In shock, David’s brain tried to work out what to do next with the information that had just presented itself.
CHAPTER NINE
Whilst in Zambia, Druker found it easy to get along with the local officials and government men, as they always liked brown bags stuffed with cash, and, as Druker always had plenty of cash, it meant he usually got what he wanted. After he’d purchased Mwatusanga, he spent time building these fake relationships. Keeping these officials on his side was important to him and was worth him spending time with them, even though most of them he didn’t like at all. But since he’d become successful, he had surrounded himself with staff and people he needed and trusted when he wanted something.
The corruption levels in Zambia had played a big part in where he’d chosen to buy. He had originally wanted a reserve in nearby Botswana, but the Corruption Perception Index for Botswana was relatively low and the Southern African nation had again recently captured the title of Africa’s least corrupt nation. So knowing his plans for flying into and out of Zambia, he needed to be able to rely on corrupt authorities, which Zambia seemed to have an abundance of, so he bought his reserve there.
The extra paperwork for his flights would be dealt with through him, and this usually involved him paying over copious amounts of cash, thus avoiding any unnecessary questions each time he either left the country or when he returned. During this process, customs officials reserved the right to meet him at his home when he arrived, but they’d told him that this would happen very rarely. Druker knew full well that if they did turn up, the meeting would likely involve yet more cash exchanging hands.
Once he began flying to the UK in his own jet, although he liked the idea of flying direct, he would normally stop on route in Nice, where he’d stay in the Hotel Hyatt Regent on the Promenade Des Anglais in the Bay of Angels.
Druker loved this hotel; it had its own casino, where he’d play his favourite game of blackjack. He always managed to pick up young women, either in the casino or at some of the local bars and clubs. As he couldn’t speak any French, in most cases the women he chose would speak fluent English. But on occasion, he’d get lucky with girls who didn’t speak much English. When there was plenty of Champagne involved, which with him there always was, language never seemed to matter too much, as all he was looking for was no-strings-attached fun.
He had been married before, but his now-estranged wife still lived in his mansion in Essex England with his only daughter, Nicola. It was when he was 26 that he had met his wife in a bar in Knightsbridge and they ended up moving out of London and out to Essex. They’d lived for 10 years together until the split-up, which was after he’d had an affair with the wife of a friend.
Since his split with his wife, he had avoided entering into long-term relationships, considering them to be hassles he never wanted again. It was easier for him to get his sexual fixes on his trips to France, but also when he was in London. His daughter was working in London as a recruitment consultant, and on some of his trips to the UK he would meet her for dinner. After dinner he would frequent the casinos in Park Lane, and invariably he’d end up with a woman who was looking to have a good time with a rich sugar daddy. He wasn’t fussy about which type of woman he met, so long as there was no chance of any romance or hassle in the future.
He did meet one lady in a London bar after he’d been to a casino and she agreed to meet up with him each time he flew in, but with no strings attached. This relationship lasted for a while, but he soon got bored with her, especially after she started talking about coming to visit him in Zambia. This was a step too far for Druker, as she was getting too close for comfort, so he never contacted her again after that.
CHAPTER TEN
The final piece of evidence that David needed to confirm his location was right in front of him now — a small herd of placid-looking wildebeest grazing on the grass just to the right of where he stood. He was frozen to the spot, not knowing what to do with this new scene in this unfolding nightmare. Seeing these wildebeest made him realise how exposed he was to the wild, and despite the fact that they were grass-eating creatures, he was terrified.
Intermingled with this herd of 50 or more wildebeest were a number of zebra, too. The open plain where these animals grazed was several metres below his standing point and about 100 or so metres away, but there was no doubt in his mind what they were and what seeing them meant.
‘Wildebeest and zebras?’ he questioned. ‘I’m definitely in Africa.’ But the ‘how’ question raised its disturbing head again. ‘Time travel? Could this be possible?’
He plucked up a bit of courage to move further away from the protection of the cave, and as he did, several of the wildebeest nearest to him looked up. On doing so they became agitated and made enough of a commotion to unsettle the rest of the herd. This movement signalled that danger loomed, and although in reality he posed no threat to these animals at all, their instinct, which is wired into their relatively tiny brains, kicked in. Their readiness to run at the slightest sound or the smallest of movements in the surrounding grassland, was set like the sensitive trigger of a gun. Their brains were hard-wired to view any movement as a potential threat. These animals had an overwhelming sense of survival, which was always stronger than their need to eat, especially when faced with apparent danger. The wildebeest’s survival mechanism, which had developed over millions of years of evolution, simply kicked in automatically, and now the whole herd was getting agitated.
These large herbivores began to head off from where they were eating grass and away from where David stood. In doing so, the dry ground where they were eating was stirred up, as dust plumed up from their heavy hooves. The earth was so obviously dry that this small movement of such hefty animals was enough to dislodge the loose soil sitting just below the dry grass.
