Lia's files 2_Heading down south

by Kathrin Kilambya

  The men around Idris looked very interested at this.

  “I think, at least two of us should go to the cars and guard them. There is simply too much important gear out there, to let it fall into the hands of a Nemesis patrol. Even if they can’t have seen the cars when flying by just now, should they start to search the area, chances are high that they will hit upon them.” Josh interjected.

  “Yeah, and we anyway have to go there to get the guns.” Paul added.

  “I don’t like the idea of us being separated. We should all stay together.” Winter voiced what I had been thinking, too.

  Rob tried to reason with her, but Yuki joined in their argument. “No, Rob, she is right. The idea that two of us stay by the car and the rest in here, well, it is insufferable. We must stay together. What if anything happened, either here or out there?”

  “But listen, you two, it will not be dangerous. It’s just a precautionary measure.” Rob held Winter by her arms, trying to convince her.

  Josh looked at me, to gauge my reaction. I wasn’t sure of what to think. I could see the necessity of guarding our car. But the idea of separating made me feel really uneasy.

  Before I could say anything, Paul suggested. “Well, we have to do something about the cars. How about this: Josh and I relocate to the cars. Tsegaye or Goytom can accompany us and I would like to have Belachew with us, too.”

  Josh just raised his eyebrows and kept looking at me questioningly. I held his glance and said after a short pause. “I don’t like this, not at all. But I agree that it must be done. And Paul’s choice seems feasible. After all, you two know exactly how the other ticks. So, you will be able to look after each other. And …”

  But before I could finish my heroic attempt to concede to what was inevitable, Josh embraced me and pressed a kiss on my hair and said in a low voice so that the others wouldn’t hear. “Thanks! It’s the best of bad choices, yes. Thanks for your blessings! I will take care. Of Paul and myself. Promised!”

  “You better had. And, come back safe, please.” I didn’t feel half as cool as I pretended to be, but Josh saw right through me.

  Idris agreed to this plan, too, when Yuki had translated it to him. He decided that Belachew and Goytom should accompany Paul and Josh. We returned to our compartments in the cave and Paul and Josh packed what little they meant to take with them and then shouldered their guns. They handed Belachew and Goytom guns, too, and unpacked the night-vision goggles and two infrared scanners.

  Then we held a quick council of war. Idris and Brhane decided that Mekonnen and Serag would position themselves somewhere between the cave and the cars. As a sort of relay station. They received guns, too. Paul showed them how to use the night vision goggles and infrared scanners. The others wanted to have a go, too, and see how these things worked. It was obvious that they were much impressed and wanted this equipment badly. After a quick glance at everyone, Paul told Idris, that we would give them two night-vision goggles and two infrared scanners each, together with a solar charging unit. He promised to give them detailed instruction as to how to use and maintain this gear tomorrow, upon their return.

  Then they took their leave.

  It was hard to let them go. The roles were kind of reversed now. Josh went out to risk his life and I had to stay behind, worrying my head off. For the sake of the others, who already felt bad at this choice, I didn’t want to betray my anxiety. We said our goodbyes in the little entrance cave. Josh hugging me close. Pressing me to his chest so hard I could hardly breathe.

  “Damn it, I hate to leave you here.” He whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

  “We’ll be okay. It’s you who have to be extra careful, promise me.” I tried to be flippant, but my voice broke. With a little sob I buried my head in his chest. He pressed kisses on my hair and murmured. “It’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

  As if. Who was he trying to fool here?

  I pulled myself together and said, lifting my head to look in his face. “Just you take care. Please. And come back safe. That I love you, you know.”

  He kissed me long and fervently, then let go and with a rueful smile turned to join Paul, Belachew and Goytom. Paul refrained for once from any flippant comment. I didn’t know whether this should have worried me or not. His eyes searched for Mahlet, a strange expression in them, she met his gaze quickly before he turned around and followed Josh. Then they were gone.

