by Kira Blakely
I can’t wait to get out of Africa.
It isn’t paradise, but a hell, where innocent animals are slaughtered by the dozens every day to fuel man’s greed, and innocent people are treated no better than the animals.
It’s also the place where I’ve lost the two men I’ve loved most of all.
In all my life, I’ve never felt so alone.
Chapter 15
I Smell a Rat
“I wish you were here,” I say to Pam over the phone, still sniffing after sobbing uncontrollably for hours. “I wish I’d never come to Africa.”
I’m at the airport lounge where I spent the night, waiting for the next available flight, which I’m told could still be tomorrow evening.
I don’t mind. I just want to go home.
“Oh, I wish I was there, too, so I could give you a hug,” Pam says. “But I’ll just give you one at the airport when you come home, okay? Once you know your flight details, send them to me so I can pick you up and bring you home.”
She’s my best friend, all right.
“Thanks, Pam. And I’m sorry about before.”
To think I almost lost her because of Nathan. To think I chose to believe Nathan over her.
“Shh. It’s okay. Like I said, you weren’t thinking straight.”
I shift my phone to my left hand so I can blow my nose. “I still can’t believe he killed my brother.”
“Elaine didn’t say anything about a murder.”
I pull another wad of tissue. “Do you think you can ask her to send me what she knows?”
“Sure. I’ll ask her right now.” I hear the clicking of a few keys.
“Thanks, Pam. Have I ever told you you’re my best friend?”
“Um… I think so, but you can say it again just for the record.”
I chuckle. “Well, you are.”
“There. I’ve sent Elaine a message. I’ll send you her reply when it comes.”
“Thanks again.”
“By the way, I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, but I saw Henry today, and he said you haven’t signed your contract. Are you still going to?”
“I don’t know.”
Now, more than ever, I don’t know. I don’t want to accept any more favors from the man responsible for my brother’s murder. On the other hand, working for the Seeker might just be my ticket away from Nathan and the perfect therapy for my broken heart.
“Okay. Just hang in there, all right?”
I blow my nose. “I’ll do my best.”
“Oh, and one last thing. Did Nathan actually admit to Jack’s murder? I just can’t remember if you said he did.”
I pause to think. “Um, I don’t think so. But it’s clear, isn’t it? Why?”
“Nothing. You know me. I’m a nitpicker.”
“You’re a journalist, so you have to be.”
“It just seems like your story is based more on opinion than fact, and it’s not really objective.”
“Are you saying I’m wrong?”
“I’m just saying your story should be more thorough, more polished. At least, I’d say that if I was your editor.”
“Well, thank goodness you’re not.”
“Thank goodness. Anyway, I’m sure Elaine has the facts. Just sit tight and be careful, okay? Don’t go looking for any more trouble.”
“I won’t,” I promise.
“See you soon. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hang up and put my phone in my purse.
Thank goodness for friends.
Speaking of friends, it would be nice if Abby was here, too, but Nathan didn’t bring her. Probably because he didn’t want her to discover his secret, either.
Did Nathan actually admit to Jack’s murder?
Fine. If that’s what you think…
I shake the cobwebs of doubt away. No. I’m not wrong. Nathan had Jack killed. If he didn’t, he would have tried to explain what was really going on. He would have given me proof he was innocent.
I’m not wrong.
I get the journal from my backpack, deciding to read it again just in case there’s something I’ve missed.
Gwen’s journal. By now, I know that she was Jack’s girlfriend, even though he never mentioned her to me.
So, my brother kept secrets from me, too, huh?
And judging from Gwen’s entries, they loved each other so much. Too bad they never got married.
And it’s all Nathan’s fault.
I open the journal. As I do, the pictures fall out.
Right. I put the pictures that I got from the hut there. I look at them now, smiling back at their smiling faces. They looked so happy. Just as Therese said, they were a lively bunch.
A lively bunch that met an unfortunate end.
The last picture is the one that was in the journal to begin with — the picture of Gwen and Jack, both wearing matching beaded bracelets.
Looking at it now under brighter lights, I see something I haven’t seen before — a date written at the bottom of the picture with a black marker.
May 30, 2014.
A date written in my brother’s handwriting.
There’s a smudge at the top right corner as well. What’s more surprising, though, is that the smudge comes off.
That’s strange. Does that mean it’s recent?
Impossible.
Just then, I get a message on my laptop. I put it on my lap, opening the message. It’s the forwarded message from Elaine.
That was quick.
There’s a lot of information, files on each of the volunteer veterinarians, though they’re incomplete because she’s still going through her investigation.
I open Miguel’s file. His ashes were sent home about five months before Jack’s. As for the rest, their bodies were sent home.
Except Gwen’s. Her ashes were sent home, too.
Wait. Gwen’s ashes were sent home around the same time as Jack’s?
So, they died around the same time? Then how come Gwen’s last entry was in May? Why did Jack write ‘May 30, 2014’ on the picture?
