Bodyguard: Ambush (Book 3)

by Chris Bradford

  Recovering his father’s knife, Connor raced over to Amber and cut her bonds. It took several slices and Connor was amazed that he’d managed to snap his own bindings. As soon as she was free, Amber grabbed hold of him in relief, her body trembling like a sparrow’s. Then she suddenly stiffened and Connor turned his head to see General Pascal standing over them, his Glock 17 handgun aimed squarely at his back.

  ‘You certainly live up to your name, White Warrior,’ declared the general, glancing down at the inert body of the boy soldier. ‘And you will die by it too.’

  An arrow flew out of nowhere, piercing General Pascal’s forearm and knocking his aim. He screamed in agony and fury as the round missed its target and obliterated the bark beside Connor’s head. His gun slipping from his grip, the general clasped his injured arm, blood spurting from the wound as he yelled to his soldiers for assistance.

  Before reinforcements could come to the general’s aid, Connor pulled Amber to her feet and they both fled. Only now did Connor catch a glimpse of what had actually broken his own bindings. A second arrow was embedded in the trunk of his tree, the sharpened tip having severed the rope in two.

  On the other side of the riverbed, concealed among the bushes, Zuzu urgently beckoned Connor and Amber across. As she loosed another arrow at a rebel trying to stop them, Connor rebuked himself for having thought the girl had betrayed them. He vowed to buy her a whole wardrobe of clothes if they ever got out of this valley alive!

  Behind them, the Black Mamba was bellowing his rage above the noise of the firefight and relentless rain. ‘Stop them!’

  Glancing back over his shoulder, Connor spotted several soldiers sprinting after them with the machete-wielding Blaze, his murderous intent clear in the bloodlust set of his eyes. Pushing Amber ahead, Connor followed her down the slippery bank. The storm had turned the riverbed into a quagmire and they found themselves knee-deep in mud and water. As they waded across the boggy terrain, the rebels rapidly closed in.

  After taking two more of the soldiers down, Zuzu had run out of arrows and could only urge them on from the bushes. Then she started to shout and point manically upstream. Hearing an ominous rumble, Connor turned to see a wall of brown foaming water thundering down the riverbed. The makeshift dam had burst and a flash flood was sweeping through the valley.

  ‘Go! Go!’ Connor screamed at Amber.

  They tried to increase their pace, but the ground sucked at their feet, seemingly intent on holding them in the path of the oncoming flood. Confronted by such a terrifying force of nature, their pursuers gave up the chase and turned back.

  Flinging themselves forward, Connor and Amber reached the opposite bank and desperately clawed their way up. But the slick mud made the slope treacherous and they slipped back down. The flood was almost on top of them when Zuzu raced over and pulled Amber to safety. Connor felt the ground washed from under his feet. Then his legs were whipped away. Zuzu and Amber grabbed for his outstretched arms. The bushgirl missed, but Amber managed to clasp his trailing hand. She dug her heels into the mud as the current threatened to drag Connor away and her back in.

  ‘Stay with me!’ Amber cried as she felt his fingers slipping from her grasp.

  Connor strained with all his might to hold on, but the flood seemed determined to claim him. Zuzu now wrapped her arms round Amber’s waist in a frantic tug-of-war for Connor’s life. With a final desperate pull, they hauled him clear from the torrent of debris, water and rock hurtling past.

  ‘Thanks,’ Connor gasped as the two girls helped him to his feet. ‘That was rather too close for comfort!’

  On the other side of the churning river, Blaze was also dragging himself out, plunging his machete deep into the mud as an anchor. But the other soldiers weren’t so fortunate and were borne away, screaming, on the tide of foaming water.

  Zuzu tugged on Connor’s elbow, urging him and Amber to leave, but Connor was rooted to the spot.

  ‘Let’s go!’ implored Amber, then she saw the pale, wide-eyed expression on his face. ‘What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

  ‘I have,’ he said, his reply barely more than a whisper.

  Through the haze of falling rain, Connor saw an ashen-faced man with eyes of death and a stillness that was perturbing amid the chaos and destruction of the battle and the flood. A deep shudder ran through Connor at the ghostly vision. He’d met this man once before – upon a burning tanker off the coast of Somalia. He’d been presumed dead, no trace of him having ever been found. Now that very same man stood on the opposite bank, staring directly at Connor.

