by Tony Park
‘Thank you, Jed.’ Patti looked as though she would cry again.
‘You look great,’ Jed said, trying to get her to relax.
She looked down at the table and felt her cheeks start to colour. She glanced up at him. God, she thought, he looked even better now than he did when he was nineteen. Patti hated the way she felt right now. So distraught over Miranda, so devoted to her second husband, but still captivated by that sandy hair and those blue eyes. It was the way he fixed her with them like she was a butterfly pinned to a board, helpless around him. She’d had the courage to move on with her life when Miranda was still young, and given Miranda and her other children a great life with Rob Lewis, but there were times, like now, when she wondered if she shouldn’t have stuck it out a couple more years.
‘Here’s Rob,’ Jed said. ‘I should be going.’
‘Stay a while.’ Patti wiped her eyes again and waved to a handsome man in chinos and loafers and a blue button-down shirt. A gangly ten-year-old boy loped along behind him and the man carried a three-year-old girl, Louise, in his arms.
‘Hi, Jed,’ Rob Lewis said. ‘I’m so sorry about Miranda. It’s good you can go over there at such short notice.’
‘I had a ticket booked.’ Jed didn’t dislike Lewis. He was a nice enough guy, for a lawyer. He supposed he envied the normality of the relationship he and Patti had – the very domesticity he had turned his back on nearly two decades before.
Patti stepped between the two men and took Louise in her arms. ‘Jed, find her, please.’
Jed picked his green beret up off the coffee-stained table and put it on. He shook hands with Lewis and turned to face Patti.
‘Be strong. You know I may find nothing.’
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes again. ‘God, Jed, I just want to know for sure, even if it’s …’
Jed knew enough about death and grieving to understand that the recovery of a body gave closure, allowed relatives to grieve, services to be said and life to go on. He hated to think he was going to Africa in search of the mortal remains of the one good thing he had given to this world.
‘I’ll bring her back with me, Patti. I promise. I’ve got to go check in. They’ll be calling my flight soon.’
He kissed Patti on the cheek, smiled down at her son, who had been too shy to talk to the uniformed stranger, and shook Rob’s hand again.
‘Travel safe,’ the lawyer said.
Jed reflected that he had never travelled anywhere safe in his life.
In truth, he still had forty minutes until his flight boarded, but he wanted some time alone, to think. He didn’t want to be reminded of the family life he had forsaken.
He walked the length of the terminal and stopped at a bar. He ordered a beer and took it to an internet work station on the other side of the lounge. He popped some change into the slot and sipped his beer while the browser loaded. His life was governed by planning and routine and he was about to travel halfway around the world with the benefit of neither. All he knew of Zimbabwe and South Africa was what he had seen on the Discovery Channel or read in tattered copies of National Geographic while waiting for dental appointments.
In the browser’s search field he typed in Mana Pools National Park – the place where Miranda had been doing her research. He clicked on a site that boasted maps. The park, he learned, was in the far north of Zimbabwe, in the Zambezi River Valley, below Lake Kariba and the dam of the same name. Mana Pools was a World Heritage-listed area, valued for its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife. Mana was a local word for four, referring to the number of large pools of water which were cut off from the river after the dam was constructed. Jed was surprised to learn from his web surfing that tourists were allowed to walk freely without an escort around the park – something that other national parks did not allow. Miranda had told him that she was accompanied by an armed guard when she did her research. He wondered now if she had lied to help convince him she was safe.
The four websites he investigated were all run by private safari companies and offered ‘exclusive’, which he took to mean expensive, guided tours into the Zambezi River Valley and Mana Pools National Park.
He took out his hardcover Army notebook and a pen and started writing. He didn’t know how long he would be in northern Zimbabwe. As a military man, he did his best to make a logical judgment of the situation and what he was setting out to achieve. His mission was to find out what had happened to his daughter and discover some concrete evidence of her fate. From the scant information available to him, it seemed there was little reason to be optimistic.