At this point, he hoped that perhaps he was in some sort of wildlife park, but why and how? But then looking out to the distant horizon he realised that this was wishful thinking, as it would have to be one very large park. Looking in all directions, he could see no signs of human activity, no fences to keep these animals enclosed, and no end to what was turning into an experience he sorely wished he had no part in.
As he scanned the horizon, something a bit closer to where he stood got his attention. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the tall grass to his left. He was sure that this movement represented more animals. But what kind? This visual signal confirmed that there were yet more animals around him and the area nearby was beginning to come to life.
His heart began to race with a pulse he’d never experienced before. He stood frozen to the spot whilst his brain was taking in the unfolding scene.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As Graham focused on the animals he’d seen, he realised that they were buffalo.
He froze to the spot and remembered that African Buffalos were classed as one of the Big Five on the dangerous animal list.
He began to recall something he’d read: ‘Buffalos are responsible for a high number of human deaths, with some saying even more deaths than the other big five, including attacks by lions and elephants.’
Two of the nearest buffalos turned to look at him, and as these creatures stared at him and began to stir, his heart rate jumped to the highest he’d ever experienced. The nearest creature to him snorted and raised its head, as its two huge horns, almost too big for its head, rose up menacingly. Not wanting to engage with these cantankerous animals and not wishing to be attacked, he backed off slowly, trying not to upset them.
Walking off in the other direction, he now realised his worst nightmare. There were animals out there, and dangerous ones at that. Seeing these wild buffalo confirmed that he was in Africa.
Having disappeared back into the cover of the tall trees and out of sight of the herd of buffalos, he was not sure which way to turn, for fear of bumping into more ferocious animals. He felt even more lost and alone, and understood his deep feelings of fear, but despite them, a deeper p
rimal feeling inside Graham urged him to keep moving on, at least initially in order to find some water.
His feet were already sore, despite having only walked a short distance, plus the back of his throat was parched from the lack of water and from the heat. Thoughts began rushing through his mind.
‘What if I can’t find any water? What would I do if I come across a pride of lions? How can I find something to eat and what could I eat out here anyway?’
He remembered that when he was watching ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ on TV, he recalled their eating insects, which, if he could find some, he could eat; this would also provide him with a source of fluid.
He then had a sudden flash of memory about the three men. He remembered them all staring down at him and he was in a box, like a coffin of some kind. He recalled, as the box had been opened, a sudden blaze of light shining down, and the men all leaning over him. He recalled the pain the bright sunlight had brought to his eyes, as his irises had tried to quickly adjust to the abrupt change in light.
He recalled one of the men leaning in, then a sharp stab in his left arm, then losing consciousness, and finally waking up here in this forest. Graham knew that at least one of the men he looked up at from the darkened box was familiar.
He struggled to recall more of his activities before ending up in that box. The last thing he remembered was returning home from the shops with some food and cigarettes to his very small flat, but other than that, things were hazy.
Finally, he forced himself to remember putting the key in the lock to his flat, which was on the third floor of a large, converted house near the centre of Chelmsford. He shared the house with five other people, most of whom were also on benefits.
Then, as he replayed his actions after opening the front door, the hairs on his arms suddenly stood up and he shivered. He vaguely remembered seeing someone standing in front of him. There was someone already in his flat! It came back to him how scared he’d felt and how he’d asked the person what they were doing there. He also remembered moving towards the person; then his memory went blank, but he sensed that there had been someone else in the room, possibly waiting behind the door.
He then began to think more about the man with the blue eyes, and wondered how he’d managed to get him out here. Thinking about the coffin he’d awoken in with the light streaming in, he concluded, ‘He must have transported me in that box. But how?’ How could this man get him out of the UK, unnoticed, and into a totally different country, without legal repercussions? He was amazed that this was even possible, but obviously it was.
‘What if I’m not the only one?’ Graham suddenly wondered, and with this thought, goose bumps formed on his arms and a shiver ran through his body.
‘This man seems to be playing god. How dare he do this to me?’
His mind then turned back to his predicament and the location where he’d awakened. He needed to think straight and work out how to get out of this place.
‘Perhaps there may be civilisation not that far away,’ he thought, although because he was in a wooded area, he was not able to see into the distance.
Thinking again about survival and the need for food and water, Graham recalled the ants he’d seen earlier.
‘Perhaps I could eat those,’ he thought, although this meant going back towards where he’d come across the buffalo. After careful consideration, he decided against this move; instead, he continued in the direction in which he’d started, which was well away from the buffalo.
He pushed on through the bush towards what he hoped might be safety.
‘But out here, where is safe?’ he asked himself. In fact, he thought, it would be unlikely anywhere hereabouts was safe at all.
His heightened awareness seemed to numb the pain in his feet, which allowed him to continue walking. The internal anaesthetic was probably due to the high level of adrenalin rushing through the veins in his body.
