‘Undo the front number plate and swap it with the one on the front of the saloon.’
‘How will this help?’ asked Loda puzzled.
‘Rangers will only see the front number to begin with. Once I’m through, I will swap it back. You will have to continue without a front number plate, tell any traffic cops it must have fallen off.’
‘Oh thanks! With two bodies in the boot, mzuri sana.’
Titus started the rover. ‘Don’t mess up,’ was his parting shot.
‘I won’t,’ Loda shot back grinning, ‘going to have some fun though. ‘He watched the rover disappear out of sight as he chewed miraa, thinking about what to do next. He had time he reasoned. The mzungu would wait in Voi, wondering where his friends were.
Loda decided he would drive slowly towards Voi looking for a turn off and then deal with his two captives. Tapping on the boot he called. ‘Are you still alive in there?’
‘Yes,’ a muffled shout from Doug.
‘Won’t be long now,’ Loda shouted back, smiling.
The saloon joined the highway. Doug could hardly breathe, Gem’s unconscious weight pressing against him in the restricted space. He had managed to peel away the carpeting from around the rear light, removed his belt and wrapped it around his fist. He felt for the back of the light fitting with his other hand and as the car moved off, punched it as hard as he could in the restricted space; the fitting fell outwards, flooding the boot with air. The cut over his eye was still seeping blood.
‘Gem,’ he called out as loud as he dared, ‘Gem.’ There was a small whimper in response. ‘Listen hon, we are in great danger. You’re lying on my leg, and I can’t reach my gun, sweetheart?’
Another whimper. ‘Where are we?’ she asked weakly.
‘We are locked in a car trunk; can you reach my gun? We don’t have much time,’ he pleaded.
‘Ohhh my head,’ she moaned, but he could feel her hand exploring his leg.
‘The other one,’ he encouraged her.
‘Oh I can’t move,’ she said.
‘Please try baby try, we are in serious trouble my love.’ Doug lifted his hips up as far as he could. ‘Try now darling,’ Gem wailed in pain, a deep muted sound. He felt her fingers on his ankle holster. ‘Yes that’s it love, unsnap the cover.’ She carefully pulled the gun out. Their hands found each other in the murky light and Doug gratefully took the pistol. ‘Sweetie, I’m going to get us through this, hang on baby.’ He heard the car slow and move onto the uneven surface of a dirt road - bastard’s going to kill us for sure. He felt his anger rising, overriding his fear.
‘Ok Gem, now listen carefully. I need a clear shot at him. When he opens the boot, you sit up immediately and move to your side of the car. Do you understand love?’
‘Yes, I will try. I don’t want to die, please God.’
‘Courage sweetheart, wait until I tell you, all I will say is, go!’
‘My head hurts so bad,’ she said.
‘Yes baby,’ he soothed. The car slowed and then stopped.
‘Ok, honey this is it,’ he hissed, ‘wait for my word.’
Loda turned off the engine and got out of the car. He stretched in luxuriant expectation, looking around him to make sure they were in a secluded spot. Satisfied, he walked round to the back of the car. His gun in one hand, car keys in the other, he slid the key into the lock and turned it.
Doug shouted. ‘Go!’ The boot lid flew open and Gem sat up. Loda instinctively stepped back, but not far enough. Doug shot twice in quick succession at his silhouette. Loda staggered and fell backwards. Doug shouted again. ‘Up, quick baby.’ Gem stood up freeing his legs.
Loda lying on his back, loosed off a shot that hit the boot lid, just missing Gem. Doug was over the side in a flash, arm outstretched as he dived full-length on top of the killer. The pistol on Loda’s neck. Doug pulled the trigger.
The bullet passed upward under his jaw and through his skull, killing him instantly. Doug, adrenaline pumping, grabbed Loda’s gun and scrambled to his feet, ready to shoot again. His head wound had started bleeding again and he looked a dreadful sight. Gem screamed, thinking he had been shot.
‘I’m ok,’ he shouted, ‘he’s dead!’ Pointing at Loda’s body.
She sat down on the grass and started to cry. ‘What’s happening to us, why are these people trying to kill us, who are they?’
