by Vanessa Kier
Kirra was intelligent. She might not have jungle survival training, but he had to trust that she’d figure a way to get to the nearest town.
That didn’t ease his guilt any. If only he’d paid more attention to the ground underneath them, he wouldn’t have picked a weak spot and ended up in this predicament.
You needed to separate yourself from Kirra anyway. Maybe this is the time. You could trigger their anger so that they kill you.
No. Not until Kirra was safely out of Sankoh’s territory.
Shit. He should have told Kirra to call Dr. LaSalle if anything happened to him. Further proof he wasn’t on his game and needed someone else to step in and protect her.
The SUV pulled off the road and passed through a checkpoint before turning onto a smoothly paved drive that curved around to a sprawling adobe house. Strategically placed spotlights lit up both the house and the well-manicured lawn, leaving few shadows to hide in. Guards holding AK-47s patrolled the grounds.
Interesting that Sankoh protected his home better than his processing plant.
The driver continued to the back of the house and parked in an attached garage. Seth followed the guards into the house, down a series of corridors with dark beams crossing the ceiling and tribal masks lining the stuccoed walls. The red tile underfoot would have been at home in a Mexican villa.
After a number of twists and turns, they ended up in front of a heavy wooden door studded with brass. Seth barely refrained from rolling his eyes. The door opened on silent hinges and the guards nudged Seth inside.
This room reflected the same Mexican-inspired design as the rest of the house, with a few African accents. Mud cloth in the traditional black, white, and brown hung on one wall. Matching throw rugs covered the tiled floor. The bookcases, credenza, and desk were mahogany, only slightly lighter in color than the skin of the man behind the desk.
On the wall to Seth’s right hung posters of Elvis, Gene Autry, and Willie Nelson. Racks beneath the posters displayed a variety of guitars. Glass cases enclosed other musical instruments.
“Ah, Mr. Hughes, welcome.” Sankoh motioned for Seth to take one of the two seats in front of him.
Seth complied, and the guards took up positions behind his chair.
Sankoh tilted his head to one side, studying Seth for a long moment. “So,” he said, returning his head to the vertical. “My men tell me they found you near one of my businesses. That you quite literally fell out of the sky.” His eyebrows rose. “Did you fall out of a plane, Mr. Hughes? I thought you were a better pilot than that.”
“No. I fell from the top of the embankment.” He shrugged, though it hurt his ribs. “The ground gave out beneath me.”
“And what were you doing spying on my facility, Mr. Hughes? Did you turn down my job offer only to take employment with one of my competitors?”
“No. I continue to be an independent contractor.” The words tasted bitter in Seth’s mouth. He hadn’t been truly independent since the day his blackmailer contacted him. “I wasn’t spying on your facility. I was lost. I saw a bridge with guards and decided that it was better to hide and watch until I could figure out my next steps.”
“Hmm…You are certain you were not sent here by Morenga or one of my other competitors?”
“No, sir. I’m a pilot, not a spy.”
“Did you find a camera or binoculars on this man?” Sankoh demanded of the guard on Seth’s left, who was the leader.
“No, sir. Not even a phone. Just him.”
“Interesting.” He studied Seth again. “You truly think I am stupid enough to believe that you just happened to be walking near my facility, without any equipment, when there are no roads for miles except the ones I control?”
Seth kept his expression bored. “Think what you like. I’m telling the truth.”
“No, I do not believe that you are.” Sankoh leaned forward. “Shall we cut to the chase? Where is the white woman, Mr. Hughes? You have led Bureh’s rebels on a merry chase, but now it is time to pay the piper. Tell us where the woman is and you will walk out of here unharmed.”
“You want to know where the white bitch is?” Seth turned slightly and pointed to the bump on his head. “She knocked me out, stole my things, and took off. I don’t know where the hell she is.” He faced forward again. “That’s why I was walking through the jungle. Because when I woke up I could barely see straight. Once I could bear to stand up, I checked the position of the sun and headed east because I know there’s a secondary north-south road in this direction. I thought I could find someone to help me.”
“And yet you didn’t flag down my men.”
Careful. Careful. “With all due respect, sir, I saw your insignia on the uniforms of the guards at the bridge. Since you and I did not part on the best of terms, I decided not to ask for help.”
“That is unfortunate. You see, you are of no use to me without the woman.” He motioned to the guards, who hauled Seth up by his arms. “Take him away.”
Seth let the men carry him into the hallway, then he struggled to break free. But the leader hit the lump at the back of Seth’s head, and he lost consciousness.
When he came to, he found himself chained to a wall in a dark, dank room. His head throbbed and pain radiated down his body. From the positioning of the new aches, he suspected that the guards had landed a few kicks and punches after he’d blacked out.
Cowards.
A sliver of light revealed the outline of a door. Seth yanked against the chains, but they didn’t budge. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Kirra, I’m sorry.
Kirra remained in her hiding place as the sun set and the last of the workers drove away. Not long after, the next shift of guards arrived at the main gate. She watched the current guards gesture toward the bridge and the bluff several times as they briefed their replacements. Then the old guards walked into the compound. They returned a few minutes later driving a dirty white Toyota Land Cruiser.