  The man raised his semi-automatic pistol and took careful aim. Connor instinctively ducked. A bullet shot past his ear. There was a scream of pain. Connor spun, expecting to see Amber or Zuzu lying dead in the mud. But it was a rebel soldier who’d been killed.

  Not waiting for the ghost from his past to take another shot, Connor fled with the two girls into the jungle.

  Connor ripped aside the clump of foliage but found nothing. It was the wrong tree. He went from one trunk to the other, searching for the hollow he’d hidden Henri in. But the jungle had looked completely different during the night and he was now totally disorientated. ‘I’m certain it’s around here somewhere,’ he assured Amber.

  The sound of gunfire was drawing ever closer. Zuzu pleaded with them to keep moving.

  Torn between locating her brother and taking Zuzu’s advice, Amber questioned, ‘Will he still even be there? You told him to leave at first light.’

  ‘I know,’ Connor replied, their search becoming more and more desperate. ‘But we have to check in case he hasn’t.’

  ‘Maybe the army has found him,’ said Amber hopefully.

  A hand grenade detonated close by and they all dropped to the ground, burning leaves and scorched earth raining down on them.

  ‘You go with Zuzu,’ Connor ordered Amber, their ears ringing from the blast. ‘I’ll find your brother.’

  Amber shook her head. ‘No, we stick together.’

  ‘You don’t have a choice,’ said Connor, dragging her to her feet. ‘I’m not risking you getting caught again. Now go with Zu–’

  ‘Connor! Amber!’ a voice hissed.

  They both spun round. Further up the slope, a pair of scared eyes peeked out from behind a thick layer of leaves and branches. Connor had concealed the hollow’s entrance far better than he’d ever imagined.

  ‘Henri!’ Amber cried, scrambling up the slope and pulling away the branches. Henri crawled out and Amber embraced him so hard Connor thought she’d never let go.

  ‘Sorry, Connor,’ Henri mumbled, his face pressed against his sister’s chest. ‘I was too scared to leave with all the fighting.’

  Connor smiled kindly. ‘It’s a good thing you didn’t, otherwise –’

  ‘Allons-y!’ called Zuzu, frantically beckoning them to follow her.

  ‘But the lodge is that way,’ Connor argued, pointing upslope.

  Zuzu vehemently shook her head and rattled off some French at him.

  ‘When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled,’ Amber interpreted, finally relinquishing her grip on her brother. ‘She says it’s safer to go the long way round. Avoid the fighting.’

  As another grenade exploded off to their left, Connor didn’t need any further convincing. They dashed along an animal trail, following the course of the river. With every step they took further down the valley, the sounds of battle gradually receded and the rain began to ease. Zuzu slowed their pace a little, allowing Henri to grab a couple of puffs from his inhaler. By the time they reached the drop-off at the end of the valley, the storm had passed and dawn’s light had broken through the clouds in golden rays.

  They stopped at the edge of the waterfall, its glistening curtain cascading some forty metres down to a large plunge pool below. From their viewpoint looking out across the park, Connor was once again astounded at the majestic beauty of Africa. The rolling savannah, fresh with rain, appeare
d to be reborn. The trees and bushland had taken on a lusher shade of green and seemingly blossomed overnight. Birds sang a mellifluous chorus as they fluttered and swooped in the crystal-clear air. On the plain, herds of zebra, antelope and wildebeest grazed in countless numbers, braying and snorting, while a parade of mighty elephants strode towards the Ruvubu River, grown pregnant with floodwaters and now sparkling like a jewelled ribbon in the early morning light.

  The storm had brought more than rain – it had brought life.

  Amber peered over the lip of the waterfall, then glanced at Connor. ‘No jumping this time,’ she said, the corner of her lips turning up into a teasing smile. ‘We climb down.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ he replied.

  Being careful on the slippery rock, Amber picked the easiest route down the face, following a natural fault line. It was slow going, but the handholds were positive and plentiful and they all reached the bottom safely. From the plunge pool, Zuzu guided them along the line of the tributary river through the trees towards the plain. Connor took up the rear, ensuring they weren’t being followed. No one talked, all of them shattered and shell-shocked from their harrowing night and fraught escape.