There’s something else bothering me. If Jack was the last to die, who sent his ashes home? Who burned his body? The villagers? But Therese said they didn’t like burning corpses.
Something doesn’t add up.
And it bothers me.
Very much.
I have to clear things up.
Gathering my things, I leave the airport, deciding to return to Jack’s hut one more time.
One last time.
Don’t go looking for more trouble.
I won’t, I tell Pam’s voice in my head. I’m just looking for more answers.
***
I make it to Jack’s hut without anyone knowing, just like before.
I sneak in through the front door, turn on my flashlight, and start taking pictures.
This way, I won’t miss a thing. If there are any more clues, I’ll find them.
Suddenly, I stop at the corner, realizing something.
The backpack isn’t there.
That’s weird.
Then I hear a sound. Another rat? Or is it a snake this time?
The voice in my head tells me to leave, but I decide to investigate the source of the noise. Not only am I curious, but if it proves to be nothing, then I can continue snooping around in peace.
If it proves to be something, though…
I grab a stick with my other hand, preparing to use it as a weapon.
Slowly, I go to the room where the sound came from, hearing another. Then, taking a deep breath, I jump in.
I stop, my heart seemingly having stopped as well as I stare at the last person in the world I expected to see.
The person I never thought I’d see again.
“Jack?”
Before he can speak, I feel a sharp pain on the back of my neck, and in the next instant, everything turns to black.
Chapter 16
Nocturnal
When I open my
eyes again, I find myself in a small, wooden hut, one just big enough for two. And it’s fairly empty, the only piece of furniture being a stool in the corner.
Whose hut is this?
I look at the door. It’s made of dried leaves bundled up together, which means I can easily get out.
Thank goodness.
Or so I think until I realize my hands are tied to the posts behind me.
Shit.
What on earth is going on?
I try to remember what happened.
Right. I was at the airport. I called Pam. Elaine sent me those files. Then I went to Jack’s hut and…
Jack.
“Jack!” I shout at the top of my lungs.
I know he’s supposed to be dead, but I also know what I saw.
My brother is alive.
Moments later, someone comes in through the door. It isn’t Jack, though, but a large man with dark skin and tattoos, my camera hanging around his neck.
My camera.
“Who are you?” I ask him.
“The man who knocked you out,” he answers.
A lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it. So much for thinking about asking for my camera back.
“Where’s Jack?”
“I don’t know anyone by that name.”
All right. So maybe he changed his name. Any man pretending to be dead would do the same.
“The guy with the brown hair and the mole near his left eye,” I describe. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” he answers. “And I don’t like questions.”
I stop.
“Good,” he says. “I’ll get you some food. You can shout all you want. No one will hear you.”
I nod.
He leaves, coming back with a bottle of water and a bowl of… charred meat and fresh leaves.
“Eat,” he orders.
“Um… I can’t.” I tug at the ropes.
He frees one of my hands. “Try anything funny and I’ll knock you out. And when you wake up, you might be horrified with what you find.”
A fair warning.
He leaves and I eat. I realize I’m hungry, after all.
The food isn’t bad. Some meat and vegetables. More meat than vegetables. The vegetables are a bit bitter. The meat is grilled. A bit burnt. But it’s fine.
Something tells me I’m going to need my strength.
As I eat, I think about Jack.
Where is he? Obviously, he faked his death. But why? What is he still doing here in Africa?
Does he have something to do with my abduction? Does he know my captors? If so, why didn’t he ask them to let me go or, at least, to treat me more kindly?
There’s only one way to know. I have to talk to him.
He doesn’t appear, though. Only my bear-like jailer comes in to get my bowl and give me some sort of basin to use as a toilet.
Yeah, right.
The hours pass. It gets dark.
I wait for dinner. It doesn’t come.
I worry. Have they decided I’m not worth fattening up? Is someone going to kill me soon?
The door opens again, and a man with a flashlight comes in.
At first, the light gets in my eyes, but as it is pointed somewhere else, I see who my guest is.
Not Jack, but another person I never expected to see — a man with black hair and eyes that I met not too long ago.
Edgar Brooks, Nathan’s right-hand man.
What is he doing here?
“Ah, we meet again, Ms. Willis.” He grins. “Though, unfortunately, under less pleasant circumstances.”
“What do you want with me? Where’s Jack? Where am I?”
He chuckles. “So many questions.”
But he doesn’t intend to answer any of them.
Just then, the door opens again and this time, it’s the person I’ve been wanting to see.
“Jack!”
It’s him — my brother! He may have long hair now, but I’d still recognize him anywhere.
Jack, however, doesn’t seem to recognize me.
Edgar grins. “I see you know my friend here.”
“Friend?”