The temperature dropped as darkness invaded the sky, turning the air temperature from sauna to comfortable. Good. She didn’t have much water left in her bottle and the cooler temp would mean less risk of becoming dehydrated.
One of the new guards emerged from the guard house carrying a torch. He walked to the bridge, carefully avoiding the objects placed by the previous guards. Kirra figured they were some sort of land mines. But the fact that he was able to walk safely along the dirt to the left of the road and make it onto the bridge showed Kirra where she would need to drive.
The guard crossed the bridge and poked around the base of the bluff for about ten minutes before returning to his post.
Once the two men settled into the guard house, Kirra snuck across the open space between the bushes she was hiding in and the narrow strip of trees along the fence. Staying within cover, she used the binoculars to study first the fence, then the buildings. She didn’t spot any insulators or extra wires on the fence, so she doubted it was electrified. And as far as she could tell from here, only the main building had security cameras.
Only one vehicle now remained in the car park. The guards’ black four-by-four sat not far from the main gate.
Behind the building, a corrugated metal roof protected several generators. A garage with two open bays held a dark green bakkie and a white four-by-four. Excellent. Just what she needed. To the right of the garage, an unmanned gate led to a small access road that followed the fence along the opposite side of the compound from Kirra.
Okay, go time. She moved through the trees to the rear of the compound. After verifying that there were no cameras mounted on this side of the main building, she found a place to scale the fence where there was little chance of being spotted or heard by the guards.
Once she’d dropped onto the ground inside the compound, she held still until she was certain no one had noticed her. Then, keeping to the shadows, she crept over and sabotaged the generators. Next, she cut the power to the building. The exterior lights went out. The cameras would have
backup batteries, but they wouldn’t matter in a moment.
Running lightly over to the garage, she darted inside. The four-by-four was newer and in better condition, but would be difficult to hot-wire. The bakkie looked ready to fall apart, but it took only a moment to get it started. Kirra tossed her bag onto the passenger seat and slipped behind the wheel. Since they drove on the right here, she’d known that the clutch and gear shift would be on the wrong side. Still, it took her a minute to figure out the new arrangement. Alternating glances at the back door of the building, she attempted to put the vehicle in reverse twice before she got it right. Then she pushed the button on the little box attached to the roof and watched through the garage window to her right as the gate in the fence slid open.
The back door of the building burst open. Two men raced out.
Kirra tore backward out of the garage, then almost stalled when she fumbled the transition out of reverse. The men fired at her. Bullets pinged off her rear bumper.
Swearing, she shoved the gear shift into place. The horrific grinding noise indicated she’d hit the wrong gear, but the bakkie lurched forward anyway.
The men chased her as she careened out the gate and turned onto the narrow access lane that ran parallel to the fence. A few meters on, the generators exploded, tossing her pursuers to the ground.
Glancing across the compound at the main gate, she saw both guards running toward the explosion. So far, they hadn’t spotted her.
She’d just rounded the front corner of the compound and was aiming for the bridge when she heard a shout. One of the men from the back of the building had regained his feet. He raced toward the gate guards, waving his arms. The guards looked in Kirra’s direction, then ran for their four-by-four.
Kirra ignored them, because worrying if they’d catch her would only distract her from safely crossing the bridge. Mentally calculating the distance between the bakkie’s wheels and comparing it to the distance between the edge of the canyon and the first of the land mines at the bridge, she estimated that she’d have just enough room to squeeze past.
Of course, she’d have to balance the vehicle almost as carefully as Seth had along that drainage ditch. Which would be a lot easier if the steering wheel and gear shift were on the correct side of the vehicle.
There’s nothing like a challenge.
Right. Time to see how steady her nerves were.
She put the vehicle in low gear and drove carefully around the mines until the front wheels eased onto the bridge. “Yes!”
The ground at the edge of the canyon crumbled. Her back left wheel lost traction. The vehicle lurched.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she growled, wrestling the wheel and working the pedals until the back tires also rested on the surface of the bridge.
“Ha!”
She stomped on the accelerator. The vehicle fishtailed, then straightened out. A quick check in the rearview mirror showed the four-by-four hurtling out of the main gate. As soon as they’d cleared it, one of the guards leaned out the window and fired at Kirra.
Cursing, she took the turn at the end of the bridge too fast and felt her outside wheels leave the ground. For a second she thought the bakkie would overbalance. Then it tipped back onto all four tires.
The four-by-four rocketed toward the bridge. It attempted to skirt the land mines, but didn’t quite manage it. The nearest land mine exploded, followed by its neighbors. Encased in flames, the four-by-four plummeted into the canyon.
A man with his back on fire leapt out of the bus.
Kirra struggled to breathe. Her foot slipped off the accelerator and the bakkie stalled. Her heart battered against her ribcage.
“I am safe,” she murmured. “I am in control.” She repeated the mantra until she calmed. When she felt in control again, she checked the far end of the bridge. Seeing no additional pursuers, she started the bakkie and drove away.
