by T. M. Deans
We had to make a decision and fast. We could hide in the bush and hope that they just keep going on their way, or we could hail them down. If they were Friendlies we could pay them to take us north, or at least get some directions. Bottom line was that this was hard on me walking, and we were afraid I was going to open up my wounds. Getting a ride would be nice. We decided to stop them. We chose our place and got ready. I had the machine pistol hung over my right shoulder under my coat, and a pistol in both left and right side pockets. We made up a little code. If one of us thought it was necessary and said “Typhoon,” it meant take immediate action, which probably meant start shooting before they did.
When they came round the bend we were in front of them and waved them down. They had a moment of hesitation as if they were seeing things. The driver had a pistol in his belt and one of the other guys had a machete strapped to his leg not a reassuring sight.
We did the language thing and settled on some French. They told us it was one day’s drive north to the next small town but two days to the south, which was where they were headed. The road was poor in both directions. You had to drive slowly. I asked them if there was an airport in town to the north. They said no airport, but there was a small port. I inquired if they had phones.
“No. Only radiophones.”
Of course they wanted to know where we had come from so. We told them that we were on a sailboat and our anchor had slipped in the night. The boat had gone up on the beach, and we needed to go get help. They wanted to know where the boat was and what type of sailboat it was. I could tell they were becoming very intrigued by the possibility of salvaging it.
I said, “Look, can you take us back to the town up north. We need to get up there as soon as possible.”
“No, but you could come with us. Show us where the boat is and we can help you with it.”
“Look, that’s not possible. It needs a boat to pull it off the beach. I’ll pay you to take us back.”
“How much will you give us?”
“How much do you want?”
He said, “$1000.”
I told him I didn’t have nearly that much, but I could give him $400. That’s all I had. This was already not going well, and the whole time we were talking they were all eyeballing Lana.
They said, “No. You come with us south. Show us where the boat is. We will help you and we won’t charge you anything”.
“No thank you. We will just keep walking.”
“You give us the money, and then you can keep walking.”
I looked at the man with the machete and said, “Does he speak for all of you?”
He said, “You give us everything you have or we will kill you and take it anyway.” The other two guys were smiling.
I thought, well if that’s how they wanted to play it, so be it. Lana was on my left side, so the man with the pistol was hers.
I exclaimed, “All right we’ll give it to you.”
I reached in my pocket and said “Typhoon.”
The one with the pistol started to pull it out of his belt, but not nearly fast enough. Lana had her pistol out, popped him in the stomach, and then shot the guy next to him. At the same time, I shot through my coat pocket. The guy with the machete went down, then the last one. The leader was on his knees holding his belly, begging not to be killed. Lana stood over him, cupped her hand under her left breast, and said, “Did you think you were going to get these?”
Then she finished him. She was nasty when she was angry.
We gave their bodies back to the ocean, picked up our casings, and buffed out the area a little. We checked out our new ride. There was even some food. It was nice of them to be so thoughtful.
Lana said, “I’ll drive, you rest. So what was that about asking if the guy with the gun spoke for them?”
“Well I knew the shooting was about to start and I was hoping not to have to kill anyone who didn’t deserve it. Maybe some of them were just along for the ride and weren’t into rape and murder.”
“You’re pretty moral Jack.”
“I’ve been told that before.”
44
THE OLD MAN
Well this was a big improvement over walking. However, we did have one problem, and that was of course people who might recognize the vehicle. We agreed that the only thing we could say was that we had bought it for top dollar from four guys. Everything happened so fast. We didn’t even have a chance to find out what country we were in. I didn’t want to just blurt out. “So what country is this?” Instead on our third day of arrival, we ended up killing four men and stealing a vehicle. Not a good start. After about 5 hours of driving we hadn’t seen anything till we came up on what looked like a small roadside business. There was an old black man tending his garden in front of his house. He had seen us so we pulled in to say hello. It turned out he spoke English as well as French.
He said, “We have a restaurant here. Would you like some coffee or something to eat? You can park your car around the back.”
We had decided to stick with the boat story, I told him we had lost our bearings in a storm and wondered what country we were in now.
He said, “This is the Congo!”
I think I stupidly said, “The Congo?”
My face must’ve fallen, because I got a look from Lana like what’s wrong. The old man said we were welcome to stay the night. He had some beds that travelers sometimes used. I thanked him but told him no. We should probably push on to this little town up ahead.
He said, “My friends, I do not want to make trouble for you, but I know whose car this is. They would not have sold it to you. They came through here yesterday. These are very bad men and they belong to a gang. They would have killed you and raped her. If you drive this car into the town everyone will know something is wrong and the gang will kill you.”
I said, “My friend, what do you propose then?”
“This gang came from much further north two years ago and settled in our town. There is no one to stop them. They take what they want. They have killed people. They do whatever they please to anyone. When they come here they take my gas, make me feed them, and never pay me. They beat my son and they push me around. I think that you have killed them.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you are here and they are not. And besides you have blood on your coat.”