‘I don’t know, it’s something to do with Brian. We can’t stay here, hold this,’ he handed her the other gun, ripped off his blood soaked T-shirt and tore it into strips. ‘We have to go now. Can you see the car keys anywhere?’
Gem roused herself and looked for them. Doug tied a strip round his head as a bandage, next he bent over the body and went through the pockets of Loda’s jeans, finding a wallet and a mobile phone. He switched the mobile off and threw it into the bush. Gem found the keys still in the boot lid and handed them to Doug.
‘Come on,’ he said, ‘let’s go.’ They were soon speeding back down the dirt track.
‘That cut on your head needs stitches,’ Gem said.
‘Yes I know, but well done sweetie, thank God we got out of that one. How’s your head?’ He asked.
Gem felt around her scalp. ‘I have a small cut here,’ she felt with her fingers, ‘and there’s a lump. It’s very sore. Oh look, our stuff is in the back,’ she exclaimed. ‘Stop, we need to clean ourselves up.’
Doug pulled over near the highway. ‘Is there any water in the car?’ he asked. ‘I’m so thirsty.’
Gem handed him a bottle of water she had found, and took out a fresh shirt for Doug and a box of tissues. Doug took a swig of the water and looked at his face in the rear view mirror. It was covered in drying blood, no wonder Gem had screamed. Up-ending the bottle onto the tissues, he cleaned off as much blood as he could.
‘We need to get hold of Brian as soon as possible. I can get cleaned up better at the service station.’
‘Brian! Who the hell is Brian? What if “they” are waiting for us at the station and how do we know Brian is not involved,’ Gem asked, working herself up.
‘They are after him as well. I heard them talking while you were knocked out,’ Doug told her.
‘I don’t care about him, I think it’s better we get you to a hospital, there must be an clinic in Voi and don’t you think we should go to the police?’
Doug opened Loda’s wallet and looked through it. He found an ID card. Loda was attached to the special crimes division of CID. He showed it to Gem. ‘No police love, we are on our own,’ he said wearily. ‘What the hell has that bloody mzungu been up to!’ He slipped on the new T-shirt. ‘Ok let’s go.’ They were only a few miles from Voi town. Doug skirted the service station. ‘See if you can see my bike,’ he told Gem, as he turned into a side road.
‘Yes I can see it!’ She said, ‘it’s parked by the restaurant.’
‘Good, now let’s look for a doctor,’ Doug said, as they entered the town. He pulled over in the town centre and asked a passing cyclist for the nearest Doctor or Clinic. The man helpfully explained how to get there - it wasn’t far.
Doug located the clinic and left Gem there while he drove a little way into town, and then down a side street before parking the car. He quickly looked through the vehicle for any further clues to the identity of the killers - he found nothing. Leaving the car unlocked and the car keys on the floor, he picked up his tools, put Loda’s gun in the bag and walked back to the clinic. Gem had managed to convince the receptionist of the urgency of Doug’s condition. She clucked in sympathy at his appearance and obvious painful condition and ushered him straight in to see the doctor.
The doctor unwound the t-shirt and cleaned up the wound.
‘Going to need stitches,’ he told Doug. ‘What happened?’
‘Hit and run, car ran into us, my wife also hit her head.’
Gem smiled at being described as Doug’s wife. ‘Yes, it hurts, but fix my husband up first,’ she smiled sweetly.
Doug said. ‘We
need to report the other driver right away. Is there a police station near here?’
‘All in good time,’ said the doctor kindly. He put a swab of cotton wool over the wound. ‘Hold on to that will you, don’t press too hard, we need to stem the bleeding.’
Turning his attention to Gem, he examined her head. ‘I’m afraid I will have to snip a little hair away, to get a good look at the cut.’
She wanted to argue and then shrugged in resignation.
Patched and bandaged up, they left the clinic thanking the doctor and walked in the opposite direction from where he had told them the police station was. ‘Where to now?’ Gem asked.
‘We need to get off the streets and contact Brian. I left my mobile in the rover, and don’t have his number. Look, there is a small hotel,’ Doug pointed, ‘let’s go in there.’
They sat at a table in the restaurant and Doug said. ‘One of us has to go and get hold of Brian. ’
‘I will go.’ Gem offered. ‘That bandage on your head draws too much attention.’