  Up ahead, Zuzu came to a sudden halt. Amber asked in a whisper what was wrong. Zuzu put a finger to her lips and unsheathed her knife.

  The birds had stopped singing in their part of the jungle.

  Connor sensed the danger too. He felt eyes upon them. Watchful and waiting. Drawing his father’s knife, he scanned the thick undergrowth but saw nothing. Zuzu was as still as a startled deer, using all her senses to pinpoint the threat. Amber held her brother close, fearful of what new peril they faced.

  A whisper of movement in the bush caused them to turn. From behind a tree emerged the Wolf.

  The hunter had his bolt-action rifle shouldered and aimed at them.

  ‘Are you lost, children?’ he said quietly. ‘You’re a long way from the lodge and heading in the wrong direction.’

  Connor felt deeply uneasy at the hunter’s tone. He gripped his knife tighter, sensing he might have need of it. ‘No, we have a guide, thank you,’ he replied.

  ‘That I see.’ The Wolf glanced at Zuzu, then his pale eyes flicked to Amber and Henri. ‘I thought you said your brother was dead.’

  ‘We rescued him,’ replied Amber curtly.

  ‘Ah! Like I rescued you,’ said the Wolf, a pencil-thin smile on his lips. ‘And how did you repay me?’ His expression hardened, the smile vanishing. ‘By sticking your nose into my business and injuring one of my men.’

  He swung the barrel of his rifle, aiming at Amber.

  ‘You do realize there’s a full-on battle raging up in that valley?’ said Connor, hoping to divert his attention away from her.

  The Wolf nodded. ‘Your concern for my well-being is touching,’ he replied in a sarcastic tone. ‘But I have little problem avoiding the government troops and Abel is smuggling the ivory out as we speak. You need to be more concerned about your future.’

  The Wolf kept his weapon trained on Amber.

  ‘What are you going to do then? Shoot us all?’ she challenged, her patience wearing thin.

  A snarl of a grin spread across the Wolf’s bearded face. ‘When a hunter has his prey in his sights, there’s only one thing to do.’

  He curled his finger round the trigger. ‘Which of you wants to join my collection first?’

  Connor instinctively stepped in front of Amber, shielding her with his body.

  ‘Ahh! We have a volunteer,’ said the Wolf, closing one eye and lining up his sights.

  Connor judged the distance too great for him to tackle the hunter before the gun went off. But he thought he might be able to distract or even injure the man, by throwing his father’s knife.

  As he went to sling the blade, a dark shadow dropped silently from the bough above them.

  The leopard landed full on the shoulders of the Wolf, knocking him to the ground. The rifle went off, tearing a hole in a nearby tree trunk. But the ambushing leopard wasn’t frightened off by the blast. Instead the creature gave a ferocious growl and sank its fangs into the hunter’s neck. The Wolf let out a strangled scream. He tried to fight off the beast, but the animal was too powerful for him.

  As the leopard slowly suffocated the hunter, its green eyes glared at Connor and the others, daring them to approach. Connor, knife in hand, was tempted to attack it but the leopard, pinning its victim beneath its razor claws, hissed a warning at his first tentative step. Then the animal bit down hard again and the Wolf fell still. As Connor cautiously backed away, the leopard dragged the limp, lifeless body of the hunter up into the tree.

  The dishevelled group of sister, brother, bodyguard and Batwa girl trekked slowly across the blisteringly hot savannah, keeping a clear distance from Dead Man’s Hill as they negotiated their roundabout route to the lodge. Unnerved by the sheer brutality and savage swiftness of the leopard attack, their eyes constantly darted from bush to tree to scrub, alert for the slightest sign of danger.

  ‘I think it’s poetic justice,’ Amber declared as they passed safely through a thicket. ‘The hunter killed by the hunted.’

  Connor was inclined to agree. He held his father’s knife close, having no intention to fall prey to the next predator they encountered – whether that be lion, hippo, hyena, snake or rebel soldier. ‘The Wolf deserved what was coming, that’s for sure,’ he said. ‘But we must remember, he did help us in our time of need.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ said Amber reluctantly. ‘Of course, he then tried to kill us.’

