by Davis Bunn
When Levi turned to his son, Kitra started toward Marc. Hesitantly at first, then in a rush that ended with her flinging herself into his arms. Marc buried his face in her hair. This was the feel of her, strong and feminine and warm and weary. He felt her heartbeat racing against his own. And never wanted this moment to end.
Chapter Forty-Eight
They needed only a week to build the second camp.
The fields on the other side of the forest were transformed into a hive of activity. Temporary structures and generators and satellite dishes sprouted from this new virtual city. The drone of choppers formed a constant backdrop to every passing day.
Marc stayed in the old camp because that was where the elders chose to remain. Kitra occasionally returned to the medical facility but spent most of her time at the new camp. Levi helped oversee the camp’s development. Serge did what he could to help his sister, but his captivity at the extraction facility had left him brutally exhausted. He spent a lot of time in one of the new portable cabins, resting and eating and resting some more.
At Philip’s request, Kitra served as a key negotiator in the settlement talks. These discussions grew to where they included representatives of the United Nations and the Kenyan government and the elders of almost three dozen displaced villages. The Americans were there as well, yet officially they served only as observers. Still, everyone involved knew the senior man represented the White House, and his word carried sufficient weight to move things forward.
The Chinese government lodged official protests. When the press used this as a lever to pry more deeply into the entire affair, the Chinese went oddly silent. For Marc it was like watching a predator retreat inside its cave. Waiting.
The negotiations took place at the new camp, because Philip and Oyango and the other elders insisted, and the Americans backed their request. The elders and Kitra and Walton and Marc all wanted to keep Nairobi at a distance. And the newcomers to the Kenyan government agreed. The risk of corruption and illicit underhanded acts were still very real.
The meetings dragged on and on. But Kitra did not mind. In fact, despite the long hours, Kitra seemed to grow more alive and energetic with each passing hour. By the eighth day, Levi had taken to sitting with the elders beneath the massive baobab tree while his daughter remained sequestered with the committee, poring over documents and arguing the minutiae of several agreements. Marc remained with Levi, or walked the perimeter with Kamal’s and Crowder’s combined team.
Lodestone was under investigation, their worldwide assets frozen, their operations in Africa shut down. Boyd Crowder had personally accepted assignment as head of all commercial security forces operating in Kenya. He had taken over one of the new camp’s square white huts as his temporary headquarters. Kamal was to become one of his senior officers, while Rigby was promoted to chief of operations. Marc saw less and less of them.
Everyone felt the press of silent foes, the pressure to either complete this or face defeat. The threat of attack spurred them on. On the tenth day, word filtered out that it was done.
A feast was held beneath the forest’s dead limbs. A combination of nations and peoples joined together as first the Kenyan delegate and then the UN security chief and then Philip and finally Oyango spoke. They asked Marc to say a few words as well, but he declined. As did Levi. It was left to Kitra to address the gathering. Marc only half heard her words. She sounded so authoritative. So much in her element.
A Kenyan corporation had been formed. It would hold all licenses for the extraction and refinement of the rare earths. This would be done in joint venture with an Israeli corporation. Kitra and Levi Korban were to be designated as officers. The Israeli shares were to be held in trust by their community.
The evacuated villages would be relocated and restored. The process of returning the people from the camps and from Kibera had already started.
One third of all profits from the corporation were to go to the villages. And their children. And their children’s children.
As Kitra spoke, Marc watched another chopper rise off the new landing pad and disappear. He knew it was only a matter of time before hers took off as well.
Which meant that he was ready when she approached him that evening and asked if they could take a walk. As ready as he would ever be.
A gentle sunset wind blew steady from the east, pushing the volcano’s cloud away from them. They passed under the first dry limbs, and she said, “This is where it all started. You enlisted the help of men who had no reason to trust you, and you brought order to the camp’s chaos. You protected the weak. You made friends where the people had been taught to treat all outsiders as threats. As enemies.”
Marc took her hand and did not speak.
“I have watched you time and again, Marc Royce. And each time I feel more strongly what I sensed the first time I laid eyes on you.”
He wanted to ask, but decided silence was better.
She said, “I knew that you were the man I had thought I would never meet. A man strong enough to accept me for who I am. A man who would not be threatened. Who would love me as I am, and as I hope to become.”
“I couldn’t help but dream of hearing you say those words,” he said.
“And I lay awake through all the nights since meeting you,” she replied, “fearing we would never know a time that was truly ours.”
He said, “The whole time I was in Israel, I listened to you speak. Not in words, but to my heart. And I knew I had a choice. Either I came with you, or we would not have a future.”
“You cannot ask me to live anywhere else. I would despair. Our love would die before it had a chance to live.”
“That was the most important lesson I brought back with me from Israel,” he confirmed. “Understand the move and do it with my eyes wide open or not at all.”
They drifted through the trees, taking their time. Knowing each step was vital, each word. Overhead, the white limbs reached out and carved a secret scroll upon the sunset. He wanted to sweep her up and promise her the world and his life both.
Finally she said, “You have touched the secret parts of my soul, Marc. The parts no one else will ever know exist.”
He shivered through a long breath. “I am bound to a different land, Kitra.”
“I know,” she said with mournful softness. “So well. I know.”
He stopped walking and turned toward her, but she did not meet his gaze until he cradled her face in his hands. “I feel a calling to my own homeland, as strong as what you have for your own.”
“I know this also,” she whispered. “All too well.”
“I have to do as God calls. I have spent the days since we returned praying. So far, he has not answered.”
“He will. This I know. And when he does, I pray he changes your heart.” Her smile trembled. “I know it is a selfish desire, and I don’t care. Know this also, Marc Royce. I will wait for your decision.”
He was still trying to shape his response when she leaned forward and kissed him quickly.
When they parted, it was to hear her say, “Only do not make me wait too long.”
Davis Bunn, a professional novelist for over twenty years, is the author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than six million copies. His work has been published in sixteen languages, and his critical acclaim includes three Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Formerly an international business executive working in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Bunn is now a lecturer in creative writing and Writer in Residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between the English countryside and the coast of Florida.
You will find more about the author and his work on his website, davisbunn.com. Sign up for newsletters and live chats with Davis, along with information about upcoming books and films.
Books by Davis Bunn
* * *
Rare Earth
Lion of Babylon
Gold of Kings
The Black Madonna
All Through the Night
My Soul to Keep
The Great Divide
Winner Take All
Imposter
The Book of Hours
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
Book of Dreams
Hidden in Dreams
ACTS OF FAITH*
The Centurion’s Wife
The Hidden Flame
The Damascus Way
SONG OF ACADIA*
The Meeting Place
The Birthright
The Sacred Shore
The Distant Beacon
The Beloved Land
HEIRS OF ACADIA †
The Solitary Envoy
The Innocent Libertine
The Noble Fugitive
The Night Angel
Falconer’s Quest
* with Janette Oke † with Isabella Bunn
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