When she reached the point where she’d slid down the bluff, she hesitated. The exploding generator should have taken out the white four-by-four in the garage. The land mines had destroyed the other vehicle. Without the immediate threat of pursuit, she had time to retrieve their packs. Seth’s pack had a few more survival items that she hadn’t put into her carryall, such as an emergency blanket and the MREs. Since she’d likely have to spend the night in the jungle, she especially wanted the blanket in case it rained.
She quickly parked, set the hand brake, and jumped out. It took only a few seconds to retrieve the packs from their hiding place and toss them into the back seat.
She spared another few seconds to listen for any signs of pursuit. All she heard was the faint rush of the water at the bottom of the canyon and the distant cry of some creature she couldn’t identify. Still, she drove as fast as she dared along the uneven lane as it entered the jungle. The absolute darkness under the canopy—aided by thick storm clouds—forced her to use the headlamps. The light made her feel like a target, but the jungle on either side of her was unbroken by any signs of civilization. The only sounds that came through the open windows were the growl of the bakkie’s engine, and the hum and cries of nocturnal animals.
Not much later, she came round a curve and found fields spreading out on either side of the road. She shut off her lamps and stopped. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she scanned the area for threats. She spotted processing sheds, but no homes. The sheds were dark and she saw no lights in the fields to indicate guards walking their rounds. Deciding that it was safe to pass, she turned her lamps back on and continued driving.
To distract herself from the eerie sense of isolation as the jungle pressed back in on either side, she thought over what had happened.
She’d been a thief. Non-violent. On the very rare occasion when guards had needed to be neutralized during a heist, she and her partners had used non-lethal methods. Usually some form of knockout gas.
Knowing that she was even indirectly responsible for the guards’ deaths made her sick. She could picture them screaming as they burned alive, helpless to save themselves as the four-by-four fell into the canyon.
Those men died because of me. If I hadn’t taken the bridge, they wouldn’t have tried it.
If she’d been any less skilled, or any less lucky, she’d have met their fate.
Fear and panic hovered at the edge of her consciousness. No. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by emotion. She needed to focus on her next step. While the land mines had taken out the men chasing her and damaged the entrance to the bridge, it was possible that men inside the main building had seen which way she’d driven. They might have called in reinforcements to meet her up ahead.
But where did this road lead?
The vehicle holding Seth, plus all the employee vehicles, had taken the larger road in the opposite direction. Her mental map suggested that if she continued in this direction, she should eventually come to the road they’d been on when the Land Rover’s axle broke.
The axle made her think about Seth. Was he safe? Were Sankoh’s men still treating him decently? Or had they changed their minds and were treating him like a prisoner?
Did he wonder how she was doing? Or was he glad to be rid of her? Would he tell Sankoh her location?
That was another reason for taking this route. If Sankoh sent a team looking for her based on information from Seth, she wouldn’t be where they expected.
Do you really think Seth would betray you?
She sighed. Before Kyle’s death, she hadn’t known how to read people. She’d been obsessed with chasing the next thrill and had never paid much attention to those around her. That girl would have trusted Seth and Franz equally.
After Kyle’s death, her time on the street and then as a thief had turned her increasingly suspicious and cynical. Franz’s emotional abuse had worn away her self-confidence, but it was the attack that had destroyed her faith in her fellow human beings. It took months of therapy and of learning from the positive example of her mentor for Kirra to realize that a person’s action
s were the surest way to determine trustworthiness.
Seth’s actions set him apart from Franz. Franz would never have intervened with the rebels that first night. He would have bargained with them and turned Kirra over once the reward met his standards. But Seth had been roughed up by the rebels and still kept her location a secret. Not only that, he’d refused her offer to pay him to fly her to the concert. Plus, when he’d fallen off the bluff, he could have told the men who captured him where Kirra was hiding. He hadn’t.
Yes, he’d warned her not to trust him, but he’d also done his best to protect her. That held greater weight in her mind. No matter that it appeared that Seth had gone with the men of his own free will. Maybe he’d only faked friendliness in order to protect himself. She could understand that.
Even if he was involved with the wrong side of the law, who was she to judge? She’d been there. Not everyone operating in the gray zone did so because of a lack of morals. Too often it was a matter of poor choices and a lack of alternative options. Or hearing one too many times that you were stupid or lazy or irresponsible and didn’t deserve any better.
For now, regardless of his reasons for going with the men, she had to believe that he would keep her location hidden. Because even though she was heading in the opposite direction, if this entire area was under Sankoh’s control, as Seth had suggested, then she could run into a search party at any time.
She drove through the jungle for over an hour until she reached a T-junction with a tarred road. She braked and shut off the headlamps. Intending to use the compass feature on Seth’s phone to determine where this road led, she fished the phone out of her pack. But she couldn’t even get the display to light up. The charger mustn’t have received enough sunlight today. Disappointed, but not surprised, she found the torch and studied her paper map. Having estimated her location, she climbed out and walked to the edge of the road, staying behind the shelter of a few bushes. To the left, the road disappeared into darkness. To the right, much farther down the road, she spotted the faint glow of civilization, confirming what she’d seen on the map.