The Daughters of the Darkness

by Luke Phillips

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Thomas said, stopping for a moment to dig the supplies out of his rucksack.

  He took a long swig of water from one of the canteens and tore off a chunk off biltong in his teeth. He offered Saka one of the salted fish fillets, which she gladly accepted. Unlike Meg would have done, she didn’t pester him for more and instead lay down beside him. He idly wondered how Meg and Arturo were getting on at Catherine’s mother’s house. He imagined Meg being spoilt rotten, and nearly choked as he tried not to imagine Arturo the big black mastiff pulling Ally, Catherine’s mother, along at full pelt through the quiet streets of Cannich.

  As he took another gulp from the canteen, he picked up the slightest of movement from the corner of his eye, somewhere off to his left. He instantly jumped to his feet and brought the rifle up to his shoulder. It was then that he noticed the carefree chatter of the birds had ceased and the silence surrounding them. Saka too was up on her feet, her head bobbing up and down as she followed his gaze. The tiniest of growls lodged in her throat.

  Thomas could see that the grassland gave way to a large thicket made up of various species of acacia, silver oaks and kapok trees. He looked through the scope of the rifle and scanned the woodland edge. He let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding as he saw the hairy back of a bush pig slip into the shadows of the trees. As he wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at the sun now directly overhead, he realised that most animals would be following suit and avoiding the heat of the day.

  “It’ll be cooler in there at least,” Thomas said as he started walking towards the trees.

  Saka padded by his side, panting slightly and seeming glad to be heading towards the offered shade. Seeing the bush pig had also reminded him of something Bah, the man from the ministry of defence back in Nairobi had said. Al Shabaab’s forces to the north and east of Mombasa, and Kanu Sultan’s operations as part of the supply chain, meant that Kenya was seeing a great number of forced conversions to Islam. He had noticed the bush pigs in the area seemed quite happy to forage near camp and human habitation, and he couldn’t help wonder if it was perhaps due to no longer being a regular part of the menu. At the same time, with other prey items seemingly scarce, it would make sense that the predators would be likely to follow the pigs, in turn gradually habituating to human presence simply by association. It was the first theory that might make sense of the escalating attacks. Either way, he realised he should follow the pig into the thicket.

  ~

  Kelly was pleased with the footage they had shot at the village. The people had spoken openly about living side by side with man-eaters. They had been a little more reluctant to discuss Kanu Sultan, but as she had distributed pictures of the six lions that had been killed so far, they had begun to take more of an interest. Proving that nearly a third of the pride had been killed was enough to plant a seed of doubt in their minds about Kanu Sultan’s claims. There were at least three interviews that she knew she wanted to use.

  The first, with the head man Whistle and his family, had brought a lump to her throat. The pain and anguish he seemed to be reliving as he told of the leopard attack, and the loss of his daughter, had almost been too much for her. He had expressed his humble thanks for Thomas’s help with eyes shining with tears before becoming lost to his thoughts in silence. She had known straight away it would make for gripping television.

  The second, with the hunter named Badru, had been much more volatile. He didn’t seem fearful of Kanu Sultan, or the man-eaters, but he warned of their power and supernatural abilities. Kelly had taken pity on him as he had urged them to seek protection and leave, or suffer the consequences. She found it hard to believe that in the 21st century, such superstition was not only rife, but wholeheartedly accepted.

  The third, with a gathered group of the village children, had been much more upbeat. They had spoken of how they felt protected, and free to walk to school or play outside their homes. When pressed on the fact that only some of the man-eaters had been killed and the pride were still at large, one boy had shrugged and explained the lions had not returned to the surrounding villages as they were now being directed at those trying to kill them by Kanu Sultan. In short, they felt safe.

  The villagers had seemed hopeful, even more energised as they had left. All except one. Standing at the side of the road, the tall, thin dark-skinned boy had watched them pass with an expression of dread. He had taken flight almost immediately, only his orange coloured jeans and the flash of his bare bronzed back showing up as he had dashed through the trees away from them. She had wondered where he could possibly be going and who he was. He had seemed vaguely familiar, but it had been Mason who had reminded her he was the boy who had run to the camp requesting they come deal with the leopard.

