by Dan Fletcher
“What do you hope to find in Mombasa?”
“The guy we caught gave me an address for his boss so I’m going down there to check it out,” David didn’t know why he was confiding in her but it felt right.
Caitlyn turned to face him. Her eyes were misted over like she might cry. She took both of his hands in hers, “You will be careful won’t you David? I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
“Don’t worry.” David forced a smile that he hoped looked convincing, “I’ll be fine. I’m only going to see what I can find out about him for now.”
“When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure, I’ll be a couple of days at least.”
Caitlyn glanced at the stables before reaching up and kissing him on the cheek, “Sorry, I seem to be making a habit of this but I’ve got to go. One of the elephants is due her medication. When are you leaving?”
David was still reeling from the kiss. “I’m going to head down there now, why?”
“I just wondered if you had time to have dinner before you go. I mean you’ve still got to eat don’t you?” She shoved her hands into the lab coat’s pockets. “I’ll be finished in about half an hour if you’re interested?”
David thought about Damo and the other rangers guarding Koinet. He should be well on his way to Mombasa by now. He convinced himself that a couple of hours wouldn’t make any difference.
“I’ll be waiting.”
“You better be!” she smiled. He had been right about the figure, her pert bum wiggled as she walked away from him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Hankook Garden, Nairobi
August 17th, 1996
The LandRover tilted over to almost forty-five degrees as David mounted the inclined verge. Driving a 4x4 had its advantages, even in the city. There wasn’t a single space available in the packed car park.
“Chinese?” guessed Caitlyn.
“Close,” David smiled. “Hankook Garden is the best Korean restaurant in the city.”
As he struggled to open his door against the incline Caitlyn was almost ejected, as hers swung open.
“What, you mean there’s more than one in town?” she was straightening out her dress when he joined her on the other side of the jeep. He’d waited outside her apartment so that she could change on the way. She was wearing an ankle length red and black ethnic print. The fabric clung to her body and accentuated her amazing figure. Gold sandals exposed Caitlyn’s dainty painted toes and her hair was tied up in a bun. David felt somewhat unworthy dressed in his t-shirt and combats.
David smiled, “It’s a big city and more cosmopolitan than you might think. There are a few that I know of.”
As they entered between the bamboo pillars he noticed a few of the men look their way and give Caitlyn an appreciative look. An older gentleman with olive coloured skin and liver spots covering his baldhead let his gaze linger for too long. Or at least his companion must have thought so, a woman with big blonde hair and an even bigger voice. She turned to see what he was looking at and then gave him a mouthful in what sounded like Italian.
The four cooking stations were busy and David wanted somewhere a bit more private. They wove their way between the tables of noisy diners and found a space out on the terrace. The restaurant’s clientele supported what David had said about Nairobi. He counted at least five different nationalities before they took their seats.
“What are you drinking?” David beckoned the waiter as he walked by.
“I’ll have a Tusker please.”
She had just gone up another notch in his estimation, “I’ll have the same.”
The waiter had ridiculously thin sideburns, joined together by a pencil line of stubble across his chin. After giving them two menus from another table he went off to fetch their drinks.
“I’m starving.” Caitlyn decided quickly, “I’ll have the sliced beef with special sauce, whatever that is, and some spicy noodles.”
“Good choice, I think I’ll have the same.”
The waiter returned with the beers and took their order. David took a swig. The lager was cold and crisp but he’d only had a couple of hours sleep in the last forty-eight and was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. David covered his mouth as he yawned.
Caitlyn laughed and shook her head. A lock of hair fell to her cheek and she brushed it back behind her ear. “Charming! Boring you already, am I?”
“Sorry,” David smiled. “I just haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while. Tell me a bit about yourself. Apart from the fact that you’re a vet and work at the orphanage I know nothing about you.”
“Not much to tell really. Good catholic girl, brought up in a town on the coast called Dundalk. It’s near the border.” A shadow crossed her eyes for a second and then the sparkle was back. “I always wanted to be a vet so I went to University in Dublin and got a degree. Worked in a country practice near Dundalk for a while looking after farmers’ sheep. Giving them their yearly vaccinations that kind of thing. But it got boring and routine pretty quickly. Then the opportunity came up to work for the Sheldrick Trust. Obviously I jumped at the chance.”
“How long are you planning on staying?”
She smiled, “I suppose that depends on a lot of things, but I had planned on being here for at least a year, maybe two.”
“Don’t you miss your friends and family?”
Caitlyn shrugged, “I suppose so. But there’s really only my mum, sister and a couple of friends from university that I bother to stay in touch with. I guess I’m a bit of a loner. What about you?”
David wondered what happened to the father she didn’t mention. He might have just run away with another woman but her tone and eyes said otherwise. He wanted to ask but his better judgement told him not to probe and wait until Caitlyn decided to bring up the subject.
“Well, I’m happily married with two kids, boy and a girl,” David smiled.
Caitlyn’s face dropped, “Oh, I see.”
David laughed, “Not really, I just wanted to see how you would react.”
“You bastard!” She reached across the table and slapped his shoulder. “That was unfair. Now, what’s the real story?”
