“Now you will know what it means to be cursed,” the madman gasped.
He swung the machete again, but his motions were slow, predictable. He was growing tired.
They both were.
Caine threw up his arms and blocked the clumsy strike. He raised his knee and slammed a kick into Takuba’s chest, knocking the man away from him.
Before he could get up, the helicopter dipped to the right again. Caine felt his upper body scrape against the floor and slide towards the open door. He grabbed the edge of the door frame with his left hand to steady himself. His flailing right hand gripped the corpse to his right.
The wind outside whipped through his hair. Looking up, he saw the blur of the heavy rotors churning above them. The engine whirred and groaned as it struggled to pull the helicopter free. Smoke poured out of the motor. The metal cable snapped taut again and the helicopter shifted to the left.
Caine pulled himself back in the door just as Takuba fell towards him. He let go of the door frame and grabbed the man’s weapon hand, stopping another downward strike. Reaching out with his right hand, he snapped the open end of the handcuffs around the strap of the parachute.
“I was cursed long before I met you," Caine snarled.
He felt the helicopter wobble … it was leaning to the right again. Loose debris fell towards him, pelting his body.
He let go of Takuba. The man swung the machete up over his head, preparing for another attack. Caine punched with his left fist. He felt bone and cartilage snap, and Takuba roared in pain.
Caine used the moment of distraction. His left hand dropped down to his pocket. He pulled out the handcuff key and slipped it into the cuff that was still attached to his wrist.
Takuba recovered and leaned forward. He slammed a fist into Caine’s stomach. Red hot pain lanced through his body as the blow struck the stitches of his knife wound. Caine gritted his teeth, but he could not hide the searing agony that flashed across his face. Takuba grinned and pummeled him again. Caine shook as another spasm shot through his nerves.
The grinning madman raised the machete again as Caine gasped in pain.
“You cannot win!" Takuba shouted. "My spirits will—”
Caine’s right arm shot out and slapped the open cuff around Takuba’s belt.
The helicopter groaned and tilted right again. Caine and Takuba slid towards the doorway. The pipes and tanks of the gas refinery yawned beneath them. The black shadow of the rotors whirled over their heads.
Caine reached under the corpse. His grasping fingers wrapped around the parachute’s ripcord.
He grabbed the doorframe with his free hand and yanked the cord.
Takuba’s eyes bulged as he watched the white cloth of the chute explode into the air outside the helicopter. Before he could even move, the trail of silk fabric billowed up as it was sucked into the spinning rotors. Caine felt Takuba fly up and away from him, yanked by the tremendous force of the helicopter’s engine.
He heard a brief shriek of terror, cut short by a loud metal grinding. A crimson spray misted the air.
Takuba was gone.
Caine staggered to his feet. More smoke billowed from the damaged engine. A loud, chirping alarm filled the cargo bay, and a red light flashed on the roof.
The helicopter’s engine was failing.
Caine slid the door closed and panted for breath. He struggled to keep his balance as he jogged to the open ramp at the rear of the bay.
The winch line was about a hundred feet long, and it was stretched taut behind the helicopter. Looking down, he could see the pallet, wedged between two distillation towers. He saw a figure crawling on the top of the lashed barrels.
It was Nena … she had survived!
The helicopter dropped suddenly. Caine staggered backwards as he regained his balance. The line went slack for a moment, then tightened again as the aircraft gained altitude.
This thing is going down any second, Caine thought. And there’s only one way off …
He whipped his belt from his pants and slid a few feet down the ramp. He looped the length of leather around the bucking cable.
Holding both ends in his hands, he took a deep breath. The helicopter dipped. The engine wheezed, and it began to climb again …
Caine slid off the ramp.
He flew through the air, zip-lining down the steel cable as the helicopter bobbed behind him.
Nena looked up and gasped. She moved away from the cable and tightened her grip on the mesh. Caine slammed into the pallet. He fell forward and rolled towards the edge. His fingers grabbed at the mesh. Nena tugged at his waistband, stopping him from tumbling over the side.
Caine scrambled to his feet. Nena threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, then held her face in his hands. “Nena! You made it! I thought …”
He stopped himself. The second helicopter roared above them. The crackling fire of its auto-cannon blazed through the sky. It veered off again, as smoke streamed from the pilot’s cabin.
Caine looked to their left … a metal ladder ran down the side of one tower. It was about three yards away, out of arm’s reach.
“Nena, we have to get down. Now.”
Nena looked over the edge of the pallet. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her face was pale. Caine was sure she was in shock after all she had been through.
“Someone will come. It’s safer if we wait here,” she stammered.
Caine shook his head. “No. These tanks are filled with liquid natural gas. It’s highly flammable. If that helicopter hits …”
Nena bit her lip, then nodded. “Then I will do as you say.”
“We have to jump. Follow me.”
Caine stood up, took a running leap, and jumped off the edge of the pallet. The metal creaked and groaned as his weight struck the ladder. He grabbed hold of the side rails and turned to Nena.
“It’s not that far … you can do it,” he shouted.