Whilst he walked slowly through the trees and bushes, he was aware that his senses were on high alert. He was also well aware that his body wasn’t athletically designed, due to his enlarged stomach and a lack of exercise, and certainly was not designed for being in the wild. This meant that if he encountered a dangerous animal, his ability to be able to out-run it was limited.
As he walked and kept looking all around, first to his left and then to his right, trying to see if there were any lurking threats, Graham suddenly heard the loud sound of an elephant trumpeting. His heart rate jumped another notch and yet more adrenalin was released into his blood. The sound of the elephant was coming from his right, and his initial instinct was to run away, but he was surprised at how quickly he became rational: He remembered that elephants would know where there was water.
‘I can follow them to a waterhole or to a river,’ he thought.
Graham’s mouth was completely dry now, so he realised he was in desperate need of water, and having watched films about elephants, they tended to find water very easily, as they needed it on a regular basis. So going against his initial reaction to get away from this new threat, he now decided a better move would be to cautiously seek them out and follow them when they decided they needed to find water.
So he slowly made his way to where he’d heard the trumpeting sound. His heart was in his mouth, though, as he stepped very carefully through the bushes. He knew that elephants could be extremely dangerous animals, especially if they have young.
As he moved, his feet landed on stone after stone, and there were also sharp sticks, hurting them even more. Also, he still felt strange walking around totally naked. He was a bit of a prude and hated showing off his overweight body to anyone. Although he felt that it was unlikely there’d be people in his immediate vicinity, he still felt very much on show.
However, his nakedness was the least of his worries; he needed to find the elephants and then follow them to water without them getting angry at his presence. As he proceeded, he could hear the breaking of tree limbs and softer vocal sounds from the elephants ahead of him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Druker's computer screens took up most of the desk in front of him, and so that he could read them more easily, the figures on each were huge. He leant back on his leather chair, with his hands cupped over his more than ample stomach, as he studied each of the screens in front of him.
His rotundity was a result of living the good life and eating and drinking to excess. He loved his luxury drinks, like the most expensive brandy and the best malt whiskey he could buy, having it shipped in by the casket. Another favourite of his was red wine, and, since money was no object, he would have the best wine shipped in from around the world. His latest red, bought whilst in France, was a Chateau Mouton Rothschild, possibly one of the finest clarets in the world from the Bordeaux region. Whenever he poured the lovely liquid, it reminded him of blood, with its slightly viscous nature and deep, red colour, which always brought a smile to his face. He knew that he probably drank too much, which did make him think about his father and how he’d drunk himself to death, but he loved it too much to give it up.
Druker had made his fortune from buying and selling property. He had also invested in a number of start-up businesses in Cambridge and had done well with ARM Holdings.
He had invested in this company when it had first floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998. His million-pound initial investment turned into a multi-million pound mountain of cash as this investment took off.
His parents were both now dead, but when they were alive they had never had much money. His father came from London, whilst his mother was born in Cardiff.
His parent’s meagre lifestyle had been hampered by his father constant need to drink. His father would drink his way through his wages on a Friday night down at the local pub.
As a kid he hated it when his father got drunk, as these would lead to him being abusive to his mum. On occasion his father’s temper would be turned on him, too.
But when Druker was 16, he had stood u
p to his father for the very first time. He ended up punching his father in the face hard enough to knock him out cold. After this altercation, his father never touched him again. In the end, his eventual downfall was excessive booze. At the age of 54, his father suddenly died of a heart attack.
On the side of his desk, Druker had set a full glass, which he'd poured only a few moments ago, to let the wine breathe. He glanced across to the screens to his left. The first computer screen on his desk was showing a map, whilst the second screen was the one showing the darkened room. The two screens to the right of these were the ones that held his financial information. These were attached to his laptop, which had the screen folded down and a separate keyboard and mouse connected through wireless.
Now that he had let his wine breathe, he took a sip and allowed it to linger in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing, enjoying every drop.
Then he continued with his travel arrangements for the UK. He had already booked the hotel in Chelmsford for himself and one of his rangers, Scott, plus the car hire. But he still needed to arrange for the pilots to fly in from Lusaka and to have them sort out the flight arrangements to Cambridge Airport. This airport was further away from Chelmsford than Stansted Airport, but it was smaller and quicker to get through, especially on his way back to Africa.
He would leave it for his pilots to arrange the hotel accommodation in Cambridge for themselves, as they preferred to do this, but he would always pay for all their expenses and he was happy for them to stay wherever they liked.
He made the call to Citation Aviation, the operator that arranged for the pilots to fly his plane. The call was always a quick one, whereby Druker would give them his departure date and time with his required return date and time. He normally allowed four to five days for his trips; in this case, he allowed for five days, with the option of coming back sooner, which was one of the great benefits of having his own aircraft. He required them to fly out on Thursday, as he already had meetings set for Friday in Chelmsford, so this gave him enough time to sort everything else out, as it was now Monday.
Nothing Left But Fear Page 4