Hunted

by Chris Ryan

  He understood, and smiled. 'I told you you'd work it out,' he said quietly.

  'I did,' she agreed in a whisper, 'but I was wrong. I was struggling to do it on my own. I should have known when to accept help; that's part of teamwork. You kept trying to help me and I wouldn't let you. Instead I struggled on my own and wouldn't let anyone in. In the end, you did save me; you and Amber. If you hadn't made me tell her, I wouldn't be here now.'

  'Stop smooching, you two,' called Alex. 'We've got to get this chute down.'

  Li flashed Paulo a smile, then turned, grasped some branches and levered herself up. She caught the harness and gave it a hard tug. It came down in a shower of branches and Li jumped nimbly back down.

  'I'm afraid it's full of holes,' she said. 'The poachers took pot shots at me. Then they got a call on their bleeper thing and decided they'd shot me enough.' Her tone changed.

  'That'll be their detector. They must be out getting another elephant,' said Hex.

  'I think they'll find it's something else . . .' said Alex.

  The poacher with the scarred cheek drove the Land Rover. His partner with the hyena tooth had the detector. He watched its winking light greedily.

  'We just got paid and already there's more ivory out there, calling to us,' said Hyena-tooth. 'It's going to be a good night. Stop here.'

  Scarface braked and cut the engine. He reached over the seat for his gun. With the heel of his hand he slammed another magazine in.

  The poachers climbed out. Hyena-tooth consulted his tracer again and nodded in the direction it indicated. Scarface checked which way the wind was blowing. Then the two poachers went forwards cautiously. Until they fired their shots they would work in silence. The elephants were so easily startled away.

  Scarface stopped and listened. Hyena-tooth, attuned to his movements, did the same; then his companion walked on.

  Scarface stopped again. The moon was up so he could see quite well, but he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. It seemed to be a lion, a big shape with a strong musky smell. His tail twitched like a long, lazy skipping rope.

  Scarface glanced at Hyena-tooth. The other poacher was looking at the detector. 'It must have scared away the elephant.' He raised his gun.

  Suddenly both poachers were knocked to the ground as powerful feline bodies cannoned into them. Then it started: a frenzy of roaring as the lions went in for the kill. Two screams rang out briefly but the howls drowned them and echoed across the night sky.

  Driving back, Alpha Force heard the screams. Paulo slowed; when the drone of the engine faded the five heard the unmistakable sounds of lions squabbling over a kill. That lasted just moments and gave way to loud purring, eerie and savage.

  Alpha Force listened, awestruck.

  Alex was the first to speak. His voice was grim. 'That's the first time the mice went looking for the cats.'

  27

  A NEW BEGINNING

  Paulo turned the Jeep off |he road and into the bush.

  'Mind the baboons,' laughed Li, as a family of the creatures skittered away from the wheels.

  It was the morning after the poachers' rendezvous on the airstrip. Alpha Force had been to the hospital, where Amber's ankle was X-rayed and strapped up. Nothing was broken, but the ligaments were ripped and needed complete rest. While Amber was being treated, Joe had been delighted to find the others in the waiting room. He was on his way back from dropping the evidence off at the police station and had good news – Tessa was sitting up in bed and was ready to have visitors.

  Now Alpha Force were in the Jeep, on one last mission in the park. Paulo drove; Alex sat beside him with the detector. Hex was in the back with Amber and Li, and the camcorder. They were going to prepare a surprise for Tessa when she got home.

  'What a relief to see her looking so well,' said Amber.

  'Wasn't it weird, though,' said Hex. 'After what Patrick told us I kept looking at the bed to see if she still had both legs.'

  Amber squealed and her hands flew up to her mouth. 'I did too. And she saw me staring – it was so embarrassing.'

  'I don't think she'd been told she nearly lost her leg, do you?' said Paulo.

  'No,' agreed Amber. 'And I didn't want to be the one to tell her.'