I said, “The blood is mine actually. But yes, we did kill them. We had an advantage because they thought we were just one man and a woman. And you’re correct they would’ve killed us if we hadn’t killed them first.”
“We will be happy to help you. We must get rid of their car. Tomorrow I will take you in my truck.”
“How will you get rid of the car?”
“There is a bog about a mile behind my home and it is very deep. My sons will take the vehicle, drive it into the bog, and then drive over the tracks. It will never be found.”
He asked where the bodies were. I told him they were, swallowed by the sea. The old man was great. He had fresh bandages, he fed us and we were able to sleep in a bed that night. Of course we paid him for his trouble.
45
THE VILLAGE SHOOT OUT
We pulled into the village just as it was getting light. It would have been better to be there a few hours earlier, but it didn’t happen that way. The old man parked his truck outside the village in front of an old dilapidated garage. He told us to stay in the truck. He opened the door and pulled the truck in. He instructed us to wait while he went to find his brother. Perhaps his brother could drive us to the next town north where there was an airport.
Just as he was getting out of the truck he said, “Oh no!”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s one of the men I told you about from the gang. He’s walking this way. Stay in the truck. I will talk to him.”
We didn’t understand what they were saying, but from the beginning it sounded like the big guy was upset with the old man. He was pointing,
waving his hands, and raising his voice. He grabbed the old man by the front of his shirt and started shaking him. I could tell that Lana was becoming agitated herself.
“Easy. Just take it easy. We have to get through this without any more confrontations.”
I had no sooner finished saying that when he slapped the old man, knocking him down. That was it for Lana. She was out of the car before I could even get my door open. I had just enough time to say, “No guns.”
She turned around and said, “No problem.” She walked right up to the big guy. He had a look on his face like I’ll deal with you next. I swear I thought I saw her throw her chest out to get him off balance. Before any of us knew what happened, including him, she had stuck a knife in his heart. He was a big guy and muscular. It was a difficult stab. The knife could have easily slid off bone. He started to stagger. She stepped past him and kicked him in the back of his right knee, dropping him. Then she very calmly pushed his head forward, and stuck the knife in the base of his neck. By then I was standing next to her feeling a little useless.
She looked at me, smiled and said, “No guns!”
I felt compelled to say something. So I just said, “That was neatly done. I can see that you have practiced it before. Do you always leave a trail of dead bodies everywhere you go?”
Her answer was, “I try to darling.”
Christ. This broad was too much. It was hard to believe that I had bested her on the plane. I certainly hoped she wouldn’t switch sides again.
The old man had pulled himself up to a sitting position. He was speechless. He could not believe what he had just seen. I went over to him and helped him up, asking if he was all right. He just kept shaking his head while saying we would all be killed now. They would kill us all. I told him to bring his truck inside the garage while Lana and I carried in the body.
I took Lana aside, “Look, we’ve made a problem for this old man. We can’t leave him and his family like this.”
“Well Jack, then you know what we have to do next.”
“I’m afraid I do. So let’s get started”
“Look my friend, we’re not going to leave you to face this alone. Tell me how many more are in this gang?”
“Five. No six.”
“Are there any other men or warriors who could help us?”
“I think only the son of the old chief they murdered. He would be the only one. We should go to my brother’s. You can wait there until we see what is to be done.”
The old man’s brother was even older than he was. He seemed to be in agreement with what we were talking about. An hour later the chief’s son came back with the old man. He told us that they had killed his father. The chief was a good man and before the gang came, this had been a peaceful village. He was glad to be able to help us. This would be blood revenge.
“Do you have a weapon?”
“No. They took any weapons that were in the village when they came, but if you have one for me I can use it. I have shot pistols before.”
“Is there any time that we could find them all together?”
“Yes there is a restaurant on the beach. They always go there for breakfast. They should be there in maybe one hour or a little more.”
I looked at Lana. She nodded.
“How far is the restaurant from here?”
` “Only 10 minutes or less walking”
“Go to the restaurant and as soon as they have ordered their food, come back and get us. We will be waiting here for you. Don’t go into the restaurant. Just try and see them from a distance.”
He was back in about an hour.
He said, “All of them are there. All six. I will lead you. They are sitting outside. You can come from around the back of the kitchen. I will come through the front with a case of bottles. When you come from around the back of the kitchen and open fire I will be ready.”
I handed him a 9 mm and two clips. I could tell that he knew how to handle it. I told him to be careful. When we got there he went in the front. We went around the back, came out on the beach side, and presented ourselves. They looked up with an expression like where did you come from, till they noticed that we were holding weapons. They started to get out of their chairs, but it was too late. I cut loose with the machine pistol. Lana had a 9 mm in each hand and the chief’s son let loose from behind them. They were caught in crossfire. It was over before they knew they were dead.