  I didn’t immediately go back to the others; I needed some time to get a grip on myself. It wouldn’t do to show them how badly this separation affected me. Josh wasn’t going far, of course. Still, I felt myself tremble within. Maybe I was being silly here, but I felt so wound-up and tense, I couldn’t face the others just yet. We’d had so little time together. And here we were, in unknown territory, surrounded by strangers, and maybe an attack of the Nemesis imminent. How was I to be calm and cool under these circumstances? He’d promised, we’d see everything through together from now onwards. And here we were, less than twenty-four hours after that promise already separated. However, it wouldn’t do, I had to get a grip on myself. At least for Alice’s sake. It wouldn’t do to upset her. The events of the last few days had been distressing and taxing to the extreme, especially for her. She needed me, even if she’d found temporarily distraction with the children she could play with.

  So, finally, I heaved a sigh, told myself to be brave and went back inside the cave.

  They were huddling together in our compartment; watching me unhappily, as I walked to them. Alice had apparently been crying. I bent down to caress her cheeks and scolded her a bit for being a sissy. “Brace up, Alice, nothing much will happen. This is, after all, mostly a precautionary measure. They will be back tomorrow morning, you’ll see.”

  She scrambled to her feet and into my arms. I held her tight and looked at the others. Yuki had been crying, too. She looked as if she was going to weep some more.

  As I really couldn’t handle too much of these overwrought emotions right now, I turned and looked over to where Idris and his people were and said. “Why don’t we join the others? It won’t do to sit around being miserable. We might as well do something useful.”

  “Why can’t you at least once acknowledge your own feelings?” Yuki ejaculated with an unhappy sob.

  I spun around and hissed. “Because it won’t help, not one iota. So, let me be, will you. I am not one to wear my heart on my sleeves, as well you know.”

  At this, Nin scowled at me, taking exception at the way I spoke with Yuki.

  Really, this was all just preposterous! And ridiculous! I already felt sorry for having lashed out at Yuki.

  Apparently, the comical side of our situation wasn’t lost on Rob and Winter, because they both suppressed a chuckle. When I met Winter’s glance, she burst out laughing. “You are so funny, Lia. Like an irritated tigress, really, but cute. Let me give you a hug.”

  And before I could protest, she’d gotten up and embraced me tightly.

  Strangely, it felt good. When she released me, I gave her a rueful grin, ducked my head and apologized to Yuki. Winter punched me in the side and led the way over to Idris and his group. Rob followed her and I took Alice by her hand to join them. However, she wriggled out of my hold and ran to Safia and the other children. They circled around her and soon we could hear them talk animatedly. Meanwhile we adults sat down near the central fire place and I asked Idris what he thought of the whole affair. Nin and Yuki joined us and Yuki readily translated for me, showing by this that she didn’t grudge me my outburst of before.

  Idris gave me a stern, rather paternal look, gestured for me to sit on the stool next to him and talked at length to Yuki. She translated. “Idris tells you, not to worry, Lia. He says that patrols of the Nemesis had been passing through here several times before. And that they had always managed to remain undetected. Abdella is on guard by the entrance cave, he will tell us immediately should anyone come too close.”

  “Can we climb up the ladder and have a lo
ok from above?” I inquired.

  “No, that’s not a good idea. There isn’t really space to hide up there. It would be too dangerous.” Yuki answered after having consulted Idris.

  “What if they come near here; what if they find the cave?”

  “Then we will fight.” Yuki translated Idris’s words. “But Idris says we needn’t worry. He says that the plane flew over high, on the normal route that they have always followed whenever one flew over. There’s no reason the Nemesis should suspect us being here. The place where Serag almost bumped into that Nemesis patrol the other day was quite a distance from here. So, Idris thinks, there’s no need for us to worry.”

  Tigist and Melat vigorously nodded their heads at that and the old man called Brhane also indicated his approval to this assessment by gravely beckoning his head. He spoke at length to Idris and Yuki translated the gist of it once he’d stopped talking.

