by PJ Skinner
There was great excitement as sacks of rice and sugar and boxes of cooking oil and biscuits were unloaded. Sam spotted some boxes of UHT milk and tinned tuna. There were even crates of live chickens, which were the worse for wear and needed to be revived with water. The booty was taken to the kitchens and stored away from sight.
Fred groaned as the precious biscuits disappeared into the store.
‘I’d kill for a biscuit,’ he said.
‘You’re not the only one,’ said Brian.
The Filipinos had assembled their paltry possessions and loitered near the bus. Marco came over to shake Sam’s hand and gave her two packets of cigarettes ‘for emergencies.’ Sam hid them in the shin pocket of her cargo pants.
Eduardo emerged from the hut and went over to the kitchens where he engaged in an earnest conversation with Tereza. As Sam watched them, Eduardo gave Tereza something that she put in her pocket without looking at it. He turned to go. Sam was sure he had seen her but he did not approach her.
She could not understand it. And to make matters worse, Bob was getting on the bus. He waved sheepishly at her. He looked relieved and tired, like an old man after a party. Why was she not on the bus, too? Sam could not believe it. What about women and children first? She looked left and right trying to find someone who could help her get on the bus with Bob. She saw only the devastated faces of Fred and Brian, who looked as if they might collapse with chagrin.
‘Why is that useless old fucker leaving first?’ asked Brian.
‘Because he's a useless old fucker I expect,’ said Sam without irony. The comment was not received well by Brian and Fred but Sam had worked it out by then. Bob was not worth very much ransom because he was a mechanic. Brian, on the other hand, was head of security and could provide important information about the security arrangements in the Gemsite mines. Fred had all the statistics for the diamonds in his head, including how big, what quality and where from.
But why had they kept her? Sam suspected that someone had suggested to the rebels that she was Black’s new pet and could be used to turn the screw on him. Something she doubted very much, considering how much he loved his money. It was all going wrong and she was powerless to stop it. Why hadn’t the General told Eduardo to get her out? She could not understand why he pretended not to know her. So she stood in mute horror as the bus pulled off without her. She felt abandoned and had only Brian and Fred for company. Could it get any worse?
Sam was deeply depressed over the next few days. She found it hard to eat, despite the luxury of rice and tuna for the evening meal instead of funge. Tereza even smuggled her out a packet of biscuits, which she put in her rucksack instead of eating. The children picked up on her despondency. Pibé was quite affected by it. He spent a lot of time sitting with her and refused to play with the other children. Sam became concerned by his lack of energy. She invited him into her lap for a cuddle to cheer them both up. Putting her arms around him, she held him close, crooning into his ear. She was alarmed to feel how hot his skinny body was to the touch. The little boy was like a furnace. She could barely tolerate him on her lap.
‘Are you alright, Pibé?’ she asked. ‘You feel very hot.’
The little boy nodded but his eyes were yellow. He was drenched in a cold sweat. His eyes rolled up into his head and his body went limp. Sam only just managed to catch him as he fell backwards off her lap. She lifted him onto her chest and walked to the cooking area. She soon spotted Tereza, who looked up and dropped the large spoon she was holding. She ran up to Sam and took the boy from her. She noticed the heat he was giving off.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ asked Sam.
‘Malaria,’ said his distraught mother. ‘He is so weak. How will he survive?’ She forgot about Sam and took Pibé into one of the huts near the kitchens. Sam followed her. Tereza wiped the boy with a damp cloth.
‘Will you give him medicine?’ asked Sam.
‘I do not have any medicine. He must survive without it.’
‘But he could die!’
‘Yes, I lost a daughter to malaria two years ago. Life is hard, and God takes away your children when he wants to.’
Sam was infuriated by the mention of God. She thought that the death of so many children from disease and famine was good proof that there was no such thing as God. She had malaria tablets in her bag that could save the little boy but now she was not sure she wanted to give them away. What if she was a captive for months? What if she got malaria and had no medicine? She was not like the local people, who were inured to the effects to a great extent. If she got cerebral malaria, she would die for sure.