  They were heading south-east, along a trail that bordered the Chyulu Hills National Park, making a wide loop back towards Anga ya Amani. They were looking for a flatter area of grassland to film a monologue and summary from Kelly. The igneous soil and well-watered slopes that led all the way to Mount Kilimanjaro in the south-west, seemed a little too lush and fertile compared to the amber and earthy tones of the scrub nearer camp. After about an hour, they found what they were looking for, and Mason brought the battered Land Cruiser truck to a halt on the crest of a hill overlooking vast, straw coloured grassland.

  They spent some time raiding their supplies of water, fruit and biltong before setting up for the shoot. Kelly walked a little, drinking greedily from her canteen as she let her fingertips run through the waist high stalks. She paused and looked back, realising she had strayed some twenty yards from the car. She took off her sunglasses and shielded her eyes, partly to accustom them to the glare of the sun so she wouldn’t be squinting whilst on camera, but also to take in the unfiltered view. The horizon was blurred by a heat haze, turning the few flat topped trees in the distance into shimmering blobs of green and black. As she tried to focus on one, she thought she saw a glint of something reflecting in its canopy, but it was gone in an instant. She put it down to a trick of the light and turned back towards the truck.

  “We’re ready for you Kelly,” Mason called out.

  She waited as Karni fumbled with the black lapel microphone, as he fastened it to her loose fitting white blouse. She smiled, understanding his awkwardness.

  “It’s okay Karni, I trust you not to cop a feel,” she whispered as he bent towards her.

  “I’m sorry,” he stammered. “Give me a boom mic any day.”

  “They’re cumbersome and expensive my friend. Plus, it can’t be that bad being this close to me,” she purred.

  “If you’re flirting with me to make me feel better, it’s having the opposite effect.”

  “Take much longer, and I’m going to stick your hand down there myself, so you have nothing to distract you and can attach the damn thing,” Kelly warned flippantly.

  “All done,” Karni declared, walking backwards out of the camera’s field of view.

  He slipped on his earphones and began to monitor the feedback.

  “How are the noise levels?” asked Mason.

  “We’re good. It’s surprisingly quiet actually,” Karni smiled.

  “I just noticed. It is quiet, isn’t it?” Mason remarked out loud. His face crumpled into a look of dread. “Oh shit...everyone back in the truck, now!”

  Kelly only hesitated for a second. Facing Mason and the camera, she watched his expression distort into one of terror as the blood drained from his face. Spurred into action, she sprinted for the truck, flying towards the open front passenger door. Mason threw himself over the bonnet, whipping round and swinging off the frame into the driver’s seat. Kelly was close behind him, throwing herself into the cabin and rising up to slam the door shut. That’s when she noticed Karni was still outside. He still had his earphones on and was looking at them with a confused expression.

  “There,” Mason pointed behind Karni.

  “Get in the truck,” Kelly screamed.
>
  The grass seemed to come alive. It rippled and flexed, converging on Karni from behind. As he sensed the movement, he bolted, grabbing his earphones and throwing them behind him in a hope to distract whatever was coming. It didn’t work. There was an ear splitting roar, then all the breath was knocked from his body. He found himself flying forward, and he saw Kelly’s panic stricken face pushed up against the window. His head struck the door below with such force that he slumped to the ground instantly, momentarily deaf and face down in the dust. An electrifying pain burst through his neck and shoulder, forcing his entire body to convulse and spasm. His trachea tried to open to pump more air into his suddenly oxygen starved body, but the clamping pressure on the back of his neck wouldn’t allow it. His arms flailed, brushing against the sides of the truck, but growing weaker as the seconds passed. Face down in the dirt, he never saw his killer.