  ‘Seems like everything in this country is trying to kill us!’ remarked Henri with a weary laugh.

  He limped ahead of Connor, the welts from his beating still causing him serious discomfort. Although Henri didn’t complain, the sight of his suffering stirred up a tight knot of anger in Connor’s belly. The cruelty inflicted by Blaze on a defenceless boy deserved retribution. And Connor hoped that the rebel had got his come-uppance at the hands of the government troops.

  He wondered if the battle was over by now, with General Pascal either captured or dead. At the time the fighting had been too chaotic to see who had the upper hand, but the government soldiers had secured the advantage of surprise and it seemed highly unlikely the rebels would survive the attack.

  Zuzu suddenly signed with the flat of her hand to get down. The four of them crouched behind a bush as an open-topped jeep crested the rise ahead. The vehicle drove hard and fast in their direction.

  ‘Should we run?’ suggested Henri, his voice tight with fear.

  Connor shook his head. ‘They’ll see us if we do.’

  The guttural roar of the diesel engine drew closer. Connor peered through a gap in the bush as the 4×4 skidded to a halt a stone’s throw away from where they were hiding.

  The driver stood up in his seat and scanned the terrain with his binoculars. ‘Damn it!’ he swore.

  ‘It’s Gunner,’ hissed Amber in shocked delight.

  Connor put a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from rising. She frowned in confusion. Connor shook his head and put a finger to his lips. After all they’d been through, he was wary of anyone they encountered in the park – especially an unexplained survivor of the ambush.

  ‘Connor! Amber!’ shouted the ranger, his tone urgent.

  When no one appeared, Gunner shook his head in frustration and put the jeep into gear. At the very last second, Connor decided that answering the ranger was worth the risk. They were tired, hungry and hurting, and far from the lodge. They couldn’t afford to miss a genuine chance of rescue. As Gunner was about to drive off, he stepped out from behind the bush and called to him.

  Gunner’s craggy face broke into a relieved smile. ‘Connor! Thank God you’re alive. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where’s Amber and Henri?’

  ‘How did you escape the ambush?’ Connor questioned, his knife behind his back.

  ‘By the skin of my teeth,’ Gunner replied, grinning. ‘I hid in a
n aardvark burrow. But it was a close call. Are Amber and Henri with you?’

  Connor ignored the question and asked his own. ‘Why did you and Buju stop the safari convoy?’

  Gunner’s eyes narrowed at the surprise line of questioning. ‘Buju spotted a landmine. We were trying to establish if it was from the war or recently laid when the attack happened. Now tell me, are the Barbier children alive or not? Their parents are sick with worry.’

  Amber stood up with Henri in astonished disbelief. ‘They’re alive?’

  ‘Yes!’ Gunner replied, hurriedly clambering out of the jeep to greet them, his glee turning to a mild look of surprise as Zuzu also emerged from behind the bush.

  ‘But we saw their Land Rover crash and burn,’ said Connor, still cautious.

  ‘I did too. So, while the rebels were slaughtering the presidential guard, I left my burrow and pulled them free.’ Gunner stared gravely at Amber and Henri, the siblings clasping hands. ‘I’ll be honest; your parents weren’t in a good state. But they could just about walk. It took us all night and most of the next day to reach the nearest medical centre. The good news is they’re recovering fast. But their major concern was for you two. So I promised on my life to find you. And here you are!’

  Turning to Connor, Gunner half-raised his hands in surrender and smiled. ‘Now, Connor, are you going to put that knife of yours away or not? I’ve no wish to get stabbed trying to rescue you.’

  After a moment’s deliberation, Connor decided to give Gunner the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. He produced his father’s knife from behind his back and sheathed it.

  ‘I don’t blame you for not trusting me,’ said Gunner, patting Connor on the shoulder. ‘Given the situation I don’t trust anyone either. That’s why I admitted the Barbiers to the medical centre under a false name. Now let’s get back to the lodge. Your friend too. This park is swarming with soldiers and we don’t want her mistaken for a rebel.’