Pibé moaned and sank into the bed, becoming thinner and frailer in an instant. Sam was sure that her instincts were trying to tell her something. Surely they would be rescued soon. She would be certain to put repellent on all the time. She cursed her conscience. Why couldn’t she be a shit like Black or Brian?
‘Tereza, are you sure that it's malaria?’
‘Oh, yes, we have all had it many times. I am worried about Pibé because he is so thin and tired.’
‘I have some malaria tablets in my rucksack. I will bring them now. Wait here.’
Without waiting for a reply, Sam headed for her hut and rooted around in her rucksack for the tablets. Taking them out, she sat on her bed, considering the box and the potential consequences of giving it away.
She tried to form an argument for keeping them for herself but it was hopeless. It was infuriating to be so well brought up. At that moment, she hated both her parents and their honesty and bravery that she had been immersed in from an early age. No lying was tolerated. Everyone else came first. She was forced to play with the unpopular children at parties because being kind was important. Now, she was going to risk her life for a little boy who was bound to die of something else, even if he survived the malaria. How bloody annoying.
She slipped out of her hut and walked across the camp to Tereza’s hut. She stopped outside and read the instructions in the bright sunlight before she went in.
Brian was passing by. ‘What’s wrong with the wee lad?’ he asked.
‘Malaria.'
‘That’s him dead then,’ he said, in a matter of fact way.
Sam almost punched him. But he had made her mind up for her. She entered the hut and helped Tereza dose the boy with tablets.
Tereza grasped Sam’s hands. ‘Thank you, thank you. I don’t know how to thank you.’
‘Just look after Pibé for me. He’s the only reason I survive from day to day.’
Sam had said it to make Tereza feel less beholden but she knew it to be true even as the words formed in the stifling air of the dirty hut. She looked down at Pibé on the bed. She saw that Tereza had given him the pink teddy bear to hold. The teddy was not pink at all now but dirty and matted.
Tereza smiled. ‘He loves the teddy,’ she said. ‘I could never afford to buy him any toys.’
Sam felt so ashamed that the teddy was not even from her but a cast off from Pedro. She earned a fortune compared to anyone from Tamazia and could not imagine living in that sort of poverty. She leaned over and caressed his cheek with her finger.
‘Come on, Pibé, don’t leave me here alone,’ she murmured.
Despite the medicine, Pibé lingered for three days between life and death before turning the corner. Sam stayed by his side when Tereza could not. Edison often sat with her. Pibé lay very still in his bed, fighting the invasion in his small body. Sam was still depressed by her predicament but sitting beside the almost lifeless boy gave her a sense of perspective.
She knew that her mother and father would have been informed about what had happened to her by now. Her flippant comment to them that she could leave if she wanted to came back to haunt her.
As Pibé recovered, Sam tried to build bridges with Brian and Fred. As much as she hated them for the way she had been treated, she knew that there was often strength in numbers. Kardo seemed very far away, both in distance and in time. None of them
had been party to the negotiations with the capital, so the uncertainty of their position made them desperate to discuss the possible scenarios of their incarceration.
‘We should try to escape,’ said Brian.
‘To where?’ asked Fred.
‘I’m pretty sure the Zambian border is close,’ said Sam. ‘We walked north from Kardo. I was watching the sun.’
‘But how do we get out of the compound? We’re locked in at night,’ said Fred.
‘What do we do if we reach the border? Will the guards let us cross without a bribe? The rebels might hunt us down in a day and their treatment might not be so benign as a result,’ said Sam.
‘It’s safer to stay in camp until we’re given news by Joao about the payment of the ransom. We should know next week according to him.’
'It's certain to take a while to settle on the exact amount but I don’t doubt that it will be paid, as Black has taken a shine to Sam,’ said Brian.