  The lioness seemed huge to Kelly, inches away from her on the other side of the glass as she watched in horror. She pushed her feet against the closed door and squirmed backwards, her hands over her mouth. Mason dashed around the cabin checking the doors, windows and sunroof were closed. The two occupants of the Toyota watched as the lioness dragged Karni’s body a little way into the grass. It turned to look at them, observing them with cold indifference. As it turned back to Karni’s corpse, a second lioness appeared out of the grass. It placed a paw on the sound engineer’s back, rolling him over by extending its claws into his flesh and using them for purchase. It lowered its head and sank its jaws into his right arm.

  Kelly and Mason looked on in horror as a gruesome tug of war began, the two lionesses snarling and baiting each other whilst both refusing to let go of their prize. Suddenly, a third lioness appeared in front of the truck. With one easy bound, it jumped up onto the bonnet. It began to swat gently at the glass, just as a domestic cat would perhaps pester its owner for food. It looked in at the two people inside, its eyes wide and unblinking. It seemed to finally lose interest and jumped down, joining the other two in the squabble for Karni’s remains.

  “Well I for one am not going to just sit here and watch,” Mason exclaimed.

  He began beeping the horn repeatedly. The lions looked around, their curiosity aroused, but they showed no signs of fear or unease. They soon went back to their meal. Kelly noticed their blood stained chins and cheeks with a shudder.

  “Fine, let’s see how you cope with two tonnes of truck coming your way,” Mason growled, and turned the key to start the engine.

  Just as he began to move the car, it was rocked by a sudden and vicious impact from the front, as a deafening explosion rendered them immobile. Mason watched in disbelief as smoke began to bellow from under the bonnet. There was the sound of popping and bubbling before another, much smaller bang made them all jump. A breath of flame quickly licked around the edges of the deformed bonnet before extinguishing into a second bellow of smoke.

  “What just happened?” Kelly yelled at Mason.

  “Something hit us,” Mason stammered, “something big.”

  Kelly looked out of the window. The lions were still there. If anything, they seemed more interested in them now. All three had lifted their heads and edged a little closer, disregarding their meal for the time being.

  “They weren’t scared away by the noise,” Kelly observed. “It’s like they know we’re in trouble. What do you think it was?”

  “Well I’m not about to get out and take a look,” Mason replied, “but I think somebody just took a shot at us. Better get on the radio don’t you think?” he said, nodding to Kelly.

  Kelly nodded back, her eyes wide and frantic. Mason was worried that she might be going into shock and reached over towards her bag.

  “I’ve got it,” Kelly said, quickly coming back to her senses. “Do you think we’re still in danger from the shooter?”

  “If they’re packing heat with enough wallop to take out an engine, popping our heads off should have been no problem. I’m guessing whoever they are wanted us stuck, possibly so the lions could finish the job.”

  Kelly remembered the glint she thought she had seen in the canopy of the tree towards the horizon. She tried to pinpoint it again as she peered through the windscreen. It seemed too far off.

  “How far do you think that flat topped tree over there is?” she asked Mason, pointing through the glass.

  “I’d say about a mile, maybe a little less,” Mason replied. “Why do you ask?”

  “I thought I saw something reflecting light in the canopy earlier, like a rifle scope maybe.”

  “That would be a hell of a shot,” Mason exclaimed. “Not impossible though,” he admitted, looking back again at the tree.

  Kelly turned on the radio and checked the frequency.

  “This is production crew to Anga ya Amani, come in, over,” she broadcasted.

  The radio crackled, but there was no reply.

  “Maybe we’re too far from the camp,” Mason suggested.

  “Anga ya Amani, come in please, this is a mayday.”

  Suddenly the radio crackled again, and Jelani’s voice came through following the burst of static.

  “We hear you production crew, what is your location, over.”

  Kelly looked at Mason as she had no idea where they were in relation to the camp. He grabbed the radio from her quickly.

  “We’re just a little way off the Chyulu Hills National Park road, heading east,” Mason informed them. “We’re about three miles out from Ulu village. We have one fatality and our car is going nowhere, over.”