“Remember when I said I’d heard so much about you. Surely, you don’t think Nathan was the one who told me. He never tells me anything. It’s Jack who did. He never told me you could cause trouble, though.” Edgar gives a disapproving click of his tongue. “You should have just stayed in America. At the very least, you should have stayed at your lodge and waited for Nathan to fuck you. What will he say when he finds you gone? He’ll be devastated for sure. Not that I care.”
I shudder at the word gone, but then, I realize something.
Edgar doesn’t know Nathan and I fought. He doesn’t know I accused Nathan of murdering my brother and getting involved in the trade of poached wildlife goods.
And Nathan doesn’t know I’m here.
Nathan has nothing to do with my abduction.
Or any of this.
American. Tall with brown hair from Landers Innovations.
The pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
I glare at Edgar. “You’re the one who’s dealing with the poachers, aren’t you? You’re the one who’s dabbling in the trade of rhino horns and elephant tusks.”
“Well, it is a lucrative business. And Nathan doesn’t pay me enough.”
“Nathan doesn’t know, does he?”
And to think I accused him. No wonder he looked so offended.
What have I done?
Edgar shakes his head. “Just as I feared, you know too much. You know what that means? We’ll have to kill you.”
“You promised not to hurt her,” Jack finally says.
So, he does recognize me. And he still cares about me. But why is Jack with Edgar?
“We can’t very well let her go,” Edgar says. “If this whole thing blows up, I’m not the only one who’ll suffer the consequences. Or have you forgotten we’re partners?”
Partners. So, they really are working together. But why? Why would Jack work with someone who’s trying to kill off rhinos and elephants? It doesn’t make sense.
Then again, pretending to be dead doesn’t make sense, either.
I have a feeling there’s something more complicated going on, but I don’t ask. With Edgar around, I have a feeling Jack won’t tell me anyway.
“I have an idea,” Jack says. “We’ll let her go.”
“What?” Edgar’s eyebrows crease. “Didn’t I just say—?”
“We’ll set her loose out there in the savanna,” Jack continues, glancing at me. “Tonight.”
Wait. What? Has he forgotten what animals are out there? That’s practically a death sentence.
Edgar seems to think so, too, because his thick lips curl into a grin. “I like that idea. It seems fun. Let’s do it.”
No. I look at Jack, trying to plead with him to do something, trying to understand what he’s thinking.
Unbelievable. And to think I looked up to him all these years, that I fell apart when I thought he had died.
Is it possible I never truly knew my brother?
“Your brother died a long time ago.” Edgar is the one who answers, patting Jack on the shoulder. “This man here is a ghost.”
He’s right. I don’t recognize this man.
Edgar smirks. “Sorry, princess, but there’s no one to save you now. Not your beloved brother or your precious boyfriend.”
I glare at him as I struggle against the rope around my wrist, wanting to strangle him.
He chuckles, the sound as detestable as nails scratching a chalkboard. “If I were you, I’d save my energy. It’s going to be a rough night.”
***
Hours later, the guy in tattoos gets me out of the hut, loading me on the back of a jeep. Jack is in the driver’s seat, completely ignoring me. Edgar is in the passenger seat.
The drive is quiet and long.
They’re looking for the perfect place to drop me. Meaning the place where I’m m
ost likely to end up getting eaten.
The jeep stops, and I’m shoved off, given only a bottle of water.
I look at it. “Really?”
“You’re not going on a safari, are you?” Edgar asks. “That’s all you need.”
I frown then look at the camera the tattooed guy is still wearing around his neck like a medal.
“Can I at least have my camera back?”
Edgar touches his chin. “Hmm. Why should I?”
“It will help make her death look accidental,” Jack tells him.
Thanks, Jack.
“Fine,” Edgar says. “Give it back.”
The tattooed man frowns but obeys.
“It’s not like your camera is going to be of any use,” Edgar tells me. “Besides, I’ve removed the card.”
Not of any use? Maybe he’s right. But I still feel better with my camera.
And I’d rather die with my camera than without it.
“You should be thrilled,” Edgar goes on. “Jack here told me you love animals, so being eaten by one will be a great way for you to go.”
His every word disgusts me.
He’s right about one thing, though. I love animals. I know all about them. I’d rather deal with them than despicable humans. Who knows? I may even have a higher chance of surviving them.
Wait. Is that why Jack suggested this instead?
I try to catch his gaze, but he doesn’t look me in the eye, looking at the steering wheel as he murmurs, “Goodbye.”
Edgar is the one looking at me, a wide grin on his face. “It was nice knowing you, though sadly, this is where we part ways. Don’t worry about Nathan. I’m sure he’ll find another woman to comfort him.”
He laughs, the sound lingering in the air as the jeep drives off.
My hands clench into fists at my side.
I’m going to make that asshole pay.
But first, I must survive.
I look up. Thankfully, the moon is bright and almost full so I can make out my surroundings.
Although that also means the other animals can see me better.
Calm down, Sam. You can do this.
I take a deep breath. If I panic, I’m already dead. I have to stay calm and keep my head clear and my senses sharp.