“Like you, I’m a bit of a loner. I’ve only got one friend to speak of. Then there’s my mother and sister Kiira, they live with my Aunt in Kisii.” David smiled thinking about her, “She’s great.”
“Kisii?” Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. “What a great name. I bet a lot of that went on when you were at school.”
David shrugged off the backhanded compliment, “Not really. I was always too busy on the farm.”
“Helping your father?”
Caitlyn was much better than him at asking difficult questions but he didn’t want to go into all of that right now. Not on their first date. “Yes, we used to do a lot together.”
“He’s not around anymore then?”
She was persistent. But then he kind of expected that of her, “No, he died when I was sixteen.”
“I’m sorry,” she grabbed hold of his hand. “I shouldn’t have pried so much. Being nosy is a bad habit of mine.”
“Don’t worry, it was a long time ago.”
“But the pain never really goes away does it? You just lock it away somewhere deep inside so that you can function properly,” her eyes had a faraway look in them and then she snapped out of it and smiled. “There I go getting all morbid. Shall we talk about something else? What made you decide to become a ranger?”
David was relieved that she changed the subject, “It was a natural choice really. I love wildlife and the freedom of being out in the bush, have done ever since I was a kid. It beats the hell out of being cooped up in an office or factory all day long.”
The waiter arrived with their food and wished them a pleasant meal before scurrying off.
“What about the danger? Don’t you worry about the fact that you could be killed?” she forked up some noodles and stuffed them into her mouth.
Caitly
n obviously had a good appetite. David liked the way she didn’t pick at her food like some women he’d dated. As if they were embarrassed to be seen eating anything other than a salad.
“You just don’t think about it. We take all the precautions that we can and minimise the risks. But I guess there’s also a bit of the ‘it will never happen to me’ mentality. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do the job.”
“Do you really think it’s worth risking your life?” Her eyes were hypnotising. “After all, they are only animals.”
“Are you sure that you’re a vet?”
Caitlyn laughed, “Don’t get me wrong. I love working with animals. But would I sacrifice my life for one of theirs, or even another human being come to think about it?” She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve got the guts. It’s very endearing though, quite a turn on.”
David didn’t know where to look.
“I hope that I haven’t embarrassed you, Captain?” she smiled mischievously. “Surely not? A big strapping ranger like yourself.”
David smiled, “Are you always this forward?”
“Only with men who’ve got a death wish and you never know if you’re going to see them again.” Caitlyn’s smile faded and she took his hand in hers, “I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.”
“Forget it.” David nodded at her plate, “Come on, we better eat up before it gets cold.”
The food was fantastic as always. They ate in comfortable silence for a while before Caitlyn spoke.
“Do you really have to do this?”
“Is there something wrong with the meal?” David realised that it was a pathetic attempt at humour.
“You know what I mean!” Caitlyn scowled at him. She looked good even when she was angry. “Why does it have to be you?”
David sighed, “Somebody’s got to do something before there are no elephants or rhino left. What am I supposed to do? Just walk away?”
“I don’t expect you to walk away from it but you need help.” She frowned, “Isn’t there anyone else in the KWS that you can turn to?”
“Right now the only one I trust is Damo and he’s stuck guarding the poacher that we caught. Hopefully that will all change once I’ve been down to Mombasa.”
“Is Damo the friend that you spoke of?”
David nodded, “The one and only.”
“That sounds like a bad song lyric,” Caitlyn smiled, “You know, Chesney Hawkes?”
David raised an eyebrow, “Why do I get the feeling that I’m lucky not to have heard of him?”
She laughed, “I can’t believe you don’t know who he is, good looking fella with long blonde hair. I had quite a crush on him about five years ago.”
“Sound’s great.” David smiled, “Are there any other pop stars that I should be worried about?”
“Only about ten or twelve off the top of my head.” She grinned, “Probably more if I really try to think about it.”
David held his hands up in mock surrender, “OK, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Caitlyn stared at the table, “David?”
“Yes?”
“You’re probably going to think I’m a right tart, and believe me I’ve never done this before on a first date.” She looked up at him, “Would you like to come back to my place?”
David knew that he should get going. But looking into her eyes he just couldn’t resist. Pushing reason to one side he motioned for the waiter to bring the bill.
*****
There was a mass of people outside the American Embassy as they drove by. He guessed there were over two hundred demonstrators, men women and children. Some holding placards, most of them shouting and chanting. The repeated call and the signs above their heads bore the same message. ‘MOI MUST GO’ made it pretty clear what they were protesting against. Presumably this was both a public spotlight and a safe place to do it, under the watchful eye of the US marines.
A hard-core group of more radical demonstrators were at the front egging the crowd on. Two of them were holding on to the poles of a banner that read ‘AMERICAN APATHY TOWARDS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE’. A coffee skinned man with a megaphone led the chanting. David could see the tension on the Marine Guards’ faces that were manning the checkpoint in the perimeter fence. He looked up at the non-descript grey building behind them. Man’s obsession with concrete during the sixties had a lot to answer for. Considering the Embassy was meant to represent American interests in Kenya it sure was ugly.