  “Brhane basically told Idris that now, with those weapons we’d give them, they should think of fighting back. He mentioned how he and his age-mates fought many a battle in their youth, how heroic it had all been and that they must take a tough stand now, too. That it wouldn’t do to disgrace their all ancestors by buckling down in front of the Nemesis. He kept on going on that note for a while and it was frankly obvious that Idris didn’t like it; neither did the women. And neither do I, for that.”

  Yuki heaved a big sigh and said in Swiss German. “Frankly, I would be glad if we could get away from here soon. I don’t like the idea that we have to rely on these people. We don’t know their agenda. They may be friendly, yes, but if they want to fight the Nemesis, then we had better get away soon. I don’t like this, not at all.”

  Rob and Winter glanced at Yuki questioningly and I quietly told them what Yuki had said in Swiss German. Rob nodded his head at that, he apparently agreed with Yuki. Winter didn’t look to happy either.

  “What should we do?” She asked. “Just sit here and wait for what may or may not happen. Or do something?”

  “Like what?” Nin asked.

  “I don’t really know; it just feels strange. Sitting here and waiting, I mean.” Winter said.

  “I know what you mean, Flo.” Rob smiled at her. “But for now, I think, we should really just wait and see. We are prepared, aren’t we? If need be, we can be on our way within minutes. We haven’t unpacked our gear and I suggest that we don’t. Only what’s absolutely necessary. We have to stay here for the night. Tomorrow we shall see. I am all for leaving here as soon as possible, too. But honestly,” and here he bent his head toward us and went on in a whisper, “I think we’ll have to take somebody along with us.”

  “Goytom and Degu, you think?” Nin asked in hushed voice.

  Rob just nodded his head.

  Of course, why hadn’t I spotted this before! Goytom was from some place south of Addis Ababa, wasn’t he? And so was Degu. They would want a ride down there. And good for us. Because they would know at least some of the way.

  “You’re right.” Winter whispered. “And what an asset he’ll be for us.”

  “Shh! You don’t have to advertise it all over.” Rob scolded her, but he smiled tenderly at her.

  “It’s okay, I got it.” Winter reassured him. “And what about Mahlet?”

  I had to grin at this suggestion. So, she had noticed, too. The others, however, were utterly at a loss of what she meant.

  “What do you mean?” Rob asked her.

  “Well, forget it, haven’t said a word.” Winter wasn’t willing to say more, no matter how Rob insisted that she explain.

  While we’d been discussing among ourselves, Idris and his people had also held a council of sorts. They were still discussing something. We looked on for a while, but eventually Idris turned toward Rob and addressed him with a lengthy speech. Yuki translated.

  “Idris says that they are very happy to have us here and that they all feel that it was a god-send that brought us to them. They have, apparently been arguing what to do for some weeks. Ever since those planes appeared, they felt kind of trapped here. But as they didn’t have the means to fight the Nemesis or defend themselves, they decided to stay put and remain in hiding for as long as it was possible. Four times in the last few weeks, convoys of Nemesis passed by. At first they didn’t know why, but ever since Degu and Abdella arrived and told them about the Nemesis basis in Gondar and Khartoum, they suspect that those bases are linked and that the convoys had something to do with this. Degu told them that there’s a special link between these two bases. That they together are supposed to control this entire region and that Khartoum is their overall headquarters. The base near Gondar is just a kind of outpost, firmly under command from Khartoum. Apparently Abdella has been able to confirm this. This confirmed for Idris that it is far too risky to stay on here for much longer. What with basically living along a mayor transport route of the Nemesis. And what with their food resources running out slowly but surely. In the light of all of this, we really must have seemed like a god-send. Especially now that they have seen our weapons and we have promised them their share. They feel like things are changing fast and in their favour. They are discussing where to go. Some, like Goytom, want to come along with us, while others want to relocate further away into the heartland of their tribes and ancestors. But leave they definitely will. They are set on it. Amazing, isn’t it?” Yuki sounded just as flabbergasted as we all were.

  Rob was the first to react. “Well, this certainly comes as a surprise! We’ll have to discuss this carefully with Josh and Paul.”