  'Joe did the right thing telling her about Moya, though,' said Li. 'Better she hears now than coming back and discovering an empty pen.'

  Alex, in the front seat, was looking at the detector. 'I think they're close. Just bear left a bit, Paulo.'

  Amber was looking over his shoulder, trying to get a view of the detector. 'It's definitely Thunderbird and the others, is it? Tessa will know if we get the wrong elephants.'

  Hex, beside her, gave her a withering look. 'We may not know one pachyderm from another, but that little box does.'

  'And we can definitely get this printed and so on before she gets back?' said Li.

  Hex patted his waist belt. 'I've got the palmtop right here. We shoot some footage, choose some good stills, e-mail them to the shop I found, and they'll print them out as posters. Then Joe picks them up on his way back from the police and we put them up in her room. Hey presto – Brains, Penelope and Thunderbird on her wall, welcoming her home in person.'

  Paulo turned round briefly. 'Hey, I could get on Thunderbird for one of the pictures,' he said proudly. 'That would give Tessa a surprise.'

  'Actually,' Amber whispered to Li, 'Tessa told me she used to ride Thunderbird when she was little.'

  Li's eyes widened. She glanced at Paulo, who was concentrating on steering around some marula trees. 'You're kidding!' she hissed. 'The fraud!'

  'I didn't have the heart to tell him,' said Amber. 'He's been so proud of himself. And she had a Spanish ranger to help her, so that's why Thunderbird took to Paulo.'

  Li put her hand over her mouth, but she couldn't stop the giggles that erupted inside her like a geyser.

  Hex looked at them, his expression begging to be told.

  'Girl thing,' said Amber through clenched teeth. 'I'll tell you later.'

  'If Thunderbird was Tessa's childhood playmate, it's a good thing we kept her out of that minefield,' Li whispered to Amber. 'But that elephant certainly knows how to get into trouble.'

  Alex was still monitoring the detector. 'They're just here,' he said.

  'Is it all three of them?' said Paulo.

  'Looks like it,' said Alex. 'Get ready with the camera, Hex.'

  'I'll put it on zoom so we don't have to go too close,' said Hex.

  Paulo slowed the Jeep and let it crawl as it came round the tree. In the distance, the three craggy grey shapes were feeding from an acacia tree. The trunks went up like periscopes, sniffed the air and then relaxed again. The Jeep and its occupants had been registered, and accepted as friendly.

  Hex put the camcorder to his eye and focused.

  'Do you think we can go closer?' said Paulo.

  'I think they might not want us to right now,' said Hex, his eye to the viewfinder. He pressed pause and handed the camcorder to Amber.

  Amber lifted it to her eye. When she saw what Hex had been looking at, she gasped. She was about to blurt out what she was seeing, but then she bit her tongue. It would be more fun if her friends saw for themselves. She lowered the camera without saying anything, and passed it to Li.

  Li, intrigued, looked through the viewfinder. A big smile broke out on her face.

  'What is it?' said Alex. But Li put her fingers to her lips in a shushing movement and simply handed the camera to him.

  Alex looked at the elephants. He saw what the others had seen. He could feel Paulo's eyes burning into him with curiosity, waiting for an explanation. Alex decided to play it very, very cool. He nodded to himself sagely and handed the camcorder to Paulo.

  When Paulo looked through the viewfinder he saw: a tiny, wrinkled grey shape standing in front of Thunderbird. The big elephant was caressing it with her trunk, her ears paddling gently back and forth in an expression of contentment. Penelope and Brains were busy pullin
g down branches of acacia and piling them up for a feast.

  A big grin spread across Paulo's face. 'Wow,' he said. 'Thunderbird's had a calf.'

  'All this time she was pregnant,' said Li. 'Why didn't it show?'

  'Just look at all that baggy skin she's got,' said Alex. 'We had no way of knowing. Even the rangers didn't know.'

