by J. Burchett
“We haven’t come all this way for you to watch television,” declared his father. “We’re going to talk to Chitundu now. And he asked to have a good look at the hunting badges on my hat,” he added, picking up his hat and putting it on.
“Who’s Chitundu?”
“Don’t you ever listen?” said Mr Hall, exasperated. “I told you about him. He’s a Samburu from the local village – although he lives at the hotel now. He’s the one taking us on this expedition. I want him to meet you.”
“I remember,” muttered Lester. “But he’ll be too busy to see us, won’t he? You said he works as a chef here and dinner’s still being served.”
“He’ll be there,” said Mr Hall. “But we don’t let on to anyone that he’s involved with our trip. Not fair on him if the lodge found he was working a sideline. Their employees aren’t meant to make extra money out of the guests.”
“So how can Chitundu come with us without the lodge knowing?” persisted Lester.
“Use your head, lad,” scoffed his father. “He’s taking a few days off – unpaid, of course – so they won’t know anything about it.” He gave his gruff laugh. “He’ll get more than enough money from me to make up for it.”
He moved towards the door. “Let’s go,” he said. “Bring your camera to show him.”
Lester sighed. They heard his hurried footsteps as he went into his room then back to join his father. Finally the door clicked shut.
Ben and Zoe waited for a moment, listening hard. Then they slid out from their hiding place.
“I thought I was going to squash the papayas.” Ben grinned. “Shame to ruin our afters –” He broke off. A key was turning in the lock again. They only just had time to disappear back under the bed before Lester ran in.
“I’m going on down, Lester,” came Frank Hall’s grumbling tones from the corridor. “Don’t be long.”
“I won’t be,” his son called back sulkily. “I just need my camera battery.”
Ben and Zoe heard Lester zip open a bag. It sounded as if he was having trouble with the camera. Then the battery dropped with a clatter on to the wooden floor.
It bounced and slid right under the bed, coming to rest between Ben and Zoe.
They shrank as far away as they could as Lester got down on his knees. They hardly dared breathe. Any moment now they were going to be discovered.
CHAPTER SIX
Ben quickly rolled on to his back, pulled out his BUG and swiftly tapped at the keys. As Lester’s hand felt further under the bed the sound of a hissing snake burst out from Ben’s BUG. Lester gave a terrified cry and his hand quickly withdrew. They saw his feet rushing in a mad panic to the door. It slammed shut behind him.
“How did you know Lester was scared of snakes?” breathed Zoe.
Ben shrugged as he pulled himself out from his hiding place. “A lucky guess! I remembered how frightened he was by the spider.”
“We’d better go before Mr Hall sends someone to get rid of the snake,” said Zoe.
Back in their own room, Ben threw the papayas on to the dressing table. “This trek seems really hush-hush. What if we’re right about the hunt?” he said breathlessly. “Why all the secrecy if they’re just going on a photography expedition?”
“Slow down with your theories!” said Zoe. “Neither of them mentioned a hunt. All we know is Chitundu’s not meant to be doing extra work while he’s employed at the lodge. And Lester took his camera to show him. It might really be a photography expedition.”
“Let’s listen in on the OWL,” said Ben. He tapped the OWL key on his BUG. The screen flickered and an image of glowing lights, palm trees and tables appeared.
“They’re in the corner of the courtyard,” said Zoe, looking over her brother’s shoulder. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone sitting near them. But I can’t see if they’re with this Chitundu. Can you hear anything?”
“I could if you kept quiet!” joked Ben.
Zoe poked out her tongue at him.
The children sat on Zoe’s bed in silence, listening. At first all they could make out was the low murmur of voices. Then the screen was blocked by a green Amani Lodge uniform.
“Chitundu!” they heard Mr Hall say. “Sit down.”
“I only have a moment.” The voice was quiet, with an accent similar to Runo’s and his grandfather’s. “My boss is around somewhere.”
“He won’t have anything to complain about. After all, you’re simply telling us the recipe for that delicious Nyama Choma we had tonight, aren’t you?” Mr Hall sounded in a jolly mood. He dropped his voice.