Nena kneeled near the edge and looked down. “Tom, I don’t know, I …”
The metal cable screeched as it scraped against the side of the tower. Caine looked up and watched as the helicopter listed sideways. It began to circle around them. The cable was pulling it in closer as it wrapped around the tanks to either side of them.
“Nena, there’s no more time. We have to go now!”
She stood up and took a few steps back. The steel cable flew over their heads and slapped against the tank as it wrapped tighter. The noise of the spinning rotors grew louder as the helicopter was pulled closer.
“Nena, jump!”
She leapt off the edge of the pallet and sailed towards him.
Not gonna make it! he thought as he watched her body drop towards him.
She reached out … her fingers missed the metal rung of the ladder by millimeters. Her mouth gaped open in fear …
Caine’s arm shot out. He grabbed her outstretched hand. She slammed against the ladder. Caine’s other hand slipped down a rung, but he managed to hold on.
“I’ve got you … Let’s go!”
Panting for breath, she found her footing and began climbing down the side of the tank.
Above them, the cable continued to wrap around the tanks. The helicopter spun around them. Its engine buzzed in protest, but it was now hopelessly tangled. A stream of smoke trailed behind it as it looped around the tanks.
“Nena, go faster,” Caine shouted. “We’re close enough, slide the rest of the way!”
They both slid down the remaining distance and rolled to the ground. Caine scrambled to his feet and pulled her forward as they sprinted away from the tanks.
The metal cable snapped around the tanks one more time … The spinning blades of the chopper were only a few feet away …
Caine looked back. A shower of sparks burst through the air as the spinning rotors tore into the tank. The helicopter crumpled as the sudden impact and centrifugal forces tore it apart.
There was no time to speak, no time to think. Caine threw Nena to the ground
and dove on top of her.
The explosion was deafening.
The earth shook and rumbled beneath them. Caine closed his eyes tight, but he could still see a bright orange light. A tremendous ball of fire blossomed behind them and erupted into the sky. The heat was like a physical force bearing down on them, pushing them into the ground. A curtain of fire rippled overhead. It singed their clothes and burned their lungs with super-heated air and vapor.
Then, with an echo like distant thunder, the wave of heat receded. The earth was still.
Caine staggered to his feet. He helped Nena up. They both choked and coughed as a thin film of ash floated down around them.
Caine looked her in the eye. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes … I … I think I am.”
Caine checked his watch. The peace conference was starting in six minutes. Looking up, he saw tiny figures running towards them in the distance. He put a hand on Nena’s shoulder. “I have to get word to Khairi. We have to warn the peace conference, a sniper is targeting the Vice President. Wait here. Keep your hands out in the open. I’ll be back, okay?”
She nodded.
Caine put his hands up and marched towards the other men. As they ran closer, he could see they carried rifles and wore helmets. They were soldiers, or private security of some kind.
Caine stopped and turned back to Nena. She looked small and distant. Dust and wind swirled around her. Flames flickered in the background, distorting the air with their rising heat. She stared back at him with a pale, uncertain expression.
“I’m not leaving you here,” he shouted. “I’m coming back.”
She gave him a tiny smile. It was a small, enigmatic grin, but it brought color and life back into her face. “I know. You always do.”
He turned and continued walking towards the men in the distance.
Chapter Forty-Five
One week later, Caine stood behind a gnarled wood railing and looked over a vast, green savannah. The Mihingo Eco Lodge in Uganda was built into the side of a rocky, forested hill known as a kopje. His spacious bungalow looked out over Lake Mburo National Park, and the view was spectacular. In the distance, he could see herds of impala leaping towards the dark surface of a watering hole. A few zebras strutted between the bounding animals, calling to their young with high-pitched yelps. The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the land and water.
Earlier in the day, a low mist had clung to the valley. In the quiet, still twilight of dawn, he had seen a leopard stalk towards the pool and lower its head to drink. Then the big cat had slinked away into the shadows, resting before the evening’s hunt began.
The bungalow was mostly open space. A warm breeze rustled the white netting that hung from the rafters. To Caine, the stained wood and simple white fabrics that decorated the room were relaxing. It was a far cry from the luxurious suite he had rented in Khartoum, but he felt more at home here. The sounds of the grasslands at night lulled him to sleep, and he awoke to watch the animals gather in the mornings. For now, he was at peace.
An electronic chirping disturbed his thoughts. He blinked and turned away from the balcony. He walked over to the nightstand and picked up the satellite phone Rebecca had sent him. He looked at the display and smiled. The satphone did not have a caller ID feature, but he recognized the number and country code.
He answered the call. “Khairi.”
“Hello, Thomas. It is good to hear your voice,” Khairi said. The deep rasp of his voice sounded warm and full, even over the digital satellite uplink. “After all that has happened, I was not sure we would have a chance to speak again. I take it you are no longer in South Sudan?”
“No, my people got me out through Uganda. Things are a little hot there right now.”
Khairi chuckled. “That is quite an understatement. But I’m glad to hear you still have people looking out for you. That’s something I miss in my retirement.”
“Retired, huh? You seem pretty active to me. How did your people get into the peace conference to take out that sniper?”