Under the heading Police he made a note to contact the local station. From his brief internet surfing he deduced the cops who investigated Miranda’s death would most likely be based at either Kariba or Chirundu, the two towns nearest the national park. Kariba was further away from Mana Pools, but appeared to be the larger centre.
Miranda was his next entry He needed to find out her movements in and around the park, to talk to other people she would have come into contact with. Rangers? Colleagues? Prof Wallis – visiting Zimbabwe?
Scene. He wanted to see where Miranda had been camping and to conduct his own investigation there. He had done tracking courses in the jungles of Central America, but he knew there was never a substitute for local knowledge and skills. Hire local guide/tracker.
Logistics. He needed to be flexible and self-sufficient. He would have no choice in Mana Pools, as there appeared to be no shops or restaurants in the park. He needed a vehicle, tent, camping gear, food, water. Some of the basics were in his Alice pack – the common name for the capacious US
Army-issue LC-1 rucksack – which was with his checked-in luggage. He had a sleeping bag, fatigues, mess tins, water bottles, combat boots and other odds and ends that would come in handy. He wished he could take a weapon with him, but from what he had read he would have to surrender any firearms on entering the national park, or risk being shot on sight by an anti-poaching patrol.
His mobile phone chirped and he fished it from his uniform coat pocket. He made a mental note to call his service provider before he got on the plane to check whether the device would work in Africa.
‘Banks,’ he said.
‘Jed, glad I caught you. It’s Tom Cookson. How are you keeping, buddy? I’m so sorry to hear about Miranda.’
Jed was surprised. Tom Cookson was a retired lieutenant colonel, an ex-Green Beret officer who had been invalided out of the military due to injury. Jed recalled he had taken up a civilian analyst’s position of some sort with the defence department and was working in the Pentagon. ‘How did you find out, sir?’
Cookson hesitated. ‘It’s been in all the papers. Where are you, Jed?’
The last time Jed had seen Cookson was inside Iraq. Tom, then a captain, had been in charge of Jed’s patrol, until he had trodden on an anti-personnel mine. The last Jed had seen of him was when he slid him into the medevac Black Hawk.
‘Her name hasn’t been released – at Patti’s request,’ Jed said, immediately curious.
‘Aw, hell, Jed, I’ll level with you. I saw a report from State. Her name was in the regular sitrep out of the Africa desk. I’m so sorry. She was such a bright kid.’
‘You’re talking like she’s dead, sir.’
‘Cut the “sir” crap, Jed. The report was pretty conclusive.’
‘Yeah. Well, thanks for the call. I’ll be sure and let you know if I find anything different.’ Jed was irrationally angry at the man. He knew Miranda probably was dead but, like Patti, part of him refused to accept what he had been told.
‘Hold on, Jed. What do you mean, “if you find anything different”? You’re not going to Africa, are you?’
‘What if I was? Is this you or the Pentagon asking?’
‘Jed, I owe you one. I would have died if you’d followed my orders and left me in the minefield, but you crawled through and dragged me out.’
‘No big deal.’
‘Bullshit. You should have got the Congr
essional Medal of Honor for that stunt. God knows, I recommended you for it. But, Jed, I believe the best thing you can do for Miranda is to stay at home and comfort Patti. State will get news to you if they hear anything more about her.’
‘What is this bullshit, Tom? What are you trying to tell me? Are you warning me off? Since when does the Government of the United States of America investigate lion attacks?’
‘Jesus, Jed. I’m just trying to help an old friend. Sit tight on this one … that’s my advice to you.’
‘Yeah, Tom?’ Well, screw your advice, sir, he wanted to add, but held his tongue. ‘It’s my daughter who’s missing and I’m not waiting around while some pimple-faced Ivy League prick from the Timbuk-fucking-tu embassy conducts some sorry-assed excuse of an investigation.’
‘Jed …’ Cookson’s voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Look, I can’t talk any more, but just be careful, OK?’