“This is my son, Lester. He’ll be coming with us. Is everything ready?”
“It is. I have the…equipment and I can take some holiday in three days’ time.”
The speaker leaned forwards, his hands pressed on to the table, and now Ben and Zoe could see his face on their BUG screen. He was young, with very short black hair. “I am pleased to meet you, Lester.” He pointed to something on the table and his smile widened. “I see you have your camera – very nice, but I will bring something else to help you with your ‘shots’.”
The image swung round to show Lester examining his camera.
“Cheer up, boy!” said his father. “Get yourself a lemonade while Chitundu and I discuss the boring details.” Lester scraped back his seat and stomped off. As soon as he’d gone, Mr Hall turned back to Chitundu.
“I hope you have something good for me, too,” he said earnestly, “as I wasn’t able to bring my own.”
Chitundu looked around him, checking there was no-one in earshot. “Highest velocity I could get, with a nice heavy cartridge,” he answered smoothly. “It will go through bone as if it’s butter. I have hidden your ‘equipment’ near the waterhole so you won’t be seen carrying it. Of course I will have to carry something to protect us. But this shouldn’t arouse any suspicion.”
Ben and Zoe tensed and listened intently from the safety of their room.
“And the calf will be very slow by then,” Chitundu went on, with a smug smile. “It is days since I snared him. He and his mother will be well behind the herd and ripe for picking.”
“So he’s the one behind the elephant killings,” said Ben through gritted teeth.
“Just like the children in the village were acting out,” added Zoe.
“I bag the mother.” Mr Hall sounded very pleased with himself. “And Lester gets the youngster. His first kill. But remember it’s to stay a surprise for him until we’re well on our way.”
“I will not forget,” said Chitundu gravely. “And remember our agreement. You get the heads. I get the bush meat.”
“Of course,” said Mr Hall.
“This is awful!” gasped Zoe, thumping her pillow in anger.
Chitundu was getting up to go. “I have to get back to the kitchen.”
“Thank you for the recipe,” said Mr Hall loudly. “I know it’s going to be a success.”
The image suddenly swung round to Lester, approaching with his lemonade.
“I thought you said my camera was really good, Dad,” he complained. “Why does Chitundu want to give me a different one?”
“That was just a joke,” said his father quickly. “Remember Chitundu’s an expert at this sort of thing. I expect he’s got a special zoom lens you can borrow. Stop grumbling!”
Ben shut down the image.
“Now we know who our hunters are!” he said. “And we’ve got three days before they set off.”
He checked the satellite map on his BUG. “The waterhole Wambua told us about is south-east of here,” he told his sister. “He said it was a day’s walk, so if we leave before first light tomorrow, like we planned, we’ll be at the waterhole well in time.”
Zoe began to stow the sleeping bags and food rations in their backpacks ready for the trek.
“Do you think Tomboi will have the chance to recover and rejoin the herd?” she suddenly burst out. “And won’t the hunters be able to track him down anyway?”
&nbs
p; “I’ll report to Uncle Stephen,” said Ben. “Now we know the hunting party will be setting out in three days’ time he can alert the authorities. That will give them plenty of time to organise how to catch them in the act.”
He pressed the hot key on his BUG that put him straight through to Wild HQ.
“What news?” came their godfather’s eager voice.
Ben quickly told him about planting the OWL, and reported everything they’d heard. “So you’ll get the Kenya Wildlife Service to arrest the hunters?” he finished.
“It’s not as easy as that, Ben,” Dr Fisher replied. “This Chitundu’s been clever. There’s no evidence linking him to the hunt – and we can’t tell anyone that you heard the conversation over a secret piece of Wild equipment. Once you’ve sorted out Tomboi, keep tracking Hall’s movements and let me know when the hunters are getting near the waterhole. I’ll make sure the Kenya Wildlife Service get wind of it. Over and out.”
Zoe put the medical kit, torches, water bottles, night-vision goggles and binoculars into the backpacks.