  Paulo was filming. The grin on his face was enormous. 'The calf's getting up to suckle. It looks strong and healthy. Just wait until Tessa sees this.'

  EPILOGUE

  The first-class lounge of Lusaka airport was quiet. Lam Lau-Ke always relished the moment he walked through its doors. The hurly burly of flight calls and bored passengers killing time, the heady fug of fast food all disappeared. Instead there was a gentle clinking as clean crystal glasses were placed on the bar, the smell of leather furniture and the subtle hint of expensive aftershave. He looked at his watch: an hour until his dawn flight to Hong Kong. There was time for a refreshing drink.

  He carried a sturdy flight bag; it was Louis Vuitton – nothing else would take the weight of the ivory time after time. He always carried it with him as hand baggage, never trusted it to the hold. It took him over the baggage allowance, but that could always be sorted out by paying a fee here and there. The airport staff were used to rich international travellers who preferred to keep their valuable items closely guarded.

  The pilot had flown him to Lusaka from the pick-up in the jungle. Again there was nothing unusual about this: small chartered planes came in from game parks all over the country as a matter of routine. As usual, he'd gone by a circuitous route so that it wasn't obvious which park he had come from; the journey had taken five hours instead of two. You could never be too careful.

  The handover this time hadn't gone as smoothly as he'd liked, but Lam Lau-Ke accepted that you had a rough ride once in a while. That was the nature of the business. The people in the balloon were probably just tourists from one of the lodges and didn't know what they were seeing. That was why the tusks were cut up into small pieces; so tourists wouldn't know what they were.

  He went to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. He felt he had definitely earned it. He barely noticed the two figures who came in through the door. They wore the local police uniform. They must have wandered in by mistake. He turned his attention to the view of the taxiing area outside. Planes glided past on their way to the runway, the livery painted on their tails giving a hint of far-flung destinations – Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates. Soon he would be sitting in first class on board a Cathay Pacific bound for Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong.

  The barman put his drink on the mahogany counter. Its sparkling depths looked long, cool and refreshing. His hand went to the glass.

  'Mr Lam?' said a voice behind him.

  Annoyed, he looked round. It was the two policemen. They both carried sub-machine guns.

  'Would you come with us, please,' said one of them. 'We have a warrant for your arrest.'

  CHRIS RYAN'S TOP SAS

  TIPS ON DEALING WITH

  WILD ANIMALS

  Africa is teeming with dangerous animals. They may appear harmless and passive, but they can attack with blinding speed. Your most important weapon is knowledge. If you are lucky enough to be travelling or on safari in Africa, do take the time to learn about the animals you might meet there before you set out, and pay attention to anything the local guides tell you. Li knows a lot about different animals, but she and the rest of Alpha Force still find they have a lot to learn during their stay. In a tricky situation, knowing how an animal thinks could save your life!

  SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT WILD ANIMALS

  Animals don't attack because they want to eat you. They attack because they think you've threatened them – usually by getting too close. People have been killed by lions – in one incident simply because they drove right up to the lions and then got out to take a close-up photo. This doesn't means that you can't still observe dangerous animals – just remember to keep at a safe distance. Even lions will avoid you if you don't get too close.

  Many people say that wild animals are more afraid of us than we are of them. This is probably true, but rather misleading. When wild animals are afraid, they don't do what a human does and run away. Instead, they get very, very bad tempered – and it's generally not a good idea to encounter a bad-tempered wild animal on its home territory!

  Wild animals will defend the territory around them: it is where they find their food and rear their family, and if you encroach upon it they think that you want to hurt them or their young, or steal their food or their mate.

  When you approach big game – even at a very safe distance – be cautious and quiet: no loud noises and no sudden movements. And if they are nursing their young, or eating, or mating, they should be given an even wider berth.

  Always avoid approaching animals that look as though they might be wounded or ill. They will be more likely to panic because they can't run away. And beware of any animal that has become separated from its herd – it may feel anxious without the support of its companions. In Africa you could also come across an animal that's been tranquillized, perhaps for medical treatment or for tagging. Although it may look dopey it could wake up in an instant with a big fright. So steer well clear.