‘I don’t know what you did to him,’ said Fred. ‘I suspect that even the Filipino girls are less skilled at getting what they want.’
‘Maybe he’ll only pay for me, then,’ said Sam.
‘For fuck’s sake, woman, why can’t you quit when you're ahead?’ said Brian. But he could not help smiling.
The relaxed atmosphere in the camp had even had its effect on him and he could be spotted playing chess with the MARFO commander in the evenings. Even Fred had started to thaw, helping people with their mobile phones and trying to scrounge food from the women in the kitchens. Whilst it was true that there was no violence directed at them, there was a certain menace surrounding the closed meetings that sometimes took place in the meeting hut.
Afterwards, the fighters would emerge red-eyed from the smoke and glare at the captives with what seemed like loathing.
XIV
Back in Mondongo, Black was getting ready to meet the General, who was coming to the Gemsite office with news of the ransom demand. He called for some tea.
Pedro put his head around the door. ‘The secretary is at lunch, boss. Can I help?’
‘Yes, you can get me some tea.’
Pedro could see that he was in a good mood. He knew that Black was buoyed by the news from Ewen of near record production from Kardo. The ransom was sure to hurt but with this sort of production, it would not make much difference to the bottom line over the quarter.
The tea in Gemsite’s Mondongo office had also run out. No one had dared tell Black. Pedro was not fazed, though. He knew that Sam kept tea in the Villa Alice for her visits to Mondongo. He drove there as fast as he could, determined to keep his boss in a good mood.
He found Sam’s supply stashed in a box in the kitchen pantry. These British people and their tea. He could never understand why they would not drink coffee, like everyone else. Grabbing a handful of bags from the container, he shoved them into a plastic bag he found in the kitchen. He also stole a packet of biscuits that was hidden in the box. She would not need any of this stuff now.
He spotted the floral dress rolled up and shoved into a corner of the box. Smirking, he remembered Sam’s panic when she realised she would have to sleep with him to keep him quiet. He did not even like her that much; just pushing his luck.
Mind you, she was worth it. If she ever got out, he would make sure he got some more of that.
On his way back into the office, he met Eduardo, who loitered beside the General’s limousine, smoking a cheroot. Never one to miss the chance of picking up some high-level gossip, Pedro took out a cigarette and approached him for a light.
‘Good afternoon, Eduardo. Are you here with the General?’
‘Pedro, good afternoon. Yes, my boss is inside with your boss.’
‘I heard that there is news on the ransom demand?’
Eduardo nodded and rubbed his thumb against his index and middle finger.
‘Well, I guess the hostages must be worth that much to Black.’
‘The General would pay that much for only one of them,’ said Eduardo and winked.
‘Really,’ said Pedro. ‘I had no idea.’
Eduardo, who liked to make himself look important by affecting knowledge that he did not have, winked again.
‘Oh, yes. I have it on good authority that, well, you know, Sam stayed the weekend with him on the island.’ He made an obscene gesture with his hands.
‘Is that so?’ Pedro struggled to remain calm and neutral. ‘You never can tell. I’d better get these tea bags inside before Black gets withdrawal symptoms. Not a pretty sight.’
‘Of course. Good to see you.’
Pedro was by now quivering with rage. The bitch. He knew she was lying about the General. She was spying for him. Black was being led up the garden path by that lying cow. But Pedro would not allow it. His honour was at stake. He went upstairs to the boardroom.
Black was alone, smoking a cigarette.
‘Here’s your tea. Shall I make you a cup?’
‘No, not yet. I’ll wait for the General to come back. He’s making a call downstairs in the office. Leave the teabags in the kitchen.’
Pedro did not leave. He stood hovering in the doorway, despite the very obvious dismissal he had received from Black.
‘Was there something you wanted, Pedro?’ he asked.
‘I think there’s something you ought to know. About Sam. Sam and the General.’
‘Sam and the General?'
‘My sources tell me they were having an affair.’