The call dropped out and Jed walked back to the bar. He ordered another beer, downed half of it and forced himself to be calm. What did Tom mean ‘just be careful’? He supposed Cookson was warning him about the general security situation, but, hell, Jed had just spent six months in a country where people had actively been trying to kill him. How dangerous could Africa be?
He reopened his notebook and wrote Cookson – check Jed upended his beer glass, steeling himself as he felt the first twinges of nerves that always preceded flying. He picked up his suit bag and walked into the men’s room. In a cramped cubicle he changed out of his Class A uniform into comfortable travel clothes – a short-sleeved navy Ralph Lauren shirt, lightweight tan trousers and hiking boots. It would be hot where he was heading, and it was definitely not a place where he could wear a US Army dress uniform. He needed a shower and a bed to sleep in. He would get neither for more than twenty hours. He folded his uniform and gleaming patent leather jump boots into his bag and zipped it shut.
He left the cubicle and checked his reflection in the mirror. He’d shaved off his beard prior to leaving Afghanistan and his chin stood out white compared to his cheeks. He didn’t feel as though he was getting older – he was still in excellent physical shape – but his face showed all its forty years and then some. He closed his eyes and saw Miranda again. He couldn’t lose her.
Jed walked through the brightly lit airport terminal, past eager holiday travellers and grey-faced men and women in business suits. He had nothing in common with any of them.
It was probably his imagination, he supposed, but the immigration officer seemed to be taking a long time to inspect his passport. ‘Is there a problem?’ he asked.
The officer looked up at him but said nothing as he continued typing on his hidden console. Jed checked his watch. The final boarding call had been made five minutes earlier.
At last the officer looked up and said, ‘How long are you intending on staying in Africa, sir?’
Jed felt like telling the man it was none of his damned business. ‘I don’t know. A couple of weeks, maybe more.’
‘I need to know countries and duration, sir.’
This had never happened to Jed before, although most of his international travel was courtesy of the USAF’s Military Airlift Command and the places he tended to visit didn’t require passports or customs declarations.
‘South Africa for one night. Zimbabwe for, say, two weeks. It depends.’
‘It depends on what, sir?’
Jed was close to the brink. ‘It depends on how goddamned long I want to spend in the country Look, buddy, my flight is boarding.’
‘It’s not my fault, sir, if you haven’t left enough time to clear immigration.’
Jed wished he had his nine-millimetre with him.
The man tapped away on the keyboard again, then looked up and smiled insincerely as he handed back Jed’s passport. ‘Have a nice flight, sir.’
Jed nodded and walked past the desk. When he turned and looked over his shoulder the immigration official was ignoring the next person in the queue and talking into a telephone.
*
‘Would you like a drink from the bar, sir?’ the flight attendant asked as the aircraft levelled out.
‘Scotch on the rocks, and a beer, please,’ Jed said.
He’d slept for three hours on the flight from Boston to Amsterdam, Holland, where he’d picked up his connection to Johannesburg, on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. He covered a yawn with his hand. It would be three flights over three continents before he made Zimbabwe.
The immaculately groomed young Dutchman gave a large smile as he handed over the drinks and opened the can of beer. ‘My pleasure, sir. Just holler when you need another.’
‘I think he likes you,’ the woman seated next to Jed whispered as the flight attendant moved past them to the next row.
Jed smiled. ‘Not my type.’
‘Mine either, he’s too young for me. I’m Eveline, by the way.’
‘Jed.’ The woman was well off, judging by the gold earrings and necklace. In her late fifties, or early sixties. Still attractive, and a real looker in her day, Jed imagined. He didn’t really want to get into conversation, but felt it would be rude to cut her off straightaway. ‘You’re South African?’
‘I live there, but I was born in Rhodesia – Zimbabwe to you. Just been visiting some friends in the States. We Zimbos are scattered all over the world these days.’
‘I’m heading for Zimbabwe.’
‘Do you hunt, or are you going on a photographic safari?’
‘Neither. Family business to attend to.’
‘It’s just that most of the Americans I’ve met who have the gumption to travel to our part of the world seem to be hunters.’