Doug was too weary to argue. ‘Ok, take a taxi, but don’t get out of it. Find Brian, and ask someone to call him over to the cab. Do not get out,’ he repeated. ‘Just tell him we have had an accident, and he needs to follow you and come straight back here.’
Gem went off. He ordered water from the curious waiter and bought a knitted balaclava from a passing hawker, which almost concealed the bandage. After a while, Doug heard the familiar sound of his bike. Relieved, he saw Brian park, remove his helmet and with a worried look on his face, follow Gem into the hotel.
Doug on the lookout for anyone following had his hand wrapped around the gun in his tool bag.
Brian was obviously relieved to see him. ‘What the hell has happened, where is the car?’ Staring at Doug’s new hat. ‘Gem said you have had some sort of accident?’
Doug, unsmiling said. ‘Sit down, it’s a long story.’ Brian hesitated, and then pulled up a chair.
‘We were car jacked by those two Africans in the white saloon you pointed out in Mtito. They were not looking for us - they were looking for you. What are you involved in that we don’t know about?’ Doug demanded.
Brian looked shocked. ‘Me involved? I have no idea what you mean - shouldn’t we go to the police? Where is my car?’
Doug slid Loda’s ID over the table. ‘This is the man who was after you. Do you know who he is?’
Brian studied the photo on the ID. ‘No is he a policeman?’
‘Yes. He is also dead. He was going to kill Gem and me and then go after you.’
‘I have no idea what this is about,’ Brian said wide-eyed, pushing the ID back. ‘What do you mean this man is dead?’
‘I shot him,’ said Doug simply. Brian’s mouth fell open, his eyes searching Doug’s face. ‘He put us in the boot of the saloon and was going to kill us, luckily, I got him first. The other hi-jacker took your range rover.’
‘So they wanted the car? They stole the car?’
‘Yes, but they were looking for you, and still are. I heard them talking on a mobile. They are sending someone else after you. Why? You had better come clean, we are in a load of shit here, there’s something you’re not telling us.’
Brian slumped in his seat and took a deep breath. ‘Listen, some strange things happened to me while I was in Malindi.’ He proceeded to outline the events, while Doug and Gem listened. ‘I can only conclude that there is some fraud going on in the bank, and they - whoever is involved - are trying to get me out of the way.’
Doug nodded. ‘Yep, that’s the Kenyan style of business.’
‘I don’t know what to do,’ said Brian, ’I no longer know who to trust,’ he said helplessly.
Doug said. ‘The first thing we need to do, is get out of here.
The police will be looking for me now as well.’
‘You think they are involved in this?’ asked Brian.
Doug tapped the ID on the table. ‘Always, the cops are involved in every dirty deal. Your experience in Malindi proves their involvement. Read the newspapers every day, they’re full of “suspected gangsters shot dead”, cops are just licensed killers for hire.
‘So what do I do? Go to the British embassy?’
‘No I wouldn’t do that, not yet at least. We need time to think and a place where we can be safe. Listen Gem, I think it’s best we separate. You can catch a bus from here and go out to your parent’s farm. You will be safe there.’
Gem frowned angrily. ‘What do you mean leaving me on my own, this is not our problem it’s his,’ pointing at Brian.
‘Baby,’ Doug soothed earnestly, ‘the man I killed is a cop, and you’re safer off on your own. Brian and I will continue on the bike to the coast. Let’s get new sim cards for our phones and only use the new numbers to call each other. Gem, go and book a ticket on the bus to Nairobi and get two sim cards will you? The booking office is just down the street,’ he pointed. ‘We have to hurry.’
‘Why don’t I just buy another phone?’ Gem asked.
Doug paused looking thoughtful. ‘Good idea,’ he said, taking out Loda’s wallet and removing some money. ‘Get three, the late detective Loda can pay for them. Brian go and get the bike topped up with fuel,’ he instructed, ‘and then come back here. We need to hurry they will be searching for us by now.’
They re-grouped with the new phones and exchanged numbers.