“Well, it’s a delicate matter, but of course I trust you implicitly, Thomas. Like any intelligence agency, the NISS has double agents in place. People inside South Sudan’s government and military. I pressured one of my former colleagues for the identity of one such agent, a high-ranking lieutenant in the armed forces. Since it was in both our governments’ interests to stop the attack, he ordered his man to intervene. They searched the perimeter of the UN camp and found your sniper. And then he … how should I put it?”
“Made the problem go away?” Caine replied.
“Yes, quite. To announce such a thing publicly, it is in no one’s best interests in these turbulent times, yes?”
“Whatever you say. Frankly, I’m surprised. I would have thought your government would welcome more turmoil in the south.”
Khairi sighed. “Do you remember what I told you all those years ago? Governments, their policies, their people … everything is always changing. These days, I believe Sudan realizes its future is intertwined with the south, for better or for worse. Even those who opposed the South’s independence don’t want a collapsed nation of refugees on our border. For now, peace and stability are in everyone’s best interests. Allah willing, may this always be the case.”
“You played a part in that peace, Khairi. Thank you.”
“Laqad kan lashiun. It was nothing. After a lifetime of working with questionable men in dark places, it feels like a blessing to do some good in the world. It was the least I could do to atone. And what of your atonement? I take it Puff Adder is dead?”
“He is,” Caine said. “For good, this time.”
“And how are you sleeping?”
Caine thought back to his hallucination in the Sudd. He could only remember brief flashes, snippets of images and sounds. Takuba, his eyes wild with madness and hate. The children toting their guns. The girl, looking up at him, pleading, begging …
He shook his head and forced the demons of his past back into the dark recesses of memory.
“Thomas, are you still there?” Khairi asked.
“Yeah. I’m here.”
For a moment, there was only crackling silence. Then the old man spoke again. “Do not worry. It will take time. Time to heal, time to forget. For now, please know that Takuba, the things he did … I have many regrets. In the name of my government, I have done many things that haunt me. But he tipped the balance for me, from light to shadow. I am an old man, weak, tired. You had to come here, you had to slay the shaitan jinn, kill the demon. Now that you have done so, you have set me free. For me, the shadow has lifted. I thank you.”
“Khairi, I need to ask one more favor.”
“Of course, anything.”
“Doctor Vasani. She’ll be returning to Khartoum tomorrow. She’s been through a lot. She risked her life to save people in both the north and the south. I know she has enemies in your country. I’m hoping I can count on you to look out for her.”
“Mmmm, I did not realize you and the doctor had become so close.”
“Khairi …”
“Heh, I joke, of course. And do not worry. I understand Doctor Vasani possesses valuable scientific information regarding this so-called Gemini Virus. I am confident my government will be able to overlook their issues concerning her. They must work with her to make sure our pipelines are protected from such attacks in the future. I may be retired, but I still have some influential friends. It is always good to have friends, Thomas.”
“You still don’t sound retired to me. But thank you.”
“As I said, it is nothing.”
A loud knock echoed through the room. Caine turned towards the stairs that led to the ground floor entrance. “Khairi, I have to go now.”
“Of course,” the old man said. “I hope you enjoy Uganda while you can. It is a beautiful country. Ila-liqaa.”
“Until we meet again,” Caine translated. “Goodbye, old friend.”
He
hung up the phone. Footsteps ascended the curved stone steps that led to the second floor. Nena rose into view. Caine raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath.
She wore a short orange dress that contrasted perfectly with her dark skin. A thin tunic of red and gold silk was cinched at her waist and fluttered open around her long, shapely legs. It was a modern take on traditional Ugandan dress. The colors reminded Caine of the sunset painted across the sky outside.
Her hair was long, thick, and shimmering. She had pulled it back from her face, and it hung behind her like a sleek, inky black waterfall.
“Wow … You look different!” he said.
She laughed. “You mean I’m not covered in mud and filth?”
“No, the dress … I mean, you look beautiful.”
“The lodge had a few of these for sale. The designer works here, in Uganda.”
Caine checked his watch. “Maybe I screwed up the time, but I thought we said—”
She laughed again and waved her hand at him. “No, no, I am early. But it has been so long since I could wear a dress like this, I didn’t want to wait any longer. They’re playing local music in the restaurant. There is dancing. Let’s go and have some fun.”
Caine gave her a sheepish grin. “I’m not much of a dancer, I’m afraid.”
She took his arm and pulled him to the stairs. “Yalla, come on. All those fancy fighting moves, and you cannot dance? What good are you then?”
Caine laughed and followed after her. “At least we can finally get that drink.”
She leaned against him. Her perfume smelled of jasmine and orchids. Underneath the fragrance, he could still detect a lingering hint of her shampoo and essential oils, mixed with her natural scent.
“You may drink,” she said. “I am going to dance until I am too tired to move. If you will not join me, you can just watch me have all the fun.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Caine said.
They left the open bungalow and walked down the stone path that led to the lodge. The molten, fiery sky was reflected in the waters of a long infinity pool that ran alongside the path. Their dark, laughing figures entwined arms in the placid mirror of the water’s surface.
Fire and Forget Page 32