  “And, we left that plane in the worst possible spot, haven’t we? They’ll find it, no problem. As soon as the next convoy passes from Khartoum or to Khartoum through that village, they will simply stumble on it. Then we’ll be in the suds.” Winter exclaimed pessimistically.

  “And just why exactly should that be?” Rob answered. “We left nothing in that plane that might give away our identity. All the Nemesis will find is a plane of unknown origin with some Nemesis gear inside. They will suspect that another Nemesis group has come to their area of control. Maybe as friends, maybe as foes. It will confuse them a great deal, but we’ll be out of it and may even have our window of opportunity to escape toward Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border while they’ll try to figure out what happened exactly.”

  Yuki was translating what he’d said and obviously Idris and several of his people agreed with Rob’s assessment, for they nodded their heads vigorously and smiled.

  While we’d been discussing all this, the children had played in a corner further back in the cave. Alice seemed content to be among them. She glanced our way every now and then and I always smiled reassuringly back at her whereupon she’d go back to playing.

  Yuki now addressed us. “Tigist wants to know more about us. I’ll tell her, okay?” Yuki suggested and we agreed.

  For the next half an hour or so there was an almost constant back and forth between Yuki and Tigist. Senayit, Mahlet and Melat also chipped in frequently, but the other adults just listened to what was being said and didn’t volunteer anything themselves.

  For a while I tried to focus on what was being said. Politely looking at whoever spoke. But after a while my thoughts drifted.

  I tried to imagine where Josh was now and how he and Paul might be doing. It felt like ages ago that I had last seen them both, though, to be honest, who mattered to me was Josh. Him I wanted to be close to. Him my heart ached for. With him my thoughts were.

  I consulted my watch and saw that it was approaching six o’clock already. This meant that it was getting dark outside by now. I felt very tired somehow, but couldn’t imagine that I would be able to sleep that night.

  About another quarter of an hour later Tigist, Yuki and the other women were done with their long discussion and Yuki turned to us to explain, while Tigist started to discuss with her group.

  Yuki looked tired but she faithfully told us what had been discussed. “Well, I told them about us. Who we are, I mean, how we ar
e related, our educational and professional backgrounds and the like. I tried to convey as much information as I dared without revealing too much about ourselves. Especially about your Dad and Uncle Phil, Lia. I also said that Josh being your Uncle’s long-term assistant and basically a family member, it had only seemed natural that he and his friends would join and accompany us on our journey to Kenya. Tigist seemed entirely satisfied with my flimsy explanations about why we left Switzerland. Apparently, she imagines it to be a place of extremely unfavourable climate and it seems to her only natural that we would want to relocate somewhere else warmer. She was especially interested in why we had been on our own in Switzerland and where our parents were. I was frank about my reasons for not living with my parents, which she visibly disapproved of. When I explained about Nate’s father having fallen ill and your Mum and Nate going to Canada to be with him, she understood immediately and didn’t pursue the issue. I naturally didn’t mention your Dad much, Lia, and never said a word about Steve and his lot.

  “Mahlet asked a lot of questions about Paul. That was kind of funny. She’s obviously interested in him.” Yuki chuckled. “I wonder how it is with him.”

  I could have told her that he was interested, too. But if she hadn’t noticed yet, I wasn’t going to say anything.

  Yuki went on in her report. “Anyway, Tigist was, at least for the moment, much more interested in what we know of the Nemesis and how it had been when disaster struck back in Switzerland and England. I explained as good as I could, but she may have further questions. I also told her that we don’t know much about how the Nemesis are organised, but that we think they have these cells and regional headquarters. I also mentioned the incident you witnessed, Winter and Rob, on your way through Europe because Melat asked me whether we thought it possible to negotiate with the Nemesis. Apparently, some members of their group are in favour of this option and think one should approach the Nemesis to make a deal. I thought it advisable to nip these thoughts in the bud. Together with what they heard from Belachew, I think that they now understand that talking with the Nemesis is definitely off the table.