  “We’ll get out to you straight away, are you in any immediate danger?”

  “Somebody shot our engine out. We’re not alone out here, and I don’t just mean the lions.”

  “We’re on our way. Keep the channel open. I will also try to reach Thomas. If my thoughts are correct, he is walking straight towards you.”

  “Then warn him we have company, including three man-eaters, over.”

  “Wilco, over and out.”

  Mason looked round to find Kelly watching him expectantly.

  “We just sit tight. Help is on the way. I suggest we keep our heads down just in case our shooter gets ambitious, but at least our friends out there can’t get in.”

  “Let’s hope they know that,” Kelly shuddered.

  ~

  Thomas knelt at a hole that had been forged through the intertwined branches of the candle bushes and whistling acacias. He could tell from Saka’s relaxed body language that there were no lions within, but at over four feet high, it was obvious what had made it. He peeked inside, finding a smattering of pugmarks and even a strand of whitish fur stuck to an overhanging barb of the acacia. As he made his way in a little further on his hands and knees, he realised it was probably a day den, perhaps used by the mothers of the pride to hold up with cubs and escape the heat of the day. There would be several throughout the territory. The interior was warm and spacious, the branches reaching nearly eight feet overhead before doming naturally on either side. The thorny refuge also offered protection from the prying eyes of hyenas or other lions out in the open.

  He sat in the centre of the den for a few moments. He closed his eyes, focusing on the lingering scent of the animals. It was pungent; not thick enough to suggest they had been there within the past few hours, but still no more than a day or two at most. The scent was raw and stale, full of earth and musk. It was unmistakable at such proximity. He opened his eyes and crawled back out again, just as his radio crackled from within his pack. He found it quickly and retrieved it. Jelani informed him of the situation. Thomas knew that if he kept heading south through the thicket, he would emerge on the other side of the plain where Kelly and the others were stuck. It was probably a walk of four miles or so he guessed, but he was determined to make it, even though he knew Jelani and the others were on the way. Before setting off through the thicket, he took a long swig of water from a canteen and streamed some into his hand, which Saka obligingly licked off.

&n
bsp; The thicket was dark and cool. It was impossible to avoid the scratches of the acacias and wait-a-bit thorns, and he had given up trying. He felt clammy and claustrophobic. He knew why it made him feel uneasy. It had been a thicket just like this one where he had found Amanda’s remains. He walked on, his rifle out in front of him. Saka slipped through the brush easier than he did, but stayed close and silent as they went. She could sense his tension, and was automatically scouting for danger, unable to identify the source of his anxiety. Thomas began to let out laboured and aggravated breathy sighs as he fought his way through the maze. As his arms grew tired and the humidity ate away at him, he realised that he was making a great deal of noise, and was following Saka’s lead rather than his own sense of direction. He took a knee to gather his thoughts and take another swig of water, batting away the mosquitoes that rose to greet his sudden stop. Their buzzing reminded him of the rift valley fever that had stopped him from being there at the crucial moment Amanda had needed him.

  “Get me out of here girl and there’s a buffalo bone in it for you,” he pleaded to Saka.

  The thin, long legged canine padded over and gently butted his chest with her head, pushing her body against his as she passed. She made a high pitched whistling noise and loped off through the branches. Thomas followed, knowing she was heading in the right direction. He let out a sigh of relief as he began to notice the branches and scrub thinning out. They were on the other side of the thicket. Within a few minutes he realised he could see sunlight and the golden hues of the savannah grass ahead. He stopped at the edge of the wood and took out his binoculars to scan the sweeping vista ahead of him.

  Almost as soon as he did, he heard the distant sound of a car engine. He quickly sought the direction from which it came. In the far distance, he could see a flat topped acacia tree and a cloud of dust disappearing into a heat haze. Before he could raise the binoculars to his eyes, it was gone. Saka stood at his side, watching expectantly.