‘An affair? Are you mad? What makes you think that? How on earth has Sam had an affair with the General in Kardo? The General lives in Mondongo, and he hasn’t visited Kardo since last year when we invited the government to the inauguration of the new plant.’
Pedro stuck to his guns.
‘I have good information that Sam’s been meeting the General in Mondongo and that she’s been passing him production information about Kardo.’
‘Now that is ridiculous! Sam didn’t have any access to that sort of information until I went there on my last trip. I had to wait until Fred was drunk before she could access his precious information. She couldn’t have passed any information about that night to the General. She was kidnapped straight afterwards.’
Pedro faltered, doubting his own certainty. But he could not back down now. That would be fatal.
‘The General’s man, Eduardo, told me. He is very close to the General. He should know.’
At that moment, the General stepped back into the room and caught the last volley from Pedro.
‘What has Eduardo been telling you?’ he asked. ‘He is the most terrible gossip. I wouldn’t believe half of it.’
***
Black needed time to think.
‘Pedro, go and tell the girls to make us some tea. General, you will have some English tea?’
‘Yes, thank you. I hope that Eduardo has not been spreading more false rumours. I am tempted to cut out his tongue.’
This was said in a weary tone of voice that suggested that this was not the first indiscretion committed by Eduardo but one in a long line of similar leaks and fibs.
Black was sure that the General was more than capable of cutting out Eduardo’s tongue, if he was in the mood. He would proceed with caution.
‘So, General, I presume this is not a social visit?’
‘You are correct. I have had news from the rebel camp. They are asking for one million dollars for the hostages. I cannot tell if this is a final demand but I don’t recommend pushing them too far, as they are quite capable of killing the hostages if they don’t get what they want.’
‘One million dollars! Holy fuck! Even my mother’s not worth that much. Are you sure they won’t negotiate?’
‘They might, but they might not. Their leader, Joao Contes, is a bit of a hothead. And remember, they are holding Sam. Who knows what they could do to her?’
To Black’s immense surprise, he heard the General’s voice break when he said this. It was almost imperceptible but he ha
d not imagined it.
The girls arrived with the tea, giving the General time to compose himself. Black affected a relaxed demeanour as he asked the next question. ‘Have you met Sam, General?’
‘Yes, several times. She is a very special person; don’t you think?’
This was said with a total lack of guile but Black did not notice. His brain went into overdrive. He had been taken in by Sam. How could he have been so stupid? The woman was playing both sides. He should have known. Sam was just another lying, duplicitous, two-timing bitch.
But he held the cards now. ‘Yes, very special indeed. It would be a shame to lose her. Let me talk to my people about our finances. We have a diamond sale coming up. I hope that we can raise the money before it’s too late. Meanwhile, ask your sources to inquire about the ransom. I need to know if it’s a fixed price or if there could be some movement.’
‘That could be very dangerous.’
‘I’m not paying a million dollars to a bunch of terrorists. Get the price down, and I’ll think about it.’
The General looked taken aback but he nodded.
Black knew that he must have expected him to lower the ransom. He thought that everyone was well aware how much he loved his money, even the General.
‘Very well, Mr Black. We will talk tomorrow. I shall call you.’
‘Thank you for coming, General. I know how busy you are. Please give my regards to the President.’
‘I shall. Have a good day, Mr Black.’
After the General had left, Black worked himself into a fury. He was a primitive man and the only two colours he acknowledged were black and white. He had by now completely forgotten that Sam could not possibly have been feeding the General information before she had access to it.
His pride was hurt, too. He had imagined that his relationship with Sam was special and had even considered taking it further. Now he felt betrayed. Why should he pay a ransom for a traitor? And that buffoon Fred? Did he imagine that Black did not know what a useless, lazy, lump of lard he was? Pretending that no one else was clever enough to use the computer? Cheeky fucker. The only person worth a fig was Brian but was he worth one million dollars? Brian was always disagreeing with Black and talking back. His attitude betrayed his lack of respect.