A line of light blues was preventing the crowd from spilling out onto the street. Unlike the police he’d seen in Narok earlier that day they were on their best behaviour. Then he spotted the TV cameras on the corner across the street, one of them from the American news channel CNN. That explained the lack of truncheons.
“They’re out here demonstrating almost every day. How come Moi is still in power when there are so many people against him?”
David sighed, “Unfortunately it’s not that simple. He’s got a lot of supporters in high places, and most people are too scared of being shot or branded traitors to speak out.”
“Why doesn’t the West do anything? Moi’s obviously a dictator.”
“For the same reason they don’t do anything about the Nigerian President, or Robert Mugabe. There’s not enough mineral wealth to make it worthwhile and Kenya is of no strategic importance.” He shook his head, “Its just Africans killing Africans. Unless the country is swimming in oil or next door to Russia they’re not really interested.”
“Do you really believe that’s how it is?”
David nodded, “Hundreds of thousands of people have been reported murdered or missing but nothing is ever done about it. What do you think?”
“I didn’t realise it was quite so bad. It puts a whole new perspective on the troubles.”
“The troubles?” David raised an eyebrow. He knew a little bit about Ireland’s history and the British occupation but had never heard the expression used before.
“I guess old habits die hard.” She took a sip of beer, “That’s what my parents’ generation used to call the war in Ireland between the North and the South.”
David was beginning to realise that despite being born worlds apart they actually had a lot in common. He was itching to ask about her father but didn’t.
They pulled up outside her apartment building on Monrovia Street, a four-storey block facing Jevanjee Gardens. Despite the great location it was another faceless example of sixties architecture, boxlike terraces hanging beneath metal patio doors painted white.
“Are you sure that you want me to come up?”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, “I think you’d better shut up before I change my mind.” She got out and slammed the door so hard the jeep rocked.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Biashara Street, Nairobi
August 17th, 1996
The girl who called herself Katia was naked and tied to the four-poster bed, her mouth gagged in case she screamed too loudly. Maliki knew that besides wanting anonymity the leggy blonde’s real name wasn’t very easy on the tongue. Sviatoslava Gruzinsky was an eighteen-year-old refugee from the Ukraine. Brought to Kenya two years previously by a Russian prostitution ring to work in one of their clubs.
After seeing her gyrating at the Cocodome Palace Maliki simply had to have her. Her tight golden buttocks were pointing in the air, propped up by a couple of pillows. Maliki pulled back his cane and brought it down viciously, adding another angry red welt to the ones already criss-crossing her bum. The leather gag that she bit into muffled Katia’s screams. Maliki glanced at himself in the mirror above the bed and grinned. His lean body was dripping in sweat, veins and muscles bulging, his penis standing out proudly in front of him.
He swung back to take another swipe but the shrill ringing of the telephone caused his arm to freeze in mid-air. Only one person had the number for Katia’s penthouse apartment in Biashara Street, and he knew not to call unless it was an emergency.
Maliki dropped the cane
to his side and marched over to the dressing table, antique mahogany to match the bed. He picked up the receiver.
“What you have to say better be fucking important,” he snarled into the phone.
“Sorry sir, I wasn’t sure whether to call but then Sabore persuaded me that it was the right thing to do,” he heard ruffling, as if Lembui was holding the phone to his chest, and Sabore’s voice in the background. There was a delay of a few seconds before Lembui came back on the line, “What I meant to say was that we decided it was the best thing to do.”
“Well spit it out you idiot.” Maliki was watching Katia writhing around on the bed.
“Sorry…sir,” Lembui stammered. “Captain Nbeke isn’t at the Outpost sir.”
Lembui suddenly had all his attention, “What do you mean he’s not there? Are you sure that you’ve looked everywhere?”
“That’s just it sir, there’s nobody here at all. The place is completely deserted.” He heard Lembui swallow, “What do you want us to do?”
Maliki felt the stiffness leaving his penis and his lip twitched. He was going to enjoy getting his hands on Nbeke and making him pay for the interruption.
“Get Sabore to stay there in case he comes back. You go to the other rangers’ stations and see if Nbeke is at any of them. If not, find out where he was last seen and where he’s going. Get the registration and description of the vehicle that he’s driving and put out an all points bulletin for his arrest. I want this bastard caught! Do you understand me Lembui!”
“Yes s...” Lembui’s was cut off as Maliki smashed down the receiver.
Maliki’s hands were trembling as he searched through the pockets of his jacket, hanging from the chair next to the desk. Because he was flustered it got caught in the lining but eventually his address book came free. Maliki thumbed through the pages and found the number he wanted. He actually dialled the first three digits before realising what he was doing and replacing the receiver.
His face went into spasm. He had nearly called the Deputy Director at home from Katia’s apartment. It would have been a stupid, amateur error. The fact that he had come close to it filled him with rage. With only Katia there to take his fury out on he turned back to the bed and raised the cane high above his head. He whipped her again and again. So hard that it broke the skin and she started to bleed. He dropped the cane and used his fists instead, the rewarding feeling of flesh meeting bone. Her dampened cries for help were far too faint for anybody to hear.