“You did well. If it were up to me I would say that you should be the new chief. Get some people to help you get rid of these bodies. We need to leave. Please make sure nothing happens to the old man and his family. I’ll take my nine back. I think you have your choice of a lot of weapons.”
We started walking back to where the old man’s brother lived, when we saw him hurriedly walking towards us. I told him it was finished. Now we needed to get to that town in the north as soon as possible. Could his brother take us?
He could, but there is another problem that has come to us. My brother has a short wave radio. He told me that he heard just now, that in the town to the north, a ship had anchored off the port. A group of Arabs came ashore. They said they had a plane that crashed. There could be survivors. The ship would proceed south. They wanted to also drive down the road. They hired some vehicles and drivers and would come this way by road. However, they had to wait for a bridge that was being rebuilt. They could not leave until sometime today. I do not know if this concerns you but I thought you should know.”
“It does. You did well to tell us. Give me a moment to speak with Lana.”
“This presents a problem. We cannot head back south. We can’t take a chance on the boat coming here. If we head north on the road there’s too much chance of running into them. We might be able to slip by them on foot, but when we got to the town, we wouldn’t know how many they left behind. That only gives us one other option, and it’s not one that I like.”
She whispered, “Going up the river like the old man told us, if his brother would take us, what’s wrong with that? It’s less than 40 miles and the small city has its own airport. I see there is something about it that worries you. Are you going to tell me?”
“Yes, but not right now. We need to keep moving.”
46
ON THE RIVER
We went back to the old man’s brother’s place and made the arrangements. We would take his small boat with a motor, and drag a canoe behind it. A couple of miles before the entrance to the city, there was a small military station on the river. If we timed it right, we could paddle through at night. They were lazy and would be asleep. Then we could just let the canoe drift. I was not happy about the destination or a boat ride on a river, but we didn’t have a choice. We thanked the old man and we gave him money to buy a newer truck. Then we were off.
I explained to Lana about what had happened in my mercenary days, and the contract. At any rate we needed to get on a plane to anywhere, and out of here as soon as possible.
“Lana, I was under the impression that the contract was over years ago. If we run into the wrong people it could be bad for us. I think the first opportunity you have to leave me you should go. We now have Arabs behind us and God knows what in front of us.”
“Well love, I don’t want to meet up with the Arabs any more than you do. As far as the contract goes if it even exists, and if we should run into the wrong people, well I’ll just tell them that I’m bringing you in for the reward. How is that?”
“That sounds pretty damn good to me.”
I told her about the woman and her two children, and how I always felt bad, not being able to save them. I also told her about killing my sergeant. She did not have to say anything, but I could tell that she was moved by the fact that I had put my life on the line to save the woman and children.
She did say, “I am envious Jack. I had a sergeant who I would have liked to shoot.” We both laughed.
The old man and his brother had provisioned us with some backpacks, food, and water. We were in good
shape in that respect. I figured the Arabs would find out about us going up river. Our guide told us that after seeing us off, he would head back part way, and go up a tributary. He had a friend living there and would hide out for a week.
When we got close to the guard station it was late at night. We loaded our belongings into the canoe, thanked our guide and took off. At one time or another both of us had some practice with canoes. In a short time we were working in unison. Being in a boat with a motor and a guide who knew every bend in the river was one thing. Being in a shallow draft canoe in the dark was altogether something else. I suppose there were crock like things in the river, snakes that could drop out of trees, and all sorts of jungle creatures that would like to eat us. But right now we had to focus on not being seen. It wasn’t long before we could see lights. We made every attempt to be as quiet as possible. Our guide was right they must have been sleeping. We saw no one and we slipped by them. After another half-mile, we were on the edge of the town. We pulled up on the bank and let the canoe find its own way down river.
47
MR. MUANDA’S TOWN
We started walking. It was about three o’clock in the morning, most people were asleep. We found a road that seemed to be heading into the town. After about an hour of walking a car came by going our way. We were both tired and I felt like my bullet hole was seeping a little bit. It was definitely hurting. We flagged the driver over. He gave us a ride into the central part of town. We told him we were German and did not speak French. I gave him a few bucks and thanked him.
We found a small hotel and checked in. Very gratefully went straight to sleep. We should have been up early getting to the airport, but we were doing the best we could. Lana went out and brought back some breakfast and hot coffee. We both needed a hot shower badly. She rigged up some plastic bags for me to keep my wounds dry, and we both experienced one of the true pleasures in life a simple hot shower. After our shower I had my own personal traveling nurse bandage me.
“Jack I don’t like the way it looks. It’s inflamed, and there is some infection. That’s not good. I know it couldn’t be helped but you have to give it a chance to heal. That means just lying around, not taking hikes and going canoeing, and no gun battles. How does it feel?”