“Tranquilliser guns on the top, just in case,” she said, zipping up the bags. “Here we come, Tomboi.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Zoe woke to the sound of her alarm buzzing in her ear. She staggered out of bed in the dark and shook Ben. He was always hard to wake – especially at five thirty in the morning. By the time he’d pulled on his clothes his sister was ready by the door, checking the satellite map on her BUG.
They crept down the dim corridor, trying not to make the wooden floor creak.
At last the big double doors at the front of the softly lit lobby came into view.
“I can’t see anyone on Reception,” said Zoe. “Let’s go – oof!”
Someone came round the corner and ran straight into her. It was Lester Hall. He had his camera slung round his neck and looked as if he’d pulled on his clothes in a hurry.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, scratching his tousled head. “I’m not really awake.”
“And we thought we were the only ones up!” said Ben, trying to sound relaxed and friendly. “Going somewhere nice?”
Lester yawned. “My dad’s taking me on a photo expedition. But I didn’t think he’d be dragging me out of bed in the middle of the night!”
Ben and Zoe stared at him, trying to keep the look of shock from their faces. The hunt was setting out today!
“What are you two doing up so early?” came a familiar voice, and Mr Hall strode into view.
He was kitted out for his expedition, from his state-of-the-art trekking boots to his expensive binoculars and his decorated hat. Hands on hips, he looked Ben and Zoe up and down, taking in their backpacks. He poked a finger at them. “I get it. Sneaking out while your tutor’s ill. I bet she’d like to know what you’re up to.”
“No,” protested Zoe. “We –”
“I’m obliged to let the hotel know that you two are heading off on your own!” Mr Hall interrupted. “They won’t want to send out a search party because a pair of stupid kids have been eaten by lions.”
“Our tutor’s coming with us,” Ben assured him. “She’s better now. We’re just waiting for her.”
“She knows this area well,” Zoe took up the hastily improvised story. “She lived here when she was a girl.” She could feel her heart thumping. Would Mr Hall believe them?
Mr Hall humphed. “That’s all right then.” A brief look of concern flickered over his face. “Where exactly are you going?”
Ben thought quickly. “To the village,” he said. “Our tutor wants us to see a whole day in the life of the village.”
Frank Hall forced a thin smile. The children saw he was relieved they wouldn’t be going in his direction. “Come on, Lester,” he grunted. “We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get going. I’ve ordered us some breakfast. We’ve got a long trek ahead so we’ll need the energy.”
The yawning boy traipsed off after his dad.
“This is a disaster!” whispered Zoe. “We thought we’d have three days before the hunters started out. Why have they changed their plans all of a sudden?”
“We can’t worry about that now,” replied Ben. “Our mission is to save Tomboi, and that means getting there before the hunters and sorting out his leg.”
“And letting Uncle Stephen know that the hunt is on so he can alert the Kenya Wildlife Service,” added Zoe. “Come on, we can tell him on our way.”
Sneaking through the spotlit lodge grounds, the children dived behind a hippopotamus statue as an armed security guard walked past. Dawn was just breaking and the air was still cold.
“We’ve got to find a new route,” said Ben. “And that’s going to be hard. You can see a long way on the plain because it’s so flat. We’ll easily be spotted if we’re anywhere near the hunting party.” He called up a satellite picture of the area. A tiny red light pulsed from the lodge. “They’re in the dining room.”
“Let’s hope it’s a huge breakfast that will take them ages to eat,” said Zoe.
“And that Frank Hall will be so stuffed he’ll hardly be able to walk.” Ben laughed and zoomed the map out until the waterhole appeared. “I know we should be heading south-east,” he muttered, “but if we go southwest to start with, there’s more cover.”
“You’re right.” Zoe nodded as she looked over his shoulder. “There are clumps of trees there…” She pointed. “…And there.”
“Then we cut south-east through that outcrop of rocks and finally get to the undergrowth near the waterhole,” said Ben. “That’s a good hiding place to wait for the elephants tomorrow morning. We’ll camp somewhere on the way.”
