed too far from a water supply, but she was not going to hunt around now, she still had to make up ground. She must also look for a place where she could spend the night.

  Back at the camp, Dirk and Helen were horrified when they realised Amie had gone.

  “How can she be so stupid?” exclaimed Dirk. “Has she no idea how dangerous it is? She doesn’t even have a weapon.”

  “She’s taken a knife,” said Helen reading the note she’d just found. “We should go after her, Dirk.”