‘You had better ride,’ Doug told Brian, ‘my head is too sore. When we get closer to Mombasa, I will take over. I know some back roads we can use.’ Giving Gem a hug and a promise to call tonight, they sped off on the bike while Gem waited for her bus departure. She sat in the hotel still in shock, feeling lost and alone
TEN
Titus raced back to the Manyani Gate in Brian’s Range rover. At the park entrance he paid for his ticket in the office. He chatted with the ranger on the gate, keeping him occupied at the front of the vehicle as he drove through. Reaching a bend in the track, he stopped and changed the number-plate back, forcing the saloon plate down an empty ant bear hole a few yards from the road. He then called his boss.
‘You should have waited,’ Rubia admonished. ‘Now things are messed up and we still have to look for the mzungu.’
‘I’m sorry sir,’ said Titus, and he was. ‘We could have dealt with the mzungu much earlier,’ he offered.
‘Are you running this operation, or am I? Do exactly as I say this time. Take the road that follows the river. Two cops in a police Landrover are waiting for you, do what they tell you. I want no more fuck-ups, do you understand?’
Titus drove on and found the police land rover. The two cops were from Malindi, he did not know either of them. The taller cop walked over and slapped the bonnet of the range rover with his swagger stick. ‘We have been waiting a long time,’ he complained, he climbed into the passenger seat and said, ‘Let’s go.’
Titus said. ‘Go where? My job was only to deliver the car.’
‘Your boss said you are to drive the car to Lugard’s falls. From there you will accompany us to Malindi.’
‘Malindi, what the hell do I want to go to Malindi for?’
The cop just shrugged. ‘Those are our instructions, let’s go,’ pointing with his baton. ‘Follow the Landrover.’
They drove in silence, Titus seething. He had planned to spend the evening with one of his girlfriends. That bloody man Loda. He swore a silent oath that he would never work with him again.
After an hour the cop ahead slowed down and turned into side road. As Titus caught up, he saw a signboard pointing the way to Lugard’s falls. His companion said unnecessarily. ‘This is Lugard’s falls,’ and pointed beyond where the other car had stopped. Titus could only see a small body of water in front of them surrounded by huge rocks. ‘Park by the other car,’ he was instructed. As he switched off the engine, he heard the roar of rushing water.
The senior cop got out. ‘Ok,’ he said to Titus, ‘check the rover and take out any stuff that is not the mzungus.’
Titus grunted an assent, but then helped himself to a soda from the cool box. The cop saw him do this. ‘And your friends, they don’t drink?’
Titus grudgingly took out two more sodas and handed them over. ‘So what happens here?’
The cop with the swagger stick took a swig of his soda and studied Titus. ‘You don’t know what the plan is?’
Titus frowned. ‘No I’m not even supposed to be here.’
‘We leave the range rover here and drive to Malindi.’
Titus looked at him uncomprehendingly. ‘Why?’
‘Sergeant Njuguna. Show this great shooter why we are leaving the car here,’ he instructed the other policeman.
‘Come with me,’ the sergeant said and walked off towards the river. Titus followed, they reached the edge of the water. The rushing noise got louder.
‘This is a popular spot with visitors to the park. They come to see the falls,’ Njuguna explained. He pointed down the river and continued to walk along its edge towards the roaring sound. ‘They come here with cameras to take photos,’ he called out, now, having to shout above the noise.
Titus was intrigued, the water in the river was now moving very fast. A little farther and the river disappeared into a chasm from where the roar emanated. Clouds of water vapour obscured the drop. ‘Over here,’ shouted the policeman, ‘you can see better.’ Titus joined him on a small ledge to one side of the falls. As he stepped up and looked over, the cop pushed him in. His scream was hardly discernible, as he plummeted into the depths. The sergeant finished his soda burped with satisfaction, and tossed the empty bottle into the thundering gap. ‘Cheers,’ he said. Njuguna walked back to the car. ‘He is gone sir.’
‘Ok let’s go. I forgot to tell him his boss said he was fired,’ and the two of them laughed. The senior cop called Joe Rubia telling him they were leaving for Malindi and all had been taken care of.
Rubia thanked them and then put a call through to Kamau at immigration. ‘Ok, you can send that report to the papers,’ he said. ‘I also need a photo of the mzungu - you must have one on the files. Can you get me a copy? Good, let’s meet up tomorrow, the usual spot anytime after six.’
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