“But we’ll have to set a good pace,” said Zoe. “This detour makes our trek longer than theirs.”
Ben tapped away at some keys on his BUG. “I’ve sent a message to Uncle Stephen to let him know the change of plan.”
“Tranquilliser guns at the ready,” added Zoe, nodding towards a large sign – DO NOT PROCEED UNACCOMPANIED BEYOND THIS POINT. “And scent dispersers on so we don’t smell tempting to predators.”
When the coast was clear they slipped out of the lodge grounds. Ben checked the map on his BUG and gestured for Zoe to follow.
Skirting round the lodge, Ben and Zoe drank in the spectacular view of the plain bathed in the early morning sun. The flat land stretched away towards the snowcapped Mount Kenya in the far distance. Trees grew here and there – tall fanned acacias and thick-trunked baobabs.
The children moved quickly, darting for the cover of trees where they could. As the sun began to warm the arid land, the plain woke up. Herds of zebra and wildebeest grazed on the open grass and giraffes lolloped along as if chasing each other.
“Look over there,” gasped Ben. “By those trees. Awesome! Our first sign of an elephant!”
“It’s huge!” said Zoe, wide-eyed. “It couldn’t be part of our herd, could it?”
“It’s a male,” said Ben. “Remember Wambua told us they live alone.”
The bull elephant stamped about among the trees, his head tossing and trunk swinging irritably.
“He looks bad-tempered,” said Zoe. “Good thing we’re nowhere near him.”
Ben came to a sudden halt. “What’s that over there?” he said, pointing at the far distance. “To the east. Something’s moving and I don’t think it’s an animal.” He threw himself flat on the ground, pulling Zoe with him.
Zoe grabbed her binoculars and focused them. “It’s the hunting party. We were in full view.”
“That was close!” panted Ben. “Did they see us?”
“I’ll find out,” said Zoe, calling up her OWL.
“I did see something,” they heard Mr Hall insist. “It looked like people.”
“I cannot see anything,” came Chitundu’s voice. “I expect it was an animal.”
“Hope so,” grunted the hunter, “for your sake.”
“Now we’ve stopped can I take some photos?” asked Lester. “We’ve been going so fast I haven’t m
anaged to take one yet.”
“You’ll get some good shots later.” His father chuckled.
“We must be more careful,” said Zoe. She studied the map on her BUG. “We should go further west.”
They took the new route, seeking high grass and thick bushes whenever possible.
Suddenly, there was a tremendous crashing in the bushes ahead of them and the bull elephant burst out into the open. He stamped his front feet, blowing angrily through his trunk. The children stopped, not daring to take another step.
“Stay still,” whispered Ben. “He might ignore us.”
They could hear a low growling noise as the elephant shook his head. Then he raised his trunk and gave a tremendous trumpet of rage.
“Run!” cried Zoe, as the elephant began to charge.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The elephant pounded towards them, his huge ears outstretched.
Ben caught his sister’s arm as she turned to flee.
“Just step into the thick bushes,” he said quietly. “Move slowly and don’t make eye contact.”
Although every fibre of her body was telling her to run, Zoe obeyed. She knew she could trust Ben. She had to steel herself not to check over her shoulder at the six thousand kilos of charging mammal.
The sound of thundering feet grew closer. Leaves and branches flew into the air as the bull elephant pushed through the bushes towards the children’s hiding place.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the thudding stopped and they could hear loud snorts. The elephant was standing a short distance away, tossing his head. At last he tramped off, his trunk swinging from side to side.
“It was just a dummy charge,” said Ben. “Thought as much. He had his ears forward. Anyone who knows anything about elephants could have told you.”
Zoe gawped at him. Ben managed to keep a straight face for about five seconds, then he burst out laughing.
“I read about it on the plane,” he confessed. “Ears forward and a lot of noise means the elephant is just showing us who’s boss. It’s when his ears are back and he’s silent that you’ve got to worry.” His face took on a look of mock seriousness and he scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Or is it the other way round?” He dodged as Zoe gave him a friendly punch.