‘I thought that was pretty much out of vogue these days.’
Eveline shook her head. ‘No, no, Jed. Hunting’s alive and well in southern Africa. In Zim, it’s one of the few activities that still brings in hard currency The local people get a cut of the proceeds as well. You’ll find we’re not as politically correct as other parts of the globe, although we’re very conscious of conserving our wildlife. If we can make some money out of it on the side, well, all the better.’
Jed nodded. ‘What about the Zambezi Valley, around Mana Pools National Park. Do you know the area?’
‘Know it? I practically grew up there. You hear a lot of people talk about God’s own country, but let me tell you, Mana Pools is it. Garden of Eden. One of the last truly wild places left on this earth.
Are you going there?’
‘Yes. For a few days. You say it’s a wild place. Is it dangerous?’
‘Many people are a danger to themselves in the African bush, Jed. If you don’t know what you’re doing you become a risk to yourself and the wildlife.’
‘Are many people killed by wild animals?’
‘Probably more than you read about.’
‘What species?’
‘Not counting the mosquito, hippos top the list, you may be surprised to learn. Yes, they look like big friendly creatures, but they’ll chomp you in half as soon as look at you. They’re incredibly territorial. If you stray into their part of the river you can be in real trouble. Tourists on canoe safaris on the Zambezi are forever bumping into submerged hippos and getting tipped out of their boats when the animal, quite rightly, shows its annoyance. Crocs also nab quite a few people in the valley – a lot more than you ever hear about.’
Jed tried to sound casual. ‘What about lions? Do they take many humans?’
Eveline took a sip of her gin and tonic. ‘Well, Jed, your lion, he’s a different prospect. In fact, I should say she, as the females do most of the hunting. Had a couple sniffing around my tent at Mana years back. They’ll leave you alone if you stay quiet and don’t bother them.’
‘Are there really man-eaters – lions that develop a taste for humans?’
‘I don’t know enough about the scientific side of it, but there are certainly plenty of reports, even these days, of lions feeding on humans. They regularly take Mozambicans try
ing to cross the border into South Africa illegally.’
‘Really?’ Jed said, showing his surprise and disliking his ignorance of the continent where his daughter had chosen to live. ‘And elsewhere?’
‘Careless or reckless safari guides, tourists who don’t have the sense to zip up their tents at night… most of them had it coming.’
Jed had heard enough, but Eveline went on. ‘What’s the family business you have to attend to, if you don’t mind me asking?’
‘It appears my daughter may have been taken by a lion.’
Eveline fumbled with her plastic glass, spilling half the contents into her lap. Jed had had enough of talking anyway, and he needed some sleep.
The flight attendant woke him an hour before landing. ‘You’ve been out for hours.’
Jed rubbed his eyes.
Eveline leaned over. ‘I’m so sorry about my comments last night. Please forgive me. I’m sure your daughter hadn’t done anything foolish.’
Jed shrugged. ‘It was rude of me not to warn you what I’m going to Africa for, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m looking for honest information – for facts – not sympathy. My daughter’s missing, but I don’t know for sure yet that she’s dead.’
‘Well, I’m sorry anyway There’s a man you should talk to, if you need a guide or a tracker. He worked for me for a few years before I left Zimbabwe. I wrote down his address while you were asleep. Here, please take it. He lives in Kariba – at least, he did the last time I heard of him. He’ll look after you if you tell him Eve sent you.’
After landing, Jed shook hands with Eveline and before they parted, she asked, ‘Was your daughter a smart girl?’
‘She was studying for a masters in zoology, researching carnivores, and she was no stranger to the African bush.’
‘Don’t give up on her, then. Africa’s a place where someone can easily get lost – whether they want to or not. Call the man whose number I gave you. If anyone can find someone, it’s him.’
‘Thanks.’
‘You’re a soldier, aren’t you?’
‘Is it that obvious?’ He didn’t recall his occupation coming up in their brief conversation.