  Never, ever go near any young animal; its parents will be close by. If you get between a young animal and its parents, you could be in big trouble. A baby animal might look soft and cuddly, but its parent certainly won't be, so avoid it!

  Don't try to feed animals, or leave food for them. If you do, eventually they will lose their fear of humans. Then they can become a nuisance and a danger, entering villages and campsites to steal food. If this happens, the authorities may have to destroy them so you aren't doing them any favours in the long run. If you're camping in an area near to where wild animals roam, don't leave food lying about – it will tempt them in. Dispose of litter carefully, especially if it's been in contact with food.

  Finally, never corner or tease a wild animal. You might think that's common sense, but safari organizers have to point this out to tourists time and time again.

  WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS MIGHT YOU

  ENCOUNTER IN AFRICA?

  There are two kinds of animals – predators, which hunt their food and are carnivorous (this means they could eat you); and herbivores – animals that eat grasses and vegetation. Even though herbivores don't want to eat you, it doesn't necessarily mean they are safe to be around. Just remember what that herbivorous elephant did to the poacher who upset it!

  PREDATORS

  Here are some of the more common predators you could see in Africa:

  Lions

  The big cats just want easy lives and don't necessarily see you as food. But never take this for granted; you never know if the cat you've met is desperately hungry, or ill and afraid. Lions can smell blood from miles away and will home in on an injured animal.

  If you find yourself confronting a big cat, don't run. That's the worst thing you can do, as you'll trigger its kill response. Shout and wave your arms, trying to make yourself look as big as possible. A predator needs to remain fit in order to survive, so if you look as though you might injure it, it may let you go. Although every instinct in your body might be telling you to run away, you have to do exactly the opposite and stand your ground. I've heard stories from safari guides who had experienced being charged by a lion. As the lion got closer and closer, they continued to shout and scream, and it was only at the last minute that it roared and turned away. Needless to say, it was very frightening.

  Be especially careful around predators in the early morning. Most of their hunting is done at night, so you'll be likely to come across feeding animals at dawn. If you see vultures circling in the sky, move away because you may be near to lions feeding on a kill. At night, if you hear lions roaring, there has probably been a kill nearby. Move away, because male lions will be coming in to eat and you might cross their path.

  Crocodiles

&n
bsp; Crocs are also vicious predators. They skulk close to the banks of rivers, ready to grab likely prey, or fight off threats to their territory. They'll grab any animal, humans included. By the time they pounce, it's usually too late – although people have escaped crocodile attacks by thumping them hard on the soft part of the nose.

  If you're walking or camping near to croc-infested waters, keep a good distance away from the bank – at least ten metres. If you're in a boat, don't dangle your arms and legs over the side or you might provoke an attack.

  HERBIVORES

  Hippos

  Harmless herbivores? No. In Africa more people are killed by the hippopotamus than by any other animal. They look cuddly, clumsy and harmless, but they are very aggressive and territorial and they can run 100 metres in nine seconds – so if they chase you, they will catch you.

  Hippos can move just as fast in water as they can on land and will attack boats – although not if they have engines. When I was in the regiment we were paddling an inflatable boat up a river at night with the engine off so that we could move silently. It was pitch black and suddenly this great mouth loomed out of the water and bit the end off the boat. Because it was an inflatable it went bang, which scared the hippo off; otherwise it would have tipped us out and gored us with its tusks.

  Hippos are also incredibly strong. In Botswana, when we were filming Hunting Chris Ryan, I found a six-metre crocodile that had been bitten in two by a hippo.

  On land, they're just as bad-tempered. If you get between a hippo and the water's edge, it will feel threatened: it will panic and you'll be trampled. Be even more careful to avoid hippos during the dry season, as the waterways shrink – and it's also the time when they're looking out for mates.

  Elephants